Red Letter of Warning

Hana kept grumbling the entire way back to class. Her voice was sharp, filled with barely contained anger.

“They’re really annoying! Since when is getting first place a crime? Have they forgotten that you were always in second place? What’s the difference? Why are they acting like you stole something?” Hana ranted nonstop, her voice thick with frustration.

I could only sigh and shake my head. I had to endure all these complaints, even though I wasn’t the one who needed to hear them. But whatever… it was better than this little troublemaker beside me causing a scene just to defend me. That would only make things more complicated.

“Weird? Yeah, it would be weird if I suddenly got first place. But this is you. Have they lost their minds?” she continued, relentless.

“How long do you plan to keep grumbling, Princess?” I teased with a relaxed smile.

“Until I can shut all their mouths, and…”

“And you never will,” I cut her off.

Hana halted in her tracks. Her eyes stared straight ahead, her hands clenched tightly at her sides, and her jaw tensed. She was clearly furious at what she had just heard. And I couldn’t let this drag on.

“Hana… just let it go. I’ve heard enough of their arguments already. Besides, they’re not even here anymore.”

Hana turned to me with disbelief. “Let it go? Maybe it’s enough for you, but for them? Do you think they’ll stop whispering behind your back?”

I exhaled slowly. “Then what should I do?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Who else should I ask then?”

“My father,” she replied instantly.

“Isn’t that a bit too much?”

“Of course, it is.”

“Then what do I do?”

“Narin, are you seriously debating this with me?” Hana asked, visibly more irritated.

Seeing her so upset, I couldn’t hold back my chuckle. I was teasing her, and she fell for it so easily. She was adorable.

“Alright, don’t get so worked up. You’ll get wrinkles on your forehead. Don’t you care about the cost of your expensive skincare treatments?”

“Narin!” she snapped, immediately touching her forehead, rubbing and feeling her skin as if afraid my words would turn into a curse.

As I was watching Hana’s reaction, someone suddenly bumped into me from the side. My body was slightly pushed back, my steps faltered, but before I could say anything, I looked up and saw the person who had just run into me.

A female student stood before me. Her expression was somber. Her eyes were empty. There was no sign of anger, surprise, or even guilt. She only glanced at me briefly before walking past without a word.

Not even an apology.

Hana’s anger flared immediately. “Hey! You just bumped into someone! At least say sorry!” she snapped sharply.

But the student remained silent. No glance, no change in pace, no reaction at all. As if I didn’t even exist.

“So rude! Who does she think she is?!” Hana nearly chased after her, but I quickly grabbed her arm.

“Don’t. Just let it go,” I whispered.

Hana looked at me in frustration. “But, Narin! She didn’t even look at you! She ran into you and just left, and you’re just letting it slide?”

“Maybe it wasn’t intentional. No need to make a big deal out of it. I think she’s not in a good state,” I finally said.

Hana huffed, glaring at the girl’s retreating figure with clear irritation. “Fine, whatever. But if she’s one of those people badmouthing you just because you got first place, I won’t forgive her.”

I followed her gaze, feeling something strange creeping into my chest. I didn’t know that girl well, I was sure I had never seen her before. But… why did her eyes seem to hold something?

A gaze that was both sorrowful and daring at the same time.

---

Hana and I returned to class. School carried on as usual, including lessons. Hana walked ahead of me and immediately took her seat, complaining about how exhausting it was to walk down the hallway, even though the distance wasn’t far at all. I wasn’t surprised anymore. Still, I chuckled at her antics.

Walking behind her, I headed to the locker at the back of the classroom to grab my textbook for the next lesson. I turned the combination lock and opened it. The first thing I saw was a small red envelope with no name on it.

I frowned. I was sure I had never used an envelope like this before. But if it belonged to someone else, that would be impossible since this was my locker, and no one else had access to it. Not even Hana.

Not wanting to waste time, I carefully took the envelope and opened it. Inside, there was only a single black sheet of paper with white writing:

"Congratulations on your hard work. Don’t be too happy about it."

I stared at the note for a long time, trying to figure out who had placed it there. But the classroom was already filling with students busy with their own affairs. No one seemed suspicious.

Just then, the classroom door opened. The class president walked in. For a moment, our eyes met. He stopped in place, his expression unreadable, before turning away and walking to his seat without a word.

No way, I thought.

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the unease creeping over me. I crumpled the note and slipped it into my pocket. It wasn’t exactly a threat, but something about it made my chest feel tight. It felt like someone was watching me. Like I was being observed without even realizing it.

Not long after, a teacher entered, and the lesson began. I tried to focus, but for some reason, my mind felt restless and unsettled. So, during the break between classes, I decided to go to the restroom to wash my face and calm myself down.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, trying to steady my breathing and push away the anxiety weighing on my chest. Don’t think about what they say. Just focus. I reassured myself before heading back to class.

But as soon as I opened the classroom door, chaos had already erupted. The room was filled with noise, and in the center of it, Hana was arguing with Yerin. Yerin’s face was full of rage, and her sharp words were clearly aimed at me.

“Am I wrong? Everyone is thinking the same thing, so why are you only lashing out at me?” Yerin whined, her voice still dripping with its usual pretentious elegance.

“Do you think I’m stupid? Everyone is thinking the same thing. And everyone who says trash like you will have to deal with me,” Hana retorted with emphasis.

“Trash? Are you saying Narin is trash?”

“You bitch! What did you just say?”

The room grew even more chaotic, with everyone unsure of whose side to take yet continuing to add fuel to the fire.

I quickly stepped between them, trying to separate the two as they were already pulling each other’s hair and clawing at each other.

“Stop it!” I shouted, but neither of them listened. No one else stepped in to help, and I could only rely on my own dwindling strength.

“You called her trash? You’re the one who deserves to be called trash,” Hana spat, still gripping Yerin’s hair tightly as the latter winced in pain.

“Ahhh, my head hurts! I’m not poor, so I’m not trash.”

“You brainless idiot! You dumb bitch!” Hana continued hurling insults.

“I might be dumb, Hana. But my rank is above yours. So that makes you dumber than me,” Yerin responded innocently.

“What?!”

Oh God, why were they dragging this out endlessly? Yerin’s words only made Hana even more furious as she lunged forward with all her strength.

“Hana, please stop! You’ll get into trouble if a teacher hears about this,” I pleaded. This was all happening because of me, and I didn’t want Hana to take the fall for it.

They were both stubborn, especially Hana, whose strength was greater than Yerin’s. The more I tried to separate them, the more aggressive they became, and this time… I was the one who got scratched across the face.

The room instantly fell silent. All eyes were on me. Finally, Hana and Yerin stopped fighting.

“N-Narin, are you okay?” Hana asked cautiously.

I stayed quiet, taking a deep breath before exhaling. To be honest, I was starting to lose control of my thoughts. Everything was becoming too chaotic to make sense of.

I swept my hair out of my face and lifted my head, looking at all the strange stares directed at me. No sympathy, just empty gazes I couldn’t even decipher.

“You can say whatever you want, but that won’t change reality.”

“Narin…”

I heard Hana softly call my name. But for some reason, this time, I couldn’t hold back my words anymore.

I continued, “I never asked to be first place. But does that mean I need your permission just to improve myself?”

Silence. Even Yerin was speechless for the first time.

My eyes scanned the room until the

y landed on one expression that was different from the rest. Unbothered, familiar, yet entertained with a barely-there smirk.

Hye Mi.

It’s you.

***