CHAPTER 2
The siren signaled the end of the day.
Chairs scraped. Laughter echoed. Bags zipped.
Everyone left.
Not me.
I stayed seated until the classroom emptied.
When the hallway finally fell silent, I walked toward the Computer Lab.
If the system was rigged, it had to leave fingerprints somewhere.
And fingerprints could be traced.
***
The lab lights flickered on.
Rows of monitors.
Cold. Waiting.
I logged into a student terminal.
Access denied.
Of course.
I tried the public database.
Limited access.
Pathetic.
My gaze shifted to the shelf near the teacher's desk.
The Golden 10 contact registry.
Careless.
Privilege makes people lazy.
I flipped through the booklet slowly.
There.
Park Jae In.
School email. Student ID. Internal reference code.
Useful.
Very useful.
I returned to the terminal.
The login screen stared back at me.
I typed her email.
Password required.
Three attempts only.
I didn't touch the keyboard.
Not yet.
Jae In wasn't creative.
People like her never are.
They reuse patterns. Dates. Titles. Names they worship.
Her birthday? Too obvious.
Her father's company name? Too predictable.
I watched her earlier this week.
The way she signed her assignments.
_"PJI_Queen."_
I almost smiled.
Arrogance leaves trails.
I tried a variation.
Wrong password.
One attempt gone.
The screen blinked a warning.
Two left.
I leaned back.
Think.
Her locker number.
Her car plate.
The slogan stitched on her custom blazer.
_GoldenLegacy_
I adjusted it. Added numbers. Removed caps.
Second attempt.
Processing…
Denied.
One chance left.
The room felt smaller.
Even the air paused.
I closed my eyes.
People like Jae In don't choose passwords to protect themselves.
They choose passwords to admire themselves.
I remembered the billboard.
"Rank 3 — Untouchable."
Untouchable.
I typed slowly.
U n t o u c h a b l e 1 0
Enter.
The loading circle spun.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
Access granted.
I didn't smile.
Winning too early is dangerous.
Her inbox unfolded in front of me.
Scholarship board exchanges.
Private communications with administration.
Confidential attachments.
And there it was.
Grade adjustment approvals.
Subtle.
Clean.
Hidden behind phrases like:
*Performance Consideration.*
*Merit Alignment.*
*Administrative Adjustment.*
I downloaded nothing.
Copying leaves traces.
Instead, I photographed the screen.
Old methods are sometimes safer.
Before logging out, I navigated deeper.
The Golden Records.
One by one.
Their academic scores were impressive.
But at the far right of the grading breakdown.
ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUSTMENT.
5%
7%
10%
Every single Golden 10 member had it.
Scholarship students?
Zero.
Always zero.
So this was how kings were crowned.
Not by brilliance.
By correction.
I leaned back in the chair.
The system wasn't unbeatable.
It was just protected.
And protection could be removed.
The first step had begun.
***
*TUESDAY*
The hallway buzzed louder than usual.
Students crowded around the ranking billboard.
Murmurs.
Shock.
Confusion.
The ranks had shifted.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Subtle changes cause louder reactions.
*KIM HA NA — Rank 3*
*JAE IN — Rank 7*
I didn't need my name at the top.
Visibility is dangerous.
Disruption is safer.
Jae In stormed in.
Her footsteps sharp.
Her breathing uneven.
Yes.
That was the first crack.
***
Slap.
The sound echoed across the corridor.
Then again.
Students froze.
Phones lifted.
Perfect.
"How dare you," she hissed.
Her fingers tightened around her collar.
_Kim Ha Na's_
"Do you know who you're playing with?"
Ha-na looked at her.
Scared.
"I will kill you," she whispered. "You will be dead if you dare me."
Silence.
Witnesses.
Cameras.
Threat recorded.
Exactly what I needed.
Evidence.
She had just handed it to me herself.
Ha-na lowered her gaze.
In fear.
Trembling.
Step one: destabilize.
Step two: provoke.
Step three—
Eliminate.
At the count of three,
she would fall.
And she wouldn't even know who pushed her.
END OF CHAPTER 2