Chapter One: The Arrival
The rain fell like the sky was punishing someone.
Sea stood at the iron gates of Park Elite Tech Institute, soaked to the bone. A single suitcase in one hand, a scholarship letter in the other. His knuckles were white from gripping it, like it might vanish if he let go.
He looked up at the towering campus.
White buildings kissed by glass. Digital billboards scrolling tech innovations. Security cameras at every corner. Students walked past in flawless uniforms—pressed blazers, polished shoes, and arrogance dripping from every glance.
He didn't belong here.
But he was here anyway.
The scholarship from Park Foundation had come out of nowhere. A miracle. His Aunt cried for an hour when he showed her the letter. He didn't tell her he hadn't even applied for it.
Why would they pick someone like him?
He stepped onto the grounds and his cheap shoes squished with every step. Students stared. Whispered. He kept his head down, trying to hide the way his hands trembled.
"Hey," a voice said gently, cutting through the buzz of high society.
Sea looked up.
A boy with soft eyes, dark brown hair, and an easy smile stood before him. Slightly taller. A little older. He wore the same uniform—but somehow, it didn't feel cold on him. He looked… safe.
"You're the new scholarship student, right? I'm Van. Second year."
Sea nodded slowly. "Yeah. Sea."
Van's smile widened. "Cute name."
Sea flushed. He wasn't used to compliments. Not from boys like Van.
"I was you last year," Van said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Come on, I'll show you the dorms. You look like you're two seconds away from running."
They walked through the marble halls, past groups of students who didn't bother hiding their glares. Van kept talking, filling the silence with warmth. Sea clung to his voice like a shield.
Then they turned a corner—and everything stopped.
Van's voice, Sea's footsteps, even the air seemed to freeze.
Three boys stood at the far end of the hall.
Not boys. Gods.
They were taller, sharper, dressed like royalty in the same uniform. Two of them were laughing. The third one wasn't.
He was staring.
Straight at Sea.
Jet-black hair slicked back. Piercing eyes that could strip someone bare. Posture like he owned the world—and maybe he did. Students bowed as he passed. Not because they were told to. Because they were afraid not to.
"That's him," Van whispered beside Sea, suddenly quieter. "Boss Park. Son of the Park Empire. Fourth year. He... runs this place."
Sea didn't speak. Couldn't.
Boss was still watching him.
His eyes didn't move when Sea looked back. If anything, they darkened—like Sea had challenged him by daring to meet his gaze.
In that moment, Sea knew something he shouldn't have.
This school wasn't safe.
And neither was the boy who owned it.
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To be continued...