?????? ??? , ?im rian (REWRITE)

sept , jealously's game

Yun-seok sneered, but it was Chan-min who reacted first. "Do you have a death wish, motherf-"

Before he could finish, Chan-min lunged at Kang Ha. But Kang Ha caught his wrist mid-air, twisting it with an effortless motion that made Chan-min yelp in pain.

"Hey," Kang Ha said, his tone light yet loaded with challenge. "Didn't Yun-seok just tell you not to talk to me? Or were you not paying attention?"

Chan-min glared, muttering under his breath, but Kang Ha tightened his grip. Rising from his seat, he leaned in closer. "If you're so eager to throw punches, maybe you should aim for Yun-seok instead of me." His smirk shifted toward Yun-seok, daring him to respond.

The tension in the room crackled like static electricity, only breaking when Jae-i walked in. Her arrival stole Kang Ha's attention, and his grip on Chan-min loosened.

Freed from his hold, Chan-min retaliated, landing a punch across Kang Ha's face. The sound of the blow echoed through the room.

"Yah!" Ae-ra's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding, just as Ms. Han burst into the room.

"Enough!" Ms. Han's glare silenced the commotion as she shooed the boys out of the room.

Ae-ra's gaze followed the other scholarship students as they shuffled out with Chan-min, his face still twisted in fury. She exhaled sharply, turning back to Kang Ha, who was staring at her.

"Idiot." she muttered, shaking her head before shifting her attention to Ms. Han.

The teacher launched into a discussion about the upcoming trip, but Ae-ra barely heard her. The undercurrents of tension in the room were impossible to ignore, and she knew this was only the beginning.

‧₊ ᵎᵎ 🍓 ⋅ ˚✮

Ae-ra scrolled through a ballet choreography video on her phone, only half-listening to the chatter of Jae-i and He-ra as they walked alongside her. She still didn't know why she'd agreed to join them; He-ra had practically dragged her along, and Ae-ra's discomfort lingered like a shadow. These girls weren't her friends—not like the ones back home. But she could tolerate them, for a while.

"Jae-i."

They turned at the sound of a familiar voice. Kang Ha was walking toward them, his gaze fixed on Jae-i, who clearly wanted to keep moving without acknowledging him.

"Hang on. Can we talk?"

Jae-i hesitated, but eventually turned toward him, her face unreadable. Kang Ha glanced awkwardly at Ae-ra and He-ra, his unease palpable.

"Don't worry about them," Jae-i said flatly.

"You heard her," He-ra added with a smug grin, while Ae-ra folded her arms, clearly indifferent to the exchange.

Kang Ha collected himself, his voice steady but hesitant. "I just... wanted to apologize. About the other night."

Ae-ra's eyes flicked to him, catching the way his expression softened, and for a brief moment, she remembered the intensity of his gaze at that party—the way he'd glanced at her lips. She quickly looked away, trying to shake the memory.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped," he continued, but Jae-i cut him off with a sharp edge in her voice.

"Scholarship kid."

Kang Ha's lips curved into a faint smile. "Kang Ha," he corrected. "That's my name. Not 'scholarship kid.'"

Jae-i stared at him blankly, her silence thick with tension. Ae-ra shifted uncomfortably, wishing she could vanish.