DEATH PLAY

** Episode 6**

"What are you doing here? I told you not to come around while Min-Jun is in this mess." Si Woon sputtered pulling her to the wall.

Ha-ri' left out a suffocating sigh looking down at her bare feet in her indoor shoes. Not once have you stopped thinking and crying every day and night knowing Min-Jun was going to be harshly sentence or might even die. And when she got information from an anonymous on phone who'd refuse to give his name, that Min-Jun got out, she hurried to the company.

"I thought about it, I can't let Min-Jun suffer for what he knows nothing about. I need to come clean," Ha-Ri said her voice trembling.

"What?" Si Woon murmured. He move closer to Ha-ri and hold her face up in his palms, he observed closely into her eyes and muttered, "Did you drink again, are you on it? I beg you to stop__"

" I didn't," Ha-Ri said curtly forcefully letting go of his gripped. "Not a drop since that day." She added. Definitely, she knew he was going to be like this, try to stop her but her mind was already made up. She made to leave immediately but Si Woon pull her back.

"Are you out of your mind? Do you realize what this could cost you? You could spend the rest of your life regretting and cursing this day?" Si Woon blurted.

"And I don't care! I'd rather spend my life regretting or whatsoever than let my innocent Min-Jun suffer for my mistakes," Ha-Ri insisted, her resolve unwavering.

"Ha-Ri, please don't do this," Si Woon plead grabbing on to Ha-Ri hands but she let then off. It was very visible that she definitely was going for it.

Si Woon hit his head, trying fast to find a word more convincing to stop her from going ahead with her plans. He can't let her get into even more trouble, he can't let her suffer for the rest of her life.

It wasn't entirely her fault, she did it for Min-Jun, for the love she had for him all this years of faking just friends.

"You can't do that, besides, I don't think he's going back to prison," Si Woon said, his voice softening and quick.

"What? really, what do you mean?" Ha-Ri asked, confusion on her face.

Si Woon thought about it. Maybe giving her the information he overhead manager Ma and director Chow discussing earlier could help her change her mind. "I overheard Director Chow discussing something with Manager Ma earlier. It seems like they have a plan to get him out," Si Woon explained, his brow furrowing with concern. Ha-Ri was definitely the last person he would want to pass such information to but he let it out anyways.

---

Min-Jun entered Director Chow's office, his heart racing. As soon as he stepped inside, Director Chow stood up and walked toward him, delivering a thunderous slap that sent Min-Jun reeling.

"How could you? As the leader of the Nova X Group, how could you bring such humiliation to this industry?" Director Chow sparked, his voice filled with fury.

Manager Ma stood aside unwavering, his arms crossed.

"I didn't do it! I'm innocent! How could I commit such a heinous act?" Min-Jun protested, his voice low and teary, his hands dropping from his face.

Director Chow sneered. "Innocent, you say? With all the evidence stacked against you? You knew the rules of this company—no relationships allowed, but you chose to disregard them," Director Chow retorted, his eyes blazing.

Min-Jun tried to explain himself out but it seem it was too late. No matter what he said, it just seem useless and a lie to everyone. Not even manager Ma believed him and it just seems too funny and sad.

"No more excuses!" Director chow yelled, returning to his seat. "This industry is on the rise, and I can't let anyone bring it down. Keeping you here and fighting for you in this murderous case will only lead to the downfall of this company. We're slowly losing our fans because of this. I won't sacrifice the dreams of other members for you, Kim Min-Jun."

"What are you saying?" Min-Jun asked, a sense of dread creeping in. He glanced at Manager Ma who was standing behind director Chow. He had remained silent ever since, his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on the door.

With a cleared throat, director Chow declared, "You are no longer the leader, nor a member of this group."

"What?" Min-Jun muttered, disbelief washing over him. He looked at Manager Ma, who finally spoke up but not exactly the words he wanted to hear.

"You are barred from the group, Kim Min-Jun," Manager Ma said, his voice steady.

Min-Jun collapsed to the floor, cold sweat trickling down his back as panic set in. "What! No, that's a joke right? please tell me you're joking!" But not at all, they were damn serious.

"This can't be happening!" he pleaded, desperation evident in his eyes.

"Director Chow, you can't do this to me! I've sacrificed everything for this company. I have no future anywhere else!" he cried, crawling on his knees toward the director and Manager Ma, begging for mercy.

"You don't need to worry about your future; Officer Park will be here soon," Director Chow said coldly.

Tears streamed down Min-Jun's face as he realized the gravity of his situation. He crawled closer, pleading for a change of heart, but their minds were already made up.

"Please, Manager Ma, there has to be another way! I can prove my innocence, I can tell them I didn't do it, they'll believe me." he begged.

"No one will believe you Min-Jun. Some of your fans and A-Yeong's fans are already calling for your head. They want the court to sentence you to death or better, life imprisonment," Manager Ma replied, his voice heavy as he speaks.

"This can't be happening!" Min-Jun shouted, his voice breaking.

"It's happening already, but…" Manager Ma hesitated, glancing at Director Chow and Director Chow nodded, giving Manager Ma the go-ahead gesture. With a heavy sigh, Manager Ma handed an envelope to Min-Jun.

Min-Jun opened the envelope in a haste and read the contents, his eyes widening in astonishment. "What?" he exclaimed, his voice rising in shock. "A ticket to Kenya? Wh-what am I supposed to do with this?" He stammered, confusion etched on his face.

A heavy silence filled the room for a moment before Manager Ma sighed deeply and said, "Well, Kim Min-Jun, the only way we can help you stay safe and avoid death is for you to play dead. And that means you'll have to disappear completely, leaving no trace of your existence behind."