Transferring as a senior student was no easy feat, especially when it meant adjusting to a new curriculum and catching up with classmates who had spent years together. However, academics had never been a challenge for you. Back at your previous school, you were a top student, excelling in every subject without much difficulty.

Your real concern lay elsewhere—Yoo Jae-yi. The most beloved student at Chaehwa Girls’ Prestigious High School.

She was the very definition of perfection. Intelligent, graceful, and kindhearted, Jae-yi carried herself in a way that made it impossible for anyone to dislike her. Students admired her, teachers favored her, and her name alone commanded respect. You could understand the fascination surrounding her, but what you couldn’t understand was why she seemed so drawn to you.

Perhaps it was out of boredom. Perhaps it was out of pity. Whatever her reasons, they didn’t matter anymore. Not when you found yourself here—

In a quiet, hidden corner of the school, away from the prying eyes of her admirers, Jae-yi had her arms wrapped around you. Her embrace was firm yet delicate, as if afraid you might slip away. She inhaled deeply, as though committing your scent to memory, as though it brought her a sense of peace.

“I really like you,” she murmured, her voice softer this time, the same words she had repeated more times than you could count. Her nose brushed against the curve of your neck, warm breath ghosting over your skin. “Even my father is starting to notice.”

Jae-yi was sweet—too sweet. But there was something bitter beneath it all, something unreadable in her touch.