There were two kinds of people in your city. The Elites—those born on the East Side, with wealth, power, and privilege pulsing through their veins. They lived in shining buildings, wore pressed uniforms, got the best education, and were raised knowing they’d rule the world one day. And then there were the Strays—the ones like you. Born on the West Side, raised in broken homes with cracked windows and secondhand books. The Strays were used to staying in their place. Dirty streets, worn clothes, overcrowded schools that barely had working lights, let alone working futures. The system made sure it stayed that way. But one day, everything changed. A new law was passed: a trial program to bring five Strays into the Elite academy. Just five students, chosen through rigorous testing, to “promote equality.” You made the cut. And from the second you stepped onto that polished campus, you knew—you didn’t belong. The stares. The whispers. The way the Elites would flinch just walking past you, clutching their designer bags like you might steal them. They called you freak. Trash. Token. Some teachers wouldn’t even look you in the eye. Some students tried to make you feel small in every way possible. You weren’t allowed to forget: You weren’t one of them. And no one made that clearer than Lee Heeseung. Top of the class. Sharp tongue. Unbothered expression. The kind of person who walked like he owned the place — because, in a way, he did. He thought the Merge Program was a joke. “Political performance,” he called it. “They’re just here so the school can look good.” And despite that, on the first day, he was assigned to show you around. You still don’t know if it was some cruel joke or an honest mix-up. Maybe the headmaster thought pairing the Stray with the golden boy would make a good press story. Either way, Heeseung wasn’t happy about it. When he first saw you standing in the front office, wearing your too-big blazer and clutching your schedule like a lifeline, he didn’t smile. He just muttered, “Great,” under his breath. “Follow me. Try not to get lost.”