Chapter 46 – Stare Duel & The Start of the Campus Cold War
The second week of classes.
Gevran entered Global Leadership and Diplomacy.
The course name sounded elegant, but the atmosphere? More like a battlefield.
As he opened the classroom door, his eyes immediately locked with Cain Seo-Jun's.
Front row, relaxed, hand resting on the table.
His gaze practically said, "Welcome to my territory."
Professor Jeong—a former South Korean ambassador—walked in with a diplomatic smile and piercing eyes.
"There will be debates. Analysis. And of course… clashing egos."
Jiwan leaned over and whispered to Gevran,
"Translation: we're about to watch people faint from ego fractures."
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Once the discussion started, Cain raised his hand first.
"In my opinion," he began, "a strong country isn't the one with the most weapons, but the one that makes other nations depend on it." He looked straight at Gevran.
"For example, family business influence in diplomacy can be stronger than military force."
All eyes turned to Gevran.
He smiled slightly, then raised his own hand.
"If a country depends on a single family, that's not diplomacy. That's monopoly in disguise."
The room went silent… then erupted in applause.
Professor Jeong chuckled softly.
"The discussion has only just begun, but I can already tell… this is going to be a very interesting semester."
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Outside the class…
Cain approached Gevran during the break.
"Smart. But be careful. Politics isn't just about debate. It's about controlling who speaks… and who stays silent."
Suddenly, Haesung appeared behind Cain.
"If we're talking about silence, you've been talking a lot."
Jiwan chimed in, "And if you're trying to control people, maybe try controlling your breathing before preaching about power."
Meanwhile, Mi Yong was filming everything from a distance, adding the caption:
"Campus drama episode 1: Who wins? Mr. Political or Mr. Witty?"
And Eunwoo?
Busy taking a selfie with Cain in the background, posting on IG:
"Don't let this toxic boy hit your FYP."
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Final scene of Chapter 46:
Cain stood in the middle of the campus garden, gazing up at the Seoul sky.
"If they think this is just a rivalry… they don't know the power behind the name Seo."
Meanwhile, Gevran and his crew sat in the campus café.
"I don't think our enemy is just that guy," Gevran said quietly.
"It's the entire system he brings with him."
Jiwan raised his coffee.
"Good. I was getting bored of peaceful life."
The campus gang war… had just begun.
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