FRAGILE - Hierarchy

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As he reached a quiet hallway, Rian answered the phone. "Hello? This is Rian," he said, his heart pounding.

"Mr. Rian, this is Dr. Kim from the hospital. There’s been a change in Ellie's condition. We need you to come immediately," the doctor said.

"I'll be right there," Rian replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside. He hung up and hurried out of the school, his mind racing with worry for Ellie.

Rian quickly ended the call, not letting the doctor finish what he was saying. Ignoring the fact that he had classes, he drove to the hospital as fast as he could, his mind solely focused on Ellie

. When he arrived, he sprinted through the hallways, not stopping until he reached her room. He paused briefly outside the door, trying to steady his racing heart.

When he opened the door, he was shocked to find the room empty. Ellie's bed was unoccupied, and there was no doctor in sight. Panic began to set in. His heart pounded louder as fear gripped him. Where could she be? What had happened?

He felt tears welling up in his eyes, blurring his vision. Just as he began to break down, he heard the sound of a toilet flushing. Startled, he turned toward the bathroom door, which slowly opened.

To his immense relief, Ellie emerged, looking groggy but awake. She stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Ellie!" Rian exclaimed, his voice cracking with emotion. He rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. "You're awake," he whispered, his tears now flowing freely, but this time out of sheer relief and joy.

Ellie hugged him back, still looking slightly confused but smiling. "Rian, what's going on? Why are you crying?" she asked softly, her voice a bit raspy from disuse.

Rian pulled back slightly to look at her, wiping away his tears. "I was so worried about you. The doctor called, and I thought something terrible had happened when I couldn't find you here," he explained, his voice still trembling.

Ellie laughed at his statement and looked at him, noticing the tears in his eyes. She joked, "The doctor's not the overdramatic one, you are," making Rian chuckle as he wiped his tears. He gently lifted her up in a bridal style.

"What the heck are you doing?" she asked, surprised. Rian carefully placed her back on the bed and sat beside her.

"Don't move too much; your stitches might reopen," he warned, concern evident in his voice.

Ellie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Can you stay five feet away? We're no good, you know," she teased, gently pushing him away. Rian laughed and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry if I pushed you away," he whispered into her ear, his voice filled with regret.

"Stop it, you punk. It tickles," Ellie said, trying to push him away, but he just buried his face in her neck, inhaling deeply. He had missed her so much that he couldn't let go. Ellie eventually gave in and let him be, feeling the comfort of his presence.

After a minute, Ellie found herself lying on the bed with Rian sleeping peacefully beside her. At first, she didn’t want to look at his features, but she couldn't help herself.

She found herself admiring him, his peaceful expression, and the way his hair fell softly over his forehead. She reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from his face, her heart swelling with affection.

Rian stirred slightly, his hand instinctively reaching for hers. Ellie took his hand, holding it gently, feeling a sense of peace wash over her.

On the other side   In-ha was in the principal's office, his expression resolute. "You know what's been happening at Jooshin High. Stop condoning their actions and punish them according to the regulations. I am giving you a second chance to fulfill your role as principal," he said, his tone firm.

The principal scoffed, leaning back in her chair. "I wonder where you get all this confidence."

In-ha met her gaze steadily. "I have a piece of evidence that would blow Jooshin away."

The principal's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Bomb?" she asked incredulously.

"If you let this slide like before, my friends and I will set off the bomb," he said, his words hanging in the air before he turned and left the room.

As In-ha walked down the hallway, he saw Tae-ho, the class president, running towards him in a panic. "What are you doing? Why would you meet with the principal without consulting me?" Tae-ho demanded, grabbing In-ha by the collar.

"I'm seeing things clearly," In-ha replied calmly, prompting Tae-ho to release his grip. "If it's the case, we should take down Rian first," Tae-ho continued, making In-ha frown. "You want to be at the top, then let the adults who got Jooshin this way handle it."

"Is this what you really want? Why did you really approach the principal?" Tae-ho asked, looking at In-ha with suspicion. "Does this mean you reached out just to protect Jae-i?" he said angrily.

"Hey, Tae-ho, where is this coming from?" In-ha asked, dumbfounded.

"It's all because of Jae-i, isn't it? Do you know what secret she has? You haven't seen anything if you knew—" Tae-ho burst out, but he was abruptly cut off.

"So it's you," a voice said. Tae-ho turned around and saw Jae-i standing there, looking at him with a mixture shock

On the rooftop, Jae-i and In-ha decided to talk. "You’ve drawn your bow," she said, her voice steady.

In-ha nodded. "I told you I would make them pay."

Jae-i took a deep breath. "I’m going to tell my family and notify the school. I’ll let them know there’s a video, and that it might be linked for the world to see. I’ll handle everything myself," she declared, her resolve unwavering.

In-ha looked at her, dumbfounded. "Why would you do that? If you do, you will—"

Jae-i cut him off. "Probably get beaten half to death by my dad and then hidden away in New York. Even so, at least they’ll stop it. My dad and the school will do everything it takes to make sure it doesn’t get out," she explained.

"So, you’re going to take matters into your own hands," he said, a mix of admiration and concern in his voice.

"I don’t care what happens to me. I'll protect Rian," she said firmly, making In-ha frown.

"Why?" he asked, his voice softer now, almost pleading.

"Because he is my everything," she said, her eyes filled with determination.

In-ha scoffed. "Why must Rian be your everything? Are you planning something? Do you know about him and Ellie?" he asked angrily, his frustration boiling over.

Jae-i looked down, feeling the weight of his words. "Don't make things complicated, Jae-i. If you really love Rian, you should understand better what’s at stake," In-ha said, his tone softer but still firm.

She looked up, meeting his eyes. "I will make him choose," she said, her voice steady and resolute.