"Well, it's nice to finally meet you. First things first—my name is Travis. I'm sure you've heard that name quite a bit recently," he said, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable authority.
The moment the principal registered the name, his entire demeanor shifted. He shot up from his chair as if it had suddenly caught fire, pressing his hands together in a nervous clasp. A sheepish smile stretched across his face as he hurried around the desk, his posture almost servile.
"Oh! Sir, you decided to come in person," he stammered, his voice an awkward mix of excitement and apprehension. "It's truly an honor to meet you. Please, take my seat!" He gestured toward the chair as if offering a throne to a king.
Travis remained unfazed, simply turning the chair sideways with a flick of his wrist, making it rotate lazily. He didn't bother sitting.
"Nah, not feeling like it," he said flatly before glancing around the office. "But I do need an energy drink."
The words had barely left his mouth before the principal practically bolted out the door, his dress shoes clicking frantically against the tiled floor. The second he stepped into the hallway, several teachers turned to see their superior sprinting—yes, sprinting—past them, his expression riddled with urgency. They exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had just happened or whether they should intervene.
Minutes later, the principal returned, slightly out of breath, but holding a chilled energy drink with both hands like it was an offering. He shut the office door behind him, walked over, and presented the can to Travis with an eager smile.
Travis accepted it with a smirk. He could have kept playing with the man, twisting the knife of intimidation just a little more—but honestly, he wasn't in the mood. Maybe next time.
"Write me up as one of the students in this school," he said casually, cracking open the can. The sound of the carbonation escaping was the only noise in the room. "I'll need an identity card so I can come and go as I please. I'll be back this afternoon to pick it up."
And with that, he turned on his heel and walked out, leaving the principal to slump against his desk, exhaling in pure relief.
As he wiped his brow, one thought plagued his mind.
' How did such a young kid afford to buy this whole institution? Crypto? He didn't even drink the energy drink' he thought.
Travis left the faculty office, sighing as he stepped into the hallway. Just as he did, he nearly bumped into the protagonist of Is There an Empty Room?—an amusing coincidence that made him shake his head.
'Well, at least this place has hot women. That's for sure.' He thought as he adjusted his bag strap and made his way to class.
That was when he spotted her.
So-Yeon Goo.
One of the main heroines of the story.
She stood out effortlessly, her long black hair flowing smoothly down her back. A pair of thin-framed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, but they did nothing to dull her beauty—if anything, they added to it. Her confident stride, the way her lips curled into a knowing smirk as she walked, and the effortless sway of her hips all made it clear: she knew she was attractive.
And Travis liked that about her.
His plan for today? Get to know her better.
As she walked past him, she suddenly winked. The small action pulled him out of his daze, making his heart skip a beat. Damn. She really was something.
Acting quickly, he turned on his heel and called out to her.
"Ms.So-Yeon!"
She paused mid-step before looking back at him, one brow arched in curiosity.
"Hey, I'm new here," he started, walking up to her, "and I'm supposed to be taking your class. The principal gave me directions, but…" He let out a sheepish chuckle. "I'm not really good with that."
Her lips twitched upward. "That much is evident, considering you're going the wrong way." She crossed her arms, tilting her head. "Lucky for you, you ran into me. Come on, class is about to start."
Travis grinned and fell into step beside her.
The hallways were relatively empty as they walked, which made things easier for him. Less noise, fewer distractions.
"So," she began, glancing at him, "why'd you transfer here? There are way better institutions than this one, you know."
"Oh, I didn't have much of a choice," he admitted with a shrug. "It was either this or a gap year, and I wasn't feeling that, honestly."
She hummed in understanding before giving him a once-over. "What doesn't make sense, though, is how you don't have your bag." She gestured at his empty hands. "I mean, how do you expect to learn?"
Travis smirked. "Funny story, actually. There I was, filling up the motor. I turn around, and the little kid had done a runner." He exaggerated his accent, doing his best impression of Billy Butcher from The Boys.
So-Yeon blinked, clearly caught off guard. Then she burst into laughter, placing her books down on a nearby desk. "What the hell was that?"
"You haven't watched The Boys?" he asked, stepping closer and leaning slightly against her table.
"Nope," she said, still chuckling. "Was that a British accent? It was actually pretty good, won't lie." She shook her head. "But, man, that was so cringe. So cringe it looped back around to being funny."
Travis exhaled in relief. 'Damn, that was a high-risk gamble. Looks like it paid off.'
"You should give it a shot. The show, I mean." He flashed a lopsided grin. "Maybe we could find some mutual interests."
At that, she raised an eyebrow. "Are you hitting on me?" She smirked. "I don't even know your name. At least get the basics down first."
He chuckled. "Oh, sorry. I was too busy imagining our future together." He extended his hand. "Name's Travis. I already know yours—and yes, I realize how that sounds."
She eyed him for a moment before shaking his hand, her grip firm but playful. "Yep. Totally not creepy from the new transfer student." Her smirk widened. "You and I should hang out sometime. I have a feeling we'd make great drinking buddies."
Travis grinned. This was going better than expected.
As So-Yeon organized her notes and set up for class, Travis kept the conversation lively, throwing in jokes and playful remarks. She chuckled more than once, clearly entertained by his antics.
"Okay, okay, stop," she said, shaking her head with a smirk. "You're gonna make me mess up my lesson plan."
Travis grinned. "What can I say? I have a gift."
She rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
Before they knew it, students began trickling into the classroom, filling up the empty seats one by one. The air grew louder with chatter, the usual pre-class energy settling in.
That was when two particular students entered—both looking incredibly disheveled, and embarrassed. The two had been caught having sex and are now sitting in shame.
After some time Na-Yeon and Ha-Seong came in.
Na-Yeon and Ha-Seong stepped inside, their footsteps echoing slightly against the tiled floor. The moment their eyes landed on Travis, they froze. A flicker of surprise crossed their faces before they quickly approached him, their expressions a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"Yo, what are you doing here?" Na-Yeon asked.
TO BE CONTINUED