When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

Chapter 4

I was early today. I thought it would be nice if no one was around, and it was. The school was silent when it was empty.

A few minutes passed.

People started arriving.

And suddenly, silence no longer existed.

It was so loud.

"Yaa, Beak Cheonga!" A girl's voice practically shouted my name.

"I heard another interesting story about you." Jun Ji-Hyun walked toward me, settling onto my desk with her arms crossed.

I looked at her, confused, but deep inside, a bad feeling settled in my stomach.

"Are you Beak Harin's sister?"

Oh—
This is the worst.

I pursed my lips, unsure whether to nod or ignore her.

"Don't worry, guys, she’s not Harin's real sister," she paused, turning to face me again. "You're an orphan, right?"

How far is this going to go?
I wished the bell would ring.
Or the teacher would walk in.
Or there would be an assembly.
Or the world would just end.

"I heard you were an orphan, and her family took care of you, giving you a chance to attend the most prestigious school in the country. But you ruined it by setting fire to Beak Harin's room when you were ten."

What?
Me? Setting fire to Harin’s room?
Is that what she’s spreading now?
How pathetic.

I remember the fire happening—not in Harin’s room, but mine.

I had cried my lungs out, terrified of the flames. But as the fire crept closer, I had accepted my fate—that I was going to die. Then, somehow, the maid managed to save me. That’s why I owe her everything.

Harin had twisted the story to gain sympathy, painting me as the villain.

I knew Harin had set the fire herself. She had wanted to get rid of me, and she knew that if a fire broke out, her parents would be too focused on her to notice me burning.

"Don't you feel like a loser?"

Another student chimed in.

"You don’t have parents, yet they gave you a family. You could have never gone to school, but they let you attend the best one in the country. You could have lived in a hut, but they let you stay in a penthouse. And still, how dare you betray poor Harin?"

This is wrong. This is a complete misunderstanding.

"Harin is so innocent. Even after being attacked by her sister, she’s still kind to you."

My eyes stung.

They can’t say this to me.

I won’t cry over something that isn’t even true.

But if people believe a lie, how can I prove my innocence?

"Who told you this shitty story?"

Suddenly, Ji-Woo stepped in, her tone sharp.

"Ji-Woo-ya, just because you punched me yesterday doesn’t mean you can punch me today too," Jun Ji-Hyun said.

"Let’s try then."

"Try it with me," a male voice interrupted. A guy with short hair stepped forward.

What is even happening?

"I see, she’s hiding," Ji-Woo mocked.

"Don’t change the subject—you were about to fight me," the guy shot back.