A young man named Kang Ji Hoon walked down the stairs from his bedroom to the dining room downstairs. His father, Kang Min Soo, was the managing director of a large company called Seung Group, which specialized in property and investment. Meanwhile, his mother, Park Soo Yeon, was a famous socialite who often spent her time at charity events or exclusive gatherings of the elite.
After breakfast, Ji Hoon is driven to school by the family driver. His father only has time to remind Ji Hoon to stay focused on his studies, while his mother is busy talking about meeting schedules with her friends.
Arriving in class, the atmosphere suddenly changes as a new student is introduced by the homeroom teacher. The girl was named Han Soo Jin, with a simple appearance and a tired-looking face. She looks nervous as she walks towards the empty seat next to Ji Hoon.
However, Soo Jin's presence provoked negative reactions from some of the students in the class. Some of the girls start sneering quietly, insinuating that Soo Jin's body odor is so bad that it disrupts the atmosphere of the class. Ji Hoon, although usually ignorant, reflexively covered his nose because the smell was quite strong.
Seeing this reaction, Soo Jin turns to look at Ji Hoon. Her eyes conveyed a feeling of disappointment, as if she wanted to ask him why he was staying away. However, instead of saying something hurtful, Ji Hoon just smiled slightly. The smile leaves Soo Jin confused-whether it's a taunt or Ji Hoon's attempt to try to make her feel better in the midst of such an embarrassing situation.
When recess rolls around, some girls from the class start approaching Soo Jin with bad intentions. They tease her directly about her modest appearance and body scent. Ji Hoon, who was chatting with his friends nearby, noticed the incident with a slight frown on his brow. Although he disliked conflict, something inside him felt that this was not right.
"Hey, leave her alone," Ji Hoon finally said, making the atmosphere tense. Everyone, including Soo Jin, looked at him with surprised looks.
One of the bullying girls, Shin Hye Ri, rolled her eyes, then said in a mocking tone, "Why, Ji Hoon? Are you defending him? Don't tell me you like that smell." Her words were met with laughter from the gang.
Ji Hoon gave Hye Ri a cold look, then folded his arms. "At least I'm not as shortsighted as you guys, judging someone just from the outside. If you don't like it, why don't you talk to me nicely? It's more mature," he said casually but piercingly.
Hearing that, Hye Ri blushed, not expecting Ji Hoon to reply with sharp words in front of everyone. Reluctantly, she and her friends leave leaving Soo Jin, who is still standing in place, confused and surprised at Ji Hoon's defense.
After the bullies leave, Ji Hoon glances at Soo Jin and says, "Are you okay?" His voice sounded sincere even though his expression remained cold. Soo Jin just nodded slowly, not knowing what to say.
The day passed with various strange looks from the other students towards Soo Jin and Ji Hoon. Many whispered, thinking Ji Hoon was strange for defending Soo Jin, someone who was considered "unfit" to be in that class.
When Ji Hoon returned home, his mother, Park Soo Yeon, was waiting for him in the living room with a serious expression. "Ji Hoon, I got a call from your homeroom teacher earlier," she said, crossing her arms.
Ji Hoon frowned. "A call? About what?"
"I heard you defended a new girl in your class, a girl who is said to have a... bad reputation. Is that true?" his mother asked, her tone clearly hinting at disapproval.
Ji Hoon looked at his mother sternly. "Yes, it's true. She's being bullied, and I don't like to see it that way."
Soo Yeon took a deep breath, then shook her head. "Ji Hoon, you're the son of a big director. You should be careful who you hang out with. Girls like that can bring trouble or affect your reputation."
However, Ji Hoon didn't budge. "What good is reputation, Mom, if we have no humanity?" he replied before walking to his room, leaving his mother silent with a complicated expression.
Soo Jin, on the other hand, returns to her small and modest home. She looked in the mirror and touched her tangled hair, then let out a long sigh. Sitting on a rickety chair in the corner of her room, she ponders. Ji Hoon, a person she barely knew, was the only one who ever defended her. Why would he do that? Soo Jin didn't know, but for the first time since transferring to the school, she didn't feel completely alone.
That night, two different worlds-Kang Ji Hoon's luxurious world and Han Soo Jin's simple world-began to intersect, bringing a story that would change both of their lives.
The next day, Ji Hoon went back to school as usual. He is known as a humorous kid, often making his friends laugh with his jokes or sometimes annoying behavior. Even so, there's a side of Ji Hoon that's hard to guess-and that day, Soo Jin finds out firsthand.
As the school dismissal bell rings, Soo Jin slowly packs up her books, hoping to get home without attracting attention. However, before she could leave the classroom, Ji Hoon suddenly approached her. Without saying much, he pulled Soo Jin's hand casually but firmly, making her startled.
"Hey, what are you doing?" asked Soo Jin in a confused tone, trying to shake off his hand.
"Shut your mouth and come along," Ji Hoon replies with a flat face, but there's a small smile on the corner of his lips that leaves Soo Jin confused.
They walk out of the school to the luxury car waiting at the gate. Ji Hoon opens the car door and gestures for Soo Jin to get in. "Come on, get in," he said.
"What? No, I have to go home," Soo Jin tried to refuse.
"Go home later. Right now, I have plans for you," Ji Hoon replied without taking no for an answer. He glanced at his driver and said, "To the mall. We'll go to the supermarket first."
Soo Jin could only sit awkwardly in the car, not knowing what Ji Hoon was planning. When they arrived at the mall, Ji Hoon immediately dragged Soo Jin to one of the big supermarkets. He grabbed a shopping cart and started putting various items into it: body fragrance, skincare, shampoo, conditioner, and some expensive-looking casual clothes.
"Ji Hoon, what are you doing? I don't need any of this," Soo Jin protested, feeling uncomfortable.
"Don't talk so much. I don't like sitting next to someone who smells. So, I'm doing you a favor, so that we both feel comfortable," Ji Hoon replied in a casual tone. Although his words sounded a little annoying, there was a sense that he wasn't entirely malicious.
After finishing shopping, Ji Hoon took Soo Jin to the salon. "We need to solve your hair problem too," he says while looking at Soo Jin's tangled hair.
At the salon, Soo Jin feels embarrassed, but she can't go against the flow. Her hair is washed, groomed, and permed until it looks neater and more radiant. Meanwhile, Ji Hoon sits on the salon's sofa playing with his cell phone, seemingly unconcerned by the salon staff's confused stares at the two of them.
After everything was done, Ji Hoon looked at Soo Jin with a satisfied smile. "Well, now you look more like a human," he said with an ignorant smile.
Soo Jin snorted in annoyance. "You don't have to do all this. I can take care of myself."
"Really? Then why didn't you do it until now?" Ji Hoon retorted with a chuckle.
Despite her annoyance, Soo Jin couldn't lie to herself. For the first time, she felt a little more confident about her appearance. However, she also knew that Ji Hoon was the type of person who was hard to understand-sometimes annoying, but behind his attitude, there were good intentions that she couldn't easily understand.
After finishing all the activities at the mall and salon, Ji Hoon finally takes Soo Jin home. Throughout the trip, Soo Jin is silent, still thinking about everything that just happened. Ji Hoon, on the other hand, seems relaxed as usual, playing with his cell phone while leaning his head against the car window.
The luxury car stopped in front of a small, simple house. The wall paint was a little dull, and the front yard was just dirt without many plants. Soo Jin looks a little nervous, feeling uncomfortable that Ji Hoon will see her house which is far from luxurious.
As Soo Jin opens the car door, she sees someone standing in front of her sister's house, a boy around 10 years old named Han Soo Hyuk. Soo Hyuk, who had been unable to speak since birth, was waiting for his brother with a cheerful expression, shaking his hands in the air to greet him.
Ji Hoon watched the child from the car, and without thinking, got out. Soo Jin turned around in shock. "Why did you get off? You can wait in the car," she said, trying to dissuade him.
Ji Hoon just shrugged. "Why? I just wanted to see who was waiting for you."
Soo Jin sighed, not knowing what to say. Ji Hoon walked over to Soo Hyuk, then looked at him with a small smile. He took something out of the plastic bag he was carrying - a pack of chocolate snacks and a box of fruit juice.
"Hi, this is for you," Ji Hoon said as he handed the snacks to Soo Hyuk.
Soo Hyuk looked at Ji Hoon with sparkling eyes, then smiled widely as he bowed his body in thanks. Although he couldn't speak, the expression on his face was enough to show his pleasure.
"You don't have to give him anything," Soo Jin said in a low tone, feeling bad.
Ji Hoon just glanced over and replied, "She's your sister, right? A good boy like him deserves a little reward."
Soo Jin looked at Ji Hoon in confusion. Behind his annoying and bossy attitude, Ji Hoon has a soft side that she never expected.
After that, Ji Hoon goes back to his car. Before getting in, he says to Soo Jin, "Don't forget to use all the things I bought you earlier. I don't want my efforts to go to waste."
Soo Jin just nodded, still silent because she didn't know how to respond. Ji Hoon's car slowly drove away, leaving Soo Jin and Soo Hyuk in front of the house. Soo Jin let out a long sigh, looked at her sister who looked happy with the snacks, then muttered softly, "He really is a strange person."
However, underneath her complaints, Soo Jin knew there was something different about Ji Hoon. Something that might change her life more than she ever imagined.