Chapter: 08
“Who knows? Maybe one of us is actually Daniel’s type? I’m kind of curious what it would look like if you two dated. Don’t you feel tempted? A side of Tryiel that no one knows?”
Joshua snickered.
“Dating Daniel….”
Frederick’s voice trailed off, low and thoughtful, as if he was imagining something.
At that moment, Isu squeezed her eyes shut and threw her head back.
‘Ah, seriously….’
Bastards. Rotten bastards.
‘Should I just flip everything over?’
At this point, she couldn’t even stay in school anyway—should she just dump filthy water on their faces and drop out?
‘Confess to me? Love confession?’
Like hell I’d ever fall for trash with personalities like yours.
Isu raised a hand and pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose, exhaling through her mouth instead. It was her way of trying to suppress her rough breathing.
‘Are people just toys to you?’
No… not everyone is like that, right?
‘It’s because I’m an easy target—a bottom-tier scholarship student.’
A silent, hollow laugh escaped her.
If it were anyone else, maybe she wouldn’t care—but that Frederick group was the very same people she had run into yesterday after school while crying.
Of course, Isu had no way of knowing that seeing her cry had strangely drawn their attention, and that was how all of this had started.
‘You see someone crying, and the next day you’re spouting that kind of crap.’
“Ha….”
Still with her eyes closed, Isu turned toward the stairs. Voices followed behind her, but she no longer listened.
Maybe she was running away—from whatever cruel answer Frederick Bastia might have given.
A sense of helplessness drained all strength from her body. Whether she rushed at them, threw dirty water, or formally reported them to the school—
She already knew nothing would change.
‘How long do I have to keep struggling like this…?’
Gripping the stair railing, Isu slowly descended, her legs trembling as if they might give out at any moment.
‘I know… it was my choice, my responsibility.’
She knew it logically.
Her grip on the railing tightened.
Isu had transferred to the U.S. in 5th grade of lower school. Back then, she wasn’t a scholarship student.
But in 7th grade, when her younger brother was diagnosed with a rare disease, her parents could no longer afford private school tuition. That was when she stood at a crossroads.
The only way for her to remain at Elmir Westlake was to step down—voluntarily—into the very bottom tier of the system.
Logically, transferring to a public school would’ve been the right decision. No one had forced her to become a scholarship student.
But Isu had personally persuaded her parents and chose to step down on her own.
“I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as you.”
“……”
“Not all Koreans are like that, right? It’s just you, isn’t it?”
Lost in thought, Isu’s hazel eyes looked dull, almost gray.
There was a time she believed she was “equal” to Frederick Bastia. They went to the same school, wore the same uniform.
“There are plenty of empty seats. Why sit there?”
“I like this spot.”
“I’m not the type to accommodate you like others. I’m not going to try to entertain you either.”
“You don’t have to do anything. Just being like this already makes me smile.”
The image of a much younger Frederick smiling brightly appeared vividly in her mind, as if he were sitting right in front of her.
Back then, they had sat in the same space, on the same sofa, laughing together over a book he had handed her.
So…
‘…How stupid.’
Isu pressed her fingers to her brow. As she closed her eyes, her breathing gradually steadied.
When she opened them again, the lingering image across from her had disappeared.
‘No. No.’
Get a grip.
She exhaled deeply through her nose.
‘I’m here for myself. For my goals. For my future.’
Scholarship essay? It’s not a big deal. I’ll just write it. If I lose the scholarship, then so be it.
‘I’ve done my best—that’s enough. No need to feel so miserable.’
At worst, she’d just step off the fast track and follow the same path as other Korean international students, going to a regular public school.
It’s not like her path to college would disappear. Everything she had built so far wouldn’t just vanish.
Taking a deep breath that filled her chest, Isu opened her eyes and continued down the stairs.
‘Then I’ll just write an essay so heartfelt and compelling that they can’t refuse to fund me.’
An essay that would leave the reader with no choice—if they had even 1 gram of conscience.
With her thoughts settled, the corners of Isu’s lips lifted into a faint smile.
It’s okay.
“It’s okay.”
She muttered it like a vow.
No matter how irritating Frederick Bastia was, whatever bet he was making, whatever intentions he had—it didn’t matter. None of it concerned her.
…Or so she thought.
But Frederick Bastia ended up doing something she absolutely couldn’t believe.
The hallway was chaotic as students poured out after class.
Isu was deep in thought about her essay—what to include, how to structure it, and when to finish it.
‘Maybe organizing it by year with more detailed content would be better….’
She also needed to retrieve the math club group photo.
Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly stopped when a shadow fell in front of her.
“…What?”
Frederick Bastia stood there, blocking her path like a gatekeeper. His usual smile somehow looked even more irritating.
Just the act of facing each other created a strange tension, drawing the attention of nearby students.
Stella, who had been leaning against a locker with her friends, uncrossed her arms and leaned forward. She was wearing a tie meant for male students.
“Hello, Daniel.”
He smiled gently—like some innocent saint.
“…What’s with the greeting? Do you need something from me?”
Unlike him, Isu couldn’t manage her expression at all.
After all that talk about seducing her and making her accept a confession, it seemed he had decided to act.
‘Whatever he says, I’ll just ignore him and leave….’
Don’t mess with me, Frederick Bastia. Seriously.
The moment Isu glared at him—
“Danielle, You’re the person I can’t stop thinking about. Will you be my girlfriend?”
“…What?”
“WHAT?!”
Isu’s mouth hung open.
The heavy silence shattered instantly as someone shouted in shock. The hallway erupted into chaos.
“Did I hear that right? Was that a public confession?”
“And from Frederick Bastia? To Tryiel?”
“Jesus, what is happening?”
The students buzzed loudly.
But among them all, the most shocked person was—of course—Isu.
Did I hear that correctly?
My ears aren’t broken, right?
Frederick Bastia just asked me to be his girlfriend?
‘Wow….’
After a moment of stunned silence, Isu let out a breathy, disbelieving laugh.
‘He’s really doing anything to win that bet. What a terrifying guy.’
Then again, someone who chases nothing but amusement—this kind of reckless stunt was completely within reason.
Thinking that way, even his confession made sense.
‘You think I’d accept? Is something wrong with your brain?’
Isu slowly opened her mouth to answer. As she lifted her gaze, her eyes met Frederick’s.
She couldn’t read the meaning behind his smile—not in lower school, not in middle school, not even now in upper school.
‘Look at him smiling so confidently.’
Confess all you want. I’d never accept.
And a public confession? Where does that confidence even come from?
Ridiculous.
“Ah, did I upset you again?”
“I was just stating facts.”
Remembering how their last conversation ended made her blood boil.
What kind of response would make Frederick Bastia—who lived off his own arrogance—finally taste bitterness?
But before Isu could speak, Frederick was faster.
“I don’t know if you realize it, but you’re special to me.”
Her heart dropped.
Because the look in his eyes—staring straight at her—was strangely serious.
