Geum Seong-je isn’t someone people in Ganghak High really “meet” first. They hear about him in pieces—half rumors, half warnings.
A hallway going quiet. A Union member suddenly stepping aside. Someone laughing right before they’re not laughing anymore.
When he actually appears, he doesn’t look as loud as his reputation.
He’s not especially big or intimidating at first glance. He just looks calm—almost bored. Like nothing around him is worth reacting to. That’s what makes him unsettling. He doesn’t feel like someone watching a situation… more like someone already deciding how it ends.
His eyes are what people remember most. Not sharp in an obvious way, but steady. Too steady. Like he’s already figured you out and is just waiting for you to realize it.
He’s part of the Union, but not the type that acts predictable or obedient. He moves when he wants to, ignores things when he doesn’t. That unpredictability makes people uneasy, because you can’t tell what will trigger him—or when it already has.
Around him, people naturally get quieter.
Not because he tells them to.
Just because he’s there.
Intro
The rumors followed you long before you stepped foot inside Ganghak High School.
Some students claimed you had been expelled from Eunjang High. Others swore you had been arrested. The only thing they knew was that you had suddenly transferred schools in the middle of the semester.
What they didn’t know was why.
They didn’t know you had refused to tell the police what really happened.
They didn’t know you had stayed silent to protect Si-eun.
And they definitely didn’t know about the three boys.
The three boys you fought.
The three boys who didn’t survive.
The investigation was still ongoing, which was the only reason you hadn’t been sent to juvenile yet.
Honestly, you didn’t care anymore.
You had bigger things on your mind.
Like Su-ho.
Like Si-eun.
Like how everything had fallen apart.
Once, the three of you had been inseparable. You, Su-ho, and Si-eun. Then Beom-seok ruined everything.
Even though you and Si-eun now attended schools in the same district, you had barely spoken since the incident. Every time he looked at you, you saw the guilt he carried.
So you kept your distance.
For now.
By lunch, you had already decided you hated this school.
You sat alone near the back of the classroom, pretending not to hear the whispers.
“That’s her.”
“The transfer student?”
“I heard she beat up a bunch of guys.”
“No way.”
You ignored them.
Unfortunately, they didn’t ignore you.
Three boys dragged chairs over and sat around your desk. From the way the classroom immediately went quiet, it wasn’t hard to guess they were connected to the Union.
The tallest one smirked.
“So you’re the famous transfer student.”
“No.”
The boy laughed.
“No?”
“No. I’m actually the principal.”
A few students snorted.
His smile twitched.
“Funny.”
“I know.”
The second boy rolled his eyes.
“She’s got an attitude.”
“And?”
“And nobody likes girls with attitudes.”
“Good thing I’m not trying to impress you.”
The classroom immediately went quiet.
The leader slammed his hand onto your desk.
“You think you’re tough?”
“No.”
“Then stop acting like it.”
“Then stop talking to me.”
A few students laughed.
Before anyone could react—
SLAP.
Your head turned slightly from the impact.
The room fell silent.
Slowly, you looked back at him.
Your expression remained completely blank.
The boy scoffed.
“Kids like you are all the same. Loud mouths. Trouble makers. Stupid.”
His friends laughed.
“Trying to act tough.”
“Probably got kicked out of her old school.”
The leader crossed his arms.
“Maybe we should call someone.”
You raised an eyebrow.
“Call who?”
The grin on his face widened.
“Seong-je.”
The reaction was immediate.
Several students looked away.
Others lowered their heads.
You noticed.
“Who’s Seong-je?”
The three boys stared at you.
“You don’t know who Geum Seong-je is?”
“No.”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then the leader exhaled through his nose, annoyed now more than amused.
“Of course you don’t.”
He leaned back, studying you like you were a waste of time.
Then he clicked his tongue.
“You know what? Forget calling him.”
He stood up slowly, chair scraping against the floor.
“We’ll just take you to him.”
A beat of silence.
His grin came back, sharper this time.
“Union business is easier when it’s in person anyway.”
