It was Monday morning, and unlike any other, Irene was being woken up by Jim. Not an alarm clock. Not the sound of birds or gentle music. Nope. Just Jim — her annoying older brother, professionally a sleep destroyer and a perfect human version of a frying pan hitting metal.
Jim Lou
Nineteen years old. University student. Basketball addict. Professional teaser. A legit flirt.
And Irene's greatest natural enemy since birth.
She sat up, looking completely unkempt, and immediately began thinking of how she could get revenge.
"Ugh… Jim," she groaned, rolling dramatically on her bed. Why did he always have to ruin her perfect dreams?! She was this close to finding out who the mysterious prince was.
She spread her fingers apart to show exactly how close she was, then sighed into her pillow.
She tried to go back to sleep, but sleep was gone — and so was her good mood. All thanks to Jim.
Revenge was definitely on the menu.
"I, Irene Lou, shall avenge my dream," she declared to herself, holding up her toothbrush like a sword as she marched into the bathroom.
Her bathroom was her sanctuary.
"The only person who has ever used this restroom is me," she bragged to her reflection, striking a pose. "I'm basically a VIP."
She grinned, toothpaste foam on her chin.
"A very important princess."
By the time she finished, the clock glared at her: 7:15 A.M.
"Oh no, no, no, nooo!" she gasped. "Almost late again!"
In a blur, she pulled on her white shirt, white socks with red stripes, and her sneakers. Then came her red, white, and black pleated mini skirt.
And finally, her signature look.
She twisted her chestnut hair into a quick bun, leaving her fringe perfectly messy.
Ready, cute, and late.
Just another Irene morning.
She grabbed her backpack and sprinted toward the stairs — but suddenly paused.
Jim's door was open.
Wait.
Open?
That never happened.
Curiosity sparkled in her eyes.
"Jim… breaking his own rules? Oh, can this day get any better?"
She peeked inside.
It was empty.
No sign of Jim.
Then her eyes landed on it.
Jim's phone. Lying peacefully on the bed.
"This day just keeps getting better."
Within seconds, she unlocked it using his password.
His girlfriend's name.
Biora.
Typical.
"Perfect," Irene whispered evilly. "Revenge time."
So many ideas flooded her mind.
One idea was to send his shirtless picture to his classmates…
But then she remembered last time.
Flashback.
"Omg, Irene, your brother is so cute," a girl had said.
"Ew! You literally think Jim — my older brother — is cute?!"
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
"EWWWW!"
That was a nightmare.
An absolute torment.
So this time, she chose chaos instead of humiliation.
She snapped ridiculous selfies:
— crossed eyes
— tongue out
— one with a stuffed panda on her head
Then she changed his Weibo profile picture and background to them.
Next, she changed his password to:
Jim is so lame boring and stupid but Irene is the best
She smiled proudly.
Now he would never figure it out.
He would come begging her.
And finally, she could blackmail him.
The thought made her so happy.
She did her happy flappy dance, chuckled evilly, and rubbed her hands together like a villain.
"Flawless."
But then—
Footsteps.
"Uh-oh."
She froze.
She turned and opened the door.
And unfortunately…
Jim was standing there.
She smiled weakly.
"Good… morning!"
Jim raised an eyebrow slowly.
Like her life depended on it.
She grabbed her backpack and dashed downstairs.
Freedom was close.
But then—
Her brain sang like a programmed alarm clock.
Breakfast.
"BREAKFAST!"
She skidded to a halt.
She turned and ran into the kitchen.
Her dad's pancakes sat on the counter.
Her dad,Mr jack Lou ,a doctor by occupation.
The most loving parent she has ,a superb cook and an awesome dad.
He is always busy,but he tries to be there for her and her brother.
Still warm.
Golden.
Perfect.
She took the first bite.
Heaven.
The soft, milky sweetness melted in her mouth.
Then she took the second bite.
Regret.
The memory of what she had done hit her like a rock.
She choked.
Grabbed water.
Swallowed quickly.
Stuffed the rest into a takeout bag and hooked it onto her backpack.
Now she was officially fed.
And possibly dead if Jim found out.
She strapped on her inline skates and zoomed down the street.
Two blocks away from home, she sighed in relief.
"Phew… he's not following me."
Then—
"IREEEEEEEENNNNEEEE!!!"
Jim's voice.
Right behind her.
Terror struck instantly.
Her conscience screamed:
Run faster. Run faster.
She skated faster.
And faster.
Looking back.
Looking forward.
Panic everywhere.
She was almost at school.
Ahead of her, the tall iron gates of Silvercrest High School came into view.
The most prestigious private school in the city.
The most stressful place on earth.
And unfortunately… Irene Lou was a student there.
Irene Lou wasn't famous at Silvercrest High School.
She wasn't the smartest.
She wasn't the prettiest.
She wasn't the most talented.
But she was definitely… the most chaotic.
Almost safe.
Almost free.
She turned forward—
BAM!!!
She crashed into something solid.
Hard.
Like a wall.
A human wall.
Dizzy, she blinked up slowly.
A tall boy stood before her.
His posture was straight. Effortless. Untouchable.
Silvercrest High School uniform rested perfectly on his frame.
Jet-black hair framed a calm, unreadable expression.
Sharp eyes looked down at her.
Cold. Quiet. Empty.
Eyes that didn't belong to someone his age.
Her breath caught.
For a split second…
He looked exactly like the mysterious shadow from her dream.
But she didn't think about that.
Because right now, only one thought filled her mind:
Oh no… I'm in trouble. lol