Chapter1
1123 Words
Min Jin’s POV
This was my first time in America. I was only here for a photoshoot that might last less than a year.
Since I was in my final year of high school, my modeling agency decided I should transfer to one of the top elite schools in the country, Westwood Academy.
I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the car at the school gate.
“Be on your best behavior,” my manager, Mr. Chen, reminded me.
I nodded and gave a small bow before he drove off almost immediately.
Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my schedule, trying to find my class. I quickly learned that the school ranked its students; I didn't understand why.
I was in the third rank, so after asking around, I found my way to the door, to where I belonged.
The moment I opened the classroom door, a wave of cold stares met me. It was nothing like Korea, where people would crowd around me just to take a selfie.
Here, it felt like no one knew me, and I wasn't bothered.
Luckily, the teacher was already in class.
“You’re right on time,” she said. “Kindly introduce yourself.”
“My name is Min Jin. I’m very happy to be here,” I said, adding a slight bow out of habit.
The class burst into laughter. Heat rushed to my face.
“Oh, Min Jin, we don’t do that here. You can take a seat,” she said gently.
I nodded and made my way to an empty seat beside a girl with short brown hair.
“My name is Angela,” she said, extending her hand.
I shook it with a small smile. “You already know my name.”
She laughed, and I found myself laughing too.
“After class, I’ll show you around,” she added.
I smiled, feeling a little less out of place.
After class, she kept her promise and showed me around the school. It was bigger than anything I had ever seen.
We were about to turn a corner when Angela suddenly stopped.
“We shouldn’t go there.”
“Why?” I asked.
“That area is off-limits,” she said, then leaned closer and whispered, “It’s where the Legacy, first-ranked students, hang out.”
“What’s a legacy?” I curiously asked.
“Don’t worry, I will tell you all about it, but we have to go now.” She seemed terrified as she kept looking left and right.
I was about to ask more when something caught my attention.
In a corner, two boys sat casually while someone dressed like a clown served them. I understood immediately. He was being bullied. And as someone who had been through that before, there was no way I could just walk away.
So I stepped forward, ignoring Angela’s desperate attempts to stop me.
“Hey,” I called out as I approached them.
They looked at me like I had completely lost my mind. No one had ever dared to challenge them.
“How does it feel being cruel to someone your own age? Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” I said, snatching the tray from the boy and dumping its contents over their heads.
“Do you have a death wish?” one of them snapped.
“Do you even know what you just did?” the other added.
Even the boy I had helped looked at me like I was the problem, like he had never asked to be saved.
They both rushed at me, but I didn’t panic. I was skilled in kung fu. Within minutes, they were both on the ground.
“At least say thank you. You don’t have to be ungrateful,” I said, turning to the boy.
“I don’t need your help,” he rasped. “Now they’re going to make my life a living hell because of you.”
He threw the tray at me before storming off.
The two boys groaned on the floor, clutching their injuries.
I didn’t feel scared. If anything, I was ready for whatever they planned next.
I returned to class, arranged my books, and got ready to leave, only to realize Angela was gone.
What could have scared her that much? I was curious.
As I walked down the corridor, a student approached me, trembling slightly.
“The librarian wants to see you,” he said in a low voice.
“Okay, can you show me where......”
I didn’t get to finish before he ran off like he was escaping something.
This school was already exhausting. I’d just have to find my way myself. I kept asking around and almost got lost because of how massive the place was.
Eventually, I found the library, and it was empty. A student stood there waiting for me, which only made things more confusing.
He opened a door and gestured for me to go in. I didn’t hesitate. If it was those guys from earlier, they’d just get another round.
Inside, they were seated in a corner, being attended to by two other students.
“So you’re the ones who called me?” I said, almost rolling my eyes. “Do you want my fists that badly?”
They didn’t respond.
Then I noticed someone else sitting at the head of the table, his back turned.
“I’d like to know why I was called.”
The chair slowly turned.
My breath caught.
He was unbelievably handsome. My palms grew damp, and for a second, I couldn’t even speak.
“Caleb,” his husky voice cut through the silence. “Is this the girl who beat you up?”
He sounded almost amused as he stood and walked toward me, his hands tucked into his pockets.
I couldn’t move. My feet felt glued to the floor.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
“I asked for milk to be delivered to me,” he said. “And you poured it away.”
My thoughts snapped back into place.
No. I wasn’t about to fall for that face. He was just another bully.
“You’re a bully,” I said sharply. “You think everyone is beneath you.”
He stepped closer. I instinctively stepped back.
Slowly, he closed the distance until my back hit the cold wall.
“I don’t think,” he said quietly, leaning in, “I know everyone is beneath me, including you.”
I stared at him, unable to move.
He chuckled softly and stepped away.
“You’ll regret the day you crossed paths with me.”
The smile he gave me sent a chill down my spine.
- Writer
