Finally, Mi-Cha could not stay quiet anymore.
After class, Yun-ji was putting her books into her bag when Mi-Cha stopped in front of her desk.
So-Young stood beside her.
Yun-ji looked up.
"Mi-Cha?"
"We need to talk."
"About?"
Mi-Cha crossed her arms.
"Im-Su."
Yun-ji paused.
"What about him?"
"Stop pretending you don't know."
Yun-ji slowly closed her bag.
"I honestly don't."
"You've been spending too much time with him."
"We're friends."
Mi-Cha gave a cold laugh.
"Friends?"
"Yes."
"Then stay away from him."
Yun-ji stared at her.
"What?"
"I said stay away from him."
"Why?"
Mi-Cha's face turned red.
"Because I like him."
Yun-ji was silent for a moment.
Then she said,
"I know."
Mi-Cha's eyes widened.
"You knew?"
"Everyone knows."
A few students nearby exchanged looks.
Mi-Cha's embarrassment quickly turned into anger.
"Then why are you still getting close to him?"
"Because he's my friend."
"Friend?" Mi-Cha laughed. "That's what you call it?"
Yun-ji frowned.
"What else should I call it?"
"You always have some excuse to be with him."
"Excuse?"
"Studying. Notes. Test preparation."
Yun-ji looked at her calmly.
"Because he asked me to help him."
Mi-Cha scoffed.
"Help him?"
"Yes."
"You're a student too, Yun-ji. Your grades aren't even that high. What exactly are you teaching him?"
A few students in the classroom went quiet.
Yun-ji's expression changed.
"Im-Su became my friend. He asked for help, so I helped him."
Mi-Cha shook her head.
"That's just an excuse."
"For what?"
"To stay close to him."
Yun-ji stared at her.
Mi-Cha stepped closer.
"Do you think I'm stupid? You know he's rich."
Yun-ji's face became cold.
"What does his money have to do with me?"
"Everything."
Mi-Cha looked around before continuing.
"He's rich, popular, and comes from a good family. And suddenly you're always beside him."
"You think I'm using him for his money?"
"What else am I supposed to think?"
"The truth."
Mi-Cha laughed bitterly.
"The truth is that you're using studying as an excuse to seduce him."
Several students gasped.
"Mi-Cha!" So-Young whispered.
But Mi-Cha was too angry to stop.
"Do you really think you're good enough for him?"
Yun-ji looked at her quietly.
"I don't need to prove that to you."
"You don't deserve him."
"That's not for you to decide."
"I've liked him for a long time!"
"Then tell him."
Mi-Cha froze.
Yun-ji picked up her bag.
"If you like Im-Su, tell him yourself. Don't accuse me just because you're jealous."
Mi-Cha clenched her fists.
"Fine."
She suddenly pointed at Yun-ji.
"You want to prove you're only studying with him?"
Yun-ji looked at her.
"How?"
"Then prove you're actually serious about studying."
Mi-Cha's voice grew louder.
"Top the class in the upcoming term test."
The classroom went silent.
Yun-ji raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"You heard me."
Mi-Cha looked around at the students who had gathered.
"You keep saying you're helping Im-Su because you're serious about studying."
She smiled.
"Then show everyone how serious you are."
Yun-ji said nothing.
Mi-Cha continued,
"You're always carrying books around. You're always studying. You act like you've suddenly become the smartest person in the class."
"So?"
"So if you're really that serious, top the class."
One student near the back whispered,
"This is getting interesting."
Another student quietly took out a phone.
So-Young looked nervous.
"Mi-Cha, don't turn this into a bet."
But Mi-Cha was already caught up in her anger.
"If Yun-ji tops the class, I'll admit I was wrong."
Yun-ji looked at her.
"Publicly?"
Mi-Cha hesitated.
Then she nodded.
"Publicly."
"And if I don't?"
Mi-Cha smiled.
"Then you admit that studying was just an excuse to stay close to Im-Su."
The room erupted in whispers.
Yun-ji looked toward the students watching them.
Then her eyes moved to the doorway.
Bora was standing there.
She looked worried.
Almost frightened.
But Yun-ji knew better.
This entire argument had started because of Bora's quiet words.
Bora had never accused her directly.
She had only planted doubts in Mi-Cha's mind.
Now Mi-Cha was doing the rest.
Yun-ji turned back to her.
"Fine."
Mi-Cha blinked.
"You accept?"
"Yes."
So-Young looked shocked.
"Yun-ji!"
Yun-ji remained calm.
"But there is one condition."
"What?"
"If I top the class, you apologize for accusing me of seducing Im-Su."
Mi-Cha's face tightened.
"Fine."
"In front of everyone."
"Fine!"
A few students immediately began whispering excitedly.
Someone at the back laughed.
"Did they just make a real bet?"
Another student said,
"This is definitely going on the school forum."
Yun-ji glanced toward them.
One student had recorded the confrontation.
Another had already typed a short post.
The School Forum
By the time students reached home, someone had already uploaded a short recording of the argument to the school's anonymous forum.
[5:12 PM] — HOT TOPIC
"MI-CHA CHALLENGES YUN-JI!"
Mi-Cha challenged Yun-ji to become the top student in the upcoming term exam.
Yun-ji accepted.
The comments quickly appeared.
Student A:
Wait, this really happened?
Student B:
I was there. It started because of Im-Su.
Student C:
What happened with Im-Su?
Student B:
Mi-Cha accused Yun-ji of using studying as an excuse to stay close to him.
Student D:
Seriously? 😳
Student E:
But Yun-ji and Im-Su always study together.
Student F:
They're friends. What's wrong with that?
Student G:
Mi-Cha likes Im-Su. That's probably why she's angry.
A few minutes later, another post appeared.
[5:26 PM]
"Can Yun-ji Actually Top the Class?"
Student H:
She's never been number one before.
Student I:
Exactly. Mi-Cha has much better grades.
Student J:
But Yun-ji has been studying really hard lately.
Student K:
I've seen her in the library almost every morning.
Student L:
Still, topping the entire class is different.
Student M:
Now I want to see the result 😂
Someone created a poll.
WHO WILL TOP THE TERM EXAM?
Yun-ji — 22%Mi-Cha — 35%Someone else — 43%
Then a student posted:
Student N:
What happens if Yun-ji wins?
Student O:
Mi-Cha has to apologize.
Student P:
For accusing her of getting close to Im-Su.
Student Q:
So this whole exam bet started because of jealousy?
Student R:
Pretty much.
Another discussion soon appeared.
"What about Bora?"
Student S:
Wasn't Bora there?
Student T:
Yes. She looked really worried.
Student U:
Maybe because Yun-ji is her sister?
Student V:
Probably. I heard Bora tried to stop Mi-Cha before the argument.
Student W:
Bora is always so nice.
Student X:
Poor girl. She was caught between them.
She didn't say anything bad about Yun-ji.
Bora is probably just trying to protect her sister.
At 6:10 PM, the original post had already received hundreds of views.
By dinner time, the bet was no longer just about Mi-Cha and Yun-ji.
It had become the school's newest obsession.
Could Yun-ji really become the top student?