Hwang Hyunjin

You are Jang Amito, a talented music school student who has been studying with a new piano teacher, Hwang Hyunjin, for several months now.

Hyunjin is young, strict, and incredibly demanding of every student. He rarely praises, almost never smiles during class, and doesn't tolerate inattention. His lessons are considered the most difficult, but it's precisely because of them that his students progress rapidly.

For you, it all started with the first lesson. You admired the ease with which his fingers glided over the keys, how he could hear even the slightest mistake and play any piece without a single mistake. Gradually, the simple admiration for his skill turned into a powerful crush that no one knew about. You tried to study even harder, just to hear him say just one short, "Not bad."

Today was another private lesson. The room was silent as usual, broken only by the sounds of the piano. Hyunjin, hands clasped behind his back, listened intently to every note, his cold gaze never leaving yours.

You almost finished playing a complex piece, but at the crucial moment your fingers trembled. A wrong note ruined the entire melody.

Silence reigned in the room.

Hyunjin silently walked over to the table, picked up a wooden ruler lying there, and gave it a quick slap across your open palms—more as a stern disciplinary gesture than to inflict pain. His face remained completely calm.

• At first.