There was silence between them the next morning.
Not awkward.
Not cold.
Just heavy.
Like the aftermath of a storm that had soaked everything in its path.
Kang Ha-Rin sat on the window ledge of her dorm room, the leather gloves folded beside her, hair still damp from her rushed shower. Her lips—still tingling from the night before—reminded her every second that it had happened. That it hadn't been a dream.
Jin Seo-Won had kissed her.
Claimed her.
Touched her like she wasn't just his Drop—but something he couldn't afford to lose.
And he didn't regret it.
That was the dangerous part.
She heard the knock before she saw him.
Three short taps. No hesitation.
When she opened the door, there he stood.
Hair slicked back. Tie loose. That signature black uniform. But this time... he held something behind his back.
"Did you sleep?" he asked.
She gave him a look. "Did you?"
He smirked. "Not a second. I was rewriting school policy."
"You're not joking."
"I added a new clause: 'No harassment, direct or indirect, toward Drop members will be tolerated. Any violations are punishable by immediate probation or expulsion.'"
She blinked. "That's... intense."
"Good. So am I."
He stepped inside without asking and pulled the object out from behind his back.
A thin red box.
She frowned. "What's that?"
He opened it.
Inside: a soft white silk ribbon.
Embroidered in gold thread:
"J.S.W. 01"
"I'm not giving you jewelry yet," he said. "But this... this means you're mine in front of everyone."
Her breath hitched. "You want me to wear that?"
"Around your neck."
"You're insane."
He stepped closer. "Only for you."
"Seo-Won, if I walk into school wearing a collar—"
"It's not a collar. It's a ribbon. A signal."
"A leash."
"A throne."
Her cheeks burned.
"You're serious about this?"
He nodded. "They tried to humiliate you. So now I'm going to make it impossible for them to ignore you."
She looked at the ribbon. Then at him.
"If I wear this..."
"You stand beside me."
She took it slowly from the box.
It was soft. Expensive. Somehow elegant and uncomfortably seductive at the same time.
"What's the 01 for?" she asked.
His voice dropped. "First. And only."
—
When she stepped into the courtyard wearing the silk ribbon tied gently around her neck, the school stopped breathing.
Students literally froze mid-step.
Phones were raised. Screens were lit. Mouths were open.
"Is she insane?"
"Did she let him do that to her?"
"It says J.S.W.—that's branding."
"He's never done that for anyone..."
Ha-Rin walked past them like she didn't hear a thing.
Seo-Won was already waiting in front of the main building, leaning against the marble wall like he'd been sculpted for it.
And when he saw her—his expression changed.
A twitch of the mouth.
A blink of disbelief.
And something even darker.
Possession.
"You wore it," he said.
She looked up. "Did you doubt me?"
He stepped forward.
Tilted her chin up with two fingers.
Whispered, "Now they'll know."
She stared back. "I'm not a trophy."
"No," he murmured. "You're a reminder. Of who I'll ruin everything for."
She didn't know whether to run or kiss him again.
Instead, she pushed past him, heading toward class.
But her heart?
It was already kneeling.
—
Lunchtime brought the next blow.
Not to Ha-Rin.
To Na-Gyeom.
She strutted into the cafeteria, surrounded by her usual entourage, prepared to reclaim the spotlight—until she saw it.
The board.
Every week, the Student Council updated the Social Standing Board—a decorative chart ranking student council influence, honorary awards, and elite favors.
Usually, Na-Gyeom hovered in the top 3.
This time?
She was number 6.
Ha-Rin?
Number 2.
Under only one name: Jin Seo-Won.
A collective gasp echoed across the room.
Na-Gyeom stormed to the front of the cafeteria and slammed her hand against the board.
"What the hell is this?!"
A junior council member stammered. "It... it reflects current social influence ratios—"
"Who voted?!"
"Council President has executive override."
"Where is he?!"
"Behind you."
Na-Gyeom spun.
Seo-Won stood beside Ha-Rin, chopsticks in hand, placing kimchi in her bowl like he was feeding a kitten.
Na-Gyeom's voice shook. "You did this."
Seo-Won raised a brow. "Was it not accurate?"
"She's nothing."
"She's mine. That makes her everything."
Na-Gyeom looked at Ha-Rin. "You're just a passing phase."
Ha-Rin placed her chopsticks down, stood, and said calmly:
"Maybe. But I'm still standing beside him. And you're not."
Na-Gyeom slapped her.
Gasps echoed like thunder.
Ha-Rin didn't move.
She didn't flinch.
But Seo-Won?
He grabbed Na-Gyeom's wrist mid-air and twisted.
"Touch her again," he said, voice like a blade, "and I'll call your father myself."
Na-Gyeom yanked her hand back, furious.
"You'll regret this."
He leaned in. "Only if she cries. And she hasn't."
Ha-Rin sat back down.
Smiled.
And picked up another kimchi.
—
That night, she sat alone in the library. Ji-Ae had gone home early. Tae-Hwan was nowhere to be seen. And Seo-Won... had vanished again.
She should've been relieved.
But instead?
She felt hollow.
She ran her fingers over the silk ribbon at her throat.
What was she now?
A pawn turned queen?
A queen on someone else's board?
She didn't know.
So she went to the only place where truth existed.
The auditorium.
—
The lights were off when she slipped inside.
But she wasn't alone.
Seo-Won sat in the middle row, alone, tie loose, sleeves rolled up, his face buried in his hands.
"Didn't expect you here," he muttered without looking.
"You disappear a lot."
"I'm trying not to."
"Then why are you hiding?"
He looked up slowly.
And something about his face stopped her heart.
He looked... tired.
No smirk.
No edge.
Just exhausted.
"They're going to come for you harder now," he said. "My parents. The board. Na-Gyeom's family. Everyone."
"I don't care."
"I do."
She sat beside him. Quietly.
"You shouldn't have dropped my name on the board," she said.
"I had to."
"You made me a target."
"I made you mine."
She turned to him.
He looked at her like she was the first real thing he'd ever seen.
And whispered, "Let me make it official."
Her breath hitched. "What?"
He reached into his coat.
Pulled out a slim envelope.
Inside: a form. Stamped. Signed.
A school file.
Proposal: Permanent Drop Contract – Voluntary Agreement
Below that—her name. And his.
"If you sign this," he said, "you'll be tied to me until graduation. No replacements. No revoking. Not just symbolic. Official."
Her hands shook.
"This isn't a game anymore," she whispered.
"It never was."
She looked at the paper.
Then at him.
And she asked, "What happens if I say no?"
"I'll still protect you."
"And if I say yes?"
"I'll own you."
He didn't blink.
Didn't smile.
Just stared.
And for the first time...
She wanted to be owned.
She took the pen.
And signed.
—
End of Chapter 10.
Thank you so much for reading Chapter 10 🖤
This one meant a lot to me — not just because of the kiss (okay, maybe a little because of the kiss 😳), but because it shows a turning point. Seo-Won isn't just playing anymore. And Ha-Rin... she's finally realizing how deep this might go.
I know my story doesn't always follow the usual romance path. I write like a drama — episode by episode, cliffhangers, tension, obsession, chaos, kisses that steal your breath — because that's the kind of love story I've always wanted to read.
Thank you for sticking with me through every twist.
If you're new here: welcome. This is the kind of book where nothing stays quiet for long. 😈
If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a comment, a vote, or share it with someone who loves drama and danger as much as you do.
Love,
AKByeol ✨
(Your scandal-loving Seoulmateu™)
© 2025 AKByeol. All rights reserved.