Royal Secrets || Gongfourz

Ten

×Leehan's pov×

A hush fell over the classroom as each student received their paper, the air thick with anticipation and a hint of dread.

Gasps and murmurs erupted as students glanced at their grades. "No way!" "How did I even fail?" "I studied for weeks!"

The room was a cacophony of disappointed voices, punctuated by the occasional frustrated sigh.

Except for Leehan's group of friends. They seemed relatively calm, sharing knowing glances and quiet whispers that hinted at a different outcome.

Leehan, his heart pounding in his chest, slowly reached for his paper. His fingers trembled as he unfolded the sheet, his eyes scanning the meticulously graded answers.

His breath hitched in his throat. A perfect score. A hundred percent. The highest grade in the entire class.

Professor Kim, her gaze sweeping across the room, paused when she noticed Leehan's stunned expression.

A rare, almost imperceptible, smile touched her lips. She walked towards Leehan's desk, a gentle gleam in her eyes.

"Kim Donghyun."

She began, her voice surprisingly warm, which not only shocked Leehan, but the whole class as well.

"Congratulations. You have achieved a remarkable score. A perfect hundred."

A hush fell over the classroom once more, all eyes turning towards Leehan. The murmuring stopped, replaced by a stunned silence.

"I must say, it's refreshing to see a student demonstrate such dedication and understanding of the subject. It's a shame that many of you haven't followed Donghyun's example, or even that of his friends."

She gestured towards Jiwoong, Hao, Hanbin, Ricky and Gyuvin, who were beaming with pride at Leehan's accomplishment.

"Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from them."

Her words, though seemingly innocuous, carried a stinging rebuke for the students who had performed poorly. They shifted uncomfortably in their seats, avoiding Leehan's gaze.

Leehan, still dazed by the events unfolding around him, felt a wave of warmth spread through him.

His friends' smiles, their unspoken words of support, were more valuable than any grade.

His worries about his mother and the pressure of royal expectations seemed to fade into the background as he basked in this moment of unexpected triumph.

As the class dispersed, a group of students lingered near the doorway, their faces a mixture of resentment and malice. Leehan, still reeling from the professor's praise, tried to slip past them, but they blocked his path.

"Yah, Kim Donghyun."

One of them sneered, his voice dripping with venom. Leehan looked at them, in confusion.

"Looks like you're the big shot now, huh? Top of the class."

Before Leehan could respond, his friends materialized beside him, forming a protective barrier.

"We're just... reminding you that some things are better left unsaid."

Another student continued, his voice laced with a threat. All that just because he got the highest grade?

"If you get a higher grade than us again, we'll make sure everyone knows what kind of person you really are."

Leehan, his initial euphoria replaced by a knot of anxiety, tried to push past them, but a hand clamped down on his wrist.