rainsoughtflowers - Tumblr blog

rainsoughtflowers · 2 months ago

Text

do you see right through me?

part four

tw/cw - graphic depictions of death, angst, swearing, violence.

a/n - last chapter :(( until the epilogue ofc. thanks for reading, i love you guys.

much to your surprise and dismay, you find the room empty.

your fingers slip away from the doorway, cautiously entering the still space. a quick glance at the desk in the corner of the room reveals it to be vacant, no signs of the school nurse you were originally looking for. releasing a short breath, you consider your options for a moment. do you seek her out in the teachers lounge? return to class? a sharp pain throbs at the center of your knees, the palm of your hands, and it's enough to make you forget your internal dilemma and cross the room to sit down on a nearby bed.

just as you rest your weight on the soft sheets, your eyes catch onto the sleeping figure resting on the bed beside you. you startle, examining the boys peaceful expression, his relaxed posture. as per usual, he doesn't bother to wear his complete uniform, dressed only in the white button up shirt and gray trousers. both is hands rest on the back of his head, his lips parted as his chest rises up and down in even breaths.

"kyung-jun?" you mumble quietly, not exactly expecting a response, having said the boys name out loud more out of surprise to confirm your suspicion.

at the sound of his name the boy opens one eye, fixing his attention on your form. upon recognizing you, he opens the other, squinting at you in slight annoyance, "what?"

you mirror his questioning stare, "are you taking a nap?"

"what the fuck does it look like?"

once more, you take in his relaxed state, the wrinkled lines across his uniform. you lean back, staring at the ceiling in thought, "i guess that explains why you didn't show up to class." a smart decision. the teacher had you run laps around the field as punishment for talking during instruction. even now, your muscles burn from the unexpected excursion.

a smug grin forms on his lips, "were you looking for me?"

you consider his question, taking in the arrogant confidence plastered on his face. you decide to opt for honesty, "yes."

kyung-jun must not have expected that response. he blinks, slightly taken aback, and a light redness spreads across his ears. he huffs out something below his breath, so quiet you aren't able to catch the words, then promptly sits upon the bed, eyeing you curiously, "what are you even doing here?"

"hm? oh." you glance down at your knees, the skin raw and bloody, then at your hands, palms up, revealing wet dirt and dried blood. just the sight of the scrapes and bruises causes the pain to return slightly, "i fell."

kyung-jun follows your eyes, releases a curt 'tsk', "obviously."

"it rained recently, so the dirt is soft. my foot got caught in it." you explain simply. it had been disorienting at first, feeling your balance waver, the ground swallowing you up. in an attempt to break the fall, you braced your hands against the ground, which only seemed to further the damage. unexpectedly, your knees slid across the dirt, slicing across several tiny rocks beneath the grass.

he takes in your words, staring intensely at the roughed up skin. something shifts in his expression, something you can't even begin to explain, and you never get the opportunity to decipher it. without a word, he stands up, and you follow his movements as he walks over to the nurses desk and begins rummaging through the various cabinets.

"what are you doing?" you ask, slightly confused by his strange behavior.

kyung-jun doesn't answer, just continues his search. eventually, he finds what he's looking for, pulling out band aids, cotton balls and antiseptic. he holds the items in both hands as he shortens the distance between you, pausing over your sitting form. you stare up at him, noticing the determined set of his jaw, his focused eyes. but there's something else there, too. a hesitation, an uncertainty, as if ko kyung-jun was nervous.

weird. what a strange expression for him to have.

he crouches down, placing the items by his side. instead of using them right away, like you expected, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handkerchief. a plain, soft baby blue. gingerly, almost a little unsure, he brushes the fabric against your knees, wiping away the left over rain and dirt, removing the smeared blood. you stare, quietly, afraid to breathe in case it scares him away and breaks the tender moment you found yourself in.

when it's clean, he places it down and reaches for the antiseptic, opening the bottle and pouring the liquid over the cotton ball. then, his free hand rests on the back of your knee, pulling it closer, holding it steady as he gently starts dabbing it over the wound. it hurts, the alcohol leaving a harsh sting across your sensitive skin. but oddly enough, you pay no mind to the pain. instead, you watch him carefully, the way his face scrunches in concentration, the light touch of his fingers pressed against your skin, hesitant to cause any more unnecessary pain.

he's gentle, you think rather fondly, feeling your heart race.

finally, kyung-jun places the last band aid over your right knee, his fingers brushing over to smooth it out. he lifts his eyes up, staring at your bloody hands, and understanding his intention, you hold them out, face up, waiting patiently.

he blinks slowly at you, then promptly reaches over, brushing the dirt away from your fingers.

"you're so fucking clumsy. don't you know how to be careful?" kyung-jun mutters, though his insult holds no bite, simply an exasperation. like the thought bothers him. you decide to ignore the underlying meaning hidden within.

you shrug, "i blame the weather."

he releases a short breath, putting down the cotton ball and placing the last of the band aids over the cuts. he pulls his hands away immediately after, averting his gaze. you inspect his work, the careful precision of his actions, leaving not a trace of blood behind. he did a good job, and you wonder if kyung-jun has to do this often. cleaning himself up, patching injuries when he gets into trouble. you wonder if he has anyone to do so for him. to care for him when he's hurt.

"thank you," you whisper softly, the corners of your mouth lifting up into a smile. you feel yourself on the verge of something, an affection for the boy. you think you could fall in love with him given time, "you're a good person, kyung-jun."

he glances up quickly, caught off guard. the two of you stare at each other for a moment, his eyes frantically scanning your face, both curiosity and something else rapidly forming across the planes of his own features. you swear his ears turn an even darker shade of red, but maybe it's just a trick of the light, or a result of your own heat flushing your cheeks.

then, so suddenly you don't render it until it's happening, kyung-jun is shooting to his feet, the quickness of his movements causing you to blink rapidly in surprise. he stares down at you, eyes narrowed, the ghost of a scowl threatening to curl his lips. your own face slowly morphs into confusion, wondering why he suddenly looks as if the sight of you caused him great repulsion. you open your mouth to speak, to question his sudden mood change. the curling of his fists, his clenched jaw, but kyung-jun only curses low beneath his breath and storms out of the room, leaving you alone with your scrambled thoughts and emotions.

what just happened?

the sight that greets you when you flutter your eyes open is one that will forever be branded inside your mind. a memory you will look back on countlessly, replaying it over and over again with a tender sort of fondness.

turning your head to your right, kyung-jun is there, his eyes still closed, clearly still fast asleep. you note the way he looks in his present state. all his features are peaceful, relaxed, not yet tarnished by his temper or agitation. his lips are parted slightly, releasing small, quiet breaths. you catch the exact moment he starts to stir. his eyebrows knit together and his nose twitches, just slightly, enough to cause the rest of his body to twitch awake.

he opens his eyes slowly, blinking away the remains of sleep, glancing around the room before finally finding your own watchful gaze. for a split moment, he looks relieved, but its quickly replaced by a blank expression. you open your mouth, words dancing on the tip of your tongue, but they get lost in the announcement from above.

BEFORE THE LAST VOTE CLOSED, THE DOCTOR NOMINATED WHOM TO HEAL. THE NOMINATED PLAYER WAS KIM JUN-HEE. THANKS TO THE DOCTORS ABILITY TO HEAL, KIM JUN-HEE HAS BEEN BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE.

your eyes widen at the words, heart racing erratically inside your chest. jun-hee. jun-hee is alive. the doctor granted him more time, a second chance. you scramble to your feet, and kyung-jun follows, grabbing the keys from the counter and crouching down by the lock. he slips it in, turns it, and pulls open the shutters once it's removed.

you spot it immediately.

there, right in front of you, plain as day, lays a bloody axe and kyung-jun's jacket, both of which are covered in blood.

slowly, you turn your head towards the boy beside you, his own attention never straying from the incriminating evidence by his feet. there is pure panic in his eyes, his hands trembling by his side, his jaw tight with tension. a swear escapes through the boy's lips as he hastily reaches for the objects.

you grab his wrist to stop him, "what are you doing?"

"if people see this they'll think i'm the mafia." kyung-jun snaps, attempting to reach out his hand once more. you stop him a second time, tightening your fingers around his wrist. you look desperately into his face, urging him to return the attention and fully grasp the seriousness of the situation you both are in.

"if you hide it and someone finds it, how do you think that'll look?" you reason.

kyung-jun releases a harsh breath, "what the fuck do you expect me to do then?"

the alarm erupts once more. the announcers voice comes back, crackling to life.

DURING THE NIGHT, SHIN SEUNG-BIN WAS EXECUTED BY THE MAFIA. SHIN SEUNG-BIN WAS A CITIZEN.

the blood in your body goes cold at the words, your fingers slipping away from his wrist. kyung-jun laughs in disbelief, dropping his body to sit on the ground and run a hand through his hair, "fuck. i'm fucked."

MORNING HAS COME. PARTICIPANTS, PLEASE FIND THE MAFIA AND BEGIN TO VOTE.

there are voices. just down the hall, slowly but surely coming towards your direction. your eyes drift towards the arcade door, spotting the blood smeared across the yellow surface. the scene of the murder. seung-bin, dead inside, a bloody axe by your feet. you come to a decision.

you turn towards kyung-jun, placing your hands on his shoulders and forcing him to look at you, "listen to me. i will get you out of this. just trust me, okay?"

kyung-jun doesn't respond at first. he looks up at you, his eyes flitting between each of your own, down and across each inch of your face. please kyung-jun. please trust me. let me help you. let me carry the weight of your burdens.

he moves his head, the slightest motion, just enough to seal his agreement. instantly, you feel relieved, reaching forward and pulling him into a quick embrace.

for now, you push the bloody contents into a corner in the snack bar, a temporary solution until you have an opportunity to speak with the group. you pull yourself to your feet, both you and kyung-jun following the commotion, which has stopped just around the corner. right outside the bathroom, jin-a stands shirtless, the piece of clothing bundled in his trembling hands. before you can question the strange scene, you spot motion out of the corner of your vision, eyes following the shuffling form.

na-hee steps cautiously towards the arcade door, her small, quivering fingers reaching up to press against her nose. confused, you step forward, only to get hit with the blatant, overwhelming stench of blood. your own hands shoot up to your face, stomach turning.

"na-hee?" you question when the girl pauses by the door.

instead of answering, she reaches forward, pushing it open.

a bloodcurdling scream is pulled from her throat, shattering through the open space. the girl falls to the ground, revealing the gruesome scene inside. seung-bin lays flat on the floor, his entire body covered in blood, his stomach and chest butchered like he'd been stabbed several times, even long after he had passed. your stomach turns even more, crawling up your throat and threatening to pour out. you step away, squeezing your eyes shut to get rid of the horrid sight.

someone killed seung-bin. no, they murdered him. not because they had to, but because they wanted to. this was different than the other times.

eun-chan turns around, searching the room and landing his eyes on jin-a, "hey!" he shouts, marching up to the boy, "did you kill him?"

jin-a trembles, shaking his head insistently, "it wasn't me! i didn't kill him! when i woke up this morning, that's how i found him." the rest of your classmates turn towards the boy, eyeing him suspiciously, barely convinced. when jin-a realizes this fact, despair coats his words, "it wasn't me. guys, it really wasn't me."

even then, no one says anything. jin-a glances around the room, searching for a friendly face. you try to imagine it. jin-a killing seung-bin in cold blood. leaving the evidence in front of kyung-jun's door. but even as you put the pieces together in your mind, they never quite seem to fit. something wasn't right. you were missing something. but what?

when jin-a realizes his attempts at convincing everyone of his innocence are futile, he walks away, retreating down the hall. you meet kyung jun's eyes, and already you can tell by the look on his face that he thinks jin-a did it, his anger steadily building upon his features. but no, that couldn't be right. why would jin-a be caught covered in blood? if he really was the mafia, he would've had plenty of time to clean himself up and hide the evidence.

you motion with your head towards jin-a's general direction, a silent demand for him to follow the boy. kyung-jun's face scrunches in confusion, and he looks reluctant, like he'd rather do anything else but comfort his friend. but you give him a hard stare, and he huffs before rolling his eyes and walking away.

you consider the situation more carefully, turning the clues around in your head. if jin-a woke up with blood on him, he probably freaked out and went to wash it off, not realizing his actions could come off as guilty. perhaps he was being framed for the murder, too. was the mafia trying to kill the whole friend group?

yoon-seo rushes inside the arcade, inspecting the body and taking several photos. your eyes drift across the room, finding it mostly empty, save for two other people. jung-won and jun-hee. the sight of the boy, breathing, alive, fills you with a mixture of worry and relief. your feet move on their own, rushing towards his figure and engulfing him in a hug.

"thank goodness," you breathe, tears slipping down your face when his arms reach up and return the embrace, "i'm so glad you're okay."

"all thanks to the doctor." jun-hee mumbles, a light edge of amusement creeping into his tone.

you pull away, staring into his face. images of last night appear before you. the flashing lights, the blaring alarm, both your friends side by side, facing death. you couldn't even begin to imagine what happened to jun-hee's body when he died. how he died.

all because of you.

"i'm so sorry," you sob, the tears falling more freely now with no signs of stopping. you reach up with futile attempts to wipe them away with the sleeve of your uniform, "it's all my fault. i shouldn't have suggested-"

jun-hee gently stops you, "don't. it was a good idea. it's unfortunate it didn't work."

"but you almost died because of me." jun-hee's hollow eyes, his trembling lips, the pain in his face when they lay upon yoon-seo's grief stricken form.

jun-hee smiles, reaching over and patting your shoulder in a comforting manner, "please don't think that way. i'm alive now, aren't i? let's just focus on the future, okay?"

you study his expression, searching for a hint of uncertainty, a slip in the truth. but jun-hee wasn't lying. his second chance has changed him, and you no longer saw the defeated boy begging to die. you find yourself nodding in agreement, finally quieting your sobs to several soft sniffles.

yoon-seo suddenly rushes out of the room, slamming her body against the wall and bracing her hands upon it. blinking in bewilderment, you, jun-hee and jung-won rush over, patting the girl's back as she breathes heavily into the air.

jung-won grimaces, "let's go. the smell of blood makes me want to puke."

yoon-seo pushes herself away from the wall, composed now as she turns around to face your group, "seung-bin...he was stabbed a lot of times by a knife. why take things that far?"

"don't talk about that. no one wants to know." jung-won chastises.

"no, yoon-seo is right. it's weird. the mafia didn't take it that far with everyone else. whoever killed him hated him," you pause, glancing around the space. still empty. stepping closer to yoon-seo, you lower your voice to a soft whisper, "by the way, i should mention..." yoon-seo looks at you curiously. you motion for her to follow.

you take her to the snack bar, crouching down and picking up the axe and jacket you had previously hidden. the bloody objects lay in your arms, unbearably heavy to hold, "we found it this morning. outside the snack bar."

yoon-seo's eyes widen, stepping closer to inspect the green windbreaker, "is that kyung-jun's?"

"did he kill seung-bin?" jung-won asks.

you shake your head, "no, he was framed. isn't it obvious? why would both jin-a and kyung-jun have compromising evidence against them for the same murder? whoever killed seung-bin is trying to get at least one of them executed tonight."

"and they'll probably kill whoever doesn't get voted next." yoon-seo realizes.

her words cause dread to pool in your stomach, making you feel sick. if you don't figure it out soon, kyung-jun could die tonight. the thought of it, of kyung-jun's lifeless form beside your body, the fire of him blown out, it's almost enough to make it feel as if the entire world is falling apart.

gathered in the cafeteria, there's a tense silence suffocating the air. kyung-jun's green windbreaker lays on the table, right next to the bloody axe, and although it hasn't been brought to attention yet, everyone's minds are on the objects, sneaking the boy skeptical looks.

from beside you, jun-hee breaks the silence, addressing a different concern regarding the events of last night, "about yesterday, i had no choice but to lie. i'm sorry for deceiving you. i'm actually a citizen," jun-hee leans forward slightly, bowing his head in gratitude, "i don't know who the doctor is, but thank you."

the doctor. you still haven't solved that mystery. with everything that's been going on, it simply slipped your mind. internally, you're grateful that they used their ability to save jun-hee. perhaps they also recognized the sincerity in his actions.

"hey, you coming back to life is a separate matter." kyung-jun snaps, motioning with one hand towards the table, and thus the objects in the center, "someone is trying to frame me."

"and how do we know it's not actually you?" so-mi asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

kyung-jun scowls at her accusation, "why would i be stupid enough to leave it out for everyone to see?"

"besides, kyung-jun hasn't worn that jacket in two days." you reason. if you remembered correctly, he took it off sometime between voting for woo-ram and locking him in the broadcasting room. it hasn't been seen since. you assumed he left it in the room and forgot to get it back.

"right. and the axe is weird," yoon-seo stares at the contents on the table, lost in thought, the gears turning in her brilliant mind, "seung-bin's injuries were precise. axes are typically messy. it couldn't have been the murder weapon."

"but who would frame kyung-jun?" mi-na asks.

so-mi snorts, "who wouldn't?"

despite her snarky retort, everyone's eyes drift towards jin-a, who has been silent this entire time, anxiously biting at his fingernails. he glances up when he notices the sudden attention, trembling in fear, "it wasn't me. when i woke up i found him dead."

"you said it was just you and him, right? did you see anything unusual?" yoon-seo questions.

jin-a drops his hand in exasperation, "i don't know. the mafia put blood on me on purpose when i was asleep. i was too freaked out in the morning to look."

his words lead you nowhere, only back to square one. you sigh, leaning back in your chair and running your fingers through your hair anxiously. this isn't going anywhere. you had hoped jin-a could provide more information that would point you towards the culprit, especially considering your current lack of evidence. of course, there was always kyung-jun's police skill, but even if he used it, who would you choose? and if they turned out to be mafia, how could you prove it? you didn't feel like having a repeat of last time with woo-ram.

you reach back towards the table behind you, curling your fingers around your bottle of water. swiftly, you unscrew the cap and take several large gulps, immediately pulling it back. a frown forms on your lips, inspecting the clear water. weird. why does it taste funny?

faintly, you can hear jin-a and kyung-jun arguing. you're not quite sure what about. maybe they were pointing fingers again. what you're focused on is the faint itch in your mouth, starting at the roof of it, spreading across your gums. your frown deepens, and you examine the water once more, searching for any abnormalities. there wasn't anything wrong with it. just plain water. the itch intensifies, so you press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, massaging it to relieve the feeling. the itching persists. was it a placebo effect? you got that sometimes, normally when you were paranoid about something containing peanuts. it usually ended up being a false alarm. was this the case? you take another sip of water.

the bottle slips from your hands and drops to the floor, spilling across the surface. the fighting abruptly stops, everyone turning to stare incredulously at you. trembling, your hands go up to your neck, your breaths growing quicker and quicker with each puff of air released from your lungs. suddenly, it was very hard to breathe, and your face felt like it was burning from the inside out.

yoon-seo looks at you in concern, "what is it? what's wrong?"

you shake your head, opening your mouth to speak, but the swelling in your throat is cutting off your airways. you can't breathe. you can't-

yoon-seo is calling out your name as you stand up. you take a shaky step forward, only for your knees to buckle and for your entire body to crash towards the floor. your hands don't leave your throat as you continuously gasp for breath, tears running down your face.

"what's wrong with her?" mi-na cries.

kyung-jun swears, rushing over and crouching down beside you, "shit, she's having an allergic reaction."

"what?" yoon-seo asks, mimicking his action of lowering her body to where you lay on the ground.

kyung-jun looks up at the girl, his face tight with tension, "quick! where's her EpiPen?"

"she keeps it in her pockets!" jun-hee yells, pushing people aside as he takes the empty space beside you.

kyung-jun pats your skirt down, finding a hard object in your right pocket. he reaches his hand in and pulls out your EpiPen. without wasting a second, he takes it out of the case and lifts his arm, only to get stopped by yoon-seo's fingers around his wrist.

"wait, do you know how to use that?"

kyung-jun doesn't answer, harshly shrugging her off. he lifts up his arm once more, hesitating for only a moment before bringing the sharp end down on your thigh.

you gasp, feeling the slightest pain, but you can feel the relief instantly in your throat. your breaths slow down, and you gratefully gulp down air, dropping your hands by your side. kyung-jun relaxes, breathing out a sigh of relief. dazed, your eyes search for his face in the crowd of people above you, burning it into your memory once you spot it.

as your breaths even out, exhaustion overcomes your body, and you blink slowly, fighting to remain awake. kyung-jun notices immediately, the tension in his face returning as he leans down and lightly slaps your cheeks.

"hey, keep your eyes open." he demands. you do your best to listen, focusing your attention on the boy above you.

"what did she have a reaction to? she wasn't eating anything, was she?" jun-hee inquires.

yoon-seo picks up the discarded water bottle, holding it up, "she just had a drink of this."

kyung-jun snatches it from her hands, inspecting it. he lets out a curse, "someone must have laced it. who gave this to her?" no one answers, averting their eyes and shuffling their feet. the sight of their silence causes kyung-jun's anger to rise, "fuck! she almost died and you bastards can't come clean?!"

"let's take her to the infirmary for now. she ingested it, so the reaction might come back. we can monitor her condition there and figure out who did this," jun-hee leans down towards you, calling out your name softly, "can you stand?"

you open your mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. without a word, kyung-jun scoots closer, putting his arms under your knees and placing a hand on your back. he lifts you up effortlessly, the feeling of the ground disappearing causing your fingers to shoot to his chest, curling around the fabric, feeling the warmth. you watch his face the entire journey to the infirmary, never straying from his features even after you're placed gently on the bed.

jun-hee approaches, handing over another EpiPen to kyung-jun, "here. in case she gets worse."

kyung-jun looks down at his outstretched hand, then back up at the presidents face. he narrows his eyes at him, suspicious, maybe even a little surprised. jun-hee was trusting kyung-jun. he was putting your life in his hands. he takes it.

as the boy settles into a chair beside your bed, na-hee's timid voice fills the air, "how could this happen?"

"was it the mafia?" mi-na questions, glancing around.

yoon-seo bites worriedly at her bottom lip, "but why would the mafia want to kill her?"

"because of me." kyung-jun's words cut through the air. all around, classmates turn their attention towards the boy with blank stares, confusion creasing their eyes. he leans back in his seat, "don't tell me you guys are this dense. think about it. they kill seung-bin. frame jin-a and me. the mafia is after my entire group."

"but what does she have to do with that? if it's because of hate, wouldn't they leave her alone? she hasn't done anything to anyone." jung-won reasons, not quite understanding the connection.

kyung-jun's eyes drift to your bedridden form. his face is still, but there's something hidden behind the calm expression. something softer. it creeps into his voice as he speaks in a low tone, "they know what she means to me."

you hold onto kyung-jun's words, the weight they hold. they know what she means to me. what am i to you kyung-jun? look me in the eyes and tell me.

"could we find the mafia based on what they know about her? like her peanut allergy? or her connection to kyung-jun?" na-hee asks.

jun-hee shakes his head," won't work. everyone in the class knew about her allergy."

"and thanks to so-mi not minding her own business, everyone knows about us, too." kyung-jun mutters bitterly.

so-mi swears at him, "that water came from the snack bar didn't it? whose to say you didn't lace it?"

the chair screeches across the floor as he gets up, stepping intimidatingly towards the girl, "i didn't fucking try to kill her."

ever the peacemaker, yoon-seo steps between the two, pushing them back, "stop it. first, we need to find out who killed seung bin. i'm sure the same person is behind all of this. we'll reconvene at eleven when we have more evidence, and then we'll vote."

kyung-jun and so-mi glare at each other, mimicking each other's expression of sharp eyes and scowling lips. eventually, however, and surprising the entire room, kyung-jun is the first to back down, stepping back and slumping into his previous seat. so-mi turns away, storming out of the room, followed by the rest of your classmates. jun-hee lingers by the door, but once it becomes apparent that kyung-jun has no plans to leave, turns around and disappears from sight.

when they're gone, you turn your head towards kyung-jun, studying his expression. he leans forward in his seat, head hanging, his palms clasped together. he stares determinedly at the floor. his foot taps restless against the ground, his fingers flexing nervously. you notice the slightest hint of fear along his eyes, tightening the muscles of his jaw.

"kyung-jun." you croak out softly.

he lifts up his head.

"thank you. for saving my life," you swallow thickly, your expression softening as they rest on his figure, "you're a good person."

kyung-jun flinches at your words, shifting his attention back towards the ground, "you're wrong."

"and how would you know?" he doesn't answer, so you persist, desperate for him to hear you, to understand you, "i know what i feel. what i see. and when i look at you, i see a good heart."

for a moment, kyung-jun looks physically pained by your words, as if they caused him great suffering. tentatively, you reach out your hand and take his own, curling your fingers gently around his palm. he glances at the motion, but he still doesn't say anything, barely shifting in his position.

you lay like that for a while, his warmth soothing you, his soft breathing lulling you to sleep. before you know it, your eyes are closing, and you drift away.

despite being asleep, your body can't quite seem to shake off the feeling that someone is watching you.

a figure, lurking in the corner, staring at your sleeping, defenseless form. there's no one around to notice. no one around to stop them.

footsteps echo down the hall, followed by a clatter, the sound of something dropping to the ground. you snap your eyes open, sitting up in bed, rapidly glancing around the room in search of the sound. it's silent, no signs of life other than your own currently present, not even kyung-jun's. despite what your eyes told you though, you couldn't ignore the prickling at the back of your neck, the goosebumps along your arms. someone was here. you know it, feeling it deep within your bones. but who?

an object catches your eye, laying abandoned on the floor. slowly, you place your feet on the ground and cross the room, crouching down to pick it up. headphones.

don't these belong to da-bum? was he here? but why?

a figure approaches the doorway, stopping in their tracks at the sight of you awake. you meet kyung-jun's puzzled eyes, and you find yourself mimicking the expression, but for very different reasons. in his hands he holds a basket, filled with snacks and drinks from the snack bar. did he get those for you? your heart skips a beat inside your chest, a sort of fondness taking over the fear you felt earlier.

"you're awake." kyung-jun states simply, his eyes drifting down towards the headphones in your hands. you follow his gaze, promptly folding the device and putting them into your skirt pocket. you'd deal with it later.

"i thought i heard something. is that for me?" you ask, nodding your head towards the food.

instead of responding, kyung-jun walks over, reaching in and pulling out an orange container. mango flavored milk. he unscrews the cap, holding it out for you, "drink."

you comply, taking it from his hands, your fingers brushing briefly against his own. you hide a smile as you take a small sip, "you know, this is my favorite flavor."

kyung-jun lifts up an eyebrow at that, wondering where the conversation was heading.

"i've never told you that." you continue.

he tilts his head, eyeing you suspiciously, "so?"

"you notice things about me. and you remember them," you mirror the motion of his head, grinning, "that makes you a good person. a considerate one."

kyung-jun lets out a scoff, glancing away, "you're still on about that?"

"yes. until you believe me."

"and what if i don't?"

you shrug, taking another sip of your drink, "don't be so sure of yourself. i can be persuasive."

kyung-jun slowly lets a grin curl his lips. it's amazing, the way a genuine smile looks on him. it softens every inch of his face, relaxes his entire body. i did that. i made him smile. your own grin widens, warmth blooming in your chest.

suddenly, everything shatters. piece by piece, your world steadily falls apart.

the alarm ringing in your ears is so loud, so unexpected, it makes your entire body jump. trembling, you pull your phone out of your pocket.

CHA YU-JUN HAS DIED. CHA YU-JUN WAS THE DOCTOR. ALL PARTICIPANTS, PLEASE IDENTIFY THE MAFIA AND BEGIN TO VOTE.

the doctor. cha yu-jun was the doctor. it repeats in your head, over and over again, the words never changing, never altered, not even by the dying hope in your heart wishing that it wasn't true.

"cha yu-jun...is dead?" you repeat numbly.

your heart drops down to your stomach, sitting there. you share a look with kyung-jun. his smile is long gone, replaced by the hard set of his jaw. your phone vibrates in your hands, urging you to glance down at the screen and read the new message that popped up.

YOU CAN SELECT 1 PARTICIPANT TO USE YOUR HEAL SKILL. THE SELECTED PARTICIPANT WILL BE PROTECTED FROM MAFIA'S ATTACKS. YOU CAN REVIVE SOMEONE WHO WAS VOTED FOR AND EXECUTED.

your skill. with yu-jun dead, your role has now been upgraded to the doctor. you spare another glance at kyung-jun, who is running his fingers through his head, swearing beneath his breath. your hands shake as you press your skill tab, selecting his name.

48 HOURS HAVE NOT YET PASSED SINCE THE LAST USED HEAL.

what?

you try again, and again, and again, but the same message pops up, a cruel reminder. the realization finally dawns upon you, making your entire body go cold. yu-jun used it on jun-hee last night. yu-jun used it yesterday, and for some foolish, unexplainable reason, his debts have been passed on to you.

your phone slips out of your hands, clattering onto the floor.

"fuck. do you think it was the mafia?" kyung-jun pulls you away from the chaos of your thoughts, and you swallow down the lump in your throat to respond.

"most likely. but i don't understand. it's daytime. why would..."

"they tried to kill you during the day time. it's no surprise they'd go after him, especially if they knew he was the doctor."

still, it was cruel. how could one of your classmates target yu-jun in broad daylight? why didn't they just wait until the night came? why risk being seen when everyone was awake?

something wasn't right, but no matter how hard you thought about it, you couldn't figure it out.

another message comes through your phone, this time from the group chat. you reach down for the device, holding it once more in your hands. a quick glance reveals jung-won's name and her curt message urging everyone to gather outside in the front. assuming that's where yu-jun was killed, you numbly follow kyung-jun through the building to the meet up spot.

when you arrive, everyone is gathered near the lines of the game arena. hesitantly, you approach, a shocked gasp immediately being pulled from your lips at the sight that greets you. yu-jun is on the other side of the line, his head bloody, smashed repeatedly at his temple. a rock lays right next to his hands, dripping blood. the sight of it makes you sick.

"did someone kill him? the mafia?" na-hee trembles, her hands pressed against her face, her eyes dripping tears.

yoon-seo shakes her head, "no. there weren't any signs of struggle. he must have broken the rules."

na-hee slowly looks over at the girl, "but why would he do that?"

"someone must have pushed him," jung-won determines, pointing towards the rock, "that would explain the lack of defensive wounds. as long as they made sure yu-jun stepped outside of the lines, yu-jun would've done the rest of the work himself. they must have figured out he was the doctor and wanted him dead."

her reasoning made sense, and you would agree that it was entirely possible. the scene plays in your mind. yu-jun being led outside to talk. the murderer pushing him outside the boundary, simply watching as yu-jun's mind changes, no longer his own. he would pick up a sharp rock and hit himself in the head with the jagged end, repeatedly until his body hit the ground. he wouldn't even make a sound.

would that be your fate too?

no. your gut told you that wasn't the case. something else happened here. maybe it had nothing to do with the mafia at all.

yoon-seo steps towards the end of the line, crouching down and inspecting his body from her far off position. she cranes her neck, taking in the sight of his fallen form. while she does so, you step away, approaching a different figure lingering by the edge of the crowd.

da-bum looks startled at the sight of you, his eyes darting around as if afraid to meet your eyes. although confused by his skittish personality, you reach into your pockets and hand the headphones over.

"i found these in the infirmary. they belong to you, right?"

da-bum's eyes widen, and he quickly snatches the device away, "y-yes. thank you. i must have left them in there earlier."

"oh, i see." you drop your hand, hesitating. neither of you move, the atmosphere tense and awkward. but you have to know, otherwise it'll eat you up from the inside, "by the way, did you come visit me while i was asleep?"

once again, da-bum's eyes widen, a sliver of panic flashing in his eyes before disappearing completely, "n-no, i didn't. with kyung-jun in there..." he trails off, and for a moment you feel sorry for him, remembering his distaste for the boy. his fear. it's almost enough to make you forget about the encounter completely. maybe you were just being paranoid. someone did try to kill you after all.

but you could've sworn da-bum left with his headphones on before you fell asleep.

when yoon-seo is finally done taking photos, you find yourselves gathered in the cafeteria. you're in similar positions from the first meeting, only this time your chair is pulled right next to kyung-jun's. it's quiet for several moments, the news of yu-jun's death still sinking in.

finally, mi-na lets out a frustrated breath, the sound of her paranoia cutting through the air, "the mafia have gone insane! two murders in one day, and one attempted one?"

"they might be getting desperate." you murmur. why else would they start killing so many people in one day? are they perhaps on a time limit? or are you close to figuring out who is apart of their ranks, and they grew afraid?

"but still...this is too much." na-hee lets out a quiet sniffle, no doubt starting another round of fresh tears.

eun-chan sits up suddenly, "hey, i just remembered. if yu-jun was the doctor, that means the nurse has his abilities now, right? so we aren't completely doomed."

na-hee shoots him an incredulous look, "how can you say that? someone just died, and you're thinking about that?"

eun-chan holds up his hands in surrender. from across the room, another voice speaks up, this one belonging to da-bum, "we were all with someone when the murder happened, right?"

murmurs of agreement erupt, everyone stating their alibis. so-mi speaks up, the ghost of a smirk curling her pink lips.

"don't lie kyung-jun."

he lazily slides his eyes over to her own, irritation building steadily on his face, "what?"

"i saw you. you were walking in the hallways a little bit before yu-jun died."

kyung-jun scoffs, smiling at her in disbelief, "i was getting food you crazy bitch."

"kyung-jun was with me the entire time. in the infirmary." you reaffirm. so-mi lifts up an eyebrow. this time, a smirk really does lift up the corners of her mouth. somehow, you get the feeling that her attacks on kyung-jun is not a coincidence.

"the whole time? are you sure about that? when you were asleep, how could you be sure he was there?"

yeon-woo, a boy on the pudgier side with large, black glasses, lets out a gasp, "yeah! she has a point!"

kyung-jun rolls his eyes, "you guys really are dumb. haven't we gone over this? remember woo-ram? how the hell could i be the mafia? why would i attack my own-" he stops abruptly, clearing his throat and shifting back in his seat. despite pretending to be relaxed about the conversation, you can see the tension in kyung-jun's posture, the way he avoids your eyes. curiosity lingers in the back of your mind.

so-mi abruptly stands up, holding up her phone and tapping away at the screen, "let's just vote him out already. he's caused enough trouble for us anyways."

no one moves. no one makes a sound. at the lack of agreement, so-mi looks around, blinking her eyes in disbelief.

the girl laughs, "hey, don't act like you guys suddenly like him. you may let him do whatever he wants, but i know you talk shit about him behind his back. da-bum!" the boy jumps in his seat, "he bullied you for years! vote him out!"

you find yourself on your feet faster than you can think, "don't act like you're so righteous so-mi."

she considers you for a moment, looking you up and down, perhaps sizing up the amount of threat you pose. she eventually glances away, tapping at her phone once more, "whatever. he'd be better gone."

before she can vote, you reach over and snatch her phone out of her hand.

so-mi narrows her eyes at you, rage flickering in her brown eyes, "yah! give me my phone back."

you step closer to her, the seriousness in your expression causing her smile to falter and to unconsciously take a step back, "i'm sick of you." you seethe, glancing up and looking into each and every face in the room. it's a strange feeling, the way your temper rises, simmering beneath your skin. you're not used to showing your emotions so openly like this, but at the moment, with kyung-jun's life in danger, you don't push it away, "i'm sick of all of you! you guys are so quick to judge, labeling kyung-jun as bad and giving him no opportunities to be good. how unfair is that? he's human too, you know. he wans to live just as badly as the rest of us. don't you think he deserves that? huh?"

everyone is quiet. you realize then that you're breathing heavily, your face flushed in anger. releasing a huff, your fingers tighten around the phone in your hand before throwing it across the floor.

so-mi's eyes follow the movement. she stands still for a moment, blinking in disbelief, trailing her eyes from the device to your face. she lets out a laugh, "you crazy bitch."

SLAP.

the pain lingers, even after so-mi removes her hand from your cheek. you blink slowly, your hands reaching up to press against the skin, shock consuming your entire body. gasps are released from each corner of the room before going quiet once more, watching the scene unfold. calmly, you straighten your posture and face so-mi head on, not saying a word as you regard the girl before you.

fine. if she wanted to play this game, then you'll play, too.

the next couple seconds feels like a blur. you're vaguely aware of your body rushing forward, of your fingers curling around so-mi's hair and latching on. the girl screams, pulling at your own strands, the pain erupting almost immediately as a result. you're shoving each other around, nails finding purchase on any bit of skin it can reach, pulling at the sensitive roots of hair. you wanted to hurt her, for her to feel the pain she has caused to so many people in this room. to yoon-seo, to jun-hee, to na-hee, to you.

before you know it, a pair of arms are wrapped around your stomach, pulling you away from the still screeching girl. you flail around for a bit, struggling to break free, but at the sight of so-mi being held back by jun-hee, you realize the fight is over. you drop your arms, breathing heavily, feeling exhausted.

"go on!" so-mi screams, still struggling in jun-hee's grip, "be kyung-jun's little bitch! he'll leave you as soon as he's bored of you!"

kyung-jun releases you and crosses the room, stopping before so-mi. she immediately quiets down, her features rapidly forming into fear.

the corners of kyung-jun's lips quirk up into a smirk. he leans down, leveling his face with her own, "i think this has gone on long enough, huh?"

her eyebrows pull together in confusion, hesitancy laced in her bitter words, "what are you talking about?"

"i know you're mafia," kyung-jun states simply, straightening so he can face the room, "and i can prove it."

your eyes widen, dread pooling in your stomach, settling there uncomfortably. no. surely he wouldn't. surely kyung-jun wouldn't risk his life just to get rid of so-mi. surely nothing in this world meant more to him than staying alive. you grip the sleeve of his uniform, panicked, "what are you doing? kyung-jun stop. if you do that then-"

kyung-jun just smiles, shrugging you off. you're forced to watch as he pulls out his phone. presses her name. on the screen, her occupation shows up, causing a victorious smile to form on his lips. he turns the device around, "look. my hunch was right."

her eyes quickly scan the screen, her entire body freezing at the sight. people start stepping closer to look at the phone.

KIM SO-MI IS MAFIA.

jun-hee drops his hands, stepping away. the girl frantically shakes her head, "no. no! he's lying. i'm not mafia! i'm not!"

"you killed seung-bin?" yoon-seo whispers, the grief on her face so clear it causes an ache to develop in the space of your ribs, "and yu-jun? it was you?"

"no! no it wasn't me! i didn't kill either of them!" she cries.

eun-chan stomps over to the girl, shoving her back, "you killed eun-ha! if it weren't for you, she wouldn't have died! how can you do that if you're human?!"

"i had no choice!" so-mi screams, causing the room to go silent. her entire body shakes, and she clenches her hands into tight fists, "i just wanted to survive. why? you wouldn't have done the same thing?" she pauses, and angry tears slip down her face, "i didn't want to become the freaking mafia either!"

eun-chan scoffs, "stop with your nonsense. does it not matter as long as you survive? what about us? do we deserve to die? do we?!"

so-mi sniffs, shaking her head ever so slightly, "i didn't kill anyone. the other guys killed them. what happened to them has nothing to do with me. jun-hee!" she steps over to him, reaching down for his hands and holding them in her own. she peers up at him, pleading, "please. you have to believe me."

jun-hee's expression hardens. it becomes so eerily calm, a scarier version of the empty look he had last night. he pushes her away, looking down upon so-mi's pitiful face, "take responsibility."

around you, people start pulling out their phones and voting for her. so-mi is full on sobbing now, glancing around the room, trying to get them to stop. she runs up to mi-na, trying to pull the phone out of her hand, only to get shoved off. da-bum steps up and pushes her to the ground.

she glances up at the boy, something unspoken passing between them. you watch the exchange with confusion, especially when the girl allows a smile to curl her lips. she laughs mockingly, "you're all fooled. do you know who the mafias are?" she opens her mouth to speak, but stops suddenly, a choking sound coming from her throat. she reaches a hand up, the sound persisting, trying to lodge itself out. suddenly, she leans forward, and blood bursts from her lips.

YOU CAN'T REVEAL THE IDENTITIES OF OTHER MAFIAS TO CITIZENS.

so-mi's lips tremble, her eyes glassy as she stares up at each of your faces. a part of you understands her situation. how scary it must've been to be assigned a role that forces you to kill your classmates. your friends. but it was no excuse. you pull out your phone and press her name.

yoon-seo is one of the last people remaining to vote so-mi out. as she pulls out her phone, so-mi scrambles towards the girl, reaching out a trembling hand. yoon-seo's face twists in pain, "why did you do that? you brought it on yourself," she ignores her cry for help and presses the button on her phone.

so-mi sits back on the floor, her sobs echoing in the space. with faces of disgust, everyone leaves the room, and you hesitate only for a moment before following kyung-jun out.

only one thing is on your mind as you enter the snack bar. you stand in the center of the room, unchanging, listening to kyung-jun close the door behind you and let out an exhausted breath.

"finally that fucking bitch is gone. she was starting to piss me off."

you're silent for a moment, his words going in one ear and out the other. trembling, you pull out your phone and press your skill tab, pressing on kyung-jun's name.

48 HOURS HAVE NOT YET PASSED SINCE THE LAST USED HEAL.

48 HOURS HAVE NOT YET PASSED-

"fuck! why won't this thing work?!" you scream, throwing your phone on the ground. something wet slips down your face, and you realize they are tears. one by one, they fall, and upon acknowledging them, they never seem to stop.

why would the game give you this ability when you can't even save the one person you love? was it some sick joke? are the creators laughing at your face? because of your incompetence, kyung-jun is going to die. he's going to die he's-

you swiftly turn around, marching up to kyung-jun and shoving him back. he blinks, bewildered by your actions, but you don't give him time to recover as you approach him once more, banging your fists against his chest.

his hands immediately reach up and wrap around your wrists, preventing you from continuing your attacks, "why the fuck are you hitting me?"

"you idiot!" you cry, trying to pull free. he tightens his grip, "why did you do that? why did you reveal your role? now the mafia know and they're gonna kill you! do you hear me? they'll kill you!"

something shifts in kyung-jun's demeanor, his grip slackening ever so slightly. he looks down at you, the emotion on his face almost unreadable. but you catch it, just a slight hint of it. defeat. kyung-jun has accepted his fate.

no, don't look at me like that. you're supposed to fight kyung-jun. that's what you do. you fight until you can't anymore.

"what does it matter? at least we caught another damn mafia." he mutters.

"and what about me, huh? did you think about that?" you rip your hands away, your sobs slipping away more freely now. you reach up and desperately try wiping them away, trying to ignore the hollow space where your heart lays, the deep ache inside your ribs, "don't tell me you still haven't figured it out kyung-jun! you don't get to just make me fall in love with you only to die in the end!"

kyung-jun freezes at that. you drop your hands, breathing heavily. the air is thick with tension, something hanging in the air, begging to be said. you wait for the moment kyung-jun speaks, for a shift in his expression, some sort of telltale sign that reveals his thoughts about your confession. but he doesn't say anything. he just stands there, impossibly still, staring at you like he can't grasp the words you just said.

"say something goddammit!" you shout, the frustration building when the silence persists, "yell at me! tell me i'm stupid! don't just- don't just stand there!"

finally, kyung-jun moves. he slowly steps towards you, his fingers reaching for his front pocket. you watch the movement, slightly confused, examining the way he pulls out a small object, hidden in his hands. he looks down. reaches for your hand, unfurling your fingers so your palm faces up. then, he places the object on top, the sight of it making your breath catch in your throat.

KO KYUNG-JUN.

the letters of his name are as clear as day, stitched with black letters over a white rectangle. emotion clogs inside your throat, and the tears rush down your face once more, curling your fingers around the nametag protectively. in korean culture, it is customary to give the person you like their nametag.

the person you like.

"that day in the rain."

you glance up, meeting his eyes.

kyung-jun scans your face, taking you in, the corners of his eyes creased with something both pained and tender. he lets out a shaky breath, "you looked at me like...i was someone worth looking at."

because you are. because i would gladly lay my eyes upon you if not to take you in your entirety. how wonderful and scary it is for someone to see you. to really look at you. were you scared that day kyung-jun? that day in the rain, when i stripped you bare and saw something you kept hidden.

will you let me see you now?

your body moves on its own. your feet close the remaining distance between you, your hands reaching up and grabbing his face. for a brief moment, the split of a second, you see kyung-jun's eyes widen in surprise before you pull him down and catch his lips.

here's what you learn about kyung-jun as you kiss him.

he responds quickly. though he's initially caught off guard, it doesn't take long for him to reciprocate the motions. pushing and pulling, like waves on the beach, the both of you consuming each other entirely.

he is not a slow kisser. he does not take his time. his movements are desperate, rushed, as if he's fighting with the clock, trying to take as much of you as possible before it runs out.

and he's bold. while your fingers slip from his face towards his hair, curling around the strands, you feel his own hands grab onto your waist, gripping the delicate flesh to pull you closer to his body. the feeling of his warmth pressed against your bare skin, his soft breaths against your cheek, it urges you to tighten your fingers, pulling a soft grunt from his throat. his movements growing even more rushed, his teeth nipping at your sensitive skin, and the sound alone causes something to stir in your stomach, for your heart to beat rapidly against your ribcage. you pull back, just slightly, so you can see his face.

kyung-jun slowly opens his eyes, a hazy, distracted look reflected in them. soft pants leave his lips, which are parted and bruised, a lovely sight. the rest of his face is flushed red, and when you slowly remove your hands and slide them down to his neck, the strands stick up in different directions, adding to the disheveled look.

oh, i want to unravel him completely.

his eyes flicker down to your lips, focused intently there, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he swallows thickly.

"do you understand now?" he mumbles against your skin.

instead of speaking, you nod your head softly, a barely noticeable tip of your head. i think i could understand you thoroughly, piece by piece, if you give me the opportunity to learn.

slowly, one of his hands reach up and cradle the back of your head, pulling you closer, and you let him press his lips against your own once more. they mold together perfectly, his breaths now yours, and you take it in greedily. oh, how badly you want him. how selfish you feel to need him entirely, flesh and bone, a desperate ache in your ribs. you press your hand flat against his chest, feeling the rapid rhythm of his heart. THUMP THUMP THUMP. here he is in the palm of your hands, pliant beneath you, taking him in, but even now, you still feel as if you don't know everything.

and the thought of that, the possibility that you will never get to have him entirely, it scares you. you don't want it.

you gently push kyung-jun back, and he looks down into your face, the slightest hint of confusion reflected in his eyes. without a word, you reach up and brush a strand of hair away from his face, press your fingers against his cheek, holding him there. something in him wavers, leans into your touch, his eyes fluttering shut for a split second.

time. all you need is time.

"kyung-jun, do you trust me?"

the note sits heavy in your pocket as you stand outside the door, hesitating. you managed to lift up your hand and form a fist, but you can't bring yourself to knock. what if they aren't there? what if they refuse to help you? the possibilities run rampant in your mind.

then, you feel it. a small brush of kyung-jun's fingers against your own, a gentle reminder of his presence. you take in a shaky breath, bringing your fist to the door.

a voice calls out from the other side, granting you permission to come in. you turn the handle and open it halfway, finding jun-hee, jung-won and yoon-seo inside the room.

yoon-seo blinks at you in surprise, "oh, hey. what is it?"

you glance to your left, stepping aside to allow room for the boy to approach. at the sight of kyung-jun's figure, the three of them grow quiet, staring in bewilderment. they glance between the two of you, trying to figure out the meaning behind your visit.

you clear your throat, "can we come in? i need to discuss something with you."

jung-won and jun-hee share a glance, their reluctance apparent in their faces. you start to think that maybe this was a bad idea. that you should figure something out on your own, but yoon-seo speaks up, her gentle smile causing you to sag in relief, "of course."

you and kyung-jun step inside, closing the door behind you. you sit down at the table, legs folded neatly beneath you, waiting for the spot beside you to get filled. when it doesn't, you glance up at kyung-jun, who stands awkwardly to the side, hands in his pockets, staring at the space warily. you send him a reassuring smile, patting the empty space, and he finally sits down.

once he's situated, you return your attention to the three friends across the table, "i need to talk to you about something."

yoon-seo adjusts herself, getting closer, "what?"

you take a deep breath, reciting the words you practiced earlier in your head, "the mafia are going to execute kyung-jun tonight," saying it out loud, it makes the future feel more real, leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. you ignore it, continuing on, "once he's gone, finding the rest of the mafia will be difficult since his police skill will no longer be of use. but we can probably get one more mafia if we play our cards right."

jun-hee stares at you in confusion, "what do you mean?"

"we set the mafia up. they've been playing mind games with us from the start. it's about time we even out the playing field. make it so when they attack kyung-jun tonight, we can find evidence in the morning."

"and how do we do that?" jung-won asks.

jun-hee responds to her inquiry, "actually, i might have an idea for that. leave it to me."

yoon-seo sets her eyes on kyung-jun, who has remained quiet the entire time, "kyung-jun, are you okay with this?"

the boy leans back on his hands, tilting his head towards the ceiling, letting out a harsh breath. he's pretending to be unaffected, but you know better. you can see the tension in his hands, the way they tremble, betraying his emotions, "if it means catching those damn mafia, i don't care. but i'll kill you guys if you fail."

her expression softens, and she smiles gently in his direction, "i'm sorry it had to go like this." she spares a glance at you, but you make sure to ignore it. you fear that if you meet her eyes, see her soft, worried gaze, you'll find yourself breaking down once more.

you and kyung-jun rise to your feet. you bow your head slightly, "thank you. this means a lot to me."

you turn to leave, only to pause, remembering the note still folded in your pocket. you turn back around, going up to yoon-seo. she watches you in confusion as you take her hand and press the slip of paper into her palms. she glances down at it, her puzzlement growing.

"what is it?" she asks, searching your eyes for the answer.

you curl her fingers over the note, hiding it from view, "a backup plan. open it tomorrow. you'll know when."

she nods in understanding, putting the note away into her skirt pocket. as she does so, you recall what happened about an hour prior with kyung-jun when you were putting the plan in place.

"you sure about this?" kyung-jun asks, standing above you, watching you work.

you nod, finishing up the words and placing the marker down onto the table, "yes. it's the only explanation."

kyung-jun laughs darkly, shaking his head slightly, "damn that bastard. he's gotten pretty bold, huh?"

you look down at the note, reading the letters a few more times before folding it into a small square and stuffing it inside your pocket.

'da-bum poisoned me. please find a way to reveal his occupation.'

BA-DUM.

the sound of kyung-jun's heart beating inside his chest calms you. after jun-hee set up a paint filled air refresher in the corner near the doorway, both you and kyung-jun sit in the snack bar alone, only this time the shutters have not been pulled down. at first, yoon-seo and jun-hee had insisted you hide with them, but you refused their requests, determined to remain by kyung-jun's side.

that's how you found yourself here, curled up against his side, your ear pressed against his heart. you listened to the way it beat, counting the rhythm, feeling the steady rise of his chest each time he takes in a breath and releases it. tomorrow, i want it to beat just like this.

"what are you doing?" he murmurs, breaking the silence.

"listening to your heart." you close your eyes, releasing a soft breath, "i want to remember it."

THUMP THUMP.

his steady beats pick up in speed, faster now, and you smile, laughing softly under your breath at the way kyung-jun's body betrays him. then, faintly, you feel his fingers brush against your ear, pulling back your hair. they cradle the back of your head, and you let out another sigh, allowing him to hold you like that for a moment, savoring the gentle touch of his hand. how careful he is with his movements.

eventually, you lift up your head, your face set in determination, "tomorrow, my skill's cooldown will disappear, and i'll save you. i won't let you die."

he stares at you, his eyes flitting across your face, a small shift twitching the corners of his lips and forming tension between the space of his brows. without a word, kyung-jun reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys, taking your hand and placing them in your palm. you stare at them, feeling the cold weight of the metal. an ache forms between your ribs.

"why are you giving me this?"

"the snack bar is the safest place in the building. if you lock the shutters, no one can get in. not even with an axe."

kyung-jun's words sink in slowly, but the realization hits you like a slap to the face. quick, sharp. you shake your head, trying to force the object back in his possession, "no, i don't want them, take them back-"

"listen to me!" kyung-jun grips your shoulders, forcing you to meet his desperate eyes, "if you don't take them, you'll die, and that is the one thing you can't do," the edges of his tone cracks. kyung-jun clenches his jaw, shaking you slightly, his voice tempering between frustration and fear, "promise me you'll use them to hide yourself." you shake your head, your refusal building on the tip of your tongue, but kyung-jun is pleading with you, a desperate man, "promise me."

oh, you understand it now. the thing that drove kyung-jun to reveal his occupation despite the danger. the one thing kyung-jun cares about more than his own life. yours.

your lips tremble as a tear slips down your face, "i promise."

he releases a breath, the tension slipping away from his body with your words alone. he releases you, leaning back against the wall, eyes slipping closed. its quiet for a while, the weight of the situation finally suffocating you both, pressing down against your chests, squeezing your lungs.

time. just more time.

you shift closer to him, reaching forward and gently peeling the bandages off his face. he doesn't flinch at all as you do so, just tracks your movements intensely with his eyes.

"they healed nicely." you mumble softly, brushing your fingers against the wounds. across the slope of his nose and the soft flesh of his cheek. they've scabbed over, and pretty soon, you wouldn't even know he got injured in the first place, "i was worried your pretty face would get ruined."

kyung-jun lets out a soft laugh, the sound ringing in your ears, causing a flutter in your chest.

slowly, kyung-jun lifts up his hand towards your neck. cautiously, as if afraid of hurting you, he brushes his own fingers against the scratch marks on the side of your throat, left behind after your fight with so-mi. he inspects the wounds, a hint of concern and anger simmering beneath his calm expression. they slip away, resting on your pulse point, and you close your eyes, feeling the rapid beat of your heart press against his fingers.

KIM SO-MI HAS BEEN EXECTUED. KIM SO-MI WAS MAFIA.

"kyung-jun."

he lifts up his eyes, and you study him more closely, taking in the sight of his face one last time. his tousled hair. the slope of his nose. the shape of his eyes, no doubt your favorite thing about him. you lean down, his eyes fluttering close as you press your lips lightly against them, one on his right, one on his left. you move up, kissing the space between his brows, smoothing out the tension always lingering there, his anger no more. you shift down, bringing attention to the scab on his nose, then the one on his cheek, prolonging the contact for a split moment longer than the others. and finally, you reach his lips, the press of them pulling a soft breath from his lungs.

kyung-jun reaches up and cradles your face in both his hands, his thumbs softly brushing the tears slipping down your cheeks. you try not to think about what will happen soon, focusing on him instead, pressing closer, consuming every part of him he gives you.

please, just give me more time. give me another second in his embrace. let me feel the warmth of his skin before it goes cold. let me memorize the exact way his face shifts, how many times his heart beats in a minute, what makes him happy.

reluctantly, you pull away for air, pressing your forehead against his, your nose brushing against his own. his breaths tickle your cheek, his fingers trembling against your jaw.

"i'll see you tomorrow, okay?" you whisper, unable to help yourself from stealing once last kiss against the tip of his nose.

you curl up beside him, resting your head on his shoulder, your hand engulfed in his warm, calloused palms. they tighten around yours, and you feel his body shaking, once again betraying what he really felt, the fear gripping his bones. you squeeze tightly, and kyung-jun returns it, gripping your hand as if his life depended on it, as if you're the only thing grounding him at the moment, keeping him tethered to the earth.

the music comes on, and you don't let go.

NIGHT HAS COME.

part [redacted].

#fluff #angst #ko kyung jun #kyung jun #night has come #kyung jun x reader #ko kyung jun/reader #kyung jun/reader

24 notes · View notes

rainsoughtflowers · 2 months ago

Text

the way this is unedited too

#i think i might actually be a little insane #but trust im feeding my readers good #ko kyung jun #kyung jun #night has come #kyung jun x reader #ko kyung jun/reader #kyung jun/reader

3 notes · View notes

rainsoughtflowers · 2 months ago

Text

do you see right through me?

part three

tw/cw - swearing, depictions of character death, angst.

a/n - i swear i’m not deliberately trying to break your hearts. just trust the process

"you don't mind, right?"

looking into so-mi's face, seeing her hopeful expression, her expectant eyes, you can't help how the sight of her longing brought you a sense of indifference. you didn't particularly care to help her, but you had no urge to deny the request either. if anything, it was just bothersome. how annoying, you think, for her to seek you out so shamelessly when you can't even call each other friends. so why ask you to cover her cleaning duty today?

"come on, so-mi," jung-won chastises, "you know that isn't fair. na-hee isn't even here today. she would have to do it all alone."

"oh, right." so-mi thinks for a moment, her eyes eventually brightening in delight. you barely catch the hint of smugness hidden behind the mask of her triumphant, "we can ask kyung-jun."

despite the obvious cruelty hidden behind her suggestion, you perk up at the mention of his name. kyung-jun. he's been on your mind a lot lately. lingering there, settling comfortably in your thoughts.

"kyung-jun?" yoon-seo repeats, confused, "you know he never shows up for that stuff."

the girl shrugs, "who knows, maybe he'll change his mind today. so?" she turns back to you, that expectant look back in her expression, smiling at you like she knows she's won, and you won't refuse, "will you do it?"

you breathe out the words before you can fully register them, "okay."

so-mi's grin widens, "great! i'll let kyung-jun know. thanks!"

she turns on her heels, walking down the corridor and disappearing around the corner. from beside you, yoon-seo lays a gentle hand on your shoulder.

"we can stay after and help if you want." she says, peering into your eyes. you shake your head softly.

"no, it's fine. you guys have tutoring today, don't you? you shouldn't miss that."

her brows knit together in concern, "are you sure?"

you nod once more, and this time, the girl doesn't press the issue any further. jung-won and yoon-seo resume their previous actions of eating their lunches and discussing their weekend activities, and you listen quietly, pushing your food around with the end of your chopsticks, ignoring your spinning mind and diminishing the anxious pit in your stomach.

when the end of the school day arrives, you walk by yourself to the classroom. students rush past you in the opposite direction, eager to catch the bus or walk home. when you finally approach the door, you pause for a moment, hand hovering in the air. hesitation suddenly grips your bones, peering over your shoulder, a looming shadow. you blink the feeling away before softly sliding it open.

kyung-jun.

kyung-jun is there, sitting on top of a desk near the window, leaning back against the wall. air comes through the open glass, and smoke comes out, curling around kyung-jun's face each time he breathes. when you enter, his eyes slide over to your own, studying you quietly, awaiting your next move. he brings the cigar back up to his lips, taking a slow drag and puffing out another gray cloud. not once do his eyes leave your own. a single voice echoes in your mind.

kyung-jun never shows up for cleaning duty.

but today he did. why? what changed?

you blink away your momentary confusion, leaning forward to bow your head slightly in apology, "sorry for being late. you weren't waiting long, were you?"

kyung-jun examines you for another quiet moment, tilting his head slightly to the right, before glancing away and shaking the ash from his cigar, "let's just get this over with." he jumps off the desk, discarding the object into a nearby trashcan. you make a mental note to remove it on your way out.

the two of you begin by pushing the desks against the wall, freeing up the space for when you clean the floors. you grunt with the effort it takes to move the furniture, and when you're done, you wipe the sweat from your forehead, evening out your breaths. you spare a glance at kyung-jun, wondering how he was fairing, only to find him completely unbothered. well, that's expected. he spent his free time playing basketball after all. he was used to exerting his energy.

you direct your attention to the chalkboard at the front, crossing the room and picking up the eraser. the last class of the day was math, so the board was covered in numbers and graphs, taking up almost the entire space. you start in the middle, brushing the object against the white chalk until it fades away, leaving behind white streaks. once everything that's eye level has been erased, you glance at the top of the board, tentatively reaching your hand up.

your fingers barely brush past the bottom of the writing, and you frown, pushing yourself up onto the tip of your toes. when that doesn't work, you jump, only succeeding in catching a small part of the number still plastered there. you shift back, considering your slowly diminishing options. perhaps a chair would work? it was dangerous, but it would only take a second.

suddenly, the eraser is being wrenched from your fingers, and you blink slowly in confusion as kyung-jun steps in front of you, easily reaching the top of the board and erasing what you couldn't. you watch the scene unfold before you, a multitude of different emotions forming somewhere in your bones. confusion between the space of your two lungs, something akin to awe dawning upon your lips. you note the warmth of his body, the smell of cigarettes and cologne, and he's tall, easily towering over your figure. a detail you can only notice due to his close proximity. how easy it would be to reach out and touch his skin, feeling it burn beneath your fingertips.

what am i thinking?

you snap back when the boy slams the eraser down, considering you only for a moment before crossing the room. you turn, watching as he picks up one of two brooms leaning against the wall. you blink once more, pushing away your disorientation and grabbing the other.

the last step to cleaning duty was sweeping the floors. you focus intensely at the task on hand, staring at the floor as you step across each inch of the classroom. you and kyung-jun still don't say a word, so the room is quiet, save for the sound of the broom brushing against the wood and your soft footsteps. your arms start to ache with the effort, yet slowly but surely, you reach the halfway point.

your end of the broom bumps against the other, and you quickly glance up, meeting kyung-jun's eyes. his face holds the slightest hint of surprise, that brief moment where you're caught off guard and you don't have time to hide the expression. but you catch it, just barely, noticing it in the way his eyes widen slightly and he blinks once, quickly.

how nice it is, to see his unguarded expression. to glimpse a version of himself he hasn't altered.

a slow smile forms on your lips, "caught you," kyung-jun blinks again, his features steadily changing. his eyebrows scrunch together and his eyes narrow ever so slightly, regarding you intensely. you straighten, putting the broom to the side, reaching for the trashcan, unaware of the knot forming in the notorious ko kyung-jun's stomach.

it's funny, how similar pain and warmth can appear. you feel both as your consciousness returns, simultaneously, spread throughout your entire body. the warmth centers from your chest and the right side of your face, pressed delicately against your cheek. the pain, on the other hand, comes in the form of an ache, an insistent throb on the upper side of your left arm. both feelings are what urge you to slowly blink your eyes open, a soft groan escaping your lips.

immediately, you sense something is wrong. for one, you don't wake up flat on the floor, facing the ceiling, your entire body cold and trembling from fear. instead, you're faced with the wall, and you note the odd position you're in. your knees pressed against the floor, your arms circled around something. someone.

they shift beneath you, a quiet stir, and you snap your eyes fully open, unclasping your hands and leaning back. shock overcomes all your muscles at the sight, seizing your heart, causing you to hastily push ko kyung-jun away and scramble off of his body.

your hasty movements cause his back to hit the wall, pulling a soft grunt from his throat. still carrying the remains of sleep, his eyes slowly blink open, each movement pushing away the softness of his features and painting them with bewilderment.

"i'm sorry," you breathe, scanning his face for a trace of irritation, "i didn't mean to sleep on you. or push you. i don't know what i was thinking."

because you weren't, your brain echoes, increasing the nervous pounding of your heart. because kyung-jun makes it hard to breathe, let alone think. so stop flying so close to the sun. you'll burn for taking too much of something he can't give you.

when his eyes fully focus, an alertness overcomes his entire body. he presses his hands against the floor, and kyung-jun examines you for a moment, taking you in, darting his eyes across every inch of your face. eventually, he averts his gaze, directing it to the ground. he glares intensely, working insistently at his jaw. you watch each movement, still searching for a hint of that anger being directed at you, but end up finding something else instead. barely visible, but it's there, plain as day. kyung-jun's ears have flushed a soft red, a clear sign of embarrassment. imposible. are your eyes playing tricks on you?

your mouth goes dry, opening and closing as you search for the right words, a plausible excuse. any train of thought gets interrupted by the announcement that plays.

BEFORE THE LAST VOTE CLOSED, THE POLICE USED THEIR SKILL. DURING THE NIGHT, PARK JI-SOO WAS EXECUTED BY THE MAFIA. PARK JI-SOO WAS A CITIZEN. ALL PARTICIPANTS, PLEASE IDENTIFY THE MAFIA AND BEGIN TO VOTE.

ji-soo. yet another victim occurring within those very walls. the room grows very quiet.

kyung-jun doesn't bring up the night before, and neither do you. you think that perhaps he would prefer to pretend it didn't happen. kyung-jun revealed a side of himself he never showed to anyone. a vulnerability. a weakness. maybe he regrets it, being so open to you, giving you power over him. the thought causes your heart to ache. you don't want it to be true. you wanted to be someone kyung-jun could rely on. someone he could turn to and let down his walls, hang up his anger on a coatrack and slip off his fear by the door.

i see you kyung-jun. do you see me?

"your ability has a cooldown, right?" you begin suddenly, swiftly changing the subject and gaining the boy's attention, "what should we do now?"

kyung-jun remains quiet for a moment, considering. he brings one leg up to his chest and rests his arm casually on his knee, "you're sure mi-na isn't mafia?"

"i'm sure. i was watching her while everything happened. to be honest..." you trail off, recalling the thought that bothered you at yesterday's meeting.

"what?" kyung-jun presses.

"i was just thinking. since when were so-mi and woo-ram so close?"

something flickers in kyung-jun's eyes, "you think she's mafia?"

"maybe. i'm not sure. i just think its weird. it's worth keeping in the back of our minds at least."

kyung-jun takes in your words, allowing them to sink in. his eyes flit across your face, reaching down, then stop, turning sharper, transforming the crease between his brows into something more intense. he leans forward, his fingers catching on the sleeve of your uniform.

the ache from earlier intensifies, shifting into a sharp pain, causing you to flinch. at the sight of your pain kyung-jun pulls back his hand, but it hovers there, uncertain, his expression hardening with each second that passes. you reach your own fingers up and brush them over the torn sleeve, recalling the fallen axe. woo-ram. you barely felt it when it happened. luckily, it was just a scratch. nothing too deep.

"i forgot about this," you mumble, dropping your hand entirely, "it doesn't hurt too much. you can stop worrying."

kyung-jun recoils, his eyes sharpening once more, appearing offended that you would even suggest such a thing, "i'm not worried."

you blink, squinting at him uncertainly. his words say one thing, but his expression reveals the truth. the barely concealed concern lingering in his eyes. is kyung-jun still embarrassed? "right. okay."

kyung-jun leans back against the wall, releasing a short breath. his eyes still hover near the torn, red-stained fabric, "why did you even do that? it was fucking stupid."

you tilt your head at him, perplexed, "do what?"

"fight woo-ram," his fingers flex by his side, opening and closing. there are fresh marks on the knuckles, reopened wounds, "he had a weapon. you didn't."

"he was going to kill you. i couldn't stand back and watch it happen."

kyung-jun scoffs, smiling in disbelief. it holds not a trace of joy within, "everyone else did."

"am i everyone else?"

as quickly as it was there, kyung-jun's grin falls from his lips. his face goes quiet, barely containing any hint of his usual emotions. if you had to describe it, it looked like he was conflicted. his adam's apple bobs in his throat, and his fingers move faster now, curling and unfurling with newfound intensity. his teeth chew the inside of his cheek, his eyes flitting across the floor.

eventually, his next words fill the air, but they completely disregard your previous question, "hey, should we use it to our advantage?"

"what do you mean?"

"we got rid of a mafia yesterday." we. you ignore the way it makes your heart flutter. how a simple word could associate you and kyung-jun so closely, like you're more than what you really are, "that pretty much clears our names. they should believe us now, right?"

logically, kyung-jun was right. mafia members wouldn't turn on their own, at least not for no good reason. but realistically, your classmates may still be wary of kyung-jun. he did torture the information out of woo-ram after all, even if it turned out to be true, "maybe. but don't be rash. you may have caught a mafia, but your methods were less than conventional."

the corners of his mouth curl up into a smirk, "it worked, didn't it?"

"yeah, after you almost got killed. twice. for two very different reasons." you didn't forget the way he was almost voted out yesterday. who's to say it won't happen again? you have to be careful.

the boy releases a frustrated breath, rolling his eyes, but he doesn't argue. instead, he pulls out his phone, sending a text into the group chat demanding that everyone meet him in the warehouse. once it's been delivered, he stands up, and you hesitate only for a moment before following after him.

the warehouse is located in a secluded part of the youth center. since arriving, you've yet to venture there, considering there wasn't much to see other than building blocks and endless safety hazards. so you're not exactly sure why kyung-jun chose it as his place of gathering.

said boy is sitting on top of a broken car, smoking a cigarette between his lips. sunlight catches onto the smoke he blows out, billowing in the air, curling around the space. seung-bin and jin-a are also gathered around the room, inspecting the various items littered throughout. you stand just a couple feet away, curling your fingers around the edges of your skirt and worrying at your bottom lip.

finally, footsteps approach the entrance, and yoon-seo and jun-hee enter first, followed by the rest of your remaining classmates. an agitated expression is molded on the girl's features, so unlike her usual softness, and you wonder what has caused such an emotion to befall her. you don't know anything about your friends anymore, do you? the last personal interaction you had with them was just after woo-ram was voted for, and you revealed your fake association with kyung-jun. you've been neglecting them. casting them aside and hiding away.

but how can you be sure they aren't mafia? that eventually, a night will come when it's your dead body everyone wakes up to?

yoon-seo finds your eyes from across the room, and you can't help the way you avoid them in shame.

"why did you want to see us all?" yoon-seo questions, getting straight to the point.

kyung-jun gets up, discarding his cigarette and taking several purposeful strides towards the rest of the class, " 'park woo-ram was mafia,' " he repeats the announcement from last night. slowly, a smile curls his lips, "see? what did i tell you?"

seung-bin claps his hands slowly in applause, "kyung-jun has a great hunch," he takes off his sunglasses, looking pointedly at each and every person's quiet, guilt ridden face, "seriously, what's the police doing? they should learn from him."

"did you hear that?" kyung-jun tilts his head, his confidence apparent in the way he holds his head high and straightens his posture, "if you want to catch the mafia, do as i say."

jin-a steps closer, looking at kyung-jun in anticipation, like he holds all the answers. you supposed in a way, he does, "what do we do?"

kyung-jun briefly looks down at the ground, deep in thought. when he comes to a conclusion, he lifts his head, "you'll take turns saying who you think is mafia, and i'll pick for you."

you can't help the way your face scrunches in confusion, eyeing the boy curiously. you wonder what kyung-jun is planning. the two of you hadn't decided on another person to coerce into the truth, and without his skill, there was no way to be completely sure. even with your hunch about so-mi.

"why do you get to decide?" jun-hee questions, suspicious, "we should decide together."

"yes. who do you think you are?" so-mi agrees, narrowing her eyes in kyung-jun's direction.

kyung-jun scratches the top of his head in irritation before pushing the strands back, breathing harshly through his nose, "didn't you see woo-ram try to kill me last night? who other than me is definitely not mafia?"

"kyung-jun is right," as you speak, yoon-seo and jun-hee glance in your direction, "it would be stupid for the mafia to kill their own."

"what about the first night? ju-won died, and he was mafia." jung-won retaliates.

"actually, i was thinking about something," you pull your hands away from your skirt, finally meeting yoon-seo's questioning eyes, "if a citizens only job is to vote out the mafia, and we fail to do so, we break the rules and die. so if a mafia doesn't kill someone during the night, it seems likely that one of them would die, too."

your classmates consider your reasoning carefully, and you hear murmurs of agreement spread throughout the room. yoon-seo blinks in your direction, her resolve softening as she releases a small breath, "she's right," she turns to face the rest of the room, "ju-won had no defensive wounds. he wasn't murdered. the game killed him."

instantly, you feel grateful towards yoon-seo for supporting your logic despite her negative feelings towards the boy. this is good. this will solidify kyung-jun's innocence. hopefully you wouldn't have to worry about him getting voted out in the upcoming days.

"i think the mafia is among the people who voted for me yesterday." kyung-jun declares suddenly, causing an uproar amongst the group.

"no, we're really not mafia." na-hee cries, shaking her head frantically.

kyung-jun regards the girl's desperation with little interest, "you sided with woo-ram and tried to kill me. what clearer evidence is there?"

jun-hee's expression hardens, "we really didn't know. don't judge based on last night."

kyung-jun faces jun-hee, stepping towards him. he licks his lips before speaking, "then what should i judge you on? you're the only people who voted for me."

"is that it? your logic is crap." jung-won scoffs.

kyung-jun cuts his eyes in her direction, a scowl forming on his lips, "hey."

"what?" the girl bites back, unfazed. the two glare at each other, and you can feel the tension in the room thickening, threatening to boil over.

"stop it you two," you walk over, standing between the pair in order to diffuse the situation, "this isn't going anywhere."

"what about ji-soo then?" so-mi speaks up suddenly, "why kill someone we were all friends with? we had no reason to."

kyung-jun looks away in disbelief, releasing a scoff. he then faces so-mi head on, his expression serious, "who cares how close you are when you could die?"

the words settle like a weight on your shoulders, pressing down against your chest. it was true. a cold, bitter truth you wanted to suppress for as long as possible. you couldn't trust anyone here, not even your friends. not without knowing their occupation with absolute certainty. you spare a glance at kyung-jun. if he wasn't the police, and if he hadn't approached you, what would you think of him now? would you be suspicious of him? would you have been amongst the group that voted against him last night?

no, probably not. even if your brain told you to, your heart would say otherwise.

you tune back into the conversation when da-bum gathers everyone's attention, "yesterday, the police used their skill, so why didn't the doctor?"

mi-na's eyes brighten in understanding, "yes. if they'd used their skill, ji-soo could've lived."

everyone goes quiet, turning the dilemma over repeatedly in their minds, trying to understand why. you realize then that they didn't know about the cooldown. maybe its best if they didn't. if the mafia figured it out, they could use it to their advantage.

"on the third floor, weren't ji-soo and yu-jun alone? then why kill just ji-soo?" so-mi asks, a hint of suspicion creeping into her tone.

you turn towards the girl, "you know so-mi, you're awfully quick to point fingers at people."

she stares at you in disbelief, "i'm just trying to find the mafia."

"the only people you've defended from our allegations have been jun-hee and woo-ram. and woo-ram turned out to be mafia."

her eyes narrow, "so what are you saying?"

"why do you protect them but not anyone else, huh?"

"they're my friends!"

"yu-jun is your friend and you're accusing him!"

the both of you stare at one another, breathing heavily, faces flushed in anger. so-mi's lips curl into a sneer, something dangerous lurking beneath her expression. threatening to come out. go on. show them, you urge, waiting.

kyung-jun releases a frustrated breath, pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose before dropping his hand, "you lot are so frustrating. i'll pick someone for you."

jung-won sighs in exasperation, "he thinks he's in charge."

kyung-jun lifts up his hand and points at the vice president of your class, "so-mi is mafia."

the girl blinks rapidly in shock, directing her attention to the boy, "excuse me? what proof do you have, huh? who are you to say that?"

"yeah, i don't think we should vote for her just based on that." na-hee mumbles uncertainly.

he releases another irritated sigh, "you guys are idiots for thinking she's innocent. go and vote already."

yoon-seo steps up, "hey, don't you know about presuming innocence? don't insist when you don't have proof."

kyung-jun snaps his eyes to her own, "what?"

"we're not voting for whom you dislike the most. this is just like a witch hunt."

he steps closer, looking down upon yoon-seo with an eerily calm expression, "my hunch is proof, darn it." he points at so-mi, "is there proof she isn't mafia? huh? there isn't."

yoon-seo breathes deeply, determinedly meeting kyung-jun's intense eyes, "proof? there's proof. there's a surveillance room in the basement. i'm sure everything was filmed."

kyung-jun glances at you, and you understand. if so-mi really was mafia, which you believed, then she would be seen wandering the halls at night. you might even catch the other mafia members as well.

the reveal of a hidden room inside the youth center spurred everyone to gather there at once, following yoon-seo's footsteps down a dark hallway and finally into a yellow lit room. inside, your eyes are immediately pulled towards the computer and several monitors displayed on a single desk, the footage revealing different parts of the building. the gym, the pool, the hallways. the mafia had to have wandered there at some point in the night.

jung-won begins rapidly typing away at the computer, everyone watching her movements with a mixture of awe and anticipation. from beside you, kyung-jun has his arms folded across his chest, staring intently at the screen, "we can get the mafia in one go."

"that's awesome," seung-bin grins, leaning down towards jung-won, "hey, mensa, work faster. you're so darn slow."

"its 'mensan,'" she mumbles under her breath, her typing slowly ceasing. she directs her next words to the room, "i just turned it on. wait," everyone leans forward slightly, scanning the screen in search of the moment the truth gets revealed. jung-won's next words cause a pang to strike your heart, "what's this? hang on," she leans in closer, rapidly clicking her mouse.

"what's wrong?" yoon-seo asks worriedly, stepping closer.

jung-won leans back in her seat in defeat, "there are no files. someone deleted them."

her declaration hits you like a ton of bricks, freezing your entire body, rooting you to your spot. someone deleted them? then what did that mean for the rest of you? if you couldn't find a mafia member without kyung-jun's skill, how could you ever progress in this game during the cooldown sessions? pure luck?

"are they saved somewhere else? a back up?"

jung-won shakes her head, "its not that. they're really gone. it wasn't even formatted automatically. someone deleted them on purpose."

"hey, yoon-seo, what's going on? you trolled us all." jin-a shouts angrily.

kyung-jun bites at his fingernail, deep in thought, his breaths steadily releasing through his nose. he slowly lowers his hand, angling his body to face her, "gosh, you mafia jerks. nice team play. did you delete them?"

yoon-seo appears aghast by the accusation, "it's not like that."

kyung-jun shifts his weight from one foot to the other, scoffing, "as if it isn't. you defended woo-ram from the start, didn't you? and you showed up late because you deleted the files. you're just pretending you didn't."

"it's not like that!" she yells, desperately this time.

yu-jun approaches from the back of the crowd, pinning his sharp stare on yoon-seo's trembling form, "how did you know you could see the footage from here?"

"what?"

"you knew because you went looking to delete the files. no?"

yoon-seo shakes her head in disbelief, "what...i came across this place by chance."

"if she deleted the files, why would she have brought us here?" jun-hee reasons.

jung-won nods her head in agreement, "yes. and she doesn't know how to do this. it wasn't her."

despite the logistics of jun-hee and jung-won's words, kyung-jun reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone. at the sight of the device you reach forward, clasping your fingers around his wrist and preventing him from moving. you frantically search his eyes, "what are you doing?"

"voting." he replies simply, as if it were that uncomplicated. he tries to shrug you off, but you tighten your hold around him.

"yoon-seo isn't mafia." you insist. she couldn't be. she's tried so hard to find a way out, to help people. if it was all a lie, if her actions weren't sincere, you don't think you could continue on in this game.

"and you checked?"

you falter slightly. you don't have an answer to that. he knew you didn't. once again, he tries to pull free, but you refuse to let go, "kyung-jun."

ko kyung-jun studies you then, his eyes flitting between each of your own in rapid succession. you take in his own features, and if you didn't know any better, you'd think you saw a trace of hurt lingering in his eyes, knitting the space between his brows.

"thought you said you would always be on my side?" he mutters bitterly.

it's like a bucket of cold water getting dumped over your head, shocking you at first, then leaving you numb. he remembered. your words reached him, stuck with him, and you failed him. this time, you don't protest as he breaks free and votes. the alarm goes off.

he holds up his phone to the room, "it's game over. i voted."

jun-hee steps forward angrily, "hey, ko kyung-jun!"

seung bin, jin-a and yu-jun vote for yoon-seo as well, ignoring jun-hee's continued protests. said girl widens her eyes in shock, staying impossibly still as the four of them leave the room. this time, you don't go after them. your eyes meet her own from across the room, your friend since middle school, the girl always by your side. tears shine in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. she steps forward and takes your hands in her own, calls out your name, "please. i'm really a citizen. you believe me, right?"

you look at this girl, at her round face, her soft features, her innocent eyes. the girl who offered to be your friend when no one else did. not because she pitied you, but because there was kindness in her heart. no, you didn't believe she could be the mafia. you had hunches about the others, but never her. never yoon-seo.

you pull her into a hug, "i believe you," you whisper, and she sobs even harder in relief, her arms embracing you tightly. you stay like that for several moments, cradling her head, soothing the muscles in her back.

eventually, you pull away, and turn towards the rest of your classmates, "please wait to vote. we can find different evidence."

jung-won spins around in her seat, "yes. i will restore the files. give me some time."

everyone murmurs their agreement, their compliance softening the violent shake of yoon-seo's body as she hastily wipes away her tears. one by one, they leave the room, leaving just you, yoon-seo, jun-hee, da-bum and jung-won inside.

yoon-seo crouches down to the ground, holding her head in her hands, her crying increasing tenfold. jun-hee pats her back reassuringly, calling out her name softly.

you turn towards jung-won, "when can you restore the files?"

"by eleven pm for sure. i'll send out a message."

you nod, relieved. you crouch down beside yoon-seo, calling out to her softly. she lifts her head, "let's go sit down while we wait."

she peers up at you, blinking away her tears before slowly nodding. quietly, you help her up, and she allows you to pull her away.

time passes slowly in that small, yellow washed room. perhaps the sun slowed down to gift yoon-seo more daylight, more hours to clear her name. perhaps the anxiousness prickling against the back of necks, between wringing hands, and turning stomachs was the cause of it. either way, everyone's mind was on one thing, and that was the computer screen jung-won types furiously at, having only taken one single break since she started.

as for you, your mind long drifted away from black screens and green words, landing instead on dark eyes and bloody knuckles. you hope he cleans the wound and bandages them. you hope he'll stop getting into fights. you hope he'll stop smoking. how funny love is. his actions have caused a deep ache inside your ribs, leaving a hollow space in your heart, and yet you still care for him. still worry over his safety.

his hurt filled eyes materialize at the forefront of your mind, and you have to take a deep breath to get rid of the pain in your ribs.

yoon-seo calls out your name. you turn towards her, noting the cautious curiosity on her face, "can i ask you something?"

"what is it?"

she pauses for a moment, as if searching for the right words. finally, she releases a small breath, "why kyung-jun?"

faintly, you hear jung-won's rapid typing falter for a moment. even jun-hee and da-bum seem to quiet their breathing ever so slightly.

why kyung-jun?

you asked yourself that question many times the past four days. when did it start? did a small part of you always long for kyung-jun, buried deep inside of you, suppressed behind your fear?

you look down at your hands, curling your fingers around the edge of your skirt, "he's not what you think he is." you pause, take a deep breath, the wisp of a smile unfurling upon your lips, "he can be kind. and thoughtful. vulnerable. i don't know why he tries so hard to hide it." you turn towards yoon-seo, tears building in the corners of your eyes, "i'm sorry i couldn't stop him from voting for you. to be honest, we had planned to vote for so-mi."

jun-hee squints his eyes in confusion, leaning forward slightly, "so-mi? why?"

"the way she's behaving is weird. can't you see? defending woo-ram but accusing yu-jun? they're both her friends. why would she choose one and not the other? it doesn't make sense to me."

jun-hee and yoon-seo share a look with one another, their minds spinning. it's jung-won that eventually speaks, "lets focus on clearing yoon-seo's name first. then we can decide what to do."

"can you really restore the files by eleven?" yoon-seo asks, slightly skeptical.

"no. i can't restore them all. i must pick a few from yesterday." yoon-seo lets out a shaky breath. jung-won turns around in her seat, "hey, i didn't say i can't do it. i'll restore the clip from the third floor hallway."

jun-hee places a hand on yoon-seo's shoulder, "yes, lets not worry too much."

"exactly," you quip in, "i'm sure jung-won can manage. let's trust her."

jung-won considers the three of you for a moment before shifting her eyes to da-bum, "do you have a laptop?"

the boy startles, blinking in confusion, "why?"

"let's use yours, too. go get it."

he briefly glances around the room before nodding, hastily scrambling to his feet.

you push yourself into a standing position as well, "i'll go with you. i'm gonna rest in my room for a bit. let me know if the files are restored."

the three of them nod, and you follow da-bum out into the hallway. as you walk up the stairs and through the corridors, he glances at you every so often, his anxiety apparent as he continuously wrings his fingers between one another.

you release a sigh, fed up with his restlessness, "go on, say it."

da-bum's entire body freezes, but eventually he spits out whatever was on his mind, "so you and kyung-jun are really..."

"yes," you confirm simply. da-bum nods, averting his gaze. you sigh once more, calling out his name, and the boy jumps, "i'm...sorry. i know this is wrong of me but...please give kyung-jun another chance. things will change. i know they will."

for a brief moment, rage flashes across da-bum's brown eyes, but its gone so quick you think its a trick of the light. what follows is a small smile and a simple nod instead, "okay."

unease stirs in your stomach, but you don't get to ponder the strange scene as you arrive at the rooms. da-bum retreats to his own, and you watch his figure closely, eyes narrowed, before opening your door and stepping inside.

quiet sobs fill the small space, and your attention catches the trembling form on the left side of the room. na-hee is bundled up in the covers, her face wet with tears, eyes rimmed red. at your arrival, she glances up, wiping furiously at her face with the sleeve of her gray jacket.

you linger by the door, unsure of what to say or do, "sorry. i can leave."

the girl frantically shakes her head, "no, its okay. it's your room, too."

you hesitate, but after watching na-hee's hopeful eyes, you realize that perhaps she doesn't want to be alone after all. you pull the door closed behind you, crossing the room and standing by her bed. she looks up at you, shifting on the mattress awkwardly.

"is it...." you begin, forcing the words out, getting rid of the bitter taste, "is it hyun-ho?"

her eyes widen, the water in them building rapidly, "he helped me find my phone first you know. he's always protecting me, and i couldn't-"

she chokes on her words, releasing sob after sob into the quiet space. you rest your weight beside her trembling form, reaching up and placing a hesitant hand over her own.

"it's not as if it's your fault. that whole place was a mess. a lot of people died trying to find their phones."

"i know." she pauses, sniffling. her cries quiet down, reduced to shaky breathing. eventually, she meets your eyes once more, suddenly serious, "hey, do you really think so-mi is mafia?"

you're taken aback by her question, but answer anyway, "i can't say for sure, i'm not the police, but yes."

na-hee nods slowly, shifting her eyes down to her lap. she gulps down another deep breath, "she wants to vote yoon-seo out."

what?

"how do you know?" you press, mind spinning in circles. were you somehow correct? is so-mi really the mafia?

"she mentioned it earlier. in the infirmary. mi-na was there, too." na-hee explains.

the pieces fall together slowly, slotting into place. you release a sigh, falling back onto the bed, muttering bitterly towards the ceiling, "of course. how complicated."

the rest of your day is spent in that room, with na-hee. the both of you sit at the table in the center, the soft spoken girl curled up in a blanket, building a puzzle she brought with her from home. you sit across from her, cross legged, sketching aimlessly in your notebook. graphite forms into butterflies, tousled hair and dark, intense eyes.

just a couple minutes before eleven, your phone goes off. you quickly reach across the table and pick it up, unfolding your limbs and scrambling to your feet. it's a message from jung-won. she was able to restore the files. your heart pounds rapidly inside your chest.

you meet na-hee's eyes for a brief moment, something unspoken passing between the two of you. she unravels the blanket from her small frame, and she follows after you as you hurriedly pull open the door and rush out.

you're one of the last ones to make it to the room, everyone already gathered around the computer. without thinking, your eyes search for kyung-jun in the small space, spotting him off to the side, his own attention already on your form. the hurt returns, lingering in your heart, painstakingly apparent across your features. his jaw tightens, and he looks as if he wants to say something, but no words leave his mouth. na-hee tugs on your sleeve, and you force yourself to brush past him, standing beside yoon-seo in the center of the room.

jung-won taps away at her computer, then finally leans back, "it's done."

everyone rushes forward, eager to see. you scan the monitors, spotting the hallway on the third floor displayed on screen in that grainy, recorded film.

"the footage from yesterday is restored. all we need to do is check who entered ji-soo's room." jung-won explains.

yoon-seo runs a hand through her hair, relieved sobs escaping her lips. she turns towards jun-hee, burying her face in his shoulder, his arms immediately wrapping around her frame.

your classmates watch the recording intently, searching for a flicker of movement, a telltale sign of the mafia member who murdered the girl. nothing happens at first. but then a static sound enters your ears, and the screen starts to glitch, distorting the image displayed.

"what's happening?" someone asks, their question followed by a loud pop.

you look down at the computer. around you, people start backing away, eyeing the device warily. it pops again, but this time a burst of smoke starts coming from the monitor and a fire erupts, the sight of it pulling several screams from people's mouths. someone pulls you away from the blazing heat, and a quick glance back reveals kyung-jun's intense eyes.

even now, he's still trying to save you.

springing to action, jun-hee pushes past everyone and grabs a fire extinguisher in the corner of the room, blowing it at the fire and successfully putting it out.

everyone is coughing from the smoke, waving it away with their hands. you press your forearm against your mouth. when it clears, kyung-jun crouches down and inspects the source of the fire. he reaches out, touching the metal, only to pull back his hand immediately. he hangs his head, laughing lowly, "were you freaking trying to burn all of us to death?"

yoon-seo shakes her head, "it really wasn't me."

kyung-jun studies her for a moment before glancing away, finding you in the room. it feels like forever that you stare at each other. something lodges in your throat. emotion. words. both begging to fill the space and reach him where he stands. which would spill out first?

"hey, what's that?"

you break eye contact to turn, looking at a small tv in the corner of the room. there's static, that same glitch from before. then, it changes to show the pool. someone, a girl, appears suddenly.

na-hee gasps, "i think there really is a ghost."

yoon-seo pulls out a photo from her pocket, inspecting it carefully. her eyes widen, and she frantically shows it to the room, "look," you take it from her, and you feel kyung-jun looking down over your shoulder. yoon-seo points at a girl in the photo, the only one whose face isn't blurred, "look at this. she's the ghost in the footage." she swallows thickly, "i think there really is something other than us. that ghost must have something to do with the mafia game!"

kyung-jun takes the photo from your hands, running his eyes over every inch of the surface. then, he laughs, the sound thick with disbelief. he holds up the photo, shaking it in his hand, "stop with your nonsense. this is clearly a fake video you guys made."

"you idiot," jung-won scolds, "look at the timecode. it's filming in real time."

you glance back at the tv screen, looking at the bottom right corner of the screen. sure enough, the numbers matched the time on your phone, steadily going up.

yoon-seo steps closer, her expression hardening, her eyes fierce, "then...will you play the game that kills people as they say? what if you win? do you think we can survive and get out of here?" kyung-jun doesn't respond. at his silence, yoon-seo's voice gets louder, growing more frustrated and hurt, "do you still think you can even after seeing how others died? get a grip! we should find out who made us play the game."

yoon-seo moves, pointing at the tv, "if we only find the relation between the ghost and the mafia game, we might be able to get out of here for real."

yoon-seo's words is how you found yourselves at the pool, searching every nook and cranny for a sign of the game master. unexpectedly, kyung-jun and his friends are sitting down against the wall, but you help with the search, crouching down by the water edge and looking in. the sight of the clear blue water reminds you of when you fell in. back then, kyung-jun hadn't wasted a second in pulling you out. you still wonder how he knew you were there. you push yourself to your feet.

jun-hee, yoon-seo and jung-won are returning from inspecting the other side of the pool. their faces hold similar expressions of defeat. it doesn't look like they found anything either.

kyung-jun stands up and walks over, "hey, it's almost midnight. will you not vote?"

your classmates glance at each other uncertainly. without any leads, you were right back to square one. either they vote for yoon-seo, who currently holds the most votes, or find someone else guilty enough to charge.

you just need more time.

"how about we vote in a different way?" you speak up suddenly, earning several surprised stares.

so-mi sighs in irritation, "we don't have time for this. how can we do it differently?"

"we can split the votes evenly. that way, everyone votes and no one dies for breaking the rules, but no one has the majority."

"so another person will receive four votes like yoon-seo to make it a tie?" jung-won confirms.

"yes."

so-mi crosses her arms over her chest, "and who will become the one to receive the same number of votes?"

people look around, uncertainty flickering across their features, unwilling to volunteer themselves. jun-hee steps forward determinedly, "vote for me."

you glance over at his face, and he looks fearless then. resolute. you prayed that your idea would work. if it didn't...

da-bum is the first to vote. the announcement echoes in the pool, snapping people out of their fear. one by one, your classmates distribute the votes, your own going towards jun-hee. the alarm echoes from above, and another announcement comes on.

A MINUTE LEFT TO VOTE.

the warning turns in your skull, picking up the speed of your beating heart. the last votes go in, and then the alarm sounds one last time.

VOTING IS OVER.

you stare at your phone, anxiously waiting for something to happen, and at first nothing does. around you, classmates start cheering, and you almost feel relieved, like feeling the sunlight on a cloudy day. but then the alarm comes back on, and the clouds return, dropping rain.

AS LEE YOON-SEO AND KIM JUN-HEE RECEIVED THE SAME NUMBER OF VOTES, HOLD THE SECOND ROUND OF VOTING FOR THE TWO FOR FIVE MINUTES. ONLY THOSE WHO DIDN'T VOTE FOR EITHER OF THEM IN THE FIRST ROUND WILL VOTE AGAIN. IF THEY'RE TIED AGAIN, EVERYONE WILL BE EXECUTED.

the lights shut off, momentarily engulfing you in darkness, and from the distance you can hear the alarm blaring, insistent, a pressure against your chest. a different light comes on, switching from blue to black to red and back again, repeating that cycle over and over again. you glance between the pair, your friends, the people you loved. how could you possibly choose which of them to kill?

"i knew it," kyung-jun mutters, "let's just vote for that scumbag and end this."

yoon-seo shakes her head, defiant. your hearing starts going in and out, your body growing numb. around you, people start figuring out who needs to vote, their voices raised, trying to beat the alarm still echoing loudly across the space. you crouch down, pressing your hands against your ears, squeezing your eyes shut. you just want it to stop. for everything to stop. why did this have to happen? why did you have to open your mouth and suggest such an absurd idea?

you killed them. their blood is on your hands.

"it's me. i'm mafia."

you lift your head at jun-hee's voice. he stands beside yoon-seo, staring vacantly at the floor.

"i'm mafia. so vote for me."

yoon-seo turns her body to face his own, her pleading eyes searching his face frantically. "hey, why are you saying that?"

"are you crazy?" so-mi asks.

jun-hee ignores their questioning stares, continuing on, "i told you to hand in your phones so that you can't vote."

you get up now, approaching jun-hee with vigor. you grip his upper arms, shaking him violently, "jun-hee! what are you saying? why are you lying?"

the boy shoves you off, barreling on, "i was the one who deleted the security camera footage." he drops his head, a single tear slipping down his cheek, "i'm sorry. i did it because i wanted to survive."

i did what i had to to survive!

woo-ram's words echo in your head, reopening a wound you thought you had closed. you take a step back, your lips trembling.

yoon-seo shakes her head in tandem to your own, "no. no no no no-"

"but killing people," jun-hee breathes out shakily, his face crumbling, "i can't do it anymore."

yoon-seo reaches for him, holding both his hands, shaking them insistently, "hey, its not you. why are you doing this? its not you!"

jun-hee glances away from her eyes, meets your own instead. and yes, its so obvious now. he's doing it because he loves her. because he cannot bare to see her die. can't imagine a world without her in it. you shake your head, moving forward, but arms are pulling you back, dragging you away from the scene. you thrash around, screaming, trying to break free, but they don't let go, and you're forced to watch helplessly as the last votes go in and jun-hee's fate gets sealed.

kyung-jun doesn't let go until you're at the snack bar. by then you stopped fighting, your grief replaced by nothing, not even hurt. he nudges you inside, following behind, and he's about to pull down the shutters when seung-bin and jin-a appear around the corner.

seung-bin reaches a hand out to stop him from closing it, "hey, what about us?"

kyung-jun swears at him, shoving him back, "if we stay together it's more dangerous."

"and her?" jin-a asks, his question directed to your still form, both irritated and betrayed by the sight of you.

kyung-jun doesn't reply, just swears at them once more, his curses followed by the motions of him pulling down the shutters. as he's locking it, you stumble towards your spot from the night before, slumping down to the ground, staring at the floor. faintly, you hear kyung-jun dispose of the keys and cross the room to your position, sitting down across from you. it's quiet for a long time. jun-hee's face flashes in your mind, and the emotion clogs in your throat, threatening to burst out.

"why did you bring me here?" you croak out. why do you still seek me out? take care of me? what do you want from me?

kyung-jun scowls, "were you gonna pass out in the hallway, huh? for the mafia to find you and kill you?"

"who cares? what does it matter if i die. at least then i don't have to play anymore."

"it fucking matters to me goddammit!"

it matters to me.

the sound of his raised voice, the barely concealed hurt and desperation clinging to his tone causes you to lift your head. meet his eyes. there's so much there, both hidden and clearly visible, pretty much impossible to unravel all at once. kyung-jun looks down first, swearing as he runs a hand through his hair frustratingly.

"i don't understand you," you whisper, pulling your knees to your chest, resting your head on top, "one moment you act like you want to kill me, then the next you save my life. which is it kyung-jun?"

"i don't know!" he yells. you shift back slightly, caught off guard by the intensity of his words, his voice, "you think i want to feel this way? that i asked for this? the sight of you freaks me the fuck out. you look at me and," he stops, breathing heavily, his eyes flitting between your own, conflicted, angry, "i hate it. it makes me weak and i fucking hate it."

though his words leave a harsh sting, reading kyung-jun becomes easier when his emotions are all over the place. he can't hide the fear reflected in his gaze. what are you afraid of kyung-jun? why don't you say what you actually mean? what you feel?

"kyung-jun," you speak softly, the sound of your calm voice causing him to recoil, pressing his back against the wall. slowly, you shuffle closer, sitting next to him, shoulders pressed together. you look at the floor, and you feel his eyes on you, watching your every move, "i meant what i said last night. i'm on your side. but if this is to work, you need to trust me, too. it can't just go one way."

you glance up then, and his resolve wavers, the walls crumbling, all of it finally crashing down. slowly, the fire dies out, his fear and acrimony seeping out of his body, leaving behind those vulnerable eyes. he nods his head, so slightly, you pretty much miss it, but it's enough. you gently take his hand, brushing his knuckles gently with your fingers. they are scabbing over. you make a mental note to bandage them in the morning.

"thank you," you whisper, lacing your fingers together, squeezing once, reassuringly, "let's go home. together. i don't want it if it's not with you."

the music plays. kyung-jun sucks in a breath, glancing down at your joined hands. hesitantly, his fingers curl around your own, testing the way it feels. you tighten your hold, carrying his warmth as your consciousness fades away, until finally fluttering your eyes closed with a soft sigh.

NIGHT HAS COME.

part five.

#fluff #angst #ko kyung jun #kyung jun #night has come #kyung jun x reader #ko kyung jun/reader #kyung jun/reader

23 notes · View notes

rainsoughtflowers · 2 months ago

Text

do you see right through me?

part two

tw/cw - swearing, depictions of death, attempted murder, suggestive content.

a/n - we are halfway done! woohoo! hope you guys like this chapter.

you read the words displayed on the chalkboard at the front of the room repeatedly. over and over again, picking apart each syllable and allowing it to linger on the tongue. when the words don't change, finally sinking in, you glance towards your left, switching your attention between the two girls near your seat. they each wear similar expressions of conflict.

"what should we do?" yoon-seo asks, only furthering the anxious pit inside your stomach.

a group assignment to be completed in pairs. three friends. an unwilling scapegoat.

you consider your options once more, carefully running through each outcome. your class number was even, so there was no possibility of an odd pair, no matter how much you may beg the teacher for an exception. the only other people you would consider working with were already in groups, meaning your options were limited to either one of the girls before you or the only other person in the class who didn't have a partner yet.

coming to a decision, you open your mouth to speak, only to falter when you hear your name being called from across the room.

all three of you turn, and your surprise becomes apparent as you stare at the owner of the voice, blinking slowly, feeling rooted to your seat. kyung-jun is leaning back in his chair, balancing his weight on the back legs, dangerously close to tipping over with just one wrong move. around him, you notice similar faces of shock and confusion as he motions lazily with his hand for you to come over, "work with me."

perplexed, you glance back at your friends, wondering if you misheard the boy's words. but sure enough, studying their expressions revealed a mixture of suspicion and concern. even then, they don't say anything to stop nor encourage the partnership.

you push yourself to your feet, hoping your face doesn't betray the nerves prickling across your skin, "you two can work together."

you don't wait to see their reactions. you lift up your desk, shuffling across the room to where kyung-jun sits next to the wall. with a small grunt, you drop the furniture next to his own, plopping down into the seat shortly after.

during the entirety of your short journey, you could feel someone watching you, more specifically the boy now several inches to your right. you do your best to avoid his eyes, feeling afraid of what you'll find if you meet them. what would you prefer? mockery or something kinder? which was worse out of the two? you look down at your paper, curl your fingers around your skirt, shift in your seat. the assignment was simple, so it didn't require too much talking, not unless you needed help. still, being this close to kyung-jun, having to collaborate with him, it made something shift inside your stomach, almost like a flutter.

for several minutes, you work quietly. you hear the sounds of your classmates conversing in the background, the shuffle of paper, the scratch of your pencil. every so often you'll pause, press the tip of your eraser against your lip, your brows furrowing in concentration. beside you, it's eerily quiet, and kyung-jun's paper remains blank.

this continues on for several more minutes, and kyung-jun's intense stare doesn't falter, not even once. what exactly does he want? was there something on your face? did he need something from you? you do your best to focus on your task, refusing to acknowledge the boy's rather annoying attention. but it lingers there in the back of your mind, persistent, consuming any logical thoughts you had regarding your math assignment. eventually, you release a sigh, dropping your writing utensil. this wasn't working.

your fingers reach for your paper, rolling it swiftly into a circle. you then shift in your seat, angling your body towards kyung-jun, and tap your makeshift weapon against the top of his head, "pay attention. you can save the staring for after. finish your work."

he blinks, his expression blank for a moment, then followed by a slight annoyance. but he doesn't say anything, simply examining you carefully, eyes flitting across every surface of your face. this time, you hold his stare, keeping your expression carefully constructed, waiting for the exact moment he either lashes out or complies to your request.

kyung-jun tightens his jaw, and you brace for it, the snap of his anger, the rise in his voice. but to everyone's surprise, especially your own, he listens. kyung-jun turns away, picks up his pencil, and stares at his paper. you watch, dumbfounded, the way his eyes move across the assignment, reading line after line, the gears steadily turning in his head.

'he's kind of cute when he's concentrating.'

the thought rises unexpectedly, and it causes heat to build rapidly across your skin, burning every surface. where did that come from? when did you start thinking such sappy things like that? and about him? flustered, you only allow yourself to stare a single moment longer before resuming your own work, desperately trying to calm the rapid pounding of your heart and the flush of your skin.

when morning comes, and you snap your eyes open, the ceiling is the first thing to greet you. the sight of it doesn't bother you at first. it makes sense to fall asleep laying down and to see the ceiling when you wake up. but the more you stare at it, taking the sight of it in, you realize the abnormalities. for one, it was so far away, and across it you spot metal beams and electrical wires.

just then, you realize the rest of the peculiarities. you feel the cold floor of the gym beneath your body, not the soft mattress of a bed, and a dull ache behind your head, throbbing insistently.

the memories of the night prior is the second thing to greet you. around you, there's the rustle of movement, the soft murmur of voices, and a bell announcing the morning. a clear contrast to the chaos that erupted the night before. flashing lights, screams of terror, death after death occurring in that very room. you do your best to avoid a certain corner of the gym where a body sways in the air.

you slowly sit up, feeling each muscle in your body protest at the movement. across the room, yoon-seo is breaking down, tears running down her cheeks, her eyes full of anguish. beside her, jun-hee stares into space, vacant, hollow, like a part of himself died last night along with the others.

from the corner of your vision you catch movement, and you turn your head to find kyung-jun pushing himself up into a sitting position. he blinks rapidly, clearing the confusion addling his mind. different memories from the previous night push to the forefront of your own. soft moonlight on every crevice of his features. the bruises on his face and neck. the harshness in his tone when he told you to stay away. an ache forms in your ribs, pressing down so hard it hurts. you have to force yourself to look away.

"hey! lee joo-young!"

you search for the source of the screams, your attention landing on mi-na in the center of the gym, knees pressed to the floor, frantically shaking a girl's body. there's a white sheet covering her face, and no matter how much mi-na begs her to wake up, she doesn't move an inch. dread starts to pool in your stomach, and you slowly stand up when yoon-seo rushes over. an alarm blares from above.

LEE JOO-YOUNG WAS EXECUTED BY THE MAFIA LAST NIGHT. LEE JOO-YOUNG WAS A CITIZEN.

mi-na's screams get louder, echoing in the otherwise silent gym.

BEFORE THE PREVIOUS VOTING ENDED, THE DOCTOR CHOSE TO USE HIS HEALING ABILITY ON CHA YU-JUN.

the doctor. with everything that transpired, you forgot about your own role and responsibility. should you start looking for the doctor? form an alliance with them? but how would you go about finding them? you glance at yu-jun, wondering if it was him or ji-soo that possesses the doctor's abilities. it would make the most sense. you didn't think anyone else would use their healing abilities on him. not in a game like this.

MORNING HAS COME. ALL PARTICIPANTS, PLEASE FIND THE MAFIA AND BEGIN VOTING.

yoon-seo lifts up the sheet, revealing red and purple bruises along joo-young's neck, "i think she was strangled with this."

mi-na stands up abruptly. the suddenness of her movements catches you off guard, her emotions going from one extreme to the next. despair now turned into anger, she marches towards jun-hee and pushes him back, "i didn't want to hand in my phone!" she grabs his collar, shaking him aggressively, her tears rapidly falling down her cheeks as her crying intensifies, "i said i didn't want to! we wouldn't have slept here if we hadn't collected the phones. and no one would've died. you killed them all, kim jun-hee! take responsibility!"

jun-hee doesn't say anything, doesn't so much as move. he takes mi-na's screaming and physical attacks with no complaint, behaving as if he deserved it. so-mi is the one who puts an end to the one sided argument, shoving mi-na back, "that's enough."

you run a hand through your hair, feeling something akin to frustration build within your chest. you doubt jun-hee did it on purpose, but how could you prove that? not to mention kyung-jun's involvement with the plan. had he done it on purpose? you spare a glance at the boy, but you can't find any traces of guilt or malice.

this whole situation was a mess.

"they're not wrong," ji-soo suddenly speaks, referring to mi-na's earlier words, "we survived because we were lucky. how will you and kyung-jun take responsibility?"

kyung-jun sneers, "did i fucking suggest we should collect them?" he turns to jun-hee, lifting a finger and pointing at the class president, "jun-hee, you son of a bitch! you said we only had to collect the phones! we all ended up like this because of you! take responsibility!"

no one speaks for several moments, all eyes on the boy at the receiving end of kyung-jun's implication. even then, under the scrutiny of the class, the emptiness surrounding jun-hee's figure doesn't disappear.

"i'm sorry." jun-hee whispers eventually. his bottom lip trembles, and his eyes waver, holding back unshed tears. without another word, he brushes past your classmates and leaves the gym. for once, no one goes after him.

kyung-jun rests his hands on his waist once he's disappeared, indifferent about his behavior, "whatever. this happened because of the class president. let's just vote him out today."

"you're the one who took all our phones saying it was a good idea." jung-won says accusingly, causing the boy to turn and look at her, "why are you acting like you didn't?"

instead of responding, kyung-jun puts his hands inside his pockets, regarding jung-won carefully. up and down, sizing her up. the girl doesn't falter under his examination. instead, she regards him with the same level of examination.

she folds her arms across her chest, "you were pretty relaxed last night. why did you secretly keep your phone? if we're pointing fingers, you're the most suspicious one here."

you feel your entire body seize at her words, unconsciously directing your attention to the boy in search of confirmation. was it true? kyung-jun kept his phone even after taking everyone else's? but why? just what was his motive here? a thought forms in your mind, something you're sure everyone else has wondered at least once since this absurd game started. but the more it lingers, the more you refuse it. even if it is logical, even if all his actions point towards that answer, you didn't want it to be true. you didn't know what you'd do with yourself if it was.

kyung-jun passes a glance to the floor, composing himself before responding, "hey, isn't it obvious?" he takes a slow step closer, lifting his head, "how should i trust jun-hee, that bastard? he might be the mafia." he turns around, glancing at everyone, waiting for someone to agree. when no one does he looks back down, "hey!" he yells, causing everyone to jump, successfully gaining their full, undivided attention, "this is a game of life or death. why should i put my life in someone else's hands? i just used my brain." he rounds back on jung-won, shoving da-bum, who is standing next to her, once on the shoulder, "if i hadn't," he does it again, this time with more force. the boy stumbles back, "i could've died."

before you know it, before you even realize it, your body is stepping forward, and words are tumbling from your mouth, "kyung-jun, that's enough." he turns around to face you, and you feel it all over again. that ache in between your ribs, the hurt still lingering in your bones, "there's no point in arguing about it. what's done is done," you look at him then, really look at him, and the ache intensifies, spreading through your chest and laying itself upon your face. it's the root of your helplessness and exhaustion, the need to just allow it all to crumble to pieces. your voice breaks as you speak, cracking along the edges, "don't you want to go home?"

kyung-jun doesn't answer, but you can sense the shift in him. the small tic in his jaw. the way his intense gaze wavers ever so slightly, softening in the corners. surrender yourself. lay it all to rest. i don't want to leave this place if it's not with you.

"how can we go home?" so-mi asks suddenly, causing him to look away. you find yourself reluctantly doing the same, "we can't escape."

"if we can find out who created the mafia came and why, we can figure out how to get out of here. then we can all leave and no one has to die," yoon-seo answers. she glances to her side, regarding joo-young's still body, "but we can figure that out later. lets move them first."

"move what?" so-mi asks, a hint of suspicion creeping into her tone.

yoon-seo gestures towards the dead bodies around the gym, "we can't leave them like this. we need to move them to a freezer."

kyung-jun smiles in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe the seriousness in yoon-seo's suggestion. he rolls his eyes and motions for his friends to follow, taking several steps forward in order to leave. yet again, without thinking, you reach for his arm, latching on and successfully halting his movements. kyung-jun turns around, irritation visible on his features when his eyes meet your own. he swears at you, attempting to pull away, but you keep your fingers firm around his wrists.

"don't leave." you plead desperately, causing him to pause. you soften your grip, holding his palms within your own, sliding your fingers delicately over the rough, calloused skin, "after this i'll stop bothering you, just like you wanted. but do just this one thing. please."

he glances down at your hands, the features of his face softening into slight confusion. the ghost of perplexity. as if ko kyung-jun could not grasp the reason behind your persistence, your concern. open your eyes, kyung-jun. don't you see?

"are you slipping away again, y-you cheapskate?" woo-ram stutters when kyung-jun still hasn't answered.

kyung-jun snaps his head up, latching his attention onto the boy. he moves as if to step towards woo-ram, "what did you say?"

you tug on his arms, preventing him from taking any further steps. astonishingly enough, kyung-jun doesn't protest, instead using his annoyance to glare at your classmate. under his sharp stare, woo-ram stumbles back, hiding his body behind another one of your classmates.

slowly, kyung-jun directs his attention to you once more, and you can feel his resolve crumble the longer he holds your eyes. it's almost identical to the night before, only this time there is no weapon in his hands, and his life isn't in crucial danger. you're not even entirely sure if kyung-jun will agree with your request, not if there isn't an initiative to keep himself alive. what could you offer him that didn't involve his very life?

but eventually, he releases a muttered curse, pulling away roughly before stepping towards the closest body. he crouches down, putting his arms underneath joo-young's shoulders. when no one moves, he yells at seung-bin and jin-a to help, sparking a rush of movement from all of your classmates.

it takes less than an hour to move all of them. in the freezer, goosebumps scatter along your arms, your breaths forming a small cloud every time your lungs deflate. yoon-seo ensures that each body is turned over and faces the ceiling, side by side, a white sheet pulled over to hide them from sight. you don't say anything as hyun-ho's pale face and blue lips disappear beneath the fabric, becoming just another dead body. a number. you only turn and leave the room, rushing towards the nearest bathroom.

you brace yourself against the sink, gulping down several deep breaths greedily into your lungs. your fingers tremble as they reach towards the faucet, turning it on and cupping the rushing water into your hands. you splash yourself in the face three times, the cold shock of the temperature calming you momentarily, enough to even out your breaths and clear your mind.

slowly, you blink your eyes open, facing the girl in the mirror. water droplets slide down her face and towards the counter, her eyes bloodshot and fearful. you'd think they'd disappear with the amount of sleep you got each night, but if anything, it only makes them more prominent, causing you to look both exhausted and sickly. trembling, you reach up and touch them, then reach down to the cuts at the corners of your lips. the skin is cracked and peeling, but there is no harsh sting to accompany the touch.

it's as you're pressing down on the wound do you notice it. pulling back in shock, you stare at the back of your hands, streaks of dried blood tainting them. only one question forms inside your head. who does this blood belong to? you inspect it for a moment, the pounding in your chest increasing steadily with each beat, before hastily dropping your hands and scrubbing at them furiously. you don't stop until the skin is raw and clean.

when no more red bleeds into the water you turn off the sink, drying your hands and fixing your uniform before leaving the bathroom. the halls are empty, leaving no doubt that everyone is either in their rooms or somewhere else in the building. intending to retreat to your bed, you direct your steps towards the stairs.

just as you're turning the corner of the hallway someone grabs you, forcefully pulling you back. a cry forms in your throat, but their hand hurriedly covers your mouth, muffling any sounds attempting to escape. even more panicked now, you reach up and try to pry their fingers away, moving your body in any way to get them to release you.

"fuck, stop struggling. it's me."

you slacken ever so slightly, recognizing the voice almost immediately. kyung-jun? he removes his hand, prompting you to turn around and face him. sure enough, the familiar features of his brown hair and dark eyes greets you. he presses a finger to his lips, motioning for you to remain quiet. your confusion builds, but you comply nonetheless.

kyung-jun peeks around the corner, and once confirming that you are alone, relaxes into his position by leaning against the wall and hiding his hands inside his pockets. why isn't he saying anything? you thought you had an agreement. if kyung-jun despised you so much to the point where he couldn't stand being near you, why is he here now? didn't you give him a way out? you gave your request, he accepted it. your paths should never cross again.

so why?

you can't help the beginnings of annoyance starting to form within your body.

"what do you want?" you inquire, folding your arms over your chest, regarding him with just a slight hint of suspicion, "i thought you said to...what was it? 'stay the fuck away from you'?"

kyung-jun rolls his eyes, "well, you didn't do a very good job of it."

you scoff, appalled by his words and behavior. why seek you out if he was going to be an asshole? "i don't have time for this." you mutter, spinning on your heels and beginning to walk away.

"i know you're the nurse."

you pause, kyung-jun's words echoing insistently within your mind. that was impossible. how could he have possibly figured that out? you were so careful, and it's not like you used your ability recently, considering that you can't. was it a bluff? would your reaction give him his answer? you make sure to compose yourself before turning around, "what are you talking about?"

slowly, a foxlike grin pulls at his lips. kyung-jun pushes himself away from the wall and steps closer, "playing dumb? okay," he reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone and tapping at the screen. he turns the device around, and sure enough, when you lean forward to read the contents, there was no mistaking your name and occupation displayed on the history tab of his phone in bright, bold letters.

your brows furrow in confusion, a thought suddenly forming in your mind, "wait, but if you have this, then..."

kyung-jun lowers his phone, "i'm the police."

you blink slowly, ingesting his words carefully. the first emotion that sinks in is relief. kyung-jun isn't mafia. you are on the same team. eventually, however, frustration replaces your comfort, and you frown at the boy before you, "are you stupid?"

kyung-jun's own lips pull down into a scowl, "what?"

"if you're the police, why the fuck were you acting crazy yesterday, huh? are you trying to get killed?"

kyung-jun glances away, clicking his tongue in annoyance, "that? those motherfuckers pissed me off. especially hyun-ho."

you falter at the mention of his name, pushing away the image of a swinging body hanging from a rope. you stare at the ground, pondering over the situation and the absurdity of it all. a different question forms, persisting against your tongue, "why are you telling me this? i can't use my ability you know. i'm useless to you."

"no, but if the doctor dies, you can."

"so i'm an asset to you." you mumble, neither a statement nor a question. kyung-jun answers you anyways.

"yes."

his words shouldn't hurt you as much as they do. it shouldn't strike a pain through your ribs, cause disappointment in your stomach, or make your heart falter. and yet it does. in the end, that's all you are to kyung-jun. someone he can use to keep himself alive.

then why does it feel so wrong? like you're missing a piece of the puzzle?

"why did you use it on me? why not one of your friends? or someone suspicious? seems like a waste of your skill."

kyung-jun releases an annoyed breath, running a hand through his hair frustratingly, "fuck, you ask so many damn questions."

"and you seem to have no answers."

kyung-jun's eyes snap to your own, studying you meticulously for a moment before dropping his hand. he shifts slightly on his feet, and for a second, you see an internal battle rage in his mind. another breath escapes through his nose, his eyes fluttering shut for a single second, "earlier, you asked me if i wanted to go home. if we're to do that, we need to find the mafia. you're gonna help me."

you consider it, the proposition he presented you with. what choice did you have, really? it's your third day playing this game, and you're no closer to finding the mafia than before. if you really want to stop it all, you have the play the game and win. and what's the harm in keeping kyung-jun close, staying by his side? "fine. i'll help you."

kyung-jun grins, and you heart leaps to your throat, studying the way his lips curl up and settle easily into his foxlike smile. it softens his face, creases the corners of his eyes.

the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall snap you out of your daze, growing closer and closer to your current position. someone is coming. what do you do? what would your classmate think if they stumbled upon you and kyung-jun alone in a corridor? the two of you don't really talk much. not unless necessary. wouldn't they accuse you of being mafia?

kyung-jun swears softly, hesitating only for a moment before stepping towards you, "play along."

what?

confused by his demand, you're about to open your mouth to protest, but before you can react he's pushing you against the wall, one arm next to your head and one hand holding your chin.

"what are you doing?" you whisper, doing your best to avoid glancing down at his lips. don't look don't look don't look-

"giving us an alibi."

kyung-jun doesn't provide you another chance to speak. you freeze, watching helplessly as he leans in, ghosting his lips over your own, giving the illusion of a kiss but never breaking the distance. despite it, however, your heart is pounding, fingers gripping the front of his shirt, curling around his collar. you look up at him, and he's so close, his eyes fixated on your lips. every time he breathes, it brushes against your skin, tickling your cheek, causing you to shudder. his breath smells like the remembrance of cigars, but there's a hint of mint mixed in, as if he chewed some gum recently to get rid of the scent. beneath your fingers, you can feel the warmth of his clothes and his own heart pounding, beating frantically against his chest.

why is it so fast?

the footsteps round the corner and stop, and you glance at the source of the sound, meeting so-mi's surprised eyes. her attention switches between you and kyung-jun, her confusion turning into understanding as the answer slowly dawns upon her.

kyung-jun passes her a disinterested glance, annoyance thick inside his voice, "what?"

at the sound of his irritation the girl smirks, crossing her arms across her chest, "you know, kyung-jun, you could at least have the decency of going into a room so the rest of us don't have to watch the two of you suck each others faces off."

suck each others faces off? the thought of that happening mortifies you, but it's exactly the kind of situation kyung-jun set up to avoid any dangerous accusations. heat creeps into your face, and you have to glance away, unable to look so-mi in the eyes any longer.

"you're the only one watching," kyung-jun bites back, shifting slightly. his hand drops from your chin to your neck, causing your pulse to jump underneath his touch, "now fuck off, we're busy."

you hear her scoff, but eventually, the sound of footsteps resumes once more, before fading completely.

"that bitch, so annoying." kyung-jun mumbles beneath his breath. you look back up at his face, and he's still so close, despite so-mi being gone. there was no need to continue pretending. so why hasn't he moved away? your heart continues its erratic beating inside your chest, threatening to burst out or go into complete failure. god, what was happening to you? why did kyung-jun have this effect on you?

you push him back slightly, creating enough space for you to slip out from his hold. he watches you silently, raising an eyebrow in slight confusion.

you swiftly clear your throat, composing yourself momentarily before finally meeting kyung-jun's puzzled eyes. even then, as you lengthen the distance, you can still feel the ghost of his touch, the remains of his warmth. if you had moved just an inch closer, would he have kissed you? no, it was best to forget that situation ever happened. there were more pressing matters at the moment after all. things more important than the funny feeling in your chest, "let's find the mafia, shall we?"

the snack bar isn't empty when you and kyung-jun enter, but he makes quick work of ensuring it's occupants leave as quickly as you arrived. seung-bin and jin-a are sitting across from one another at a table near the window, half eaten cups of ramen and savory snacks scattered across the surface. their focus switches between you and the tall boy beside you, their confusion evident in the way their chopsticks hover in mid-air and their mouths fail to snap close.

"get out." kyung-jun speaks firmly, his demand holding no sort of malice, but it was apparent the authority he held between the friend group.

"huh? why?" jin-a asks, sparing you yet another glance. you shift awkwardly beneath his wary gaze.

kyung-jun steps closer, "do i need to repeat myself?"

jin-a and seung-bin share another look before shaking their heads, hastily gathering their things and fleeing the room. kyung-jun sits down in the previously occupied seat, and you take the one across from him. for several moments, it's silent. while kyung-jun reaches into his pocket and pulls out a lighter, fiddling with the latch, your own fingers curl around the edges of your skirt, pulling at the thread insistently.

although it's now a reoccurring thing, being completely alone with kyung-jun is something you're still steadily getting used to. how exactly do you behave around him? do you treat him as a partner? a friend? could you even call yourselves that?

"so, mafia. any ideas?" kyung-jun breaks the silence, snapping you out of your internal dilemma. you watch as he expertly moves the lighter across each finger, his movements practiced and eased. it was mesmerizing.

at your continued silence, kyung-jun lifts up an eyebrow, his eyes bright with amusement, and you avoid them as you ponder his question and voice aloud the doubts previously floating in your mind, "the person who killed joo-young is not who killed ju-won. that much is apparent."

"what makes you so sure?"

"well for one, the method of killing was different," you think back to your second day, recalling the disfigured face of your classmate slumped against the bathroom stall. it was weird to go from that sort of extreme to a much milder method, "ju-won was hit by a fire extinguisher. joo-young was choked to death. plus, the culprit wouldn't pick such two different people."

"so there's a motive." kyung-jun determines, causing you to nod your head slightly.

"yes."

kyung-jun thinks for a moment, eventually releasing a short breath, "so not the president then."

"glad you're smart enough to put aside your hatred and actually think."

kyung-jun's lighter snaps shut, his dark eyes staring at you with newfound intensity. you stare back, unfazed, and a smile eventually curls his lips, as if pleased by your indifference.

kyung-jun leans back in his seat, pondering for a moment before speaking, "there's only two people who would want joo-young dead."

your face scrunches in confusion. it never occurred to you which of your classmates hated joo-young so badly to want her dead. even if it was the only reason, your mind refused to think about the possibility, "who?"

"mi-na and..." kyung-jun pauses, lifting his eyes from the table to your own, "woo-ram."

you shake your head immediately, "it couldn't have been mi-na. they are on bad terms sometimes, yes, but mi-na is not a good actor. she seemed genuinely upset about joo-young's death."

kyung-jun considers it. another thought forms in your mind.

"why do you think woo-ram killed her?"

"woo-ram liked joo-young."

"so he killed someone he liked?"

kyung-jun's features twist in confusion, "don't you remember the video that went around?"

video? you try to remember what exactly kyung-jun is referring to, but no matter how hard you try, a clear image never forms in the forefront of your mind. you didn't really keep up with that kinda stuff. the only thing you remember are bits and pieces told to you by na-hee, "she rejected him, right?"

kyung-jun snorts, "humiliated him more like. you think that's enough motive to kill?"

humiliation. if it went on for as long as you think, and if enough people knew about it, woo-ram's pride may have been hurt enough to form into hatred, "i think it's enough to check." you decide.

kyung-jun nods, pulling out his phone. you watch his face carefully as he clicks on the screen, awaiting the exact moment his features betray the answer before his words do. eventually, a triumphant grin paints his lips, and he turns the phone around for you to see, a proud glint in his eyes.

WOO-RAM IS MAFIA.

you slump back in your seat in disbelief. even though it was there, as clear and plain as day, you couldn't imagine woo-ram, someone you grew up with, killing someone in cold blood, "no way."

"looks like my hunch is right. hey," kyung-jun leans forward and lays his weight on his arms, shaking his phone in the air, "i'm pretty good at this police job."

"better than your people skills."

you snap your mouth shut, eyes growing wide in mortification at the backhanded comment you just made. you expect kyung-jun to quip back with his own snarky response, for him to swear at you, or call off the arrangement entirely. and yet, rather than do any of those things, rather than respond with his anger and his bitterness, kyung-jun laughs. so softly, so quietly, it's almost like he's releasing a long held breath. your eyes drift to his face, studying his features, searching for a trace of irritation or annoyance that would betray the gentle sound you just heard. but there was no trace of it. he really thought your comment was funny.

"you laughed." you state simply, in awe. his face had changed then, becoming softer. not so roughed up at the edges with his acrimony. he looked like a regular teenager then. so different from the boy you learned to fear and avoid in order to keep your high school years peaceful. for a moment, when that very sound entered your ears, filled the space around you, you could pretend you were just friends having fun. you think its your new favorite sound. what you would do to bottle it up and listen to it forever, "you should do it more often. you wouldn't look so scary then."

kyung-jun tilts his head, eyeing you carefully, "do i scare you?"

you consider his question, examining the boy before you. maybe before he would've scared you. terrified you, even. you would've gone through unimaginable lengths to avoid him. but looking at him now, instead of recalling certain emotions from the past, you recall something different. memories. the quiet kindness he offered you. his defensiveness over you. did he change, or was he always like this?

you find the answer doesn't matter to you. what matters is the fact that right now, in this moment, kyung-jun is not like anything you expected. you think you love him for that.

the corners of your mouths lift up into a smile, "no, you don't."

the tension in the air is so thick you could cut it with a knife, and it feels like the longer you breath it in, the more it'll suffocate you. around you, your classmates shift uncomfortably in their seats, deliberately keeping their gazes pinned to the floor or on their phones. back facing the window, kyung-jun leans forward in his own seat, his head hanging low, palms clasped, stray hairs falling into his face. he is the first to break the silence since everyone settled into their respective spots.

"let's come clean. speak up if you're the mafia."

internally, you roll your eyes. despite discussing the plan earlier, it was a little annoying having to drag the whole thing out. it would be much simpler if you could go ahead and reveal the mafia's role. but if you did that, you risked exposing kyung-jun's occupation, and you couldn't afford that this early in the game.

"would you speak up if it were you?" jung-won points out when no one responds.

kyung-jun looks at the girl, releasing a short breath, "fuck you." he mumbles irritably. he readjusts his position, this time leaning his body comfortably against the back of his chair, "let's try this again. who do you think is definitely the mafia?" once again, no one answers, causing kyung-jun to drop his head back in annoyance.

seung-bin slams his hand on the table, making several people jump in alarm, "the police should at least speak up. the police! come clean!"

"if the police reveals their role, the mafia is sure to come after them. you want to risk that?" you stare at the blond, awaiting his answer. instead, seung-bin sneers at you, but keeps his mouth shut.

kyung-jun directs his attention to jun-hee, "hey, class president. it's you, isn't it? you didn't let us vote, so all the civilians died. that was the mafia's scheme to kill civilians, wasn't it?"

"what are you saying?" so-mi protests, "didn't you see the notice? civilians weren't the only ones who died. the mafia died, too."

at so-mi's reasoning, the conversation dies for a moment, everyone coming to the same conclusion. yesterday was a mistake. there was no motive behind preventing everyone from voting. it was simply a plan to work around the game's rules that didn't work out in the end.

"at least we can guess who the doctor is." one of your classmates mumbles as an afterthought, causing everyone to slowly turn their attention towards yu-jun. upon realizing what the question was alluding to and the sudden spotlight, he glances up, clear panic widening his eyes. well, that answered that question.

"it's not me!" he exclaims defensively, passing a glance to his right.

ji-soo looks slightly offended by the action, "it's not me either."

"it has to be you two." mi-na presses, causing the couple's head to turn in her direction, "who else would save yu-jun if not you two?"

"i don't know why they used it on me, either, but it's really not me!" yu-jun protests.

it grows quiet again. you're not sure if the rest of your classmates figured it out, but it was obvious that yu-jun is the doctor. should you approach him later? form an alliance? but how could you prove your role to him without jeopardizing kyung-jun's safety? perhaps it was best to keep your distance. things could get messy.

"hey, so-mi." mi-na speaks suddenly. at the sound of her name the girl shifts her focus to mi-na, eyes narrowed slightly in unease, "eun-ha said you were the mafia yesterday. did you choose her because she exposed you?"

did that happen? you try to recall when the events occurred, but come up empty. maybe it happened privately. is that why eun-ha was voted out last night? because so-mi voted for her first? but why? eun-ha was a civilian, so unless so-mi felt threatened by her, there was no need to take things so far.

unless?

"hey, i.." so-mi sits up straight, pointedly looking at everyone in the room as she prepares her defense, "i had no choice but to choose her since she tried to vote for me," her eyes eventually land back on mi-na's, directing the suspicion to her, "what about you? are you the mafia?"

mi-na's face hardens, her defensive walls going up as she scowls at the vice president, "w-what about me?"

so-mi gets up, dropping her phone carelessly on her chair, "joo-young." she begins, approaching mi-na step by step, "you two had a big argument yesterday."

"an argument is an argument. why would i kill her over that?"

"you acted like a maid in front of joo-young but cursed her behind her back, saying she was annoying. maybe you wanted to kill her."

mi-na scoffs, looking around in disbelief. when no one protests, her panic rises, "that's not true!

"i guess joo-young did keep bossing mi-na around." jin-a mumbles thoughtfully.

"i said that's not true!" she screams, a shine of tears threatening to spill down her cheeks in frustration.

"you talk too fucking much." kyung-jun mutters, rendering the girl silent. he looks at woo-ram, who squirms in his seat under his scrutiny. finally, he meets your eyes, "mafia. come clean before you see blood."

so-mi returns to her seat, her own irritation apparent as she crosses one leg over the other and glares at the ground beneath her. its quiet again. then, several beats later, woo-ram speaks up. "kyung-jun."

kyung-jun's eyes light up in delight, and he directs his attention to woo-ram. you shift in your seat, posture straightening, fingers folded neatly in your lap. it was time.

"why did you do that then?" woo-ram finishes. kyung-jun tilts his head slightly to the right, eyes narrowed slightly.

"do what, you fucker?"

"why were you the only one who hid your phone? you knew our classmates would die if we didn't vote. you kept quiet so they would all die, huh?"

kyung-jun leans forward in his seat, "i told you," he points at jun-hee, "how could i trust that bastard?"

woo-ram tightens his jaw, unable to control his anger as his voice rises along with his words, "why did you force us to trust him when you couldn't?"

"woo-ram," you cut in, causing the boy to snap his attention to you, "we talked about this earlier. please, let's stop arguing about it. jun-hee and kyung-jun didn't know about the phones. how is that their fault?"

woo-ram remains quiet, caught in a moral dilemma. an air of uncertainty begins to surround him, your reasoning causing his once clouded judgement to clear. he slumps back in his seat, defeated.

"look at you, putting the attention on me when we all know it was you who killed joo-young you bastard." kyung-jun taunts.

woo-ram sits up straight at kyung-jun's words. slowly, his eyes grow wide and his skin pales, "what?"

"you were shit on online after you confessed your feelings to joo-young and got rejected."

woo-ram stands up abruptly, "joo-young and i were just joking-"

"stop bullshitting, you dumbass!" kyung-jun cuts him off, his voice rising as accusation after accusation falls from his lips, "you got on your knees and begged joo-young to take it down. is there anyone here who doesn't know about that?" no one answers. kyung-jun finds mi-na in the room, "hey, mi-na! speak up. you recorded that."

mi-na shifts uncomfortably in her seat, "y-yeah."

woo-ram smiles in disbelief, "how does that matter right now?"

"it matters because someone killed her out of hate, and you're the only one here who holds that for her," you chime in, remembering the details kyung-jun explained to you earlier, "you trashed joo-young behind her back, calling her a sly fox, isn't that right?"

the boy shakes his head in denial, stepping back slightly. sweat starts to form along his forehead, his movements growing erratic. hide all you want, but the blood is still on your hands, "that's not true. h-how could i be the mafia?" he meets your eyes, suspicion creeping into his tone as he switches his focus between you and kyung-jun, "and why are you defending him, huh? since when are you guys so close?"

before you can respond, so-mi stands up, "didn't you know?" you look at her then, watch the way her eyes darken in delight and her lips curl into a smirk, something dangerous lurking beneath, "they're fucking."

everyone looks over at the two of you, complete and utter shock forming rapidly upon their features. suddenly, your throat feels dry, and you can't find it in yourself to meet any of their eyes, especially your friends. what could you say? that it wasn't true? then how else could you explain this?

kyung-jun scoffs, glancing at so-mi irritably, "why is it any of your business?"

"it's my business when you're making out with your new bitch in the middle of the hallway."

the flames of kyung-jun's anger spikes, licking up the walls and pressing down against the air in the room. he jumps up from his chair, taking a step towards the girl, "the fuck did you call her?"

in a panic, you catch the sleeve of his jacket and pull him back. a physical fight was not something you needed right now, even if your pride was a little hurt, "kyung-jun. stop."

when the boy doesn't protest, so-mi's smile widens, as if his actions only confirm her suspicions. kyung-jun notices her delight, but he doesn't reignite the fight, simply huffing out a frustrated breath and pulling his arm free from your hold. he reaches into his pockets, pulling at his phone and tapping at the screen. an announcement comes overhead.

KO KYUNG-JUN HAS VOTED FOR PARK WOO-RAM.

one by one, each of your classmates pull out their own devices to confirm the announcement. woo-ram shakes his head, hesitantly stepping towards different classmates to prevent them from voting, "i'm not! don't do it!"

seung-bin and jin-a ignore the boy's protests, voting for him without a second thought. once again, it gets announced to the entire room, revibrating against the walls.

woo-ram looks down at his phone, staring at the screen for a long time. he eventually looks up at the two boys, face twisting in anger, "hey, you sons of bitches!"

kyung-jun silently walks over, pulling woo-ram by the collar and showing him off to the room, "hurry up and vote for this bastard, too. hey, mi-na," the girl startles at her name, "this bastard is pretty pissed with you, too. since joo-young died, it's your turn today." he throws woo-ram against the table, who releases a groaned pain when his body connects with the hard wood. kyung-jun brushes past each of your classmates, moving towards the exit.

jun-hee calls after kyung-jun, but the boy doesn't falter in his stride. eventually, seung-bin and jin-a follow after him, shoving past jun-hee forcefully. several seconds after them, mi-na gets up as well, disappearing behind the doorway.

"hey, where are you going? hey!" jun-hee calls out, using the authoritive voice saved only for class announcements. but the commands don't work, and more and more people file out of the room.

sensing that the meeting was over, and woo-ram's fate sealed, you direct your movements to shuffle out behind them, only to get pulled back by jun-hee's firm grip around your arm.

his eyes frantically search your face, concern laced deeply within his tone and features, "what does he have, huh? photos? videos?"

you stare back at him in confusion, "what are you talking about?"

"kyung-jun. he's blackmailing you with something, isn't he? what is it!"

"nothing!" you insist desperately.

jun-hee's fingers relax slightly, relief replacing his once panicked motions. yoon-seo steps forward, her stance hesitant as she examines your face carefully, "then its not true, right? you and kyung-jun..."

you pause, faced with your earlier dilemma. if you reveal the reason behind your sudden defensiveness regarding the boy, you risk it all. what if jun-hee was mafia? yoon-seo? jung-won? as much as your heart refused to believe it, it was slowly becoming apparent that the people you could trust was close to zero. in the end, kyung-jun is the only one you can completely rely on. it's best if they believe whatever it is they fear, at least until you can confirm their occupations.

"we are." you mumble, causing jun-hee to flinch, leaning back slightly. you regard each of your friends, unable to bear jun-hee's betrayed eyes, yoon-seo's concerned face, and jung-won's disappointed frown. hastily, you pull away, turning around and walking out of the room.

you rush straight to your room, relieved to find that na-hee was no where in sight. trembling, you pull out your phone and open the mafia app, scanning the names and photos of your classmates in search of a particular person. when you spot woo-ram's name, you click on it and press vote. the announcement crackles to life, but it sounds muffled in your ears, distant. you stumble to your bed, your knees hitting the edge of the mattress. your body falls, hitting the covers, and you can't stop the tears from streaming down your face in warm, fat droplets.

the sun sinks slowly down the sky, dipping past the trees and turning the world dark. other than the rustle of leaves and the chirp of crickets, it's silent, and during the hours you spent locked int your hotel room, it was only ever broken twice.

the first time occurred an hour or so after you broke away from the group. your phone went off three times, one after the other, and when you went to check, three more votes had been counted towards woo-ram. you wondered if it was kyung-jun's doing, and figured it most likely.

the second time was thirty minutes after the previous announcement. this time, however, the votes did not stack against woo-ram's favor. rather, kyung-jun's named appeared, and you felt your heart drop to your stomach when you realized that kyung-jun's actions and bitterness may finally catch up to him. you briefly entertained the thought of finding the boy, seeking him out to ensure that the possibility of his execution was simply that, a possibility, not definitive. but after recognizing that your actions would do more harm than good, you decided to remain in your room, pushing your anxiety aside.

it was an hour or so later, as you're laying curled up on the bed and willing your body to sleep, that a rush of frantic voices slip through the cracks of the door. you slowly lift your body up, straining your ears to listen, recognizing the owners of the sounds. frantically, you stumble towards the door, pulling it open and finding your theory to be correct.

yoon-seo, jun-hee and so-mi open and close the doors around you, calling out woo-ram's name. their eyes are wide, voices growing more and more panicked when the boy they're searching for never appears. dread begins to form in the pit of your stomach.

"what is it?" you question. what could cause such genuine alarm?

jun-hee rushes towards you, his breaths labored. he must have been running around the entire building looking for your classmate, "woo-ram is missing. have you seen him?"

the dread builds, slithering up your chest and constricting your lungs. a thought enters the back of your mind, something that makes your entire body freeze, something you refuse to listen to. he wouldn't, right? kyung-jun may be desperate to survive, but not even he would go through such lengths.

right?

you open your mouth to speak, but your words are interrupted by a voice above.

"IT'S PARK WOO-RAM," it announces. what was he doing in the studio room? and why? the speaker crackles as the boy lets out several deep, heavy breaths, his next words causing a sharp chill to prickle down your spine, "I'M THE MAFIA. I KILLED JOO-YOUNG."

"what's he saying?" so-mi cries, searching each of your faces for an explanation you couldn't provide. what reason could possibly force woo-ram to expose himself?

you think you know the answer, and you're afraid of it.

"that's the studio." yoon-seo realizes, sharing a look with each of you. jun-hee is the first to move, rushing down the hall, followed by yoon-seo, so-mi, and finally yourself. while you run, woo-ram's voice continues from above.

"I WASN'T PLANNING TO DO THAT AT FIRST, BUT I GOT UPSET BECAUSE SHE HUMILIATED ME. BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS BELITTED ME." he pauses, and you hear the shuffle of movement, the quiet suppression of pain. the edges of his voice crack with anguish, and the underlying sound of pure bitterness and hatred, "I WANTED TO KILL HER."

the speaker clicks off.

you finally make it to the studio, your footsteps skidding to a stop in front of the closed door. jun-hee and yoon-seo start banging their fists on the hard metal, yelling woo-ram's name repeatedly. over and over again. at first there's no reply, and you wonder if maybe you got it wrong. maybe it was a recording, and woo-ram was long gone. the only reason he confessed was because the guilt was too heavy to bear. but then you heard it, barely legible over the sound of jun-hee's foot colliding with the door with every powerful kick he delivers to it.

"guys! i'm in here!" he shouts, followed by the telltale sounds of a struggle. like someone had covered his mouth to prevent him from speaking.

without a second thought yoon-seo runs off, returning with an axe gripped tightly in her hands. jun-hee takes it from her possession, pulling it back and swinging the sharp end towards the handle. the loud sound of metal meeting metal causes you to jump, taking a step back, only to collide with another body rather than the wall. you glance back, meeting na-hee's fearful eyes and jung-won's calculative gaze. the sound erupts again, then once more, and finally, the handle hits the floor with a thud. the door swings open.

jun-hee rushes into the room, followed by the rest of your group. you enter last, pausing by the doorway, feeling a mixture of surprise, fear, and something else you couldn't place, like a deep ache in the space between your ribs. kyung-jun, seung-bin and jin-a are backed against the corner of the room, and beside the studio station, woo-ram is slumped against a chair, his limbs bound by ropes, his face bloody, eyes exhausted. a pen sticks out of his thigh, embedded deep inside the flesh.

hesitantly, you meet kyung-jun's eyes, fearful of what you'll find. his usual anger? amusement? would he carefully craft his features into a blank canvas, hiding away the true nature of his intentions? but you find none of those things. on kyung-jun's face, you find something you've never seen before. remorse. kyung-jun was ashamed.

why? what sort of guilt is looming over his shoulder for him to react like that?

"you crazy jerks!" jun-hee shouts, lifting up the axe and falsely swinging it. a threat. the three boys back away slightly, "you're crazy! you're lunatics!"

kyung-jun looks away. refusing to meet your eyes, or anyone's for that matter. yoon-seo and so-mi rush towards woo-ram, one of them untying his restraints and the other pulling the pen out of his leg. he groans in pain, and blood spurts out, soaking his uniform. once he's free, both girls help him out of the chair.

kyung-jun lifts his head at the unsteady movements of your classmate, any sort of guilt or remorse gone without a trace when he lays his eyes upon his bloody form, "who's real crazy here?" he shouts, taking a step forward. he points an accusatory finger at woo-ram, "he's the mafia! he killed joo-young!"

"cut it out." jun-hee seethes.

kyung-jun's eyes sharpen, his voice lowering to a bitter note as he drops his hand, "come to your senses, idiot."

the group ignores him, slowly leaving the room one by one. you step out of the way when yoon-seo and so-mi pass with woo-ram in between them, his body weight supported by their own. jun-hee leaves the room last, and you stand several feet away from the door, hesitating, mind spinning frantically in circles. a part of yourself wanted to follow after them. but another, a more persistent side of you, wished to enter the room, to look kyung-jun in the eyes and ask him why.

your phone buzzes in your pocket, and you hastily reach in and pull it out, opening the mafia app. your heart pounds inside your chest, anxious to see the names displayed in the chat.

woo-ram. it was woo-ram's name. kyung-jun's was no where to be found. despite yourself, relief floods your senses. you got rid of a mafia, and kyung-jun was safe.

laughter, manic and coming out in desperate breaths, echoes in the hallway, urging you to slide your eyes over to the source of the bone chilling sound. woo-ram is on his knees, head hanging low, the motion causing his shoulders to shake. from where you stand, it's hard to tell the difference between laughter and crying.

suddenly, woo-ram swears, his fist meeting the floor in one swift punch, "shoot! i should've killed kyung-jun first." he laughs again, shaking his head, "i'd be an idiot if i just die."

you feel your breath get caught in your throat, any sort of air being forcefully squeezed out of your lungs. the fear trickles back, this time starting in your mind and spreading through the rest of your body.

he lifts his head then, turning around and meeting your eyes. his own are full of hatred, the look of a man who has lost everything, and therefore has no issue in doing whatever it takes to meet his goal. woo-ram stumbles to his feet, his steps shaky and uneven as he rushes towards the studio room.

it happens so quickly then.

the sound of protests from those inside. the crash of disturbed items. when you hear the sound of kyung-jun's labored breaths, you rush to the doorway, just in time to see kyung-jun dodge an attack from a swinging axe. his body collides with your own, the force of the impact causing the both of you to hit the ground. your skin slides against the carpet, a harsh burn lingering even after you push yourself to a sitting position and shuffle back. woo-ram's desperate tone erupts once more.

"i'll kill you before i die!"

kyung-jun copies your movements, scooting back towards the wall opposite of your own. woo-ram limps out of the studio room, trembling fingers dragging the bloody axe against the floor. each step brings him closer and closer towards the boy, his anger growing as the distance gets smaller.

"if it weren't me, someone would kill you." he seethes. he picks up the axe again, flexes his fingers around the handle. you don't think as you get up, "die you jerk!"

just before he brings it down, your hands close around the handle, stopping it from falling. woo-ram is only surprised for a moment before forcing his strength down, and the both of you struggle for a moment. he's strong, but you hold your own with a soft grunt.

"let go you bitch!" he screams

"stop this woo-ram! it's over! don't try to bring kyung-jun down with you!"

"why should it matter? he's a bully! everyone hates him!"

"he's not the one who killed an innocent person!"

"i did what i had to to survive!" he yells.

you falter, his words hitting you like a slap to the face. your hesitation is enough for your grip to slip, and for woo-ram's strength to overpower your own. the axe comes down, his arc crooked, slicing the edge of your shirt and leaving a harsh sting behind. woo-ram shoves you back, and your back hits the wall, causing you to let out a soft groan of pain. he brings the axe up again, but this time something else stops him. a voice.

VOTING IS OVER. PARK WOO-RAM WITH THE MOST VOTES WILL BE EXECUTED.

he lowers the axe, stumbling back. you watch, silently, fearfully, as he slowly lifts the weapon, turning the handle in his hands so the sharp edge faces his body. all it takes is one blink, one second, and the sharp metal slices through delicate flesh and breaks through sturdy bone. something wet hits your cheek, warm and sticky, and you can't hide the sound that leaves your throat at the contact. his body drops down to his knees, then hits the ground, limp and lifeless. blood starts gushing out, quickly, like it was running out of time, and there's so much of it. you didn't think it was possible.

PARK WOO-RAM WAS THE MAFIA.

no one says anything. they barely even move. their eyes stay fixated on the dead body on the ground, the reality of the situation hitting them so suddenly. their beloved friend, someone they trusted, betrayed them. he lied to their faces and pretended to be innocent.

beside you, kyung-jun shakily gets up. you glance over at his face, taken aback by the expression laying there. hurt. it was pure, unfiltered hurt. his breath comes out shaky as he speaks, "see? i told you."

when no one responds, kyung-jun turns away, rushing down the hall and towards the stairs. you only falter for a second before running after him.

his retreating footsteps lead you to the snack bar. as you approach, kyung-jun is halfway through pulling down the shutters, but at the sight of you he stops, pausing only for a second before motioning with his head for you to enter. you come in breathing heavily, mind still spinning, heart still pounding. behind you, you can hear the sound of the shutters hitting the floor and a lock clicking into place.

you watch as kyung-jun straightens, slowly stumbling over to the counter. he throws the keys before staggering to a nearby wall, his back hitting the structure with a soft thud. his body slides down it, all the way until he reaches the bottom, and he lifts his head up, eyes fixated on the ceiling. eerily quiet.

and then it crumbles.

his expression shatters, piece by piece, until all his defenses are nothing more than a memory. you catch the way his lips tremble, his eyes wavering, as if holding back the tears building in the corners of his eyes. to prevent it, he drops his head, pressing his fingers against his forehead as his body shakes staggeringly.

it breaks you, the way he silently breaks down. even now, when there's no one but you around, no one to judge, he tries to hold it in. you want nothing more than to shoulder the burden for him.

hesitantly, you step closer, crouching down in front of him. you lift up your hand, tentatively reaching out to press your fingers against his own. he flinches, much like the first time you touched him, and he lifts his head to meet your eyes.

'how much pain have you been holding onto?' you ask him silently, searching his face for the answer. he looked so small then. a teenager, just like the rest of you, doing what he could to survive. just as woo-ram did. just as you are doing now, 'i see you kyung-jun. i see your pain. i see your heart. why do you hide it?'

you rush forward, throwing your arms around his neck, pulling him into an embrace. his body tenses beneath you, but he doesn't fight it. he doesn't return it either.

"even if everyone is against you..." you begin, doing your best to keep your voice steady, "i'll be on your side."

from above, the music begins, and you hold on tighter, seeing the room darken and feeling your body slowly grow weak. i'll be here, kyung-jun. when you have no one else, you'll have me.

you slump forward, releasing a long sigh, and allow sleep to consume you entirely.

NIGHT HAS COME.

part four.

#fluff #angst #ko kyung jun #kyung jun #kyung jun x reader #night has come

26 notes · View notes

rainsoughtflowers · 2 months ago

Text

it’s slowly coming together,,,,

#im still not happy with it BUT #LOTS OF CHARACTER AND RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENTS #kyungjun is so soft i love him

2 notes · View notes

rainsoughtflowers · 2 months ago

Text

do you see right through me?

part one

tw/cw - angst, graphic depictions of death and violence.

a/n - woohoo next chapter !!

it only takes you a moment to decide.

your eyes swiftly scan the options, left to right, down and across, passing over a large variety of bubbly sodas and fruit flavored milk. your attention snags on a small container sitting in the second row, displaying bright orange letters and a small mango on the packaging. the familiar sight of your go-to drink. your fingers smooth out the dollar bill in your hands before slipping it into the machine and, once checking the number, move over to press the corresponding buttons. you step back slightly, following the sight of the vending machine slowly pushing your drink out of its row. it drops to the bottom with a soft thud, and you reach down to push open the flap.

another hand slips in before you, successfully grabbing the container, causing you to glance up and meet seung-bin's delighted eyes.

he holds it up, inspecting the bright letters printed on the front, "mango flavored milk?" he asks, smirking.

you slowly straighten, nodding your head slightly, "yes. it's my favorite." you reach out your hand, intending to retrieve it, but seung-bin is quicker, swiftly pulling it out of reach and over his head.

"really? your favorite? it must be good then. i think i want to try it." you blink slowly at him, processing his words, studying his cocky smile, amused eyes and arrogant nature. ah, he was picking on you. it was no surprise, really. although seung-bin stayed away from beating up girls, he had no problem messing with them from time to time, especially when he was bored. you just happen to be the unlucky victim for the day.

how annoying.

you angle your body to face him head on, "there's plenty more in the vending machine. or," you tilt your head, inspecting him carefully, "do you need to borrow money?"

seung-bin's entire face changes in one swift moment. he scowls, lowering the can and taking one intimidating step towards you, "the fuck did you say to me bitch-"

SMACK.

seung-bin blinks, stunned, but he has no chance to move away or curse the culprit as he gets smacked on the back of his head two more times. a silence settles over the hallway, eerily quiet, and the air feels suffocatingly thick. only one person would have the confidence to reprimand seung-bin and get away with it.

you direct your attention to the perpetrator, feeling your own version of surprise overcome your body when your eyes settle on kyung-jun. you've never been afraid of him, not really, but looking at him then, taking in the seriousness molding his features, the quiet anger directed at his friend, it's almost enough to make you tremble.

"why do you have to be so damn annoying, huh? don't you have your own money to buy a drink? or did you gamble it all away like an idiot again?" seung-bin flinches at the harsh tone, hanging his head in shame. kyung-jun stares at him for another couple moments before shifting his attention to you. your body seizes at its own accord, but you force yourself to remain steady, never faltering under his intense stare. his hand comes up and latches onto the back of seung-bin's neck, his grip tight, and nods his head in your direction, "go on. give it back."

seung-bin obeys, holding your drink out, and you stare at the offer, noticing the slight tremble in his fingers, the way he refuses to meet your eyes. slowly, you take it, looking at kyung-jun once it's back in your possession. his eyes still haven't left your own.

"apologize." kyung-jun commands, shoving the boy forward.

seung-bin steadies himself, looking at your face only for a quick second before lowering his head once more, "i'm sorry." he mutters, his words quick and unsteady.

"you accept his apology?" kyung-jun asks. you spare a glance at the blond boy in front of you. seung-bin still hasn't moved, either due to fear or complete obedience, you couldn't tell. his hands are clenched tightly at his sides, and his head is still lowered, as if he's afraid of facing any more of kyung-jun's wrath. to be completely honest, not one part of you felt any sort of sympathy towards seung-bin. it was obvious his apology held no real value. still, you didn't feel like dealing with the situation any longer.

you glance up, meeting kyung-jun's eyes, "yes."

a smile curls his lips, easily resting there. you're not sure what exactly amused him. your response or the situation as a whole? either way, he wraps an arm around seung-bin's shoulder, shaking him slightly, "you hear that? she was nice enough to forgive you. say thank you."

"thank you." seung-bin chokes out.

kyung-jun breathes out a laugh, shaking seung-bin once more before pulling him along. the two walk away, and you turn, observing kyung-jun's back as his figure gets further and further away. when he's gone, you look back down at your drink, inspecting the small container with confusion. why did kyung-jun help you? was it his way of repaying you for the umbrella? was he bored? you replayed the scene in your head, assessing. his annoyance with seung-bin was genuine, but was it because he was messing with a girl, or was it you specifically?

you shake away the thoughts, distracting your mind by opening the plastic seal and taking a sip. it didn't matter what kyung-jun's intentions were. it probably wouldn't happen again, meaning, you could learn to forget about the situation entirely. you were kind to him, he repaid you back, and the two of you could go back to living your lives separately, just like before. the way it's suppose to be.

you could forget about the rapid pounding of your heart, and the ghost of a smile threatening to settle on your lips.

unlike before, you wake up quickly.

your eyes snap open, darting around the room as your breathing picks up in only a couple short breaths. music plays overhead, and you feel the sturdiness of the wall against your back, your legs spread out in front of you. your classmates are scattered around the room, some still laying flat on the floor, others slowly getting up as their senses return. across from you, kyung-jun pushes himself into a sitting position, and you watch as his face twists in discomfort and confusion. his eyes scan his surroundings, and when they meet your own, it feels like the only thing grounding you at the moment.

what happened last night? why did we fall asleep here?

the sound of footsteps echo in the hall, and you tear your eyes away to find yoon-seo rushing towards the window. she stops, a small, barely legible cry escaping her lips. she stumbles back, glass crunching under her feet, causing your eyes to deviate from her body towards the ground. there's a trail of blood there, leading down the hall, stopping at the window, which has been shattered to pieces. the images come back rapidly to you then. one after the other, bombarding you with gruesome scenes from the night before. the screams. the pounding. heo-yool, dead outside, no longer breathing.

beside you, you feel your hands begin to tremble.

a chorus of chimes echo in your ears, followed by a small vibration against your leg. you hastily reach for your phone, picking it up and turning on the screen just as an alarm blares from above.

BEFORE THE END OF THE LAST VOTING, THE POLICE OFFICER USED THEIR POWER. CHOI JU-WON WAS EXECUTED BY THE MAFIA. CHOI JU-WON WAS THE MAFIA.

PARTICIPANTS, PLEASE FIND THE MAFIA AND START VOTING.

yoon-seo is the first to break the silence, hastily glancing around the room, "where's ju-won?"

no one answers, and you do a quick survey of the room yourself. sure enough, the boy wasn't to be found.

woo-ram stumbles to his feet, "the announcement," he points to the ceiling, his voice rising in volume with every word he speaks, "who's making the announcement? why do we keep hearing this right now!"

"the broadcasting room is on the second floor," hyun-ho realizes, nudging dong-hyun in encouragement, "let's go over there, let's go!"

hyun-ho, dong-hyun, woo-ram and a couple of others run towards the stairs, their footsteps gradually getting softer and further way. you release another shaky breath, slowly pushing yourself against the wall and standing up straight.

just then, a yell echoes from the distance, the sound blended with such unfiltered horror it causes your entire body to grow rigid in fear. yoon-seo wastes no time in rushing towards the sound, followed by the rest of your classmates. you force yourself to trail after the crowd.

you find yourselves in the boys bathroom, a swift scan revealing da-bum slowly backing away from one of the stalls, along with a large puddle of blood spreading beneath it. the metallic scent of it is so heavy it sits on your tongue, and you have to reach your fingers up to press against your nose to filter the smell.

kyung-jun curses, pushing jun-hee forward, "shit. class president, go open it."

jun-hee hesitates before slowly approaching the door, tentatively pushing it open. he backs away immediately after, and you catch a glimpse of a body, slumped against the wall, his head bashed in and barely recognizable. a sick feeling settles in your stomach.

jun-hee's lip trembles, as do his words when he speaks, "he's dead."

everyone is quiet. some people hide their faces or avert their eyes, while others can't seem to remove their gazes away from the scene. you fall into the latter category. every time you blink, you hope that it changes. that the blood disappears and ju-won gets up, unharmed. or that you'll wake up on the bus, realizing it was all just a bad dream.

"the mafia," da-bum sputters, glancing around at his classmates, "t-this is because of the mafia game. what if we all die too?"

kyung-jun grabs him by the collar, shaking him aggressively, "shut up, you bastard. no one's fucking dying."

"heo-yool died." you mumble, earning kyung-jun's attention. his snaps his head towards your own, dark, intense eyes watching you carefully. your hands slowly tighten around your skirt, shaking ever so slightly, "and now ju-won, too. people are already dead because of this game."

he doesn't answer. you don't expect one. what could he say? you blink once more, and although the scene refuses to change, you can imagine it. the brutal murder that occurred while you were asleep. the banging, the screams, the blood slowly spreading across the floor and drying. all while you were fucking asleep. unaware.

you rush out of the room, stomach turning even more, almost to the point of sickness. you brace yourself against the wall, trembling violently as you eagerly gulp down several deep breaths. when that doesn't calm you down, you squeeze your eyes shut, praying the images branded at the front of your vision would go away. you didn't want to think about it anymore, to see it. don't think don't think don't think don't-

someone bumps into your shoulder, and you open your eyes, watching in bewilderment as your classmates start rushing past you. where are they going? did something happen? someone shoves you lightly, and you glance up into kyung-jun's face, "come on, we're leaving."

you furrow your brows in confusion, "to where? the bus is gone."

"i don't fucking know! but anywhere is better than here!"

you step back in surprise, having not expected the harsh tone of his words nor the sour expression on his face. kyung-jun, even more unexpectedly, appears as if he immediately regrets his words or tone. he clenches his jaw, fingers opening and closing by his side. hesitance lays itself around his shoulders, looking over, a shackle of torment. it's all so unlike him. with the things kyung-jun has done, he never seems to carry any sort of guilt. it's a burden he passes to other people.

so why was that look on his face?

you push yourself away from the wall, coming to a decision, "okay. let's go."

you walk past him, and it only takes a couple moments for kyung-jun's footsteps to fall in line with your own. you don't speak the entire way, not until you reach the lobby and push open the doors. you're the last ones to leave the building, a quick scan revealing each of your classmates already outside, rushing out. kyung-jun rushes towards the stairs, his feet landing on the first step, but the alarm blares to life again. he stops.

THE GAME HAS TO BE PLAYED WITHIN THE DESIGNATED AREA.

the announcer repeats the phrase a couple more times, almost like a warning. unease starts to build steadily within your chest.

a vibration occurs within your pocket, and you reach in and pull out your phone, seeing the same warning displayed on the screen with big, bold letters. your eyes find kyung-jun's, who has done the same. irritation and perplexity lay visible on his expression, "fuck, seriously?"

you glance around, wondering what exactly determines the game area. at first you believe it's impossible to tell, and your class would either have to take a chance and leave or stay locked inside the building until further notice. but then you see it. a white line that wasn't there before, right in front of the road. how did you not notice it? it was nighttime when you arrived, but surely you'd see the peculiar placement of it. did you enter the game when you stepped inside?

"guys, hold on." jun-hee yells, and you spot him at the front, near the boundary. he turns around, garnering everyone's attention, "don't leave and stay for a moment."

"why?" a student yells, causing a thoughtful look to befall jun-hee's expression.

"something's strange." he determines finally.

sang-hwan, the student who spoke before, steps forward, "do you believe bullshit like this?" when jun-hee doesn't answer he swears, bolting towards the line, "fuck, whatever! let's go!"

a rush of voices fill the air, a mixture of sang-hwan's name and people yelling at him to stop. you find yourself stepping forward again, but kyung-jun is pulling you back, his grip firm, "hey, hey!"

but it's too late. even if you wanted to do something to save them, sang-hwan and hyeong-seok, his friend who blindly reached out to him, pass the line. they stop just several meters from it.

LEE SANG-HWAN IS BEING EXECUTED FOR BREAKING THE RULE. KIM HYEONG-SEOK IS BEING EXECUTED FOR BREAKING THE RULE.

breaking...the rule? executed?

both boys stumble, pained expressions distorting their features as they clutch at their heads and yell in agony. they look just like heo-yool did the night before he was executed. not themselves. what did they hear? what did they see? they turn towards one another, considering the other for a moment, and your brain can't fully comprehend what happens next. not until they run at full speed and bash their heads together.

a scream escapes your throat, but it's drowned out by the yells and cries coming from the rest of your classmates. they do it once more, over and over again, the sickening crunch of bones breaking and blood spurting resounding across the space. your hands shakily reach up to cover your ears, but it doesn't cease the sounds. you shuffle back slightly, a cry being pulled out of you when you trip over your feet and land on the ground. a rock is being used now, the sharp end already coated in blood, and you close your eyes as the sharp end meets flesh, lowering your head and praying for it to be over.

CRUNCH.

SCREAM.

THUD.

you finally return to your senses when the alarm goes off, the announcers familiar voice declaring what you already knew.

LEE SANG-HWAN AND KIM HYEONG-SEOK WERE CIVILIANS.

were. what an ugly word. and all it took was a minute for it to change.

it's quiet.

around you, your classmates are scattered throughout the lobby. some stay huddled in groups, trembling in fear, while others remain alone, staring blankly into space. your own body sits at the top of the stairs, knees pulled to your chest, blinking slowly in a trance. yoon-seo and jung-won are a couple steps down, falling into the former category of hugging each other in order to provide comfort. how exactly did you get here? the last thing you remember was being on the ground, unable to tear your eyes away from the dead bodies on the road. was it yoon-seo? jung-won? kyung-jun? unlikely for the latter. you search for him in the room, spotting him at the front desk. he sits on top, his arms supporting himself as he leans back. he, too, stares at the ground, not a trace of his usual anger or amusement found on his face.

seung-bin, surprisingly enough, is the one who breaks the silence first. he throws his phone across the ground in frustration, reaching his fingers up to his hair as if to pull it out, "fuck! seriously, why is the phone not working? fuck!"

da-bum scatters towards the device and picks it up, nervously handing it back to the blond. seung-bin sneers at him, snatching it away.

mi-na speaks next, trembling, "what do we do now? won't we die if we stay here?"

"the teacher will come soon." jun-hee announces, but you're not sure if he's trying to reassure your classmates or himself, "let's wait."

"no one's coming." ji-soo cries, her bottom lip quivering. her eyes are bloodshot, and there are tear streaks dried on her face, "how long do we have to stay with the dead bodies? i don't want to!"

"don't call them 'the dead bodies.' " eun-ha scolds, earning her a scoff from the other girl.

"but they're dead. they're dead. what am i supposed to call them? hey!" she turns to jun-hee, angry tears now spilling down her cheeks, "say something! we need to go home!"

"ji-soo," you mumble. your voice must be unexpected, because she immediately quiets down. you can feel the attention of the room on you as you speak, "please be quiet. you crying is not helping anyone. and you saw what happened to them trying to leave. you still say that? leave by yourself then."

her eyes harden as she takes a step forward in your direction, but her boyfriend, yu-jun, immediately pulls her back. once he's assured that she's calmed down, he turns to so-mi, "do you really not know when the teacher's coming back?"

so-mi stops nervously biting her nail, sending a harsh look at yu-jun, "i don't. he can't be reached. how should i know?"

everyone is silent at that, the gravity of the situation dawning upon them. you lower your head once more, pressing your fingers against your temple. we're so fucked.

yoon-seo suddenly gets up, scrambling up the stairs in a hurry. jung-won calls out her name, but when the girl doesn't answer, she decides to follow after her, along with jun-hee several beats later. you think about following them as well, but you feel numb, and your legs feel weak, refusing to move an inch. perhaps not then. you probably wouldn't be of much help anyways.

you drop your head back into your hands, squeezing your eyes shut. if you concentrated hard enough, the echo of breaking bones disappears.

time passes, and it's much of the same. several of your classmates are full on sobbing now, while others talk amongst themselves, trying to think of solutions. you continue sitting alone, listening to the sounds, staring at the dirt on your shoes. your fingers now clutch the edge of your skirt, twisting the fabric, pulling at the threads. you really should stop that. your last skirt was still at the seamstress getting fixed.

eventually, yoon-seo, jung-won and jun-hee return, pulling a whiteboard to the front of the room and scribbling on it with a marker. jun-hee motions for everyone to gather around, accentuating the importance of the discussion. you shakily get up, slowly walking down the steps and pausing at the outskirts of the huddled group. jun-hee points to the board, which now has a map taped beside their notes, and explains the situation briefly. while they were looking around the game area they found a trail, which should lead into a village.

"what if you leave and die like they did earlier?" jin-a asks, skeptical, "what will you do then?"

"i know. isn't it too dangerous?" joo-young pipes in.

"no, it's safe as long as you don't cross the line. i think we can keep walking to the end." jun-hee explains. murmurs erupt across the room, people exchanging unsure glances. you don't blame them. after seeing what happened just an hour before, anyone would be scared of venturing outside. but if the risk could find a way home, maybe it would be best to try.

"it sucks to keep waiting. it won't be a bad idea to try going there," you're not sure if your ears are playing tricks on you, but sure enough, a quick glance in the direction of the voice reveals that it was kyung-jun who spoke, surprising nearly everyone in the room, including yourself. he's actually agreeing with jun-hee? why? "but do we all need to go? it'd be fucking inefficient."

jun-hee nods in understanding, "you're right. we can't all go," he grows quiet for a moment, considering, before making up his mind, "i'll go on my own."

yoon-seo steps forward, "i'll come with you, then."

"no, you should stay, the trail might be treacherous.

jung-won also steps forward, holding onto yoon-seo's arm to softly pull her back, "he's right. you don't want to slow him down. let's just stay."

a worried look crosses over yoon-seo's face, "he can't go alone."

so-mi loops her arm through woo-ram's, all to eager to please as she jumps at the opportunity presented, "we'll come with you."

woo-ram looks at the girl in bewilderment, "w-why me?"

so-mi ignores the boys protests, turning towards her friends. "na-hee, ji-soo and yu-jun, you're coming too, right?"

ji-soo shakes her head, looking slightly offended that the girl would ask in the first place, "no, i'm not going."

"well, i won't go either then." yu-jun agrees, causing so-mi to scoff.

"don't you have any sense of loyalty?" the couple look away in shame, so she directs her attention to na-hee, "na-hee, you're not coming either?"

the girl looks startled for a moment, unsure on how to answer. her dilemma is cut short when hyun-ho steps up, a confident smile on his lips, "look at you guys. you're too weak to hike properly." he steps to the front, pulling dong-hyun along, "we'll come too."

unsurprisingly, na-hee steps forward, raising her hand slightly, "i-i'll go too."

eun-ha steps forward to volunteer as well, but her friends pull her back. worry seeps into their voices and faces, doing anything to convince her to say. their conversation is too low for you to hear, but whatever eun-ha says as she holds onto their hands seems to work, since they let her go with small reluctance.

the group is decided then. you step towards yoon-seo, patting her softly on the back to reassure her. you then turn towards jun-hee, holding up your phone, "be safe. use the group chat on the game if anything happens. it should work."

jun-hee smiles softly, nodding in understanding. he turns to the group, which form a small circle away from the current one. they begin discussing their plan of motion, and you watch the exchange for a moment before turning to leave.

you reach your room, opening and closing the door with practiced ease. it clicks shut, and you immediately slump against the wooden frame, sliding down until you hit the floor. a heavy weight presses down on your chest, overwhelming, and you have to sit there for a moment, curling your fingers around your skirt to steady yourself. if they didn't find anything, what then? would you simply have to play by the game's rules? and if so, how did you even go about finding the mafia?

you release a deep breath, banging your head against the back of the door. the thump is soft, very unlike the ones from this morning, and you repeat the motion a couple more times. eventually, a dull ache starts to form, urging you to stop and blink away the pain. you glance around the room, noting na-hee's things laid messily around her side of the area, a disaster compared to your own bare space. right. you still haven't unpacked. should you do that now? it'd be a good distraction.

a bit of green catches your eye, the fabric sticking out of your duffel bag. curious, you slowly stand up, walking over and pulling it out. kyung-jun's jacket lays in your lap, your fingers softly roaming across it with slight curiosity. with everything that transpired, you completely forgot about it being in your possession. the scene replays in your mind, recalling kyung-jun's red ears, the warmth the piece of clothing provided, and your pounding heart. questions you had back then return, lingering, unrelenting.

everything was so confusing. the game, kyung-jun's interactions with you as of late. it made your emotions feel like a mess, all of it impossible to pinpoint and sort through. still, there was at least one thing you could work through at the moment.

with kyung-jun's jacket folded neatly in your arms, you begin wandering around the building in search of it's owner. your first stop was the lobby, hoping he was still there, but arriving provided no sight of the boy, not even any of your other classmates. you pause, considering your options for a moment. is he in his room? unlikely. you would've heard voices outside your door. the gym? it wouldn't hurt to look. maybe even the pool would be a good place to check. coming to a conclusion, you direct your steps towards the gymnasium.

on the way there you pass by the arcade and snack bar. you recall reading about the rooms while browsing through the app, but with no staff present, it didn't seem worth trying to go in. the arcade's door is still shut, which you expected, but you cease your movements entirely when you notice something odd. the shutters for the snack bar are pulled up, and if you strained your ears to listen, you could hear voices inside.

you slowly step towards the entrance, surprised, but also relieved, to find kyung-jun inside. he sits at a table with seung-bin and jin-a, all three of them eating out of ramen cups. they glance up at your arrival, and your eyes dart between the three. seung-bin and jin-a wear annoyed looks, glaring at you from across the room in an attempt to intimidate you into leaving. kyung-jun, on the other hand, simply stares at you, but there's a ghost of a question passing over his expression.

you clear your throat, slowly holding up the jacket, "i just...came to return this." you mumble quietly. seung-bin and jin-a's expressions morph into shock, turning their heads towards their friend in disbelief. kyung-jun ignores their questioning stares, simply nodding his head towards a nearby table.

"leave it there." he states simply, before resuming his previous task of eating.

you do as told, placing the fabric gently on a nearby table. seung-bin and jin-a have gone back to staring at you, and their attention starts to have the desired effect. you avert your eyes, turning around to leave, only to pause at the sound of your name being called. slowly, you turn back around.

"you like peanuts, right?" seung-bin asks, and there's a mischievous grin on his lips. the one he uses when he's about to say or do something for his own sick enjoyment, "there's some chocolate bars on the shelf, you should try it. they're good."

you blink slowly, unsure whether seung-bin was actually this dumb or if he was playing another game. you open your mouth to speak, only for kyung-jun to do so before you, "hey, are you stupid? she's allergic to peanuts."

seung-bin laughs, sending you a fake apologetic smile, "right, sorry. i forgot."

he didn't. everyone in the class knew about your allergy, whether they wanted to or not. it was so severe that anytime food was brought in, the school had to check it to make sure it didn't have any possibility of harming you. you even carried an EpiPen in the pocket of your skirt, just in case.

a little annoyed now, you turn to leave again, intending to ignore seung-bin's antics and his childish behavior. best not to provoke it. but then a smack echoes in the room, the sound occurring three times in equal succession. you glance back, spotting seung-bin's shocked eyes and kyung-jun's raised hand. he sneers at the blond boy across from him, "no wonder girls don't like you. and i thought it was because of your face."

seung-bin stops laughing, awfully quiet.

kyung-jun clicks his tongue at him, his annoyance slowly diminishing as he grows satisfied at seung-bin's cowered state. eventually, he lifts his eyes towards your own, nodding his head towards the fridge, "go on. there's mango on the bottom shelf."

you glance towards the fridge, contemplating his offer. normally you would deny, considering it was most likely a trap. but the thought of food made your stomach ache, and you realized with a start that you haven't eaten since the night before. without second guessing yourself you cross the room towards the fridge, opening it up to reveal a variety of drinks. sure enough, on the bottom shelf, sits a mango flavored yogurt drink. you reach in and pick it up, sparing one last glance towards kyung-jun before leaving the room in a hurry.

it hits you as you're walking through the halls. you stop entirely, slowly glancing down to stare at the container in your hand. huh, he remembered you liked mango. and about your allergy. you didn't think kyung-jun paid attention to those kind of things. you thought he didn't care about anyone but himself. lately, however, he seemed to be proving your initial assumptions about him wrong. a funny feeling settles in your chest at the realization, something quiet and warm. it slowly creeps up your neck and settles on your face.

your phone vibrates in your pocket, pulling you away from your thoughts. you take it out, turning on the screen, and any semblance of warmth you had was gone without a trace when you read the announcement.

your hand drops to your side, a numbness taking over your body.

dong-hyun is dead.

everyone is gathered in the lobby. anxiousness takes root into everyone's lives, and it's even more apparent as you wait for jun-hee's group to return. your foot is tapping against the floor, your nails pressed against your lips as you continuously look back and forward between the door and your shoes. it's when mi-na breaks the silence and announces their arrival do you lower your hand, rushing forward.

you falter when you approach jun-hee, realizing that your fears were correct. the class president doesn't meet your eyes, a vacant look reflected in them as he stares at the ground. he looks defeated, as does everyone else around him. na-hee is leaning heavily on hyun-ho, sporting what appears to be a broken ankle, and the athletes eyes shine with unshed tears.

"what happened?" you breathe out.

they don't reply. everyone looks away in shame.

mi-na steps forward, glancing between each member of the group in search of something, anything, "hey, say something. where's dong-hyun? what on earth happened?"

"he thought..." so-mi begins, her bottom lip trembling. a sniffle escapes her, "he thought the white line disappeared...and went to check on it, but he slipped."

it feels like a punch to the gut, hearing her words. it strikes itself into the soft tissue of your flesh, throbbing insistently, and you have to force yourself to breathe when it begins to ache.

kyung-jun walks up, stopping in front of jun-hee, "what about the village. how far did you go?" jun-hee doesn't answer, which is an explanation in itself. still, kyung-jun stares in disbelief, his anger rising along with his tone, "you said you'd find people and ask for help! did you?!"

jun-hee's eyes never leave the ground, and he has to all but force the words out, "we can't go. it's all blocked by the lines."

kyung-jun breathes out a shaky breath. his jaw tightens, and he turns around, throwing his phone on the ground with a curse. it slides across the floor, landing at your feet. you glance at it, feeling completely and utterly numb as jun-hee's words repeat in your mind, over and over again. so you're trapped. you have to play. if you don't abide by the rules or find the mafia, you'll die.

how did it come to this?

you reach down and pick up the phone. kyung-jun's case is black, with a red stripe going down the right side. his wallpaper is a photo of a basketball player, probably one in the states. you don't recognize it. you glance back up, searching for his face, studying the tension in his bones and the frustration in his eyes.

how long until that anger diminishes, and there's nothing left but a trace of himself?

you march up to him, and kyung-jun only has a moment to turn and regard you before you're forcefully grabbing his hand and slapping the phone into the palm of it. he blinks in surprise, but you don't say anything as you walk away, disappearing up the steps, an echo of a thought resounding in your head.

kyung-jun could die in this game, and the thought of that haunts you.

it's nighttime now, and there have been no new developments. no new solutions, and no voice to direct you in the game. you're not exactly sure what happens now. do you discuss potential candidates for mafia? do you find another way around the rules?

you turn the corner, pausing when you spot yoon-seo and jung-won at the end. they're talking to da-bum, and the conversation must have just ended, for the boy turns and walks away. you approach the two girls.

"kyung-jun?" you question, to which they nod. you sigh softly in response. of course. you didn't understand why da-bum continued listening to him. he wasn't small by any means. if he tried, he could probably stand his own against either of the three delinquents in a fight. it must be his meek personality that stops him from doing so.

just then you hear cursing and yelling, and the sound of repeated banging. you all share a look before rushing towards the source of the sound, leading you to an office. jun-hee is inside, slamming a phone repeatedly against the desk while he spews out several different curses.

"hey! jun-hee!" yoon-seo rushes forward, preventing jun-hee from continuing his previous actions. beside you, jung-won turns on the lights, washing the room in light and revealing the messy space, "what are you doing?" the phone rings again, and the four of you glance towards it, "isn't that a phone call? what's wrong?" she reaches down to pick up, but jun-hee turns around and takes it from her, slamming it back down.

"just leave it." he mutters.

"what's wrong?" rather than be angry, yoon-seo's voice softens, her eyes creased in worry.

"it's all fake."

"what?"

jun-hee picks up the phone, showing the cut off cord, "the wire wasn't even connected."

you stare at it in disbelief, "seriously?" how did that make any sense? how could the phone ring when it wasn't even connected? and why?

yoon-seo begins checking other phones, her search producing the same result. you glance around the room, rushing towards computers and clicking on mouses and buttons on the monitor. nothing. opening the cabinets beneath the desk provide a similar outcome.

"look at this." you turn towards jung-won, who holds up a binder. inside, there's nothing. not even blank sheets of paper, "it's empty."

"this is hopeless, isn't it?" you mumble. your words feel heavy in the air, and a small part of you regrets voicing it out loud.

the four of you trickle out of the room, finding some couches nearby. you slump into the seat, staring at the ceiling while processing the past 10 minutes. none of it made sense. was some sort of supernatural being involved? did someone piss off the gods?

yoon-seo breaks your contemplative state with a question, "why on earth do you think the person who created the mafia game is doing this?"

"to torture us probably." you mutter bitterly. no one disagrees.

yoon-seo straightens, determination settling on her features, "we need to first figure out who created this game and why."

"where do you think the creator of this game is? were the only ones here right now." jung-won questions.

"what if they come once we fall asleep? that's when they killed ju-won too." jun-hee reasons, only for yoon-seo to shake her head.

"they said the mafia killed ju-won, but our classmates are the only ones on the participants list."

"yoon-seo's right," you chime in, "anyone else would've been on the list. this is between our classmates."

"then," jun-hee begins, concern building steadily on his face, "does that mean one of us killed ju-won?"

yoon-seo nods, albeit a bit hesitantly, "if its according to the rules, i guess so."

you tried to imagine it. one of your classmates, people you've spent the year with, killing someone in cold blood. it was hard. but then again, did they have a choice? it's not like they wanted to be apart of the mafia team. it was just bad luck, plain and simple.

you stand up, gaining your friends attention, "it's gonna be midnight soon. should we find the others?"

jun-hee nods, pushing himself up as well, "yeah, let's go."

the four of you venture down the hall, searching for any sign of your classmates. just as you turn the corner you run into woo-ram, whose entire body sags in relief at the sight of your group. behind him, hyun-ho and na-hee approach.

woo-ram goes up to jun-hee, holding his hands, "hey, i looked everywhere for you. let's go, everyone is about to vote."

jun-hee's eyes widen in disbelief, "they're going to vote again after heo-yool died?"

woo-ram looks down in shame, "the game has to end for us to leave. we have no choice."

"even so, how can we do that again?" yoon-seo asks, and her intention is clear.

how can we pick someone to die?

yoon-seo shakes her head more forcefully now, refusing woo-ram's words, "we need to stop them. we shouldn't vote."

"how can we stop them?" jung-won asks, a thoughtful look crossing over her face, "we need a plan to persuade them."

"i'll persuade them," jun-hee announces, facing woo-ram once more, "are they all gathered?"

the boy shakes his head, "no, they're in several rooms."

"let's gather everyone first."

"i'll help too." na-hee chimes in.

yoon-seo startles suddenly, glancing between everyone currently present, "where is da-bum?"

"oh," you mumble, coming to the same conclusion. she knew who da-bum was with, but not where. this wasn't good, "kyung-jun figured out a way to open the snack bar. he's probably there."

hyun-ho lets out a harsh breath, "geez, those damn bastards. they really get on my nerves."

jun-hee nods his head towards the stairs "come on, lets go."

everyone rushes towards the snack bar, every second that passes making the agitation in jun-hee's and hyun-ho's demeanor grow. when you arrive, jun-hee throws open the door, yelling at the trio. you're the last one in, and you catch a glimpse of da-bum on the floor, held down by seung-bin and jin-a. kyung-jun sits in a chair across from him, and he glances up at your arrival, meeting your eyes for a brief moment.

"that's enough," jun-hee rushes over to da-bum, pulling jin-a off while yoon-seo pulls seung-bin away. he looks between the three culprits, and you can't remember the last time you've seen jun-hee look so pissed off. it was a little scary, "what are you guys doing?"

none of them answer, so you take the opportunity to walk over and help yoon-seo in pulling da-bum off the floor. you can feel kyung-jun's eyes watching your every movement.

hyun-ho tsks in mock disappointment, "one against three? aren't you embarrassed of yourselves?"

kyung-jun stands up then, ignoring hyun-ho as he yanks da-bum by the collar towards him, "where do you think you're going?"

jun-hee pushes kyung-jun back, but his grip remains strong. jun-hee's frustration spikes, "hey, that's enough. come with us. we need to discuss something."

kyung-jun snaps his attention towards jun-hee, scoffing in disbelief, "why should i listen to you?" when he doesn't answer he shoves jun-hee aside, yelling, "hey! you!"

hyun-ho shoves kyung-jun just as forcefully, "dammit, hey!"

kyung-jun doesn't regain his footing right away, stumbling over a chair. hyun-ho glances at him, up and down, regarding him with little interest. everyone starts to trail out of the room, including hyun-ho, who nudges you along. you spare a glance at kyung-jun, noting his anger, the way he wears it. why couldn't you just leave it at the door, kyung-jun, just this once?

you're almost to the door, next to jung-won, when you hear it. kyung-jun's yell and the sound of a crash. you turn around and a box of candies lay at da-bum's feet. you jump back slightly, startled.

kyung-jun breathes heavily, his lips curled up into a sneer, "why should i listen, you son of a bitch? come here."

hyun-ho glances at the discarded box, releasing a tired sigh, "fucking bastards." he mutters under his breath. he turns around, going over to a can of chips, sizing it up in his hand, "words don't get through to you, huh? you need a beating."

no. you know where this is going. it was expected, of course. the tension the past 24 hours and their frustrations steadily rising, slowing boiling over. but no matter how you look at it, it doesn't end well.

kyung-jun is rearing back for a punch when you dash forward, only to get pulled back by a pair of arms. jun-hee's hold on you is tight, unrelenting even as you struggle in his grip and scream at him to let you go. but he doesn't listen, and you're forced to watch as the two boys fight. bodies are thrown, objects used to hurt the other. it's when kyung-jun is flipped onto the ground and hyun-ho straddles him, his fingers tight around his neck, do you panic once more, your efforts even more frantic.

"stop it!" you scream, staring helplessly as kyung-jun's face turns red, his legs thrashing, "stop it, you'll kill him!"

"let the fuck go! let go, you son of a bitch!" kyung-jun screams, his fingers reaching up to rip hyun-ho's fingers away. it doesn't work.

"will you listen?" hyun-ho threatens. instead of answering, kyung-jun flails around even more, causing hyun-ho to tighten his grip, "will you do as we say!"

"hyun-ho!" you scream.

kyung-jun releases another yell before ceasing his struggle entirely, "alright, you motherfucker!"

hyun-ho finally lets go, and jun-hee releases you. you step forward, watching kyung-jun on the ground. he's breathing heavily, his fingers ghosting over the red marks embedded into the skin on his neck. he finally sits up, his eyes set on hyun-ho, then on a desk towards the side. you switch your gaze between the two, realizing what he had in mind. as kyung-jun picks up the scissors and marches over to hyun-ho you rush forward, gripping his upper arms and pushing him back.

"stop it, just stop!" you plead desperately.

kyung-jun pauses, glancing down at you. his jaw is tight, his eyes blazing, but they waver when they settle on you.

"what are you thinking, huh?" you whisper, studying his face carefully, trying to find an answer. your bottom lip trembles as you speak, "getting into fights and trying to...to what? kill hyun-ho? what will people think?"

jung-won comes up behind you, "don't waste your breath," she looks at kyung-jun, who directs his attention to her, "i think they'll all start voting once we give them the go. how about it?" she waves her phone tauntingly, "should i click your name?"

his face twists in anger again, moving his body to step towards her, "you fucking bitch-"

you push kyung-jun back once more, softer this time. he doesn't fight it, and you take another step closer, reaching for his hands and holding them gently in your own. he focuses on you, and once again his demeanor changes, wavering ever so slightly, "please kyung-jun. this isn't some game anymore. people are dying, and you'll be next if you don't stop." you curl your fingers around his own, your grip firm, "put it down, and i swear we won't say anything. please."

he chews the inside of his gums, contemplating your words. he glances up, examining everyone in the room. eventually, he looks back down at you, and slowly, his fingers relax around the scissors, allowing possession to switch to your hand. he backs away, slumping down into a chair in defeat.

"we'll all gather in the auditorium," yoon-seo announces, pointedly looking at each of the men beaten up on the ground, "you guys should come too." one by one, everyone shuffles out. hyun-ho remains at the door for a moment. kyung-jun lifts up his head, narrowing his eyes in silent hatred.

"keep the snack bar open for everyone." he turns to leave, but pauses when he notices your failure to follow. he calls out your name, "you coming?"

you don't take your eyes off of kyung-jun, examining his face. there are cuts on his nose and cheek, bruises slowly forming in other places around it. an ache echoes in your chest, a sort of hurt that forms at the sight of someone you care for suffering. your words leave your mouth before you can think better of it, "yes. in a minute. i'll meet you there."

he hesitates for a moment before slipping away, leaving just you, kyung-jun and his friends in the room. kyung-jun is the first to break eye contact, averting his gaze towards the ground, frustration steadily making its way onto his features. he kicks at a stray can, the object sliding across the floor as he swears.

unfazed, you shorten the distance between you two, reaching over and pulling on his jacket. another swear word escapes his lips, harshly pushing your hand away, "get off of me."

"kyung-jun." your voice is cold and serious, a tone you rarely use with anyone. it's a demand. the boy glances up, his glaring even more intensified, but you don't waver, standing your ground, waiting patiently for the moment his resolve falters. when it does, kyung-jun swears one last time before getting up. he trails after you silently.

you lead him to the infirmary, pushing the door open and stepping inside. you stop by one of the beds, facing him for a moment to speak, "sit." you tell him, and he slumps down without a word. even so, kyung-jun complains silently. his fingers grip the sheets beneath him, and his head hangs low, the tic in his jaw moving from time to time. was he sulking? the sight of it is almost cute if you weren't so angry with him.

you step towards the nurses desk, opening cabinets and grabbing the supplies you need. when you return, you have a box of band-aids, q-tips and a bottle of disinfectant. you take your position on the space beside kyung-jun, your knees brushing, your body angled towards his own. he glances at you, at the supplies in your hand, and grumbles before mirroring your body language. nervousness builds in your throat, and you swallow thickly to let it pass before starting.

you get to work patching up his face. kyung-jun doesn't make a sound. doesn't even move. just stares at you silently, his eyes intense, carefully following your movements as you press the q-tips against the cut on his cheek and across his nose. luckily, your hands don't tremble as they work, and your breaths come out even, despite being so close to his face. gently, you place the last band-aid over his cut, leaning back ever so slightly to inspect your work.

oh. that was a mistake.

from your position, you can see kyung-jun's face more clearly. there is no emotion guarding his expression, just kyung-jun, raw and untouched. blue moonlight washes delicately over his features, which, other than the bruising and recent injuries, contains no blemishes. not a freckle or a beauty mark. something settles in your chest then, attention pinned to his roughed up state. it wasn't pity. it was something more tender than that, something similar to the warmth you felt earlier in the day. you can't stop yourself from feeling concern morph its way onto your features, or the way your hand reaches up and touches the bruise on his cheek. kyung-jun flinches, and you retract the slightest bit, but he doesn't move, doesn't speak, just continues examining you silently, waiting. you reach forward and touch it again, gentler this time. he allows you.

"it must have hurt." you mumble, brushing your fingers across it softly. you recall the fear you felt, the desperation when kyung-jun was on the floor, facing death. an ache builds within your chest, deep inside your bones.

kyung-jun narrows his eyes in suspicion, "why?"

you blink, tilting your head slightly, "why what?"

"i didn't ask for your sympathy." this time he pushes your hand away, standing up. he looks down at you, his anger slowly returning to it's rightful place, "don't use me as some charity case to fulfill your own moral dilemmas."

you lean back, startled, and you feel your own frustration build. your words are coated thickly in disbelief, "is that what you think this is?"

"what else could it be?"

"do i have to spell it out for you?" you stand up, lifting your head to meet his gaze head on. the words spill out quickly, one after the other, "because i want to, kyung-jun. because i care." you didn't realize the truth of it until you spoke it out loud. when did that happen? when did kyung-jun force himself a place inside your heart?

kyung-jun retracts slightly, as if he didn't expect that answer. for a moment, his walls crumble, but he's quick to put the pieces back together, "well don't."

he turns, leaving the room with a purposeful stride. you watch him for a moment, still in utter disbelief, before rushing after him, "hey, don't tell me what to feel, kyung-jun."

"fine!" he snaps, continuing on. he doesn't spare you a single glance, "do whatever you want. i don't give a fuck."

you release a frustrated breath at his response. isn't that funny? how kyung-jun is the only one capable of bringing out these emotions in you. for so long, you felt like a ghost wandering the earth, barely even really alive. an empty shell of a human being. it was a relief to feel so many things at once, even if it was the ugly emotions, "why are you so difficult?"

he swings back around, and you almost bump into him from the suddenness of the motion, "you're the one making this so damn difficult. you're the one who-" he pauses, and if you didn't know any better, you would think it's panic that comes across his face then. you want to question it, but kyung-jun swings back around before you can, his stride purposeful once more, "you're annoying. now leave me the fuck alone."

you curse him under your breath, continuing your chase once more.

you make it to the gym, and upon entering, everyone turns to stare at the two of you. kyung-jun curses them as he crosses the room, "the fuck you all looking at?"

his words cause everyone to glance away, continuing their previous tasks. you clear your throat, slowly resuming your steps as well. you assume your position next to hyun-ho, who sends you a questioning glance. you ignore it, directing your attention towards the front of the room where jun-hee stands.

"the reason we gathered you here isn't to choose who to vote for. it's to convince you not to vote at all." jun-hee announces, resulting in several murmurs of confusion throughout the gym.

"don't vote at all?" hyun-ho asks, an edge of doubt laced in his tone, "can we do that?"

"if we vote, someone will die no matter what. but if no one votes, everyone can live."

mi-na steps forward, "what if someone secretly votes after we all agree not to? what happens then?"

"she's right. how can we trust everyone?" ji-soo asks.

"we'll have to make everyone trust each other," jun-hee goes quiet for a moment, thinking, before coming to a conclusion, "we can collect all the phones so no one can vote."

everyone ponders the idea, as do you. no voting. would that truly work? it wasn't stated in the rules, but then again, leaving the boundaries of the game wasn't explicitly said either. what if things went wrong like last time?

eun-ha perks up, the first to agree to the terms, "yeah, no one can vote if we collect all the phones. we can do that."

"who's going to manage the phones? that person might change their mind." ji-soo questions, causing yoon-seo to step forward.

"we can collect them and leave them in the middle for all to see."

"yeah, we can all keep an eye on them." jung-won agrees.

"what if someone steals them?" mi-na asks. when no one answers she steps back, shaking her head, "i don't want to. i'm not handing mine in."

people start talking amongst themselves, a mixture between compliance and reluctance. you turn towards hyun-ho, "do you think this is safe?"

hyun-ho grins at your question, turning his body to face your own, "what, you scared? don't worry, i'll protect you."

you glance away, unimpressed, "save the chivalry for na-hee" hyun-ho falters, and you lift an eyebrow in question, almost in disbelief, "come on, you know she likes you."

hyun-ho never gets the chance to respond, for a new voice enters the argument. kyung-jun breathes out in annoyance, "you guys are fucking noisy." he lifts himself up from the bench he was previously slumped on, picking up a yellow trashcan and approaching the middle of the circle, "class president is saying something right for fucking once. why aren't you all cooperating?" he puts it down in front of jun-hee, turning around to face the rest of the class, "you need to hand your phone in so no one can vote. every one of you better hand them in," he pulls out his own phone, holding it up as proof. he turns towards hyun-ho, his expression eerily blank. what was he up to? "hand it in while i say it nicely." his eyes slide over to your own before dropping the phone in the trashcan with a soft thud.

no one else moves, so you take it upon yourself to pull out your phone and walk up to the trashcan. it drops inside, and you avoid looking kyung-jun in the face as you turn around and assume your previous spot.

kyung-jun goes around with the bucket, and everyone puts their phone in with quiet reluctance. he places it in the center of the room, turning back around to face you and hyun-ho. he glances between you two, scoffs, then sits back down on a bench.

it's silent then. na-hee now sits in a chair beside hyun-ho, nervously fiddling with the strap of her bag, and your own nervous habits arise as you fiddle with the edge of your skirt. the alarm echoes at the one minute mark until midnight.

ONE MINUTE LEFT UNTIL VOTING ENDS.

the energy in the room intensifies. everyone is on edge, waiting anxiously for the moment to arrive. unknowingly, your teeth begin worrying at your bottom lip, your knuckles turning white around your school uniform. seung-bin yells in frustration, turning towards jun-hee.

"hey, class president! are you sure this is okay?"

"let's wait for now. it's not even midnight yet." jun-hee calmly responds, causing the voices to quiet down once more.

eventually, the clock passes midnight, and nothing happens.

woo-ram gets up from the floor, "hey...hey hey! it's past midnight, and there's no announcement. did...did it work?"

"we're fine now, right?" so-mi confirms.

everyone starts cheering then, embraces exchanged and relieved tears streaking down faces. you glance at na-hee and hyun-ho, catching sight of the girl flinging her arms around his neck, pulling him into an embrace. normally, you would've felt a semblance of joy at the scene, but unease refuses to release it's hold on you. the hair on the back of your neck stands up, goosebumps erupting across your flesh. something doesn't feel right. you continue chewing on your bottom lip.

an alarm erupts to life, and you glance up, heart pounding.

PARTICIPANTS MUST VOTE TO TRACK DOWN THE MAFIA.

the phones in the bucket start blaring in alarm, a chorus of dings and warnings erupting from that single container. the sound rattles in your bones, echoing in your ears.

joo-young tries running towards it, but hyun-ho stops her, "hey! what are you doing?"

"what do you think? if i don't do anything and die, will you fucking take responsibility?" she screams.

"she's right." mi-na agrees, also moving her body to rush towards the bucket. this time jun-hee is the one to stop her from continuing.

"guys hold on! hold on! we don't know yet."

"know what?" joo-young seethes, frustrated tears spilling down her cheeks, "the game will just progress as it did."

"if we die because of you," mi-na begins, stepping towards jun-hee. her eyes are cold, her teeth clenched, "will you take responsibility?"

so-mi steps forward in defense, "hey! don't blame jun-hee for no reason and calm down."

mi-na stares at her for a moment before turning around, clearly pissed. she only takes three steps before a body falls down in front of her, the impact of it hitting the ground echoing loudly in the gym. she jumps, backing away, as do others around her.

you fall down at the sight, legs giving out beneath you, heart pounding rapidly inside your chest. you stare at the lifeless body just several meters from your own, the limbs bent in unnatural ways, a pool of blood slowly spilling across the floor.

LEE SOO-BIN AND PARK JI-HOON WILL BE EXECUTED FOR VIOLATING THE RULES.

the girl slowly pushes herself up until she's standing straight. blood drips down the side of her head, her eyes missing their pupils. she takes a step forward in your direction, and you scoot back, fear striking itself between your ribs. a body drops down on top of her, landing just inches away from you. a scream rips itself from your throat, piercing. you squeeze your eyes shut and press your palms against your ears.

LEE SOO-BIN AND PARK JI-HOON WERE CIVILIAINS.

there was that word again. were.

"we need to vote. we'll die if we abstain!"

you both hear and feel people rushing past you, a chorus of yells and swears muffled by the hands still pressed tightly against your head. you shake your head numbly, willing the images of the dead bodies to go away. bodies. you can't even call them by name anymore, huh?

the sound of lights dying with a buzz causes you to snap your eyes open, immediately being greeted by darkness. red lights replace them, turning on and off, flashing, the alarm more consistent now. warning you all to do something in order to survive. someone bumps into you again, and you feel pain erupt in your shoulder. then, a pair of hands are gripping your upper arms, shaking you aggressively, pulling you away from your blank state. you glance up, meeting kyung-jun's anxious eyes.

"what the fuck are you doing?" he shouts, rapidly scanning your face.

you can't answer. your lips tremble, moving, but no sounds come out.

kyung-jun swears, releasing you and rushing towards the chaos. you call out his name, but he doesn't listen, shoving people aside as he drops down to his knees and searches the ground. the sight of him, desperate and fearful, forces you to get up and rush towards him, rapidly assessing the ground beside him. around you, people are screaming, cursing, and the announcement continues calling out names. it never seems to end.

he picks up a phone, swears and throws it across the room. he picks up another, and shoves it in your hand, "now hurry up and vote!"

you take it, fingers still trembling, staring at the sight of all your classmates names and images displayed on the screen. but who do you vote for? who do you decide who lives and dies? kyung-jun is still staring at you, waiting, so you pick the first name you see.

"hyun-ho!"

you turn, and na-hee is screaming from the ground, her tears glistening under the red light. hyun-ho's back faces her, slowly stumbling away, and with horror, you realize the meaning behind her anguished cries and his strange behavior. you feel a cry get caught in your throat.

"no. no no no no no." you mumble repeatedly to yourself, moving to get up. you rush towards him, pulling at his jacket, but he shoves you back, hard, and you fall to the ground with a cry. you watch helplessly as he goes towards the stairs, hearing na-hee's screams, the alarm blaring, the voice calling out names and occupations.

his body falls. his bones crack. it swings from side to side.

JANG HYUN-HO WAS A CIVILIAN.

the red lights turn off, the alarm stops, and the room is engulfed in quiet and darkness for a few moments. then, the lighting returns to normal, as if nothing had transpired.

THE VOTING HAS ENDED. BY POPULAR VOTE OF 10 VOTES, BAEK EUN-HA WILL BE EXECUTED. BAEK EUN-HA IS A CIVILIAN.

you search for the girl in the room, finding her on the floor, sobbing violently. she shakily pushes herself up to stand, her sobs growing louder as she goes up to different people in the room, "i told you i was a civilian. i told you i wasn't the mafia!"

you shut out her cries, directing your attention towards na-hee, who is still on the ground, her tears now silent. her sad eyes stare blankly into space, her lips trembling. you shuffle towards her, pulling on the sleeve of her uniform. "na-hee. we have to go."

she doesn't budge. doesn't even look at you, "why? hyun-ho is gone."

it's like a slap to the face, saying it out loud. hyun-ho is dead. he will never make it to the national team. he will never look at you with that genuine concern of his. his presence will never calm the people around him. your lips tremble, several tears escaping your own face, "na-hee, please. if we don't go, the mafia will come and-"

she starts crying even more, her wails striking a deep ache within your chest. but this time, she doesn't protest as you help her up and guide her towards the group still standing in the center of the room.

you get there just as eun-ha is rushing out the room. no one runs after her nor calls out for her to return. you help na-hee to the floor, dropping down beside her. your classmates don't make a sound, the despair hanging above their heads, weighing heavy on their shoulders. you find kyung-jun several feet away, slumped into a chair, his head hanging low and his hands clasped together. a part of you aches to reach over and offer a semblance of comfort.

from above, the same song from last night comes on, rendering you helpless. you close your eyes, body dropping to the floor with a soft thud.

NIGHT HAS COME.

part three.

#fluff #angst #ko kyung jun #kyung jun #night has come #kyung jun x reader #ko kyung jun x reader #kyung jun/reader #ko kyung jun/reader

58 notes · View notes

rainsoughtflowers · 2 months ago

Text

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?"

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.

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.

#ko kyung jun #kyung jun #night has come #fluff #angst

59 notes · View notes