"I want to make you an offer." Eun-chae repeated, as though Jaxon didn't hear her . Each word sounding braver than she felt.
The wind swayed restlessly around her, tugging at her skirt as it slipped beneath the collar of her blazer. Despite Eun-chae's inner battle, Seonghwa High glowed in polished perfection below them. The marble steps cleaned and the glass windows reflecting the last streaks of sunset.
Unlike Eun-chae, Jaxon Vale stood near the ledge in his aura, like he was above it all. His blazer hung open, had no tie on, and his hands tucked into his pockets. The cigarette had already fallen off the rooftop without him sparing it a second glance. But that didn't prink his interest as much as what Eun-chae had to say.
"You?" His head turned slightly at her words. "Making offers?" He muttered.
Eun-chae swallowed hard, "I usually don't." She said, her words firm. Jaxon's eyes dragged over her, not
inappropriately or mockingly, but measured.
Just at a glance, he noticed the stiffness in her shoulders. The obvious way her fingers tightened around the strap of her worn leather satchel. And the faint crease in her skirt from where the water had dried earlier.
"So let's be clear here. You got locked in," he said, not meant to be a question.
"Yes." The answer came voluntarily.
"And instead of going home, you came up here."
"Yes." She answered, despite the wind pressing harder against her back. But she didn't step away. "I need protection," she snapped.
Just like that, the words fell from her mouth with no pride to cushion it. Or elegant phrasing, just the truth. Instantly, his gaze sharpened "From who?" He asked.
But Eun-chae didn't think there was the need for her to say Min-ji's name. "You've seen it, right?" she said "At lunch." His jaw shifted slightly. "And now," she continued. "after school."
"You were in there for two hours." He muttered with no sign of sympathy or anger. Just fact.
"Yes." She said, her voice a bit shaky. Few seconds past in silence, the air tensed. "Midterms are next week," she added, breaking the tension. "If my grades drop, my scholarship gets reviewed."
And if that happens, it means her total disappearance from Seonghwa High like she had never belonged there at all.
Jaxon understood the situation without coming clear with the facts.
"And what of reporting them?" he asked.
She huffed, "Can't you see?That would only make matters worse."
At Seonghwa High, power, is wearing designer shoes and legacy surnames. Reporting doesn't dismantle bullying. It only provokes it.
"So..." he said slowly, pushing off the ledge and stepping closer, "you came to me."
"Yes."
"Why." He said, staring into Eun-chae's eyes like he could read her mind.
Because no one dares cross you. Teachers even tread more carefully around you. And Min-ji would never dare shove you into a closet. The thoughts subconsciouly run through her mind. Not meant for him to hear.
Intuitively, Eun-chae lifted her chin. "Because you're the only person here no one touches."
That surely caught his attention. There was no smile nor amusement in his eyes. Just focus. "And what exactly are you offering, Park."
Her grip tightened slightly on her bag. This was her chance, and she had to make this work. "I'll do all your assignments," she said clearly. " I mean, every subject. I'll tutor you daily. And make sure you graduate Seonghwa High with distinction."
He stared intently at her for a long second. "You're serious."
"Yes."
"You wouldbcarry a failing senior while trying to protect your own scholarship?"
"I am already carrying everything else." The words slipped out before she could soften them. This made something flicker in his expression.
"And in return?" he asked.
But despite how hard her heart pounded against her chest, her voice remained steady. "I want your protection."
Jaxon took a step closer, not threatening but deliberate. At that moment, the wind swept between them. There faces were so close enough, that she could see the faint bruise shadowing his jaw more clearly.
"And what does protection look like to you." He asked.
"Walk with me." Eun-chae muttered,"Sit with me. Make it obvious I'm not alone." She slowly inhaled. "Make them hesitate."
He studied her for a long time. "You think that's enough."
"It would be." She hesitated.
But he took another step closer. "Are you not afraid?" He asked, "Don't you have any fear of what people will have to say."
"They're already saying alot."
"And when they assume you're like me?"
"They already assume I don't belong." Silence fell between them again. Then, he moved past her toward the railing, looking out at the city lights flickering on one by one.
"I'll agree," he finally said, more calmly. Eun-chae immediately let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in. "But I have a condition." He added.
Her heart raced as panic began to build up her spine. Of course he did. As the saying goes; nothing goes for free in this life. Eun-chae straightened slightly, gearing herself up.
Just like that, the words fell flatly from her mouth "You move into my apartment." He said. The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet.
"What." she hailed.
"All you have to do is to pretend to live with me," he repeated, his tone. "And you pretend to be my girlfriend. Publicly and act convincingly, no mistakes."
Her mind went blank for a moment. "That's not what I meant." She managed to say.
"You want my protection, right?" he said. "Protection isn't part-time."
Her pulse roared in her ears. "You're asking me to leave my home."
"I'm asking you to commit."
"To a lie."
"No, to a contract." The word 'contract' sounded colder than the wind. It sent chills down her spine.
"Why," she asked, barely above a whisper. "Why that condition?"
He looked at her carefully, his gaze tense. "If I'm putting my name next to yours, I control how it's seen."
Control. That's it. And somehow, It made a terrifying sense. "And living with you gives you that."
"Yes."
" But you don't even like me," she said.
" And I don't dislike you." Those words wasn't meant to comfort.
"It's simple," he continued. "If you want my protection, you belong under my roof."
The word 'belong' tightened something in her chest. "And if I say no."
"Then we walk away." No threats, no manipulation. Just a choice. It's that simple.
The city lights shimmered below them. Living with him meant no more bullying. No more walking alone. It also meant stepping into his world. The rumors, the danger, into something unpredictable.
"You did let everyone believe we're together," she said slowly.
"They won't even question it," he replied. " All they would have to do, is to accept it."
"And this helps you? How?"
"Simple. I graduate," he said. "And you guarantee that."
"You care about graduating."
"I care about finishing." There was something heavier in his tone, something unspoken.
"And this is strictly an arrangement," she said.
"Yes."
"No emotions."
"Yes."
"No backing out when it gets messy." He looked at her steadily. "If you say yes," he warned, "you don't run when rumors get ugly. When they escalate. When people look at you differently."
"They already look at me differently."
"If they touch you again," he added, voice lower now, "I won't ignore it."
This wasn't sweet. Neither was it gentle. It was certain. Her heart drummed painfully against her ribs. She had come seeking protection. But hadn't expected the price to be this high.
"I need until tomorrow," she said.
He nodded once. "Tomorrow it is." He walked toward the stairwell door, then paused.
"Eun-chae." He called. The way he said her name made her chest tighten. "If you want to survive quietly," he said, "don't choose me."
He pulled the door opened, and a warm light spilled across the rooftop. "But if you're done surviving quietly," he added, "you know where to find me."
The door closed behind him. And he was gone. Eun-chae stood alone in the wind, staring at the glittering city below. Tomorrow, she could return to enduring the humiliations in silence. Or step into a contract that would change everything.
Nothing about Jaxon Vale was quiet. But in it all, she just wanted to belong.