I arrived home late, but the house was still awake.
Not because of warmth or life, but because power never slept.
A few staff members passed by in the halls, heads bowed, voices hushed. My father's study light was still on, its glow spilling across the polished floors.
I didn't stop. Not tonight.
Instead, I walked straight to my room, locking the door behind me.
I pulled off my blazer, draping it neatly over the chair before settling onto my bed. My phone buzzed.
One new message.
Nari: Why did you let her close the argument?
I smirked, tossing the phone onto the bedside table without responding.
She already knew the answer.
Because I wanted to see what Hyerin would do.
And she had exceeded my expectations.
I leaned back against the pillows, exhaling slowly.
The way she stood in court today—nervous but steady, unsure but unyielding. The way she didn't crumble under pressure. The way she was learning.
The way she was starting to want it.
I closed my eyes, smiling faintly to myself.
How far will you go, Hyerin?
And how long will it take before you realize you're already mine?
—
The next morning, Seonghwa buzzed with fresh tension.
I stepped through the school gates, immediately feeling the shift in atmosphere. The election season had begun.
Students gathered in small groups, whispering, analyzing, aligning themselves with the strongest candidates. Posters and campaign flyers were already being printed, names being thrown into the race.
And yet—I felt none of it.
Because everyone already knew.
I would be President.
The only real question was who would stand beside me.
I walked into class, my steps light, casual, as if the weight of the competition didn't exist for me.
And then—
My eyes found her.
Hyerin sat at her desk, a book open in front of her, but she wasn't reading. She was thinking.
Considering.
I took my seat beside her, letting the silence stretch for just a moment before speaking.
"Have you decided yet?" I murmured.
She glanced at me, her expression careful. "You're really not going to let this go, are you?"
I smiled, resting my chin against my hand. "Of course not."
Hyerin exhaled, closing her book with deliberate slowness. "You're really set on this, aren't you?"
I tilted my head, offering a slow, knowing smile. "You're still asking questions when you already know the answer."
She frowned slightly, studying me like I was some kind of puzzle she was trying to solve.
I leaned back, tapping my fingers idly against the desk. "The real question is—why are you hesitating?"
She hesitated for just a moment before scoffing. "Maybe because I don't enjoy the idea of being dragged into whatever game you're playing?"
I chuckled. "Oh, Hyerin," I murmured, my voice dipping lower, softer. "You were already in it the moment you stepped into Seonghwa."
Her fingers curled slightly against the desk.
She knew I was right.
Before she could respond, a sharp voice interrupted us.
"Looks like you two are getting cozy."
Jang Gaeun.
I didn't bother turning. I could already picture her—arms crossed, smile thin, confidence forced.
Hyerin, on the other hand, stiffened slightly.
I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. Ah. She still hasn't shaken the memory of what happened.
I sighed, finally tilting my head toward Gaeun with lazy amusement. "And here I thought you'd be busy with your campaign. Or is checking on me your priority now?"
Her smile twitched. "Just making sure you're not wasting your time, Saehwa."
I smirked. "You should be worried about your own time, Gaeun. I hear the Vice President spot is still up for grabs."
The amusement in her gaze flickered—just for a second.
And that? That was all I needed.
I let my eyes drift back to Hyerin. "But if you're interested, you could always run."
I felt, rather than saw, how Gaeun's body tensed at my words.
Hyerin let out a sharp breath. "You're actually doing this right now?"
I grinned. "Why not? Everyone's watching anyway."
And I wasn't wrong. The moment Gaeun approached, the class had gone quiet, eyes subtly flickering toward us.
Hyerin straightened slightly, shifting under the weight of their gazes.
I smirked, keeping my voice light. "The thing about power, Hyerin, is that if you don't take it, someone else will."
Gaeun let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "So you really are backing her? How sentimental, Saehwa."
I hummed, pretending to consider it. "I wouldn't call it sentimental. I'd call it practical."
Gaeun scoffed, but I could see it—the slightest flicker of annoyance in her posture.
Good.
She turned to Hyerin, smile sharp. "That's cute. Really. But do you actually think you can compete with me?"
The room tensed, the challenge clear.
And for a moment, I thought Hyerin would back down.
But then—she didn't.
She met Gaeun's gaze head-on, her fingers still tight around her book.
"I don't know," she said, voice even. "Guess we'll find out, won't we?"
Silence.
I smirked.
Gaeun's jaw tightened before she turned on her heel, striding toward her seat without another word.
I let the tension settle for a moment longer before leaning toward Hyerin, voice barely above a whisper.
"Now that," I murmured, "was the right answer."
She exhaled, rubbing her temple. "You're going to be the death of me, Saehwa."
I chuckled, stretching lazily in my seat. "And yet, here you are."
The moment the words left my mouth, I could feel the shift in the room. A silent confirmation of power. Everyone here knew exactly what I had just done.
I didn't need to announce my own candidacy. It was a given. But to name Hyerin as my Vice President?
That was a declaration.
No one would dare challenge me for the top position. They never had, and they never would. But the Vice President seat? That was where people thought they had a choice.
Until now.
I leaned back in my chair, fingers tapping lightly against the desk, watching.
The ones who knew better—the ones who had spent years learning how this school worked—were already adjusting. Recalibrating. Understanding that the election was no longer about votes.
It was about control.
I shifted my gaze, my smile deepening as I caught the flicker of movement.
Nari.
Jiwon.
Their pens moved in perfect rhythm, their strokes deliberate as they wrote down Hyerin's name.
I didn't need to ask. I already knew.
They had followed my orders.
I let my fingers trail along the edge of my desk, satisfaction curling in my chest. Good.
The ones who wouldn't? The ones who thought they had a choice?
They would learn soon enough.
After all, I run this school.
The murmur of students scribbling down their nominations filled the air, some hesitating, others moving with certainty.
And yet—not a single one of them wrote down Gaeun's name.
I smiled, slow and sharp.
The Vice President seat was already hers. Hyerin just didn't realize it yet.
I turned to her, watching as she sat rigidly, gripping her pen, her name already written neatly on the form.
She must have felt my gaze because she exhaled, barely turning her head. "You look too satisfied right now."
I chuckled. "Because I am."
She sighed, rubbing her temple. "You really think this is decided already?"
I tilted my head slightly. "You don't?"
Her lips parted slightly, as if to argue, but then she glanced around.
At the students who had already handed in their papers.
At the ones who kept sneaking glances toward us, toward me.
Toward her.
Understanding dawned in her eyes.
Slowly, she turned back to me, her voice quieter this time.
"You planned this from the start, didn't you?"
I smirked, resting my chin against my palm. "What do you think?"
Her grip tightened around her pen.
By the time the ballots were collected, the tension in the room had shifted into something quieter—acceptance.
Even the ones who thought they had a choice before now understood the truth.
There was no election.
There was only my decision.
And that decision had already been made.
I watched as the student council representatives gathered the forms, stacking them neatly into a folder. No need to count—I already knew the results.
Jang Gaeun, however, had yet to accept reality.
I could feel her gaze burning into the side of my face, sharp and unreadable.
When I finally turned to meet her eyes, her expression was neutral. Too neutral. She was hiding something.
Anger? Annoyance? Amusement?
It didn't matter.
Because I had already won.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Students moved sluggishly, still caught in the weight of the moment. Some whispered to each other, others glanced at me, at Hyerin—at the new Vice President.
Hyerin, for her part, was silent.
I walked beside her as we exited the classroom, slow and unhurried. She still hadn't said a word, but I could feel the quiet weight of her thoughts pressing against her.
I smirked. "You look deep in thought."
She shot me a sharp glance. "You just made me Vice President without even asking."
I chuckled. "That's not true. I asked."
"You didn't give me a choice."
I stopped, tilting my head slightly. "Didn't I?"
She froze.
I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just enough to make her really hear me.
"You could have said no, Hyerin."
She swallowed.
I smiled. "But you didn't."
A breath hitched in her throat, barely noticeable, but I noticed.
She took a slow step back, putting distance between us. "I just didn't want to argue in front of everyone."
"Of course." I nodded, amused. "That's what it was."
She exhaled, shaking her head before walking ahead of me. "I need air."
I let her go, watching as she disappeared down the hallway, her steps just a little too fast to be casual.
I smirked.
You're already mine, Hyerin.
You just haven't realized it yet.
—
The election results were officially announced after school.
It was just a formality.
Yoon Saehwa—President.
Yeon Hyerin—Vice President.
The student body murmured amongst themselves, some in shock, some in awe.
Jang Gaeun was nowhere to be seen.
I stood at the front of the auditorium as the results were posted, arms crossed, listening to the quiet hum of shifting alliances, whispers of what this meant.
Hyerin stood beside me, her expression unreadable.
I leaned in slightly, my voice smooth.
"How does it feel?" I asked, my voice light, teasing.
Hyerin exhaled slowly, staring at the bold letters on the results board.
Yoon Saehwa – President
Yeon Hyerin – Vice President
She shook her head, arms crossed. "I don't know yet."
I smiled, letting my gaze linger on our names a little longer before turning to her.
"Look how well they go together," I murmured. "Yoon Saehwa, Yeon Hyerin."
She shot me a wary glance, clearly unimpressed.
I chuckled. "If it had been anyone else, I might've been annoyed." I leaned in just slightly, lowering my voice. "But since it's you, I particularly like it."
Her fingers twitched, her grip tightening around the folded piece of paper she held.
"You're unbelievable," she muttered.
I tilted my head, smirking. "And yet, you're standing beside me."
She opened her mouth, probably to argue, but before she could, a voice interrupted us.
"Congratulations," Nari said smoothly, approaching with Jiwon beside her. "Though, I don't think we needed an election to tell us the results."
Jiwon glanced at Hyerin, amused. "You've gotten yourself tangled up in something interesting, haven't you?"
Hyerin sighed. "Believe me, I realized that a little too late."
I smirked. "You're adapting well."
She scoffed. "I didn't exactly plan to adapt."
Jiwon hummed, flipping through her phone. "Well, plan or not, the whole school sees you as Saehwa's Vice President now. You're officially untouchable."
Hyerin frowned slightly at that, her lips pressing together.
I leaned back, watching her reaction with interest. It was sinking in now.
This wasn't just a title.
This was power.
Whether she wanted it or not.
After a pause, Hyerin finally exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "So what happens now?"
I smiled faintly, meeting her gaze directly. "Now you learn what it really means to hold power at Seonghwa."
She frowned slightly, clearly unsure what I meant. "And what's that?"
Nari chuckled, answering before I could. "It means everyone watches your every move—hoping you'll slip up, hoping you'll make a mistake."
Jiwon added lightly, "And then trying to take advantage of it."
Hyerin's shoulders stiffened slightly, and I tilted my head, smiling gently. "But don't worry—I'll make sure nobody touches what's mine."
She turned sharply, eyes wide, a faint flush appearing on her cheeks. "Yours?"
I stepped closer, voice dropping softly, intimately. "You heard me, Hyerin. I don't share."
For a heartbeat, she didn't breathe—didn't speak.
Then she shook her head quickly, glancing away as if trying to erase the moment. "You're ridiculous."
Nari raised an eyebrow at me, amused, while Jiwon smirked knowingly. But I ignored them, my gaze still locked on Hyerin, enjoying how she tried and failed to hide her confusion.
"Relax," I murmured, leaning back with a casual smile. "You're my Vice President now. I wouldn't let just anyone fill that spot."
Her gaze flickered to me again, cautious but curious. "Then... why me?"
I held her eyes, unflinching. "Because you're worth it."
She blinked, clearly caught off guard, her defenses faltering briefly before she turned away. "You're impossible."
But this time, when she said it, her voice was softer—less irritated, more intrigued.
And that told me everything I needed to know.