HMT Chapter 1 (Part 1)

First Snow Kind of Crush

Crunch, crunch. A pair of worn sneakers left busy traces across snow that had already lost its original color from being trampled by countless people.

A small head bobbed lightly to the dreamy rhythm flowing from his earphones.

Everyone around him walked by in small groups or pairs, but Ji-woo was alone. Instead of taking in the happy faces around him, he kept his eyes on the ground that grew slushier with every step people took.

You had to be careful walking on a street covered in heavy snow. Every breath breaking into pale white mist told him how cold the air was. The snow that had fallen through the night froze itself solid, waiting for the chance to make people slip.

The soles of the sneakers he had bought early this year and worn through every season were now smooth and slippery, making him especially vulnerable on a road like this. Just a few days ago, he had nearly taken a bad fall because he was too busy staring up at a star-filled sky. Ever since then, Ji-woo kept his head bowed deep, like someone searching for a lost coin on the ground.

If he fell on this icy road and got hurt in his broke state, he’d have to worry about next month’s living expenses immediately.

Bit by bit, the outside noises pushing through his earphones changed. When he heard energetic voices around his age, Ji-woo’s gaze, which had been glued to the ground, slowly lifted upward.

Even though winter break had begun, the front gate of the school was teeming with students wearing jackets printed with Korea University. Ji-woo naturally blended into the flow as if he belonged with them.

From the main gate, a steep road stretched upward, lined with rows of snow ducks greeting the students climbing the hill. Seeing the snow ducks drew the faintest hint of a smile on Ji-woo’s lips.

The school, known as the hardest university in the country to get into, was also infamous for its brutal incline. That made Ji-woo’s steps even more cautious. But being careful alone didn’t prevent accidents.

Behind him, students who had been bickering and shoving each other suddenly burst forward with their arms over each other’s shoulders. In the process, one of them rammed hard into Ji-woo’s small, fragile frame.

Ji-woo let out a sharp cry as he pitched forward. His hands, which had been gripping the straps of his backpack, flailed out desperately. The ground grew closer and closer, and just as he reflexively squeezed his eyes shut…

“Hoobae, are you okay?”

“Ah…”

Through the music in his earphones, a soft voice reached him, making Ji-woo’s eyes fly open. Someone was holding him up just before he hit the ground. The grip on his arm was firm and steady. He needed to say thank you, but his lips only parted weakly and trembled.

The unreal situation made his head spin. As he looked at the face gazing down at him with concern, Ji-woo blinked, wondering if this might be a dream. Noticing his dazed state, the other person helped him stand upright and gently brushed his hair, now messy.

“Good thing you’re not hurt. The others are gathered over there in the parking lot. Come up carefully.”

As the person walked away after giving his back a light pat, Ji-woo lifted his right hand to his chest. His heart was pounding so hard it seemed to ignore the thick layers of clothing, making his chest ache.

He was taller than most people by a whole head, had broad shoulders, long legs, and a body proportioned like an almost perfect model. Ji-woo wasn’t the only one staring at him. Everyone passing by pretended not to look yet kept stealing glances at the man striding ahead on those long legs.

“Haa…”

His frozen lips let out a long breath. A faint fog spread across the lenses of his thick glasses. With his view clouded, Ji-woo took them off and rubbed his eyes. Without them, the world blurred like a watercolor painting soaked in water.

He swung his backpack to the front, pulled the glasses case from the front pocket, and wiped the lenses with the soft cloth inside. Only after putting them back on did his vision clear again.

Shouldering his backpack properly, he walked with renewed strength. His lips, once stiff and straight, curved faintly. The path, the cold air, the noisy surroundings, nothing had changed from a few minutes ago. But his mood floated light and sweet, like cotton candy.

His round eyes busily chased after the person he adored, now small in the distance, about the size of a thumb.

Unlike Ji-woo, who lived hidden in the shadows, he was someone who fit the bright sunlight better than anyone. As always, Kim Yoon was surrounded by people.

Worried he’d make it too obvious, Ji-woo couldn’t look at him openly. Like a thief, he only snuck glances while slipping into the crowd. At the parking lot closest to the main gate, large tour buses capable of carrying at least forty students each stood in rows, puffing out white exhaust.

Ji-woo quietly took a spot in a secluded area where he could clearly see Kim Yoon. A few nearby students noticed him, tilted their heads, then lost interest. Ji-woo, long used to indifference, removed his earphones and tucked them into his pocket. The surrounding noise became even more distinct.

“Kim Yoon, are all the first-years here? Among the second-years, Lee Jisoo and Kim Kyungtae still haven’t shown up.”

Dohun, wearing thick-rimmed glasses, tapped Kim Yoon’s arm and spoke. Ji-woo’s eyes sparkled as he watched. He was incredibly jealous of Dohun, who could casually stand next to Kim Yoon and speak to him like it meant nothing.

“I contacted them a little while ago. They said they’re almost here.”

“This time, you need to speak up. You always let things slide gently, so they think it’s fine to be late.”

“You must’ve been stressed. Alright. I’ll make time later and talk to them properly.”

Smiling with his long, crescent-shaped eyes, Kim Yoon lightly tapped the bag hanging from Dohun’s shoulder. Watching that, Ji-woo felt a ticklish sensation at the crown of his head and along his back, exactly where Kim Yoon had touched Dohun.

“If you say it that firmly, well…”

“Let’s grab a drink later with just the committee members. You have no idea how grateful I am that you agreed to be treasurer, Dohun.”

“For real?”

“Of course.”

Ji-woo tapped the ground with the tip of his shoe. He wanted to be part of that group too. But he was someone who fit better in these quiet corners.

The farthest he had ever allowed himself to hope was getting into the same university and same department as Kim Yoon. Wanting anything more might expose the feelings he had carefully hidden for years.

“If it’s the committee members, that includes me too, right?”

“Of course. You’re the vice president, Yejin.”

Not missing her chance, Yejin, who had been standing beside Dohun, slipped into the conversation. Kim Yoon greeted her with a warm smile as well.

“Uaaah! Guys, seriously, I’m sorry!”

“Heok, huk… I’m sorry too!”

Just as Ji-woo was secretly watching Kim Yoon, the late second-years finally arrived.

“Do you guys even have a conscience?”

“Pay the late fee. What is this, making everyone freeze out here? It’s not like you’re late just once or twice. You’re habitual offenders at this point.”

As Dohun and Yejin began scolding them, Kim Yoon gently stepped in to settle things.

“They must be really cold. Let’s just get going first. We can talk about this later.”

At Kim Yoon’s words, Dohun clicked his tongue but stepped back. Because of the raised voices among the second-years, the first-years had begun looking nervous.

“First-years! Split into two groups and get on the buses first!”

With a loud voice, Dohun guided the waiting students toward the buses. Ji-woo quietly joined the very end of the line.

‘I hope I get on the same bus as sunbae.’

He planned to get on whichever bus Kim Yoon boarded. Even when Ji-woo hesitated and stayed toward the back, none of the other first-years approached him.

Kim Yoon stayed with the late students. While Dohun and Yejin tried soothing the sulking boys, a sharp-bobbed girl grabbed Kim Yoon’s arm and shook it playfully.

“Yoon-ah, which bus are you getting on?”

“I’ll get on whatever seat is left. You should hurry up too.”

“No. I want to ride the same bus as you.”

Jisoo, with her big wide eyes, was well-known even among the first-years. Her jet-black bob, pale skin, and neatly arranged features were pretty enough to rival an idol. Standing side by side, Kim Yoon and Jisoo looked as if flower petals were swirling around them.

Mesmerized by the sight, Ji-woo wasn’t watching where he was going and bumped into someone.

“Ah, what the…?”

The student who collided with him scowled and turned around. Only then did Ji-woo snap out of it and hurry to apologize.

“S-sorry.”

Normally he didn’t get this distracted watching Kim Yoon. Maybe the small kindness sunbae had shown him earlier had stirred his otherwise calm heart. Since Ji-woo apologized without protest, the student relaxed.

“No need to be that sorry. What was your name again? You’re in my year, right?”

“Yeah. …My name is Nam Ji-woo.”

Used to this situation, Ji-woo quickly gave his name. He already knew the girl’s name. In fact, he remembered everyone’s names here.

“Ahh. I think I asked you before too. I’m terrible at remembering names. I’m Kim Haena.”

“…I know.”

As Haena said, she had asked him back at the start of the semester, again before midterms, again in May, and again during finals week. Every time, her face clearly said: ‘Do we have someone like this in our class?’

When Ji-woo only gave a faint smile in response, Haena lost interest and turned her head. She and her friend got onto the bus.

Pushing down the faint disappointment, Ji-woo lifted his foot onto the bus step. At this point, all the first-years except him were already aboard. If he loitered any longer, it would look suspicious, so he gave up on the plan to follow sunbae onto his bus.

At that moment, a voice behind him stopped him in place.

“I’m getting on this bus. Jisoo, you get on the front bus. There are fewer second-years there.”

“What? That’s not fair.”

Her whining followed, but Kim Yoon firmly came up behind Ji-woo. Seeing him standing frozen, Kim Yoon gently pushed his small back upward.

“I’ll support you with my hand. Go on up, hoobae.”

The steps were high, and the snow-covered shoes of countless students had made the floor slippery. But it wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t climb on his own. Still, before he could say he was fine, the push from Kim Yoon’s hand sent his body gliding upward.

Feeling dazed, Ji-woo barely managed to find an empty seat and sit down. His calves and thighs trembled slightly, probably because of how fast his heart was racing.

“Driver, I’m the last one. You can start now.”

Kim Yoon, who boarded right after him, politely spoke to the bus driver.

“I set aside some drinks and snacks up here, so help yourself.”

“Thanks, kid.”

The older driver replied gruffly, and only after Kim Yoon bowed again did he move to take the remaining seat.

‘N-no way.’

Among the countless seats, the only one left was right next to Ji-woo. Feeling his presence from the side, Ji-woo froze with his hands clasped tightly together. When he hurried to find a seat earlier, he hadn’t realized the only empty spot was beside him. His luck today was unbelievable. And that made him even more nervous.

All he had hoped for was to be on the same bus as sunbae. But this luck, far beyond anything he’d dared imagine, had left his breathing strange since earlier.

Something he never even dared to picture was now happening in reality. His head kept lowering forward, like someone was gently pushing it down. Under his messy hair, the back of his neck warmed.

Kim Yoon’s shoulders were unusually broad, so it wasn’t like he was leaning toward Ji-woo, yet their arms still touched. The moment he realized, Ji-woo’s shoulders stiffened.

“Haha. Is it really uncomfortable?”

Hearing the soft laugh fall near his ear, Ji-woo blankly looked up at him. Only then did he realize he had curled up against the window, doing everything he could to avoid touching sunbae.

“N-no. It’s not that…”

It was uncomfortable, yes, but in the complete opposite way from what sunbae assumed. How could he possibly say it was because it felt like his heart might explode out of his chest?

“Sorry. Just bear with it until we reach the lodge, okay? There was only this seat left.”

The warmth brushing the top of his head made Ji-woo’s cheeks gradually flush. His mind went hazy, like he was standing on the border between dream and reality.

He barely managed to nod. He feared sunbae might hear his heartbeat, but he couldn’t possibly give up such rare luck. When would he ever again get to sit beside Kim Yoon on a bus? Today felt like a miracle formed from layers of coincidences.

It might be the kind of luck that never came again for the rest of his life. If so, he had no choice but to treasure it.

Still, he needed to cool his face somehow. Hoping to calm his pounding heart, Ji-woo reached for his earphones and was just about to put them in when Kim Yoon lightly tapped his arm.

“Can we listen to the music together?”

“…Sorry?”

“I forgot to bring my earphones.”

His smile, shy as if embarrassed, was so bright that Ji-woo forgot how to breathe. Seeing Ji-woo frozen in a daze, Kim Yoon waved a hand in front of his face.

“Ah… h-here.”

Snapping back to his senses, Ji-woo hurriedly held out one side of the earphones he’d been using. Because his hand was trembling so badly, the cord swayed like a rippling wave.

“People still use wired earphones these days, huh. That’s surprising.”

As Kim Yoon said, Ji-woo was using long, corded earphones. In a world where everyone carried wireless earbuds or headsets, they had become quite rare.

No one had ever called them surprising before, so Ji-woo had been using wired earphones for over ten years without a second thought. Only today did he realize others might find them unusual.

He was always afraid he’d lose wireless earbuds. But wired earphones stayed connected to his phone, which gave him a sense of comfort. He used them simply because they made him feel safe. The curious look sunbae gave them made his heart beat wildly.

“Thanks. I’ll let you choose the music, Ji-woo.”

“….”

Again.

He said Ji-woo’s name so naturally.

Even though Ji-woo had followed him into the same university and same department, they had barely interacted before. As student council president, Kim Yoon tried to look after everyone in the department. But he was simply too popular.

While Ji-woo was a loner with barely anyone around him. He attended gatherings from time to time, but always sat far away in some corner far from Kim Yoon.

Maybe that was why. Only a handful of classmates even remembered his name. Even today, Haena had asked for it yet again.

Yet a name he couldn’t even remember the last time his own family used, Kim Yoon said it so gently, so easily.

Does this person know how much comfort that gave him?

Back when he was a high school student, and even now.

Ji-woo couldn’t bring himself to meet sunbae’s eyes, so he turned his gaze to his phone screen. His playlist was filled with the songs he liked most, slightly gloomy, dreamy tunes with provocative lyrics.

“This song’s good.”

It was the kind of music people either loved or hated, but Kim Yoon smiled faintly and closed his eyes as he said it. Ji-woo’s lips curved in relief.

Mustering courage, he glanced toward the window. Though blurry, he could see Kim Yoon’s silhouette reflected in the glass.

It felt like a wind carrying the scent of flowers was drifting through the bus. Back in high school, Kim Yoon had often sought out little-known benches to lie across and nap, where others rarely passed.

And the place he chose, by luck, was right under the window of the secluded library seat where Ji-woo spent most of his days. During those peaceful moments, Ji-woo could admire his sleeping face as much as he wanted.

‘Sunbae, you were cool back then and you’re cool now. And you’re so kind… even to someone like me.’

He whispered the words silently in his heart, too embarrassed to ever speak them aloud. Even that was enough to make his ears burn.

While he absentmindedly touched the ear without the earphone and sneaked glances at Kim Yoon…

A strange scene caught his eye.

‘What is that?’

Today was the day Ji-woo’s department left for their end-of-semester MT, and the university was already on winter break. Even so, there were still plenty of people remaining on campus. It made sense, today was Saturday, December 27th.

Like the law department, many other departments were also heading out for their MTs, so several tour buses were parked in the lot, waiting for students.

The parking lot was near the first floor main gate. Because the campus was built on steep slopes, just walking from the main gate to the nearest department building took ten minutes. Students often joked that going to school every day was no different from going hiking.

Because of that, students made good use of the shuttle bus that ran from the subway station. Though Ji-woo barely rode it, since he saved money whenever possible. And because snow had piled up on the roads today, the number of students walking was noticeably lower.

Then, at the end of the uphill road, something strange moved. Upon looking more closely, it seemed a student had fallen and was lying flat on the ground. Two students walking ahead turned around and hurried toward the fallen student.

‘Must’ve slipped on the snow. Poor thing.’

Since Ji-woo had almost slipped earlier too, he felt a kind of shared misery. If Kim Yoon hadn’t grabbed him by the arm at that moment, he would’ve ended up rolling on the ground just like that student.

Then he saw the fallen student stretch out a hand and flail. Unfortunately, the approaching student had long hair, and the hand grabbed it, yanking her to the ground as well.

The student who had fallen first toppled over onto the one dragged down. The two tangled bodies crashing together happened in an instant. Their companion, startled, rushed toward them. The whole thing looked unreal, almost like a comedic skit.

“We’re departing now. If anyone hasn’t fastened their seatbelt yet, please do it now.”

Ji-woo wanted to see what was happening a bit more clearly. If it was serious, he wondered whether he should call 112. But before he could do anything, the bus started moving. Several students shifted around to fasten their belts, filling the bus with rustling noise.

“Um… s-sunbae.”

Ji-woo tore his gaze away from the strange scene outside and turned to Kim Yoon. There were plenty of other people on campus, so if it really was an emergency, someone else would call it in. What worried him more right now was Kim Yoon. Ji-woo had his seatbelt on, but Kim Yoon’s chest was still free.

But even when called, he didn’t respond. When Ji-woo listened carefully, the steady breaths flowing beneath his sharp nose bridge sounded peaceful. Student council president or not, he must not have had time to rest after the semester ended, busy preparing for this MT.

Ji-woo recalled overhearing the others earlier, apparently, the student council had pulled an all-nighter until the day before departure. He cautiously shifted his body. Holding his breath, he reached a hand toward sunbae’s waist area and managed to grab the seatbelt.

Ssss… a faint sound followed the movement of his arm. He hadn’t even touched sunbae’s body, but sweat formed on his palm anyway. Careful not to brush against him by accident, Ji-woo extended the belt toward the buckle.

All he had to do now was fasten it. Yet even this simple task had cold sweat forming on his forehead.

Suddenly, something felt off. Thinking it over, he realized the soft breathing he’d been hearing by his ear had stopped.

A chill crawled up his spine. With a bad feeling tightening his chest, he slowly lifted his trembling eyelids.

The eyes staring right back at him made him freeze.

Lit by sunlight streaming through the window, the usually dark irises looked lighter than normal and held no trace of a smile. They were utterly still, as if drilling straight through him. The tension between them made Ji-woo’s throat bob up and down in a heavy swallow.

Kim Yoon’s gaze briefly dropped to Ji-woo’s slender neck before meeting his eyes again. His graceful eyes slowly curved into a soft arc. Only when the usual warmth returned to their brown hue could Ji-woo breathe again.

“Ah, I… I was trying to fasten your seatbelt…”

Anyone could see that, but he still felt the need to explain himself. His lips moved on their own.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Smiling brightly, Kim Yoon took the seatbelt still in Ji-woo’s hand and clicked the buckle into place. When their hands brushed, Ji-woo flinched. And at that moment, he finally noticed the scent he’d been too tense to sense earlier, something cool and heavy, like a dark night sea brushing past his nose.

It was the same scent that occasionally teased his senses whenever he passed by Kim Yoon. Once, he’d even wandered through several perfume shops trying to figure out what brand it was.

No matter how many testers he sniffed, he couldn’t find anything that matched. Ji-woo suspected the fragrance was partly sunbae’s natural scent mixing with his cologne.

Thump-thump, his heart pounded insane and wild. Ji-woo squeezed his eyes shut. The dreamy music still flowed faintly through the shared earphone, making him feel like his body was being pulled somewhere distant.

The excitement that came without warning was too overwhelming, leaving him unable to think straight. The strange scene he’d witnessed outside earlier gradually faded from his mind.

The fallen student wasn’t alone, and someone who seemed like a friend was right there. On the opposite path, more students were walking up and down the slope. If something serious had happened, surely the people nearby would handle it.

But that wasn’t how it should’ve gone.

If he had looked a little more carefully, if he had sensed that something truly abnormal was happening…
couldn’t he have prepared, even slightly, for the horror that was coming?

Thinking about it later, all of it felt meaningless, but he couldn’t hide the deep, gnawing regret that lingered.

---

‘…He’s really handsome.’

After fixing his seatbelt, Kim Yoon fell back into a deep sleep. His face, eyes closed and arms crossed, looked unreal. And it wasn’t just because Ji-woo liked him, several first-years sitting nearby kept sneaking glances at him too.

After making eye contact with a few of them, Ji-woo hurriedly turned his gaze to the window. If he wasn’t careful, someone might notice how he felt about Kim Yoon. Sure, many guys admired him. Most of the student council members had probably joined with the goal of getting closer to him.

Even so, no one else among the guys felt romantic attraction the way he did.

It was an emotion he absolutely could not let slip. He didn’t mind being judged himself, he was used to being disliked. But Kim Yoon wasn’t. Someone born with everything from the start would not be accustomed to receiving hateful stares.

‘That’s why he must never find out.’

If his feelings brought trouble to Kim Yoon, he’d never forgive himself. Until the day sunbae graduated, he planned to bury these emotions deep inside. After graduation, it would be impossible to see him this closely again anyway. Until then, he wanted to protect the feelings he carried.

“Hey, did you see this?”

“What is it?”

“It’s blowing up on SNS right now. Looks like someone filmed it. Are they shooting a zombie movie somewhere?”

“Then shouldn’t they not leak footage like that?”

“Yeah, but the blood spraying from the neck looks kind of real, doesn’t it?”

While Ji-woo had been trying to calm his pounding heart, a small commotion rose from the seat in front of him. Two boys with similarly short bangs were watching a video together. In it, people with grotesquely twisted limbs, covered in blood, were sprinting toward others.

It was familiar imagery. Zombies, something often used in films, dramas, and variety shows.

People screaming and running, zombies pouncing on them and tearing off flesh, everything looked real, but with today’s media, fake scenes often looked more realistic than reality.

“You guys watching that too? It’s all viral marketing. Come on, real zombies in Seoul? No way.”

From the back seat, Haena clicked her tongue at the boys. She had just received the same video from her friend.

“Don’t go spreading that around. If something goes wrong, you’re screwed.”

“Hey, why’s a girl saying screwed, screwed? You don’t even have a…”

“Oh? You wanna cross the line?”

“Man, listening to you talk is just like listening to my older sister.”

One of the boys scrunched up his face and grumbled. Acting playful, Haena grabbed his head with an over-the-top grip and shook him vigorously. His shrill scream echoed noisily inside the bus.

Their voices were so loud that Ji-woo and several others could hear their conversation clearly.

Ji-woo glanced at Kim Yoon, who was still asleep. His brows were faintly furrowed, as if the loud chatter of their classmates was bothering him.

Once they got off the bus, Kim Yoon would have no time to rest and be dragged around here and there. The only time he could truly rest might be during the bus ride.

Thankfully, the music flowing from the earphones blocked out a bit of the noise. Ji-woo fiddled with the earphone in his right ear. Mustering courage, he was about to place the other earbud into Kim Yoon’s free ear.

BEEEEEP…

“Wh-what was that?”

“Ah, that’s loud.”

“Why does this keep happening? Even COVID is over now.”

An alarm blared across the bus at the same time. Still touching the earphone, Ji-woo froze. The sound came from the phones each student carried. Ji-woo quickly checked the bright screen.

Unknown individuals exhibiting abnormal behavior are appearing nationwide. All citizens are advised to evacuate immediately to a safe location.

“What the hell?”

‘Unknown abnormal individuals’? Did someone escape from a mental hospital or something?”

“It’s probably nothing. Ugh, my ears are still ringing.”

It was a warning message from the Central Disaster and Safety Headquarters. Everyone had received similar alerts countless times over the years, so their reactions were dull. Most students were just annoyed, rubbing their still-stinging ears. Even the bus driver ignored the message and continued driving casually.

Before long, the bus crossed into Gapyeong. They only needed fifteen more minutes to reach the pension. The student council had booked a place far from town, since there weren’t many large accommodations near the center that could house so many students at once.