The Aftermath of Sabotage
The sight of my mangled scooter sent a white-hot rage through me. I crouched down, running my fingers over the deep scratches in the paint—the same scratches I'd painstakingly touched up last summer after saving for months to buy the damn thing.
Haewon hovered beside me, her usual sharpness replaced by something quieter. "Dojin…"
I stood abruptly, crumpling Joonho's note in my fist. "I'm going to kill him."
She caught my arm before I could storm off. "And what? Get expelled? Arrested?" Her grip tightened. "You're smarter than that."
I yanked free. "Oh, so now you care about my future?"
Her flinch was almost imperceptible. Almost.
"I care about not letting him win," she said coolly. "So shut up and listen."
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The Revenge Plan (Phase One)
We ended up in the 24-hour campus library, hunched over a corner table with Haewon's laptop. She pulled up Joonho's social media with the focus of a general planning a siege.
"Exhibit A," she said, zooming in on a photo of Joonho at a charity gala. "Notice anything?"
I squinted. "That his smile looks like it was programmed by a serial killer?"
She rolled her eyes. "His watch. It's a limited-edition Patek Philippe. He wears it to every public event."
"So?"
"So," she said, grinning, "it's fake."
I blinked. "No way."
"Way." She pulled up a side-by-side comparison. "The second hand ticks wrong. Real ones sweep smoothly. My father collects them—I'd know."
A slow smirk spread across my face. "Oh, this is beautiful."
Haewon's eyes gleamed. "And that's not even the best part."
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The Weakness
She clicked to another tab—a gossip forum buried deep in Korean web archives. The headline read:
"Park Joonho's Mother: The Scandal That Disappeared Overnight."
"His mom got caught embezzling funds from their family foundation ten years ago," Haewon explained. "It was hushed up, but the rumors never died. He hates when people bring it up."
I whistled. "And you're just *carrying* this nuclear-level blackmail?"
She shrugged. "Chaebol kids are raised with two hobbies: golf and digging up dirt."
For the first time since the scooter incident, I laughed. "Remind me never to piss you off."
She smirked. "Too late."
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The Unexpected Detour
We were halfway through drafting a plan to "accidentally" expose Joonho's fake watch at the next university fundraiser when Haewon's phone buzzed. Her face paled.
"Shit. My father's summoning me."
I raised an eyebrow. "Summoning?"
"His word, not mine." She stood, shoving her laptop into her bag. "I have to go."
I caught her wrist. "Hey. You okay?"
Her pulse jumped under my fingers. "It's fine. He probably just wants to yell at me for the golf thing."
But the tension in her shoulders said otherwise.
"Text me when you're done," I said, letting go.
She hesitated, then nodded. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."
"No promises."
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The Wait
I killed time at the campus convenience store, nursing a cheap coffee and glaring at my murdered scooter through the window.
Minjae found me there an hour later. "Dude. You look like you're about to commit a felony."
I slid him Haewon's research. "Would you believe me if I said I was thinking about it?"
He whistled as he scanned the files. "Damn. Yoon Haewon did all this?"
Yeah. I rubbed my temples. "And now she's getting chewed out by her dad because of me."
Minjae gave me a look. "You like her."
I choked on my coffee. "What? No. We're just—"
"Planning elaborate revenge together. Yeah. Super platonic."
I threw a straw wrapper at him.
---
The Confrontation
Haewon texted me at midnight:
>> Library roof. Now.
I found her sitting on the ledge, legs dangling over the drop, her blazer discarded and sleeves rolled up. For the first time, I noticed the thin scar running along her left forearm.
She caught me staring. "Fencing accident."
"Bullshit."
She exhaled sharply. "Fine. My father's favorite vase. I was twelve."
The pieces clicked. "The same year as the board meeting."
She didn't answer.
I sat beside her, our shoulders brushing. "What did he say tonight?"
"The usual. 'Stop embarrassing the family.' 'Joonho is a suitable match.'" She mimicked his voice perfectly. "Then he cut my allowance in half."
I winced. "Because of me?"
"Because I refused to apologize." She tilted her head back, staring at the stars. "He's trying to force me to quit you."
The phrasing made my chest tighten. "And?"
She turned to me, her expression unreadable. "I don't quit."
---
The Almost
The moment stretched. Her knee pressed against mine.
Then her phone buzzed—a reminder for some charity event tomorrow. The spell broke.
She stood abruptly. "We're exposing Joonho at the fundraiser. Wear something nice."
I grinned. "Define 'nice.'"
"Not that hoodie."
"Rude."
She was halfway to the door when I called after her: "Hey. Thanks. For the scooter revenge thing."
Haewon glanced back, moonlight catching the curve of her smile. "Don't thank me yet."
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The Teaser
Next Up:
- Fundraiser Showdown (Watchgate scandal incoming)
- Dance Floor Disaster ("Why do you suddenly know how to waltz?!")
- Joonho's Counterattack (Blackmail meets brute force)
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