Chapter 8 : Chapter 8

Actually, I was a little nervous.

No, it wasn't because of Yoon Da-ho. I was nervous because Yoo Ha-neul suddenly intervened.

How Yoon Da-ho and Yoo Ha-neul met—I remember that scene very clearly.

No, it doesn't even matter if I don't remember it exactly.

That's because it's a scene I've seen countless times in other works—mainly Korean dramas.

"What are you?"

Yoon Da-ho glanced at Yoo Ha-neul and spoke.

There was quite a height difference, but since he had no intention of lowering his head, he had to look down to see her.

It was the perfect "bad boy" angle straight out of a drama.

The kind where a clueless rich heir meets a heroine from a humble family.

"What are you?"

That's right. Yoo Ha-neul was a character inspired by the "poor but fierce and confident" female leads often seen in Korean daily dramas.

Naturally, she wasn't intimidated by a tall man looking down on her.

Yoon Da-ho's gaze returned to me.

Even without words, it was clear what he was thinking: 'What is this?'

"Let go of Sara's arm. I don't know what's going on, but let's talk this out."

Yoo Ha-neul spoke as if she was angry.

"Sara…?"

Yoon Da-ho looked slightly taken aback.

Well, considering his personality, he probably never called Ye Sara's name so affectionately.

Plus, he likely had never seen Ye Sara hang out with friends.

"Who are you to butt into our conversation? How do you know what we're talking about?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but if you're going to have a conversation, do it with words. Sara looks like she's in pain."

"…"

A wrinkle formed on Yoon Da-ho's brow.

Considering the game's setting, this world, and the clichés of this kind of school, Yoon Da-ho could be said to be at the pinnacle of power here.

You might think, how much power can a teenager really have?

But that's only the view of adults outside the school.

Within the school, there were unspoken hierarchies and groups, and for students stuck in this system, following these rules was essential to have a peaceful school life.

Besides, even if you report school bullying, there's no guarantee the perpetrator would be properly punished, especially if they were someone you had to be extra cautious around.

"What's your name?"

"My name?"

When Yoon Da-ho asked for her name, Yoo Ha-neul hesitated for a moment.

After glancing briefly at me—I guessed this based on how her head turned slightly in my direction—she puffed out her chest, trying to act confident.

"I'm Yoo Ha-neul."

"Yoo Ha-neul?"

Yoon Da-ho's eyes narrowed.

"That name doesn't ring a bell."

He spoke as if he truly knew the names of all the students, though in reality, he didn't.

He only remembered the names of students who were beneficial to him.

Since he was destined to become the owner of Korea's second-largest conglomerate, even his relationships were pre-planned and ingrained in his mind.

Of course, that was more the will of his family than his own.

The reason I knew this was because I remembered the scene where Yoon Da-ho and Yoo Ha-neul first met.

"What, my name isn't on your list of major corporate heirs?"

Yoo Ha-neul asked, sounding slightly upset.

"Yeah. You don't seem like an important person."

Yoon Da-ho replied indifferently, his gaze shifting back to me.

"You—"

"I'm not done talking!"

Just as Yoon Da-ho was about to say something to me, Yoo Ha-neul jumped in again. This time, she didn't just interrupt with words—she grabbed the arm Yoon Da-ho was holding me with.

"Does it matter who someone's child is? Is that how everyone here thinks? Pointing out someone's wrongdoing has nothing to do with how much money they have!"

But by now, Yoon Da-ho had clearly recognized that Yoo Ha-neul was an "unnecessary" existence.

He shot her a cold glare and said:

"You must have worked incredibly hard to make it this far, being born into a nameless, ordinary family."

Oh, there it is. The classic "commoner" line. It's a staple of the arrogant rich heir character.

Of course, this line also appeared in If You Wish.

"If you can attend school thanks to someone else's money, just be satisfied with that and live quietly until graduation. If you graduate from a good university with good grades, you might get a job at a good company later. Don't meddle in other people's complicated affairs."

"Money, meddling… ha."

At Yoon Da-ho's ridiculous statement, Yoo Ha-neul was left speechless.

Yeah, this was exactly the scene.

Of course, the details were different.

In the game, Ye Sara wasn't involved.

The difference was that in the game, Yoo Ha-neul bumped into him while running and tried to apologize, but Yoon Da-ho slapped her hand away and said that line.

…Thinking about it now, he seems even more of a jerk.

By the way, the reason I remembered this scene wasn't just because I'd seen similar lines in other dramas, but also because when the streamer played this scene, they said, "Wow, this guy's hopeless," and decided to take a different route.

However, the problem was that this line was the first event that led into Yoon Da-ho's route.

In the end, the streamer tried to restart the game, but after countless donations poured in, they had no choice but to clear the route while gritting their teeth.

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt at the time.

But of course, now this was my opportunity.

An opportunity to make Yoon Da-ho really hate me and to get closer to Yoo Ha-neul, the heroine.

Because I remembered this scene so well, I knew exactly what the next line would be.

"Commoner—"

"Do you really think we commoners know nothing?"

I managed to steal Yoo Ha-neul's next line just in time.

Of course, back then, Yoo Ha-neul had bumped into him while running without looking.

She did apologize sincerely and tried to make up for the torn clothes and small scratch with all her heart.

Yet, Yoon Da-ho coldly refused her compensation and spoke to her like that.

Sure, the uniform at Hwayoung High School is expensive.

And if Yoon Da-ho, who always gets top-tier treatment at the university hospital, thinks hospital bills are expensive, I get it.

But that doesn't mean it's an amount that a 'commoner family' couldn't pay.

Yes, the uniform is pricey, but it's not a luxury brand worth hundreds of thousands of won.

And even if the hospital bill is high, a small wound like that doesn't cost much.

Yoon Da-ho was the one who knew nothing about commoner families.

His comment was no different from a foreigner asking, "Can you even eat beef in Korea?" It was an ignorant statement, based on prejudice.

Yoon Da-ho's mouth hung open.

Even Yoo Ha-neul, who had been about to say something, suddenly seemed lost for words.

"Just think logically. Hitting someone is a matter of morality, not how much money you have. If you live as though being rich excuses that, it just makes rich people look like idiots."

I stared up at Yoon Da-ho's eyes, which were trembling in confusion.

Honestly, I was just rambling whatever came to mind, but it was enough.

From Yoon Da-ho's perspective, he must have been wondering why I was acting like this all of a sudden.

"And you keep talking about 'commoners, commoners.' I don't even understand what your standard is. By my standard, you're no different from a commoner yourself. Why are you acting all high and mighty as the second richest when the first richest family exists? From my view, you and they are just comparing acorns."

Why?

Does that bother you?

If it does, then go be number one.

It's ridiculous that the second richest family, trying to steal a piece of the first richest's wealth through marriage, is putting on airs.

Well, logically, it doesn't make much sense.

The difference between first and second place isn't that huge.

Not enough to call the second richest family a "commoner" compared to the first.

So I expected a rebuttal, but instead, Yoon Da-ho just stared at me, huffing in anger, unable to come up with a counterargument.

"Hmph."

For a moment, the whole area fell silent. Not just Yoon Da-ho and Yoo Ha-neul, but even the students in the classroom who had been watching us seemed completely frozen.

Was my statement that much of a bombshell?

Well, all the other students were below second place in rank.

Thinking about it again, if I had said this outside of school, it would've probably been major news for insulting the entire nation.

"Oh, there is one thing she doesn't know, though."

I said, narrowing my eyes and turning to Yoo Ha-neul.

"We're engaged."

"…Uh… En-engaged?!"

At my words, Yoo Ha-neul, who had been looking dumbfounded, shouted in shock.

Yeah, we're still a bit young to be talking about engagement.

"Well, it's true that we're engaged, so I guess that's even more of a reason not to resort to violence. But I'd appreciate it if you let go now. My arm's starting to go numb."

Actually, it wasn't just numb; my fingertips were turning pale.

Seeing as the feeling was starting to disappear, it wouldn't be surprising if the part Yoon Da-ho had grabbed turned bruised.

"…"

After being hit with my nonsense, Yoon Da-ho finally let go of my wrist.

Of course, he kept glaring at me the whole time.

I don't know what gives him the right to glare at me like that.

"Shall we go?"

Since it was just the entrance ceremony, I hadn't brought a bag, so I didn't need to go back inside to grab anything.

The entrance guidebook is useless anyway after the ceremony.

"Oh, yeah…"

Yoo Ha-neul answered stiffly.

Leaving the still furious Yoon Da-ho behind, we headed out of the school.

It was only then that I noticed the kids from the next class crowding around the windows, all watching us.

What a dramatic debut.

*

"Uh, hey, does your arm hurt?"

After walking in silence for a while, Yoo Ha-neul hurriedly caught up to me and asked.

"Oh, this? Not really."

It actually hurt a lot.

I hadn't felt it when Yoon Da-ho was holding me, but now that I was free, the pain was creeping in.

It felt like my sleeve had rubbed against it, making it throb.

Judging by the stinging pain, a bruise was inevitable.

But I didn't want to show it, so I put on a brave face.

After all, I was still wearing winter clothes, so it wouldn't be noticeable.

"Oh… okay…"

Maybe she had been intimidated by how I stood up to Yoon Da-ho earlier because Yoo Ha-neul seemed a little deflated.

Did I overdo it?

"Oh, right!"

But apparently, that wasn't the case at all.

"The restaurant I mentioned earlier! Want to go together? We're done early today, so—"

"Well."

It was nice that Yoo Ha-neul had recovered, but that didn't mean I could go with her.

A black car was parked near the school gate.

Standing next to it was Yang Hye-in, waiting for me.

And—

"Ha-neul!"

Outside the school gate, there were about six kids in different uniforms gathered, waiting.

They were probably friends from middle school who had gone to different high schools.

"Looks like your friends are waiting."

"Oh, but, well, we could still hang out… right?"

Yoo Ha-neul, catching my gaze, seemed a little deflated again.

Though I couldn't see her expression clearly.

My poor eyesight is really useless.

But the more I look at her, the more familiar her face seems.

Maybe after a few months of seeing her every day, I won't have to squint to recognize her anymore.

"Sorry, but I have plans. I should get going."

When I said that, Yoo Ha-neul finally nodded.

"Yeah… if you already have plans, there's nothing to be done. Then…"

"Then, see you tomorrow. At school."

I smiled as I said that, and Yoo Ha-neul nodded, replying, "Yeah," a bit faintly.

At the school gate, we parted ways.

I headed towards the black car that would take me home.

Yoo Ha-neul headed towards the group of friends waiting outside the gate.

"Good work today, Miss."

As I reached the car, Yang Hye-in bowed at a 90-degree angle and greeted me politely.

I nodded and accepted her greeting.

Just before getting into the car, I glanced over at Yoo Ha-neul.

She was hesitating in front of her friends, looking back at me.

When I waved slightly, she smiled and waved back before joining her friends.

"Looks like you've made a friend."

Yang Hye-in quietly commented.

A friend.

A friend… but calling it that feels a bit off since I approached her with such calculated motives.

After all, my goal was survival.

"…Who knows."

Feeling a bit guilty, I gave a vague answer.

*

One of the kids, who had been marveling at everything they saw today, like the pretty uniform and how amazing the school looked, asked Ha-neul.

"Oh, by the way, that girl you were with earlier. The one with the black hair, who looked super calm. She was really pretty. Is she your friend? Already?"

"Well…"

Yoo Ha-neul, who hadn't shared everything that had happened today, found herself momentarily at a loss for words.

…A friend, right?

But even as she thought that, Yoo Ha-neul wasn't entirely sure.

At first, she thought this person didn't care about social status, but earlier, when she spoke with that other guy—her fiancé—there was definitely a sense of condescension.

Could it be that she's one of those people who have so much money that they don't care about anyone below them?

"Hah."

What am I even thinking? Yoo Ha-neul chuckled in disbelief.

She was the first person at school to listen to her.

That's all.

She had probably spoken up in her defense too.

Of course, they came from different backgrounds, so their thinking couldn't be exactly the same.

But that's something that could be bridged over time.

"Yeah, that's right. She's the first friend I've made at that school."

Yoo Ha-neul decided to think that way.