By Thursday, Kang Ha-Rin had memorized the layout of hell.
It had marbled floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and gold-accented lockers that cost more than her family's yearly income. It wore a uniform. It whispered in hallways. And it answered to one name only:
Jin Seo-Won.
Ever since she became his Drop, Ha-Rin's days blurred into a sick pattern of humiliation and manipulation. He'd changed her classes, altered her schedule, and declared her his property—all with the smug grace of a prince bestowing favors on a peasant.
And worse?
She couldn't even punch him anymore.
Because no matter how hard she tried to hate him, he was always one step ahead—smirking, teasing, protecting her from behind the scenes like some twisted guardian devil.
Until today.
Today, the game shifted.
—
The first sign was the voice.
Low. Calm. Deep like a cello string plucked in a dark concert hall.
"Kang Ha Rin."
Ha-Rin turned—and froze.
Standing in front of the class bulletin board was a tall figure in a crisp uniform. Clean lines. Effortless posture. Hair parted neatly. Eyes like dusk before a storm.
Yoon Tae-Hwan.
The name echoed in her brain.
Everyone knew him. Ranked second in the school, top scorer in Physics and Debate, former vice president of the Student Council—until he disappeared last semester with no explanation. Rumors said he went abroad. Others said he fought with Seo-Won.
He was Seo-Won's best friend once.
Now?
His return felt like a silent earthquake.
"You're blocking the board," he said politely.
"Oh—sorry," she stammered, stepping aside.
He glanced at her gold tag. His brow twitched—just barely.
"You're Seo-Won's new Drop?"
The way he said it was gentle... but razor-sharp beneath the surface.
"Not by choice," she muttered.
Tae-Hwan tilted his head, studying her like a puzzle. "You slapped him, didn't you?"
She blinked. "What?"
"You're the first girl he hasn't discarded by week one. It must've been the slap."
Ha-Rin didn't know whether to laugh or run. "Do all rich boys bond over humiliation?"
Tae-Hwan's lips curved. Not quite a smile. Something more dangerous.
"I'm not like him."
Before she could answer, footsteps echoed down the hall.
Seo-Won.
And when he saw them—Tae-Hwan standing too close, Ha-Rin looking too curious—his expression darkened like the sky before lightning.
"Tae-Hwan," he said coolly.
"Seo-Won," the other replied, without turning.
It felt like winter had walked into the hallway. Cold. Tense. Heavy with history.
"I didn't know you were back," Seo-Won said, eyes locked on his former friend.
"I didn't announce it," Tae-Hwan replied smoothly.
Their silence was louder than words.
Then Seo-Won's gaze dropped to Ha-Rin. "Come."
Ha-Rin didn't move.
Seo-Won's eyes narrowed. "Now."
Tae-Hwan stepped slightly in front of her. Not threatening—just enough to be noticed.
"I believe she's not a dog."
"No," Seo-Won said slowly. "But she wears my tag."
The words hit her like a slap. Her chest tightened.
"I'm not anyone's," she snapped, stepping between them.
They both stared at her.
Seo-Won's jaw ticked.
Tae-Hwan's eyes softened.
But neither spoke.
Until Seo-Won leaned in—too close—and whispered, "You'll regret making me jealous."
She didn't answer.
But for the first time... she didn't feel powerless.
—
During Student Council meeting that afternoon, Ha-Rin sat on the floor beside Seo-Won's chair, dutifully writing notes like a scene from a chaebol nightmare.
Her knees ached. Her pride was gone.
But her ears were wide open.
"...Tae-Hwan's back," one of the boys muttered.
"I thought he'd transferred."
"Did you hear what happened between him and Seo-Won last year?"
"No one knows. They were inseparable... until they weren't."
Ha-Rin dared to glance up.
Seo-Won was perfectly composed—but his pen pressed a little harder into the paper.
After the meeting, he stood without a word.
She followed him outside the building, toward the back garden—a quiet place full of stone benches and cherry trees. They'd barely stepped under the branches when he turned around and grabbed her wrist.
"Are you trying to piss me off?"
Her breath hitched. "What?"
"Tae-Hwan. You stood there with him like you didn't know what that would do."
"I didn't do anything."
"You looked at him."
"Am I not allowed to look at people?"
His grip tightened just a second. "He's not what he seems."
"And you are?"
Their eyes locked again. The tension snapped like static in the air.
"I told you this was a game," he said. "But don't forget, I play to win."
She yanked her wrist free. "Then maybe you should stop pretending I'm your toy and start acting like I matter."
His expression shifted. Just barely.
And then—
He leaned in.
So close her breath caught in her throat.
"Don't test how far I'm willing to go to keep what's mine."
For a heartbeat, she thought he was going to kiss her.
But instead, he turned—and walked away.
Leaving her in the garden with her heart racing and her knees weak.
—
That night, Ha-Rin lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
One name on her mind.
Yoon Tae-Hwan.
And the way he'd looked at her like she was something worth protecting.
But another name echoed deeper.
Jin Seo-Won.
And the way he made her feel like she didn't know who she was anymore.
The war had begun.
And she?
Was caught between the fire and the storm.
—
End of Chapter 3
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