Morning sunlight spilled through the wide glass windows of J High, gilding the hallways in warm hues that felt almost mocking to Yui Kim. She adjusted the strap of her bag and walked with her usual strut — shoulders back, chin lifted, a faint smirk pulling her lips. The idol, the streamer, the untouchable star. That was what everyone saw. That was what they expected.
Inside, her body ached.
Every step tugged at faint bruises hidden beneath her skirt's hem. Every brush of fabric reminded her of Seong Min's hands, his voice, his unyielding dominance. Her thighs tightened unconsciously, a shiver flashing through her no matter how she fought to bury it.
He left me like that. Bruised. Marked. Owned.
And she loved it.
Her smirk deepened as she breezed past a group of gawking boys. They whispered, stealing glances at her long legs and perfectly styled hair. Yui didn't even blink at them. If only you knew… she thought. If only you saw me on my knees, promising to call him Master.
The thrill of that memory burned in her chest. The ache in her body wasn't weakness. It was proof. Proof that she was his.
Crystal Choi leaned casually against the wall near the stairwell, arms folded. Her gaze sharpened as Yui sauntered by.
It wasn't obvious, not at first glance. Yui had perfected her act — hair immaculate, skin flawless, stride confident. But Crystal had eyes trained to dissect weakness. She caught it: the fraction of a limp in her step, the faint stiffness when she shifted her bag, the tiny wince disguised as a smile.
Something had happened.
"Rough night?" Crystal's voice was smooth, but her eyes gleamed.
Yui froze for half a heartbeat before tossing her hair back with a laugh. "Please. Unlike you, I actually have fans to entertain. Streaming until 3 a.m. isn't for the faint of heart."
Crystal's lips curved. It wasn't a smile. "Mm. And yet… you look like you can barely sit through homeroom."
The words were knives, precise and sharp. Yui's smirk wavered — just slightly — before snapping back into place.
"Jealousy isn't a good look on you, Crystal. Maybe if you smiled more, you wouldn't have to work so hard to get people's attention."
But even as she spoke, Yui felt heat crawling up her neck. Crystal had noticed. Somehow, she always noticed.
Crystal stepped closer, close enough that only Yui could hear. Her perfume was sharp, commanding, and her voice was low steel.
"It's him, isn't it? Seong Min."
Yui's heart thudded. For a second, her mask almost slipped. She bit down on her lip hard enough to taste blood before letting out a light laugh.
"You think everything's about him. Maybe you're the one obsessed."
Crystal's gaze lingered a moment longer, searching, dissecting. Then she stepped back, brushing invisible dust off her blazer.
"Maybe," she said softly. "But I'm not the one limping."
Across town, in the cramped hideout of Burn Knuckles, the air was filled with noise.
Jace was flailing his arms, phone in hand. "I'm telling you, it's all over the forums! Seong Min fought some guy. Big. Like… not high-school big. Grown-man big."
"Fake news," one of the crew muttered, sprawled on a couch. "Nobody fights those kinds of people and walks away."
"No, no, listen," Jace insisted, eyes wide. "They said he stood up to him. Didn't win, but didn't die either. That's… insane."
The room buzzed with disbelief. Some laughed, others shook their heads. It didn't sound like schoolyard trouble anymore — more like the kind of rumor that belonged in the world of gangs and shadows.
But Vasco stayed silent.
He sat on a wooden chair in the corner, posture rigid, fists resting loosely on his knees. His eyes were steady, thoughtful. He heard Jace's frantic words, the disbelief, the denial.
Seong Min.
He thought of the way Seong Min moved, calm even under pressure. The way he'd stood in the cafeteria, unshaken while everyone else whispered. Vasco wasn't easily swayed by gossip. But this… this felt true.
Finally, he spoke.
"If it's real," Vasco said, voice even, "then he's someone worth standing behind."
The room quieted instantly. Burn Knuckles wasn't used to Vasco speaking so directly. His words carried weight heavier than all the noise around them.
Jace blinked. "So… you believe it?"
Vasco didn't answer immediately. He closed his eyes, remembering the fights he'd seen, the monsters he knew lurked in the world beyond their school walls.
"I believe," Vasco said slowly, "that anyone who can stand after fighting a man like that… deserves respect."
He opened his eyes, gaze sharp. "And if Seong Min fights for this school… I'll fight with him."
Burn Knuckles erupted in chatter again, half excited, half nervous. But Vasco's decision was final. Quiet, resolute, like stone.
Crystal sat in the student council room long after classes ended, her phone cold in her hand.
Charles Choi's voice echoed in her mind.
"Seong Min's test is only beginning."
Her nails dug into her palm. She hated the way those words thrilled her. Hated the way they confirmed what she already knew: Seong Min was walking into a world no one else could touch.
And Yui… Yui was trying to tether herself to him.
Crystal's reflection glared back at her from the darkened window. She wouldn't allow it.
If Yui wanted to play the submissive, Crystal would remind her who really pulled the strings.
And if Seong Min thought he could walk alone, Crystal would make sure he remembered exactly who kept the board in motion.
The ripples were widening.
And soon, they would become waves.
End of Ch. 37 – Ripples in Motion