By Monday morning, the academy felt different.
It wasn't the uniformed chaos or the marble echo of footsteps—those were always the same. It was him. It was them. It was the whisper that refused to die.
"Did you see how Jin Seo-Won looked at her after she danced with Yoon Tae-Hwan?"
"He's never looked at anyone like that."
"Bet she won't last the week now."
"Or he'll make her pay in other ways..."
Kang Ha-Rin walked through the halls like a girl strapped to a time bomb—every second, every stare, every hissed rumor ticked closer to explosion. The gold tag still clung to her chest like a leash. DROP OF J.S.W.
And she had no idea how long the chain would hold.
—
First period started with Seo-Won missing.
By second, he was still gone.
By third, students whispered about him being "in a mood."
Ha-Rin didn't want to care.
She really didn't.
But the silence he left behind was more suffocating than his presence.
Was he punishing her?
Was that what this was?
When lunchtime hit, she finally found him—alone on the rooftop garden, hands in his pockets, staring out at the city like it had personally betrayed him.
She walked up slowly. "You skipped three classes."
He didn't turn. "And yet you came looking."
"I'm not here to play games."
"Then stop dancing with other boys."
Her eyes narrowed. "You don't get to say that."
"I do. As long as that tag is on your chest, you're mine."
"I'm not your toy."
"No," he murmured. "You're my temptation. There's a difference."
She froze.
His eyes finally met hers.
Sharp. Cold. But something burned beneath.
"You don't understand what you're doing to me," he said.
"I didn't ask to—"
"I know. And yet, here we are."
Silence.
Wind brushed past, catching her hair like silk.
"You're angry because I danced with Tae-Hwan?"
He didn't answer.
"So you skipped school to sulk?"
He smirked faintly. "I don't sulk. I plot."
"That's comforting."
He took a step forward. "Do you like him?"
"I barely know him."
"But he looks at you like he already does."
She swallowed. "And how do you look at me?"
His jaw flexed.
"Like I might ruin everything," he said quietly.
Their eyes locked again.
And in that moment, the rooftop became its own world—quiet, breathless, on fire.
He stepped closer—close enough to feel his breath, smell the clean scent of his cologne.
She didn't back away.
"I told you this was a game," he said. "But I didn't expect you to start winning."
Her voice was a whisper. "Then change the rules."
He reached up—slowly—and traced his fingers along her collar, over the tag.
She trembled.
His hand stopped just at her jawline. "You shouldn't make me want you."
"But you do."
He didn't deny it.
His thumb brushed her cheek.
And just when she thought he might kiss her—
Bang!
The rooftop door flew open.
They jumped apart.
Na-Gyeom stood in the doorway, holding a tray of drinks and a smile sharp enough to draw blood.
"Oops," she said sweetly. "Did I interrupt something?"
Seo-Won's expression shuttered instantly. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you might be thirsty," she said, walking forward like she hadn't just committed social war. "And your Drop looked pale. I brought her a drink too. Peach tea."
Ha-Rin stared at the bottle.
Seo-Won's voice was cold. "Leave it."
Na-Gyeom's eyes flicked between them. "Of course, Oppa."
She placed the drinks down and turned to Ha-Rin. "Careful with that tea. Peach is such a... fragile flavor. It disappears quickly. Just like some girls."
Then she walked out.
The wind picked up again—but now it felt poisonous.
Seo-Won exhaled slowly.
"She's planning something," Ha-Rin muttered.
"She always is."
"I don't need you to protect me."
"You're wrong," he said. "You need me more than you think."
—
That night, someone broke into Ha-Rin's dorm.
They didn't steal anything.
But every drawer was overturned. Her uniform was slashed. Her shoes soaked in water. Her notebooks torn.
And worst of all?
The tag was missing.
Gone.
—
She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the mess.
Her hands shook.
Her lips trembled.
But she didn't cry.
She never cried.
—
Until he showed up.
Seo-Won pushed open the door, eyes wild. "I heard—"
He stopped at the sight of her.
Sitting barefoot in the chaos.
The broken pieces of her life scattered around her.
He crossed the room without hesitation.
"Was it Na-Gyeom?" he asked.
She didn't answer.
Instead, she picked up a torn math book and laughed bitterly. "I think this means I'm not welcome."
He crouched in front of her, gently taking the book from her hands. "You're not going anywhere."
"I don't belong here."
"You belong to me."
"Seo-Won..."
He cupped her cheek. "Let me fix this."
"I don't want your protection."
"Then take my wrath."
She looked at him, really looked.
And something inside her cracked.
"This isn't a game anymore," she whispered.
"I know."
His eyes searched hers.
Then, slowly—deliberately—he leaned in.
This time, she didn't stop him.
His lips met hers in a kiss that wasn't soft or sweet.
It was claiming.
Fierce. Dangerous. Addictive.
Her hands clenched his jacket, pulling him closer.
His breath hitched against her mouth.
When they finally broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers.
"You're mine now," he whispered. "Don't make me say it again."
She nodded, heart racing. "Then don't make me regret it."
—
The next morning, Ha-Rin found her gold tag pinned back to her locker.
Polished.
Restored.
But now it read:
DROP OF J.S.W. — DO NOT TOUCH
In blood-red ink.
—
End of Chapter 5.
💬
Thank you for reading, Seoulmates 💛
This chapter dives even deeper into the emotional tension between Ha-Rin and Seo-Won—will they survive the rules of Haneul Academy, or will they break each other trying?
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