Switching Scores

That evening, I had to dislocate my wrist to remove the bracelet. The rub left my skin bleeding.

The beggar gave me an identical one to wear, then shattered the Score-Switching Bracelet and turned it into a chain bracelet of a different color.

The next day, I put it on Zonday's wrist.

"A lucky charm?"

Zonday looked at the bracelet that had a different color and design than before and narrowed his eyes.

"Since when did you become so superstitious?"

"I want us to attend the same college."

Zonday peeked at my wrist without changing his expression.

After confirming that I was still wearing the bracelet, he smiled.

"Silly girl. Even if we don't go to the same college, I'll still visit you regularly."

I looked down, pretending to be shy, but I was actually concealing the coldness in my eyes.

Before entering the classroom, I heard a commotion inside.

When I pushed the door open, I saw my bestie Camilla being pulled by her hair, her face filled with tears.

"You stole my patent, didn't you?! The patent is crucial for my college application! How dare you!"

The one shouting was the daughter of a member of the school's board of directors.

She had recently developed a patent and was preparing her college application.

However, her patent suddenly went missing yesterday.

Upon reviewing the security footage, the only person who had returned to the classroom in that time period was Camilla.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I swear!"

Camilla panicked.

But Shelly Woods slapped her.

"You're still acting innocent!? You think I don't know?! You've always talked bad about me behind my back, saying that my patents are just for show and that I'm a fraud! If you're jealous of me, you should work harder to catch up! What's the point of stealing the results of my work? Hurry up and give it back!"

"I... I..."

Camilla trembled in fear.

"You're not gonna come clean, are you?"

Shelly took out her phone. "I'll call my dad. If I can't get direct admission to college, you can forget about going to college!"

"No!"

Camilla lunged forward in a panic, but was held back by Shelly's sidekicks.

Just as Shelly's call was about to connect, someone roared, "Wait!"

My arm was suddenly lifted.

Zonday, one hand in his pocket, held my wrist tightly with the other.

"I saw her in the classroom at that time too."

Shelly's eyes widened.

"Wait, I wasn't..."

Before I could say anything, Zonday pulled me over and said, "This is indeed her fault. I'll talk to her."

With that, he dragged me to a quiet area and looked down at me.

"Are you really going to let your best friend get bullied?"

"But I didn't do it!"

"Yunara!"

He frowned, disappointment shimmering in his eyes.

"She can't lose the chance to go to college. She has academic ambitions. Don't be so willful."

My fists trembled.

But correspondingly, I also noticed his charm bracelet loosening slightly.

Someone is only my family if I consider them to be so…

I held my breath, then closed my eyes.

"Okay, I get it. I'll help her."

At the school assembly, I was called on stage. Shelly's father prepared a long speech naming me a negative example to other students, criticizing me harshly.

The whispers of other students filled my ears.

"Didn't she used to be the top student? Why would she do that?"

"I guess it must be jealousy. I heard her grades have been slipping lately. Seeing Shelly get a direct admission from a top college must be unsettling."

"Tsk tsk! Maybe she only got top grades before this by cheating in the exams."

"Camilla's awesome, though. Getting top marks at this stage takes real skills."