Chapter 3

The day was barely halfway through when things took another unexpected turn.

I was sitting at my desk, trying to focus on the lesson, when the door slammed open, and the loudest, most obnoxious voice I'd ever heard filled the room.

"I'm looking for Kang Hera!"

The whole class went silent. I looked up from my notebook, seeing a guy standing with fury.

Behind him were a few of his friends, all scowling like they were ready for a fight.

"Is this her?" the guy demanded, glaring at me. "The girl who attacked my girlfriend?"

I raised an eyebrow. So this was the boyfriend? He looked like the typical school thug—muscles, a bad attitude, and the kind of person who probably thought yelling and hitting people would solve everything.

"I'm not apologizing," I said flatly, not even bothered by his presence.

The boyfriend's expression twisted with rage. Without a word, he lunged toward me, his hand raised, aiming to slap me across the face.

Before his hand could connect, I grabbed his wrist mid-air and twisted it, pushing him back with a force that sent him stumbling. The entire class went dead silent.

I stood up slowly, ready to face him head-on. His friends started moving toward me, but I didn't back down. I wasn't afraid of them.

I was a black belt for a reason.

I was about to strike when the door creaked open again.

"What's going on here?"

The teacher stepped inside, eyes immediately falling on the scene unfolding.

I sighed, letting go of the boyfriend's wrist and sitting back down at my desk. "This isn't over," I said, my voice cold.

He muttered a string of curses before storming out of the room.

During the break, I went to the back of the school to clear my head. The back of the building was quieter, away from the crowd of students, where I could think without the prying eyes of my classmates.

But as soon as I stepped into the area, I knew I wasn't alone.

I turned, only to find the boyfriend and his friends closing in. "You think you can just walk away after what you did to her?" he sneered. "We're going to teach you a lesson, princess."

I could feel the tension rising in the air. They were ready to throw down. I cracked my knuckles, preparing myself. If they wanted a fight, I was more than ready to give them one.

Just as the first guy rushed toward me, I heard a voice—one I recognized.

"Hey, you."

I turned to see Yoon Ga-Min stepping onto the scene, looking as calm as ever. He wasn't in the mood for any of this. He looked at me, then at the group of guys threatening me.

"I'm not going to let you do this," he said, his voice cold and steady.

The boyfriend scoffed, "What's this? Your boyfriend?"

Ga-Min didn't respond. Instead, he walked right up to the boyfriend, getting in his face. Before anyone could react, he swung a punch that connected with one of the guy's jaws, sending him stumbling back. The others immediately attacked, but Ga-Min fought like a pro, dodging their punches and knocking them out with precision.

He was fast. He was skilled.

By the time the fight was over, all of the boyfriend's friends were on the ground, groaning. Ga-Min stood there, adjusting his glasses like he hadn't just beaten down four guys.

I couldn't help but smirk. "Thanks, but I didn't need saving."

Ga-Min glanced over at me, raising an eyebrow. "You sure about that? You didn't seem to be doing so well."

I shrugged. "I was getting there."

Ga-Min grinned a little, showing a brief flash of humor. "Sure you were."

As we stood there, a voice interrupted us.

"Ga-Min!"

I turned to see Se-Hyun, Ga-Min's friend, striding over, looking annoyed. He grabbed Ga-Min's arm and pulled him away, muttering something about needing to get back to class.

Ga-Min threw me one last glance before walking off with Se-Hyun.

I watched them leave, thoughts swirling in my head. Who was this guy? He was definitely different from the others at this school. He didn't seem like the typical troublemaker.

Nonetheless I shrug it off.

The hallway was alive with the usual noise of students moving between classes. But everything seemed to stand still the moment Han-Wool entered. His presence was magnetic—so commanding that even the chatter from a moment ago seemed to die down.

He stepped at the far end of the corridor, and it was like the world around him bent to his will. Slowly, effortlessly, students parted, instinctively stepping aside. No one dared get in his way, not even the ones who typically ruled this school with fists and attitude.

And then, there was me. Standing right in the middle of the hallway. Unwavering.

I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of stepping aside, not after everything he had done.

He slowly made his way toward me, his strides confident, like he owned every inch of the ground he walked on. His friend, the one in the bucket hat, followed closely behind. Neither of them said a word as they approached.

Han-Wool stopped just a few feet away from me, his eyes still locked on mine. I could feel his gaze like a heavy weight pressing down on me, but I refused to flinch.

"You really don't know when to back down, do you?" he said, his voice smooth, almost amused.

I met his gaze evenly. "I'm not here to back down."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "I knew you were going to transfer here. I've been waiting for you."

His words surprised me. He knew? He knew I was coming? Of course, it shouldn't have shocked me—he was the kind of person who would keep tabs on everything, even someone like me. But there was something unsettling about the way he spoke, like he'd been anticipating this moment.

"You've been waiting for me?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

He gave a slight chuckle, as if amused by my disbelief. "Do you think you would have run away from what happened?"

I felt a spark of anger rise in me, but I held it in check. "How touché"

He leaned in slightly, his smirk never leaving his face. "Now you are here, everything is under my control. The rules here? They belong to me."

I stepped forward, narrowing the distance between us. "You don't control me and I'm not going anywhere. Not until I get the justice I deserve for what you've done."

The air between us seemed to crackle with intensity. His expression shifted, a flicker of something darker crossing his face, but just as quickly, it was replaced by that same arrogant smirk.

"You really think you can take me down?" he asked, his voice low, almost mocking. "After everything I've built, you think you can just waltz in here and disrupt it all?"

I stared him down, unflinching. "You don't scare me, Han-Wool."

He let out a breath, almost like a laugh, though it wasn't entirely amused. "You're so sure of yourself. That's what I like about you. But, Hera... there's something you need to understand."

I waited for him to continue, my heart racing slightly, though I refused to show any weakness.

"I've already made my move. You're here now, and you're not leaving. Because the moment you set foot in this school, you became mine."

I didn't know what was worse—the words themselves or the way he said them, as if they were an undeniable truth. His gaze hardened, and the smirk remained on his lips, but it was no longer playful. There was something possessive, something cold, in the way he looked at me.

"I'll never be yours," I said firmly, my voice unwavering. "I'll destroy everything you've built, Han-Wool. I won't stop until I've brought you down."

For a moment, there was silence. His eyes bored into mine, studying me carefully, weighing me. The tension between us was almost tangible, and for a brief moment, I almost wondered if I had said too much.

Then, he smiled—cold and calculating.

"We'll see about that," he said softly, his voice carrying an undertone of something darker. Something final. "But one thing's for sure, Hera."

I waited, my heart beating faster now.

"I own this place," he said, his voice low and almost threatening. "And I own you."

I saw something in his eyes—a flash of amusement, maybe even respect. He stepped back slightly, his smirk widening.

I stood my ground, not allowing myself to show any fear, but inside, I knew one thing for certain: This wasn't over.

This was just the beginning.