Kai texts Hana early the next day.

    Give me all 100s in your class. Or else. And don’t forget, you have to answer to me whenever I contact you. Understand?

    Clenching her jaw, Hana types back, I understand.

    Coming back to class on Monday is a nightmare. Professor Oh sits upright at her desk, dreading the moment the bell for 1st period will ring. She does not want to see Kai. Before long, however, the students of her class shuffle into the classroom, throwing her pointed looks.

    Did Professor Oh see our tests? What does she have to say about them?

    When the class settles down, Professor Oh stands up.

    “I graded your tests yesterday.” She narrows her eyes, shooting lasers from her pupils as she scans the rows of squirming students. “Every single one of you has failed... which means most of you will not pass for the semester.” When shocked gasps echo through the classroom, Professor Oh continues, “What did you expect? That you could just get away with writing disrespectful slander on a test? You deserve this grade.”

    A hand shoots up. Professor Oh's eyes travel to its owner and then flit away. Kai.

    “We will now proceed with our lesson-,” Professor Oh says, but is cut off by Kai.

    “Excuse me, Professor Oh,” he says in a smarmy voice. “But are you sure everyone failed the test?”

    A jolt of panic runs through Professor Oh. Kai didn’t fail, of course- that would be violating his orders. But admitting that he passed would cause an outburst among her students and diminish her reputation as a teacher even further...

    “Did you just interrupt me, Mr. Kim?” Professor Oh says in a cold voice. “If you would like to confirm your grade, come talk to me privately. Not now.”

    The students in the class are perturbed; it seems as though Professor Oh was not affected the slightest by the rude prank they pulled on her. In fact, they will be the ones suffering the most when they fail this class.

Kai is sitting still at his desk. On the outside it looks like he is unaffected, merely observing Professor Oh as she prepares to begin teaching. But inside Kai is smoldering. Professor Oh should be more fearful of him. Shouldn’t be able to sass him like that. After all, he holds the key that could shatter her career.

    Kai will have to take more severe measures to get Professor Oh trembling at the sight of him.

    The instant the final bell rings, signalling the end of the school day, Professor Oh’s phone buzzes in her pocket.

    Meet me. Now. -Kai

    An address is typed below, causing Professor Oh’s eyebrows to shoot up. Why would Kai want Professor Oh to meet him at his house? It must be something urgent. Perhaps he wants to get back at her for the unflinching way she replied to him today.

    How she wishes Kai had never discovered her secret.

    15 minutes later, Hana has arrived at an enormous luxury apartment complex, comprised of at least 35 floors. Its reflective chrome exterior and tinted windows cause her jaw to drop. As Hana walks to the entrance, a uniformed doorman stops her.

    “Are you here to see someone, madam?” he asks in a brisk voice.

    Hana nods. “Kim Jongin.” After a few moments, the doorman allows her through. “Floor 34. It’s the penthouse suite on the top level,” he informs her.

    I was one floor off.

    Hana enters the glass-walled elevator and punches the black 34 button. She watches as she travels higher and higher, the city of Seoul shrinking as she rises above everything. When the elevator dings, signalling that she has reached level 34, Hana is almost sad to leave the elevator.

    A broad plated door greets Hana, the words Penthouse written in small curlicues under the doorbell. Taking a deep breath, she raps her knuckles on the door twice.

    The instant the door opens Kai whisks Hana inside his apartment and pins her to the wall, forcefully locking her lips in a heated kiss. Hana’s eyes widen in shock and she struggles against his grasp, trying to escape. But it is to no avail.

Kai bites down on her lower lip, eliciting a gasp of pain from Hana. He uses the sudden opening to shove his tongue into , tracing it around its contours. Kai’s hands begin to travel down to her hips. His palms roughly knead circles into Hana’s skin, his fingers pressing down faint red marks.

    Hana’s head is spinning, everything is going too fast, she doesn’t know what is going on, Kai is evoking strange emotions in her chest, in her body- but there is nothing behind his actions; nothing but anger and spite and hatred.

With difficulty Hana shoves Kai away from her. Kai eyes her, disgust and loathing etched on every contour of his face.

    “What are you doing?” she gasps, her chest heaving. “Is this why you called me here?”

    Kai sneers. “Of course. Don’t try to resist; that’ll go against our deal. And you know what that means.”

    Hana stares at Kai for an entire moment. Her penetrating gaze is making him feel uneasy. Shouldn’t she be screaming right now? Begging for mercy? That would be so much more satisfying.

If anything, Hana is unnerving Kai.

    “Is this all you’re capable of?” she finally utters in a bland voice. “Forcefully making advances on me? Is this your idea of revenge, Jongin?”

    Kai stiffens. “What did you just call me?”

    “Jongin,” Hana replies. “Your proper name. Why should I address you by that silly nickname? You have the right to violate my personal interests. So why can’t I do the same to you?”

    “Because, my dear professor,” Kai purrs, lacing his fingers menacingly through Hana's hair, “I have leverage against you. Would you like your students and their parents to discover your true age? How dare you refer to me by my real name. Don’t ever do that again, or you will regret it more than you can ever imagine.”

    Despite Kai’s fierce exterior, he is shaken inside. No one has referred to him by Jongin in years. Even his parents- when they speak to him- call him Kai.

Kai has reserved his true name for the people he cares about, a token he grants them in exchange for his love. But this despised girl has snatched this gift from him, used Kai’s real name indifferently. Kai’s hatred for Hana grows, expands, bubbles over.

    After Hana storms out the door, Kai slams his fist into the wall.

He can hear the definite crack! of plaster breaking.