Hara woke up early once again, mindful of the increasing heat. She predicted that her hair will bother her if it gets too hot, so she gathered her long hair into a high ponytail.
"I look pretty," Hara complimented herself while admiring her reflection in the mirror. Reflecting on her progress, she realized that she had gained a bit more control over this new body. She could express herself more freely, but she still struggled to restrain her habit of glaring at everyone around her.
Hara hurriedly made her way to the dining area for breakfast, feeling a quiet sense of happiness knowing that her father, Mr. Chen, would be accompanying her to school that day. As she went down the stairs, she encountered Clara, who was going up the stairs.
"Morning," Hara greeted briefly.
Clara, who had intended to wake Hara up for school that day, stood there in astonishment, her hand instinctively covering her mouth. Hara had once again woken up early, which was no longer a surprise, but what caught Clara off guard was the fact that Hara actually greeted her—a gesture she had never made before since Clara had become her personal maid.
Hara entered the dining room, where Mr. Chen sat, engrossed in his work documents and sipping his coffee. He glanced up and raised an eyebrow at her.
"So early today?" he inquired.
"Yes, of course," Hara replied calmly as she took her seat at the table.
During the car ride, Hara gazed out of the window, her heart silently rejoicing at the fact that Mr. Chen, who resembled her long-lost father, was driving her to school. It had been a week since she had seen him, and the presence of someone so reminiscent of her beloved father brought her a sense of comfort and joy.
Eventually, they reached the front gate of the school, and the car came to a halt.
"Are you taking me home later too, dad?" Hara asked, her eyes filled with hope.
Mr. Chen glanced at her through the rearview mirror, slightly surprised by the use of "dad" instead of her usual "father."
"I'm sorry, but I have some business to attend to later," he explained, pausing briefly before continuing, "The company still has many things to handle."
Hara pouted momentarily, feeling a bit disappointed. "Okay," she replied, accepting his response.
As she stepped out of the vehicle, she made sure to bid her goodbye with a smile towards the driver's seat. Mr. Chen chuckled at his daughter's sudden change of behavior, not questioning it but rather appreciating the newfound closeness between them even though it was a little awkward at first.
Walking to her class, Hara found herself lost in thought, once again contemplating the plot of the novel. She knew that the original 'Hara' was depicted as a wealthy villainess, but she didn't have much information about her family background. She recently discovered that 'Hara' had a father, who didn't seem like a bad person from her encounter with Mr. Chen, but it appeared that a mother figure was absent from 'Hara's' life.
Where could her 'mother' be? Hara wondered. Did she pass away, or is she still alive somewhere? The question lingered in her mind as she tilted her head in contemplation. Despite having wealth and a seemingly caring father, why did 'Hara' still become evil? This perplexing question continued to occupy her thoughts as she tried to make sense of the character's motivations.
In an instant, someone grabbed Hara's head from behind and forcibly took her to a secluded spot, where a group of seemingly delinquent girls had gathered. Among them, she noticed a terrified girl on the ground, who seemed to be staring at her anxiously. The shock of the situation rendered Hara momentarily speechless until she was forcefully pushed against a wall. Finally, she caught sight of the person who had grabbed her hair—a young girl with short hair and a ferocious expression.
The tense atmosphere left Hara perplexed and unsure of what was happening, making her heart race with apprehension.
"Well, well, well, look who's here," the girl sneered.
"Where were you yesterday?" she interrogated in an intimidating tone.
Despite her legs trembling with fear, Hara managed to maintain her composure outwardly, trying not to show her vulnerability. Unknowingly, she cast a glaring expression at the girl in front of her, a display of defiance amidst the tense situation.
The cold laugh from the girl echoed through the place when she noticed that Hara wasn't showing any signs of fear.
—slap
A sharp, resounding sound reverberated in the area.
"Look, our little girlie here got brave," the girl taunted, inciting laughter from the rest of the group.
Though fear coursed through Hara, the slap triggered an overwhelming surge of anger within her. Despite her cheeks swelling and tasting blood in her mouth, she managed to maintain her composure, her glare unwavering as she looked defiantly at the girl in front of her. The rage simmered beneath the surface, but she refused to show any weakness to her tormentors.
Hara's mind raced with various thoughts and emotions, but she managed to stay silent, unwilling to provoke the situation any further.
The girl, noticing Hara's silence, quickly rummaged through Hara's belongings and took out her wallet while Hara remained still. A chilling chuckle escaped the girl's lips as she claimed the contents of Hara's wallet.
"I'll be taking double the amount today, okay?" she said, hitting Hara's head with her wallet for emphasis.
Hara remained silent and continued to glare at her.
The girl opened Hara's wallet, took all the cash, and taunted her, "I'll be taking this now."
She dropped the empty wallet on the ground and stepped closer to Hara, attempting to intimidate her further.
"Do not mess with the Viper Cartel," the girl threatened with a sinister smile before turning away and joining her friends.
With her eyebrows raised defiantly, Hara continued to glare at the girl. The name "Viper Cartel" rang in her mind, and she couldn't help but recall that it was a formidable criminal organization. However, she knew that it would eventually crumble in the future due to Yuto's actions, driven by the deep-seated hatred between his family and the organization.
Hara's eyes widened with shock as she witnessed the girl stepping on the head of the terrified girl on the ground.
"And you," the girl directed her attention to the girl on the ground, her tone laced with anger.
"I thought I told you not to get closer to Yuto," the girl scolded, glaring down at her.
Hara's mind was racing as she observed the scene before her. The name "Yuto" caught her attention.
Remaining silent and cautious, Hara continued to watch, her mind churning with questions and uncertainty about the complexities of the world she had been thrown into.
There was someone close to Yuto, and the realization struck Hara with a sudden understanding that the girl on the ground must be Ji-Eun herself, the heroine in the novel.
Reacting instinctively, Hara quickly snapped out of her shocked state and took immediate action. She ran towards the scene and pushed the girl just as she was about to deliver a kick to Ji-Eun's head, halting the violence in its tracks.
The girl stumbled back, taken aback by Hara's unexpected intervention. Hara positioned herself protectively in front of Ji-Eun, her glare intensified as she dared the girl to take any further action.
"What do you think you're doing?" Hara's voice was firm and assertive, though her heart was still pounding with adrenaline. She was determined not to let anyone harm Ji-Eun or anyone else. Hara knows what will happen if Ji-Eun got hurt, she and everyone there will get into big trouble if Yuto finds out.
As the girl let out a cold laugh, Hara's determination remained unwavering. However, before she could react further, the girl landed a harsh blow to Hara's face, causing her to stagger backward.
In an instant, chaos erupted as all the girls started targeting Hara, launching a series of attacks. Hara did her best to defend herself, evading their blows and attempting to fight back, but their sheer numbers and aggressiveness overwhelmed her.
Despite the pain and fear coursing through her, Hara refused to give up, trying to find an opening to escape or fight back. The situation had escalated beyond her control, and she realized that her previous bravado had led her into a dangerous predicament.
Fighting desperately to protect herself, Hara's mind raced, trying to devise a plan to survive this onslaught and escape them.
As Ji-Eun's eyes remained wide open, she witnessed the unfolding chaos before her. Her face bore the marks of the earlier slapping and kicking, but she summoned the last bits of her strength and managed to get up and run away from the scene.
Hara glanced at Ji-Eun's fleeing figure, feeling a sense of relief that she had managed to escape the relentless assault. However, her own situation remained dire as she continued to fend off the barrage of punches and slaps from the delinquent girls. Her once neatly tied high ponytail was now scattered behind her, and traces of spit could be found on her face. Her eyes were filled with a mist of pain and tears from the relentless beating.
—pant
Ji-Eun panted heavily as she finally came to a stop in a safe place, away from the turmoil she had just escaped. Holding back her tears, she quickly retrieved her phone, her emotions in turmoil.
"What the hell was she thinking!" Ji-Eun cursed under her breath.
She was conflicted with mixed emotions. The girl who had intervened earlier, Hara, had once beaten Ji-Eun herself for being close to her childhood friend, Yuto. Yet, leaving Hara behind to be beaten didn't sit well with Ji-Eun either, especially when Hara had somehow stopped them from attacking her further.
Her chest heaving, Ji-Eun pressed a button on her phone to call someone, trying to figure out how to navigate this complex and dangerous situation. She needed to make a decision, unsure of how to handle the events that had unfolded.
"Hello?" the voice on the other end of the phone answered.