WHISPERS OF FIRST LOVE _ BOOK 1

Monday arrived with a golden sun and a breeze that carried the scent of blooming flowers across Crescent High's courtyard. Students lingered under trees, sat on benches with juice boxes, and filled the school grounds with lively chatter that made Lia feel like she was finally stepping into something more than just a new school—maybe even a new life.

Her footsteps were lighter today.

Ever since that rainy afternoon, Kai hadn't spoken to her again. Not directly. But there were subtle things—tiny moments that whispered louder than any conversation.

Like the way he paused when she entered the art room.

Or the umbrella, now sitting folded in her locker, with no note, no name—but still unmistakably his.

He hadn't asked for it back.

Still, she tried to ignore the flutter in her chest. She was here for school, not for stories she only drew in sketchbooks. He was Kai Yoon—the most unreachable person in the school.

And she was… just Lia.

—

That morning, while she waited outside the student council office for her weekly task schedule, a girl across the hall caught her eye. She was sitting at a small reception desk near the CEO-like student council president's office door, flipping through a logbook and answering questions from the occasional visitor.

She looked composed, smartly dressed in a proper uniform, with her glossy black hair tied up into a ponytail and tiny gold pins clipped to the side.

Her gaze met Lia's. After a brief pause, the girl offered a smile.

"You're one of the design team students, right?" she asked.

Lia nodded, a little shy. "Yes."

"I've seen you with Kai."

Lia's heart jumped, but she only smiled politely. "He supervises our team."

The girl chuckled. "He supervises everything, honestly. I'm Su Rina. I work the front desk here before council meetings."

Lia stepped a little closer. "I'm Lia Chen. I just transferred here."

"Welcome to the chaos," Su Rina said with a wink. "You seem sweet. Most people here are too loud or too fake to notice anyone new."

Lia laughed softly. "I try to stay out of the noise."

"Well, you're already ahead of most students," Rina said, standing up. "You want to grab lunch later?"

Lia blinked. "Lunch?"

"Yeah. It gets boring eating alone at the desk. Besides, you look like someone who eats quietly—which is my favorite type of person."

That made Lia smile, genuinely this time. "Sure. I'd like that."

—

By lunchtime, the two girls had made their way to the school's open terrace—where sunlight spilled across stone benches and flower planters bloomed near the railings. It was quieter than the cafeteria, and Lia was surprised to discover how easy it was to talk to Su Rina.

"You know," Su Rina said mid-bite, "you're the first person I've invited out since… maybe forever."

"Really?"

Su Rina nodded. "I don't do the whole fake friend circle thing. But you? You're like a soft song in a noisy room. I like that."

Lia laughed gently. "That's the kindest thing anyone's said to me since I moved."

"Well, get used to it. I'm dramatic and loyal."

They clinked juice boxes like wine glasses.

—

Over the next few days, Su Rina and Lia became fast friends.

They ate lunch together, passed notes between classes, and started walking to the bus stop side by side. Su Rina even insisted on swapping playlists, and Lia found herself listening to upbeat K-pop and soft indie songs while sketching alone at night.

"Your life needs music," Su Rina had declared.

But there was still one piece of Lia's world that Su Rina didn't know about.

Kai Yoon.

And Lia had no idea how to explain him—even to herself.

That Friday afternoon, Lia stayed back to finish the lantern sketches for the cultural festival stage backdrop. The art room was quiet, empty except for her and the steady ticking of the wall clock.

She was packing up when the door opened—and in walked Kai.

He didn't say anything at first. Just nodded in her direction and walked over to the brushes.

Lia hesitated, then said softly, "You don't usually come in this late."

"I had to finish council meetings."

She tucked her hair behind her ear. "Did they go well?"

He shrugged. "Mostly. People like to talk too much."

She smiled a little at that.

After a moment, he glanced over. "I saw you with Su Rina."

"Oh. Yes. We're friends now."

"She's good at keeping secrets," he said, more to himself than to her.

Lia tilted her head. "Secrets?"

Kai didn't answer right away. Instead, he walked to the table and gently lifted the corner of her sketchpad.

She didn't stop him.

He flipped through a few pages, his eyes scanning her soft lines, the detailed shading. When he reached a particular sketch—a quiet drawing of the terrace where she and Su Rina had lunch—he paused.

"You draw everything you feel, don't you?" he said.

Lia looked away. "I don't talk much. So… I draw instead."

Kai set the sketchpad down.

"It's rare," he said. "People hiding something beautiful."

The words sat between them, heavy and soft.

Then, as he stepped back, he added, "I hope she stays your friend. You deserve at least one real one."

Lia met his eyes.

"And you?" she asked without thinking. "Do you have any real ones?"

His expression didn't change.

But his voice was quieter when he said, "Not anymore."

As Lia walked home that evening, her thoughts were storming louder than the skies ever had.

Kai Yoon had layers. He wasn't cold. He was covered.

And somehow, without trying, she'd gotten close enough to feel the warmth beneath.