The air in J High was electric the next morning.
Rumors didn't just spread—they ignited, leaping from hallway to hallway, buzzing through every group chat and bouncing between classrooms like sparks catching dry leaves. Within hours, the entire school pulsed with one story:
Logan Lee.
Crystal Choi.
Seong Min.
Students whispered like the tale had already been carved into legend.
"Logan Lee tried to grab Crystal Choi yesterday."
"Yeah—and Seong Min stepped in. Knocked him to the ground. Straight up humiliated him."
"Are you kidding? Logan's the monster who crushed Vasco, Vin Jin, even gave Zack hell—and Seong Min beat him without even breaking a sweat."
"Bulk Logan wrecked half the monsters of J High… and still lost. The only one standing above him was Seong Min."
The whispers weren't just fear—they were awe.
For years, Logan Lee was seen as unstoppable. A juggernaut. A storm of pure violence that swept through anyone in his path. But now, a new name carried the same weight—and cut deeper.
Seong Min.
Daniel's Unease
Daniel Park walked carefully through the thrumming hallways, head ducked, shoulders hunched. His ears burned with every whisper. Even if people weren't talking about him, he couldn't shake the tension.
Just hearing Logan's name was enough to twist his stomach. He'd feared Logan for so long that it was instinct—like hearing a predator's growl in the dark.
But this time, the whispers weren't about Logan's reign. They were about his downfall.
Daniel swallowed hard, remembering it vividly: Seong Min's calm, unblinking violet eyes. Standing between Logan and everyone else without fear, without hesitation. Where Logan burned wild like fire, Seong Min had stood like stone.
Daniel bit his lip. Fear warred with envy in his chest.
Part of him hated admitting it… but part of him wished he held even a fraction of that presence.
Cafeteria Storm
By lunch, the cafeteria buzzed like a live wire.
First-years clustered in tight circles, muttering like they were trading ghost stories. Upperclassmen leaned back in their seats, pretending indifference but glancing around with sharp ears.
"Did you see Yui Kim this morning? She literally bowed to him—called him Master."
"She's a top streamer—so why is she acting like his servant?"
"It's not just her. Now Zoe's saying she's gonna chase him too."
"Zoe Park?! No way. She's joking… right?"
At the center of it all, Zoe Park sat with her tray, her grin wicked and her voice just loud enough to carry.
"Come on, Crystal." She smirked, her tone honeyed but sharp. "Yui's already his little pet. And now people are whispering about you—'Queen of Class A versus the Master.' What's your move?"
Every eye shifted toward Crystal Choi.
Crystal didn't flinch. Her frown was faint, carefully controlled, her posture immaculate. She lifted her fork delicately and cut into her salad, as though Zoe's words were beneath her notice.
"Competition implies I'm even playing the same game," she said evenly.
"Oh?" Zoe leaned forward, chin in hand, her grin widening. "Then let's make it official. Yui already kneels to him. And me?" She tossed her hair back, eyes glinting with mischief. "I'll make him mine too."
Gasps rippled across the cafeteria. Some students laughed nervously; others leaned in, wide-eyed, savoring the tension.
Crystal's fingers tightened around her fork—subtle, almost invisible—but her chin lifted, cool and defiant.
"Pathetic."
Zoe only laughed louder, the sound ringing sharp through the cafeteria. She pushed her tray away and stood, tossing a wink at Crystal.
"We'll see."
The cafeteria roared with whispers the moment she left.
Crystal's face didn't crack. But inside, something hot coiled tight in her chest.
She thinks she can just say that…? She thinks she can take him, like he's some prize?
Her pride screamed to dismiss it. To scoff. To let Zoe dig her own grave.
But the thought of Zoe kneeling where Yui already did—smiling, calling him hers—burned Crystal in a way she didn't want to name.
Beneath the mask of calm, she clenched her jaw.
I won't allow it. Not her. Not anyone.
After Class – The Confrontation
The halls were still buzzing after lunch, students replaying the cafeteria drama over and over.
That was when Crystal deliberately crossed Seong Min's path.
The air shifted instantly. Conversations stuttered and slowed. Students edged back, instinctively giving space.
Crystal's heels clicked against the polished floor as she planted herself in front of him. Her voice was steady, cool—but edged with steel.
"You're dangerous," she said. "You use Yui like a slave. That's not strength. That's manipulation."
A ripple passed through the crowd. Confronting him openly—it was bold. Bold enough that even the upperclassmen held their breath.
Seong Min slowed to a stop. His violet eyes met hers, steady, unblinking. His reply was quiet, but sharp enough to cut through the whispers.
"If you believe that," he said, "why do you care?"
The words landed heavier than any shout.
Crystal's breath caught. For the first time, her perfectly composed mask wavered.
Before she could answer, a softer voice cut in.
"I'm happy to be his slave."
Gasps.
Every head turned.
Yui Kim stood just behind Seong Min. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her, her expression serene but unshakable.
Crystal's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You…"
Yui stepped forward slightly. Her voice was calm, her words deliberate.
"It's my choice. I want this. No one understands him like I do."
The hall went silent.
Crystal's lips parted, but no words came. Heat flared in her chest—anger, disbelief, something sharp and bitter she couldn't name.
Her pride screamed to scoff at such pathetic devotion. But the sight of Yui's calm, unwavering eyes… it gnawed at her.
She wanted to laugh. She wanted to sneer. But she couldn't.
And beneath the anger, beneath the pride, another feeling clawed at her.
Jealousy.
The Chin Tilt
Seong Min stepped closer. The crowd hushed instantly.
His hand rose, steady and deliberate. And once again, he tilted Crystal's chin slightly upward—not rough, not tender, but certain.
Her pulse hammered in her throat.
Every instinct screamed to slap him away. To shove him back. To not let anyone see her falter.
But her body froze.
Her pride fought her, but her cheeks betrayed her—heat rushing beneath her skin, her glare flickering as her composure cracked.
She forced the mask back, her voice low but trembling at the edges.
"Someone worthy of me…" Her lips quivered. "Would at least… have to compare to you."
The second the words left her mouth, her pride screamed at her. Too much. Too raw.
Her eyes widened. She yanked her chin from his hand and spun on her heel, storming down the hall, her heels clicking sharp, her hair whipping behind her.
The whispers burst alive the second she left.
"Did you hear that?"
"She said he's worthy!"
"No way… Crystal Choi? Admitting that?"
But Seong Min stood silently where she had left him, his expression unreadable.
Only the faintest curve of his lips betrayed him.
"She'll come closer," he murmured. "Pride can't stop gravity."
Crystal Alone
That night, alone in her immaculate bedroom, moonlight spilled across the neat desk and shelves.
The room was quiet except for the soft hum of her desk lamp.
Crystal sat with perfect posture, but her phone buzzed nonstop on the table beside her notebook. She had tried to ignore it, but the flood of notifications was impossible to tune out.
Zoe Park (Direct Chat):
I'll make him mine. Don't act surprised when it happens.
A queen like you should understand competition.
Crystal's eyes narrowed. Zoe's words weren't just taunts—they were a declaration of war.
Another vibration.
Yui Kim (Direct Chat):
Crystal, I will not stream tomorrow. I need to be with Master.
Crystal scoffed quietly, but the sound was brittle, not strong. Yui's words carried no shame, no hesitation—and that made them sting worse.
The group chats were worse.
They weren't private daggers. They were wildfire.
J High Gossip (300+ Unread Messages):
Logan.
Seong Min.
The Master.
The Queen.
The nicknames repeated over and over, threaded through memes, screenshots, shaky videos from the cafeteria. Her name—paired with his. Their titles tossed around like characters in some legend.
Crystal scrolled faster, her pulse rising with every message.
"Yui's already kneeling. Zoe's next. What about Crystal?"
"If the Queen falls, it's game over."
"Forget Logan—the real storm is Seong Min vs. Crystal."
Her grip tightened on the phone. She forced herself to lock the screen, the light dying to black. For a moment, the silence returned.
But the words still echoed in her head.
Zoe flaunting.
Yui submitting.
The school whispering her name beside his.
Her pride screamed to dismiss it. He's dangerous. He's manipulative. He uses Yui like a slave.
But underneath the ice, something else whispered.
Something hotter.
If I don't move first, Zoe will. If I don't stand my ground, Yui will keep that place at his side forever.
Her hand brushed her chin without thinking—the same place Seong Min had tilted only hours ago. Heat lingered there, unwelcome and undeniable.
Crystal shut her eyes, whispering into the silence:
"I won't let it happen."
When she opened them again, her reflection in the dark screen stared back, eyes sharp and unyielding.
The Queen would not surrender.
Not to Zoe.
Not to Yui.
Not even to herself.
✨ End of Chapter 71 ✨