BLACK ROSE IN SEOUL

chapter 4, stay away from me

It was her curse.

In the black Mercedes, Minho didn't look at her. He was in his perfect uniform, headphones on, hair styled like a K-pop idol. He was her adopted brother now. In the mansion, Mrs. Kim had said, "Minho will take care of you at school.".

As soon as they passed the school gate where hundreds of students stared at the car, Minho finally spoke again

His voice was ice this time.

"Listen," he said without looking at her. "At home, you're my sister. At school, you're not. Don't talk to me. Don't sit near me. Don't tell anyone we live in the same house. If Yuna and her friends come for you, don't run to me.

Anna's fingers tightened around her backpack strap. "Why?"

"Because if they know you're my sister, they will destroy you to get to me," he said, and got out of the car, leaving her alone with the driver

He disappeared into a crowd of screaming girls.

First period was hell. Whispers.

Phones taking pictures of her braids. "Is she really African? Like, from Africa Africa?"

Second period was worse. She was placed in Class 3-A. The same class as Minho.

He sat in the front, king of the class. She was put in the back, next to the window.

He never once turned around.

Lunch was the worst.

The cafeteria was huge, like a hotel. Anna stood with her tray — kimchi, rice, soup she didn't know how to eat — looking for a place. Every table was full. Every time she stepped toward an empty seat, someone put a bag on it

"Oops, reserved," a girl giggled.

At the center table, Yuna sat. Yuna Choi, perfect skin, perfect uniform, has a crush on Minho since middle

school. She was looking straight at Anna and smiling

Yuna stood up.

"Oh! You must be the new charity case Mrs. Kim adopted," Yuna said loudly, so the whole cafeteria could

hear. "The Black Rose? Do you eat with your hands? Do you have

lunch money? Or do you need us

to donate?"

Everyone laughed. Anna's face burned. She looked for Minho. He was at Yuna's table, looking down at his phone, pretending he didn't hear anything. His fists were

clenched, but he didn't stand up.

He was keeping his promise. _Stay away from me._

Tears came to Anna's eyes. She was about to leave the cafeteria when a tray slammed down on her

table.

Someone had sat down opposite her.

The whole cafeteria went silent.

Jae-won.

Jae-won Han. Everyone knew him. Second year, never in class, black shirt, tattoo on his neck, son of the

Han Group — the family that

owned half of Gangnam and the other half was rumored to be

owned by the mafia.

No one sat with Jae-won. No one dared.

"Are you going to cry or are you going to eat?" he said to Anna in English, with a small smile. "Your soup is getting cold."

"Why... why are you sitting here?" Anna whispered.

"Because you looked like you needed someone to sit with," he said. "And because I hate Yuna's voice.

Across the room, Minho's head snapped up. He saw Anna — his adopted sister who he told to stay away — sitting with Jae-won Han. The most dangerous boy in school.

The boy his mother told him to never fight.

Minho's face changed. From cold

to furious.

He stood up so fast his chair fell.

Yuna grabbed his arm. "Minho, where are you going?"

He didn't answer. He was staring at Anna, and his eyes were saying, _I told you to stay away from everyone. Especially

Jae-won saw Minho staring. He leaned closer to Anna, picked up

her spoon, and put it in her hand.

"Eat," he whispered, loud enough for Minho to see. "Let him be angry. He should have protected you."

Anna took one bite, tears in her eyes, sitting with a mafia heir, while her adopted brother looked like he wanted to punch a wall.

Yuna looked at Anna with pure hatred now.

And Anna realized — she had survived bullying, but now she had

started a war between two kings.