The classroom of Haneul Academy was unusually quiet that morning.
Seo Yuna sat in her seat beside Minji, pretending to listen to the teacher, but her attention kept drifting to the same direction.
Across the classroom.
Jihun.
Or more specifically… his eyes.
They were fixed on her again.
Not casually.
Not curiously.
But sharply. Intently.
Minji leaned closer and whispered, "Why does Jihun keep staring at you like he wants to start a war?"
Seo Yuna sighed softly.
"He's not staring," she muttered.
"He's glaring."
Minji blinked.
"That's even worse."
Seo Yuna quietly looked down at her notebook, trying to act normal, but inside her thoughts were racing.
Did he figure something out?
Ever since the cafeteria incident yesterday, Jihun's attention had been completely focused on her.
And that was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
---
Across the room, Jihun leaned back in his chair, watching Seo Yuna carefully.
She looked normal.
Too normal.
Yet something about her bothered him.
Her boldness in the cafeteria.
Her calm attitude around the Elite Seven.
And most importantly… the timing.
The Scarlet Shadow had started appearing right after she arrived at the academy.
Jihun's lips curved slightly.
Interesting.
He turned slightly toward Seojun, who was sitting nearby.
"Create a situation," Jihun said quietly.
Seojun frowned. "What kind of situation?"
Jihun's gaze moved back to Seo Yuna.
"A test."
---
Later that afternoon, the school corridors were crowded with students heading toward their next class.
Seo Yuna and Minji were walking together when they suddenly noticed a small crowd forming near the lockers.
Two familiar voices could be heard.
Seojun.
And Taemin.
They had cornered a younger student again.
The boy looked terrified.
Seo Yuna's hands slowly clenched.
Minji noticed immediately.
"Don't," she whispered nervously.
Seo Yuna glanced at her.
"It might be a trap," Minji added quietly.
Seo Yuna exhaled slowly.
Maybe it is.
But when she saw the boy's frightened expression, her decision was already made.
"I can't ignore it," she whispered.
Before Minji could stop her, Seo Yuna quietly slipped into the crowd.
---
A few seconds later—
Seojun suddenly heard a strange clicking sound.
He frowned.
"What was that?"
Then—
WHOOSH!
A hidden banner suddenly dropped from the ceiling right above their heads.
Bright red letters appeared across it:
"BULLIES OF HANEUL ACADEMY."
At the same time, a bucket of colorful confetti exploded above Seojun and Taemin, covering them from head to toe.
Students gasped.
Then quickly turned away, trying to hide their laughter.
Taemin looked furious.
"WHO DID THIS?!"
Seojun looked around angrily.
"The Scarlet Shadow!"
Whispers spread through the hallway instantly.
"The hero appeared again!"
"Did you see that?!"
"The Scarlet Shadow strikes again!"
---
Standing at the far end of the hallway, Jihun watched everything silently.
His eyes scanned the crowd.
Looking for one person.
Seo Yuna.
But she was nowhere near the center of the chaos.
Instead, she casually walked out of the crowd a few seconds later and joined Minji as if nothing had happened.
Jihun's eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting…
His suspicion grew stronger.
---
Nearby, Chaeyoung was watching the entire scene with dark eyes.
Beside her, Yerin crossed her arms.
"That scholarship girl was here a second ago."
Soyeon frowned.
"And now she's gone."
Chaeyoung's expression hardened.
"That girl… she's definitely hiding something."
---
Meanwhile, Seo Yuna and Minji quickly escaped to another hallway.
Minji grabbed Seo Yuna's arm excitedly.
"That was AMAZING!"
Seo Yuna grinned.
"Simple but effective."
Minji laughed.
"The Scarlet Shadow legend just got bigger!"
Seo Yuna shrugged playfully.
"Someone has to keep the bullies entertained."
But inside, she still felt slightly uneasy.
Because she knew someone was watching her.
---
Later that day, class finally ended.
Students slowly began leaving the classroom.
Seo Yuna packed her bag, ready to go home.
Minji had already left earlier to meet a teacher.
Just as Seo Yuna stood up—
A shadow appeared beside her desk.
She looked up.
Jihun.
He was standing there casually, hands in his pockets.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He leaned slightly closer.
"You're an interesting person, Seo Yuna."
Her fingers tightened around her bag strap.
"I don't know what you mean."
Jihun smiled faintly.
But it wasn't a friendly smile.
It was teasing.
Almost playful.
"Oh, I think you do."
Seo Yuna forced herself to remain calm.
"Are you accusing me of something?"
Jihun tilted his head slightly.
"Not yet."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"But I will say this…"
He leaned a little closer.
"I've never met someone this bold before."
Seo Yuna crossed her arms.
"Maybe you just haven't met many normal people."
Jihun chuckled softly.
Then he straightened and stepped back.
"Well," he said casually.
"I look forward to discovering what other surprises you're hiding."
Seo Yuna froze slightly.
Jihun turned and began walking toward the door.
But before leaving, he glanced back at her one last time.
His eyes glinted with amusement.
"See you tomorrow… Scarlet Shadow."
Then he walked out.
Seo Yuna stood there, completely stunned.
Wait…
Did he just—
Her heart started beating faster.
A nervous smile slowly appeared on her face.
This game just got a lot more interesting.