The Laws of the Elite

SHE FELT LIKE THE DUST THAT GOT INSIDE HER EYES DISAPPEARED when she saw the face of the stranger who was currently holding her waist. He had dark, coffee-colored hair and his slightly long bangs or fringe were fixed like a comma—they call it a comma hairstyle she usually saw on male K-pop stars—which he really looked good on him. But what really caught her attention was he had a pair of droopy brown eyes and he had pinkish, thin lips. He was a good example of a pretty boy.

It seems like Empire Academy is a haven of good-looking rich kids. Jin Hee thought.

“Who are you?” his voice sounded husky, warm and calm but his expression was cold; not a good combination—it was like eating a very warm cupcake then suddenly drinking a very, very, very cold iced tea that will make your teeth ache.

“What?” she uttered as she frowned. She blinked when the lad was still staring at her. “Umm… I…”

“*Doryeonnim, what’s happening?” her eyes landed on the old man behind the stranger. With his appearance, he’s in his mid-50s.Wrinkles were visible on his cheeks and on each side of his eyes. His hair was color gray and few strands were colored white and by the sight of him, he looked very formal. Jin Hee gasped sharply as her gaze trailed towards at the huge thing behind them. So, the helicopter landed behind me was really true. I thought it was a UFO. I’m so stupid! (*In sageuk, it's usually Doryeong (도령) or Doryeonnim (도련님), "Young Master". This word is kind of tricky since it could be used to call an unmarried brother in-law as “Doryeonnim”. It literally means Young Master or Gentleman.)

“Nothing, just go,” the guy answered at the old man. He looked at Jin Hee before releasing her from his grip. The old man bowed his head and returned to the helicopter while the guy left her without a word.

“He walked away like that? He looks like he’s pissed at me as if I did something to him. Hey! I didn’t do anything wrong! Geez,” she clicked her tongue and fixed her twin braids. It got messy because of the wind that the helicopter created earlier. “Geez. Did the wind not realize how difficult it could be to fix messy curly hair?”

Jin Hee’s hair is not that curly from roots to tips, per se. It was like what girl celebrities have when they were in a fancy party—big curls, to be exact. Curls on the tip of her hair. Maybe she could define it as waves on her hair.

“Excuse me, is this yours?” She turned her gaze to the guy who was now behind her. He smiled when her eyes landed on him. He had a jet black hair that matches his not so thick eyebrows. He looked cute with his dimple on his right cheek that was visible when he smiled.

Wait a minute. She paused as she looked intently at him. He looked so familiar—as if I saw him somewhere and I couldn’t remember where or when. He looked like a celebrity.

Well, everyone in this school looked like a celebrity except me. She thought once again.

Her eyes settled on the school brochure that he was holding. She dropped it or it got caught by the wind earlier. Good thing the other papers that she had been holding earlier were inside her bag.

She fished out the other papers from her bag (including the school directory and the paper with her name with the room number on it). “Y-Yes, that’s mine,” she smiled at him and accepted the brochure.

“Are you looking for the Senior High building?” he asked.

“Yes!” she answered right away, quite loud that made her realize that she was embarrassing herself in front of him. “I-I mean, yes. I was searching for that building earlier but I can’t find it,” she chuckled awkwardly as she scratched her head. I bet I sounded stupid in front of him.

“Oh, really? Do you want me to escort you there? Actually, I’m going there too,” he offered.

“R-Really?” Jin Hee’s face lit up after she heard his offer. Gosh, finally! “Is it okay for you to escort me there?”

“It’s fine by me, rather than leaving you here, alone and clueless. It seems like you just transferred here today and that’s why you have no idea where to go,” he shrugged.

“Ah, yes. I just transferred here today,” she smiled at him, thanking God that she finally found someone to talk as opposed to those weird guys earlier. “Ah, wait a minute, who are you by the way? What’s your name? I’m sorry, it’s just that my mother told me that I shouldn’t talk or hangout with strangers.”

He laughed a little then he stretched out his hand. “I’m Tae Yang. Min Tae Yang.”

She held his hand gently and they shook hands together. “Jin Hee. Song Jin Hee.”

“So, now that you know my name already, you’re coming with me, right?” he smiled at her. Talking to him like this made her conclude that he was a nice enough guy.

“O-Oh, sure,” she said, flaunting a shy smile at him.

He hummed and nodded. “Let’s go?”

She nodded as a response, then they walked together to the Empire Academy-Senior High School Department Building.

“You know Yoon Baek Hyeon?” he suddenly asked. They’re walking on the grandiose hallway of Empire Academy’s building. She could see some expensive vases on each side of the building. Those vases include the vases from Roblin Art Pottery, Rookwood Art Pottery and the expensive vase of Qing Dynasty Vase which now costed 18 million dollars. On the walls, she could see some expensive paintings including Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, Paul Gauigin’s Nafea Faa Ipoipo, Jackson Pollock’s Number 17A, Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Le Moulin de la Galette, Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of Dr. Gachet, The famous The Scream of Edvard Munch and the famous painting of the famous tragedy of William Shakespeare which is the Romeo and Juliet, painted by Ford Madox Brown. The chandeliers were The Solstice Comete and the chandelier that she could see in US Capitol Building—not that she went to US. She knew all about it, though—she read home and tourism magazines in her uncle’s house during her first week of stay in Seoul. All of the items in this hallway, she bet, cost more than a hundred million dollars.

For her, the wealth of Empire Academy was no joke indeed.

“Huh? Who’s that?” she asked as she walked with him.

He took a glance at her then he turned his face in front. “That guy you talked to earlier.”

“Ah! That guy who came out from that helicopter that suddenly landed on the field? So, his name is Yoon Baek Hyeon,” she said as she flicked her index finger when an imaginary light bulb of discovery lighten on her mind.

He chuckled, staring at her expression. How could someone be so adorable even if she acts like a dork? “Yes, him.”

Jin Hee scrunched her nose. “No, I don’t know him. It’s the first time I saw him.”

“Wait a minute—what? You don’t know him? It’s the first time that you saw him?” a confused look was visible on his face.

Sheslightly scratched her cheek out of confusion and scrunched her nose once again. “Tae Yang-ah, you just repeated and rephrased my statement. Yes, I don’t know him.”

“Seriously? You don’t know him?” now, he was totally shocked, gesturing his hand rapidly. “The whole Seoul and the whole South Korea knows him—even the outside countries know him. You-You don’t really know him?”

“Yes. Why? Who is he?” Jin Hee frowned at him.

“You don’t know the son of a multi-billionaire business tycoon and the great heir of the largest empire of companies in Asia, the Castellon Group of Companies? I thought you know him because you talked to each other earlier like you really knew each other for a long time. It’s the first time that I saw Baek Hyeon talked to someone else. He’s like the Prince of South Korea’s economy because his family’s company is huge. When I say huge, crazy huge. He came from the family of old money that’s why they’re crazy rich, he’s crazy rich.He’s like the Prince of South Korea’s economy—but he’s the king of this school anyway,” he said that made her frown. “Ah, by the way, what’s your social group here in Empire Academy?”(*Old Money—means the family who is rich since their ancestors’ generation until the present.)

“What—so-social group?” oh, no. Panic and nervousness slowly creeping on her system. No way. He might discover that I’m not what he thought of me! Oh, God help me!

“Yep. Are you one of the Business heirs, stock heirs, honorable heirs or… you’re one of the people in Social Welfare Group—commoner?” he sounded like he was suspicious ofher. “But I think it’s impossible for you if you’re a commoner… right?”

“U-Umm…” she could feel her body tremble because of nervousness when he asked her about this so-called social group in this school. She could feel his stare right now. He looked so calm while she almost bit her tongue and melted into a puddle of nervousness. She felt like she was a suspect of a huge crime and would be detained for investigation.

Oh, gawd Jin Hee! Think! Think about something!

She cussed mentally as she was thinking for a good answer, a good alibi to his question when she remembered what Mama Shin said to her last time.

“You will pretend you are a nouveau riche.”

Light bulb!

“Hey, Jin Hee-yah?” she felt Tae Yang’s hand tapping her shoulder that made her came back to her senses.

“Nouveau riche!” she exclaimed out of panic.

He frowned like she said something weird. “What?”

“I-I… I’m a nouveau riche,” she answered, trying to be calm.

A pregnant silence spread between them for a couple of seconds. When no one dared to break it, Tae Yang broke the silence himself. “I see. I bet your family feels so lucky to receive such a blessing that you enrolled yourself here.”

She chuckled awkwardly at him as she internally sighed. I hope it’s not obvious.

Why the heck I should lie my identity from a scholarship grantee to a nouveau riche for them? It’s not me… and it will never be me.

“Why did you enroll here?” he asked calmly.

Do I really have to answer that question?

She mentally knocked herself. Ugh, of course, Jin Hee. So you can convince him that you’re a nouveau riche or whatever it’s called.

“Err… my mom and dad wants me here. They said that this school offers good quality education.”

He stared at her silently which she finds awkward. He looked on the empty space in front of them while walking. “You have no idea about this school.”

“What?”

“This school… creates monsters.”

Her eyes widened. Monsters? Is he serious? Monsters like those mythical monsters that I usually see in the movies? Vampires? Aliens like in Alien: Covenant? Those monsters that appear in the mist? Ghouls? Titans? Yokai? Oh, gawd, no!

“Not literally monsters. Monsters that only care about themselves selfishly,” she frowned at him secretly. Did he just read my mind? “I’m not trying to make this school’s reputation bad for you but… as early as possible, you should transfer to another school.”

“Are you kidding me? Why?” Jin Hee couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.

“Looks can deceive. Gold can deceive and make you crazy or worse, evil. And so this school. You thought this is heaven but it’s not,” she can see his mocking smile right now. He, then, patted her head. “You’ll know what I mean. Soon.”

“Min Tae Yang!!!” she was startled when she heard someone shouted Tae Yang’s name. Jin Hee stepped back when a woman in their age walked towards us. She could see in her face the irritation she’s feeling.

“Where did you go?! You suddenly left me in the School Student Council Office, you stupid!” she gasped when the woman’s gaze settled on her. “And now you brought a woman with you! Do you wanna be like Jeong Suk or you played so hard for your role of being your band’s fanservice king?!”

“I’m so sorry about this lass. She’s really nosy,” Tae Yang whispered at her and smiled. “Chill, Ah Young-ah. She’s not my woman and she’s not even my fan. She’s a transfer student. Cheonhaksaeng. Grade 12. By the way, Jin Hee-yah, this is Kwon Ah Young.”

“Umm… hello Miss Kwon. I’m Song Jin Hee. Grade 12. I just transferred here today,” Jin Hee finally introduced herself to her.

“Oh,” Ah Young looked at her intently for a couple of seconds and she suddenly smiled sweetly. She had a white complexion that matched her curly, black hair. She had bunny-like teeth that make her look cute—one of the best assets of her appearance, Jin Hee thought. “Oh. Song Jin Hee. Hmm. You’re being too formal. You can just call me Ah Young.”

Jin Hee slightly massaged her nape while looking at her. Does she have this sort of bipolar disorder because she suddenly became nice to me?

Or maybe she’s just like this to boys who are talking to her since Tae Yang was the one who talked to her earlier. She’s a sort of man-hater, I think? She thought.

“By the way, what group are you?” she asked and Jin Hee never failed to notice how she stared at her intently.

“She’s a nouveau riche,” Tae Yang answered the question for her. “That’s what she told me.”

“Oh, I see,” she nodded like she was convinced to it. “By the way, did she already know the eighteen?”

Jin Hee frowned at her. What’s with the number eighteen? Is it some sort of a lucky number? Or… do they think that I’m already eighteen years old? Maybe I should tell them that I am still seventeen.

“No, not yet,” Tae Yang slightly shook his head.

Ah Young nodded then she looked at her. “Come with me.”

Tae Yang and Jin Hee exchanged looks to each other as the latter tilted his head, signaling her to follow Ah Young. Jin Hee nodded and followed her.

“Since you’re new here in Empire Academy, there are things that you need, you have and you must know about the students and what you have to do here,” Ah Young started to talk to her as she opened the door of the School Student Council’s office. She gestured Jin Hee to enter the room which she did.

“What about Tae Yang? You don’t want him to get inside?” she asked when she noticed that Tae Yang did not follow them.

“That fella is busy with something. There’s some stuff he needs to do. And, he’s not allowed in here when I’m orienting newbies,” Ah Young said nonchalantly as she sat on a swivel chair. She, then, faced her laptop and started tapping on the keyboard.

Jin Hee looked around the office. She couldn’t imagine that this was the student body officers’ office because of its interior design. It looks like a room of a member of the royal family.

Ah Young’s table was on the left side, facing an empty table on the right side. Between those tables was a bigger table and behind it were glass walls where you could see the view of Empire Academy’s grounds. Behind the empty tables on the right side were tall bookshelves. The room’s color was peach with a touch of beige, crème and gold paint. Jin Hee thought she could only see this kind of interior design on magazines. She couldn’t believe that she could see this for real.

“Here,” her eyes landed on Ah Young as the lass faced the laptop to her. “Read this.”

Jin Hee walked towards her table and read the article flashed on the laptop’s screen. She let her read the history of Empire Academy, the founder, the school’s program, the facilities and all. After reading, she tapped a URL on the Google Chrome’s tab and something got Jin Hee’s attention.

“This is the Emperor’s Crown. This is the underground website of the school. All the secrets, scoops, gossips and news were published here. You’ll get published here—to gain popularity… or death threats.”

She suddenly looked at Ah Young. “What do you mean?”

“I know that you’re not a nouveau riche,” Ah Young blurted, looking at her intently. “You just passed the scholarship exam of EA.”

Jin Hee’s eyes widened as the panic and nervousness, once again, crept into her system. How did she know about it? How did she discover me even though we just met? Am I that transparent to her?

“H-How did you know about it?” she stuttered. She could feel the nervousness flowing inside her body.

Ah Young leaned on her swivel chair. “I have my connections too since I am an elite and an officer of the Student Council.I do investigations and such. You see, I am not just a mere secretary of the School Student Council that schedules appointments and writes minutes of meetings. I do investigations and background checking to all the students here especially the neophytes. But don’t worry, I will not tell others about your real status. Your secret is safe with me since I am, except the faculty, the only one who can access all private information of every student here in this school and I can only give it out if the school council president, Cheon Ha Neul, said so. Even he, himself doesn’t know everything about you so you don’t have to worry.”

Then, she smiled. “Just continue that. But, be sure no one will ever discover you except me because if you’re not be extra careful with your actions, you’re dead.”

Jin Hee’s lips twitched as she shivered at the threat. Uncle Shin Hyuk is right, I’m not safe here.

“T-Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind,” she slightly bowed her head to Ah Young.

“No worries. I hate the cunning monsters residing in this school,” Ah Young smiled at her as she showed her a list of people. “This one, this is the list of the Top 20 elites that you’ll gonna encounter in this school. They can be your allies… or your enemies.”

Jin Her gulped when she felt her throat starts to dry up. She breathed deeply as she started to look at the list Ah Young showed to her.

= THE TWENTY ROYAL ELITES =

* Yoon Baek Hyeon윤백현 – Net Worth: $ 1.9billion

* Koo Han Sol구한솔– Net Worth: $ 20.5million

* Moon Min Seok문민석 – Net Worth: $ 20 million

* Sawada Ryuuji사와다류우지 (Transferee) – Net Worth: $ 20million

* Min Tae Yang민태양 – Net Worth: $ 20million

* Oh Eui Chul오의철– Net Worth: $ 19million

* Lee Dae Woong이대웅 – Net Worth: $ 19million

* Ahn Suk Hwan않숙환 – Net Worth: $ 18.5million

* Cheon Ha Neul천하늘 – Net Worth: $ 18.5 million

* Do Jung Soo도정수– Net Worth: $ 17 million

* Hwang Chan Yeol황찬열 – Net Worth: $ 17 million

* Geum Sang Woo금상우 – Net Worth: $ 17million

* Choi Eun Jae최은재 – Net Worth: $ 15million

* Han Joo Hyuk한주혁– Net Worth: $ 15million

* Ban Ryeo Wook반려욱 – Net Worth: $ 15 million

* Kang Woo Shin캉우신 – Net Worth: $ 15 million

* Kim Jeong Suk 김정숙– Net Worth: $ 15million

* Nam Soo Pyo남수표 – Net Worth: $ 15 million

* Kwon Ah Young권아영 – Net Worth: $ 10million

* Hwang Chae Ryung황채령 – Net Worth: $ 10million

“*Weomae. I can’t believe this,” Jin Hee almost jaw dropped because of astonishment after she read the names on the list. Net worth? The net worth of these kids while they’re studying here? How did they get this large, very large amount of money? My everyday allowance is just a single penny for them! This is ridiculous!(*in Jeollado dialect, it means “Wow” or “Oh, God.”)

“Since I am one of the Royals within two months, I can protect you and your secret. But then, if you did something that I don’t like, I will not think twice about revealing everything—”

“Promise I will not do anything that you don’t like! I can cook for you, I can do the laundry, I can make a coffee for you, I can iron your clothes—”

She laughed. “No, not that. What I mean is, you’ll betray me, and spread gossip about me, stabbing me in my back— something like that. But don’t worry, I’m not that cruel and harsh. Yeah, slightly, I guess? Just, you just need to be careful `cause if you’re not gonna be extra careful about what’s hidden up your sleeves, I can’t protect you using my rank once you spill it yourself. Remember, this is not a school. This is the battlefield of the richest ones, the gorgeous ones, the clever ones and the wicked ones.”

She showed another list to her. “These are the eighteen rules in this school’s society. We call it The Eighteen Laws of the Elite and we strictly follow it because we’re obliged to do so,” she slightly sighed as she continued. “Comprehend it well, sweetie, if you don’t wanna be the target here.”

Jin Hee looked at her then turned her gaze to the list on the laptop’s screen.

= THE LAWS OF THE ELITE =

1. Before you enter the prestigious training ground intended for the elites, you must be rich since birth.

2. Must be one of the three major social classes: the business heirs, stock/shareholder heirs and the honorable heirs.

(Business Heirs -- they're the ones who are the sons and daughters of business tycoons that own empires and groups of companies. The highest in the social class system, in the hierarchy.

Stock Heirs -- they're the ones that don't manage businesses and companies, but they're the one major stockholders of the companies.

Honorable Heirs -- they're the sons and daughters of the president of the country, chief justices, senators, politicians, high-ranking soldiers imported lawyers, doctors and any other high-ranking positions in the society.)

3. The most wealthy or the richest have the control of the ground, entitled the royal icon.

4. Elites have no time to mess and play around. They are trained in their own businesses.

5. Must obtain 10 million a month or shares in a certain company.

6. Elites don’t gain friends. Treat each other as business competitors and rivals.

7. Maintain your power, knowledge and wealth as an elite.

8. Elites do not trust people other than themselves.

9. Elites must be good at every career their families are setting them to be.

10. Elites are elegant, superior and rich monsters.

11. Elites only know the values of business and not the values of humanity.

12. Elites consider the business world as a battlefield so they must be prepared with brain, skills and money.

13. Elites can also engage in politics. They can manipulate the government, the laws, the justice and the economy.

14. Almost the entire world is controlled by elites.

15. Commoners, or the low-class group are not allowed to mingle with the elites.

16. Elites must be mature, brave, clever and wicked.

17. Elites must be merciless so they will not be taken advantage of by people.

18. Never fall in love with an elite, for you will become his biggest misery.

Jin Hee walked sluggishly as Ah Young accompanied her in searching for her classroom. It was so hard for her to process their so-called ‘laws of the elite’ and socialization here, such as this so-called hierarchy in their school’s population. She could feel herself dying internally because of stress and depressing atmosphere of the place. This school is ridiculous!

“We’ve been walking for too long here, searching for your classroom but your name is not on the list. Are you sure that you’re in 12-7?” she asked as they kept on walking in the lobby.

“That’s what was written on this paper,” Jin Hee blurted sluggishly as she was trying to hold the wet brochure and the paper where her name and room number was written. It got wet when she helped some random guy who accidentally fell on the ground and after helping him, she got pushed on the fountain by some jocks passing by. Good thing she didn’t fall on it but her papers fell in the water. Weomae abeoji.

“Give me that,” Ah Young pulled the wet paper from her and looked at it intently. The ink’s color got scattered and ruined because of water. Talk about a computer inkjet-printed material.

She was walking like a zombie, yawning so loud when Ah Young grabbed her arm and pulled me to somewhere. “Stupid. You’re in Room 1.”

“Huh? Room 1? But I am in Room 7!” she protested.

“You’re so stupid. Where can you find number 1 that is written in number 7? Greek alphabet? You’re too young to have blurry eyes,” Ah Young nagged at her as the lass kept on pulling her to walk.

“It’s your fault! You made me read those huge information about this school and those huge money owned by those rich kids, which includes you by the way!” Jin Hee hissed but Ah Young didn’t even throw a glance on her and she just continued pulling her to walk. They made many turns in the lobby before they stopped in front of a blue-colored double door. She noticed that there were only six doors that shared the same color when they passed. Is this some sort of color-coding?

“Prepare yourself, dear,” Jin Hee’s eyes settled on Ah Young as she twisted the doorknobs of the double door.

“W-Why?” she stuttered. Nervousness filled her system again as she started overthinking inside my mind.

She smiled at her. “You’ll see.”

She slowly opened the door and Jin Hee smelled the filthy rich scent inside that room.

She gasped as her eyes widened when the people inside the room turned their heads and looked at her.

“Welcome to the classroom of the elites, nouveau riche.”