At South Korea's most prestigious high school, a scandal is brewing - but its privileged students will do anything to silence the truth. When a scholarship student enters the fold, he's determined to crack the school's impenetrable façade and reveal...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Chaos erupted in the hospital as Ellie's unconscious form lay in a stroller, surrounded by medical staff rushing to stabilize her. Rian stood nearby, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his heart pounding with fear and helplessness.
"Come on, Ellie, wake up for me, please," Rian pleaded softly, his voice cracking with emotion. His eyes darted around the emergency room, searching desperately for any signs of improvement in Ellie's condition. A nurse approached him cautiously, her expression grave.
"Sir, you need to let the doctors do their job," the nurse said gently, placing a reassuring hand on Rian's shoulder.
Rian jerked away, his frustration boiling over. He slapped his forehead in anguish, not even noticing the blood that smeared on his hands from the impact. Turning away from the medical team, he punched the nearby wall, his knuckles bruising with the force.
Amidst the chaos, Rian's phone vibrated in his pocket. He fumbled to retrieve it, his hands trembling. The caller ID showed Jae-i's name flashing on the screen. With a shaky breath, he answered the call.
"Hey, Rian, where are you? What happened? You left the party so suddenly," Jae-i's voice sounded concerned, but her words faltered when she heard Rian's choked sob.
"Jae-i, it's Ellie," Rian managed to say, his voice thick with tears. "She's... she's bleeding, and I'm at the hospital."
There was a brief moment of stunned silence on the other end of the line as Jae-i processed Rian's words. Then, her voice softened with concern. "Oh my god, Rian. I'm coming right away. Which hospital are you at?"
Rian gave her the name of the hospital before hanging up, unable to speak further. He leaned heavily against the wall, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him.
The minutes stretched into eternity as he waited for any news about Ellie's condition, each second feeling like an eternity of uncertainty and fear.
Meanwhile, Jae-i had been at the party with In Ha and a few other friends when she received Rian's call. Shocked and worried, she hastily excused herself and rushed to the hospital. In Ha followed close behind, his expression unreadable.
As they arrived at the hospital, they found Rian standing near the emergency room doors, his face etched with anguish. Jae-i rushed to his side, her heart breaking at the sight of his distress.
"Rian, what happened? Is Ellie okay?" Jae-i asked, her voice trembling with concern.
Before Rian could respond, In Ha stepped forward, his normally calm demeanor replaced by anger. "This is your fault, isn't it?" he accused, his voice sharp with accusation. "If you hadn't been with Ellie, none of this would have happened!"
Rian turned to face In Ha, his own grief and guilt bubbling to the surface. "I-I tried to protect her," he choked out, his voice cracking. "I didn't know..."
