Choi Bora entered the school, her nerves on edge, keeping her head low as she hurried to the classroom. The last thing she wanted was to run into Wang Da or her friends. As she slipped inside, she noticed Wang Da was still absent, and her friends seemed to be going about their usual gossip, completely unaware of what had transpired.
"Did you hear?" So-Young asked excitedly. "Wang Da's parents are here! They're finalizing her transfer abroad. Apparently, her family is moving too. Something about her brother's new project."
Choi Bora felt relief wash over her. So, the Wang family is covering this up. It seemed they had gone to great lengths to hide the truth. No one at school knew the real reason for Wang Da's sudden disappearance, and Bora intended to use that to her advantage. This could be the perfect opportunity.
She sat down at her desk, pretending to be deep in thought. Mi Cha, always eager for attention, plopped into the seat beside her. "Can you believe it? Wang Da's so lucky! Moving abroad, just like that!"
Bora feigned sadness, her expression distant. "It's not luck, Mi Cha. Wang Da didn't deserve this. It's... it's my fault, really."
Mi Cha looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean? How is it your fault?"
"I—" Bora hesitated, her voice trembling slightly for effect. "Wang Da... she told me something strange before all this happened. She said she saw someone sneaking into a room with a man, and she thought it was Yun-ji. I didn't think much of it, but... I mentioned it to my father. I didn't mean to cause trouble, but... after that, everything happened so fast."
Mi Cha's face hardened, her eyes widening. "Wait... are you saying Yun-ji had something to do with this? That's why Wang Da had to leave?!"
Bora lowered her gaze, biting her lip. "I don't know. I can't say for sure. But I can't shake the feeling that my father did something, and now Wang Da's gone because of me."
Mi Cha's anger boiled over as she stood abruptly. "That bitch! She must've pressured her family to get rid of Wang Da to keep things quiet! Yun-ji can't get away with this."
Before Bora could respond, Mi Cha stormed off, her determination clear. Bora watched her leave, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. She doesn't even need my help to act. Perfect.
Later that day, as the school day went on, whispers began to circulate. The school forum had exploded with rumors about Yun-ji. Anonymous posts accused her of being involved in something scandalous, attaching a blurry photo that showed Yun-ji entering a room with a man. The image was unclear, but the implications were enough to stir the entire student body. The forum comments were cruel, filled with assumptions and judgment.
Yun-ji remained unbothered, walking through the hallways with her usual grace despite the cutting stares and whispers. She had no time for petty rumors. Her mind was focused on bigger matters—matters far beyond the gossip of spoiled teenagers.
At lunch, she entered the cafeteria, her eyes scanning the room. Lim In-Su sat at his usual table, but his gaze was no longer cold with disdain. He was watching her, calculating. As she passed by, he stood up and walked over to her, stopping her in her tracks.
"Yun-ji," Lim In-Su said, his voice calm but serious. "Yesterday, I wasn't exactly fair."
Yun-ji raised an eyebrow, not sure where this conversation was going. "And?"
"I don't like being ignored," he continued, "but I respect people who can stand their ground. I was wrong about you."
Yun-ji studied him, her expression unreadable. "Is that supposed to mean something?"
In-Su hesitated, clearly unused to being this vulnerable. "We should talk sometime. You're... different from what I expected."
Yun-ji remained indifferent, though his words piqued her curiosity. Lim In-Su didn't try to avoid her or judge her after seeing the post on the school forum. She was a little touched by this. "We'll see," she replied simply, turning to walk away.
Lim In-Su smirked, his interest piqued. "I'll take that as a yes."
That afternoon, after classes, Choi Bora found Mi Cha in the courtyard, gleefully scrolling through her phone as more comments poured in on the school forum. Mi Cha looked up as Bora approached, a wide grin on her face. "Have you seen the forum? Yun-ji's getting roasted."
Bora gasped, covering her mouth as if shocked. "Mi Cha... what did you do?"
Mi Cha, thrilled by Bora's reaction, showed her the post. "I couldn't let her get away with it! After what you told me about Wang Da, I knew Yun-ji had to be behind it all. So, I posted this with an anonymous account. I mean, it's not like I'm lying, right?"
Bora looked at the post, her expression conflicted. "But... but what if it's not true? What if she's innocent? I feel so guilty, Mi Cha. What if Yun-ji didn't do anything wrong?"
Mi Cha scoffed. "Bora, don't be soft. Yun-ji deserved this. Even if she didn't do it, someone like her always has skeletons in the closet. Besides, she's not suffering—just look at her, walking around like she doesn't care."
Bora bit her lip, pretending to be torn. "I just... I didn't want this to happen. I didn't mean for Yun-ji to be hurt like this."
Mi Cha patted Bora on the back, clearly misunderstanding her friend's performance. "Don't worry. She'll get what she deserves. It's karma."
Inside, Choi Bora's heart danced with satisfaction. Mi Cha's doing the dirty work for me, and she doesn't even know it. She put on her most convincing worried face. "I hope you're right, Mi Cha. I just... I don't know if I can handle it if Yun-ji gets hurt because of us."
Mi Cha waved her off. "Trust me, Bora. You're too nice. She won't get hurt. She'll just get put in her place."
Bora nodded, her expression full of fake concern. "I really hope so..."