The cafeteria was buzzing.
Clattering trays, girls laughing over selfies, and the school's star athletes claiming an entire table in the back.
In the quietest corner sat Nam Do-yoon, alone.
He ate slowly, mechanically. His expression blank, but his eyes—sharp, scanning.
Then Roby arrived.
Carrying a tray with egg sandwich and a glass of chocolate milk.
Without asking, he sat right across from Do-yoon.
"Yo," Roby greeted casually, flashing a lopsided grin.
Do-yoon glanced up briefly, then returned to his food.
"You don't mind me sitting here, right? Other tables are too noisy.
And the perfume cloud over there?" Roby pointed subtly at a group of girls.
"Gave me a headache."
Do-yoon kept chewing silently. Then, finally said:
"Whatever."
Roby munched on his sandwich, stealing glances.
Do-yoon's rhythm never changed—like a human metronome.
"You eat like a robot," Roby muttered under his breath.
Do-yoon looked up, coolly replied:
"You act like a sarcastic clown. Not funny, though."
Roby burst out laughing, loud enough to make nearby students glance over.
He slapped the table.
"Okay, okay. That was good.
Still not leaving, though."
Silence.
Then Roby leaned in slightly. His tone dropped.
"You knew Ji-hoon, didn't you?"
Do-yoon froze for a beat.
"The kid who used to sit in the desk I'm sitting in now."
Do-yoon's eyes slowly met Roby's.
"Why are you asking about Ji-hoon?"
Roby shrugged.
"Because I was his childhood friend."
"And he didn't kill himself for 'personal reasons.'"
"You know that… don't you?"
Do-yoon didn't reply.
But something in his expression tightened.
His hand gripped the chopsticks harder.
Roby leaned back, folding his arms.
"If you're not ready to talk, that's fine."
"But I'm not staying quiet."
"Sooner or later... the truth's coming out."
Still no answer.
Roby stood up, picking up his tray.
"See you in math class, robot boy."
As he walked away, Do-yoon stared after him.
Then whispered to himself:
"You're either stupid... or fearless."
"Maybe both."
The school corridor buzzed with low whispers and tension in the air.
> "Did you hear? The police came this morning. They're reopening Ji-hoon's case."
"Yeah, someone powerful apparently requested it."
"If it gets out, this school is done."
Roby walked casually through the hall, but his ears were razor sharp.
He slowed his pace the moment he caught a key phrase:
> "Nam Do-yoon's gonna be a witness. They said he was Ji-hoon's best friend since middle school."
Roby froze mid-step.
"What... Do-yoon was Ji-hoon's best friend...?"
He mumbled under his breath, eyes scanning.
Then why didn't he say anything? Why was he so quiet when I mentioned Ji-hoon...?
Suddenly, a sharp voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"HEY! ARE YOU DEAF OR WHAT?!"
Roby turned around.
Ha-rin, the chatty girl from his class, was storming toward him with her arms crossed and an annoyed expression.
"Huh?" Roby blinked.
"Your desk. It's been vandalized by Tae-yang!"
"And your notebook... it's burning downstairs behind the stairwell!"
Roby didn't say anything for a second.
His eyes narrowed.
Other students started gathering, whispering louder now.
He took a deep breath.
"Oh… so they wanna play with fire, huh?"
Back stairwell – behind the school.
Thin smoke still curled from a pile of scorched paper.
On the wall above, someone had sprayed graffiti:
"GO BACK TO AMERICA, TRASH."
Roby stood in front of the ashes of his notebook.
Face calm. But his eyes? Ice cold.
Lucas stood nearby, silent.
Afraid to get too close.
Then, a voice—quiet and familiar—from behind:
"You're not scared of being bullied?"
Roby turned.
Nam Do-yoon stood near a pillar. Watching.
Roby replied, almost playfully:
"Scared? Nah. Just confused."
"Why are they going so hard on Lucas… but not you?"
Do-yoon looked down.
"You were Ji-hoon's best friend too, weren't you? You sat in that seat before I did."
"Shouldn't they be targeting you?"
Do-yoon stayed quiet. The late afternoon wind brushed past them.
Then he said, calmly:
"They tried."
Roby blinked.
"And?"
Do-yoon looked up, locking eyes with Roby.
"But I'm a bigger problem if I get angry... and they know that."
Silence.
Roby slowly smiled.
"Noted."
"But here's the thing..."
"They don't know me yet."
"And I really don't like being set on fire."
The sky over Seoul was calm that afternoon, but under the large tree near Hanwol High's field, tension crackled like dry leaves.
Tae-yang and his two usual companions — Seo Min-gyu and Han Ji-seok — stood relaxed, arms crossed.
Leaning casually against the tree, they chuckled as Roby approached, slow and steady.
His school tie was half loosened, shirt slightly untucked, eyes hidden behind mischief and fire.
He stopped right in front of them.
"What's your deal, huh? Burning my notebook?" Roby's voice was cool but firm.
Tae-yang scoffed, spitting to the side.
He stepped forward.
"You act like you own this place. No one sits in that desk unless—"
"Unless who?" Roby cut in, a crooked smile forming.
"You? Or your little kindergarten mafia?"
Seo Min-gyu smirked, analyzing. Han Ji-seok said nothing but scanned the surroundings—watchful, calculating.
Tae-yang clenched his fists.
"I'm giving you one chance to walk away before you regret it."
Roby stepped closer, eyes steady.
"Nah. I think it's time you learned something, Tae."
"First off, your English still sucks, kid."
"If you wanna fight, at least come with subtitles."
WHAM!
Tae-yang lunged with a punch.
But Roby caught his wrist mid-air.
In a swift motion, he twisted and threw Tae-yang hard to the ground, using a street-fighting lock that slammed the older boy on his back.
"UGH!"
Gasps rippled through the students nearby.
Seo Min-gyu took one step forward, but Roby's glare made him hesitate.
Han Ji-seok didn't move—this time, his expression showed cracks.
Tae-yang groaned and stood slowly, rage in his eyes.
But Roby wasn't done.
He reached for Tae-yang's bag — which he'd brought with him.
Opened it.
Pulled out torn pages.
Charred pieces of Roby's notebook.
He dropped them on the ground, slowly, like ashes at a funeral.
"You thought this would scare me?"
"This?" He pointed at the burnt pages.
"This is trash."
He looked Tae-yang in the eyes.
"Starting today, you're done."
"You're not in control anymore."
"You're just a name... on my list."
And with that, Roby walked away—calm, confident, unbothered.
No words from the crowd.
Some recorded.
Others just stared.
Meanwhile, from the top floor balcony...
Jun-hae stood silently, watching everything unfold.
Behind him, Min Jae-suk lowered his phone.
"You sure that guy's not just some random punk?"
Jun-hae didn't turn. His voice was cool.
"He's not."
"And now the real game has started."
After the chaos on the school field that afternoon, the atmosphere shifted.
Students started paying Roby a different kind of attention.
As he walked down the hallway after class, Nam Do-yoon suddenly appeared beside him, silent and calm as always.
"Are you invited tonight?" Do-yoon asked casually.
Roby blinked.
"Invited? Tonight? What for?"
Do-yoon sighed softly.
"The new student welcome party. But… their version."
"Their?"
"The elites. Jun-hae's circle."
"It's kind of a tradition here. Every year they pick one or two new students to 'welcome.' But really, it's more like a test… or silent judgment."
Roby narrowed his eyes.
"So it's not a party. It's a setup?"
Before Do-yoon could respond, the sound of quick footsteps interrupted them.
Ha-rin ran up, slightly out of breath, holding two black envelopes sealed with gold.
"Hey! This is for you," she said, handing one to Roby.
Roby took it and read the front:
> Special Hanwol Welcome Event
Dress code: Formal | Location: Sky River Villa – 7PM
He glanced back at Ha-rin's hand.
"And that one?"
Ha-rin hesitated, then handed it to Do-yoon.
Roby turned.
"You're invited too?"
Do-yoon stared at the envelope like it was something he wished he could burn.
Then, without looking up, he spoke softly, barely above a whisper:
"This is their game."
"They know you were Ji-hoon's best friend."
Roby froze.
His thoughts raced.
So they knew? Even before I stepped foot in here?
Do-yoon's voice was more serious now:
"There are only two options, Rob."
"Play their game… or destroy it from the inside."
Roby grinned.
"Pretty sure you already know which one I'm gonna pick."
Do-yoon didn't answer. But the flicker in his eyes said it all.