The atmosphere in the room was suffocating now. Kim could feel the weight of every gaze on him, every whisper carrying the stench of desperation. The wealthy boy, his smirk widening with every passing moment, seemed to be feeding off the chaos he’d instigated. The scholarship students had been reduced to mere pawns in his game, and Kim could see it clearly—he couldn’t be one of them.


    With his heart pounding, Kim stepped forward, his voice breaking through the murmur of excited conversation. “I won’t sell my seat,” he said firmly, his words sharp and direct, carrying more weight than he’d intended.


    The room fell silent at once, and all eyes turned to him. The wealthy boy’s face shifted from smug amusement to annoyance. His eyebrows furrowed as if he couldn’t quite believe that someone would turn down his offer. Kim could feel the tension rising, thick and suffocating, as the others looked at him like he was a fool for rejecting the money. He held his ground, refusing to be intimidated.


    The boy tilted his head, studying Kim with a mixture of disbelief and disdain. “You think you''re above this?” he sneered. “You think you’re so special that you don’t need what I’m offering?”


    Kim didn’t flinch. His mind was racing, but his feet were planted firmly. He had worked too hard to get here, endured too many struggles to let a single moment of temptation destroy his integrity. He couldn’t let the wealthy boy’s money convince him that this was how life worked. He wasn’t just fighting for a seat—he was fighting for his pride.


    “No,” Kim said, his voice low but steady. “I don’t need your money. I earned my place here.”


    The wealthy boy’s face flushed with anger. Kim could see his fists clenching at his sides, his lips curling into a snarl. He wasn’t used to being told no, especially by someone like Kim. To him, Kim was just another poor scholarship student, someone whose life had no value outside of what he could offer.


    “You’ll regret this,” the boy hissed, stepping closer. “I can buy your loyalty, your future. You’ll be nothing without me.”


    Kim stood his ground, the fire in his chest burning brighter. “I’d rather be nothing than owe everything to you.”


    The rich boy took another step forward, his eyes narrowed with malice. The tension between them was thick—neither of them willing to back down. The other scholarship students, who had been caught up in the bidding war, watched with wide eyes, as if they were witnessing something far bigger than they had expected.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    “I don’t need you, or your money,” Kim repeated, louder now, making sure everyone heard. “You can’t buy my future. You can’t buy my dignity.”


    For a moment, it felt as if the room itself held its breath. The wealthy boy was trembling with rage, his expression twisted in fury. Then, in a fit of frustration, he turned on his heel, his voice sharp as he shouted at the staff member, “Get him out of here. I don’t want to deal with this trash anymore!”


    The staff member hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Kim could see the unease in his eyes, the way he was caught between the wealthy boy’s demands and the reality of what had just transpired. But there was no time for hesitation. The wealthy boy stormed out of the room, muttering insults under his breath, his figure disappearing through the door with a final, furious slam.


    Kim’s heart was still racing, but as the door clicked shut, the weight that had been pressing down on him for what seemed like an eternity lifted, if only for a moment. The silence in the room was deafening. It was over—for now.


    But Kim knew this wasn’t the end. The wealthy boy might have walked away, but his words still echoed in Kim’s mind: You’ll regret this. It was clear that the boy wouldn’t forget what had happened, and neither would the others. His refusal had made him a target, a symbol of defiance in a place where money and privilege ruled.


    Kim turned slowly, his eyes finding Seo-joon across the room. The boy had watched the entire scene unfold, his expression unreadable but steady. Kim felt a strange sense of camaraderie, even though they had barely spoken. Seo-joon gave him a small nod, an unspoken acknowledgment of the stand Kim had just made. It was a silent understanding, a recognition of what it meant to hold onto one’s pride, even when the world seemed to be bending to the will of those who could buy everything.


    The other students began to murmur among themselves, their voices low and uncertain. Kim felt their eyes on him—some full of admiration, others filled with judgment. He knew the reality: this was far from over. The world he had entered, a world where privilege held all the power, would not easily forget his defiance.


    But for now, Kim stood tall. He wasn’t going to back down, not today. And he was beginning to realize that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t have to fight this battle alone.


    Seo-joon approached him slowly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You’re crazy, you know that?” he said, his voice soft but teasing.


    Kim couldn’t help but smile back. “Maybe,” he said, feeling the weight of everything that had happened sink in. “But I think it was worth it.”


    Seo-joon nodded, his eyes glinting with understanding. “It’s not easy to resist temptation. But you did the right thing.”


    Kim’s smile faded slightly as the realization hit him. “I don’t know what’s coming next. But I’ll be ready for it.”


    Seo-joon gave him a supportive pat on the back. “You’re not alone in this. We’ll figure it out together.”


    And in that moment, Kim knew he wasn’t just fighting for himself. He was fighting for something bigger than just a seat in college. He was fighting for his future, his dignity, and for the possibility that maybe, just maybe, there was still hope in a world where money didn’t buy everything.