AUTHORS POV
" My name is Jo Yuri, but you can just call me Yuri" the girl said, leading Chaeryeong and Ryujin out of the classroom. " Yuri, who were those guys?" Chaeryeong asked. "You really don't know, do you?" Yuri said quietly. Chaeryeong shook her head, still in shock. Ryujin, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. "Obviously not."
Yuri sighed, leaning in closer. "Those boys are part of a group called TXT. They're the most dangerous and powerful guys in this school. Everyone's scared of them, and for good reason."
"Powerful?" Chaeryeong asked, frowning. "What do you mean?"
Yuri glanced around to make sure no one was listening before continuing. "Beomgyu, the one who just... well, you saw what he did, right? His family owns the largest chain of hospitals in Korea. He's also an illegal street racer, but no one dares report him."
"And the quiet one?" Chaeryeong asked, nodding toward the boy who had been sitting behind them.
"That's Taehyun. He's practically a genius, the smartest guy in the entire school. His mom is a famous lawyer, and his dad and older brother died in a car accident last year. He doesn't say much, but when he does... people listen," Yuri explained.
Ryujin's lips tightened into a thin line as she processed the information. "So, they're rich, powerful, and violent. Great."
Yuri nodded grimly. "And that's not even the worst of it. There are three more members, but I'll let you find out about them on your own. My advice? Stay away from them. Everyone else does."
Chaeryeong and Ryujin exchanged glances. It seemed Hanlim Academy had more layers than they'd initially thought.
In the cafeteria, Yeji and Lia were already seated with Karina and Giselle, laughing about something light-hearted. Yuna spotted them from across the room and waved enthusiastically. The tension between Chaeryeong and Ryujin eased a little at the sight of their group, and they hurried over.
"Hey, how was your first class?" Yeji asked with a bright smile, but her expression faltered when she saw the look on Ryujin's face. "What happened?" Ryujin sank into her chair with a deep sigh. " Some guy named Beomgyu happened."
The table fell quiet. Even Karina and Giselle exchanged a knowing look. "What did he do?" Lia asked. "He's just... a complete jerk," Ryujin muttered, her anger flaring again. "He smashed some guy's face into the table, and everyone just acted like it was normal. What's wrong with this place?"
Karina sighed softly. "TXT has a lot of influence here. Beomgyu... he doesn't tolerate anyone standing up to him, especially not new students." Ryujin scoffed, crossing her arms. "So what? We're supposed to bow down to him because he's rich and powerful? I'm not doing that." Chaeryeong, who had been quiet up until now, finally spoke. "I don't like it either, but we need to be careful, Ryujin. We can't afford to make enemies on our first day."
"Yeah but they're pretty harmless... most of the time," Giselle added, though her tone hinted that she wasn't entirely convinced of her own words.
Ryujin, never one to back down, scoffed. "Harmless? We saw Beomgyu smash some kid's head into a desk earlier. Doesn't seem very harmless to me."
Karina sighted before saying. "TXT has their own... rules. They won't go after you unless you give them a reason to. Beomgyu was probably just asserting his dominance. He does that a lot."
"Assert his dominance? He gave that kid a bloody nose," Ryujin said, her voice rising slightly in frustration.
Yeji frowned, clearly troubled. "I didn't realize it would be this intense..." Lia leaned forward, her voice soft but serious. "We just need to stick together. We'll figure this out."
