Ji Min stood in the empty hallway of the school, her mind completely blank. It was like the times back home, when she was suddenly at a loss as to what to do. Confused and lost.

Ji Min realized that the school was empty except for a few lingering students here and there. She must have zoned out for a while, since the last she remembered, students were still crowding into the hallway to get home.

Ji Min-ah.

The voice she knew so well echoed in her head, finally releasing the spell and allowing her to move. Slowly, she walked over to the window of the hallway, staring out at the field. That was where she saw Dae Hyun for the second time, just a few days ago. But he hadn't recognized her.

Ji Min was paralyzed with shock at first. All thoughts paused in her mind to focus on one question: why did Dae Hyun just pass her by? However, the answer came to her soon enough. The truth was that Dae Hyun was a large part of her life, having pulled her away from death's door without even knowing it. The second truth was that to him, Ji Min was just another face; she was just a random girl he had found in the rain that disappeared the next morning. Ji Min understood if he didn't remember her, but it seemed like a small part of her wanted him to. There was just the tiniest flicker of disappointment and lonliness... and then she had walked on into the school as Dae Hyun walked out.

One by one, Ji Min recalled all the rumours that she had come across of him so far.

Everyone seemed to know his name. Or, at this school, he was better known as Him Chan's little brother.

So Him Chan attended here as well, Ji Min had thought initially.

Befitting his appearance, Him Chan must have proved to be quite the delinquent when he was a student. He had graduated a few years ago and the school didn't lack masochist students to take his empty space; despite this fact, the students here still gossiped about his reign as if it was just yesterday. And Dae Hyun's presence only seemed to keep the fire going, as if Him Chan was telling them, "Don't forget me."

"Nobody's ever seen him without his mask," her classmate explained to Ji Min, even though she hadn't asked. "I've never heard him talk either, actually. Even the teachers don't call on him."

Ji Min drew Dae Hyun's face in her mind, the one that had charmed her upon the very first look. She recalled his velvety voice, gentle and soothing. These two things alone should have made him one of the more popular guys in school, yet the situation was completely reversed.

"I heard someone say that Him Chan-sunbae scarred his face when they were younger. Right across the cheek with a steak knife. In a family restaurant too! That's why he wears the mask all the time."

"Really? I heard my friend say that he's actually hideous. Like, revolting. So he covers his face, so he isn't compared to Him Chan's own handsomeness."

Ji Min brought her hand to the window, her face as emotionless as ever.

"But he should be good looking, right? Same family, same genes? Do you think Dae Hyun's secretly as promiscuous as Him Chan-sunbae was before he graduated? If only I enrolled before he left... Yum."

"Did you hear the one about him sleeping with his homeroom teacher?"

"There was this one rumour, about Dae Hyun being completely mute..."

"Are you sure about the steak knife theory? Someone in my class said that Dae Hyun's actually worse than Him Chan-sunbae, in terms of being cruel.... You want to know why no one's ever seen him fight? 'Cause no one got out well enough to talk about it."

"No way. Him Chan-sunbae was practically inhuman. It makes my whole body shudder just remembering the rumours from two years ago!"

Ji Min closed her eyes.

She wanted to shut out all their words like she had shut out her vision. These stories the students told her, that was not how she remembered the two brothers. Dae Hyun was as sweet as hot chocolate with whip cream on a cold winter day, while Him Chan was as insightful and understanding as a mother tending to a sick child. She could stand them forgetting her, but this was different. This, being in this school, was a whole 'nother nightmare, with the students tainting her only beautiful memory since her mother fell sick. 

Why had Lawyer Choi transferred her here, of all schools?

"Ji Min-ah."

There was Dae Hyun's voice again, calling her name whenever it felt like her world was spiraling downhill again.

"Ji Min-ah!"

She opened her eyes slowly, curious at the change in tone. It sounded more rushed, in contrast to the smooth flow of his voice she was used to remembering.

"Aish! Yah, Ji Min-ah!"

Ji Min snapped her head to her side to see where the sound was coming from, because it certainly wasn't coming from inside her head. Her memories didn't improvise.

The air in her lungs got stuck as she watched a masked boy come running towards her down the hallway, waving at her. When the boy saw that she was finally looking at him, he stopped waving and pulled his cap further down his head with his hands. He started running faster.

"Come with me!" he breathed out was he was nearing Ji Min. Without stopping his run, he grabbed her hand that was dangling at her side and pulled her along. Involuntarily, Ji Min was now running with him. She followed the boy blankly. Where were they going?

Up a flight of stairs they went, then around a corner. They passed quite a number of classrooms before they reached a small door at the end of the hallway before he finally stopped.

"We're here."

He slid open the door, leading the two of them inside while he still held onto her hand. Just as quickly, he slid the door shut again. Ji Min saw that they were in one of the school's storage rooms when he flicked on the lights. The room was full of extra chairs and tables, empty lockers and art supplies. Why were they here?

Ji Min brought her eyes to him again, the boy still in his hat and mask. He was catching up on his breathing when he noticed her staring. Slowly, he let go of her hand.

"Long time no see, Ji Min," came his playful voice. He unhooked one ear free from the mask, fully revealing his grinning face.

It was Dae Hyun. There was his handsome face - mesmerizing eyes, straight nose, full lips and all. He was neither hideous, nor were there scars on his cheeks, nor did he seem dangerous.

Ji Min stared at his eyes - observing the blue dancing around in a sea of darkness - curved from his smiling face. 

Charmed, yet again.