Across the classroom, Mi-Cha was also studying.
She had changed.
Before the challenge, she had studied because she wanted good grades.
Now, she studied because she wanted to win.
Her desk was covered with notes. Her books were filled with colorful tabs, and almost every page had something underlined.
She had even started arriving at school earlier than usual.
So-Young noticed immediately.
"You're serious."
Mi-Cha didn't look up.
"Of course I'm serious."
"You've been studying every morning."
"I have to."
So-Young pulled a chair closer.
"You're really going to beat Yun-ji?"
Mi-Cha stopped writing.
"Yes."
Her answer came without hesitation.
So-Young smiled.
"I hope you do."
Mi-Cha finally looked toward Yun-ji.
Yun-ji was sitting beside Im-Su, explaining a mathematics problem to him.
They were laughing about something.
The sight irritated Mi-Cha.
"She shouldn't be so confident."
So-Young followed her gaze.
"They don't even seem affected by the rumors."
"That's what bothers me."
"What?"
Mi-Cha frowned.
"Nothing."
She looked back at her book and started writing again.
But the truth was simple.
She had expected Yun-ji to become uncomfortable.
She had expected her to avoid Im-Su.
She had expected her to become defensive whenever someone mentioned the rumors.
Instead, Yun-ji had continued exactly as before.
She still spoke to Im-Su.
She still studied with him.
She still laughed with him.
She didn't seem frightened by what anyone thought.
That made Mi-Cha more confused than angry.
If Yun-ji was really trying to get close to Im-Su, why wasn't she afraid of the rumors?
And if she wasn't interested in him, why did they spend so much time together?
Mi-Cha had no answer.
So she chose the simplest explanation.
Yun-ji was simply too confident.
She would prove otherwise through the exam.
Bora watched everything quietly.
She sat with her usual gentle expression.
Whenever someone mentioned the challenge, she smiled nervously.
"I hope they don't take it too seriously."
If someone said something negative about Yun-ji, Bora immediately defended her.
"Please don't say that. Yun-ji is my sister."
Those words made people trust her even more.
Bora never openly attacked Yun-ji.
She didn't need to.
She had learned something important.
Sometimes the strongest influence came from saying almost nothing.
A worried expression.
A quiet sigh.
A carefully chosen sentence.
That was enough.
And now, there was another person she could influence.
Man-Tae.
That evening, Bora met Man-Tae at a quiet private place far from their usual social circles.
They had chosen the location carefully.
No classmates.
No family friends.
No familiar faces.
No one who would recognize them together.
Man-Tae was already waiting.
When Bora entered, his expression immediately softened.
"You're late."
Bora smiled.
"Were you waiting long?"
"Long enough to miss you."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Maybe."
Bora laughed softly.
"You're terrible at pretending to be romantic."
Man-Tae stood and pulled out a chair for her.
"And yet you still came."
Bora sat down.
"Maybe I like terrible people."
Their eyes met.
For a moment, both smiled.
The atmosphere between them was very different from the way they behaved around everyone else.
There was no innocent sister.
No worried boyfriend.
No respectable families.
No school gossip.
Only the two of them.
Man-Tae reached across the table and lightly touched her hand.
"You look tired."
"School has been exhausting."
"Because of Yun-ji?"
Bora's smile faded slightly.
"Partly."
She looked down.
"She has changed."
Man-Tae leaned back.
"Tell me."
Bora hesitated.
That hesitation was deliberate.
It made what she said next sound more difficult.
"I don't think she's the same person anymore."
Man-Tae frowned.
"Changed how?"
"She doesn't seem to care about the things she used to care about."
"Like what?"
Bora looked directly at him.
"Like you."
Man-Tae's expression changed.
Bora noticed immediately.
"She used to talk about you all the time."
"I know."
"She used to wait for your messages."
Man-Tae looked away and asked "And now?"
Bora lowered her voice.
"Now she doesn't."
Something uncomfortable moved through Man-Tae's mind.
He had already noticed one part of it.
Yun-ji hadn't contacted him after what happened at Hotel Veronica.
But he hadn't thought much about it at first.
He had assumed she was angry.
That day had been unpleasant.
She had wanted him to believe her.
He hadn't.
So when Yun-ji stopped contacting him afterward, Man-Tae simply thought,
Let her calm down.
He hadn't gone after her.
Why would he?
He had always been confident that Yun-ji couldn't stay away from him for long.
She had always been the one who came back.
She would message him.
She would call him.
She would ask to meet.
Eventually, she would probably apologize, even when she wasn't the one who had done anything wrong.
That had been their pattern.
So Man-Tae felt no urgency.
In fact, during the first few days, he had felt something close to relief.
His phone was finally quiet.
No constant messages.
No repeated calls.
No unexpected visits.
No questions about where he was.
No asking whether he had eaten.
No asking why he hadn't replied.
No waiting for him outside.
No emotional conversations he didn't want.
He had enjoyed the silence.
He had never truly consoled Yun-ji during their relationship.
When she was upset, she usually came to him.
When she was hurt, she tried to explain herself.
When they argued, she was the one trying to repair things.
He had simply allowed her to do it.
Sometimes he listened.
Sometimes he ignored her.
Sometimes he said whatever was necessary to end the conversation.
He had never stopped to think about how much effort she had put into their relationship.
He simply assumed she would always be there.
And now Bora was telling him that she wasn't.
Man-Tae looked at her.
"How long?"
Bora tilted her head.
"How long what?"
"How long has she been like this?"
"Since the hotel incident, mostly."
Man-Tae frowned.
"Really?"
Bora nodded.
"She still talks to Im-Su."
Man-Tae's eyes narrowed.
"Im-Su?"
"He's her classmate."
"I know who he is."
Bora gave a small smile.
"They study together often."
Man-Tae said nothing.
Bora watched him carefully.
"I don't think there is anything between them."
Man-Tae looked at her.
"Then why mention him?"
"I only mentioned him because everyone at school is talking about them."
"Everyone?"
"Some students think Yun-ji is getting too close to him."
Man-Tae's expression hardened.
Bora immediately added,
"But I don't believe that."
"Why?"
"Because she's my sister."
She lowered her eyes.
"I don't want people to misunderstand her."
Man-Tae stared at her.
Bora knew exactly how to speak to him.
Never too much.
Never too little.
She gave him enough information to make him think.
Then she stopped.
That was far more effective than directly accusing Yun-ji.
Man-Tae reached for his glass.
"You really think she's changed?"
"I know she has."
"And you don't know why?"
Bora shook her head.
"Not completely."
Then she looked at him.
"But I know one thing."
"What?"
"She doesn't seem to need you anymore."
Silence filled the room.
Man-Tae didn't answer.
Bora's fingers moved gently over the table.
"You used to be the most important person in her life."
"I know."
"She doesn't behave that way anymore."
Man-Tae looked at her.
"Why does that bother you?"
Bora smiled.
"Because I'm her sister."
It was a perfect answer.
It wasn't the truth.
But it was believable.
Man-Tae studied her face.
Then he suddenly smiled.
"You're good."
"At what?"
"Making me think."
Bora laughed softly.
"I only told you what I noticed."
"Still."
He reached across the table again and took her hand.
This time, she didn't pull away.
"Forget Yun-ji for tonight," he said.
Bora looked at him.
"Can you?"
"I can try."
She smiled.
"Liar."
"Probably."
They both laughed.
For a few minutes, the subject changed.
They talked about their future.
Their families.
Money.
Business.
The kind of life they wanted.
And beneath all their sweet words was the same selfish thought.
They wanted security.
They wanted influence.
They wanted a future where they didn't have to depend on anyone else.
Yun-ji could help them achieve some of that.
That was why Man-Tae couldn't accept losing her.
And Bora understood that better than anyone.
She knew he didn't suddenly love Yun-ji.
She knew exactly what bothered him.
He had lost the certainty that Yun-ji would always be there.
Bora leaned closer.
"Don't worry."
"About what?"
"She'll probably come back."
Man-Tae smiled.
"You think so?"
"She always did before."
He looked at her for a moment.
"Not anymore."
Bora's smile faded.
"What?"
"I don't think she will."
For the first time that evening, Bora was genuinely surprised.
"You sound worried."
"I am."
"Because you miss her?"
Man-Tae gave a quiet laugh.
"No."
"Then?"
He looked directly into Bora's eyes.
"Because I don't know what she's planning."
Bora understood immediately.
That was the real reason.
Yun-ji's silence wasn't simply emotional distance.
It was uncertainty.
And Man-Tae hated uncertainty.
Bora squeezed his hand.
"Then we'll find out."
The word we made him smile.
"Together?"
"Together."
He leaned closer.
"That's why I like you."
Bora smiled.
"Only like?"
"Fine."
He lowered his voice.
"I love you"
She laughed.
"Better."
They stayed together for a while longer, forgetting the outside world.
When they finally left, they made sure to leave separately.
No one could see them together.
No one could know.
Later that night, they met again in private.
There was no school.
No family.
No Yun-ji.
No pretending.
Bora rested against Man-Tae as they talked quietly about their plans.
Their voices slowly became softer.
The conversation turned from Yun-ji to their own future.
For a moment, they allowed themselves to imagine a life where they had everything they wanted.
Man-Tae looked at Bora.
"Whatever happens, I won't let anyone ruin our future."
Bora smiled.
"Neither will I."
They remained together late into the night.
The rest of the world disappeared behind a closed door.
And by morning, the secret between them remained exactly that—a secret.