Overlooking Your Eyes

Yoo Seon-woo. When people heard that name, they each conjured their own impressions based on their perspective. Teachers in the staff room thought of his exceptional parents. Students in the classroom thought of his expensive watch, limited-edition sneakers, and the endless flow of money. Yet, everyone shared the same wish: to catch Yoo Seon-woo’s attention.

People liked Yoo Seon-woo. He came from a good family, was obviously wealthy, and had a stunning appearance that drew admiration from everyone around him. To top it off, Yoo Seon-woo had a great personality. He was kind and gentle. He never raised his voice, always spoke softly, and never swore or resorted to violence. People both liked and envied someone like Yoo Seon-woo.

In a community where hierarchy was so often determined, it was inevitable that a group of envious and spiteful individuals would emerge, resenting Yoo Seon-woo’s calm and amiable demeanor. Some, perceiving him as no more than a sheltered flower in a greenhouse, provoked him with petty, harsh remarks born of inferiority.

‘Is your family really that great?’

‘Are you that amazing?’

The conclusion of such conflicts, however, was always the same: an enforced transfer. This decision was made on the very day Yoo Seon-woo’s influential parents visited the school—just once, squeezing time into their schedules. The school’s director and principal greeted them at the central entrance and even escorted them back to the parking lot. The winner in the situation was clear: Yoo Seon-woo.

After one of his tormentors was transferred out, no one dared to antagonize Yoo Seon-woo again. They both envied and feared him, carefully watching their behavior, wary of offending him.

Without raising a hand or uttering a single insult, words that most peers would casually throw around Yoo Seon-woo became the most intimidating and untouchable figure at Han-young High School.

This all happened within a month of his enrollment.

***

On the first day of school in his third year, Yeong-won was, as usual, the first to arrive at school. He entered Classroom 5 and turned on the lights. Looking at the neatly aligned desks, He placed his bag on the front seat near the teacher’s podium where the blackboard was clearly visible.

Taking out his textbooks and a small fabric pencil case from his worn-out bag, which bore the marks of long use, he immediately began studying without hesitation. It didn’t take him a minute to fully focus.

Since middle school, Yeong-won had always been the first to arrive and the last to leave school. Was it because he loved school? Because he could study best there? The reason was simple: his home environment made studying impossible.

His family had slowly crumbled due to his father’s overly trusting investments. Initially cautious and investing only small amounts, his father began pouring in more and more, believing in their potential, worsening the family’s financial situation. From a two-bedroom apartment to a single-room villa, they now lived in a crumbling studio apartment in a poorly located area with bad security.

The word “home” evoked the image of a single room with no boundaries between the living room, kitchen, and bedroom. His father, glued to the old TV, dreamed of winning the lottery every week, while his mother, a tutor suffering from various ailments, constantly watched Yeong-won, both proud of his and guilty for the weight of their expectations. They pinned their hopes on him, envisioning her excelling in the prestigious Korean University, teaching lucrative private lessons, and landing a high-ranking job at a major company after graduation.

Yeong-won found their expectations overwhelming. Studying at home was impossible.

One more year. Just one more year, and it would all be over. While he knew he would still struggle until he could fully support himself, at least he would no longer be crammed into a place where she had to study uncomfortably while suppressing everything about himself. His plan was to leave home right after graduation. Even if it was a selfish decision, he saw no other way.

To achieve that, he had to study. Only by earning scholarships could he even attempt this plan. Yeong-won imagined himself a year from now, not dramatically better off, but at least free and refocused on the next question. Reality quickly faded, leaving only the comforting clarity of solving problems, the one thing that gave him a glimmer of hope for a brighter future.

He was ten questions away from completing the section he had planned to finish before other students arrived when the classroom door slid open. Glancing at his watch, he noted it was still a bit early for anyone to be there. It seemed someone had come exceptionally early for the first day of the new semester. Without looking up, she vaguely noticed a pair of legs and shifted his attention back to his work. His plan was to finish the math problems before the noise started and then move on to language studies, practicing her focus even amidst distractions.

“Lee Yeong-won?”

His hand, poised to jot down the next equation in her notebook, paused. He was surprised, as he hadn’t expected anyone to know her well enough to call his name like this, especially since he wasn’t even in the same class as him only close friend, Kim Hyun-jin. Raising his head, he looked at the boy leaning forward against the teacher’s podium.

“…Ah.”

A familiar face. He knew both the face and the name. They’d never been in the same class, but they had attended the same middle school. Even if they hadn’t, it would have been impossible not to know him, as he was so famous. Yoo Seon-woo. It was unlikely anyone at this school didn’t know that face or name.

“It’s really you.”

“…How did you know?”

“The only person who’d be at school this early is you, Yeong-won. You’re famous for it—always the first to arrive and the last to leave.”

The way Yoo Seon-woo spoke, casually using Yeong-won’s name as if they were already close, made Yeong-won wonder if they had ever talked before. But nothing came to mind. They’d never had a single conversation or even the slightest interaction.

“And we went to the same middle school.”

As Yoo Seon-woo smiled kindly at him, Yeong-won tightened his grip on his mechanical pencil. He almost wondered if he was the one forgetting something. It seemed strange for someone to act this familiar just because they’d attended the same middle school. While Seon-woo’s friendliness felt genuine, it stirred a faint sense of wariness in him.

“This is the first time we’ve been in the same class.”

“…Yeah, it is.”

“Is Kim Hyun-jin in this class too?”

“No, Hyun-jin’s in Class 4.”

“Ah, so a different class. That must be disappointing since you’re close.”

Seon-woo’s words might have sounded empathetic, but his expression didn’t carry even a hint of disappointment. If anything, it felt as though he was pleased they weren’t in the same class. Staring at Seon-woo’s unreadable face, Yeong-won wondered why he even brought it up but couldn’t figure out the reason.

After meeting Seon-woo’s gaze for a moment, Yeong-won lowered his head back to his workbook. He rechecked the numbers he had substituted into the equation, solved the problem, and wrote down the answer: –2. As he marked the answer in his notebook, he noticed that Seon-woo was still there, leaning against the teacher’s podium and looking down at him. Although Seon-woo leaned forward slightly, his tall frame made it so Yeong-won had to tilt his head to meet his gaze.

“Do you have something else to say?”

“No, not really. I just wanted to look a little longer.”

“Why?”

“Because I like that we’re in the same class?”

What is he even saying? Watching Seon-woo smile as he said something so nonsensical, Yeong-won shook his head and looked back at his workbook. He didn’t have time to waste on trivial comments. Thanks to Seon-woo’s interruption, he had already lost five minutes, which meant he now needed to focus more than usual to catch up. Five minutes were gone, but he still had nine questions to finish.

Even though he could feel Seon-woo’s gaze lingering on him, Yeong-won stayed focused on solving the problems, marking answers as he went. By the time he reached the last question, Seon-woo finally stepped away from the podium, distracted by the arrival of another student. Finishing the final question with an answer of 2, Yeong-won lifted his head and glanced at the now-empty podium, feeling a sense of relief.

“…….”

After putting away his math workbook, he pulled out his language workbook and flipped it open. Yoo Seon-woo had been famous since middle school for his good looks, his height, and how noticeable he was. By his second year of middle school, he was already over 180 cm tall, and by graduation, he was said to be over 185 cm. Even though they’d never interacted, his height made him impossible to miss. Whether in the cafeteria, on the playground, or in the auditorium, Yoo Seon-woo always stood out.

Everyone liked him. Rumors circulated that he had rejected over a hundred confessions, received confessions from boys, and even dated a student teacher. None of these rumors harmed his reputation in fact, they only reinforced his popularity.

In high school, his reputation remained untouched. Now nearly 190 cm tall, his mix of youthful energy and a calm, mature demeanor drew everyone’s attention. Even someone like Yeong-won, who was single-mindedly focused on studying, couldn’t avoid hearing the whispers of admiration around him.

With his stunning looks, impressive physique, good grades, and kind personality, Yeong-won had always assumed Yoo Seon-woo was a great guy. But today’s encounter left him thinking Seon-woo was… strange. Approaching him with unwarranted familiarity, asking odd questions about his friend, and casually claiming to like being in the same class Seon-woo was a handsome, but peculiar, person.

As more students trickled into the classroom, their faces mostly unfamiliar but vaguely recognizable, Yeong-won turned to look behind him. Seated at the far end of the second row was Yoo Seon-woo, holding his phone. Noticing Yeong-won’s gaze, Seon-woo glanced up, meeting his eyes, and smiled softly just like before.

Unnerved, Yeong-won quickly turned back and focused on his language workbook.

Yoo Seon-woo was definitely a strange guy.