Many people had already gathered to watch Dean West demonstrate his skills when Ivan arrived at the field.
At the moment, the boy was shirtless, showing off his well-defined abs and muscles while grinning wickedly at the girls who were constantly fangirling over him. Ivan's lips twisted in disgust, watching the scene. As he stopped in his tracks, he felt someone bump into him and it was then he realized that someone was behind him. “Watch where you are going and don't injure yourself" Ivan told Sofia who has been keeping her head down after he beat up those bullies. Ivan has heard a brief anecdote about Sofia's admission to class A. She was the only person in the class with parents from a lower socioeconomic status. Her mother was the cook in Daphne's home, and her father was the gardener. Sofia was able to join Classroom A because of this. “You don't have to do it earlier. They are Dean’s boys and would definitely do something to you” Sofia spoke slowly, avoiding Ivan’s gaze. "Worry more about yourself and stop worrying about me or what will happen if I mess with people who I'm supposed not to mess with” Ivan answered coldly, walking towards the field with his hands in his pocket. Many students paused to stare at him, but Ivan just moved in the direction of the shade, uninterested in what they were doing. A few minutes afterward, the School Flower made her appearance on the field, and numerous students began to sing praise and admiration songs. When Ivan saw Dahlia approaching the crowd at a leisurely pace, her friends trailing behind her, he scoffed. She was smiling and bowing at everyone. She was the real definition of a devil in human’s clothing, Ivan thought to himself. Only if these pupils were aware of who their true School Flower was. Seeing Dahlia, Dean made way to her side, grinning ear to ear with his bare chest. “You came," He uttered, stretching his hand forward to Dahlia, who took it with care. "Of course,” Dahlia smiled back. The fact that Dean West was infatuated with the school flower was almost universally known at Rao High. After numerous attempts, Dahlia had consistently ignored him when he tried to win her over. Despite the rejections, the two would always act lovey-dovey whenever they get the chance. “Then I will be sure to show my fighting skills to you" Dean walked back to where he was before, motioning for his opponent. His opponent was a boy in Class F who was known for his thuggery attitude let out a snort, slamming his hands on his chest. “Let's fight, Dean. Don't forget what you promised me if I win.” "Don't worry, you can't even win," Dean replied, his eyes filled with pride. Ivan stood where he was, watching the two boys get ready to exchange fists. Sofia came to meet him where he was, trying to avoid his gaze as usual. Ivan gave her no more than a sidelong glance. He wasn't going to pretend. The only reason he was speaking with her was because of yesterday's events. Ivan had a premonition about what could have happened to turn Sofia that way. But he wasn't in school for that. “Thank you" Sofia spoke slowly. “I… I…" She fled before she could say anything more, hoping the earth would swallow her and her humiliation. Dahlia who had been watching, observed Ivan and Sofia with a simmering rage that threatened to spill over. Once upon a time, Ivan had been ensnared by her charms, but now he seemed immune, indifferent to her very existence. As Sofia darted towards the group, her heart pounded with nervousness. With a calculated move, Dahlia extended her leg, sending Sofia tumbling to the ground. “Oh my God, Sofia!" Dahlia's voice dripped with feigned concern as she rushed to the fallen girl's side. "You should watch where you’re going; now you’ve sprained your ankle.” Sofia's eyes welled with tears as she sat amidst the indifferent stares of their peers, feeling utterly alone in her humiliation. It was a familiar scene, one that Dahlia had orchestrated before. In the midst of the commotion, Ivan approached, and Dahlia's heart quickened with anticipation. “I knew it! He was just pretending to be over me," she murmured to herself. But Ivan strode past her, his gaze icy and unyielding. With an outburst of entitlement, Dahlia reached out to pull on his sleeve in an attempt to get approval. His reaction was swift and merciless. “Get your fucking hands off me.” The students gasped in disbelief, stunned by Ivan's unprecedented display of hostility. Dahlia recoiled, stung by his rejection. "Did you just curse at me?” His answer was cold, not a trace of warmth in it. "Was I referring to the person behind you? Get out of my way.” With that, Ivan scooped up Sofia, his actions speaking louder than any words could, and headed towards the infirmary, leaving Dahlia. Though embarrassed, Dahlia forced herself to maintain her flawless reputation, so she forced a slow smile, trying to maintain her image as an innocent young girl. As Dean saw the scene, his protective instincts kicked in full force, making his blood boil. With a voice full of simmering rage and concern, he hurried to Dahlia's side. “You're too nice, Dahlia. You should be mean sometimes, no one would dare to cross you!” Dahlia waved off his concern with a dismissive smile. “He's just overreacting. Don't worry about it, Dean. Thank you for your words.” The students, once enamored with Ivan's charm, quickly reassessed their opinions. “And I was already crushing on him! How could he treat the School Flower like this?” “I always knew there was something off about him. I just don't like him anymore.” “You all acted like he was some kind of hero, but remember when he made Daphne kneel in front of the whole school? It felt somehow to me.” Students began to voice their dissatisfaction with Ivan, and the tide of public opinion turned against him. Ivan returned to the field after escorting Sofia to the infirmary, only to be confronted by Dean, who saw an opportunity to challenge him. “Aren't you a hero, Ivan Langland? You just saved the day but insulted Dahlia? I guess you didn't know about me and her!” Ivan's gaze remained cold and indifferent. “And what are you going to do about it? Stick to being a thug, it suits you better.” Dean almost lost control of his rage, but he controlled it by suggesting a brawl. Ivan, uninterested, brushed off the challenge and headed towards the infirmary with Sofia's purse in hand. “Or are you afraid to spar with me?" Ivan stopped in his tracks. He knew Dean had been learning taekwondo since he was very young. “Why would I be scared? My time is simply too limited." Enraged, Dean lashed out, his fists flying towards Ivan with reckless abandon. “Krrrrrackkkk!" Ivan's reflexes were lightning-fast as he dodged the blows, swiftly twisting Dean's arm with a sickening crack. The crowd gasped in shock as Dean fell to the ground, his pride crushed and his arm broken.Ivan Langland broke Dean West's arm.It wasn’t long before the whole school knew what happened on the field. No one had expected Dean to land in the hospital. However, his injuries were severe, rendering him unable to stand.Surprisingly, it was Ivan who helped him to the infirmary.No one had expected this, considering Dean’s position as the president of the taekwondo club, his numerous awards, and his past representation of the country as a kid.It was difficult to believe Ivan’s single flip had broken Dean's arm and sent him to the hospital.“Are you going to talk to Ivan? I’m quite surprised he has changed,” the curly-haired girl uttered, playfulness flashing in her eyes. “I don’t even know why you pulled that on him a year ago, but if we are serious, he used to be so handsome before high school. He became more handsome after a year, still!”“Shut the f*ck up, Tory! Don’t say anything about what happened a year ago. We promised to keep each other's secrets. Keep my secret away fro
Ivan didn’t realize how far Sofia lived from school until he reached her street, and then he understood why she was often looked down upon in class.Sofia tried to stop Ivan, embarrassed, but he couldn’t abandon her, especially with Dahlia potentially causing trouble for the already injured girl.“You can go back now. Thank you for today,” Sofia said softly, trying to dissuade him, but Ivan persisted, thinking she was just being polite.Eventually, they reached a courtyard where an elderly woman stood expectantly. As her eyes met theirs, they brightened with recognition.“I was wondering why you were late. It seems you've brought a friend,” the old woman greeted with a smile.“We had a bit of an incident,” Sofia began, her voice low, making it hard for the old woman to hear.“You're back. Welcome,” the old woman greeted warmly.“Good evening,” Ivan replied politely, releasing Sofia's hand and bowing his head.“How are you? Thank you for escorting Sofia home. She's always afraid of pas
In the small bar, the man sat, facing his desk with an amused expression on his face. “Is the assemblyman playing? He wants us to deal with a high school kid?” The man chuckled and set his phone down on the desk. “I will send someone later to deal with him. Where are the others?”“They went to collect money from those people” One of the men gathered at a corner not far from where their boss sat answered. “They are yet to be back.” “If the parents refuse to pay, the girl should come and start working here. I can’t be lending out money and be going through the stress” The Boss hissed. Soon after, two men with heavily bruised bodies and battered breathing burst through the door. “Boss!” They were gasping for air and writhing in agony. “We…” “What the f*ck!” With a curse, the Boss's shocked eyes grew wide. “What the h*ll is wrong with you guys? Did the SK Gang attack again?! I will make sure to kill their boss this time! Where is Snake?! Is he being held captive by their boss? Get me m
The Big Mansion was the only building around the area as Ivan walked through the silent space. His hands were in his pockets as he raised his head to look at the towering building above.It had been a year since he arrived in this place, yet it only felt like yesterday.This place seemed to hold secrets that none of the members spoke about.Ivan entered through the large gate, his eyes as cold as ice, but as he saw the old man standing at the entrance, his heart softened a bit.“You're back!” The Old Man's eyes brightened, waving his hands in the air. “I have been waiting for you.”“I’m sorry I'm late. Something happened to a classmate, so I had to help her home,” Ivan explained, a smile on his lips.Old Master Reyfold was the father of Roshni, Ivan’s mother, and also the former president of the Reyfold Group.When Ivan first came here, this man had taken him in with open hands and a wide smile on his face. He never knew he had family from his mother’s side; even his father didn’t kno
Violet Mars is the youngest grandchild of the Mars family known for her brilliance and beauty. Not only was she wealthy, she was known as the beauty with the brain of the school.Even though she was richer than most of the students, Violet kept a low profile in school unlike the West family who constantly caused trouble.She left the country a few months ago, and until she showed up today with her devoted bodyguard, Ethan Bush, many people believed she was never coming back. With growing curiosity, Violet could not take her eyes off the new boy in the class. She was only gone for some months and they already have a new student in classroom A.Something was definitely fishy.After learning about the events that had occurred in the few days since he had arrived at school, she was only able to conclude that the boy was someone she should be cautious around.“Violet, you seem absentminded. Is everything alright?" Glancing at the girl with a charming smile, the math teacher at the teache
“My lady” Ethan called, handing over a file to Violet. “There is something definitely fishy about him. From what I found, he was a member of the Langland but his name was removed from the family’s register a year ago due to some reason which I couldn’t find. So right now, he is back just as a student with no family.”Violet looked at the file, her frown deepening. Being a treasure to the Mars family, Violet is more than just a member, and as such, she struggles to put her trust in other people. Given that a large number of her family members desired her death, she had to exercise extreme caution and awareness of her surroundings. “So she is Freddie’s brother but no longer Freddie’s brother? Do you think we should investigate him further?” Violet asked, dropping the file on the desk. She crossed her arm, leaning further on the sofa. “He is a little bit interesting though.”“My lady! You are praising him for being fascinating, but we are unsure if your life is in jeopardy at this poi
At the end of class, Violet still couldn’t get to talk to Ivan because he keeps treating her indifferently. The boy was more hard headed than she thought.When the lunch was almost over, Violet went to stand at the Teacher’s stand, her eyes roaming the quiet class. It was always like that in Classroom A. Since they are considered the most perfect class in the whole school, they are entitled to keep their image. Other people were whispering to one another, while some were reading and people like Daphne West were talking about makeup and trying on different makeup products. However, only one person was different. He sat on his chair, leaning heavily on it with his eyes closed. For a moment, Violet couldn’t take her eyes off him. Why was she so drawn to this boy whom she isn't so sure of?“Everyone, please listen” Violet broke the atmosphere of the class with her sharp definite voice after she regained her composure. “Can you please step out of the class for a second. I have to talk t
After school, Violet didn’t tell Ethan before she left school because the latter wouldn’t even allow it. Since they had known each other since they were young children, they were familiar with each other's tastes and backstories. Because of his father's previous employment with the Mars Family, Ethan got to know Violet, underwent training with Mars Security Organization, and eventually earned his certification as a bodyguard in order to protect her. “Did you tell Ethan before you leave?” Ivan asked as he and Violet walked side by side through the street. “He is kinda obsessed with you. “He could kill himself before you return home if he knows you are with me.” “You don’t have to worry about him,” Violet replied. “I already told him not to wait for me. And Ethan is not obsessed with me, he is just being protective of me.”"Yeah, whatever," Ivan replied in an indifferent tone. “Are you sure you want to go and see her? Her street is not for a rich princess like you.” Violet frowned h