"Yuto, it's me, Ji-Eun," she said, trying to steady her breath as she spoke into the phone.
"Ji-Eun? What's going on? Why do you sound so panicked?" Yuto's concerned voice came through the phone.
"Yuto, something happened at school. It's Hara—she got into a fight with them, and it's bad," Ji-Eun blurted out, her voice trembling with fear.
Yuto's expression turned serious as he processed the information. "What? Are you okay? Where is Hara now?" he asked urgently.
"I managed to get away, but she stayed behind to protect me. They're still attacking her, and I don't know how much longer she can hold on," Ji-Eun explained, her voice cracking with worry.
"I'm on my way," Yuto replied firmly. "Stay safe and stay hidden. I'll handle this."
Ji-Eun nodded even though Yuto couldn't see her, trusting him to handle the situation. She ended the call and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Yuto was known for his combat skills, and if anyone could handle that gang of girls, it was him.
Meanwhile, the commotion drawn the attention of other students and staff members. The teacher on duty had been alerted and, realizing the severity of the situation, instructed all parties involved to go to the teacher's office immediately.
Hara, battered and bruised, was pulled away from the ongoing fight by a teacher who had managed to break up the scuffle. The girls were also escorted to the teacher's office, their defiant expressions now replaced by mild fear, knowing that they had crossed a line.
As Hara was led to the office, she couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Her body ached, and the adrenaline that had kept her going was starting to wane, leaving her feeling exhausted and vulnerable. Yet, she refused to show weakness in front of the others, her eyes flashing with a fierce determination.
Yuto arrived at the school just as the teacher was guiding Hara and the girls to the office. He noticed Ji-Eun standing at a distance, her face still marked with bruises from the earlier confrontation. He nodded at her in acknowledgment before heading straight to the teacher's office, his jaw clenched with anger.
Inside the office, the atmosphere was tense as Hara and the girls faced each other. The teacher in charge, Ms. Lee, looked sternly at the group.
"What on earth is going on here? Why did it come to this?" Ms. Lee demanded, her gaze sweeping over the group.
Hara's eyes locked with the girl who had attacked her earlier, her jaw set stubbornly as she remained silent.
One of the girls spoke up, trying to shift the blame. "It's all her fault! She interfered when we were dealing with that Ji-Eun girl, and she started attacking us!"
Ms. Lee frowned, clearly not buying the excuse. "Hara, is this true?" he asked, turning her attention to Hara.
Hara hesitated for a moment, knowing that revealing the truth about her involvement with Ji-Eun would only lead to more trouble. She decided to downplay her actions, not wanting to drag Ji-Eun into the mess.
"I saw them picking on Ji-Eun, and I just tried to stop them," Hara replied, her voice steady.
Ms. Lee shook her head disapprovingly. "Violence is never the answer, Hara. You should have reported it to the teachers immediately."
Hara lowered her gaze, regretting her impulsive actions.
As the interrogation continued, Yuto stood quietly in the corner of the room, observing the proceedings. He had arrived just in time to catch Hara's response and sensed the truth behind her words. He understood why she had intervened, but he also knew that Hara's involvement with the Viper Cartel was not something he could ignore.
Ms. Lee, sensing that the situation was becoming too heated, decided to end the discussion for the time being. She assigned a disciplinary punishment for Hara and the girls, emphasizing that such behavior would not be tolerated in the school and she would contact their guardians to come.
As the teacher concluded the disciplinary action, Yuto stepped forward, his expression stern and unforgiving. "I'm not done here," he stated firmly, his eyes fixed on Hara.
Hara's heart sank as she met Yuto's gaze. She had hoped to avoid him.
Ms. Lee glanced between Yuto and Hara, sensing the tension in the air. "Mr. Tanaka, please understand that I cannot allow any further conflicts," she said firmly.
Yuto nodded, his eyes never leaving Hara's. "I'm not here to start another fight, but I need to talk to her privately," he replied, his voice steady.
Ms. Lee hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Alright, but make it quick. We don't want any more trouble," she warned.
Yuto led Hara out of the teacher's office and into an empty hallway, away from prying eyes and ears. Once they were alone, he turned to her, his anger apparent in his tense posture.
"Why did you do it?" Yuto demanded, his voice low and intense.
Hara clenched her fists, trying to keep her emotions in check. She knew she deserved his anger, but the guilt and shame were eating away at her.
Hara's resolve wavered for a moment, but she couldn't bring herself to reveal the truth to Yuto. Instead, she met his gaze defiantly and replied, "It's none of your business."
Hara's defiant response only fueled Yuto's frustration. He was determined to get to the bottom of the situation, but before he could press further, Hara turned on her heel and walked away, leaving him alone in the corridor.
Unwilling to let the matter rest, Yuto followed Hara, his mind racing with worry and questions. Just as he was about to catch up to her, he noticed Ji-Eun standing at a distance, her bruised face still reflecting the aftermath of the earlier confrontation.
Ji-Eun looked up and met Yuto's gaze, and he could see the fear and concern in her eyes. She had managed to escape the fight, but seeing Hara in such a dangerous situation had left her shaken.
Yuto nodded at Ji-Eun, acknowledging her presence and silently reassuring her that he would handle the situation. He knew that Ji-Eun was also worried about Hara's safety, and he wanted to make sure she was okay.
Yuto entered the teachers office followed by Ji-Eun.
As Mr. Chen stormed along the school corridors, his face contorted with anger, veins bulging from his forehead. He had only dropped off Hara at school a few moments ago when he received a distressing phone call.
The call informed him that his daughter had gotten involved in a fight, and he couldn't help but feel a mixture of worry and frustration. He quickened his pace, determined to find out what had happened and to ensure Hara's safety.
Mr. Chen's mind raced with concern as he approached the school office, hoping to get more information about the situation and to take the necessary steps to protect his daughter from any harm.
As Mr. Chen swung the office door open, he was met with a distressing sight. There stood his daughter, Hara, with a bruised face, her arms crossed with an annoyed expression, alongside other students who also bore similar injuries. A concerned teacher was present, trying to mediate the situation and understand what had happened.
Seeing Hara in that state only intensified Mr. Chen's worry and anger. He took a deep breath, attempting to control his emotions, and approached his daughter with a mix of concern and sternness.
"What happened here?" Mr. Chen asked, his voice firm but tinged with worry as he directed his gaze at Hara and then at the teacher. He wanted to know the details of the incident and ensure that appropriate measures would be taken to address the situation.
Hara's embarrassment and sadness were evident as she tried to avoid her father's gaze, feeling guilty for breaking her promise to him about avoiding such situations. She also looked away from Ji-Eun and Yuto, the people who had helped her during the fight, not wanting to face them after what had transpired.
Mr. Chen's concern for his daughter grew as he noticed her reluctance to meet his eyes. He could tell that something more complicated was going on, but he decided to first address the immediate situation.
"Can someone explain what happened here?" Mr. Chen directed his question to the teacher, wanting to understand the events that led to the fight involving his daughter and the other students.
The teacher took a deep breath. "Sir, would you like to take a seat—"
"You started this?" Mr. Chen cut off the teacher's words.
"No—" a girl interviened, it was Ji-Eun.
Mr. Chen's stern gaze shifted from Hara to the girl who had spoken up—Ji-Eun. He waited for her to continue, curious to hear her perspective on the situation.
"I-I'm sorry," Ji-Eun stammered, feeling a bit intimidated by Mr. Chen's presence but determined to explain what had happened. "Hara didn't start the fight. Those girls were targeting her because of me."
Ji-Eun went on to recount the events leading up to the altercation, explaining that the other girls had been upset with her for being close to Yuto. They had taken out their anger on Hara, assuming that her association with Ji-Eun was an indication of her involvement with Yuto as well.
Mr. Chen's expression softened slightly as he listened to Ji-Eun's explanation. He realized that this situation was more complicated than he had initially thought. The involvement of Yuto added another layer of complexity to the matter, and he could sense that there were deeper issues at play.
He turned his attention back to Hara, still feeling concerned for her well-being and wanting to address the situation calmly and effectively. "Hara, is this true?" he asked gently, giving her the opportunity to share her side of the story.
As Hara met her father's gaze, tears welled up in her eyes. The weight of the situation and her father's disappointment weighed heavily on her heart.
Mr. Chen let out a sigh and decided to get a clear picture of the events that had unfolded. He seated himself and asked the teacher to provide a detailed account of what had happened.
For Hara, the subsequent discussion was a blur. However, one thing became clear—she would be transferring to a new school as per her father's request to the teacher.
As the reality sank in, Hara couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. She had wanted to befriend the protagonists of the novel, to connect with the characters she had grown to care for as she delved deeper into the story. Yet, the circumstances seemed to be pushing her away from that possibility. She haven't even met the male lead yet, Shen Lu, who is the same age as Ji-Eun and is a student at this school.
Hara understood that getting involved with the main characters, especially with the Viper Cartel lurking in the background, could lead to danger and further complications. Part of her yearned to change the course of the novel's events, but she also recognized the potential risks involved.
As the decision was made, Hara had to come to terms with the fact that her current situation would change drastically. She could only hope that this new path would somehow lead her to a different destiny—one where she could make a difference and avoid the tragic outcomes she had read about in the novel.