do you see right through me?
kyung-jun curses you under his breath, "let go you crazy bitch-"
"can you stop being stubborn for just one moment and take it? or is your pride too precious to protect that you'd deny help from someone willing to give it?"
kyung-jun's movements cease at your words. instead of fighting, he begins watching you closely, sizing you up, and you have no issue copying his actions. you watch his face just as intently, catching the way he digests your words, his resolve unfolding slowly as his fingers slacken beneath your own. the exact moment of his defeat is found in the way his anger settles, growing quieter, but never leaving entirely. he may realize the truth in your words, but it doesn't mean he has to like it.
whatever. it doesn't matter to you. you saw right through him then. for someone with walls so high, it was easy to climb up and look inside.
tw/cw - depictions of character death and violence.
a/n- new story! there's barely any content about this man, which is criminal, so i decided to break out the writing brain and do it myself. hope you guys enjoy!
the girl in the reflection looks like you, but you hardly recognize her.
there's disorder to her appearance, something chaotic surrounding her figure. a once perfect braid slowly unravels, and when she reaches her fingers up to press against the corner of her mouth, there's a cut there, slowly leaking blood. you wonder if it hurts. you certainty don't feel it. you do, however, sense the frown that pulls at your lips. your hands drop back down to your sides.
the rain outside continues, coming down harder with each second that passes. the sound is almost comforting. there's a rhythm to it, the way the impact against the ground blends with the tapping against the window. if you closed your eyes, you could fall asleep to it. tap. plink. thump. instead, you focus back on your reflection, watching her blink, the hollowness in her eyes never disappearing. rather, they move to follow the raindrops sliding down the window pane. the second one reaches the end first. she blinks again. time to go.
with the storm outside, there aren't any students wandering the halls. clubs were cancelled at the first sight of rain, and teachers retreated to their offices without a second thought. almost everyone has gone home by then. almost.
the sight of him as you round the corner ceases your steps entirely, due to a mixture of shock and hesitance. you recognize him, not by his tall frame, but because of his demeanor. ko kyung-jun wears anger like it's armor. he exhibits it on his face with a tight jaw, and he keeps it close to his body with clenched fists and a tense stature. you don't think you've ever seen him differently. not since you met him two years ago.
he hasn't noticed your arrival. it would be simple to retrace your steps. to go in a different direction through a different exit. you could avoid him and his wrath entirely. but hesitance keeps a strong grip, suffocatingly tight around your bones. the umbrella in your hands feel heavy, and you glance down at the object, considering.
you're not sure what compels you to do it. was it pity? fear? perhaps neither. perhaps both. either way, you don't stop your body from moving across the room or pressing your fingers against the button on the handle. you don't second guess yourself even when ko kyung -jun finally turns around, his fierce gaze landing on your face when you finally approach him, umbrella open, hanging above his head.
he raises an eyebrow in question, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, "what the hell do you want?"
"you'll catch a cold if you walk in the rain." you reply simply. it was the excuse you settled for once you'd made up your mind. really, it should've left no room for argument.
he glances at your outstretched hand, and you catch the exact moment his anger rises. his eyebrows draw together, and there's a sneer curling at his lips. kyung-jun scoffs, pushing the object away, "fuck off. i didn't ask for your help."
you should've stopped then. pissing kyung-jun off was something you tend to avoid. if he didn't want your help, then it was best not to push it, not unless you desired being the target of his temper. and yet, for some reason, there's a frustration building underneath your skin. it pulls at your muscles, spreading across your face and resting on your tongue. how strange. anger was kyung-jun's emotion, not yours. he wore it best after all. you, on the other hand, lived your life quietly. emotions were not something you wore on your sleeve.
so why did you release your own frustrated breath? why did your unoccupied hand reach for his own, forcing the handle of your umbrella into his possession? it's unlike you. behaving this way. you think back to the girl in your reflection. could she have disappeared so quickly?
kyung-jun curses you under his breath, "let go you crazy bitch-"
"can you stop being stubborn for just one moment and take it? or is your pride too precious to protect that you'd deny help from someone willing to give it?"
kyung-jun's movements cease at your words. instead of fighting, he begins watching you closely, sizing you up, and you have no issue copying his actions. you watch his face just as intently, catching the way he digests your words, his resolve unfolding slowly as his fingers slacken beneath your own. the exact moment of his defeat is found in the way his anger settles, growing quieter, but never leaving entirely. he may realize the truth in your words, but it doesn't mean he has to like it.
whatever. it doesn't matter to you. you saw right through him then. for someone with walls so high, it was easy to climb up and look inside.
you wake up slowly in the beginning. your hearing is the first sense to return, and you listen to the roar of the engine blend with the frantic voices towards the back of the bus. then your sense of touch. you feel your hands folded in your lap, fingers curled around the edges of your skirt. there's wetness coating your palms, something warm and sticky, like blood. a sharp pain pierces your abdomen then, like a knife being repeatedly plunged into your skin. your sight returns last. it is quick, and your eyes snap open to frantically glance down at your lap.
there is no blood there, not like you had imagined, and the pain in your abdomen is now nothing more than a phantom ache. your knuckles are white, gripping the fabric of your skirt like your life depends on it. you release it with a shaky breath, relieved. it was simply a bad dream. you're on the bus, heading to the youth center, not fearing for your life in-
in what? what exactly did you dream about?
"hey! kyung-jun is sleeping. it's too loud."
you shift in your seat at the sound of jin-a's voice, angling your body to look past the seats and towards the back of the bus. a large group is huddled together, sharing equal looks of guilt and annoyance, but their voices hush down to a quiet whisper nonetheless. your eyes shift towards jin-a, who settles back down into his seat. seung-bin, sitting in the row directly in front of him, wears a cocky smile on his lips. your attention then diverts to the boy beside him, who, to your surprise, meets your curious eyes.
immediately you feel struck by the feeling. not because the encounter is unexpected (though you had anticipated kyung-jun swiftly returning to his nap once the yelling ceased) but rather, the expression on his face. he raises an eyebrow at you, as if urging you to say something against his commands.
'go on. try it.'
an uncomfortable feeling arises in your chest. it feels tight, like someone reached in and closed a fist around your heart. it's hard to decipher the exact reason why.
'no. i don't think i will.'
you quickly glance away, slumping back against your seat. the rapid thumping of your heart can be felt in your ears.
there's movement in front of you, and you watch as hyun-ho and dong-hyun turn in their seats, wearing matching looks of irritation.
dong-hyun grits his teeth, "those assholes. always causing trouble." he lifts his body from his seat, as if to get up and march towards the back to tell them off. hyun-ho is quick to guide him back down with a reassuring pat on his knee.
dong-hyun slumps against his seat in defeat, though not before muttering a couple of curses under his breath. hyun-ho turns around once more, glaring at the trio, before shifting his gaze to meet your own. his eyes soften at the corners, "you alright? they aren't scaring you, are they?"
you blink, confused by the question at first, before realizing the underlying message. you shake your head softly, "no. i'm fine." hyun-ho continues looking at you, and you force yourself to meet his concerned gaze head on, fingers fiddling with your skirt. finally, he flashes you a reassuring smile before turning back around in his seat.
you release a shaky breath, glancing towards your left. jun-hee sleeps peacefully, his head resting against the window, his breathing quiet and even. you envy it. maybe you should try sleeping again, too. it would be another couple of hours before you arrive at the youth center after all.
just as the thought enters your mind a phone appears above your head, snapping a picture of the sleeping boy next to you. you glance up at the culprit, confusion drawing at your brows, "so-mi, what do you think you're doing?"
she puts on an innocent face, "nothing. just taking a photo of the fields. our window is dirty, so i'm using yours instead. you don't mind, right?"
you're not sure if you should be impressed by her boldness or offended over the fact that she believed you'd buy her excuse. you decide to go with the former. "jun-hee is sleeping. don't disturb him."
she rolls her eyes in annoyance, "it's just a photo. relax." she drops back down into her seat, turning around to continue her conversation with her friends.
you think about telling jun-hee, but another look at his sleeping form has you biting back your tongue. no point in disturbing him. he'd be busy the rest of the night with setting up for tomorrow's event, and there was also the class photo that needs to be taken before curfew. a trivial issue such as this could wait until later.
you glance around the front of the bus, searching for jung-won and yoon-seo. you spot the pair a couple rows ahead. jung-won is occupied on her computer, no doubt working on her submission for the game contest she entered a while back. yoon-seo, on the other hand, is peeking over the top of her seat, and you catch her gaze, already aware of the sight of her infatuation. you tilt her head at her, glancing between her and jun-hee's sleeping form. an invitation for her to switch seats with you. rather than jump on the opportunity though, yoon-seo's face flushes, and she shakes her head before turning around and out of sight.
you release a short breath. she was hopeless.
-
night falls faster than you expect, and before you know it, the wheels of the bus are rolling to a stop in front of the youth center. jun-hee shakes himself awake, and the two of you gather your belongings and step off the vehicle. you follow him towards the side of the bus, where he lifts up the door to the luggage compartment and reveals the supplies for this years trip.
"do you need help?" you ask him. jun-hee flashes you a grateful smile, which leads you to pick up the first box you see. immediately, you begin to regret your offer to help. the box is taped shut, so you can't look inside, but it's heavy. abnormally heavy. you shift the weight of the object in your arms, trying to find an arrangement that eases the discomfort.
you're so focused on your task that you fail to notice the person in front of you. the front of the box slams against their body, and you stumble back at the force, blinking in bewilderment. an apology dances at your tongue, but it gets caught in your throat when you meet ko kyung-jun's eyes.
you stare at one another for several long, silent moments, unmoving. you had prepared yourself for his anger, but when you study his expression, it's abnormally blank. maybe even a little bit surprised. strange.
"hey!" seung-bin steps forward, shoving you back with astonishing force, "watch where you're going!"
luckily, you're able to catch your footing, but it doesn't cease the rising irritation bubbling beneath your skin. your attention snaps towards the blond boy, who straightens his posture, exuding arrogance and sporting a smug smile.
kyung-jun smacks him on the back of the head. just once, but hard enough to make seung-bin wipe the smile off his face, "stop fucking screaming, idiot." he then shifts his focus to you, and you feel your body grow taut, unsure of what to make of the attention he lays at your feet. his dark eyes then glance down, considering the box in your arms. what surprises you the most is not the barely legible curse words under his breath, but rather, the sudden loss of weight in your arms.
"oh, you don't have to-"
kyung-jun ignores you, walking away without another word. his friends glance at each other in slight confusion, before rushing after him.
you stand there helplessly, watching his back as he disappears into the school. confusion clouds your brain, replaying the exchange over and over again in the forefront of your mind. one question stands out amongst the rest.
why had he done that?
it was so unlike him. ko kyung-jun wasn't exactly the caring type. even if he did suddenly feel generous, his kindness always came with a price. a majority of the time it meant being made into a laughing stock. a prank, or a game played for his entertainment. but he hadn't asked anything of you. at least, not yet. it was unnerving.
jung-won and yoon-seo are just several feet ahead, and you call out to them as you pass, letting the pair know that you're going on ahead. you make it up the steps and through the front doors, being greeted by a large statue in the center of the room. chiseled out of stone, a woman sits on a marble block, and blue light washes over her body delicately, like water. below her, there's a sign. you read it quickly.
SCAN THE QR CODE TO CONNECT TO THE WI-FI AND INSTALL THE YOUTH CENTER APP AUTOMATICALLY.
you pull out your phone, scanning in and continuing inside the building. just as you pass the statue, heading towards the hallway, you notice your teacher and several staff members engaged in discussion at the front desk. there's a worried expression on his face, his hands gripping the edge of the counter, but you don't give yourself time to dwell on the matter. you're sure it's nothing.
when you enter your room na-hee is there. by the looks of it, she just arrived as well, and the two of you greet each other softly. you drop your duffel bag beside your bed, along with your backpack. you consider your possessions for a moment. should you unpack? your clothes might get wrinkled if you leave them there for too long. but your teacher did insist that everyone meets in the gym immediately.
"should we head down together?" na-hee stands idly by the door, and you spare another thoughtful look at your bags. coming to a decision, you reach down into your backpack and pull out a sketchpad and a box of pencils.
"let's go." unpacking could wait until later.
as soon as you enter the gym your paths diverge. na-hee retreats to the snack table near the center of the room, which is being guarded by jun-hee and so-mi, while your path leads you off to the side. yoon-seo and jung-won are seated against the wall, greeting you with small smiles as you approach. you place yourself on jung-won's right side, flipping open your notebook and placing a pencil between your fingertips.
the next hour consists of your classmates indulging in their own activities. you and jung-won discuss the elements and progress of her game while yoon-seo stares longingly towards the snack table. on stage, a group of your classmates are tuning their instruments and playing soft, short melodies, and in the center, a group of girls are practicing their dance routine. the music they play is loud and boisterous, so much so you can barely hear your thoughts. at least it was entertaining.
just as the thought enters your mind the music stops, and you lift your head to find kyung-jun, the culprit no doubt, walking away from the speaker. a smirk rests easily on his lips, and even as the girls glare and curse at him, his amusement doesn't falter. he catches your stare, and somehow, his smile widens, boyish and foxlike. it sends a tremor in your heart. you quickly cast your attention elsewhere, which happens to be yoon-seo's face. she's still staring in the same direction.
jung-won grabs her attention with a small nudge, "hey."
"huh?" yoon-seo replies, but doesn't take her eyes away. hopeless.
"stop looking, you're making it obvious."
"at this rate jun-hee's head will explode with how much his ears are ringing." you chime in, earning an exasperated look from yoon-seo when she finally turns around.
"i wasn't looking." she denies, but the smile on her face says otherwise. she rests her head back onto the palm of her hand.
jung-won rolls her eyes, "of course you were," she goes back onto her phone, tapping away at the device. a frown immediately pulls at her lips, followed by an annoyed click of her tongue, "this really sucks. i can make something like this in a day."
you look over jung-won's shoulder, seeing the youth center app displayed on screen. she was right. it did look tacky. not practical at all for student use.
yoon-seo's head peeks over jung-won's other shoulder, and the girl angles her phone to show off the screen better, "didn't you scan the QR code? it was installed automatically," she shifts back, holding out her hand, "give me your phone. i'll do it for you."
yoon-seo leans back, almost offended, "huh? no," she pulls out a pamphlet, holding it up like a trophy, "i can just look at this."
jung-won gives her an exasperated look, "you want to carry that around for two days?"
"based on what you showed me, jung-won, that pamphlet is probably better than the app." you pipe in. yoon-seo grins at your reasoning, pointedly looking at jung-won as if to say, "see? it's practical."
jung-won sighs, but accepts defeat nonetheless. yoon-seo resumes her staring, and jung-won continues tapping away at her phone. faintly, you hear the teacher calling out jun-hee's name. maybe it was related to the heated discussion at the front desk earlier.
"i'm not getting an signal." jung-won mutters, and you examine her face, seeing her eyebrows knit together in frustration. you check your own phone, and sure enough, there's nothing.
"i thought it said we got free Wi-Fi?" you mumble absentmindedly.
"it did."
you open up various apps, but the same message appears. you check your service, but the bars are empty. was it a dead zone? you were pretty far from the city. the nearest village was several miles away, so it would make sense. but still, the issue of Wi-Fi...
before you can ponder the thought, everything goes dark. the lights shut off with a dying buzz, and there are murmurs of conversation erupting across the room, mainly of annoyance. you turn on the flashlight on your phone, being greeted by the sight of your beat up shoes.
"must be a power outage. come on, lets go towards the tables." it's yoon-seo's voice, and her logic is reasonable, so you stand up and follow her towards the snack table. halfway there someone screams, loudly, piercingly, and it echoes through your bones and halts your movements. around you, other classmates start screaming as well, yelling about a ghost in the center of the room. your eyes snap towards the chaos, and sure enough, a white figure stands silently in the middle of the court. it's ominous, how stark the contrast of white is in a dark room. it makes your heart pick up the frantic rhythm of it's beating ever so slightly.
what is-
a basketball is thrown across the room, and the illusion of fear is broken. the figure grunts in pain, falling on the floor, and when the emergency lights turn on, you realize the 'ghost' looks a lot like your classmate heo-yool.
"hey, stop goofing around." hyun-ho's voice breaks through the stunned silence, which causes several other annoyed voices to echo in the gym.
heo-yool hastily scrambles to his feet, pulling the sheet off his body "hey, listen. listen carefully." the voices hush, which gives him the opportunity to continue, "i heard something here. a female high school student committed suicide here once," a chill rushes down your spine at the words, making your entire body tremble. surely it wasn't true. it was probably just another harmless rumor to scare students. heo-yool's voice enters your ears once more, "there's something you absolutely can't do. don't look back after looking in the mirror past midnight. and don't look even if someone grabs your ankle while you are asleep. if you don't follow these rules, " he pauses. looks around, "it's a ghost!" he lifts his hands and dashes towards the dancers, who all let out screams and curses.
of course. typical heo-yool using a ghost story to scare his friends.
jung-won releases a short breath. it appears she also didn't find heo-yool's antics amusing. she turns towards yoon-seo, "let's go to our room."
yoon-seo turns away from the screaming dancers, nodding her head in agreement. you take a small step closer to the pair, "i'll come with you guys. na-hee is sending heart eyes to hyun-ho again, and i don't want to listen to her talk about him all night."
jung-won grins, sparing a glance at the shorter girl beside her, "sounds like someone else i know."
yoon-seo laughs, shaking her head, and the three of you walk out of the gym.
as the three of you approach the room you stop, earning you two similar looks of confusion. you hold up your notebook, "i'm gonna leave this in my room. and maybe get changed. i'll come by when i'm done."
jung-won nods in understanding, "we'll leave the door unlocked for you."
you nod, turning to leave. your room is just a couple doors down from their own, so it doesn't take long for you to slip inside and put away your things. once your notebook is safely secured in your backpack you slip off your uniform vest, folding it neatly and placing it at the edge of the bed. you glance down at your duffel bag, and once again you're faced with the dilemma of unpacking. realistically, it shouldn't take too long, but the thought of actually starting the task makes you hesitate.
a chime from your phone brings you away from your thoughts, and you pull the device out, thinking it was yoon-seo or jung-won asking where you were. however, opening the screen did not reveal any text messages from your friends. rather, a red screen with an announcement greets you instead.
WELCOME, THE MAFIA GAME STARTS NOW. CHECK YOUR OCCUPATION NOW.
a game? was this a part of the youth center app? or was jung-won playing a prank on you? an envelope appears then, furthering your confusion. you press it.
YOUR OCCUPATION IS NURSE.
you tilt your head, dazed. the screen changes once more, displaying different rules. you read through each one carefully.
1. THE PARTICIPANTS WILL BE SECRETLY ASSIGNED AS CIVILIANS, A DOCTOR, A NURSE, A POLICE OFFICER, AND A MAFIA. THE DOCTOR CAN PREVENT THE EXECUTION OF A PARTICIPANT OF THEIR CHOICE. IN THE EVENT THAT THE DOCTOR IS EXECUTED, THE NURSE WILL ASSUME THE DOCTOR'S ROLE AND SKILLS. THE POLICE OFFICER CAN FIND OUT THE OCCUPATION OF THE PARTICIPANT OF THEIR CHOICE.
2. STARTING AT 8 AM TO MIDNIGHT, THE PARTICIPANTS WILL SELECT THE MAFIA MEMBERS THROUGH VOTING.
3. AT MIDNIGHT, THE PARTICIPANTS WITH THE MOST VOTES WILL GET EXECUTED AND THEIR OCCUPATION WILL BE REVEALED.
4. AFTER THE VOTING ENDS AT MIDNIGHT, ALL PARTICIPANTS EXCEPT FOR THE MAFIA MEMBERS WILL GO TO SLEEP.
5. DURING THE NIGHT, WHILE PARTICIPANTS ARE ASLEEP, BY 6 AM, THE MAFIA MUST EXECUTE SOMEONE THEMSELVES.
6. WHEN EITHER THE TEAM CIVILIAINS OR TEAM MAFIA KILL ALL OF THE OTHER TEAM AND WIN, IT'S GAME OVER. CIVILIANS, THE DOCTOR, THE NURSE AND THE POLICE OFFICER ARE ON THE SAME TEAM.
PARTICIPANTS, PLEASE FIND THE MAFIA AND START VOTING NOW.
you stare at your phone for several moments, processing the information you just read. isn't this the game your classmates were playing earlier? maybe it wasn't jung-won that created it, but one of them instead. but how did they manage to organize it? and how exactly do they enforce these rules? it seems a little impractical, especially with the event tomorrow. when would you find the time to play?
you quickly leave your room and enter jung-won and yoon-seo's. they are also on their phones. you hold your own up in question, "hey, did you guys get this?"
yoon-seo replies first, "yeah. what do you think this is about?"
before you can answer, another chime enters your ears. the three of you glance down at your phones, finding a message on the game's chat.
heo-yool: hi losers! let the game begin now!
eun-ha: heo-yool is the mafia. let's kill him.
"if you push a name a vote gets cast." jung-won announces.
yoon-seo leans over, "really?"
you sit down next to jung-won, spotting the option to vote displayed on her screen, "are we voting for heo-yool then?" .
she shrugs, "everyone else is."
you worry at your bottom lip, finding heo-yool's name on your phone. sure enough, when you tap on his image, the option to vote comes up, and you hesitate before pressing the button. it gets announced in the chat, which, based on a quick glance, shows that the majority of your classmates decided to vote him out as well.
you scan the rest of your screen, seeing all of your classmates pictures and names displayed, and in the corner there's a skill tab. you spare a glance at your friends, and you wonder if you should bring it up.
but how do i know they aren't mafia? isn't the point of the game to win?
it's probably best they don't know about your role just yet.
yoon-seo slowly lowers her phone, looking perplexed, "by the way, i didn't even sign up. how do they know all our names?"
her words cause you to straighten, an eerie feeling washing over your body. a chill rushes down your spine, a prickle on the back of your neck. something didn't feel right just then. jung-won must agree, for she starts rapidly tapping away on her phone. she pauses, slowly glancing up, "the internet isn't working either. how are we able to play the game?"
the question settles like a heavy weight, pressing down insistently on your chest. you swallow thickly, racking your brain for a reason behind the sudden dread, "maybe our teacher organized this? you know how he is with team building exercises. heo-yool probably helped him put it together."
yoon-seo hums absentmindedly, deep in thought, "he might be back by now, right? let's go look."
the three of you get up, making the journey downstairs towards the lobby. as soon as you arrive you know something is wrong, can feel it deep within your bones. not just because it was empty, but something else, too. something you couldn't explain.
jung-won glances around in surprise, "what? he hasn't come back yet?"
"he left a while ago, right?" you ask, meeting jung-won's eyes, "what was it even about?"
yoon-seo answers for her, "the other classes bus broke down. maybe something happened."
footsteps echo across the lobby, and you glance around to find the source of the sound. the origin of the noise comes from the stairs, and you're surprised to find jun-hee steadily descending, his own bewilderment apparent as he approaches the front desk.
"jun-hee," yoon-seo begins, meeting the boy halfway, "you don't know when the teacher is coming back, right?"
jun-hee shakes his head, "no, i can't reach him. are your phones working?"
everyone shakes their head. jun-hee releases a breath in response.
"where's the staff?" yoon-seo asks suddenly, prompting everyone to glance around. it seems like they haven't been around for a while, not since you arrived.
"i guess they all went with the teacher. no one's here." it seemed like the only plausible explanation. why else would they leave an entire class unattended?
jung-won's face twists into disbelief, "what? what do we do then? how long do we have to wait?"
yoon-seo perks up, and you can see the wheels rapidly turning in her head, "there must be a phone in the office. let's check it out."
the four of you go up the stairs and wander down the halls, finding the office at the very end. the door opens with ease, and your small group branches out to different corners of the room. jun-hee messes with a phone on the desk, pressing several buttons, but the tell-tale signs of it dialing never start. he shakes his head at you, causing a soft breath to escape your lips. this was getting weird.
you glance towards your side, finding yoon-seo looking strangely at a cup of coffee. your face creases in confusion, "what is it?"
yoon-seo lifts the cup for you to see, "the coffee hasn't been touched." sure enough, when you examine the mug, it's almost entirely full, meaning whoever it belonged to didn't have the time to drink it. she turns to jun-hee, "you really didn't see anyone?"
the boy shakes his head, "no, i didn't."
"why would they leave us alone?" you ponder out loud, but your question receives no answer.
just then the phone starts ringing. yoon-seo rushes forward and picks it up, pressing the device against her ear. you watch in anticipation, waiting for relief or concentration to pass over her features. but yoon-seo's face holds neither of those things. a strange looks passes over her expression, oddly similar to confusion. she looks up, "it cut off."
jung-won takes a small step forward, "call the police, 911, or whatever."
yoon-seo complies, pressing at the buttons. the confusion on her face intensifies, and she slowly places the phone down and shakes her head.
four chimes echo inside the room, one after the other, and you quickly grab your own phone from your pocket, hoping it's more information regarding this strange game. instead, it's a text from so-mi.
so-mi: lee yoon-seo, come to the pool in the annex right now. it's urgent.
"do you know what this is about?" yoon-seo asks jun-hee.
a bashful look crosses over his face, "well, the thing is for the event tomorrow. we're interviewing everyone and asking about the trip."
"why would you interview in this situation?" jung-won asks.
"and why only yoon-seo?" you mutter in response.
yoon-seo shrugs, smiling, "i don't mind. let's go."
you don't object, simply because it would be hard to change yoon-seo's mind once it was set on something. even if the request was off, and so-mi had a history of disliking yoon-seo simply because of her relationship with jun-hee, yoon-seo insisted on seeing past her prejudices and offering the vice president kindness. sometimes, you felt as if she was too nice for her own good.
the four of you retrace your steps back to the lobby, slowly going down the stairs. at the bottom you notice ju-won, who seems to be in a hurry, his entire body rigid and his face tense. jun-hee calls out his name, causing the boy to turn. with him facing you, you can easily spot the tissue stuffed up his nose, as well as the blood slowly soaking it.
"where are you going?" jun-hee asks.
ju-won looks down, averting his gaze, "well, the guys wanted to see me for a second. so..."
it becomes clearer then. the bloody nose. ju-won's skittish nature. his shameful expression. it had kyung-jun and his friends written all over the situation.
jun-hee must realize it too. he glances back, smiling reassuringly, "i'll talk to ju-won and join you later."
the three of you nod and finish the decent. right as you reach the bottom a thought strikes you, and you gain your friend's attention once more, "actually, i have to use the restroom. i'll also catch up with you guys later."
the two girls look at each other before letting you go with two small smiles. jung-won and yoon-seo head in the direction of the pool while you pivot around and walk down the opposite hall. you find the bathroom fairly quickly, and after being assured that no one else was present, you pull out your phone, staring at your classmates names and images. you bring your fingers up towards the skill tab, tapping it swiftly.
ERROR! YOUR SKILL HAS NOT BEEN ACTIVATED.
a frown pulls at your lips. you press your fingernail against your bottom lip, applying pressure against the delicate flesh in deep thought. well, you supposed that answered that question. either you had to find the doctor, or wait for them to be executed.
you walk out, faltering at the sight of hyun-ho and dong-hyun passing by. they pause as well, appearing almost surprised to run into you, before allowing easy grins to rest on her lips.
"oh, hey." hyun-ho greets you. you lift your hand up as a greeting of your own.
dong-hyun angles his body to face you directly, suddenly eager, "hey, you also got that game, right? what's your role? is it mafia?"
you blink in bewilderment, shaking your head slightly, "no, i'm a civilian." you pause your words for a moment, tilting your head at them in question, "what are you guys doing here?"
"heading to the gym." hyun-ho replies.
"oh. jun-hee is there right now." you glance away, thinking. should you check on him? you recall ju-won's face. the terrified expression molded almost permanently there. if it really was kyung-jun's doing, it was likely that a fight would break out, especially between him and jun-hee. the two never liked each other. you look back up at hyun-ho, "mind if i go with you?"
"not at all."
you follow the pair down the hall, trailing behind them silently. it's probably a good thing hyun-ho and dong-hyun were heading there already. if a fight did break out, they were capable of stopping it. you enter through the doors, and of course, as expected, jun-hee is in the middle with ju-won and kyung-jun's gang of friends. the tension in the air feels thick, electrifying like static. seung-bin approaches jun-hee.
"i hate how you act superior because of your pretty face."
hyun-ho scoffs at the sight, "of course those pricks are up to no good again." he picks up a basketball, weighing it in his hands for a moment before pulling his arm back and throwing it towards seung-bin. it hits him square on his back, and the boy lets out a grunt in response followed by several curses.
he turns around, rubbing the sore spot on his back, "shit. who was that?"
the three of you are closer to the group now. you make brief eye contact with kyung-jun, who looks amused, as always. nothing unexpected.
hyun-ho approaches seung-bin, smirking smugly, "seung-bin. you got pretty big. have you been working out?"
the blond scoffs, smiling in disbelief, "shit, hyun-ho, you son of a bitch."
you fear the two are going to fight it out, but kyung-jun approaches, his presence both diffusing the tension and causing it to heighten, "why are you all gathered here and flipping out?" he pauses in front of hyun-ho, stares at him seriously, and you know he's angry, even if it's not displayed so blatantly on his face. the ghost of the emotion unraveling at the corners of his lips, almost like a premonition. all it would take is one word, one move, and the world would explode. his eyes slide over to your own, and this time you don't look away.
'go on.' you urge, raising an eyebrow in question, mimicking his gesture from earlier on the bus, 'let the fuse burn.'
hyun-ho zips up his sweater, cutting off your vision as he steps in front of you. this gain's kyung-jun's attention once more, "we wanted to exercise. why? can't we?"
a smile curls kyung-jun's lips, and he lowers his head, laughing softly to himself as he presses his fingers against his temple. after a moment he clears his throat, slowly stepping closer, the sound building. he lowers his head once more, spitting on hyun-ho's shoes.
"you losers couldn't even get into the national team," he finally looks up, and the two are nearly the same height. his smile widens, "fuck, sure, work your asses off then." he pats hyun-ho's shoulder twice before brushing past him, motioning with his head for his friends to follow, "lets go."
seung-bin and jin-a shove past, slowly stalking away. faintly, you hear hyun-ho curse the three of them under his breath, and jun-hee's reassuring voice that's preventing him from adding fuel to the flames. your attention, however, stays rooted to the door, watching kyung-jun's purposeful stride, his air of confidence, as he disappears behind the doors. it's only when you can no longer see the green of his jacket do you let your eyes wander, settling on da-bum. there is hatred in his eyes, which is understandable. but the sight of it, the rage flickering across his face, threatening to unleash, felt dangerous somehow. he makes eye contact with you, and he looks startled then, his earlier emotion gone so suddenly and replaced by terror. maybe it was just a trick of the light. you glance away.
jun-hee calls out your name, and you turn as he comes up to you, "everything should be fine now. let's go find yoon-seo and jung-won."
you nod in compliance, following after the taller male. the two of you walk silently towards the pool, side by side, and from the corner of your vision you can see jun-hee's relaxed expression. even then, you still can't get rid of the unease prickling against your skin. there were so many strange things happening that it was hard to pinpoint one problem to mull over. the mafia game, the disappearance of any and all adults, kyung-jun's weird behavior. maybe this was all a strange dream?
a scream rips you away from your thoughts, deafening and frantic. you share a look with jun-hee, who comes to the same conclusion as you. that was jung-won's voice. something bad happened.
jun-hee moves first, sprinting towards the pool, and you follow directly after him. as you get closer the screams get louder, and you can hear the insistent chant of one person's name: yoon-seo. you both skid to a stop at the entrance, quickly surveying the situation. so-mi and her friends are gathered at the edge of the pool, and the water ripples as a result of movement within. your attention snaps towards the disfigured image of a girl beneath the surface, her arms flailing for help.
jun-hee swears, and before you can stop him he's running forward and diving in. you rush towards the edge, right beside jung-won, and watch in anticipation as he gathers yoon-seo in his arms and breaks through the surface of the water. her unconscious form scares you, striking fear into your heart as you crouch down and pull her cold, wet body onto the floor. thankfully, she starts coughing immediately after, hacking out any remaining water in her lungs.
"yoon-seo! yoon-seo!" jun-hee continues calling out her name, touching her shoulder in a reassuring manner.
"let's take her to the infirmary." you suggest, to which jun-hee and jung-won both agree. they carefully pull yoon-seo's arms around their necks, helping her make the journey across.
when you arrive, you help the two gently guide her towards the bed, laying her down on the mattress and pulling a blanket over her form. the girl immediately relaxes into the sheets, and it's not long before she succumbs to sleep. your face creases in worry.
"what happened?" you turn to jung-won, who swiftly changes her expression from worried to anger.
"so-mi and her friends. they acted like they were surprising yoon-seo for her birthday, but really they were picking on her."
you release a soft breath, feeling your own irritation rise, "of course they were. why am i not surprised."
jun-hee pulls over a chair and slumps into it, his once relaxed demeanor turning into concern and distress. beside you, jung-won grows rigid, glancing around while patting her pockets.
"what is it?" you question.
"yoon-seo's phone," she mumbles, "i think i left it in the pool."
"i'll get it, don't worry."
jung-won sighs in relief, sending you a grateful smile, "thanks."
you spare one last look at yoon-seo's sleeping form before leaving the room, finding the pool empty the second time you enter. you glance towards the spot everyone had gathered when yoon-seo fell in, a quick survey revealing no phone. you approach closer, keeping your eyes trained on the floor, searching for the teal phone case yoon-seo has owned since you were young. a frown slowly forms on your lips when nothing comes up. did it fall inside the pool?
you hear a splash, the sound causing you to whip your head towards the noise and freeze, heart beating erratically inside your chest. no one else was in the pool area. so what had made that sound?
you slowly inch towards the edge of the pool, heartbeat picking up when you spot a dark figure beneath the surface. something takes hold of you then, like a trance. you crouch down, leaning your body forward, getting closer and closer to the water.
was that a hand?
SPLASH.
a scream dies in your throat when something pulls you under, your entire body getting drenched in cold, cold water. your arms shoot out, pushing against the pressure, your lungs burning deep inside your chest. you're probably in the water for only a couple of seconds before something, a pair of arms, pull you out.
a gasp escapes your lips as you sit on the cold tiled floor, followed by several coughs as you catch your breath. your wet hair is plastered against your face, obscuring your vision, and you push it back with trembling fingers.
"what the hell were you doing getting so close to the edge?"
you almost don't believe the sound of the voice. it sounds like kyung-jun, but it doesn't contain the qualities that make up his tone. sure, there's the anger, a thick, heavy sound, making up the majority of his words. but the concern laced in the background feels like an off beat that wasn't meant to be there in the first place. a mistake.
and yet, when you turn your head to the side, there's no mistaking the boy in front of you.
"i thought i saw something." you whisper quietly, which earns you a scoff.
"what? a ghost? don't tell me you believe that idiot heo-yool."
his words annoy you greatly, especially when it's said so condescendingly, and the fact that it annoys you makes your irritation even greater. since when did you care what kyung-jun thought of you? you'd done a good job thus far of keeping your emotions in check. so what changed? was it you or him?
despite it all, you don't have an answer for him, which causes kyung-jun to release another annoyed breath. he glances down, and you barely have the words to describe the way his entire demeanor changes so suddenly. his entire body seizes in shock, and his eyes avert so quickly you'd think he was zapped by electricity. and even stranger, you swear his ears turn the lightest shade of red.
you raise in eyebrow at him in confusion, "what?"
"your shirt," he begins, still not looking at you, "it's wet."
your confusion grows, "i just fell in the pool."
your response must not be the right one, or maybe it was, because it finally causes kyung-jun to look back in your direction. he studies you like you're dumb, "and what happens when a white shirt gets wet?"
it hits you then, the underlying message he was trying to convey and you had failed to receive. you glance down at your shirt, and sure enough, where the fabric sticks to your skin, your pink bra is clearly visible. you immediately cover yourself with your arms, red hot embarrassment flaring through your entire body and face. you quickly stand up and rush towards the door.
"hey! where are you going?!"
"to change!" you shout back desperately. why did this have to happen to you? why did you have to get so close to the edge? why did you take your sweater vest off in the first place?
you can hear his footsteps behind you. another question pushes away the ones previously consuming your mind. why is he following me? "you can't run out in the halls like that. everyone will see."
you squeeze your eyes shut, silently cursing him before turning around, "fine. you got a better idea?"
kyung-jun stops, appearing almost surprised that you listened to him at all. the small moment of transparency quickly passes though, replaced by his usual look of frustration. he runs a hand through his hair, his expression torn, before he releases another curse. you watch, dazed, as he pulls off his jacket and shoves it against your chest.
"if you stain it, i'll kill you."
you blink, his threat passing over your head as you glance down at the piece of clothing. why was he offering it to you? the real answer was obvious, but your question was more so directed towards kyung-jun's intentions. was it some sort of game? a bet? was his kindness out of pity? unlikely. your fingers tremble as you take it, and you have to swallow thickly in order to speak, "thank you."
you lift your eyes then, meeting his own, and for a moment, no matter how small and miniscule, it feels like the world stops. you never realized it until then, how handsome kyung-jun is. of course, you recognize it subconsciously. everyone in the class agreed that the boy was conventionally attractive, even if his personality cancelled out that quality. but looking at him now, the determined set of his jaw, the barely concealed concern in his eyes, the act of kindness he was bestowing upon you, it was hard to ignore the way his entire demeanor made your heart pound inside your chest, so loud and so intense you could feel it in your ears. maybe he could hear it, too.
the spell breaks when kyung-jun brushes past you, and you wait for him to disappear around the corner before settling your attention on the jacket in your hands. you pull it close, immediately recognizing the scent of cigarettes and expensive cologne. the former was faint, and though you hated it whenever kyung-jun smoked around you, it was oddly comforting. it smelled exactly like him. and you hate what it does to your already vulnerable heart.
you slip the jacket over your shoulders, engulfed in the fabric and its warmth. tentatively, you zip it up, stopping at your neck, effectively covering your chest. satisfied, you begin the walk back to your room.
when you arrive you're relieved to find that na-hee isn't there, so you take the couple seconds to yourself to pull out your extra uniform and change into warm, dry clothes. kyung-jun's sweater lays folded neatly on your bed, right next to your sweater vest. the heat creeps back into your face at the sight.
just as you're buttoning up your shirt, however, the door opens, and your roommate enters the room. you freeze, watching na-hee's movements closely as she greets you and crosses the room to her bed. you glance back at the sweater, hating how distinct it was. why did he have to wear such obnoxiously loud colors. maybe na-hee wouldn't notice it. as soon as she turns around, you can hide it somewhere in your bag.
"hey, is that kyung-juns jacket?"
your body goes still, shamefully meeting na-hee's inquisitive stare. you chew the inside of your cheek, rapidly searching through your brain for something to say. you could always be honest to na-hee. maybe she'd even see kyung-jun in a different light if she knew he was being kind (or at least, his version of it). or you could deny it. after all, it was likely kyung-jun didn't want anyone else knowing about your interactions.
thankfully, you don't have to make a decision. beyond the door is the sudden onslaught of voices, and it's distracting enough for na-hee to wander towards the door to peek out. you shove the jacket into your duffel bag and follow her outside.
when the two of you step out an alarm goes off, followed by a voice announcing a message.
THE VOTING ENDS IN ONE MINUTE.
your phone vibrates in your pocket, and you pull it out to see a timer counting down for one minute. bewilderment molds itself into your features, and you find yourself searching for jung-won and yoon-seo. you spot them just outside their own room, and you approach them just as the timer ends.
THE VOTING HAS ENDED.
"i'm sure everyone voted for him," eun-ha smiles smugly, yelling across the hall towards heo-yool, "we know you did this!"
said boy sighs in exasperation, dropping his hands defeatedly, "what are you talking about?"
your attention is pulled away from the pair's bickering when jung-won catches the sleeve of your uniform between her fingertips, "hey, you didn't come back. everything alright?"
"huh?" you mumble distractedly. you direct your attention to her face, noting the concern lacing her features, "oh. yes. i couldn't find the phone though."
jung-won shakes her head, "don't worry. we ended up finding it."
the speaker crackles back to life.
HEO-YOOL, THE ONE WITH THE MOST VOTES, WILL BE EXECUTED.
what a strange way to word it. you turn towards your friends, unable to help voicing your curiosity out loud, "what do you think they mean by 'executed?' "
jung-won shrugs, "he'll probably just be a spectator from this point forward."
you consider her logic, humming absentmindedly. knowing heo-yool, he'd probably find a way to direct the game's events, even as a spectator. you wouldn't be surprised if he somehow managed to sabotage both sides for his own enjoyment.
"STOP!"
you jump at the raw pain interlaced in that one word, snapping your head towards the commotion. heo-yool leans forward, eyes shut tight, his hands clutching forcefully at his head. he looked like he was in pain. a lot of it. you take a step forward, only to stop when heo-yool's groaning ceases entirely. his body straightens, his eyes slowly blinking open. but something isn't right. was it a trick of the light, or were his eyes missing their pupils?
heo-yool drops down to the floor, hands pressed against the carpet, and bangs his head against it.
he does it again.
and again.
and again.
you're not sure who is screaming. the sound might have originated from your own throat, or maybe someone else's. but the blood on the floor, dark red, sticky, it belongs to heo-yool. blood is coming out of his head, and he's doing it to himself.
your feet move on their own. one by one, a small shuffle back, but it feels like you can't get away from the gruesome scene before you. your heart pounds inside your chest. thump thump thump. it matches the sound heo-yool makes each time his head connects with the floor. eventually, it becomes hard to differentiate the two. both are deafening, echoing across the hall, and it's too close, too loud, too much. you press your hands against your ears, a futile attempt to muffle the sound, as you continue backing away, slowly, step by step. if you don't focus on it, you don't have to think about it.
it stops for a brief moment, and you glance up to see heo-yool turn towards the right. he rushes forward, slamming his body against the picture frames on the wall. the glass shatters, eliciting more screams and you step back even further, a small, distressed sound escaping your throat. your back collides into another body, and you look back to meet kyung-jun's eyes. you study his face, note the shock and confusion reflected in every inch of his expression. and fear. for the first time since you've met him, kyung-jun is afraid.
no. this couldn't be right. fear was something kyung-jun left at the door. it's an item he burns, or hides away.
glass shatters again. you jump, glancing back at heo-yool one last time. his face is covered in blood, dripping down the side of his face and onto the floor. but he looks unfazed. why? how could he hide his agony so perfectly? was he even himself?
he starts running down the hall, towards your position, and you feel frozen. caught like a deer in headlights. you should move. you need to move. but your legs won't work, no matter how much you will your body to respond to the panic rising in your chest. move! just move!
someone pulls you back, and your body slams against the wall right as heo-yool rushes past. the rest of your classmates dodge out of the way, and it's then that you realize where heo-yool is going.
the window. he's going to run into the window. if he doesn't stop he'll-
everything shatters, and there's one last moment of chaos before everything goes quiet.
up above, an announcement comes on.
HEO-YOOL WAS A CITIZEN.
The thoughts come quickly.They blend together, containing no end and no beginning.
oh god.
heo-yool just jumped out of a window.
we're on the fourth floor.
his body probably collied with the earth.
the ground cracked.
his bones shattered.
he lost so much blood.
heo-yool was probably-
dead.
kyung-jun slowly peels away from the wall. your own body slowly slides down it. your breathing is heavy, and despite the amount of times you greedily gulp down air, it never feels like there's enough oxygen in your lungs. your fingers reach up towards your throat, and you realize then how badly they are shaking. you feel the beginnings of tears building at the corners of your eyes.
the alarm comes back, but this time there are no words. only the soft melody of a lullaby. the tune echoes in your ears, and whether its due to the exhaustion, fear, or something else entirely, your body grows heavy, and your vision fades.
NIGHT HAS COME.
part two.
