A heart divided

Melly felt something shift in the air. The more she tried to untangle the web of her past, the more it tightened around her like invisible chains. Arkins had been acting strange lately, asking too many questions, showing up at unexpected times. Was he just curious, or was there something more?

That evening, as she sat in her room pretending to read, she overheard a conversation downstairs. Mr. Nim's voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet night.

"She's getting too smart for her own good. Are you sure she doesn't suspect anything?"

Melly froze. They were talking about her.

"Of course not," Nabi's mother said, her tone laced with irritation. "She's just a foolish girl who thinks she has a future. As long as she believes she owes us everything, she won't go anywhere."

Melly clenched her fists. So that was how they saw her? A foolish girl? A puppet on their strings?

But she wasn't the only one with secrets. Arkins was hiding something too. He was watching her closely, almost as if he were… waiting.

For what?

The next day at school, she decided to test him.

"You asked a lot about my past the other day," she said casually as they walked towards the cafeteria. "Why do you care so much?"

Arkins hesitated for just a second—just enough for her to notice.

"Just curious," he said, flashing one of his usual smirks. "You're different, Melly. You don't belong in that house."

Melly stopped walking. "And how do you know that?"

Arkins chuckled, stepping closer. "Because I don't belong where I am either."

For the first time, Melly felt something off about Arkins—not just mystery, but danger. He wasn't just some transfer student. He had a reason for being here.

That night, she dug into his records. No school history. No family background. It was as if he appeared out of thin air.

Who exactly was Arkins?

And why did she have the strange feeling that their fates were already intertwined—long before they even met?

Meanwhile....

Arkins had spent years believing that revenge was his only purpose, but meeting Melly had complicated everything. She wasn't just a pawn in his plan anymore—she was someone he found himself drawn to, someone who made him question if hatred was the only thing keeping him alive.

Melly, on the other hand, had never known what it felt like to be truly seen. With Arkins, there was something different. He wasn't just another person in her life; he was someone who made her heart race in ways she didn't understand. He was mysterious, unpredictable—something she had never encountered before. And yet, he made her feel safe.

For the first time, Melly found herself looking forward to seeing someone outside her usual circle. She told herself it was nothing—just a new friendship—but deep down, she knew it was more than that.

But not everyone was pleased with their growing closeness.

---

It started with subtle remarks from Taemoo.

"You've been spending a lot of time with him," he said one afternoon while they were at the arcade, his tone light but his eyes sharp.

"So? He's new here," Melly replied, pretending not to notice the way Kang and Kim exchanged glances.

"You don't even let guys breathe near you," Kang pointed out. "And now, all of a sudden, you're acting like his personal tour guide?"

Melly rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

But she knew they weren't being ridiculous. And so did Arkins.

"Are you sure they don't like me?" he asked Melly one evening as they sat by the lake after school.

Melly sighed, hugging her knees. "They're just protective."

Arkins smirked. "Protective? Or possessive?"

She laughed lightly. "Maybe a bit of both."

"You mean they don't want to share you." His voice was teasing, but Melly caught something deeper beneath it.

She looked at him then, her heart skipping a beat. "It's not like that."

He stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "If you say so."

But Melly could feel it in the air—the tension, the silent war between her best friends and Arkins.

---

It all came to a head a few days later when Arkins joined them for lunch.

Normally, they all ate together, laughing, teasing, and goofing around like siblings. But with Arkins at the table, the energy shifted.

Taemoo barely spoke, Kim kept his eyes on his food, and Kang—well, Kang was never good at hiding his feelings.

"So, Arkins," Kang started, leaning back in his chair, "what exactly do you want from Melly?"

Melly nearly choked on her drink. "What kind of question is that?"

Arkins raised a brow, unfazed. "Is it so strange for two people to be friends?"

"It is when one of them isn't supposed to be here," Taemoo muttered.

Arkins smirked. "Ah. So that's what this is about. You think I don't belong?"

"You don't," Kang snapped. "We don't know you. We don't trust you. And Melly sure as hell doesn't need you."

The words stung more than Melly expected. "That's not fair," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "I get to decide who I spend time with."

Taemoo scoffed. "Oh, so now we don't matter?"

Melly hesitated. "That's not what I said."

"But it's what you meant," Kim said, finally speaking up. "You're choosing him over us."

Arkins leaned forward, his smirk gone. "Maybe you're just afraid that she doesn't need you as much as you think."

Taemoo stood up so fast his chair scraped against the floor. "Say that again."

"Guys, stop!" Melly pleaded, standing between them. "This is ridiculous!"

"Is it?" Kang's voice was calmer than the others, but his eyes burned with frustration. "Because right now, it feels like you're picking sides, Melly. And it's not ours."

Silence fell over the table.

Melly looked at their faces—three people who had been by her side her entire life, the only family she had left. Then she looked at Arkins—the boy who made her heart race, the one who made her feel something new and terrifying.

And for the first time, she realized—she was going to have to choose.

But who?

---

Meanwhile, Arkins sat in his room that night, staring at his phone.

He had always known this would be messy. He had expected hatred from Melly's friends. But what he hadn't expected was the way his own heart would betray him.

"You're getting too close," he muttered to himself.

He was supposed to use her, not fall for her.

But the more he was around her, the more he found himself forgetting why he had come here in the first place.

And he knew that was dangerous.

Because sooner or later, he would have to make a choice too.

And no matter what he chose—someone was going to get hurt.

---