The Baekhyun International Academy board chambers looked more like a courtroom from the high courts of Europe. Thirty leather high-back chairs formed a steep semi-circle around a single wooden podium. Huge stained-glass windows cast long, imposing streaks of ruby and sapphire light across the marble floor.
Song Hae-won stood at the podium in a pristine, pressed uniform, her raven-black hair falling straight past her shoulders. Her face was completely calm. Behind her sat Ji-ae, her braids tight, glaring at the board with historical-grade fury.
At the center of the semi-circle sat Soo-min Jeong, surrounded by three senior administrators. Soo-min wore an impeccable cashmere blazer, her blue hair shining under the light. She looked down at Hae-won like an insect under glass.
"The Merit scholarship guidelines are clear," Soo-min said, her voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling with high-class authority. "Scholars must not only maintain top grades but also represent the moral and social standards of Baekhyun. Song Hae-won's recent... aggressive display of throwing water at the Charity Gala shows a clear lack of breeding and social compatibility."
Soo-min signaled, and an assistant projected a document onto the main screen—a forged academic record showing Hae-won fails her recent preparatory exams.
"Furthermore," Soo-min sneered, "it appears her academic credentials were artificially inflated. She is simply not Baekhyun material. I recommend immediate academic expulsion."
The administrators nodded, murmuring in agreement. Ji-ae gasped behind her, ready to shout, but Hae-won held out a quiet hand to stop her.
Hae-won leaned slightly against the wooden podium. *Is this supposed to make me kneel? It's so utterly predictable.*
"Director Jeong," Hae-won said, her voice exceptionally quiet and clear, carrying effortlessly through the chambers. "If you are going to use my preparatory grades as a weapon, you should at least ensure the registrar's digital stamp matches the official calendar. That sheet is dated for next Thursday."
A collective murmur broke out among the board.
Before Soo-min could shout, Han Seok-min—the glacier-eyed scholar who had been sitting quietly in the second tier of the board chairs—stood up. His silver-rimmed glasses caught the sapphire light as he adjusted them with quiet, terrifying precision.
"Student Song is correct," Seok-min said, his voice cool and authoritative. "As the student representative of the academic committee, I've already audited the official registry. The preparatory scores projected by Student Jeong are completely falsified. Hae-won actually scored first in the humanities division."
Soo-min's face turned an ash-like, burning red. "Seok-min! You're defending a merit outcast?"
From the dark back row of the chambers, Sa Jin-woon watched, his black-gloved fingers tapping a rhythmic, slow beat against his chin. Alongside him, Kyung-min leaned back, a smooth, dangerous smirk returning to his face.
"I am not defending anyone," Seok-min replied, his light brown eyes locking onto Soo-min with glacial coldness. "I am simply protecting the academy's real standards. And right now, the only standard being dragged through the dirt is yours."
Hae-won looked back at Soo-min, her quiet, unconcerned eyes saying more than a thousand words. *You thought you could sweep me out. But you've just exposed your own weakness.*