DISGRACE ✴ kim rian

36 ─── ʸᵁᴺ ᴹᴵ⁻ᴴᴱᴱ

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ

It was just another morning at Jooshin High School, but the atmosphere was heavy with tension. Rumors spread faster than wildfire, and today, everyone was whispering about Kang Ha.

The revelation had come as a shock to many: Kang Ha, the scholarship student, was Kang In-han’s brother. The same Kang In-han who had being bullied in the school under scandalous circumstances and tragically passed away. The halls buzzed with speculation, judgment, and malice.

Mi-hee walked into her classroom, her usual sharp gaze scanning the room. Her steps faltered when she saw chaos unfolding in the middle of the room. Kang Ha was at the center of it, exchanging blows with one of the red ties—one of Rian’s group.

The loud sound of a fist connecting with flesh echoed, and Kang Ha stumbled back slightly before retaliating with equal ferocity.

Mi-hee froze for a moment, her mind flooding with memories she had tried to suppress. She had seen this before—Kang In-han being beaten down, helpless, while she had done nothing. The guilt clawed at her, but something inside her shifted. She wasn’t the same Yun Mi-hee anymore.

She wasn’t going to let history repeat itself.

“Stop it!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. But the boys didn’t listen. More of them were joining in, the fight escalating into a frenzy.

Without hesitation, Mi-hee stepped in. She grabbed one of the guys who was about to land another punch on Kang Ha and shoved him back with surprising strength.

“Get lost,” she spat, her eyes blazing.

The guy smirked, adjusting his collar. “What’s this? Even you are whoring around with this lackey?”

The room fell silent. Gasps rippled through the class as everyone processed the audacity of the insult. Even the red tie seemed to realize he might have crossed a line.

Mi-hee tilted her head, her expression calm but deadly. Her lips curled into a smirk. “Really? That’s the best you’ve got?” Her voice dripped with mockery, her gaze slicing through him like a knife.

The boy opened his mouth to retort, but a voice cut through the tension.

“Stop it.”

Kim Rian stood up from his seat, his presence commanding the attention of the entire room. His sharp eyes flicked to the red tie who had spoken, silencing him with just a look.

Mi-hee turned her glare to Rian, her anger simmering just below the surface. She didn’t need his interference. She could handle this.

But Rian’s eyes didn’t leave her. There was something in his expression—an unspoken warning, a plea, or perhaps a challenge. Last night flashed, immediately clouding her head.

Fueled by her frustration, Mi-hee turned back to Kang Ha, grabbed his hand, and pulled him toward the door. “We’re leaving,” she said firmly, her voice brooking no argument.

The classroom remained silent as they left, whispers starting the moment the door closed behind them.

Outside, Mi-hee released Kang Ha’s hand and turned to him, her expression a mix of concern and frustration.

“What the hell were you thinking, Kang Ha?” she demanded. “Do you want to end up like your brother?”

Kang Ha’s jaw tightened, his eyes filled with unspoken rage. “They needed to be put in their place,” he said, his voice low.

“And you think this is the way?” she shot back. “Getting into fights, stooping to their level? What do you think that solves?”

His eyes flashed, and for a moment, he looked like he was about to argue. But then he exhaled sharply and looked away.

“They don’t care, Mi-hee. They’ll keep coming after me, after my brother’s name, after you, for associating with me. What’s the point of trying to reason with them?”

Mi-hee softened slightly, her voice quieting. “The point is to survive, Kang Ha. Not just for yourself, but for In-han. He wouldn’t want this for you.”

Kang Ha’s shoulders slumped, and he looked down, the fight draining out of him.

Mi-hee placed a hand on his arm. “We’ll figure this out, together. But not like this.”

Kang Ha nodded reluctantly, and they walked together in silence.

Back in the classroom, Rian watched the door where Mi-hee and Kang Ha had disappeared. His jaw clenched as he replayed the scene in his mind—Mi-hee standing in front of Kang Ha, protecting him.

She was slipping further away from him, and it terrified him more than he cared to admit.

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
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