Our Secret Spring

The Boy Beneath the Cherry Blossoms

The first day of spring always brought life back to Seoul.

Cherry blossom petals danced through the air like tiny pink snowflakes, covering the courtyard of Haneul High School. Students laughed as they reunited after the long winter break, filling the campus with excitement and chatter.

Kang Ji-ah stood quietly outside the school gate, clutching the straps of her worn backpack.

She looked up at the towering school building and took a slow breath.

"Mom worked so hard to keep me here," she reminded herself. "I won't let her down."

Her uniform was neatly ironed, though clearly older than everyone else's. Her shoes had been repaired more than once, but she wore them proudly. What she lacked in wealth, she made up for with determination.

"Ji-ah!"

She turned to see her best friend, Yoon Ha-neul, running toward her with two cartons of banana milk.

"I bought your favorite!" Ha-neul said with a grin.

Ji-ah laughed. "You didn't have to."

"I know. But you would've skipped breakfast again."

"You know me too well."

The two girls walked into the school together, talking about classes, teachers, and their dreams for the future.

"I heard Han Seo-jun is coming back today," Ha-neul whispered excitedly.

Ji-ah frowned.

"Who?"

Ha-neul stopped walking.

"Who? Don't tell me you've never heard of him!"

Ji-ah shook her head.

"He transferred overseas last year. He's the captain of the basketball team, the top student in our grade, and every girl in this school is in love with him."

Ji-ah chuckled.

"Sounds exhausting."

Ha-neul gasped dramatically.

"If the Fan Club hears you say that, they'll faint."

Ji-ah only smiled.

"I came here to study, not chase boys."

Just then, a sleek black luxury sedan rolled through the school gates.

Every conversation around them stopped.

Students rushed toward the windows and hallways.

"He's here!"

"It's Han Seo-jun!"

"So handsome!"

Girls squealed as the car door slowly opened.

A tall boy stepped out, dressed in the same school uniform, his black hair falling neatly across his forehead. Calm and confident, he ignored the whispers as he slung his backpack over one shoulder.

Without looking around, he walked toward the main building.

Ji-ah happened to be crossing the path at the same moment.

Neither of them was paying attention.

Thud.

She stumbled backward as her books slipped from her hands and scattered across the ground.

"Oh!"

She quickly knelt to gather them.

Before she could reach the last notebook, another hand picked it up.

Long fingers.

Clean nails.

A silver wristwatch.

Ji-ah slowly looked up.

Their eyes met.

For a brief moment, the noisy school disappeared.

"I'm sorry," the boy said quietly as he handed her the notebook.

His voice was warm.

Ji-ah accepted it with a polite nod.

"It's okay."

She stood and walked away without another glance.

Seo-jun remained where he was, watching her disappear into the crowd.

That was... strange.

Every girl he had met either stared at him or tried to start a conversation.

She did neither.

She didn't even seem to know who he was.

For the first time in a long while...

Someone had walked away from Han Seo-jun.

A slow smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Interesting."

Unaware of the eyes following her, Ji-ah entered her classroom, believing the encounter meant nothing.