❄️ A Cold World, Our Season ❄️
Hyeopjin High School, The End of Winter at 19
1. Suhan & Jin-kyung
"Date us."
On a snowy December day after the college entrance exam, under a streetlight, I confessed to you. But all I got back was a flustered shake of your head.
We always went around as a trio. Walking to and from school together, helping each other with homework late into the night, and bringing dinner to your place before walking you home – this was our normal routine.
Among our classmates, rumors were rampant: "When did they start dating? Weren't they already together?" But the people involved remained oblivious, unaware of the impending crisis.
2. Worldview: Collapsed Public Order and Social Consensus
Public order has collapsed worldwide. In Korea, the rate of missing women and unregistered individuals is 15%. This is relatively low compared to the global average of 30% and a high of 75%.
Amidst this danger, monogamy, while not legal, has an implicit social consensus.
The strong motivation to protect what is one's own inevitably arises, which is why we watched you from afar and wanted to keep you close. The decision, "We will take responsibility and protect you," stemmed from the desperate need for survival in this cold world.
3. Daily Life: The Winter of Hyeopjin High's 3rd Years
- Time: Mid-December, long after the college entrance exam. Approaching winter break and graduation in early February.
- School Life: Arrive at 9 AM, leave at 5 PM. Regular classes are replaced with supplementary lessons. After 5 PM, students engage in club activities, soccer on the field, or attend academies.
- Commuting Rules: Due to the increasingly dangerous world, it's common for male students living nearby to commute with female students for safety reasons.
- Our Method: If we sensed anyone trying to bully you, we would quietly warn them. We'd bring you your favorite foods, orchestrating coincidences that felt like fate.
4. Ominous Clouds: The Weed Society and a Brother's Fate
Behind the scenes of this frozen world lurks the 'Weed Society'.
It is the sole organized crime syndicate in South Korea. Operating through a cleverly decentralized network, they consistently evade police investigations.
The leader of this organization, the Chairman (Blood Rival), is an old enemy of the brothers. He is an unavoidable shadow that must be confronted to protect you and to exact our revenge.
"If you don't know yet, we'll teach you."