The next morning, the school felt different.
The moment Yun-ji stepped through the gates, she noticed the whispers.
Students standing near the entrance looked at her.
Two girls stopped talking when she passed.
A group of boys glanced at their phones and then at her.
Yun-ji continued walking as if nothing had happened.
She already knew.
The bet.
Someone had uploaded the confrontation to the school forum.
And by now, almost everyone knew about it.
As Yun-ji entered the classroom, the noise became louder.
"She's here."
"That's Yun-ji."
"Don't look so obviously!"
"I just want to see what she looks like after yesterday."
Yun-ji placed her bag on her desk.
She calmly took out her books.
A few students continued watching her.
One girl finally gathered enough courage to ask,
"Yun-ji?"
Yun-ji looked up.
"Yes?"
"Are you really going to try to become the top student?"
Yun-ji smiled faintly.
"That's what the bet was about."
"But Mi-Cha is already one of the top students."
"I know."
"Then aren't you nervous?"
Yun-ji opened her textbook.
"Why should I be?"
The girl blinked.
"Because... everyone is watching."
Yun-ji turned a page.
"Let them watch."
The girl didn't know what to say.
A few students nearby exchanged looks.
Yun-ji wasn't embarrassed.
She wasn't angry.
She wasn't even nervous.
She was simply studying.
That made the whole situation more interesting.
A few minutes later, Im-Su walked into the classroom.
He looked around and immediately noticed the strange atmosphere.
Then he saw Yun-ji.
He walked straight toward her desk.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
Im-Su pulled out the chair beside her.
"What are you studying?"
"Mathematics."
He leaned closer to look at her book.
"Already?"
Yun-ji looked at him.
"Some of us actually study before class."
Im-Su laughed.
"Are you calling me lazy again?"
"If the shoe fits."
"I prefer the word efficient."
Yun-ji shook her head.
"You and your excuses."
Their conversation was completely normal.
Just like any other morning.
Several students watching them became confused.
One whispered,
"Are they seriously acting normal?"
Another replied,
"Maybe yesterday wasn't as serious as we thought."
"But Mi-Cha was furious."
"Maybe she misunderstood them."
"Then why did Yun-ji accept the bet?"
"Because she wants to prove herself?"
"Maybe."
The rumors began changing.
And Yun-ji noticed.
She didn't say anything.
She simply continued studying with Im-Su.
Across the classroom, Bora watched them.
Her expression was gentle.
She turned to So-Young and sighed softly.
"I hope Yun-ji isn't feeling too bad about yesterday."
So-Young looked at her.
"You seem worried about her."
"Of course I am."
Bora lowered her eyes.
"She's my sister."
There was sadness in her voice.
"I don't want everyone to keep talking about her."
So-Young nodded.
"She seems fine."
"I know."
Bora gave a small smile.
"That's Yun-ji. She doesn't show when something hurts her."
It sounded caring.
Almost protective.
But Bora's eyes briefly moved toward Yun-ji.
She was smiling.
Not a nervous smile.
Not a forced one.
A calm smile.
Bora's fingers tightened around her pen.
She had expected Yun-ji to feel humiliated.
She had expected the pressure of the bet to make her lose confidence.
Instead, Yun-ji looked more focused than ever.
Bora quickly looked away.
"Maybe this will be good for her," she said softly.
So-Young smiled.
"You're really a good sister."
Bora lowered her eyes again.
"She's my sister. What else can I do?"
The words made So-Young feel sympathy for her.
Bora said nothing more.
She didn't need to.
During lunch, the school forum became even more active.
Students were still discussing the bet.
Some supported Yun-ji.
Others believed Mi-Cha would win.
A few were already treating the upcoming exam like a major school event.
Someone had even posted:
"YUN-JI VS MI-CHA — WHO WILL WIN?"
The post quickly filled with comments.
Yun-ji saw it while checking her phone.
She smiled.
Then she closed the forum.
She had no interest in arguing with strangers.
Her attention returned to her textbook.
At the other side of the classroom, Bora secretly checked the same post.
She smiled when she saw the number of comments.
Everything was going according to plan.
Yun-ji was under pressure.
The entire school was watching her.
But Bora's smile slowly disappeared.
Because Yun-ji didn't look pressured at all.
She looked determined.
And determination was something Bora had never expected from her.
Bora lowered her phone.
For the first time, a small doubt appeared in her mind.
What if Yun-ji actually wins?
She quickly pushed the thought away.
No.
That couldn't happen.
Mi-Cha was one of the strongest students in the class.
Yun-ji had only recently started improving.
There was no way she could suddenly become the top student.
Bora relaxed.
She looked toward Yun-ji again.
Yun-ji was still studying.
Page after page.
Question after question.
Without looking at anyone.
Bora couldn't know it yet.
But the bet she had helped create was about to become the first thing that made the entire school take Yun-ji seriously.
The next few days passed faster than anyone expected.
The school was still talking about the challenge between Yun-ji and Mi-Cha.
Everywhere Yun-ji went, she could hear small pieces of conversation.
"Do you think Mi-Cha can really beat her?"
"I heard Yun-ji has been studying like crazy."
"But Mi-Cha is also working hard."
"What about Im-Su? Isn't he always studying with Yun-ji?"
"Maybe that's why she challenged Mi-Cha. She wants to prove something."
Yun-ji heard all of it.
She simply ignored it.
Unlike what many students expected, she did not change the way she behaved around Im-Su.
She still talked to him.
She still shared notes with him.
She still discussed difficult questions with him.
She still laughed when he made stupid jokes.
The rumors had not changed anything between them.
One morning, Im-Su dropped into the seat beside her.
"Yun-ji."
She continued reading her textbook.
"Yes?"
"Did you solve question fourteen?"
"Which fourteen?"
"The one from yesterday's mathematics worksheet."
Yun-ji looked up.
"The one you said was impossible?"
Im-Su frowned.
"I never said impossible."
"You said, and I quote, 'Whoever created this question hates students.'"
"I was emotionally speaking."
Yun-ji laughed.
"You were emotionally failing."
Im-Su put a hand over his chest.
"That hurt."
"Good."
He pulled his worksheet from his bag.
"Fine. Help me."
Yun-ji looked at the page.
"You made a mistake here."
"Where?"
"You used the wrong formula."
Im-Su leaned closer to look.
"Oh."
"Exactly."
He stared at the equation for a few seconds.
Then he looked at her.
"How did you notice that so quickly?"
"I actually read the question."
"Are you saying I don't?"
"I'm saying you look at the numbers first and the question later."
"That sounds accurate."
Yun-ji smiled and continued explaining.
A few students nearby looked at them.
Someone whispered.
"There they are again."
Another student replied quietly.
"Maybe they're really just studying."
"Then why does Im-Su always go to her?"
"Because she's good at studying?"
"That's too reasonable."
The conversation faded.
Yun-ji heard it.
She didn't care.
There was no reason for her to change her friendship with Im-Su simply because other students had decided to create stories.
She had already learned one important lesson in her previous life.
People would talk whether she did something wrong or not.
Trying to control everyone's opinion was exhausting.
So she had stopped trying.
Im-Su finished the problem and smiled.
"Got it."
"Good."
"Then one more."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"Yun-ji."
"No."
"Just one."
"You said that yesterday."
"And you helped me."
"Exactly. That was yesterday's mistake."
Im-Su laughed.
"You're becoming cruel."
"I learned from experience."
He grinned.
"I'll remember that."
Yun-ji returned to her book.
For her, it was an ordinary morning.
For the students watching them, it became another topic for discussion.
But Yun-ji didn't care.
She had a goal.
She wanted to win the bet.
Not because she needed Mi-Cha's approval.
Not because she wanted to prove herself to Im-Su.
And certainly not because she wanted to silence rumors.
She simply wanted to know how far she could go.
In her previous life, she had been so focused on surviving the people around her that she had forgotten to build herself.
This time would be different.
She would become strong.
She would learn.
She would make her own decisions.
And she would never again allow someone else's opinion to decide her path.