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Nine Suspects, Zero Braincells | SKZCODE Mafia

Summary: A missing owner, a room full of grudges, and the one person who has the most to lose. Laughter, frantic accusations, and a desperate chase for the truth collide—proving that catching a criminal is much harder than it looks when you're surrounded by friends.

Wc: 8.8k

Warnings: Implied parental neglect, financial struggles, fake murder mystery

A/N: This took me so looong to finish, im not that satisfied with this episode and the ending is meh ㅜ_ㅜ but with this we have finally finished season 1 of SKZCODE. I think this one was the hardest for me up until now but I told myself I was going to write most (if not all) SKZCODEs because I do genuinely find them quite fun to write though not always easy. Starting a new job soon so im not sure when the next fic will be out but ill try my best to finish up the ones i started and post them hopefully soon. Friendly reminder that you can be added to the taglist for this series to be the first one to read them once they're posted :)

[series m.list]

Today, Stray Kids were filming another highly anticipated episode of SKZ-CODE: a classic game of Mafia. Once again, they found themselves back in the studio, though the atmosphere in the studio was a sharp pivot from their last SKZCODE episode. Dressed in their assigned outfits, the members entered a private room one by one to select their hidden roles before heading to the main set.

Jiyeon sat down in the chair, waving at the camera with both hands and a small, nervous smile. As she flipped over her card, her mouth popped into an ‘O’ shape.

“I’ll try my best,” she promised, peeking at the camera before pumping a determined fist to the camera with a bright smile, “Fighting!”

Once they all gathered on the main set, they immediately locked into their characters. The camera captured a wide shot as it panned across the room, eventually moving in for individual shots of each member—footage that would later be edited to introduce the characters.

Jiyeon was slumped on a stool, her prop bag discarded at her feet. Her posture was the picture of exhaustion—shoulders hunched and a glazed, tired look in her eyes. Holding a coffee cup, she tilted her head back in a dramatic arc, desperately tapping the bottom of the empty cup as if praying for one last drop of caffeine. With a heavy sigh, she slid the cup across the counter toward the barista—played by Chan—her eyes pleading for a refill.

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the studio.

“Mafia committed a murder at SKZ Café. All of you are now suspects.”

While the others gasped and reacted with theatrical shock, Jiyeon bolted upright. A look of bewilderment crossed her face as she cried out, “Murder?!”

[Fourth suspect: Student Jiyeon]

A struggling, overworked college student and the estranged daughter from Mr. Cho’s previous marriage. Her father walked out on her and her mother when she was only fifteen. After a failed attempt to reconnect, she masks her crushing rejection with a facade of indifference.

The group migrated to the couches to begin the investigation. Jiyeon dropped onto the sofa to her left, wedging herself between Hyunjin and Han. As she let her heavy bag hit the floor with a dull, weighted thud, Han jumped, letting out a breathy laugh.

“What do you even have in that bag?!” he asked, startled.

“My student debt,” Jiyeon replied, her voice deadpan and devoid of emotion.

The room erupted in laughter, but the mood was quickly broken by the voiceover: “The café owner, President Cho, was murdered by the Mafia.”

“President Cho is dead?” Minho asked, his eyes wide. Jiyeon clutched her chest, her voice a fragile whisper, “Appa?”

“Over the next three days,” the voice continued, “the nine suspects must identify the Mafia through on-site verification and identification. If you fail to catch them, the Mafia wins, and you will all face the punishment they decide. The first day begins now. Please introduce yourselves.”

Chaos broke out instantly.

Felix began shouting, “Imposter!” at random intervals, while Lee Know started a bizarre tangent about eating jellies. When Hyunjin and Han began mimicking a shrill, annoying alarm sound, Jiyeon simply leaned back, propping her elbow on the backrest and rubbing her temples with her eyes closed. So much noise.

Changbin took charge, struggling slightly as he fished an ID card out of his pocket. As everyone leaned in to inspect it, Jiyeon squinted, remarking nonchalantly, “My fake ID looked more real than that.”

The members howled, pointing out the lack of resemblance between the photo and Changbin’s actual face. Changbin shoved the ID next to his cheek, insisting, “It’s identical!” He cleared his throat, trying to regain control. “Anyway, the victim is my friend. We went to university together.”

Jiyeon sat up, pointing a finger at him, “I don’t remember you!”

“We weren’t very close back then,” Changbin admitted, biting back a smile as he fought to stay in character. “But, until now—”

“That’s why you killed him! Because you weren’t close!” Lee Know blurted out.

While Felix continued to chant “Imposter!” at the top of his lungs, Changbin defended himself. “I’m a detective! I can’t be the Mafia. How could I do such a thing?”

Jiyeon leaned forward, elbows on her knees, giving him a look of pure skepticism. “For all we know, you could be a corrupt cop. Those exist too, you know.”

As she leaned back and crossed her legs with an air of I've-seen-it-all, the guys lost it. Lee Know topped it off by shouting, “Two job!”

Trying to hide his amusement, Changbin pressed on. “For my friend’s sake, I’m going to reveal the truth. Let’s introduce ourselves properly.”

“Okay!” Lee Know clapped his hands, “I am ground~!”

The rest of the group picked up the rhythm, starting the 'I Am Ground' intro song. Going from left to right, they began their introductions:

“I’m a detective, I’m handsome.”

“I’m Chef Lee, cookie brownie.”

“I’m unemployed, I have a lot of money.”

“I’m a dentist, I’m getting my braces.”

“I’m a doctor, I.N.”

“I’m Bangrista, I don’t like coffee.”

“I’m a kindergarten teacher, Hwang Hyunjin.”

“I’m a student... so much debt,” she muttered in a tone so defeated and soul-crushed that the members burst into a fresh fit of laughter.

“I am HANdol, world star.”

The second Han finished, Felix shrieked “Imposter!” and Jiyeon recoiled at his volume, blinking rapidly and sharing a 'is he for real?' look with Chan. Within seconds, the group turned to Han, demanding a performance. When he finally sat back down, Seungmin told him to take off his glasses.

The moment Han’s eyes were revealed, the members began screaming, shielding their eyes as if his "star power" was blinding.

“Actually, it turns out I’m a big fan!” I.N stood up, pulling out a photocard holder featuring Han, “HANdol! We finally met!”

Han played along instantly, “Are you the guy who kept sending me letters?”

Jiyeon turned her head away from the camera, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter as she completely broke character. Nothing was ever serious with this group.

Once the chaos settled, Han asked the group why they were at the café.

“I recently uploaded music to a music site,” Hyunjin explained.

“I uploaded the music!” Han interrupted. As everyone stared at his outburst, he added, “We became friends through fighting. That’s why we’re here.”

“Oh, so you two were meeting here?” Changbin asked.

When they both agreed, Lee Know narrow his eyes, “So you guys murdered him together! That’s why you’re here.”

Jiyeon’s eyes went wide as she looked between the "online friends." Pretending they were sudden danger, she hastily stood up and perched herself halfway on the armrest of the opposite couch.

“There’s more than one Mafia?!” Changbin yelled.

Hyunjin stood up to clarify. “We met on an internet forum. He wanted to meet me in person. He’s the one who chose this café.”

“Who? This guy?” Changbin pointed at Han.

After making Han take his glasses off one more time, Han defended himself with a sudden burst of song.

“I’m just someone who likes cafés! I was walking down the street and wanted to get away from the sun~!” He swayed side to side, his voice operatic. “So I came here. Then Bangrista handed me a latte. And I said, ‘No, no, no, no, I like Americano~!’”

Changbin ignored the singing, “How are you two related?”

“We’re married—oh, no we’re not,” Han blurted, instantly realizing his mistake—wrong episode. Laughter burst from the members as they leaned into the married-couple bit anyway, until Han quickly waved it off, “We’re just online friends.”

Changbin nodded, taking his role as the lead investigator seriously, “Who wants to speak next?”

Felix raised his hand tentatively, “I’m Chef Lee. I just wanted to…”

“Kill President Cho?”

Felix blinked, his face contorting into a look of pure shock. He fell into a frantic stutter as he tried to defend himself, “No, that’s not it!”

The members immediately pounced, the teasing reaching a fever pitch as Hyunjin suggestively mimicked cutting bread, implying Felix might have treated President Cho like a loaf of sourdough.

“Hear me out!” Felix pleaded, trying to get a word in over the chaos, “First of all, we didn’t have a good relationship. We didn’t even talk to each other.”

That set off immediate alarms. Suspicions rippled through the group as Felix continued his explanation, “I sell desserts in the same building. President Cho runs the café.”

“So you are rivals? How were your sales?”

“That’s why you killed him!”

Felix sat there, stunned and stuttering. “I’m not finished yet! I didn’t do anything, but he hated me anyway.”

“That’s because he didn’t love anyone but himself,” Jiyeon added nonchalantly.

Eight heads snapped around to look at her. She didn’t flinch, simply offering a casual shrug.

Hyunjin leaned in, asking Chef Lee to confirm if he hated the victim. Felix admitted the tension but insisted he hadn't laid a finger on him. Changbin, deciding he had heard enough, moved to make his first arrest. However, the "cool detective" vibe was ruined as he struggled to get the plastic cuffs out of his pocket, sending Hyunjin and Han into fits of laughter.

Trying to shift the focus, Felix pointed out his connection to Unemployed Lee, explaining that Lee Know was actually his landlord. Han, Hyunjin and I.N immediately began bowing to Lee Know in mock reverence of his wealth. Jiyeon watched the ridiculous display, shaking her head with a laugh. At this rate, they were never going to finish the episode.

Changbin moved on to his next suspect: Dr. Kim. It was revealed that Seungmin worked alongside Dr. Yang, prompting immediate accusations of a conspiracy. I.N quickly cleared the air, explaining that they simply ran separate clinics on the same floor.

Lee Know, however, wasn't letting Seungmin off the hook. “I saw Mister Cho at the dentist before he died,” he claimed wildly, “Dr. Kim took out the wrong tooth!”

Seungmin looked genuinely taken aback by the sudden improvisation. He let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “That’s just a rumor. This wasn’t even in the script!”

The focus shifted to Dr. Yang’s attire. “Your clothes are very stylish,” Hyunjin noted.

“I just like clothes,” I.N replied simply.

Jiyeon leaned over, pointing at the fabric of his shirt. “That actually looks expensive.” She bumped Chan’s shoulder with her elbow, deliberately whispering loud enough for the mics to catch, “Do young doctors really earn that much?”

Chan just shrugged as Lee Know reached over, grabbing the hem of I.N’s white lab coat and pulling it back to reveal the designer shirt underneath, “Oh? Two job?”

I.N insisted he was just a surgeon with an interest in fashion, but Changbin saw an opportunity. “While we’re here... my Achilles tendon and the ligament next to it hurt. What condition could this be?”

I.N didn't miss a beat, “You just have short legs.”

The room erupted as Changbin reeled from the comeback. Once the laughter died down, the detective turned his gaze toward Chan. Chan explained his role as the "Bangrista" of SKZ Café. Naturally, a comment about his "advanced age" flew from one of the members.

Chan chuckled, playing along, “I’ve been working at this café for sixty years.”

Jiyeon, leaning into her character’s crush on the barista, gasped dramatically, “You’re old?!”

“Why are you a barista if you don’t like coffee?” Changbin questioned.

“I like giving coffee to people,” Chan replied.

“You don’t give it, you sell it,” Han corrected sharply, adding that the alibi made no sense.

Lee Know suddenly pointed a finger at Jiyeon. “She’s been getting her coffee for free every time she comes here!”

Jiyeon’s eyes went wide, a mix of surprise and confusion crossing her face as the guys began chanting, “Favoritism! Favoritism!”

“He told me it was on the house!” Jiyeon argued, pointing an accusing finger back at Chan.

Han let out a bitter scoff, “Yeah, you seem to be the only one getting it for free.”

Chan tried to steer the narrative back, explaining that President Cho had planned to open a second store and hand the keys over to him. The group immediately theorized that Chan killed him out of greed, wanting both stores for himself. Chan pointed out that with President Cho dead, the second store was no longer happening.

“Then he gets the first store!” someone shouted.

“That’s mine,” Lee Know cut in smoothly. “I own the building.”

Jiyeon burst out at that, her character’s frustration finally boiling over. “So everyone is getting buildings and shops from President Cho except his own daughter? You guys get everything, and I’m just left stranded!”

The room went silent for a split second before the accusations flipped instantly. “Wait, she has a motive!” Hyunjin yelled, pointing at her, “She killed him for the inheritance!”

“It’s the daughter!” Seungmin pointed at her and Felix joined in, shouting “Imposter!”

Lee Know leaned back, looking at her with a smirk. “Do you know how many people in Korea share the last name Cho? It doesn't prove anything.”

Jiyeon was about to retort back but Changbin interrupted, trying to maintain order. “Calm down,”

Jiyeon shot him a sharp glare. Han immediately stepped in, holding up his hands. “Woah, woah, detective. Never tell a lady to calm down.”

Changbin quickly bowed his head in apology before pivoting back to his interrogation. “What are you even doing at the café, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be in class?”

Jiyeon checked her bare wrist as if looking at a watch, “Free period.”

“Aren’t you too old to be a student?” Seungmin blurted out.

Jiyeon fixed him with a look of profound, ancient wisdom. “Knowledge has no age,” she replied, her tone shifting into a perfect imitation of Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda.

She eventually dropped the bit to explain her true motive. She had started coming to the café in the hopes that President Cho would finally acknowledge her and offer a little help, but he was always too "busy" for his own daughter.

“And besides”, she added with a small shrug, “the free coffee was too good to pass up.”

Just as the tension hit its peak, the voice returned over the speakers:

“Night has fallen. Suspects, please move to the voting booth one by one and choose the person you most suspect of being the Mafia. During the voting process, you may continue your discussion.”

One by one, the members moved toward the voting seat. Han was the first to go. While he was away, the set slipped into a more relaxed atmosphere. Seizing the opportunity, Felix reached into his prop display and offered everyone a piece of his brownies.

They eagerly accepted, biting into the soft, gooey treats. Jiyeon closed her eyes, letting out a soft moan at the taste, “God, this is so good.”

She was just about to finish the second half of her brownie when she felt a sudden dampness on her fingertips. She looked down, only to find her hand empty. Chan was standing right next to her, his mouth full, looking back at her with a cheeky grin.

“I agree,” he muffled through a mouthful of chocolate, “It’s really good.”

Jiyeon looked between her empty fingers and Chan’s stuffed face. He burst out laughing at her bewildered expression, having to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from spitting crumbs everywhere. Offended, Jiyeon crossed her arms and turned her back to him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Chan chuckled, reaching for another piece and holding it out to her. “Here, eat this one.”

“You going to steal this one, too?” she grumbled, snatching it from his hand. She stuffed the entire thing into her mouth in one go, just in case he tried another sneak attack.

Chan laughed at the sight of her puffed-out cheeks, quickly pulling out his phone. “Hold that!” He snapped a picture of her with her eyes shut tight, as she slowly chewed.

Han returned just then, pretending to greet a crowd of invisible fans. His back was turned to the actual filming crew as he waved grandly, “Sorry, sorry! I can’t shake hands right now!”

“The camera is over there,” Changbin pointed out dryly.

Hyunjin, who was still deeply invested in his brownie, nudged Jiyeon, “You go next, noona.”

Jiyeon stood up, but before heading to the booth, she leaned over and snatched the piece of brownie out of Chan’s hand. She flashed him a mischievous, wide smile before disappearing from their view.

She sat down in the booth, wiping a few stray crumbs from her chin before leaning in close to the lens.

“I’m voting for I.N,” she whispered to the camera, “My reason? A young doctor like him should be drowning in student debt. There is no way he can afford a shirt like that unless he’s involved in some shady business.”

When she returned to the set, the next member took her place. While the voting continued, Jiyeon began to wander around the café set looking for "clues," though she quickly got distracted by a large mirror. She pulled out her phone and began taking mirror selfies—making silly faces, crouching for a "street style" pose, and pouting. Chan quickly swooped in to photobomb her, followed shortly by I.N, who popped up behind her with a peace sign.

Seungmin returned from his turn surprisingly quickly. When the others accused him of being a hasty Mafia, he shrugged, “It’s just a vote. Why would it take a long time?”

He then turned to Felix, “I voted for Felix because of the pill bottle.”

Felix’s face fell into a look of pure, heartbroken shock. He pouted in a way that made him look like a kicked puppy. “I would have explained the next day…” he mumbled sadly.

“Aw~,” Jiyeon cooed, her heart melting at the sight. She stepped over and gently pulled him into a hug, letting his head rest against her stomach as she patted his hair, “He would never do such a thing. Look at him!”

Lee Know returned even faster than Seungmin had, and Felix headed off to cast his vote next. Suddenly, a commotion broke out near the couch. Hyunjin and Han began pointing and yelling, catching Chan, Seungmin, and I.N red-handed. They were huddled together, reading through Changbin’s "detective" notepad.

Changbin only just noticed the security breach. He lunged forward, snatching the book out of Chan’s hands. “Wait, hang on! How much did you read?!”

The set dissolved into laughter at his panicked reaction. Not long after, Felix returned, and it was finally Changbin’s turn to be the last voter. As he stood up, he gave a pointed, heavy-eyed look to the three notepad-thieves, shoving the book deep into his pocket with an air of pure attitude.

While the detective finished the round, the rest of the members filled in their seats, waiting for his return. Once everyone was settled back in their places, the voice echoed once more:

“The voting is complete. Please sleep until morning.”

The members made themselves comfortable on the sofas, settling in to pretend to sleep. Jiyeon crossed her arms and squeezed her eyes shut, leaning into the "overworked student" vibe.

“I can sleep anywhere thanks to my experience undercover,” Changbin commented, his voice hushed and serious.

Jiyeon cracked one eye open to look at him, biting her lower lip to keep from laughing as Han immediately corrected him. “You can’t do that, right? What if you fall asleep during a stakeout?”

The group chuckled before the studio lights dimmed, plunging them into a staged slumber. Not even a minute later, the lights flared back to life.

“It’s the second day’s morning.”

Jiyeon groaned, stretching her limbs with the stiff, dramatic ache of a student who had barely slept. As Han sang a bright "Good Morning!" tune, the voiceover continued:

“The Mafia you selected on the first day is Dr. Kim.”

Seungmin looked at the others in pure disbelief while the voice instructed: “Detective Seo, please handcuff Dr. Kim. The handcuffs can be removed after one day.”

Hyunjin immediately put his wrists together as if being cuffed, swaying his hips provocatively. “And now, we will dance to Criminal.”

As Han started belting out the chorus to Taemin’s Criminal, Britney Spears’ version was the first thing that popped into Jiyeon’s head. She started singing the chorus along with them, but Han quickly cut her off.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey! I’m the singer here!” He finished in a ridiculous, over-the-top rendition of Britney Spears' Criminal that left the members howling.

Amidst the teasing, Changbin struggled to lock the plastic cuffs on Seungmin. Jiyeon watched the fumbling with a dry smirk. “How hard can it be to put plastic cuffs on?”

Ultimately, Seungmin had to adjust the cuffs himself because Changbin couldn’t get them secure. Once the "prisoner" was ready, the voice returned: “We will now begin investigating the crime scene.”

Everyone stood up to scramble for clues, but Seungmin held up his cuffed hands. “Wait, wait! Yongbok said he’d explain the pill bottle—so go ahead and explain it.”

“To put it simply, I eat a lot of sweets like cookies and brownies, so I take vitamins,” Felix explained earnestly.

“Yongbok wouldn’t poison anybody,” Lee Know stated firmly, stepping in as a shield.

Seungmin, however, remained unconvinced, “He poisoned President Cho.”

Lee Know wrapped a protective arm around Felix, “My younger brother came back after living in Australia, so I opened a dessert shop next door so he could bake. But you know President Cho... he kept messing with our dear Chef Lee.”

Felix wrapped his arms around Lee Know’s waist, leaning into the brotherly skit while sneaking a glance at a cheat note. He read off it slightly, “And he kept... getting angry... at Bangrista.”

Jiyeon muffled her laugh with her hand, shaking her head at the blatant cue-card reading.

“We didn't want to get involved, so we let him go,” Lee Know added, quickly checking the card again before hiding it behind his back. “But apparently, he’d been behind on his rent for over a year. So, I’m pretty mad at him right now.”

“So you two have a grudge against President Cho?” Changbin questioned, pointing his notepad at them.

Before they could defend themselves, Hyunjin cut in. “I have something to confess. I actually used to take care of—”

Lee Know began singing a suspense tune, but Hyunjin quickly corrected the vibe, “Not like that! You know I’m a kindergarten teacher, right? One of the students who attends the school is President Cho’s daughter.”

The members pulled surprised faces at the new lore.

“Wait, wait,” Detective Changbin interrupted, looking confused, “Isn’t Student Jiyeon his daughter?”

Jiyeon rubbed her forehead, looking at him with utter disappointment, “For a detective, your comprehension skills are awful.”

The guys laughed at the burn as Hyunjin explained that President Cho had another daughter in kindergarten. “So I was so surprised to hear that President Cho is dead.”

The focus shifted again as HANdol suddenly brandished a letter, claiming Dr. Yang had sent it to him.

“Why are you announcing that here?” Changbin complained. “We’re trying to get to the truth of President Cho’s case right now!”

Ignoring him, HANdol began reading while I.N stood proudly beside him, holding up a Han photocard from their Levanter era like a prize.

“Okay,” Jiyeon clapped her hands, trying to get the group back on track. “Let’s find some actual evidence about this murder.”

The group spread out, poking around the set while Seungmin stood awkwardly cuffed to a metal fence. Jiyeon began prowling through the nooks and crannies of the café, eventually crouching down beside Chan. “Whatchu find?” she whispered.

But before he could answer, Changbin’s voice boomed across the room. “Wait, what’s that?!”

They turned their heads to see Changbin rushing toward Hyunjin, pointing at something tucked into his apron. “It’s a knife!”

“It’s not a knife!” Hyunjin backed away.

“It’s not a knife. It’s an eyebrow shaper,” Han added, inexplicably coming to Hyunjin's defense. He took the blade-like object and began demonstrating it near his own eyebrows, “It’s for my eyebrows.”

“Why would a kindergarten teacher carry a knife?” Seungmin asked from the fence.

“Because I’m a kindergarten teacher, I peel apples for the children. That’s why I have this—to peel apples for them!” Hyunjin insisted. He then raised his arm dramatically. “I have something to confess?”

The guys started humming the melody, handing Hyunjin random objects to use as props while Jiyeon cleared her throat.

“You have an awful lot to confess for a kindergarten teacher,” she noted, leaning forward with a suspicious squint. “You sure you’re not the Mafia? It’s always the ones you least expect.”

Suddenly, Changbin whirled around, “What are you doing?!”

Chan jumped slightly from his crouched position as Changbin pointed an accusing finger, “You’re hiding something from us!”

“I was looking for evidence!” Chan argued.

Changbin immediately pivoted his finger toward Jiyeon, “And you’ve been distracting us!”

Jiyeon looked offended, though in truth, her constant questioning had unknowingly steered everyone's attention away from Chan just as she was trying to solve the case herself.

“Why would I be helping him?” Jiyeon defended herself.

“It’s giving Bonnie and Clyde,” Han chimed in with a smile.

Jiyeon looked at him, “You know that story ended in a tragedy, right?”

His smile dropped.

Jiyeon had wandered away from the group, poking around the coffee machine for clues while Chan searched nearby. Her focus didn't last long, however; she soon found herself back in front of the mirror. She checked the frame for hidden compartments at first, but the detective work quickly devolved into her making cute faces at her own reflection. In the glass, she saw Chan passing behind her holding... is that the Sorting Hat?

“There’s a way to end all of this,” Chan announced, showing the members what was indeed a replica of the hat from Harry Potter. “Just put this on.”

Seungmin was getting restless, especially when Han approached him, snatched his wallet to check his ID, and promptly tried to steal his money—an act that earned Han a sharp smack.

“Hang on, everyone,” Lee Know interrupted, stepping forward with a bottle of champagne, “Let’s have an honest talk.”

The group immediately pivoted, pretending to be drunk to get the "truth" out of one another.

“We can find the Mafia with this, for sure,” someone slurred playfully.

“It’s a great way to get the truth out of someone.”

Lee Know eyed the bottle, “That’s quite expensive.”

“Since we’re talking about alcohol, I have something to say,” Bangrista started, looking around at the group. “As you all know, I always worked alone. President Cho fired everyone! Why? Because I was good at my job!”

“He fired everyone?” Hyunjin asked.

“Cut them off,” Chan emphasized.

Detective Seo took the phrasing a bit too literally. “Cut off their arms and legs?!”

“President Cho?!” the others gasped.

“I was cleaning until late at night; it was really rough,” Chan continued, ignoring the Detective's dramatics. “Just yesterday, a drunk person dumped out some water.”

Lee Know immediately began a physical reenactment of a staggering drunkard. Chan pointed at him as an example. “They just came in and dumped the water everywhere! But when I looked closely, that person...”

“Was my drunk dad?” Student Jiyeon finished, looking deeply embarrassed by the behavior of her "father."

“No,” Bangrista shook his head, pointing instead at the true culprit. “It was Doctor Kim.”

Everyone whirled to look at Seungmin. Lee Know grabbed the champagne bottle and vaulted over the back of the sofa, shouting, “You murderer!”

Han and Jiyeon burst out laughing at the sight of Lee Know’s parkour, but she quickly refocused on the interrogation. Detective Seo was questioning Bangrista. “So, what happened last night?”

“Last night, while drunk, he came into the café, threw away his water, and left,” Chan explained.

Seungmin began his defense, explaining that the owner, President Cho, had tried to borrow money from him. He mentioned the rumors that the owner hadn't been paying his rent, which was why he needed the loan. Then, he expertly shifted the target.

Seungmin claimed he had seen Student Jiyeon arguing intensely with President Cho earlier in the day. He suggested the argument looked so heated that she likely returned later to kill him. The group instantly turned their suspicion toward her. Changbin demanded to know why she hadn't mentioned being at the café or the argument.

“It’s no one’s business what we argued about,” Jiyeon replied, her voice tight and defensive. “That’s personal business.”

However, seeing the suspicious looks growing on their faces, she let out a frustrated huff. Since they were all so curious, she might as well give them the truth.

“If you must know, I was asking him for help with my tuition,” she admitted, her tone dripping with the exhaustion of a struggling student. “I’m working myself to the bone while he’s running a café, yet he told me he was ‘too busy’ to even talk to his own daughter. We argued because he’s never there when I actually need him. But having an argument doesn't make me a murderer!”

Seungmin pushed further. “Because of that situation, I wanted to see if he could be trusted.” He then explained that Teacher Hyunjin was also close to the victim.

“I have something to say,” Hyunjin started. “I went to the café first, then some doctor offered me a cutlet.”

Seungmin raised his hand, admitting it was him. Hyunjin continued, “So I went with him. I wanted some cutlet.”

Jiyeon cut in, unimpressed. “So what you’re saying is you’re easily bribed with food.”

Hyunjin shook his head vigorously, though he couldn't hide his smile. “I just wanted some cutlet!” He went on to explain that the doctor had taken him to the dentist instead. When he paused, Changbin asked if he’d had the wrong tooth pulled, but Hyunjin clarified he only got scaling and a mouthwash. Changbin immediately demanded the mouthwash be handed over as evidence. Lee Know then asked if Hyunjin just didn't brush his teeth often, making the "teacher" burst out laughing.

Before the scene could devolve into total chaos, Seungmin explained that he had used the "cutlet bribe" to get Teacher Hyunjin to find out if President Cho was actually trustworthy. Ultimately, Teacher Hyunjin admitted that Dr. Kim hadn't even followed through on buying the cutlet in the end.

The financial web grew even more tangled when Detective Seo admitted that President Cho had borrowed money from him, too—and never returned it. Then, Changbin made a tactical error: he accused Student Jiyeon of having the missing money, since she was the daughter.

Jiyeon, who was perched on the couch, leveled him with a terrifying death stare. Leaning her elbows on her knees, she deadpanned, “YAH! Do you think I’d be struggling like this if I had received any of that money?!”

She leaned back, crossing her arms and scoffing audibly. Changbin’s eyes widened, and he began profusely apologizing to her.

Everyone was so deep into their characters and the unraveling story that they were losing focus. From the corner of her eye, Jiyeon saw a staff member gesturing to Chan.

“Time, time, time,” Chan said, clapping his hands to gather everyone's attention. “Detective Seo, I have a question. What’s with that laptop?”

“To watch Netflix,” Han blurted out.

Jiyeon closed her eyes, covering her face with her hands as she laughed silently.

“I thought maybe there’d be evidence on that laptop,” Chan suggested, steering the group back on track.

It was clear the production team had to drop a hint to move the investigation along; otherwise, the group's silly antics would have dragged the episode out for hours.

Lee Know snatched a set of cards laying across the laptop’s keyboard while Changbin poked at the trackpad, announcing that the device was password-protected. Chan, acting as the group’s unofficial guide, dropped a blatant hint. “The building owner knows the password.”

“It’s me. Hang on,” Unemployed Lee said, rifling through the cards.

“It’s either 0000 or 1234,” Han suggested jokingly.

Lee Know eventually cracked the code. As he scrolled through the files, he discovered that his "brother," Chef Lee, had a YouTube channel—and Mr. Cho had left a string of scathing negative comments on his videos.

“President Cho is so...”

“Awful? Deadbeat? Narcissistic? Not Father of the Year?” Jiyeon supplied. She was so lightning-fast with the insults regarding her "father" that the guys burst into laughter with every new addition to the list.

“We’re all feeling the same thing, right?” Chan asked.

Everyone nodded in solemn agreement. They stood up pretending to walk off, Chan bowed a quick farewell and walked out of the shot, only to return seconds later. The group shook off the laughter and locked back into their roles to finally solve the crime. Chan began pacing the set, reigniting their suspicions.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for evidence,” he replied simply.

Han approached Seungmin, who was still tragically cuffed to the fence, and fished an ID out of the doctor's coat pocket. “I wanted to ask you something. It says you were born on September 22nd, 1990. How come your registration card was only issued on March 25th, 2018?”

Jiyeon had given up on active searching long ago. She was currently "chilling" on the couch, her elbow propped on the armrest and her head resting in her hand as she watched the chaos unfold. She was playing the role of the exhausted student a little too well. As the debate raged on, she watched Chan crouch in front of a low coffee table to rummage through the drawers.

“I already checked those,” she noted lazily.

Chan glanced at her but kept searching anyway. Suddenly, Lee Know pointed at Changbin. “Why are you even here? There's no reason for a detective to be here.”

As Changbin started to defend his presence, Lee Know cut him off with a shout. “WAIT, WAIT! Let me talk with President Cho!”

“He’s dead,” Han reminded him, adjusting his microphone.

The set dissolved into hysterics as Lee Know began a series of violent body shakes and jumps, pretending to be possessed by the dead man's spirit. Han fell back onto the couch, laughing so hard he almost landed on Jiyeon’s legs; she had to pull them away just in time to avoid being a human pillow.

Once they regained their composure, Changbin continued his backstory. Meanwhile, Chan reached for another brownie, offering a piece to Han before grabbing two more and sitting down beside Jiyeon. He offered her one, which she gladly took, immediately taking a large bite.

When Detective Seo mentioned that he was supposed to receive the café as collateral from President Cho, Jiyeon bolted upright. Brownie still stuffed in her mouth, she shouted, “WHAT?!” She quickly swallowed, “Why is everyone getting everything?! When is it my turn?!”

The guys howled at her indignation as Chan gently pulled her back down into her seat.

“I was a good detective who received many awards,” Changbin continued, “but the higher-ups didn’t like me, I guess.”

“You first have to be a good detective,” Student Jiyeon grumbled under her breath, arms crossed.

“So they framed me,” Changbin pushed on. “They gave me an impossible case. A hit-and-run.”

Han stood up abruptly. “Hold on.”

Months earlier, back when the group had recorded I.N’s graduation content, the staff had sat them down to choose occupations for a future Mafia game.

“Oh, wow,” Jiyeon had muttered, pursing her lips in thought. “What would I want to be?” She chuckled, rubbing her hands on her knees. “Maybe a dancer... or a college student.”

“A college student?” a staff member asked, writing it down.

“Yeah,” Jiyeon added with a mischievous glint in her eye. “But make her poor. Or struggling. Make it drama-worthy.”

“My parents passed away years ago in a hit-and-run accident!” Han cried out, pointing at Detective Seo. “Were you the detective in charge? Was it you?”

“That’s why I’m here now. I heard there was a witness.”

Jiyeon’s eyes darted between them as the plot thickened. Detective Seo revealed that the witness was HANdol, who had testified that the culprit had a distinct mole on their arm. They were finally closing in.

“Everyone, roll your sleeves up!”

Jiyeon watched the members begin to expose their forearms, then looked sideways at Chan as if to ask, Are they actually serious right now? Fortunately, Changbin pivoted. “No, that’s not it. That hit-and-run culprit isn’t actually a hit-and-run culprit.”

“I see. Sorry,” HANdol said, suddenly shy.

“Did you say it was on the arm, but that it spread to the buttocks?” Lee Know chimed in.

Jiyeon chuckled, pointing a finger at him. “What is it with you and butts?”

Lee Know pointed at himself with a look of mock confusion before wagging his eyebrows.

“No, that’s not what I mean!” Detective Seo yelled. “I saw that President Cho has a huge mole on his arm. I’ve been suspicious of him for a long time. As far as I was concerned, I had no choice but to come here.”

“So, is President Cho the culprit?”

Detective Seo nodded firmly. “He’s definitely the one. He’s the suspect I’ve been tracking—a prime suspect.”

“President Cho is a really bad person, aren’t they?” Hyunjin commented.

Student Jiyeon let out a long, heavy sigh. “Great. So I’m related to a criminal.”

“I saw his arm, you know. He had a mole,” Changbin continued. “Is there anyone else here who would hold a grudge against President Cho?”

Hyunjin stood up suddenly, looking at Han in shock. “Was it you?!”

Dr. Kim, still cuffed and observing from the sidelines, finally spoke up. “There’s someone in this room who has a major grudge against President Cho.”

Every head turned toward him. “Who?”

Seungmin paused for dramatic effect before pointing directly at Jiyeon. “His own daughter.”

“WHAT?!” Jiyeon shrieked.

Chan actually winced at the sheer volume as the two began to bicker.

“You were seen yelling at President Cho in this café!” Seungmin accused. “He didn't help you financially, but as his firstborn and oldest adult relative, the inheritance would be all yours. You have the motive to hold a grudge and kill him!”

“When did you get a law degree?!” Jiyeon snapped back. “I wanted to reconnect! You know nothing! You’re just a simple dentist who’s butting in, and all you’ve been doing is blaming others. You know who does that? Guilty people!”

The guys were losing it. Even Seungmin broke character, laughing at the sheer intensity of her rebuttal. Before the argument could escalate, Detective Seo cut in.

“Okay, okay! Let’s all take a breath. I’m only here to arrest the Mafia, and you guys are making it hard to figure out.”

Jiyeon deadpanned, “Blame your detective skills.”

The room was suddenly filled with the voice from the speaker: “Night has fallen. Suspects, please proceed to the voting area and choose the person you suspect the most of being the Mafia.”

One by one, they went to cast their votes. While it was Seungmin’s turn to vote, the guys broke into a spontaneous, made-up song about Eduwill, with Chan hitting a steady beat on a prop barrel. They eventually transitioned into a loud rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Jiyeon, laughing from her seat, began a silly, seated version of La Macarena that synced perfectly with their singing.

Once Seungmin returned, Changbin was the last to go. When he finally came back, he noticed Seungmin was no longer cuffed to the fence. Instead of Changbin cuffing him again, Seungmin calmly re-applied them himself. “Self-handcuffs,” he noted, his face perfectly serious.

Chan was currently laughing at Lee Know, Felix, I.N, and Changbin, who had all inexplicably squeezed onto a single couch together instead of using the other empty seats. Meanwhile, Han had leaned his head on Jiyeon’s shoulder, who in turn leaned hers on Chan’s. The lights dimmed, and they closed their eyes for a brief "night," opening them again when the voice boomed: “The morning has come.”

A collective groan echoed through the room. Han immediately burst into song again, but Jiyeon was faster—she grabbed her prop bag and gave it a light swing, hitting Han on the leg.

“Ow!” Han yelped, rubbing the spot and looking betrayed, “Do you actually have bricks in there?!”

“Would you like me to?” Jiyeon asked sweetly.

“No,” Han replied.

Jiyeon dropped the bag with a shrug. “Then no.”

Han side-eyed her, scooting away before cautiously peeking into her bag. There were no bricks, but the weight of the college textbooks was clearly a close second.

“The Mafia you all chose... is a tie,” the voice announced. A chorus of shocked gasps filled the room as they looked at each other in confusion. “Detective Seo, please grab another pair of handcuffs and put them on Handol and Student Jiyeon.”

“What?!”

Changbin returned with a second pair of cuffs, grabbing Jiyeon’s hand and tugging her toward the fence. Han pointed at himself, pulling a ridiculous face. “Do I look like Mafia to you?”

Jiyeon looked frantically between Lee Know and Chan. “Help me~!”

It was no use. Changbin handed her the cuffs to secure around her own wrist. Once she was locked to the fence, she looked at him with her best puppy-dog eyes. “Binnie~, I’m not Mafia. I’m a citizen.”

It changed nothing; she and Handol were stuck there until the next round. Jiyeon let out a pout, leaning her head against the cold metal of the fence while Seungmin—already a pro with the cuffs—helped Han get secured.

Han decided to continue his unfinished story from earlier, but no one was paying a bit of attention to him. Getting restless, Jiyeon started practicing some light ballet footwork and choreography to pass the time.

She hummed a song to herself, her gaze unfocused, while Han yelled in mock frustration at the members for ignoring him. Unfortunately, as he bent down to scream, he did it in Jiyeon’s direction. She winced, leaning away and smacking his arm to scold him.

Unemployed Lee Know finally caught the group’s attention. He was looking at the tablet and relayed information that Dr. Yang had revived Mafia. He immediately questioned if I.N was an accomplice.

Dr. Yang began his defense but Detective Seo interrupted, insisting they listen to Handol first, before calling over Bangrista, who was still hunting for clues. Han explained that he had seen President Cho fighting with someone. When Seungmin cut in to say it was obviously Student Jiyeon, Han denied it. “It was Detective Seo.”

Changbin quickly explained that he had only confronted President Cho because he suspected him of the hit-and-run, but the owner hadn't taken the accusation lightly.

“That’s why you killed him,” Lee Know stated flatly.

As the detective denied it, Dr. Yang took his turn. He explained that he used to work at a major hospital, but he was fired after it was discovered he had treated several Mafia members for burns. Suspicion only grew when Hyunjin asked, “Don't people with burns go to the Emergency Room instead of Orthopedics?”

While the members debated medical logistics, Jiyeon fiddled with the cuff on the fence. Finding a loophole, she slipped her hand free. She was getting way too restless to wait around for them to solve the case. Han let out a breathy laugh when he saw her walking around. “Are we allowed to do that?”

Jiyeon just shrugged. When Chan saw her walking free, he raised a suspicious eyebrow. She simply raised her cuffed wrist in the air, “Let me be, I’m still technically cuffed.”

While Han decided to remain a ‘law-abiding’ prisoner, Seungmin focused everyone’s attention on a journal Bangrista had found. It revealed that before Chan was hired, there had been three other employees—meaning Chan was doing the work of three people for less than minimum wage. The journal noted that while the 2018 minimum wage was 7,530 won, Chan had signed a contract for only 5,000 won through 2021. The most damning evidence was a note written in red ink stating that Bangristahasn't had a single day off since starting at SKZ Café and admitting he really want that second branch.

The members began humming a plot-thickens melody. Lee Know, taking over for a struggling Changbin, began grilling Dr. Yang. When they tried to skip to a new topic, I.N insisted his story wasn't over yet, prompting the group to burst into a brief chorus of their own song Neverending Story.

Once I.N finished, they moved on to Teacher Hwang, who was clutching the tablet dramatically. He ran to the other side of the room before reading out a series of messages.

“Chan-hyung’s movements are suspicious,” Hyunjin concluded.

Chan whined in protest, his voice cracking, “What?!” He began wiggling his body weirdly before switching to a demonstration of JYP’s "basic dance" moves.

Jiyeon reached forward to grab a carton of pineapple juice. “Everyone is suspicious,” she said, pausing as her eyes landed on Felix. “Not Lixie, though.”

Felix beamed, while the rest of the group protested her favoritism.

“Shouldn’t you be cuffed to the fence?” Changbin asked her.

Without a second of hesitation, Jiyeon fired back, “Shouldn’t you solve this case?”

She took a slow sip of her juice, maintaining steady eye contact. Changbin was the first to look away, sheepishly rolling his shoulders as if to focus. Jiyeon just smirked, the straw gripped between her teeth.

It was finally time for the final search. As everyone spread out, Jiyeon approached Han, who was leaning his head against the fence with a massive pout. She chuckled, reaching out to loosen his plastic cuffs. “Hannie~, why didn’t you just free yourself?”

He simply shrugged, and the two joined the others. After a few more minutes of getting distracted by prop food and furniture, I.N let out a yell. He had found a flash drive.

They connected it to the laptop and found a folder with Seungmin’s name on it. It turned out Dr. Kim had forged his dental license.

“I forgot about that,” Seungmin stated simply.

Jiyeon narrowed her eyes at him, “You forgot you forged your license?”

He just hummed in response. They then found files linking Dr. Kim to a ‘Mafia House arson case’. The evidence was finally pointing to a culprit, but before they could dig deeper, the voice spoke one last time:

“The on-site investigation has concluded. We will now begin the final discussion. Today’s vote is the final one.”

The group returned to their seats for the final showdown. Han, leaning back with a smug grin, checked his imaginary watch. “I have another schedule, so please hurry up.” The members burst into laughter as he stood up and grabbed a microphone. “Now, everyone, please be quiet. I’ll give you a simple hint. First, it’s not me.”

Jiyeon chuckled at his sheer audacity as he continued, “That narrows it down to eight people, right? Now, find them.”

“Each person will have one final chance to defend themselves,” Hyunjin explained, gesturing toward the head of the couch. “Detective Seo, start us off!”

One by one, they gave their final pleas. When it was Jiyeon’s turn, she didn't mince words. “First of all, it’s not always the wife or daughter that are the killers, okay? And yes, I did try to reconnect with him so he could help me financially—especially after he left my mother and me stranded with no money to go off and start a new family—but it couldn't have been me. I was in my dorm.”

Once the defenses were rested, Han announced grandly, “We were all victims of President Cho, but because of our grudges, he met a tragic end.”

The atmosphere shifted as the voice boomed over the speakers: “Night has fallen. Suspects, please vote on the final Mafia.”

The voting began with Changbin, who immediately chose Chan. Felix followed, initially looking toward Lee Know—which made Jiyeon’s eyes widen in shock—before pivoting between Seungmin, Hyunjin, and Han. Ultimately, he settled on Han.

Lee Know chose Chan, followed by I.N, who cast his vote for Han.

When it came to Seungmin, he hesitated between Chan and Jiyeon. “I’m choosing Jiyeon,” he decided. “It’s too suspicious. After that screaming match I witnessed, Mr. Cho turns up dead? It adds up.”

Jiyeon opened her mouth to protest, but Han—playing the role of an overconfident idol to the hilt—pressed a finger to her lips. “Shhh,” he whispered. “The voting is still ongoing.”

Jiyeon leveled him with a glare so sharp he quickly pulled his hand away, offering a genuine, "Sorry!" under his breath.

Hyunjin followed the majority and chose Chan. Jiyeon shook her head, looking overwhelmed by their lack of logic. “You guys seriously don’t find Seungmin even slightly suspicious?”

“Jiyeon, I think you watch too many crime dramas,” Changbin dared to say. “Channie-hyung showed suspicious movements throughout the entire investigation, while the only suspicious thing about Seungmin was his forgery.”

When it was finally Jiyeon’s turn, she didn't hesitate for a second. “I choose Seungmin. He’s been blaming me this entire time. He’s guilty, so he’s going for the easiest solution in the book: ‘The family member did it.’ It’s Seungmin.”

Poor Chan didn't even get to vote; the majority had already buried him. He held out his hands for Changbin to cuff him, but the detective just gestured toward the fence. “Self-handcuffs.”

With Chan "arrested" and the choice locked in, a sudden wave of doubt washed over the group. As Changbin voiced his second thoughts aloud, Seungmin immediately went on the defensive. “Why do you say that now? You should’ve chosen earlier!”

That reaction was the final clue the members needed. A lightbulb seemed to go off in their heads as Seungmin began to smirk, unable to hide his satisfaction any longer. Before they could beg for a revote, I.N called for the game to end.

“Everyone, you picked Bangrista as the Mafia,” the voice announced. “Bangrista... is not the Mafia.”

Disbelief erupted on set as the realization sank in.

“The Mafia is... Dr. Kim.”

Seungmin triumphantly raised his sleeve, holding his hand high to show off his PuppyM temporary tattoos in victory. Jiyeon pointed a finger at Changbin, her voice flat. “You are an awful detective.”

“You should have looked at the evidence better!” Seungmin teased, telling them to check the laptop again. They finally realized that the file names themselves had been a coded map to the Mafia's identity.

Chan, still cuffed to the fence, began beckoning them over with his fingers. The guys scrambled toward him, but Jiyeon took her sweet time. She approached just enough to be out of reach, tempting fate. Chan leveled her with a look, his arm extended, gesturing for her to get closer, but she simply slid her heavy bag off her shoulder and handed it to him.

“Here,” she said with a smirk. “Keep yourself busy.”

She stepped back as Chan began screaming after her, “Jiyeon-ah! Come back here!”

Giggling, she walked backward away from the fence, waving a hand at him. “Byyee!”

She ducked out of frame for a second before hopping back in to tease him one last time, singing a familiar tune: “You’ve been hit by—you’ve been struck by—a smooth criminal!”

Chan let out a yell of mock desperation. Jiyeon laughed, her head tilting back and her eyes crinkling with genuine joy before she looked at him with a soft smile. “C’mon, take them off. I’ll wait for you.”

She left him with one last look, before finding a place to get comfortable, scrolling on her phone as she waited for Chan to leave the set and meet her. Before long, she felt her cheek being poked. Looking away from her phone, she saw Chan, his finger touching her cheek repeatedly while he had a silly look on his face.

She huffed a laugh, pushing his finger away before getting up. “Let’s go, you Mafia Lord.”

Chan groaned, looking at the ceiling, and she laughed at his reaction.

The mystery of the SKZ Café was finally solved, the roles were discarded, and the costumes were taken off. Stray Kids continued on with their schedules, with less mystery but the same friendly bickering—proving that, Mafia or not, nothing was ever truly serious when the nine of them were together.

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