The Mist of Valkerio
In the Valkerio Academy…
Sylin and the boy walked side by side, wandering through a quiet portion of the academy grounds. The breeze was calm, the atmosphere soft—until a sudden splash of cold water drenched them both.
Sylin flinched, irritation snapping through her voice.
Sylin annoyed, sharp,
"Jeez—what is this!?"
The boy immediately apologized, wiping water from his face.
Boy embarrassed, apologetic,
"S-Sorry, Miss Sylin… There are always some brainless idiots around here who love teasing people."
Sylin squeezed water from her clothes with a sigh.
Meanwhile, the boy pulled off his shirt, twisting it dry—revealing a sculpted, well-defined physique carved like a Greek statue.
From behind the bushes, his friends whispered with excitement, gripping their water bucket.
Friend 1 whispering, hyped,
"Bro, now he has a chance…"
Sylin's cheeks warmed as her eyes drifted over the boy's body.
But suddenly—
Her vision blurred.
The world around her shimmered.
For a split second…
She didn't see the boy.
She saw Sang Jaey, smiling softly, charmingly—
the smile that make her entire world stop.
Her breath caught. Her eyes widened.
Her body moved on its own—she stepped forward, arms slightly rising… she was about to hug the image she saw…
But a voice cracked the illusion apart.
Rohdan distant shout, irritated,
"Hey! Sylin!?"
The world snapped back.
Sylin froze—realizing what she was doing.
Her heart jumped in panic and sorrow.
Without a word, she turned away and left with a heavy expression.
Rohdan hurried after her from another direction.
The boy watched her go, disappointment filling his features.
Boy frustrated, missing the moment,
"Oh God! I just missed it…"
His friends burst out of the bushes.
Friend 1 excited,
"Bro! You almost got a hug from her!"
Friend 2 nodding hard,
"Yeah, bro—she moved! She so moved! You're close to her."
The boy lifted his chin with new confidence.
Boy determined, romantic ambition,
"Today I missed it… but tomorrow? Tomorrow I'm going to make sure she falls for me."
The Tension Between HeartsOn the other side…
Rohdan finally caught Sylin, grabbing her hand firmly.
Rohdan angry, demanding answers,
"What were you doing there?"
Sylin confused, defensive,
"What?"
Rohdan's frustration boiled over.
Rohdan scolding, voice raised,
"What!? What do you mean 'what'!? You were about to hug him! Don't tell me you're that kind of—"
Before he could finish—
SLAP.
Sylin's palm struck his cheek with a sharp sound.
Her voice trembled… but her eyes held painful clarity.
Sylin hurt, overwhelmed,
"Rohdan… I—I'm confused, okay? I don't know if this is love or just attraction. Infatuation… something else…"
"But whenever I sit alone, my mind—it keeps thinking about him."
"You think I was going to hug him? But in my eyes… I am hugging sang jaey."
"Now… I finally understand. I'm in love with him—so much that it hurts."
"I can't bear this distance. Even if my love is one-sided…"
"I just want to tell him one thing. Whether I ever get the chance or not… I don't know."
She walked away, leaving Rohdan speechless.
He stood frozen under the golden hue of the setting sun—
unable to understand, unable to stop her.
The Abyssal Exchange
In the Charcoal Abyss…
Sang and Keyokthai sat facing each other, the dim glow of the abyss flickering around them.
Sang's lips curved into a restless half-smile, his expression shifting as if his heart was somewhere else entirely.
Keyokthai leaned forward with a raised brow.
Keyokthai curious, amused,
"What happened? Don't want to listen to your story? Or what's about to happen?"
Sang sighed, rubbing his chest lightly as if something was missing inside.
Sang restless, feeling incomplete,
"Yeah… I want to listen. But… something feels off."
Keyokthai smirked, teasing like an elder brother.
Keyokthai teasing,
"Seems like you're missing your 'main one.'"
Sang frowned.
Sang confused,
"Main one? What do you mean?"
Keyokthai grinning,
"A lover. A girlfriend. Something like that."
Sang clicked his tongue.
Sang annoyed, flustered,
"Shut up. I don't have a girlfriend or any lover."
"I'm just… missing my friends. Those close to me… like family."
Then, unexpectedly—
Keyokthai extended a hand, a portal beginning to spark behind him.
Keyokthai offering, serious tone,
"Then I'll open a portal for you. Go meet them. But only on one condition."
Sang's eyes widened.
Sang shocked,
"Wait—why would you open a portal for me? This is irrelevant to what we were doing, like we were listening to our story but suddenly shifting—!"
Keyokthai in middle,
Keyokthai firm,
"Irrelevant or whatever —do you want to meet them or not?"
Sang inhaled deeply, then nodded.
Sang soft, honest,
"Yeah… I do. But—"
Before he could say anything more, Keyokthai finished the portal.
He declared…
Keyokthai warning, echoing voice,
"One: You only have two minutes. The portal stays open long until those who know me realize I'm inside you."
The Two-Minute Miracle
Sang stepped through—
—and found Sylin sitting alone on a bench, crying quietly.
Her tears fell one after another, her voice cracked as she whispered to herself:
Sylin hurt, betrayed,
"…I don't know why it hurts so much…"
Sang saw her and muttered under his breath:
Sang soft, guilty,
"Damn… such a back stab from him."
He stepped out, pacing in panic.
Sang muttering to himself,
"Should I talk to her? What do I even say? Haaah… okay, okay… just speak."
He approached hesitantly.
Sylin gasped while crying, holding her face in her hands—
until she sensed someone's presence.
Before Sang could speak, she suddenly hugged him tightly around the waist—thinking he was rohdan.
Sylin crying into his stomach,
"I'm sorry, Rohdan… I didn't mean to slap you… I just—"
Sang blinked rapidly.
Sang bewildered, whispering,
"What? She slapped him? Damn—I missed that."
Keyokthai's voice echoed in his mind.
Keyokthai warning, fading,
"Hey—the time is almost up. Give your greetings and get back."
Sang gently placed his hand on her head, softly rubbing her hair.
Sang gentle, warm,
"Hey… Sylin. Are you okay?"
Sylin lifted her face—
And when the sang sees her tears face he blushed.
But then she saw him—
her eyes widened in shock, disbelief, joy, and fear all at once.
Sang blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head.
Sang awkward, sincere,
"I don't have much time… Tell everyone I asked for them, okay… Sylin?"
Behind him, the portal began to shrink, swallowing the edges of reality.
He stepped back, being pulled into the light.
His hand waved toward her as he sank into the portal.
Sang soft farewell,
"Bye… Sylin."
But—
Sylin moved.
Her heart acted faster than her mind.
She ran—
grabbing his hand just before the portal could take him completely.
Her fingers tightened around his—
refusing to let go.
Sylin whispering, breath trembling,
"…Don't disappear again…"
No hug.
No kiss.
Just her trembling grip,
holding onto the one thing she didn't want fate to take away.
The portal swallowed the light—
but her hand stayed there until the last second,
clinging to his warmth.