Kang Ha comes to Jooshin High to uncover the truth behind his brother’s death. In Hierarchy, Lee Chae-min plays Kang Ha.
Kang Ha is a new student at Jooshin. He got a full scholarship after scoring top marks in the scholarship exam.
While Ha seems like a good-natured, harmless boy, he has an ulterior motive. He wants to find evidence against those who caused his brother’s death.
His fraternal twin, In-han, was also a scholarship student at Jooshin. Ha knows that his brother was bullied and assaulted at school.
After his brother’s death in a hit-and-run accident, which was covered up, Ha takes admission to fill the spot that was once In-han’s to find out what happened to him.
Falling in love with Jae-i
Ha hears rumors that Ri-an killed In-han because he got close to Jae-i. Ha then decides to provoke Ri-an by making a move on Jae-i.
Jae-i pretends to date Ha to convince Ri-an that she has moved on from him and to protect Ha from being bullied like In-han was.
While pretending to date Jae-i, Ha ends up developing feelings for her, but Jae-i, who still loves Ri-an, rejects him when he proposes that they start a real relationship.
Their fake relationship ends when Jae-i’s father finds out about it. Despite this, Ha tries to stay by Jae-i’s side and insists that she share her problems with him.
Jae-i then tells him how she believes herself to be responsible for In-han’s death, leading to Ha finally revealing to her that he is In-han’s brother.
Jae-i also tells him about how In-han died: he was being bullied at Woo-jin’s party and ran out, only to get into an accident that took his life.
Exposing Jooshin’s dark reality
Now that Ha is no longer Jae-i’s boyfriend at school, he is bullied by other students on Ri-an’s instructions after it is revealed that he is In-han’s brother.
However, Ha fights back. Even Principal Park fails to expel him after he records their conversation in which she admits that she is expelling him without a valid reason.
Ha then discovers that Ju-won is blackmailing Jae-i. Instead of reporting him, Ha joins forces with Ju-won, who has video evidence of the bullying occurring at the school.
Ha plans to get the bullies punished while protecting Jae-i, even though Jae-i makes it clear that she is on Ri-an’s side and will not let Ha harm him.
Ha gives Principal Park one last chance to take action against the bullies, but as usual, she does nothing to help the scholarship students.
As a result, Ha goes to the police with the evidence. When the bullies face the consequences, Jae-i stands by Ha, believing that the rich students should take responsibility for their actions.
Jae-i also gives Ha In-han’s pen camera, which contains incriminating evidence against the bullies as well as Ms. Han, who killed In-han.
Taking the pen camera to the police results in multiple arrests and triggers chaos at school. Ha finally gets justice for his brother.
With the recording made public, Jae-i’s past pregnancy becomes known, leading to her father disowning her. Ha feels guilty about Jae-i becoming a victim in his attempt to expose the bullies.
However, Jae-i does not blame him. In fact, she tells him that she had also developed feelings for him when they pretended to be a couple.
Ri-an, whom Ha had informed about Jae-i’s miscarriage and asked to support Jae-i, apologizes to Ha for his role in In-han’s bullying, but Ha refuses to forgive him.
Ha might still be seeking revenge on him, as it is hinted that he could be the one behind the cryptic message Ri-an receives when a dead body is found at school.
Also Read: Han Ji-su: Hierarchy character explained