She was quiet as we walked, her steps measured, as if she were still processing what had just happened.
I didn't rush her.
Instead, I led us out of the underground facility, my pace casual, unconcerned. The moment we stepped outside, the night air greeted us—cool, crisp, grounding.
Hyerin inhaled deeply, as if resetting herself.
I leaned against the car, watching her with quiet amusement. "How do you feel?"
She hesitated before answering. "I… don't know."
I smirked. "That's the second time you've said that tonight."
She shot me a look but didn't argue.
I tapped my fingers against the hood of the car. "That's fine. You'll figure it out soon enough."
Hyerin exhaled, rubbing her temple. "Is this what everyone's been using?"
I hummed, tilting my head slightly. "Most of them, yes."
She frowned, glancing back toward the building. "And you?"
I smiled. "What do you think?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly, studying me as if searching for an answer.
Then, finally, she looked away. "Never mind."
Smart girl.
I straightened, motioning for her to get in the car. "Let's go. You have studying to do, remember?"
She sighed, opening the door and sliding in without protest.
The drive back was quieter than before.
Hyerin sat with her arms crossed, her gaze flickering toward the city lights outside, deep in thought.
I glanced at her from the corner of my eye.
What's on your mind now, Hyerin?
She was too calm. Not rattled, not overwhelmed. Just… thinking.
I smirked. You're adjusting faster than I expected.
As we pulled up to her house, she finally spoke.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she muttered, reaching for the door handle.
I didn't reply immediately.
Instead, I leaned slightly toward her.
"Don't overthink it," I murmured. "You're already moving forward."
She froze for a fraction of a second before glancing at me.
Then, without another word, she stepped out of the car and shut the door behind her.
I watched as she walked toward her house, her posture straight, composed.
Even now, she wouldn't let herself look uncertain.
I chuckled, shaking my head before pulling away.
Good. Keep going, Hyerin. Let's see how far you'll make it.
The following morning, the atmosphere at Seonghwa was different. The usual tension that came with exam results still lingered, but there was something heavier in the air—anticipation.
The Moot Battle.
I arrived at school the same way I always did—unbothered, unaffected. For me, it was just another competition to win. But for everyone else? It was a battlefield.
I spotted Hyerin almost immediately.
She stood near the entrance, arms crossed, her expression unreadable as she listened to a group of students whispering near the bulletin board.
Her gaze flickered slightly when she noticed me.
I smirked. "Waiting for something?"
She exhaled, glancing at the board. "The team assignments are posted."
I barely glanced at it before turning back to her. "Nervous?"
She frowned, shaking her head. "No. Just wondering if I'll get a team that actually wants me there."
Ah.
Of course. She's the transfer student.
Even with the pod, even with her effort, the others still see her as an outsider.
I stepped closer, just enough to make her focus shift entirely to me. "If they don't want you, make them regret it."
She studied me for a moment, then sighed. "I swear, everything you say sounds like a threat."
I laughed softly. "I prefer to think of it as motivation."
Before she could respond, a voice called out from behind us.
"Yoon Saehwa, Yeon Hyerin," Teacher Lee announced, holding a clipboard. "You two have been assigned to the same team."
Hyerin's eyes widened slightly.
I smirked. Oh, this just got even better.
She turned to me, looking like she wasn't sure whether to be relieved or concerned. "You're on my team?"
I shrugged. "It seems that way."
Teacher Lee continued, listing off the remaining members.
"And your third teammate," he said, flipping the page, "is Jung Nari."
Hyerin stiffened.
I glanced at her, amused. "Something wrong?"
She sighed, rubbing her temple. "Of course it's Nari."
I chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll keep her in check."
Hyerin shot me a doubtful look, but before she could say anything, Teacher Lee spoke again.
"Your first opponent will be announced at noon. Prepare accordingly."
With that, he walked away, leaving us standing there.
I turned back to Hyerin, watching as she processed the situation.
"Looks like you're stuck with me for this one," I mused.
She exhaled slowly. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing yet."
I smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."
The Moot Battle was more than just an academic exercise. At Seonghwa, it was a stage—a battlefield where reputations were built and destroyed.
Winning meant power. Losing meant irrelevance.
By the time noon arrived, the main hall was filled with students, the tension sharp in the air. Teams gathered in clusters, reviewing their strategies, some whispering anxiously, others exuding quiet confidence.
I sat at the long mahogany table designated for our team, my fingers tapping idly against the smooth surface as I watched the commotion around us.
Hyerin sat across from me, flipping through a case file, eyes scanning every word. Nari stood beside me, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
"You two ready?" I asked casually.
Hyerin barely glanced up. "I'm trying to figure out how to be, considering I have no idea what our first case will be."
I smirked. "You'll figure it out fast enough."
She sighed, closing the file and rubbing her temple. "You're disturbingly confident."
Nari, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke.
"As much as I hate to admit it, she has a right to be," she muttered, giving me a sharp look. "Saehwa's never lost a single case in these battles."
Hyerin glanced at me, something unreadable flashing in her gaze.
"Then let's make sure that doesn't change today," she said.
I chuckled. "Oh? Are you finally getting competitive?"
She ignored me.
Before I could tease her further, a loud voice rang through the hall.
"Attention, everyone. The first match will now begin."
A hush fell over the room.
Teacher Lee stepped forward, holding the case file in one hand.
"The prosecution for the first case will be Yoon Saehwa, Jung Nari, and Yeon Hyerin," he announced.
A few murmurs spread through the hall.
"Of course Saehwa is the prosecutor again," someone whispered.
"I almost feel bad for the defense team," another muttered.
I smirked, resting my chin against my hand.
Teacher Lee continued, "The defense team will be led by Jang Gaeun, alongside Han Mirae and Kang Jisoo."
The moment the name Jang Gaeun was called, I noticed Hyerin tense slightly.
Ah.
So she still remembered what happened last time.
I turned toward her, amused. "Oh? Feeling personal about this one?"
She exhaled sharply. "I just hope I don't have to argue with her directly."
I laughed. "Oh, Hyerin. You should know by now—you don't get to choose your battles here."
Teacher Lee handed out the case file to both teams. "You have ten minutes to prepare. The trial begins after that."
I flipped open the file, scanning through the pages.
Contract breach dispute.
Simple enough.
I slid the file toward Hyerin. "Take a look."
She frowned, flipping through the pages quickly. "This isn't as complicated as I expected."
"Don't let that fool you," Nari muttered, leaning forward. "Gaeun is good at twisting arguments. If we get careless, she'll spin the narrative against us before we realize it."
I smirked. "Then we won't let her."
Hyerin sighed, rolling her shoulders back. "Okay. Tell me how we're going to win this."
I leaned forward, my voice smooth, certain.
"Easy. We play to our advantage."
The ten-minute preparation time ticked away swiftly, but it wasn't wasted.
I laid out the approach with sharp efficiency—breaking down the argument, assigning roles, ensuring that every move we made would be deliberate.
"We focus on the breach," I murmured, tapping the case file. "The defendant failed to uphold their end of the contract. That's our strongest angle. If Gaeun tries to muddy the argument, we shut it down immediately."
Nari nodded. "She'll go for technicalities. She'll argue that the contract's wording was too vague, making the breach subjective."
"Then we don't give her that chance," I said smoothly. "We define the breach for her before she can. Make it absolute."
Hyerin listened intently, her brows slightly furrowed.
"And my role?" she asked.
I tilted my head. Good. She wasn't sitting back. She wanted a part in this.
"You'll handle witness questioning," I said.
Her eyes widened slightly. "What? But I—"
"You've read the case file, haven't you?" I cut in.
"Well, yes, but—"
"Then you're fine."
She hesitated. "That's it? That's your reasoning?"
I smirked. "No. My reasoning is that Gaeun underestimates you. She won't be prepared for you to counter her directly."
Hyerin opened her mouth as if to argue, then closed it again.
I watched as she processed it, the weight of the task settling in.
But in the end, she nodded.
"Fine," she muttered. "I'll do it."
I leaned back, satisfied.
"Good," I murmured. "Now let's go win."
The ten minutes were up.
The courtroom setup in the main hall had been perfectly recreated—elevated judge's bench, designated seats for the prosecution and defense, witness stands. The faculty didn't just make us argue in a debate-style format. No, at Seonghwa, we played the game like it was real.
I strode to our table with effortless confidence, Nari following, Hyerin close behind. Across from us, Gaeun sat with a smirk, her teammates flanking her.
She met my gaze, tilting her head. "Still taking the role of prosecutor, Saehwa?"
I smiled lazily. "And yet, you keep putting yourself in the losing position, Gaeun. Curious."
Her smirk twitched, just barely, before she leaned back in her chair.
The judge—a senior student assigned to oversee the trial—called for order.
"Opening statements," she announced. "Prosecution, you may begin."
I stood, smoothing out my blazer.
Calm. Poised. Completely in control.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I began, my voice steady, deliberate, undeniable.
"The facts of this case are simple. A contract was established. A promise was made. And today, we will prove beyond any doubt that the defendant, Jang Gaeun's client, failed to uphold that promise."
My gaze flickered toward the defense table, watching Gaeun's smirk falter for just a second.
Good.
I stepped back smoothly, owning the space, commanding the room.
"We are not here for speculation. We are not here for ambiguity. We are here for facts. And the facts… will prove our case."
I returned to my seat.
The room was already shifting.
And I knew it then—this battle was already mine.