Ch. 4
The very next day...
The black Valen limousine pulled up to the private school gates like royalty arriving uninvited. Polished to perfection, the sleek car slid past the wrought iron entrance of St. Athelene's University. Yuna sat in the back seat, her legs crossed, arms folded and expression was unreadable.
She watched the campus roll by through tinted windows with its gothic stone buildings, hedges and overly decorative fountains.
There was even a student garden. It looked like a miniature kingdom pretending to be a school.
The car slowed to a gentle stop near the entrance to the main academic building.
"Young Miss, we've arrived." The driver turned slightly.
Yuna didn't reply at first. She was busy processing the mild irritation crawling up her spine.
I ran a multi-billion dollar company in Seoul from scratch and now I'm back to... textbooks and uniforms?
"Insane." Her lips pressed into a thin line.
Still, she adjusted the cuff of her custom-tailored blazer with the Valen crest embroidered in silver and stepped out of the car. Selene or rather, our Yuna in Selene's body had officially arrived at St. Athelene's University.
The students who saw Selene getting out of the car immediately knew that she was a first-year student and a transferee.
No one knew who she was and yet, in that moment, everyone stared at her.
The soft waves of her hazel-brown hair shimmered in the light.
Her posture was straight and regal. Her steps were slow but assured.
Selene walked with an elegance that seemed effortless, as if she didn't need to try because she was simply born with it. And, of course, everyone noticed.
Inside the gates, the whispers started immediately.
"Who is that...?"
"New student? second semester na ah."
"Wow, another rich person transferring here again?"
"Did you see her car? That's a Valen level money..."
"She looks like a model."
All of those murmurs reached Yuna's ears.
She inwardly rolled her eyes at the overwhelming amount of attention.
The school building loomed ahead. It tried to impress her, but to her it was just another overly designed institution stuffed with children who hadn't yet seen how cruel the world could be.
She walked up the steps without pausing.
This was written in the novel, I think it was around Chapter 8 or 9.
Somewhere between those two chapters. Many students were amazed and captivated by Selene's arrival.
They initially thought she was the kind and caring heiress they had imagined her to be.
Only to later discover that Selene's true personality was much more twisted.
That was how the novel's version of Selene was described, and that was also how I saw her.
Yuna attended her first class, which was a joint major elective called Contemporary Global Politics. Since it was a joint class, students from different courses and year levels could attend as long as the subject was part of their curriculum.
There, she arrived early.
The room was still half-empty. A few students were already there, busy chatting among themselves, but the moment she entered, the low buzz of conversation died instantly.
Every eye turned toward her, which only added to Yuna's irritation.
Because of her irritation, she walked straight into the room and searched for an empty seat.
She chose the one near the window, placed her bag down, and sat.
Her expression didn't change. Her eyes briefly scanned the room, familiarizing herself with the faces around her.
And one person in particular, caught her attention.
Ethan was busy scribbling notes in his notebook when he suddenly felt someone's gaze on him.
When he looked up, he found a new face staring at him.
The girl was glaring so intensely that it almost felt like she wanted to burn him alive.
Ethan couldn't understand what was happening. Did he do something wrong?
Meanwhile, Yuna was still silently judging Selene's petty personality.
Is this the part where she fell in love with Ethan at first sight because he looked back at her?
What a joke. Seriously, Selene?
How childish can you be? I literally managed to stare Ethan down, and you were already falling for him? Lol.
Yuna gave Ethan one last annoyed look before shifting her gaze toward the door instead. She almost choked when she turned her head and saw who had just entered the room.
It was the female lead.
Lina was smiling softly. Her light brown hair was tied neatly in a ponytail, and she wore the Athelene's uniform like the other students. However, her worn-out sneakers stood out against the luxurious uniform, along with the stack of books she clutched to her chest.
"This female lead, tss. She doesn't stand out but that's what makes her stand out."
Lina settled down two rows in front of Yuna, completely unaware of the person behind her.
Unaware that the girl destined to become her "rival" had no interest in following the story that had already been written.
Minutes later, the class began and the professor introduced her.
With no way to avoid it, Yuna stood up and reluctantly and made her way to the front.
"Everyone! This is Miss Selene Valen, our transfer student from abroad. She'll be joining our class starting today. Please make her feel welcome."
Yuna didn't offer a smile. She only gave a brief nod. That was all she needed to do, and for her, it was enough. After the class, the buzz inside the campus intensified.
"She's a Valen? Wait... like the Valen Corporation?"
"I heard they own half of the East District."
"Did you see the way she looked at Ethan?"
"She didn't. That's the scary part."
"What's so scary about me not looking at that guy? I already stared him down earlier. That's enough for me. Weird people." Yuna muttered.
By the end of the day, her name was already trending on the school's private forum.
__________
__________
| No one's seen her before. Is she a royalty? |
|She didn't even talk to anyone.|
| Literally the most intimidating girl I've ever seen. Someone say hi before I collapse. |
| I'm scared of her.. |
Yuna scrolled through the posts later that night, one leg crossed over the other in her too-fluffy bed, still dressed in her school uniform. She sipped from a glass of cold water and raised an eyebrow.
"First day, and I'm already famous. Not bad." Yuna leaned back, closed her eyes, and sighed.
"I still can't believe I'm back in school. All this... just to experience adolescence all over again?"
"What a life."