It started with a thunderstorm, because of course it did.
But not just any thunderstorm.
This one had lightning shaped like gummy worms, thunder that sounded suspiciously like angry kettle drums, and raindrops that… smelled like burnt licorice.
At Seoul Elite International High, students ran for cover as the sky rained down weird-smelling water that made your tongue tingle if it touched your lips. The janitors gave up and went home. The student council president tried to declare a state of candy-related emergency but was overruled by a teacher with a cotton candy allergy.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the chaos, Hana Choi stepped off the student hover-bus, popping a stick sweet into her mouth and adjusting the earpiece connected directly to her family's private crime network.
Her aunt's voice buzzed in.
> "Hana, we have a situation. That licorice rain isn't natural. Someone's tampering with the Dessert Sphere."
Hana narrowed her eyes. "Who would be dumb enough to summon licorice rain?"
> "Someone bold. Someone rich. And possibly Swiss."
Inside the school gates, students screamed as their hair frizzed, socks melted, and the smartboards short-circuited mid-exam. Hana sidestepped a group of soaked cheerleaders, completely unbothered, as always.
Then she saw Jeon Minjae, standing under a color-changing umbrella, expression neutral but clearly stressed. His uniform blazer was soaked and clinging to him like drama clings to reality shows.
"They ruined my blazer," he muttered. "I paid a hundred grand for this fabric. It's anti-wrinkle, not anti-licorice."
Hana snorted. "That's what you get for not checking the sugar resistance rating. Rookie mistake."
Minjae glanced at her, arching an eyebrow. "Why does this feel like the start of something dumb?"
Hana blew a bubble with her gum, let it pop, and smiled. "Because it is."
---
Enter: The Han Corporation
For three days, the school buzzed with whispers. The rain stopped, but the scent lingered. Everywhere.
Even the fish tank in the biology lab started smelling like Halloween regrets.
That's when the rumors started.
The Han Corporation, one of the richest underground candy empires in Asia (and Europe, and probably Atlantis), had returned to South Korea. They were the CEOs of chaos in the candy world, mixing desserts with dark magic and questionable investment strategies.
And they had a son.
Han Sora.
He was tall, icy, sarcastic, and possibly born during a full moon. His eyes were so dark they looked like espresso shots, and his suits were rumored to be stitched with dragon silk.
Nobody had seen him in years. Not since he accidentally blew up a gelato lab in Zurich.
But now?
He was transferring to Seoul Elite International.
---
Homeroom: Chaos Begins
Mr. Kwon was halfway through explaining the week's lesson on "Algebraic Combat Theory" when the door burst open with a dramatic gust of wind that somehow also knocked over a globe and set off someone's ringtone.
Han Sora walked in, raindrops trailing behind him like some ridiculous shampoo commercial.
He didn't walk. He glided.
The entire class turned into a K-drama reaction meme in real-time.
"Oh my gosh, it's him!"
"Is that cologne or... burnt sugar?"
"His aura smells expensive."
"I think I just fell in love and fear at the same time."
Mr. Kwon blinked. "Uh… you must be the transfer."
Han Sora pushed up his unnecessary glasses. "Correct. I'm early. I like to survey my competition."
Then he turned, slow and deliberate, until his gaze landed on Hana.
She didn't flinch.
He smirked. "So. A Choi."
She rolled her eyes. "So. A walking cliché."
Behind her, Minjae stood up, face blank but very much not amused.
"That's Hana. My… teammate."
Han Sora gave Minjae a once-over and scoffed. "You must be the Jeon heir. Congratulations on owning 30% of the country's coffee shops."
Minjae replied, dryly, "And congratulations on your ego still fitting through the door."
Han Sora's smirk deepened. "I'll see you both in the dessert arena."
Hana blinked. "The what now?"
---
The Dessert Duel Arena (aka the Cafeteria)
The showdown was set for lunch.
But this wasn't your average cafeteria brawl.
This was a Dessert Duel—a magical, school-sanctioned culinary battle where combatants crafted edible weapons and spells using enchanted ingredients, ancient recipes, and pure sugary rage.
Rules:
15 minutes to cook, craft, and cast.
Spells and sabotage allowed.
No actual fatalities (unless they're really dramatic).
Minjae and Hana worked as a team. Their weapon of choice?
The Sundae Sabre—a sword with a whipped cream blade, caramelized hilt, and a core made from frozen lava fudge. One swing released sugar shockwaves.
Han Sora, of course, arrived with a Molten Meringue Gauntlet, a sleek dessert-tech monstrosity that shot lightning bolts made of lemon zest and regret.
The cafeteria transformed into a magical kitchen battlefield. The judge?
Principal Goh—a cinnamon stick-chewing former candy war general with war flashbacks triggered by jellybeans.
The duel began.
The crowd screamed. Marshmallows exploded. Someone summoned a pancake shield, and another conjured a jelly pit trap.
Minjae swung the Sundae Sabre with elegant precision, slashing through ice-cream walls and dodging exploding éclairs. Hana, riding a hover-tray, zip-zapped past flying scones, spraying soda bombs like a sugar-powered ninja.
Han Sora raised his gauntlet, muttered a few Italian curse words, and fired a bolt of honey-glazed doom across the arena.
"I'M TOO PRETTY TO BE TOASTED!" Hana screamed, doing a backflip.
Minjae lunged forward and deflected it with a whipped cream blast. The crowd went wild.
Han Sora summoned a Fondue Dragon, made of molten chocolate, breathing fire and sarcasm.
Hana leapt into the air, somersaulted off Minjae's shoulder, and stabbed the dragon in the eye with a candy cane spear dipped in pop rocks.
"NO MORE MELTY MONSTERS ON MY LUNCH BREAK!"
BOOM.
The dragon exploded into chocolate mist. Students screamed in delight as a rain of sprinkles fell from the ceiling.
---
Aftermath: Rooftop Strategy Session
Later, after serving detention for "excessive dessert violence," Hana, Minjae, and Arin sat on the rooftop, licking syrup off their clothes.
Arin, sipping a bubble tea, looked concerned. "That guy's bad news. Han Sora isn't just a rich jerk. He's strategic. He knew exactly where to strike."
Minjae leaned back. "He's targeting our families. Both of us."
Hana didn't say anything at first. Then she pulled out a small, velvet-wrapped box. Inside was a golden cookie coin—a token only sent when the Sweet Syndicates were making their move.
"This isn't just about school," she said finally. "This is about legacy. And war."
Just then, a drone buzzed overhead and dropped a small, jet-black package. It landed in Hana's lap.
She opened it slowly.
Inside was a single note:
"Let the Sugar War Begin."