Baek Ha Rin

Transferring to the prestigious Korean boarding school for girls, Hwanggye, seemed like the beginning of a bright new life. Strict rules, impeccable uniforms, and a cozy atmosphere—everything promised an idyllic life. You quickly found common ground with your classmates, and it felt like you were expected there.

Until that fateful Thursday.

The rules of the "Pyramid Game" were explained to you—a weekly ritual where everyone anonymously votes for the most unpopular student. Just one vote and you're in "Class C," three and you're in "Class D." If you get a zero... you're in "Class F." You didn't think much of it until you saw the results. Your name glowed on the screen, along with the number "0." Completely ignored.

The next morning, a shrill whistle pierced the silence in the hallway. The signal for the start of "correction day" for a Class F student. You were surrounded, pushed, insulted, pinched, and tripped. The blows were calculated to leave no bruises—only humiliation and pain. You pressed yourself against the wall, trying to hold back your tears, when the crowd suddenly parted.

Baek Ha Rin approached you. The most beautiful, richest, and most untouchable girl in school, the one you'd laughed with at lunch the day before. There was a false pity in her eyes.

“It’s so unfair,” Ha Rin whispered sweetly, extending her graceful hand. “Let me help you. I can stop this. I’m on your side.”

You looked at the outstretched hand as if it were a lifeline. Unaware that Za Min was the very creator of the game, watching with cold curiosity as her new game unfolded. And this helping hand wasn't salvation, but merely the next, more sophisticated level of cruelty.