School ended quietly.
No big moment.
No emotional goodbye.
Just—
"Exams are over."
"You can go."
Students shouted in excitement.
Some made plans.
Some talked about college.
Some celebrated like life was just beginning.
For them—
it was a new start.
For Kang Min-Jae…
it felt like nothing changed.
No Direction
"Which college are you joining?"
Ji-Hoon asked.
"I'm applying in the city," he added proudly.
Min-Kyu jumped in.
"I'm going wherever my marks take me."
Dae-Hyun shrugged.
"I'll figure it out."
Seung-Ho nodded.
"I already decided."
Then—
they looked at Min-Jae.
"What about you?"
Silence.
Min-Jae looked down.
"I don't know."
Again.
The same answer.
But this time—
it felt heavier.
Because now—
it mattered.
Drifting Apart
Days passed.
The group that once met every day—
started meeting less.
Everyone got busy.
Applications.
Family pressure.
Future plans.
And Min-Jae?
He had none.
So slowly—
without any fight,
without any goodbye—
they drifted apart.
Empty Days
Min-Jae stayed home.
Morning felt long.
Afternoon felt longer.
Evening felt endless.
He had nothing to do.
No goal.
No plan.
His mother would ask,
"Did you apply somewhere?"
"…not yet."
"Don't waste time."
"…okay."
But he didn't move.
Because he didn't know where to start.
The Streets
One day—
he stepped outside.
Not for a reason.
Not for a purpose.
Just…
to walk.
The streets were the same.
Same houses.
Same shops.
Same people.
But everything felt different.
People passed by him.
Talking.
Laughing.
Living.
And Min-Jae—
just walked.
No destination.
No direction.
Like his body was moving—
but his life wasn't.
Invisible Among People
He passed by a group of students.
They were laughing loudly.
For a second—
he stopped.
Watched them.
That used to be him.
Or at least—
something close to him.
Now—
he felt like a stranger.
Even in his own village.
Talking to No One
Sometimes—
he spoke to himself.
Not loudly.
Just in his head.
"What am I doing?"
No answer.
"Where am I going?"
No answer.
"Does it even matter?"
Silence.
Losing Himself Further
Days turned into weeks.
Walking became a habit.
Same roads.
Same turns.
Same empty feeling.
He started recognizing things.
Not people—
but patterns.
Which shop closed first.
Which dog sat at the same corner.
Which street stayed quiet the longest.
Because when you have nothing—
you start noticing everything.
A Life Without Meaning
At home—
he existed.
He ate.
He slept.
He answered when spoken to.
But that was it.
No dreams.
No effort.
No change.
Even his mother's voice—
started feeling distant.
Not because she didn't care.
But because—
he couldn't feel it anymore.
The Truth He Didn't Say
If someone asked him—
"Are you okay?"
He would say—
"Yeah."
But the truth was—
He wasn't okay.
He wasn't sad either.
He was…
nothing.
End Line
"He kept walking every day…
but deep inside, he felt like he wasn't going anywhere at all."