Vroom!
There's only one reason why Olivia loves bikes.
The sensation of speed that seeps into her bones.
In that moment when the heavy engine roars, she can forget everything else and focus solely on what's ahead of her.
But the rush of speed lasts only briefly.
Screech.
As the yellow light flickered, she quickly had to grab the brakes.
While waiting for the signal, she fell into deep thought.
Should I call about being assigned to the top class?
Thinking of her father's face, she shook her head.
What's the big deal, calling about something like that?
She convinced herself it wasn't worth a call.
But deep down, she couldn't stop thinking: If I did call, what would I even say?
Her mind filled with a swirl of thoughts.
Honk!
She would have stayed zoned out if the horn hadn't blared behind her.
Olivia raised her hand to apologize and then sped up again.
Vroom!
Was it because she thought of her father?
Out of nowhere, a gloomy feeling crept in, like being splashed with muddy water on a tired ride home.
At times like this, she just wanted to let loose and ride.
'Damn it.'
But the constant stoplights were getting in the way.
Being stuck like this just made useless thoughts swarm her mind…
Vroom!
She couldn't even remember how she got home.
Instead.
Thud!
She collapsed onto the couch, exhausted.
It always ends up like this.
All she did was think of her father.
And just like that, a perfectly fine day felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton.
It wasn't as if she had always disliked him.
In fact, there was a time when she loved him more than anyone in the world.
Only two years ago, that had been the case.
Back then, she was proud to be his daughter, so much so that she carefully watched his every move.
Throughout her school years, she had never uttered a single curse, fearing it would bring shame to his name.
And it wasn't just that.
Everyone they met always compared her to her father.
Smile.
She would always put on a smile, pretending not to mind.
'I am Ralph Warren's daughter, after all.'
Having been born to such a great father, she figured she had to endure at least this much.
Olivia believed she could handle it all.
Looking back now, it was such a naïve thought.
The immaturity of a girl who knew nothing of the world.
Naturally, the world wasn't as kind as she had thought.
It must have been two years ago.
She had entered a national design contest.
She spent half a year preparing for it, but considering adults and professionals were also eligible, winning as a 15-year-old girl was nearly impossible.
Even so, she couldn't help but dream.
You know that feeling, right?
Like when you buy a lottery ticket and spend the week feeling excited.
What if I won? How happy would Dad be?
But then, to her amazement, that dream came true.
She won third place.
A prize of $50,000, plus the possibility of a special recruitment from the sponsoring company.
Yet, unfortunately, the seeds of misfortune sprouted from that blessing.
'Ralph Warren's daughter wins major design contest.'
'15-year-old genius designer emerges.'
The media was the first to react.
Thirsty for a new star, the press ran an endless stream of positive articles.
That might have stirred the gossip.
Rumors spread quickly, as if they had been waiting for it.
'A 15-year-old genius designer? Or perhaps the product of a corrupt art cartel.'
'Word has it Ralph Warren pulled strings to ensure his daughter's victory.'
'How could a 15-year-old compete with adults otherwise?'
She had grown accustomed to being compared to her father.
She could even tolerate people downplaying her efforts, attributing it all to her "superior DNA."
But the suspicion that her father had intervened—now that was a shock.
"Dad didn't even know I entered the contest!"
No matter how much she tried to explain, no one believed her.
At that moment, Olivia realized it clearly.
The world didn't want her to succeed.
At this rate, escaping her father's shadow would be impossible for the rest of her life.
It was probably then.
When an overwhelming sense of emptiness took over.
The realization that there was a wall she could never surpass strangely made her sink deeper.
Her underdeveloped sense of self was now manifesting problems.
She realized there was a huge void that love and respect for her father could no longer fill.
Endless sinking, sinking, sinking.
What pulled her out of that state was the bike.
The sound of the engine thundering like a heartbeat made her feel fully alive.
At least while she was on the bike, she could focus solely on the present stretched out in front of her, rather than the past that stubbornly clung to her.
But today, unexpectedly, someone other than her bike came to mind.
"He got in with the queen's recommendation, right? So that's why the principal personally came to care for him. Who knows? Maybe he even got the test questions early?"
A person who had also been unfairly slandered, just like her.
Perhaps the reason she got involved in such baseless gossip was that Park Ji-hoon's situation mirrored her own so much.
Come to think of it, she had quite a long conversation with him today.
Since she couldn't explain everything about her relationship with her father,
"My dad's clothes are so old-fashioned. Totally an old man's taste. But now they expect me to work at that company? As a designer, no less?"
She had expressed her situation in a roundabout way.
To someone who didn't know the full story, it might have sounded like childish whining.
Even so, Park Ji-hoon listened to her story sincerely.
Unlike others who were always ready to misunderstand, he deeply empathized and calmly offered his solution.
How great his answer was was a secondary issue.
The important thing was.
"He listened to me carefully and patiently."
That's something even her father couldn't do.
Of course.
Her father had told her to ignore the world's suspicions.
That the truth would come out eventually, and in the meantime, she should prove herself by working at his company.
"That's not what I wanted."
Just having someone quietly by her side would have been enough.
Today, she met Park Ji-hoon.
Recalling their long exchange of notes.
As she thought about it, the chaos in her mind subsided, as if by magic.
"...."
She had thought she didn't need friends in life.
But under the lazy afternoon sunlight, her eyes gently closed.
It was 4 p.m.
It had been a long time since she'd fallen asleep at this hour.
Olivia slowly drifted into a deep sleep.
***
After school, I ran exactly 10 kilometers before coming back.
Then I headed straight for the shower, my body soaked in sweat.
Ssshhhhh!
I stood still under the cool water.
If only I had a cold beer, this would be perfect!
I dried off with a thick towel, but since I didn't have any beer, I settled for a cold coffee from the fridge.
Gulp, gulp. Ahhh.
"Should I watch a movie?"
I was about to head to the sofa in a good mood when…
Riiing!
The phone rang from the living room.
Who could it be at this hour?
I quickly walked over and picked up the receiver.
"It's me."
A voice so familiar.
"G-Grandpa?"
"Why are you so surprised? Am I calling a place I shouldn't be?"
"No, it's not that."
I never gave him my phone number…
Was I still too shocked?
Grandpa spoke up right away.
"Are you planning to ignore what your grandpa told you?"
"Did I… ignore you?"
"What did I tell you when you left for England?"
"...?"
"I told you not to get too caught up in your studies and just have fun!"
Ahh.
"But this rascal! Did you not listen to me at all? What? You got into the top class on the very first day?"
Sure, the influence of private academies is huge in Korea.
But how he got that information about what happened in England in less than half a day…
As I stood there dumbfounded, he continued.
"What? You don't want to take over the company, so you're planning to become a scholar?"
It might have sounded like scolding, but his voice was full of pride.
I'd bet that this news had already reached Chairman Jung of Daebo Group…
Anyway.
"I just got lucky."
"That's not something you achieve with luck alone."
In an attempt to lower Grandpa's expectations, I decided to share an anecdote from today.
"I still have a long way to go. When the other person started deliberately rolling their tongue, it was hard to even understand what they were saying."
(So, what did you do?)
"I thought, whatever happens, happens, and told them to speak more slowly."
A loud clapping sound came through the receiver.
He must have thought he'd have responded the same way in that situation.
Grandpa, in an excited voice, asked,
(So, in the end, you beat all the British kids and got assigned to the top class by yourself in the first round, right?)
"Well, it just sort of happened…"
(Then they must be really gunning for you now.)
"..."
(Should I get you a private tutor?)
"You told me to just have fun, but why a tutor…?"
(Who said anything about studying?)
"...?"
(Whether you want to or not, if a fight breaks out, you've got to win it first, right?)
Was it the competitive spirit of the Park family rising up?
But that reaction didn't last long.
Talking about fighting to a grandson studying abroad must've felt a bit off to him.
(Are you eating properly?)
"Of course."
(Bread alone won't cut it, though.)
"I'm eating meat whenever I can."
(Steak?)
"Yes."
After a brief silence, he spoke again.
(If you need anything, contact the chief secretary and tell him to send it to you.)
"Thank you."
Grandpa seemed reluctant to hang up, choosing his words carefully, but eventually placed the receiver down.
'I'm just as reluctant to hang up, you know?'
Of course.
Offering to get me a private tutor, worried I might be discriminated against.
Attention and affection I never experienced in my past life.
If only he hadn't insisted on me inheriting the company…
I would've played the role of a doting grandson to the fullest!
Sigh.
I smacked my lips in regret as I moved toward the sofa.
Speaking of school.
'I wonder what happened to Olivia?'
Despite seeming disinterested in the debate, she was exceptional when it came to analyzing Julian.
'Ralph Warren's daughter, huh….'
It certainly wouldn't hurt to befriend her.
'I hope she made it into the top class too.'
Not just Olivia.
There was that guy, Peter, I think.
The one planning some fiery game.
Once we're both enrolled, we should grab a meal together and talk more about it.
On that note.
'It's a shame I didn't see Jack.'
Why didn't he show up?
Was he automatically assigned to the top class like the nobles?
Did that mean he got to skip the test?
'That would be nice.'
As I let my mind wander through these thoughts, the last shadows of the afternoon stretched long outside the window.