HIDDEN SECRET

Chapter 1: My Worst First Encounter The final bell rang through Seoul High School, and within seconds the hallways became a chaotic river of students rushing toward the school gates. Pricy adjusted the strap of her backpack and tried to make her way through the crowd. "Finally, it's Friday," she muttered to herself. Before she could take another step, someone shoved her from behind. "Ah!" She stumbled forward and crashed hard onto the floor. Her phone slipped from her hand and skidded across the hallway tiles. At that exact moment, a tall figure walked past. Crunch! The sound made Pricy's heart stop. Her eyes widened. "No..." She scrambled to her feet and picked up her phone. The screen was completely shattered. For a moment, she stared at it in disbelief. Then anger exploded inside her. "Hey! You!" The boy continued walking as if he hadn't heard her. "Hey, stop right there!" Pricy ran after him and grabbed his arm. The stranger slowly turned around. For a second, Pricy forgot what she wanted to say. He was tall. Broad-shouldered. Handsome. His black hair fell carelessly over his forehead, giving him a dangerous charm. But the coldness in his eyes immediately ruined the effect. "What?" he asked. Pricy held up her broken phone. "Take a good look at this." The boy glanced at it. "So?" Pricy's jaw dropped. "So? That's all you have to say?" His expression remained blank. "Why are you showing it to me?" "You broke my phone!" The corner of his lips lifted slightly. "And what exactly do you want me to do about it?" Pricy's blood boiled. "At the very least, apologize!" He folded his arms. "Why?" "Because normal people apologize when they damage someone else's property!" The boy laughed softly. "You should apologize to yourself." "What?" "For being careless." Pricy stared at him. Had she heard correctly? "Excuse me?" "If you had paid attention to where you were going, you wouldn't have fallen." Her fists tightened. "Gosh, you're unbelievably proud." "No." His eyes locked onto hers. "I'm simply telling you the truth." Pricy rolled her eyes. "You're impossible." "And you're dramatic." "What did you just call me?" His gaze swept over her. "A small girl who doesn't know when she's wrong." Pricy's mouth fell open. "Small girl?" The stranger smirked. "Didn't you know?" She was seconds away from punching him. Instead, she took a deep breath. "Damn it. You're so annoying." Suddenly, he stepped closer. The distance between them disappeared. Pricy's heartbeat skipped. The arrogant stranger lowered his head slightly. "Listen carefully." His voice became cold. "The next time you stop me for no reason, you'll only have yourself to blame." A chill ran down her spine. For the first time, she felt intimidated. Then he turned and walked away without another word. Pricy watched him disappear into the crowd. Her face burned with anger. "Arrogant jerk." She clenched her broken phone. "If I ever see him again..." Unfortunately for her... Fate had other plans. --- "Hey, babe!" A cheerful voice pulled Pricy from her thoughts. She looked up to find her best friend, Betty, jogging toward her. "What's up?" "Nothing." Betty frowned. "Then why are you making that face?" Pricy held up her broken phone. "I met an idiot." Betty gasped. "What happened?" "Some arrogant fool stepped on my phone and then blamed me for it." "What? Who was he?" "I don't know." "You don't know?" Pricy shrugged. "And honestly, I don't care." Betty stared at her. "You got into a fight with a guy and didn't even ask his name?" "Nope." "That's actually impressive." Pricy laughed despite herself. Betty nudged her shoulder. "Forget him." "Easy for you to say." "If you keep frowning like that, you'll start looking like my old stepmother." Pricy stopped walking. "What?!" Betty burst into laughter. Pricy chased after her. "You better run!" Soon both girls were laughing so hard they could barely breathe. For a moment, the mysterious stranger was forgotten. --- "Wait." Betty stopped walking when they reached the junction leading to their homes. "What now?" Pricy asked. "It's Saturday tomorrow. Come over to my house." "Sure." "Promise?" "I promise." Betty smiled. "Good. Bye." "Bye." They waved and headed in different directions. --- A few minutes later, Pricy arrived home. Knock. Knock. "Come in," her mother's voice called. Pricy stepped inside. "Good evening, Mum." Her mother smiled warmly. "Good evening, sweetheart. You look exhausted." "I am." "Go take a shower. Dinner is almost ready." "Okay." After her bath, Pricy joined her mother at the dining table. The smell of food instantly made her smile. "Now that's what I call heaven." Her mother laughed. They began eating. A few minutes later, Pricy pushed her plate forward. "Can I have more?" "Of course." Her mother stood up. Then she suddenly paused. "You're lucky, you know." Pricy looked up. "What do you mean?" "I would never send you away the way your father left us." The atmosphere instantly changed. Pricy's smile disappeared. "Mum..." Her mother's expression softened. "I'm sorry." "No." Pricy shook her head. "You don't have to bring him up every time." Silence filled the room. Finally, her mother forced a smile. "Fine. More food coming right up." She returned with extra rice cakes. Pricy's favorite. "Thank you." They continued eating quietly. Then her mother spoke again. "How was school?" "It was okay." "Can I see your phone? I want to install something." The spoon froze in Pricy's hand. Her broken phone. The phone she had hidden in her bag. The phone that reminded her of that arrogant stranger. "It's dead." "Use a charger." Pricy's chest tightened. Without thinking, she pushed her chair back. "Mum, forget it." Her mother looked surprised. "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "Pricy—" "I'm tired." She stood up abruptly. "Just forget about it." Her mother sighed. "I'm sorry if I upset you." But Pricy was already walking away. "I'm not hungry anymore." "Pricy—" "Good night, Mum." She disappeared into her room. The door closed softly behind her. For a long moment, she stared at the broken phone lying on her bed. The shattered screen reflected her angry face. And somehow... The image of those cold eyes returned to her mind. The arrogant stranger. The boy who had ruined her phone. The boy she never wanted to see again. Little did she know... Their story was only beginning.