The Boy Who Didn’t Belong

"Every secret has a price. The real question is—who will pay for it?"

Shinseong High was a place where money spoke louder than words. Students arrived in blacked-out limousines, their uniforms perfectly tailored, their watches worth more than a small apartment. In the middle of all that glitz and privilege, there was one student who didn’t belong—Lee Joon-hyuk.

He wasn’t like the others. No flashy watches, no personal chauffeur. His uniform wasn’t custom-made, and his shoes had seen better days. Everyone knew he was a scholarship student, which in a school like this, was another way of saying “outsider”. But Joon-hyuk didn’t care. Or at least, he pretended not to.

He walked through the school gates, keeping his head down, blending into the background like he always did. But today felt different.

A group of students was gathered near the front, whispering excitedly.

“Did you hear? Han Soo-ah rejected another chaebol heir!”

“She’s insane. Who says no to a guy driving a Lamborghini?”

“She doesn’t care about money. Maybe she likes bad boys.”

Joon-hyuk wasn’t interested in school gossip, but one name made him stop—Han Soo-ah.

She was the girl everyone talked about but no one really knew. Beautiful, sharp-tongued, and impossible to impress. Some said she came from an ordinary family, others swore she was the secret daughter of a powerful CEO. All Joon-hyuk knew was that she was the only person in this school who never looked at him with pity.

And today, for the first time, she was looking at him.

Their eyes met across the crowd, and for a brief second, something flickered between them. Recognition? Curiosity? Before he could figure it out, she smirked.

“Lee Joon-hyuk. The boy who doesn’t belong.”

The crowd turned to him, expecting a reaction. But Joon-hyuk just shrugged, unaffected.

“And you’re the girl who doesn’t care.”

A few students gasped. No one spoke to Han Soo-ah like that. But instead of getting angry, she laughed—a real, amused laugh.

“Interesting.” She tilted her head. “Let’s see how long you can survive here.”

With that, she walked away, leaving behind a confused audience and an even more confused Joon-hyuk.

The Warning

By lunchtime, Joon-hyuk had already forgotten about the encounter. He was used to being ignored, and he preferred it that way. But today, the school wouldn’t let him fade into the background.

As he walked toward the cafeteria, someone grabbed his arm and dragged him into an empty classroom.

“What the—?” He yanked his arm back, turning to see a tall, broad-shouldered guy blocking the door.

Kang Min-ho. Son of a real estate tycoon. Captain of the Judo team. And the guy who had just been rejected by Han Soo-ah this morning.

“Stay away from Soo-ah.” Min-ho’s voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp. Threatening.

Joon-hyuk almost laughed. “You dragged me in here for that? I barely know her.”

Min-ho stepped closer, his expensive cologne and anger filling the air. “Then keep it that way.”

Joon-hyuk met his gaze, unbothered. “Are we done here?”

Min-ho exhaled, annoyed. “You don’t belong in this school, Joon-hyuk. People like you don’t last here.”

Something inside Joon-hyuk twisted, but he didn’t show it. He had spent his whole life hearing those words, but they didn’t mean anything. Not anymore.

“Then I guess we’ll see how long I last.” With that, he walked past Min-ho and out the door.

But as he left, something unsettled him.

Because Kang Min-ho wasn’t the only person who thought he didn’t belong.

Joon-hyuk knew he didn’t belong. Not just in this school, but in the entire world these rich kids lived in.

And the biggest reason for that was the secret he had spent his whole life hiding.

Because Lee Joon-hyuk wasn’t just a scholarship student.

He was the only son of one of the richest men in Korea.

To be continued…

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