Sophia adjusted to her new boarding school quicker than expected. Despite the rocky start with the bullies, her intelligence, confidence, and quiet charm began to intrigue her classmates, though some weren’t ready to admit it.
Ji-hyun’s bubbly energy was the perfect foil to Sophia’s calm demeanor, and the two quickly became inseparable despite being in different grades.
Ji-hyun often found ways to sneak into Sophia’s dorm to chat or bring her snacks, much to the dormitory supervisor’s dismay.
---
Life in the dorms was never dull. Late at night, the girls would gather in the common room to gossip, share snacks, and sometimes scare each other with ghost stories.
“Did you hear about the girl who disappeared from the music room at midnight?” a girl whispered dramatically.
Sophia smirked but didn’t comment. Ji-hyun, who had snuck in to sit by her, clung to her arm. “Unnie, that’s scary! Let’s never go near the music room at night!”
The other girls teased Ji-hyun for being such a scaredy-cat, but her antics always lightened the mood.
One evening, during their weekend “free night,” Sophia and Ji-hyun decided to play a harmless prank. They replaced the toothpaste in one of the bully girls’ bathrooms with wasabi.
When the girl let out a scream loud enough to shake the walls, Sophia and Ji-hyun couldn’t stop laughing.
“Unnie, you’re so bad!” Ji-hyun giggled, tears streaming down her face.
“She deserved it,” Sophia replied with a playful shrug.
---
In the classroom, Sophia’s sharp intellect quickly made her a favorite of the teachers, though it didn’t win her many friends among the bullies. During a chemistry lesson, Mr. Park, their teacher, posed a question about molecular structures.
As usual, the class avoided eye contact. Mr. Park scanned the room. “Sophia, do you know the answer?”
Sophia stood confidently. “Yes, sir. The structure of benzene was identified as a hexagonal ring due to its unique bonding properties, as proposed by Kekulé.”
° It's still fresh in my memory, I'll keep focusing on my studies as Lucius emphasized earlier°
The class erupted into murmurs.
“She’s like a walking encyclopedia,” one boy whispered.
“Bet she memorized it to show off,” another girl muttered.
Unfazed, Sophia sat down, her eyes meeting Ji-hyun’s through the window. Ji-hyun waved, mouthing, “Daebak! (Amazing!)”
---
When the school announced its annual festival, excitement buzzed through the air. Students decorated classrooms, prepared performances, and set up food stalls. Sophia was roped into helping her class create a haunted house, while Ji-hyun’s grade worked on a Korean traditional dance performance.
“Unnie, you have to come see me perform!” Ji-hyun insisted, practicing her fan dance in the hallway.
“Only if you promise to visit our haunted house,” Sophia countered.
The festival day was a whirlwind of excitement. Sophia’s class dressed in eerie costumes, and Sophia, with her natural poker face, played the role of the creepy doll perfectly.
Ji-hyun screamed louder than anyone when she visited, clutching Sophia for dear life.
After the haunted house, Sophia joined Ji-hyun to watch her perform. She clapped loudly, proud of Ji-hyun’s graceful moves, and even took a few pictures to show Mr. Lee during their next call.
---
Not everyone was thrilled with Sophia’s growing popularity. One afternoon, as she walked to her locker, a group of boys blocked her path.
“Hey, genius,” one sneered. “Think you’re too good for us?”
Before she could reply, another poured a bottle of cold liquid over her. The stench of sour milk filled the air.
Sophia didn’t flinch. She calmly picked up her soaked books, gave the boys a steady glare, and walked away without saying a word.
By the time she reached the hallway, Ji-hyun spotted her and gasped. “Unnie! Who did this?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Sophia replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
“No! It matters! Let’s go report this!” Ji-hyun insisted, pulling her toward the restroom.
After cleaning up, Ji-hyun stormed to the dorm supervisor to demand justice. Meanwhile, Sophia’s calm exterior belied her irritation.
That night, when she called Mr. Lee, she hesitated to tell him what happened.
“Why didn’t you call me earlier?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.
“I handled it,” she replied.
“Sophia, you don’t need to handle these things alone,” he said, softer now. “Next time, tell me immediately.”
---
While Mr. Lee maintained his stern demeanor on calls, Ji-hyun often teased Sophia about how he checked in regularly.
“Unnie, Mr. Lee is so cool. Does he like you?” Ji-hyun asked one evening, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Sophia flushed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
But the truth was, Mr. Lee’s protectiveness and the way he encouraged her to focus on her studies left her heart skipping beats.
During a video call one evening, he said, “You’re doing well, Sophia. Keep it up. Don’t let anyone make you feel small.”
Her cheeks warmed. “Thank you, Mr. Lee.”
He smirked slightly, and before ending the call, added, “By the way, you should smile more. It suits you.”
---
On weekends, the boarding students were allowed some free time to relax or venture into town. Ji-hyun dragged Sophia to the nearby mall, insisting they needed a shopping spree.
“Unnie, try this dress!” Ji-hyun exclaimed, holding up a pastel pink outfit.
Sophia rolled her eyes but complied. Ji-hyun’s enthusiasm was infectious, and soon they were trying on clothes, eating street food, and even taking silly photos in a photo booth.
“You look so cute, like a real Korean high schooler!” Ji-hyun declared, patting Sophia’s head affectionately.
Sophia laughed, feeling lighter than she had in weeks.
---
As the weeks passed, Sophia found her footing. She earned the respect of her classmates, befriended a few kindhearted students, and even began to see the bullies back off. With Ji-hyun’s constant support and Mr. Lee’s subtle but firm guidance, she grew stronger, more confident, and more comfortable in her new environment.
High school boarding life, with all its chaos and charm, was quickly becoming a second home.
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SMITTEN BY HER (unedited)
Romance"Beyond Shadows" In a world where darkness reigns, a young orphan's dreams of becoming a veterinarian are shattered by her aunt's cruelty. But when she's drawn into the mysterious world of enigmatic Mr. Lee - a powerful figure rumored to be "more th...
