At South Korea's most prestigious high school, a scandal is brewing - but its privileged students will do anything to silence the truth. When a scholarship student enters the fold, he's determined to crack the school's impenetrable façade and reveal...
"No, it's just... the only thing I want to say is, tell your little friend to leave Jae-i alone," he said, making Ellie click her tongue in annoyance.
"Look, King, I don't care what's going on between your lover and my friend. Don't put me in a complicated situation," she replied, causing Rian to glare at her.
"Don't test me," he warned, but Ellie cut him off by raising her eyebrow. "What are you going to do? Humiliate me, or worse?kill me?" she challenged, watching Rian's confusion.
She pinned her short hair behind her ear and gave Rian a smile. "You know, if you want my advice, leave me and my friend alone. It seems Jae-i isn't interested in you anymore. Better find another girl and move on," she said, looking directly at him.
"But if you want her back, the stories I read suggest making her jealous. You know, Hera would be a perfect example for that," she added, causing Rian to glare at her.
Rian clenched his fists, frustration evident on his face. "Stay away from Jae-i and stop talking nonsense" he blurted out, his voice edged with warning. Ellie chuckled dismissively.
"Don't tell me that. Tell her," Ellie replied, her gaze drifting towards where Jae-i stood, observing their interaction. Jae-i caught Ellie's eye and listened intently to their conversation, her expression unreadable. Rian's glare shifted from Ellie to Jae-i, the tension between them palpable.
"Ellie," Jae-i called out, but Ellie clicked her tongue in irritation. "Jae-i, stay away from me. Like the King told me, you shouldn't be interacting with any scholarship students here, including Kang In-ha," she said, packing her things and leaving the ex-lovers alone.
Rian watched Ellie walk away, his anger simmering beneath the surface. He turned back to Jae-i, his frustration evident. "Why did you even bother with her?" he demanded.
Jae-i sighed, her expression softening slightly. "Ellie isn't the problem here, Rian. We are. You need to stop blaming others for our issues," she said, her voice calm but firm.
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PRINCIPAL's OFFICE
"Ms. Han asked me to bring this to you," the boy with glasses said as he handed the folder to the principal. She took it, glancing at him with a curious look.
"Hmm, how's it going?" she asked casually.
"How's what going?" he replied, trying to hide his nervousness.
"Rian, Jae-i, Hera, and Woojin. I'm talking about your friends," she said, flipping through the folder.
"My friends?" he echoed, unsure of her intentions. "They're fine."
The principal looked up from the folder and fixed him with a serious gaze. "Don't waste your time with the wrong people. The friends you make here will last a lifetime," she advised. "They'll be helpful when you start your career. Do you understand what I mean?"
He nodded, absorbing her words. "But one thing, Mom," he said hesitantly, catching her off guard. "How did you cover it up?"
She froze, her expression turning icy. "In-ha's death, I mean," he clarified. "You made sure there were no articles, not a single one. I'm curious how."
"I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about," she denied firmly. "Go on now, you'll be late."
He nodded and quickly exited the room. As he opened the door, he was startled to see Ellie standing there, holding a paper.
"Ellie," he said, surprised. "Sorry, I followed you. You forgot this," she said, handing him the paper she had found with the folder. It was his pass, and he grabbed it quickly, pulling her away from the room and hiding in a corner.
He examined the paper, realizing it wasn't important. He sighed in relief, then noticed Ellie looking at him, confusion etched on her face.
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As Ellie focused on her assignment, her phone buzzed, displaying a message from her brother. She ignored it, but a glance at her wallpaper—a picture of her with her two brothers at the beach—made her smile. However, her smile faded as a notification from the school group chat popped up.
Unlocking her phone, she read the announcement about an upcoming field trip to a luxury hotel. She scoffed, thinking about how some students would enjoy lavish accommodations while others would likely be placed in less extravagant rooms.
As she was about to turn off her phone, another notification caught her eye. Someone had followed her. Curious, she checked and found it was a private account. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Jae-i's Instagram. Ellie chose to ignore it, shaking her head at the oddity.
"Jae-i is acting weird," she muttered to herself. But before she could dwell on it, another notification pinged. This time, it was from Rian's Instagram account.
He had followed her, only to unfollow almost immediately. Ellie frowned, feeling a mix of confusion and annoyance. Deciding she didn’t want to deal with any of Rian’s games, she blocked him without hesitation.
Her mind wandered back to the announcement about the field trip. She wondered if the division between the luxury and standard accommodations would further highlight the social disparities among the students.
The thought made her sigh. She knew that attending this school on a scholarship already put her at a disadvantage socially. The last thing she needed was a reminder of that during a supposed fun outing.
Returning to her assignment, she found it hard to concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the peculiar behavior of Jae-i and Rian.
It seemed like they were both trying to reach out to her, but their intentions were unclear. Ellie shook her head, trying to push away the distractions.
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