Liar and Liar - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 1

“Another rotten morning, Try-elle.”

The hallway lined with lockers on both sides was filled with students and bustling with noise.

A white male student wearing a striped shirt, tie, and navy uniform pants in a slovenly manner didn’t miss the moment his eyes met Danielle Ryu’s and sneered mockingly.

‘Try-elle’ was a long-standing nickname derived from Danielle Ryu’s English name, Danielle.

Try-Elle. Always trying and trying- Danielle.

At Elmir Westlake, considered a top-ranked private school throughout California, Danielle Ryu and the other students were as different as oil and water. It wasn’t just because Danielle Ryu was the only Korean and full scholarship student in the entire school.

Among the swans who leisurely enjoyed surfing, scholarship student duck Danielle Ryu, who would stubbornly challenge quiz questions to secure perfect scores, was an oddball and earned the strange nickname ‘Queen Nerd.’

The reason the male student didn’t just go his way but picked a fight with Danielle Ryu was partly due to her un-Californian cold expression.

“What, having problems getting into the Ivy League?”

“Hahaha.”

Unlike other students who always laughed without a care in the world, Danielle Ryu basically didn’t smile. Male students sometimes went out of their way to get on her nerves for no reason.

But Danielle Ryu never reacted. At her perfect indifference, the male students would laugh among themselves like a routine and leave.

‘Don’t those blockheads ever get tired of it.’

Instead of wasting time talking nonsense, go read a book or something.

Swallowing bitter contempt, Danielle Ryu pushed up her glasses with her fingertips.

The condition for maintaining a full scholarship at Elmir Westlake was staying in the top 10% of grades, but since becoming a scholarship student, Danielle Ryu had never once lost her position as first in her grade.

In other words, there was a reasonable basis for Danielle Ryu calling other students in her grade ‘blockheads.’

Checking her wristwatch, Danielle Ryu’s steps headed toward her locker. However, the moment she reached her locker, her steps came to an abrupt halt.

Some unfamiliar male student with braided hair was rummaging through Danielle Ryu’s locker without permission.

“What are you doing right now? That’s my locker.”

“What?”

The male student looked Danielle Ryu up and down.

When she approached to check, her locker was filled with unfamiliar items instead of her belongings, which were nowhere to be found.

Confused, Danielle Ryu double-checked the locker location. It was definitely the locker she had been using.

“Yours? I was told no one was using it, so I decided to use it starting today.”

“What are you talking about? I’m the owner!”

When Danielle Ryu rarely raised her voice, surrounding gazes gathered. However, the male student’s reaction, with his bag slung carelessly over one shoulder, was so shameless it left Danielle Ryu speechless.

“So what. Not my problem? I heard it had no owner, so I decided to use it. You can find another one to use.”

Setting aside his arrogant behavior, Danielle Ryu’s thoughts went elsewhere.

“Then what about the things inside?! What happened to what was in there?”

Books, study notes, project materials – each and every item was too important to Danielle Ryu.

“I don’t know. Go dig through the trash or something.”

The male student swept past, almost brushing Danielle Ryu’s shoulder.

“Ha.”

Danielle Ryu let out a hollow laugh and stared into space.

Dark brown horn-rimmed glasses. Long straight hair she managed by cutting it herself. A neat yet baggy uniform, a Poor Asian obsessed with grades.

Though there were endless reasons to be ignored, ‘Danielle Ryu,’ the valedictorian of Elmir Westlake, was absolutely not to be underestimated.

The reason Danielle Ryu was crowned with the title ‘Queen Nerd’ was because she never foolishly took such absurd situations lying down or let them slide.

But instead of turning around to grab the male student’s arm, Danielle Ryu hurriedly ran toward the Trash Yard.

For now, the more important priority wasn’t catching that jerk and beating him up, but her materials and belongings.

* * *

“Sorry for being late.”

All eyes turned to Danielle Ryu as she appeared at the open door. Miranda, the teacher standing in front of the blackboard, frowned.

“How can the class assistant be late?”

“I’m sorry.”

Several students snickered, saying they were witnessing the Queen Nerd with her tail between her legs for once.

Despite rushing to the Trash Yard even though it made her late for class, Danielle Ryu ultimately couldn’t find her locker items.

Sitting in an empty seat, Danielle Ryu bit down hard on the inside of her mouth.

The lock must have been on it too, so who would think it was an empty locker? Due to thoughts chaining one after another, she couldn’t focus on the class content.

Danielle Ryu snapped out of her reverie when Miranda brought up the most important topic.

“And the Capstone Program intern selection results are out. The student selected as a UCLA intern this time is-“

The reason Danielle Ryu took this AP (Advanced Placement) class and even volunteered as a class assistant was precisely for this internship opportunity.

Unlike other students who could easily create recommendation letters by mobilizing family connections and participate in external activities, this UCLA internship was virtually the only lifeline for Danielle Ryu, who had difficulty obtaining proper recommendation letters.

She had lived practically glued to the library preparing for this Capstone Program, pulling countless all-nighters.

“Emily Holt.”

Danielle Ryu’s heart sank. When Emily’s name was called and she stood up, everyone’s gaze alternated between Danielle Ryu and Emily.

After a brief silence, the students’ laughter created a strange atmosphere. The sound of applause pounded against Danielle Ryu’s head and ears.

“I can’t accept this.”

Instead of directly interrupting the results announcement, Danielle Ryu chose to have a private conversation with Miranda in the classroom after the students left.

“Your tone is too arrogant, Danielle. It’s not a matter of whether you accept it or not.”

“While Emily Holt was always drinking boba tea and tanning in bikinis, I lived in the library. I even served as class assistant.”

“UCLA and I can’t examine every detail of how diligently assignments were made and the entire process.”

“I know Emily Holt was late with her submission deadline.”

Miranda, who had been organizing papers on her desk, gave Danielle Ryu her attention.

“Of course, I don’t know how amazing a paper Emily Holt submitted. But I’m certain the process was unfair.”

“Danielle. I didn’t want to have to say this.”

Even though Danielle Ryu had confronted her directly, even after being pointed out for giving Emily Holt preferential treatment, Miranda only sighed through her nose and wasn’t particularly shaken.

“Don’t you understand your position yet? That just wasn’t an opportunity you could have.”

“Excuse me?”

“Emily Holt’s relative is a trustee on the UCLA Foundation Board. From the moment Emily submitted with the surname Holt and you submitted with the surname Ryu, the result was already decided.”

Danielle Ryu’s mouth moved slightly.

Is that something a teacher should say?

“And first, you need to do your job properly. A class assistant being late to class. When pointing out others’ faults, shouldn’t you first show a responsible attitude yourself?”

Under the pretext of being a class assistant, Danielle Ryu had been handling all of Miranda’s errands. Even enduring mockery as a Teacher’s Pet.

“This kind of attitude is problematic. Unless you don’t need a recommendation letter, there’s nothing more to say.”

If she couldn’t get recommendation letters from outside, she had no choice but to get them from school teachers. The reason Miranda wasn’t swayed by Danielle Ryu’s card was simple.

Because she held the power and Danielle Ryu was powerless.

Danielle Ryu was just a scholarship student at the very bottom of this school’s pyramid, so whatever she protested or objected to was merely laughable.

When Danielle Ryu said nothing, Miranda smiled smugly and left the classroom first.

Left alone in the empty classroom, Danielle Ryu gripped the edge of Miranda’s desk tightly with one hand.

Mother F….

Curses welled up in Danielle Ryu’s mouth. A cold murderous intent that seemed ready to strike someone flickered in her hazel eyes.

That’s when it happened.

“Is it over?”

Startled by the sudden presence, Danielle Ryu turned her head toward where the voice came from. A massive presence emerged from the makeshift lounge hidden by a partition instead of a door.

“You… what? How long have you been there?”

What entered Danielle Ryu’s view was none other than Frederick Bastia. His face looked drowsy as if drunk on sleep, and his white shirt was strangely wrinkled along with his loose navy tie, as if he’d been rolling around somewhere.

“Danielle.”

Instead of answering, he slowly called out Danielle Ryu’s name. Then he slowly approached her, crossing through the sunlight streaming in from the window.

Frederick’s blonde hair shone brilliantly in the sunlight with each step. He had perfect features that sometimes left female students speechless, but today he looked languid as usual.

Nevertheless, his tall frame easily exceeding 6 feet (183cm) naturally exuded an intimidating presence. With his long legs, he drew close in just a few strides.

When Danielle Ryu unconsciously stepped back at his imposing appearance, Frederick, who had been watching her intently, opened his mouth.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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