IF LOVE HAD A NAME

IF LOVE HAD A NAME

A High School Romance Novel

1. The Whispered Name

Morning light poured through the towering windows of Daehan High School, casting long shadows over the pristine floors.

The school was alive with murmurs. Not the usual talk about exams or weekend plans. No—today, something was different.

A name floated through the air like a ghost.

"Kang Ji-hoon…"

Hushed voices. Curious glances. Excited whispers.

"I heard he got expelled from his last school."

"Some say he put a guy in the hospital."

"They say… he almost killed someone."

A mix of fascination and fear spread through the hallways.

Everyone loved a scandal.

But Lee Hana wasn't interested in rumors.

She walked past the groups of gossiping students, adjusting the strap of her bag. Her morning had already been bad enough—her alarm didn't go off, her little brother spilled milk on her uniform, and now she had to deal with this nonsense.

Some delinquent transfer student? Who cares?

She turned the corner, heading to her class—

And that's when the hallway fell silent.

A shift in the air. A presence.

And then—him.

---

2. A Boy with Cold Eyes

He walked in like he owned the world.

Tall. Dark hair slightly tousled. Uniform worn loosely—tie undone, blazer hanging open, like rules didn't apply to him.

But none of that mattered.

What did matter were his eyes.

Dark. Cold. Unreadable.

The kind of eyes that had seen too much.

A shiver ran down Hana's spine, but she ignored it. Don't be stupid.

The hallway remained eerily quiet as Kang Ji-hoon strolled past the staring students, his face emotionless.

No reaction. No curiosity.

Like he was used to this.

Like he expected it.

Hana was still watching when, suddenly—

He looked at her.

Just for a second.

Their eyes met.

And in that moment, she felt something strange.

Not fear.

Not excitement.

A warning.

Then he was gone, walking past her as if she didn't exist.

The hallway exploded back into whispers.

But Hana couldn't move.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she had no idea why.

---

3. The Seat Next to Her

Class started like any other day.

The teacher, Mr. Jung, walked in, adjusting his glasses.

"Alright, settle down," he said, tapping the desk. "Before we begin, we have a new student joining us."

The room buzzed with anticipation.

Hana didn't look up. She already knew.

"Come in, Kang Ji-hoon."

Footsteps. The rustling of a chair.

Then silence.

Hana glanced up—and froze.

Ji-hoon was sitting next to her.

Of all the empty seats in class—why this one?

Her fingers tightened around her pen.

She stole a quick glance at him.

He was staring straight ahead, unreadable.

No emotion. No reaction.

Just silence.

But Hana could feel it.

A storm behind those cold eyes.

And for the first time, she wondered—

What exactly had he done?

---

4. The First Warning

Lunchtime.

The cafeteria was its usual chaotic mess of students laughing, shouting, and fighting for the best meals.

Hana sat at her usual table, picking at her rice.

"He's creepy, right?"

She looked up.

Her best friend, Yoo Min-ah, had plopped down in front of her, setting down her tray with a dramatic sigh.

"You mean Kang Ji-hoon?" Hana muttered.

"Of course I mean him!" Min-ah leaned in, whispering. "I heard he almost got arrested at his last school."

Hana rolled her eyes. "You believe everything you hear."

Min-ah huffed. "Well, you're sitting next to him. Did he say anything?"

"No," Hana admitted. "Not a single word."

"See? Creepy!"

Hana wasn't sure why, but she felt the need to defend him.

"He just seems… quiet."

Min-ah made a face. "Or dangerous."

Hana shook her head. "I think people are just scared of him because of rumors."

Min-ah sighed, stabbing her chopsticks into her food. "Well, you better be careful. Guys like him…"

She lowered her voice.

"They always bring trouble."

Hana wanted to brush it off.

But as she turned her head, her eyes landed on Ji-hoon—

Sitting alone at the back of the cafeteria.

Not eating.

Not talking.

Just watching.

And for some reason—

It felt like he was watching her.

---

5. A Mistake

The rumors only grew worse.

Some students claimed he was in a gang.

Others swore they saw scars on his hands—marks of fights, of violence.

Hana ignored it.

Until the first incident happened.

It was after school, the sky painted in hues of pink and orange. Hana was heading to the bus stop when she heard it—

A yell.

A thud.

Then silence.

She turned the corner—

And froze.

Three students were on the ground, groaning in pain.

And standing over them—Ji-hoon.

His knuckles were bruised. His expression was blank.

The other students?

One was clutching his ribs. Another was spitting out blood.

And the third—the leader—was on his knees, his lip split open.

Ji-hoon grabbed him by the collar, voice dangerously calm.

"Say that again."

The guy's mouth trembled.

"I… I didn't mean it, man. I swear—"

Ji-hoon's grip tightened.

"You called me a murderer."

Hana's breath caught.

Murderer?

The boy whimpered. "I-I just—It was a joke, I swear!"

Ji-hoon didn't move.

Then—he dropped him.

The boy collapsed onto the pavement, gasping for air.

Ji-hoon stepped back, hands sliding into his pockets.

Cold. Unbothered.

Like violence meant nothing to him.

Then—he turned.

Their eyes met.

A long, heavy silence stretched between them.

Then Ji-hoon spoke, his voice low and quiet.

"You shouldn't have seen that."

Hana's heart slammed against her ribs.

Because in that moment, she realized—

Maybe the rumors weren't just rumors.

Maybe—Kang Ji-hoon really was dangerous.

---

End of Chapter 1

(Next Chapter: Secrets and Scars)