As soon as Nau Rin stepped through the classroom door, four girls were waiting for her at the entrance.
In a calm voice, she asked,
"Did you want to talk to me?"
They glanced her over from head to toe, then smiled.
"Yes… we just wanted to have a little chat with you," one of them replied.
"What's it about?" Nau Rin asked.
"Oh, don't take it so seriously. It's nothing important. Let's skip the formalities and get to know the school while we talk," another said, giving her a gentle nudge on the back.
The girls began leading Nau Rin down the corridor toward the old art room in the middle wing of the school.
The art room was tucked into a corner of the school's old wing. The wooden floor creaked softly with each step, worn and aged. Some of the clay sculptures on the wall shelves were chipped and coated in dust. Dim, dusty light filtered through the single, aged window on the right wall, casting a muted glow across the room.
Nau Rin leaned against the wall as the girls circled in front of her, their eyes fixed on her with keen scrutiny. The low-ceilinged, small room seemed to hold an unspoken tension, making every breath they took feel louder and more pronounced.
From the group, a girl of average height stepped forward, lifting her nose slightly as she opened her mouth.
"First, we should introduce ourselves," she said.
Starting from the left, she began to state their names one by one.
"Lee Minje, Yoo Dahi, Nam Yunhee, and I'm Kim Mina. We're all in the third grade, and we've been at this school for three years."
Returning her gaze to Nau Rin, Kim Mina let a faint smile play on her lips, deliberately drawing out her next words.
"And who are you… Go?"
Nau Rin lowered her head slightly, meeting her eyes directly. She completed the name for herself in a calm yet firm voice.
"Go Nau Rin."
Kim Mina, who had been smiling warmly just a moment ago, let the corners of her mouth slowly drop as her gaze turned sharply cold. She crossed her arms over her chest, tilted her head slightly, and said,
"Yes, Go Nau Rin. But you don't seem to quite understand what I'm saying. You're a new student. So, how about you speak with a little more respect?"
Her voice cut through the quiet room like a sharp, icy gust. Nau Rin, however, remained composed and replied in a soft, measured tone,
"My name is Go Nau Rin, sunbaenim."
The girls fell silent for a moment. Then they glanced at each other and laughed, the sound carrying a mocking edge.
"Yes… that's better," they said, feigning praise but laced with derision.
Kim Mina smiled with a hint of satisfaction and said,
"Now that everyone has settled into their spots, it's easier to talk, isn't it? We only brought you here because we want to be friends," she said clearly.
Nau Rin said nothing, simply observing them silently.
Yoo Dahi, standing beside her near the wall, pressed her foot against it and leaned slightly forward. Her face twisted into a teasing expression as she snapped,
"Why aren't you answering? Do you think you're untouchable because you have some big backing that can even bend the school rules?"
Lee Minje glanced sideways, a small smile tugging at her lips, and said,
"That can't be true, right?" — her gaze appraising Nau Rin.
Before the tension could escalate, Kim Mina stepped between them. Her eyes were sharp, her voice firm yet measured.
"Enough! Look at her. She understands perfectly. Dahi, take your foot off the wall."
Though annoyed, Yoo Dahi obeyed, sliding her foot away under Mina's commanding tone.
Kim Mina moved in front of Nau Rin, curling her lips into a polite but cold smile.
"From now on, we're friends. So let's help and support each other… like friends," she said softly, though every word carried an underlying pressure.
Nau Rin remained silent. Her calm, unreadable demeanor seemed to fuel the girls' irritation even more.
Suddenly, Nam Yunhee stepped forward, palm outstretched toward Nau Rin.
"Give me your wallet… hurry up!" she demanded, pressing her hand insistently.
Without resistance, Nau Rin handed it over.
Nam Yunhee grinned and began rifling through it.
"We wanted to watch a movie, but we're short on cash… so we'll borrow from you," she said, her tone teasing.
After searching all the pockets and finding nothing, her face darkened with annoyance.
"Is that all? Is it even true that you're a rich kid?" she snapped, tossing the wallet back toward Nau Rin.
The wallet struck her chest with a dull thud before dropping to the floor. Nau Rin, however, remained standing calmly, her face completely void of expression.
Kim Mina reminded the others that there were only forty minutes left of lunch break and walked toward the door. One by one, the girls filed out.
Finally, as she stepped over the threshold, Yoo Dahi suddenly turned back. Her gaze was sharp, fixed directly on Nau Rin.
"You'll be talking soon," she whispered, her voice low, and slammed the door behind her.
Silence settled over the room, leaving Nau Rin alone. She bent down, picked up her wallet, shook off the dust, and tucked it safely into her pocket. Gently closing the door behind her, she made her way toward the school cafeteria.
Lunch break ended, and the students returned to their classrooms. The once noisy corridor gradually fell silent.
Nau Rin retrieved her outerwear from the locker and changed her shoes at the school entrance before stepping outside, placing her hat on her head. The chilly morning wind had long since subsided, and warm sunlight glimmered softly behind thin clouds.
She walked slowly, observing her surroundings with gentle attention, and made her way toward the bus stop. Soon, the waiting bus arrived, nearly empty, with most of its seats available. Nau Rin chose a seat by the window and settled in.
As the bus began to move, she reached out slightly through the open window. The golden sunlight touched her skin, making her fair complexion glow, and for the first time that day, a faint, gentle smile appeared on her lips.
As soon as Nau Rin arrived at the bus stop, she suddenly spotted familiar figures walking ahead. They were her friends, engrossed in a lively conversation, completely unaware of her presence.
Suppressing a laugh, Nau Rin quietly followed them from behind before suddenly tugging at the handle of Minho's bag. Startled, Minho exclaimed, "Ah!" and spun around—only to find Nau Rin smiling at him. Frowning, he shouted,
"I'll get you!"and gave chase.
Nau Rin and Minho raced around the area, while Seohun and Taehyun watched, laughing and shaking their heads. The chase ended with Nau Rin emerging victorious.
Breathing heavily, Minho glared at her.
"You're lucky today. If I hadn't already been punished, I would have caught you," he said.
Nau Rin pouted her lips slightly and nodded.
"Mm," she replied, a quiet acknowledgment.
Taehyun smiled.
"Yes, Arim, no need. It was tough enough for him today," he said.
Curious, Nau Rin turned to Minho.
"So… you got punished. What was your punishment?"
Minho sighed.
"Yes, I got punished. Look at this," he said, showing his hand. "Are you happy now?"
As planned, Minho arrived at the school entrance, took off his jacket, stuffed it into his bag, and began walking inside. But the moment he stepped in, he realized his teacher was standing there, watching him—something that almost never happened. Heart racing, Minho tried to slip past silently, but a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder. 'You would've been caught even without trying this hard,' the teacher remarked. 'Who walks around in just a school uniform in this freezing weather?' And just like that, Minho was caught and punished.
Nau Rin glanced at his hand and said indifferently,
"Things happen as they should."
Minho gritted his teeth, starting to say, "You…" but Nau Rin quickly shifted the topic.
"So… did it go the way I said it would?"
Seohun calmly added,
"Pretty much. He got ten strokes of the cane and had to do twenty rabbit jumps."
"Really? That's unfortunate," Nau Rin replied, and Minho widened his eyes.
"Unfortunate about what?" he asked, feigning indignation.
Nau Rin held out her hand.
"Ouch… that hurts," she said in mock complaint, "You really had it rough."
Minho rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, right," he retorted.
As they chatted, they spotted Seohun and Taehyun waiting at a street stall for some gyeran-ppang. Minho and Nau Rin headed over to join them, and soon, all four were deciding to grab a warm egg bread for themselves.
But Nau Rin looked downcast.
"I don't have any money," she said.
Minho exclaimed first,
"That can't be! You're the only one who doesn't spend money among us, aren't you?"
Nau Rin pulled out her empty wallet to show them. Seohun asked,
"Where did your pocket money go?"
Meanwhile, Taehyun handed her an egg bread.
"Thanks," Nau Rin said softly to Taehyun, and they continued walking toward home.
As she ate her egg bread, she murmured quietly,
"Some girls wanted to be friends with me… and they emptied my wallet."
Everyone stared at her in surprise. Minho asked,
"What? Are you being bullied?"
Nau Rin nodded slightly.
"Seems like it," she admitted.
Taehyun asked, looking concerned,
"So, what are you going to do now?"
Nau Rin's voice was calm.
"I don't want to cause any trouble. After all, it's just one year until graduation…"
Minho interrupted,
"Everything starts small. It's only going to get tougher as we go," he warned.
Taehyun turned to Minho and scolded him,
"Stop trying to scare the kid."
Seohun turned to Nau Rin.
"How do you want to handle it? Just do as you please," he encouraged.
Minho shook his head.
"It's going to be rough..." he grumbled.