Chapter 4

The tension in the air was thick as soon as the bully entered the classroom. She stormed through the door, her face twisted with anger. Her eyes zeroed in on me instantly, and I could feel her fury before she even said a word.

"You," she spat, pointing at me. "You think you can get away with what you did to my boyfriend?!"

Before I could respond, she lunged at me, ready to start another round. But before her hands could reach me, the door to the classroom swung open, and in walked Ga-Min.

He was calm, collected, as always, his expression unreadable. He didn't need to say anything to stop the bully in her tracks—his mere presence was enough.

The bully froze, her hands faltering mid-air as she looked at him, startled. "What the hell is this?!" she demanded, but Ga-Min didn't even acknowledge her, his eyes immediately finding me.

He walked straight over to me, standing tall by my side as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "Are you okay?" he asked me quietly, his gaze softening as he addressed me.

I nodded, surprised at his sudden appearance. "I'm fine."

With a single glance, Ga-Min dismissed the bully and her tantrum. "The teacher will be here ,you need to go." His voice wasn't threatening, but there was something about it that made her hesitate. She shot me a glare before storming out, realizing there was no point in continuing with her tantrum when Ga-Min was around.

As the door slammed shut, Ga-Min turned to face me, his eyes studying me carefully. "Let's go. I've been waiting for you."

Curious, I followed him as he led me down the hallway, his movements purposeful. Se-Hyun, who had been trailing behind us, caught up and stood quietly by Ga-Min's side. We headed up to the school rooftop, the sky stretched out before us, a wide open space away from the chaos of the school.

Once we were up there, Ga-Min turned to me with a serious expression. "I wanted to ask you something," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Join my study group," he said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I blinked, slightly taken aback. "Why? You barely know me."

Ga-Min's gaze softened, his eyes searching mine for something I couldn't quite place. "Because you're different. You're not like the other students here who just go with the flow. I've heard about you. You came from an elite school, right? You have a background that no one here can compare to."

I shook my head, crossing my arms over my chest. "I don't need a study group. I can handle things on my own."

Ga-Min didn't back down. "You're wrong. I know you're capable, but I can help you. You have potential. And besides, this is more than just studying. It's about building connections, making a name for yourself in this school. If you join, I can protect you."

His words caught me off guard. There was something about his tone, something that resonated deep inside me, almost like I'd heard it before, but in a different way. It reminded me of Dong-Woon, the one who'd been there for me in the past, but this was different. Ga-Min wasn't just offering his protection as a favor—he was offering it like a promise.

I stopped in my tracks, my heart beating a little faster. "You can protect me?" I repeated, more to myself than him.

Ga-Min nodded, his eyes locking onto mine with absolute certainty. "Yes. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect you and the people I care about. But I need you to trust me."

I studied him for a moment, weighing his words. There was something real in his gaze, something genuine. And that was when I realized he wasn't like the others.

"You're right," I said, stepping closer. "If I join your study group, you better protect me every step of the way. I won't have anyone holding me back."

Ga-Min smiled at that, a flicker of pride in his eyes. "I'll protect you, Hera. I swear it."

Later that day, I walked into the school library, the quiet atmosphere a stark contrast to the chaos of the rest of the school. Ga-Min was already there, waiting for me, as he always did. But this time, I wasn't alone. Hee-Won had followed us in, her eyes sharp, scanning the room before locking onto me.

"I want to join the study group," Hee-Won said, her voice firm. "And Ji-Woo wants to come too, but... we've got a problem."

I raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Hee-Won looked around, her voice lowering to a near whisper. "The bully, the one you had trouble with earlier, her boyfriend... he's been making things difficult for Ji-Woo. They're using her as leverage."

Before I could respond, Ji-Woo, looking visibly uncomfortable, walked in beside Hee-Won. "It's my twin," she said, her voice quiet but full of tension. "He did something... shady. He got recorded. If it gets out, he could be kicked out of the school."

Ga-Min stood up, his face hardening. "We're getting that video back. Now."

The confrontation took place in the hallway, just outside the student committee's office. I was at the front, with Ga-Min right behind me, leading the charge. As we approached the door, the boyfriend's goons immediately stepped in front of us, blocking our path.

"Not so fast," one of them sneered, but I wasn't backing down.

"Step aside," Ga-Min said, his voice sharp, demanding.

Without warning, a fight broke out. Ga-Min moved like lightning, taking out one of the goons with a swift punch to the gut. The others tried to move in, but I wasn't going to let them have the upper hand.

I ran forward, grabbing one of the goons by the collar and throwing him into the wall with all my strength. My movements were swift, calculated—Karate had taught me how to fight, and I was using every bit of that training to make sure we got out of here unscathed.

I saw the shock in Ga-Min's eyes as he turned to watch me fight. He stuttered, his words barely escaping his lips. "You... you can fight?"

"There's no time to explain," I said, cutting him off as I knocked another goon to the floor. "Let's just finish this.

Finally, Ga-Min grabbed the PC with the file on it and ran off, shouting for us me follow.

I grabbed the USB, running as fast as I could, dodging blows as the remaining goons tried to stop us. We dashed down the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest.

We reached the stairwell, and that's when the last of the goons caught up with us. "Give it back!" one of them yelled.

But I didn't stop. I crushed the USB in my hand and kept running, feeling the adrenaline surge through me.

With the USB safely in hand and the video destroyed, Ji-Woo was finally free from the clutches of her brother's blackmail. The danger had passed for now, and I felt a sense of satisfaction. We had won.

Ga-Min gave me a quick look before he nodded, as if recognizing my effort. "You did good," he said quietly.

I smirked. "I told you I could handle myself"