Shin Haerin woke up to the sound of her alarm ringing loudly.
"Ugh…" She slapped the clock and sat up, her long black hair falling like a messy curtain over her face. Her hazel eyes blinked sleepily. For a second, she forgot where she was.
Then it hit her.
Right. The engagement. The contract. The Ice Prince sleeping in the next room.
Haerin groaned and fell back on the bed dramatically.
"Shin Haerin, you're so unlucky," she mumbled. "If my cousin hadn't eloped with her boyfriend, I would still be at my aunt's house… not here, living with the most boring, cold-hearted guy in Seoul."
Still, rules were rules. Kang Minjae's family made it clear, no scandals, no mistakes, no one must know they were engaged. At school, they were strangers. At home, they shared a roof, but not a life.
Haerin sighed and jumped out of bed.
"Alright! Fighting!" she told herself, throwing a fist in the air.
She tied her hair into a ponytail and decided to make breakfast. Maybe she could surprise Minjae and break the ice a little.
She went to the sleek, modern kitchen and opened the fridge.
"Hmm… kimchi, eggs, rice from last night… okay! Kimchi fried rice it is."
Haerin rolled up her sleeves like a professional chef.
"You'll love me after this, Kang Minjae," she whispered, smirking like a villain.
Five minutes later, smoke filled the kitchen.
Cough! Cough!
"Ahhh! Ottoke!" ( What should I do?) Haerin waved her hands wildly as the kimchi rice in the pan turned into something dark and evil. She tried to save it, but it was too late. The smell of burnt rice attacked her nose.
Haerin stared at the pan and pouted.
"Why… why do dramas make this look so easy?!"
She quickly dumped the failure in the trash and grabbed eggs.
"Okay… rolled omelet! That's easy, right?"
She cracked two eggs, hummed a song, and started rolling the omelet like she saw on YouTube. It actually looked… decent.
"Yes! Haerin, you're a genius!"
Just then, footsteps echoed behind her.
Haerin turned and almost dropped the pan.
Kang Minjae stood there, tall and perfect, wearing his crisp school uniform like he walked out of a fashion magazine. His black hair was neat, his face calm and unreadable as always. Those sharp eyes of his glanced at her… then at the mess in the sink.
"Oh… good morning!" Haerin said cheerfully, trying to hide the smoke behind her with her small body. "You wake up so early! Do you even sleep? Or are you one of those chaebol drama leads who stay up all night brooding about stock prices?"
Minjae's expression didn't change. He walked to the fridge, took a bottle of water, and drank slowly.
"You're loud in the morning," he said flatly, putting the bottle down.
Haerin blinked. "Uh… thank you?"
He ignored her sarcasm and glanced at the clock.
"You'll leave after me. Take your own driver. Use the car in the garage."
She tilted her head. "Ah… okay?"
"Make sure no one sees you leaving the building," he continued, his voice as cold as winter. "And don't talk to me at school. Don't even look at me."
Her jaw dropped. "Wow. So dramatic. What's next? Don't breathe near you?"
His gaze slid to her, sharp and dangerous.
"Yes. That too."
Haerin almost choked on air.
"Excuse me?!"
But Minjae was already walking away.
"You have twenty minutes," he said without looking back, his tall figure disappearing down the hallway.
Haerin glared at his back and mimicked his voice under her breath.
"'Don't breathe near me'… what's wrong with this guy?! Cold Ice Prince! Why do men with trashy attitudes always have such good looks?
She crossed her arms and muttered, "Now I understand why my cousin ran…"
After a long sigh, she looked at her omelet.
"At least you love me," she said, biting into it like a hero eating after battle.
A few minutes later, Haerin headed to the garage, her ponytail bouncing as she walked. The black luxury car waiting for her looked like something from a K-drama. The driver, an older man with a warm smile, bowed slightly.
"Annyeonghaseyo, Agassi (Hello, young lady)," he greeted politely.
Haerin smiled back. "Annyeong, Ajusshi (Hello, uncle)!"
She slid into the back seat and sank into the soft leather.
"Wah… this is so comfy. Perks of getting engaged to a super-rich heir, I guess," she said to herself with a cheeky grin.
As the car started moving, she leaned forward.
"Ajusshi, can we play some music? Something fun!"
The driver chuckled and turned on the radio. A lively K-pop song filled the car. Haerin started dancing in her seat, waving her arms and mouthing the lyrics dramatically like she was on stage.
"Yes! Shin Haerin, main character energy!" she cheered, flipping her hair in slow motion.
She was so into it that she didn't notice the time passing. When the car stopped, she was mid-dance, hands in the air.
"Agassi," the driver said gently. "We have arrived."
Haerin blinked and slowly lowered her hands.
"Eh?"
Then her eyes widened as she looked out the window.
The massive gates of the elite academy towered before her, elegant and intimidating. Students in perfectly pressed uniforms walked past in groups, some stepping out of black luxury cars like hers.
Haerin swallowed hard.
"Oh no…" she whispered. "Here we go. The land of rich heirs and scary rumors…"
She fixed her hair nervously, forcing a smile.
"Okay, Shin Haerin. Just… survive today. And remember, don't look at Kang Minjae. Don't talk to Kang Minjae. Don't even breathe near Kang Minjae…"
As she stepped out of the car, her heart pounded. She had no idea that the real trouble was only just beginning.