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PREVIEW CHAPTER 1

The early summer sun blazed mercilessly above Kim Jisoo's head, the heat so stifling it made her eyelids heavy with exhaustion. She slumped in her seat, eyelids drooping, too drained to care about the lecture.

This was the school she’d worked so hard to get into, yet on days like this, she could hardly bring herself to focus. The oppressive heat had her head buzzing, making it difficult to think.

Jisoo glanced around the room, her classmates all sitting upright, their eyes fixed on the teacher as sweat glistened on their foreheads. Jisoo couldn't help but wonder how they managed.. How could they stay so focused in this unbearable heat?

She glanced at the clock, watching the seconds crawl by, her heart pounding in anticipation. Soon, this dull, suffocating lesson would be over. She just needed to survive a little longer.

Ringgggg!

Finally, the bell rang, and the room erupted in motion. Everyone began packing up to leave.

"Finally! Class is over! My back is soaked!" Jisoo exclaimed cheerfully, standing up and hurriedly shoving her books into her bag.

Nearby students wrinkled their noses, shooting her disgusted looks. Jisoo wasn’t popular—her unkempt appearance and loud behavior had earned her a reputation. People avoided her, finding her awkward, too much to deal with. Someone they didn’t want to be around, fearing she would bring nothing but trouble.

But Jisoo was used to it. She ignored the murmurs and whispers, pretending not to notice as she made her way out of the classroom. By now, it was midday, and the drowsiness from the heat had fully set in. Barely keeping her eyes open, she stumbled into the clubroom, heading straight for the changing room. She couldn’t stand wearing her sweat-soaked uniform any longer; the sticky fabric clung to her skin uncomfortably.

Usually, Jisoo was alone at this time. The other members of the club always arrived later, so she felt safe knowing she had the changing room to herself. Or so she thought.

The moment Jisoo opened the door, she froze, startled by the unexpected sight before her.

“……”

A girl with fiery red-orange hair stood in front of the mirror, her shirt unbuttoned, revealing flawless pale skin, a slender waist, and a pair of full, shapely breasts cradled by an orange bra that matched her striking hair.

Jisoo blinked, momentarily dazed.

She’s so... beautiful!!!

Suddenly, a warm trickle began to run down her nose. Blood. It pooled behind the mask she wore, the sharp metallic scent snapping her out of the trance. She hadn’t even realized she had been staring, captivated, and her heart... it was racing in a way that felt so strange, almost confusing.

The red-haired girl narrowed her eyes, glaring at Jisoo as if she were a thief caught breaking into someone’s home. With a raised eyebrow, she demanded, “Who are you? What are you doing in here?”

"I-I... the club..." Jisoo stammered, pressing a hand to her nose in a futile attempt to stop the blood.

The girl glanced at her with impatience. “This is the Taekwondo club. You interested in Taekwondo?”

There was a mocking edge to her tone, but Jisoo didn’t mind. In fact, she was more flustered by the realization that she had stumbled into the wrong clubroom.

“Ah…??! Taekwondo!? S…Sorry…I’m sorry!!!”

Scared, Jisoo bowed her head in apology, mumbling a few incoherent words before fleeing the scene.

Just before the door closed behind her, she caught a glimpse of the red-haired’s name embroidered in bold red letters on the back of the taekwondo uniform hanging nearby: Jung Aerin, Class 2B.

Jung Aerin...

From that moment on, Jisoo couldn’t stop thinking about her. At first, she convinced herself it was admiration, an innocent admiration. Jung Aerin was so beautiful, after all.

But as the days passed, her behavior became more and more strange. She found herself sneaking to Aerin’s class during breaks, leaving small cartons of milk on her desk when no one was looking. She even started asking around, trying to get Aerin’s information. But strangely, no one seemed to have it. And whenever she mentioned Aerin’s name, people quickly changed the subject.

“Jung Aerin… Is she here..?” Jisoo mumbled to herself, her heart racing as she stepped into the library during her rare break. She'd heard whispers that Aerin often came here to borrow books, so often that even the librarian recognized her.

With a thick book grabbed at random, Jisoo wandered through the aisles, scanning every corner for Aerin. She was nervous, her fingers trembling as she moved past shelves of books. And then, like fate had answered her prayers, she spotted her—sitting alone in a quiet, secluded corner. Jisoo’s pulse quickened. She approached, though not to sit with Aerin, but at the table beside her.

Aerin didn’t notice. She was absorbed in her book, her expression focused, so different from their first encounter.

Aerin’s brows were slightly furrowed in concentration, her lips slightly parted as her eyes skimmed the page. Jisoo couldn’t help but admire her. Aerin looked breathtaking in her concentration, a beauty so captivating that it made Jisoo’s heart ache.

She’s still so beautiful...

Jisoo found herself staring, mouth slightly open, lost in Aerin’s presence. She tried to open her book, tried to pretend like she was reading, but her eyes kept drifting back to Aerin. Time slipped away, second by second, until the library’s bell signaling the end of the break startled her.

The minutes had flown by, too quickly for Jisoo’s liking. She watched in dismay as Aerin closed her book and prepared to leave.

As Aerin stood, her eyes met Jisoo’s, and Jisoo’s heart skipped a beat. For a brief moment, their gazes met. Jisoo’s heart raced, her mind blanking. But the look on Aerin’s face wasn’t one of recognition or warmth. It was distant, almost cold, like she had seen Jisoo before but hadn’t placed her yet.

“……”

Aerin’s expression lingered on Jisoo for a bit longer. Then, her gaze shifted away, indifferent.

Jisoo couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Of course, she didn’t remember the girl who was clumsy and awkward like her.

To Aerin, it seemed like just another unwanted attention, perhaps someone trying to spread rumors about her.

As Aerin’s disdain grew, Jisoo’s cheeks burned red, her lips curling into a voluntary smile.

“…….”

Did… did she just look at me?

Did she just smile at me?

That tiny glance, imagined or not, fueled Jisoo’s obsession.

In the days that followed, Jisoo found herself more drawn to Aerin than ever. She began watching her during P.E. class, when their timetables overlapped, always keeping a safe distance but never taking her eyes off Aerin. She told herself it wasn’t stalking, that she just wanted to be close to the girl who had unknowingly stolen her heart. Aerin’s beauty, her confidence, her aloofness—it all made Jisoo want to know her more, to understand the girl behind the distant mask.

But every time Jisoo saw Aerin, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Aerin saw her as just another face in the crowd. Aerin didn’t seem like the type to care what others thought, as Jisoo could sense the subtle way Aerin’s eyes narrowed when certain people were near.

Why was it?

Rumors floated around about Aerin—whispers of her being cold, unfeeling, or even trouble. Jisoo had heard them, but she couldn’t bring herself to believe them. There was something more to Aerin’s distance, something that the gossip didn’t explain.

On that day, Jisoo decided to leave school when a sudden screech of car brakes startled her.

“Get out of the car, now!”

To her surprise, the door opened, and Jung Aerin stepped out, followed by a woman with a stern face. This woman exuded a cold, strict energy, and in front of her, Aerin looked smaller, more fragile—completely unlike her usual fierce self. This side of Aerin, vulnerable and subdued, made Jisoo feel strangely protective.

"Second place? That’s all you could manage—second place?"

Jisoo blinked. This woman was even harsher than Aerin. No, she was worse—aggressive and unreasonably so. Jisoo couldn’t understand why anyone would get upset over second place. Wasn’t that a great achievement?

“I’m sorry, Mom, I tried—"

"Who came in first?" The woman cut Aerin off sharply, her voice cold.

Wait, is this Aerin’s mom? Jisoo wondered. They didn’t look alike, and their shared harshness was the only thing that connected them.

"I asked, who came first?" The woman’s hand tightened around a crumpled report card.

"It was Kwang Jihyun." Aerin’s voice softened as she spoke the name, and a rare smile crossed her face.

"Kwang Jihyun again?" The woman paused for a moment before continuing.

"Mom, you know her. The teachers love her. She always excels in everything she does—"

SLAP!

The sound echoed through the air, cutting through the quiet. Jisoo’s heart skipped a beat, frozen in shock. Did she just see that? Did Aerin’s own mother really just slap her?

From where she stood, Jisoo could see the red mark forming on Aerin’s cheek. She felt an overwhelming urge to rush over and help but stopped herself. This was Aerin’s family matter, and stepping in would likely make things worse.

"What have I taught you? Praising your rival? Know your place and be what I’ve raised you to be."

The report card fell to the ground, scattered in the dirt. Aerin didn’t look shocked or panicked; it was as though she was used to this. Her face remained indifferent as she bent down to pick up the paper—her hard-earned results.

But her mother wasn’t done. She stomped on the report, grinding it into the ground until the paper tore.

Years of hard work crushed underfoot. Jisoo could only watch as Aerin’s expression barely changed. The pain was evident, though. It might have been a familiar wound, but every time it reopened, it still hurt. No matter how much Aerin pretended not to care, she was still human, and humans feel pain.

"Don’t forget, you’re just adopted. Defy me, and I’ll send you back to the orphanage." The woman’s cruel smile said it all—

She knew she had complete control over Aerin and reveled in it. Bullies like her fed off the power they held over others.

"Get home on your own. You’re an embarrassment." With that, the woman got back in her car and drove away, leaving Aerin alone, kneeling on the ground.

Once the car was out of sight, Aerin picked up the torn report card. She stared at it, the dirt and tears ruining what was supposed to represent her effort. She had probably convinced herself that she was used to this. But as her fingers traced the damaged paper, tears began to fall uncontrollably.

“Aerin is the worst; stay away from her.” Those words echoed in Jisoo’s mind.

Adopted? Did her mother say Aerin was an orphan? Suddenly, Jisoo understood. The problem wasn’t Aerin herself—it was her situation, the unfair way life had treated her.

Beautiful roses are fragile, which is why they grow thorns for protection. Maybe Aerin was the same. She had built up walls, pushed people away, to keep herself from being hurt again.

The more Jisoo thought about it, the more her heart ached.

Jisoo couldn’t summon the courage to approach Aerin directly, so she kept her distance, following her quietly like a shadow. She told herself she’d step away any moment, but her feet kept trailing after Aerin without her realizing.

Every now and then, she’d glance at the band-aid in her hand, bought impulsively at a convenience store after noticing the scratch on Aerin’s cheek earlier.

She wanted to say something, anything, but her voice caught in her throat. What would she even say? That she saw the confrontation with Aerin’s mother? That she knew Aerin wasn’t as cold-hearted as everyone claimed? The words swirled in her mind, unspoken.

“….”

As Aerin stopped by a quiet alley to sit on the curb, Jisoo’s heart thudded painfully in her chest. For a moment, she thought of stepping forward, but her legs refused to move. Aerin looked so distant, her expression unreadable, and the fear of rejection rooted Jisoo in place.

When Aerin suddenly turned her head, Jisoo panicked and ducked behind a corner. Her breath quickened, and she squeezed the band-aid tightly in her palm.

“What am I even doing?” she muttered to herself, frustrated.

Finally, she forced herself to walk away. Each step felt heavier than the last. Jisoo convinced herself it was for the best—Aerin clearly didn’t need her meddling.

By the time Jisoo reached home, her heart was still caught in a whirlwind of emotions. She collapsed onto her bed, staring at the band-aid in her hand.

“Aerin’s not cruel,” Jisoo whispered to herself, her voice soft. “She’s just… protecting herself.”

Her lips curved into a faint smile. Aerin’s tough exterior reminded Jisoo of a watermelon: hard and unyielding on the outside, but sweet and tender at its core.

Clutching her phone, Jisoo scrolled through a folder filled with pictures of Aerin—snapshots taken in secret, moments where Aerin’s walls seemed to drop, even if just for a second.

“I really like her,” Jisoo thought with a blush.

That night, sleep evaded her, and her mind remained full of Aerin.