"I hope you guys have seen your results. You may now go to your class," the principal said and left.
Maria got up and walked away without a word.
Kira stepped out of the teacher's office and headed toward class. But just as she turned the corner, she was surrounded by students. Phones were already out—recording, waiting for her downfall.
"Hey Kira, are you going to back out of your bet?" one girl sneered. "Did you forget? If you lost to Maria, you have to quit school, stop joining competitions, and tattoo the word 'donkey' on your forehead."
"Or," another girl smirked, "you could choose not to go through with it. But then you'll have to pay Maria twenty million every month. Tsk. I thought you were smart. But you actually lost to Maria. Disgusting."
Kira chuckled softly, completely unbothered.
"If I remember correctly, I ranked fifteenth in class," she said with a smirk, glancing at the second girl. "Didn't you come in at twenty-fifth? So shut up. You don't even have the right to talk to me."
Silence fell. Then Kira folded her arms, her eyes sharp and calm.
"And for the record, I never said I wouldn't go through with the bet. Calm down."
She looked at each of them, voice cool. "Or what, are you going to try and bully me again? Let's see who gets kicked out this time."
Her gaze sharpened.
"You think you're above me because you're rich? I'm a scholarship student, yeah. But there's always someone above you too. And when they fall, you'll be their scapegoat."
She tilted her head. "The way you treat me like dirt? That's how the real elite treat you. And trust me—they hate you more than they hate us poor kids."
More silence.
Kira sighed and brushed past them. "Stop buzzing in my ear like flies."
"She's really getting on my nerves," one of the girls muttered as she watched Kira leave.
"What are you kids doing here? Get lost. You're blocking my way," a pink-haired girl snapped as she passed through, her tone annoyed. The students parted instantly, bowing their heads as she walked by.
---
Rooftop – Minutes Later
Kira stood alone, the wind blowing through her hair as she stared at the sky from the rooftop's edge.
Maria, walking to her next class, paused as she overheard two teachers whispering behind a pillar.
"Kira has quit the school," one of them said. "She ruined V's life. His family will definitely make her pay."
"Her father's in the hospital, and her mother wants her to sell a kidney to get money," the other added.
"I heard V's cousin—the one who owns the club—had his bodyguards force her into a van. I saw it myself, but I didn't interfere. I'm not about to offend people like that."
Maria's expression darkened. She turned sharply and made her way up the stairwell.
When she reached the rooftop, she found Kira standing near the edge.
"You think dying will solve everything?" Maria asked, her voice steady.
Kira didn't turn. "I never thought you'd be the type to fix problems by dying."
"Are you here to mock me?"
Maria scoffed. "Why would I waste my time mocking you?"
"Then what, you're here to waste time telling me not to jump? Telling me to 'stay strong' and 'don't give up'?" Kira said, her voice full of sarcasm.
Maria's lips twitched. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you jump, they'll make me the number one suspect. Your death will be meaningless."
Kira let out a sigh, but didn't move. "I just… don't want my family to benefit from me anymore. If they hated me so much, they should've thrown me into an orphanage. But no—they kept me just to favor my brothers and toss me away later."
She gave a bitter laugh. "Now my sister wants to become V's cousin's mistress. They tried to sell me off. Lost my scholarship. Lost the bet… all because of you."
Her eyes slowly turned to Maria. "I loved James. He was rich. That was all I needed. If I could become his woman, maybe I'd finally be someone."
She clenched her fists. "I hate you. You make everything look easy. You're protected. Mike even threatened me because of you. And that only made V's cousin feel more powerful."
Maria's gaze dropped slightly. A dry laugh escaped her lips.
"Well, your life's ruined too," she muttered. Then her eyes scanned the faint mark on Kira's neck. "Did you get raped?"
"What do you think?" a voice cut in sharply.
They both turned.
Ivy stood near the rooftop entrance, leaning against the wall with a smirk on her face.
Before anyone could speak again, a ringtone echoed in the wind.
Kira and Maria turned toward the source—only to find Chris reclining lazily beside the rooftop's AC unit, phone in hand, watching them with mild interest.
"Continue. Don't mind me," Chris said, answering his call before hanging up.
"You were here the whole time and didn't try to stop her?" Maria snapped. "You're unbelievable."
Chris shrugged. "Am I her guardian angel? If she wants to jump, let her. It's her choice."
He got up and walked closer, eyes meeting Maria's coldly. "Besides, I didn't think the new you gave a damn about anyone."
Maria's glare deepened, but she said nothing.
She turned to Kira instead. "The bet is cancelled. Whether you jump or live—your choice. I won't get involved."
She turned and walked toward the rooftop exit.
Chris lit a cigarette and waved it at Kira. She took it quietly.
"You want revenge?" he asked. "Then don't jump. Do something for me instead."
"What's in it for me?" Kira asked.
Chris smiled faintly. "The head of V's family… served to you on a golden platter."
"And what if I don't trust you?"
Chris exhaled smoke slowly. "Then kill yourself. If I betray you later, go ahead and die then. Either way, you won't lose anything."
He turned to leave.
"Oh, and by the way," he said without looking back, "if you jump now, your body won't make it into the news. They'll dump you in a forest or sell your organs. Just like the others."
Kira stood there, stunned.
Then she turned away from the edge—
—and followed.
---
Felix stood at the sink, splashing cold water on his face. The icy sting did nothing to ease the tension tightening in his chest. He exhaled sharply, reached into his pocket, and pulled out his phone. One new message lit up the screen.
"Come home. Family meeting."
He sneered, lips curling with bitter amusement, before tossing the phone aside. It hit the wall with a dull thud and landed on the floor, screen cracked.
As he leaned back over the sink, the bathroom door opened. Three boys strolled in, their footsteps echoing off the tiled walls.
"Hey, Felix," one of them said, grinning mockingly. "Tsk, who beat you up this time? Or did you just trip over your pride again?"
"You should really be more careful," another added with a smirk. "Your mom can't save you anymore, not while she's stuck in the hospital."
The third leaned against the wall, arms folded. "A stepson like you? Pathetic. Your mom's a disgrace—she stole someone else's husband, and now she's paying for it. First wife's back in the picture, and your so-called dad is crawling back to her. They're closer than ever. You must be real proud of that family, huh?"
Felix wiped his face slowly and turned to face them.
"What did you say?" he asked quietly.
"I said—your mother is a disgrace." The boy stepped forward, tapping Felix's forehead with each word. "What are you gonna do, huh? Hit me? Think you're something special?"
Felix gripped the edge of the sink. "Stop while I'm being nice," he said, his voice flat but cold. "Don't force me."
The three laughed.
"This idiot thinks he's dangerous now?" one jeered. "You're nothing but a punching bag."
"If you hit us," another sneered, "you'll be the one in trouble."
Felix's gaze sharpened. "If I beat the three of you, and none of you report it… then no one will know. Unless, of course… one of you plans to cry like a little girl?"
The smirk vanished from their faces.
"You bastard," the first boy growled and shoved Felix's head into the sink full of water.
In the silence that followed, a faint clicking noise echoed from one of the stalls.
King, leaning against the stall door, paused his mobile game. He took a slow drag from his vape and was just about to open the door when—
Screams.
The sound of cracking bones. Gasping. Thuds. A pained cough.
King finally pushed the stall open. His expression unreadable.
Three boys lay on the bathroom floor—each clutching a broken limb, faces twisted in agony, eyes wide with disbelief and fear.
Felix stood over them, calm, as if nothing had happened. His knuckles were red, but his breathing steady. He turned toward the mirror, fixing his collar, and caught King's gaze in the reflection.
He rolled his eyes, unimpressed, and walked past—shoulder-checking King on the way out without saying a word.
King chuckled under his breath, blowing out a lazy cloud of smoke.
"…Damn. Kid's colder than I thought."
---