Being in high school is never easy for anyone, especially for Jongdae and new student Minseok. What the pair don’t know is that their paths are going to cross, much sooner than either ever thought possible. What surprisingly connected them was the fact that their parents knew each other.

Jongdae, stuck in high school, works with the aim of getting a relatively successful job in the future whilst helping his family whereas Minseok just wants to survive, though with sudden deaths occurring, it seems impossible. Neither let the fact that they are miserable show, pretending is a part of their daily routine.

They both envisioned getting by using a façade, finishing high school, going to college before getting jobs and living generic lives: breathe, work, die. Though, of course, you never can get what you want... but is it really what you want?

With Minseok being a new student, Jongdae didn’t expect to come face to face with him, it was like seeing double.

And they both didn’t expect the other to ever remove their mask.

Every day was the same, it never changed. Wake up, get ready for the day, eat, walk to school, take notes in lessons, go to lunch and socialise, continue with lessons, go home, do homework, shower, eat and sleep. Day after day, this pattern repeated, his mask in place all the while. What slowly began changing in his daily routine was his interest in Minseok, the boy weirdly intrigued him but he could never figure out why. His daily routine was knocked dramatically a week later when he had arrived home, he quickly knew something wasn’t right, he knew it even more so by the way his mother was sat at the kitchen table, her face pale while she shook. Though he had seen the sight before, he had a feeling it wasn't to do with what it normally was. Jongdae coughed into his hand quietly to get her attention. “What’s happened?” He asked.

“Do you remember my friends from college?” She asked quietly. Jongdae remembered the stories she used to tell about them. The three of them had grown up together and his mother had been left on the side lines when they fell in love, she didn’t mind though, she was just glad to see her friends happy. Later on, once they had settled down, they had a child, which his mother had told him was a little older than he was, and they were living the way everyone secretly wished to, happily. “Yes” Jongdae nodded, his stomach churning when he realised something bad must have happened to them.

“T-They were in a car crash” She sniffled. “It all happened a while ago but I only just found out…” She added. Jongdae’s sharp intake of breath made his mother look up, wiping her teary eyes.

“Did they make it?” His voice was quiet. She shook her head as she hid her face behind her hands. Jongdae quickly rushed to the other side of the kitchen, dropping his bag in the process, he wrapped his arms around his mother.

“What about their child?” Jongdae asked, suddenly realising that the child must have been left all alone.

“I… I don’t know… I asked her mother about it… She said that she had only just been able to summon the ability to call. She said that the child had refused to leave their home, instead acting as though nothing had happened but she told me that she had been around to the house and they had been sat at the dining table, head in their hands as they sobbed” She broke down again, though she tried to choke back the sobs. Jongdae gulped, the image that he had in his head was saddening, the thought that someone his age would spend their nights crying alone was devastating. “Why aren’t they leaving?” Jongdae found his voice asking.

“I don’t k-know… I want to g-go and make sure h-he’s alright” His mother stated through her tears.