"Retribution"

One night, in her modest home, Nina Park was busy organizing her work documents in her study. The desk lamp cast a soft glow on her slightly weary face after a long day at school.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Nina frowned, wondering who would visit so late at night. With a hint of hesitation, she got up and walked to the door. When she opened it, she was shocked to see Seung Min standing there, wearing a hoodie and displaying a calm yet meaningful expression.

Nina Park eyed him suspiciously. "How do you know my home address?" she asked, still standing at the doorway.

Seung Min gave a faint smile before replying in a casual tone, "I am Hae Jin."

Nina froze, her eyes widening. "What?"

Seung Min let out a slow sigh. "I am your younger brother."

Nina suddenly felt dizzy. She stared at Seung Min in disbelief. "Don't joke around... Hae Jin has been dead for a long time."

Seung Min gazed at her intently, as if waiting for her reaction.

The night grew even quieter, with only the sound of the wind rustling the leaves outside. Inside Nina's heart, a storm of emotions began to swirl.

Seung Min sat in the living room, his eyes casually scanning the various photos displayed on the walls and shelves. Among them were pictures of Nina Park during her college years, several family photos, and one particular old photograph that caught his attention—a young boy with a bright smile, proudly wearing a gold medal around his neck.

Beside it, a small shelf held several trophies and medals neatly arranged. Seung Min reached out, picked up one of the medals, turning it over in his hands before smiling faintly. "I won this back then," he murmured, as if speaking to himself.

Nina Park stood a few steps away, still confused and slightly uneasy. She watched Seung Min with a mix of emotions—curiosity, fear, and uncertainty all swirling together.

"I still don't understand what you're saying," Nina finally spoke, her voice hesitant. "Hae Jin is already dead... How could you possibly..."

Seung Min turned to look at her, his gaze filled with meaning. "But I'm here now, aren't I?" he said with a small, enigmatic smile.

Nina felt her head spinning. She didn't know whether to believe him or dismiss this as some kind of cruel joke.

After revealing numerous secrets—things only her younger brother could have known—Seung Min finally saw the doubt in Nina Park's eyes begin to waver.

"Remember the time you broke Mom's favorite vase and blamed it on me?" Seung Min asked with a teasing smile.

Nina froze. "That was years ago..."

"Or when you hid your diary under the loose floorboard in your old room? You thought no one knew, but I did."

Nina's breath hitched. No one could have possibly known that—not even their parents.

Her hands trembled as she covered her mouth, realization dawning upon her. "It really is you..." she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

Seung Min simply nodded, his expression calm yet filled with an unspoken warmth.

Overcome with emotion, Nina took a step forward before finally pulling him into a tight embrace. "Hae Jin... You're really back..."

Seung Min remained still for a moment before softly patting her back. "I told you, Noona. I never left."

The weight of years of grief, doubt, and longing seemed to dissolve in that single moment as Nina held onto him, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear again.

After a moment, Nina Park slowly released her embrace. Her eyes were still filled with confusion and disbelief. She stared at Seung Min intently before finally asking in a trembling voice.

"How is it possible that you are in Seung Min's body?"

Seung Min let out a quiet sigh, then sat back down on the sofa, staring at his intertwined fingers.

"I don't know for sure," he replied. "But when I woke up, I was already in this body. Like a reincarnation... or transmigration. But one thing I do know for sure, this is no coincidence."

Nina furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

"Something is wrong with this school, Noona," Seung Min looked at her seriously. "The system here isn't just about rankings. There's something deeper and more dangerous... and I need you to help me stop it."

Nina Park fell silent. She was a teacher, but she also knew how strange the school's system was. The Death Card Game, which determined students' rankings, the rules seemingly designed to create brutal competition, and the numerous inexplicable incidents.

"I know something is wrong," she muttered. "But I've never been able to find solid proof..."

Seung Min gave a small smirk. "That's why I'm here. We can take this system down together."

Nina stared into his eyes, still hesitant, but a new sense of hope began to stir within her. If the person standing before her was truly Hae Jin, then maybe, just maybe, they could change everything.

As Seung Min stepped out of the gate, his phone suddenly rang. Jae Hoon's name appeared on the screen.

"Hello?" Seung Min answered while walking toward his motorcycle.

"Come to the café where Dae Hyun works," Jae Hoon's voice sounded serious.

Without asking further, Seung Min quickly rode to the café. When he arrived, he saw Jae Hoon and Dae Hyun sitting in a corner with tense expressions.

"What's going on?" Seung Min asked immediately.

Jae Hoon exhaled before speaking. "We just found out something crazy."

Dae Hyun added, "It's about Jin Ho's father."

Seung Min frowned. "His father?"

Jae Hoon nodded. "Jin Ho's father is a police officer, but not just any officer. He's been taking bribes from Lee Jo Hyun, Jin Seok's father, who owns Cheongdam Vocational High School."

Seung Min fell silent, processing the information.

Dae Hyun continued, "We learned this after overhearing Jin Ho talking. He said his father was always receiving threats from someone. That's why he's so temperamental and easily angered."

"And then?" Seung Min asked.

Jae Hoon looked at him seriously. "Jin Ho's phone suddenly went dead right after that. We don't know what happened, but this is definitely not a coincidence."

Seung Min clenched his fists. "So, this is bigger than we thought."

Meanwhile, at Jin Ho's house, chaos erupted. His father, a seasoned police officer, fought desperately against an intruder—a towering, muscular man. The struggle was intense, but the man was too strong. With a final, brutal strike, Jin Ho's father collapsed onto the floor, bleeding.

A group of men, dressed in dark suits, stood behind the attacker. They watched in silence before quickly leaving the scene, their mission complete.

Lying in a pool of his own blood, Jin Ho's father struggled to breathe. His trembling hand reached for the necklace around his neck. With the last of his strength, he took it off and held it out as Jin Ho knelt beside him.

His voice was weak but filled with regret. "I'm sorry… for everything. I know I made your life miserable… I only wanted to protect you…"

Tears streamed down Jin Ho's face as he clutched his father's hand. "No… no, don't say that! Stay with me!"

But it was too late. His father's grip loosened, and his eyes slowly shut.

The sound of sirens pierced the night air as an ambulance arrived. Medics rushed inside, but there was nothing they could do.

At the morgue, Jin Ho stood motionless in front of the lifeless body covered with a white sheet. His hands clenched into fists, his entire body trembling.

Then, he broke down. "Why… why did it have to be like this?" His voice cracked as he sobbed uncontrollably.

No matter how much he had resented his father, he never wanted this.

At the same time, Seung Min, Dae Hyun, and Jae Hoon arrived at the morgue. As soon as they saw Jin Ho sitting weakly beside his father's body, they immediately approached him.

Jae Hoon crouched beside Jin Ho, gently patting his shoulder. "Jin Ho..." His voice was soft, trying to comfort him.

Jin Ho didn't respond, his tears kept falling. His eyes were red and swollen, his breath hitching between sobs.

Dae Hyun stood behind him, trying to hold back his own emotions. "You're not alone. We're here," he said in a low voice.

Seung Min, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Cry as much as you need. But after this… we will make them pay." His gaze was sharp, filled with determination.

Jin Ho bit his lip, lowering his head. He felt shattered, but deep inside, vengeance began to burn.

Elsewhere,Inside the grand mansion of Lee Joo Hyun, the atmosphere was tense and eerily quiet. Jin Seok pushed open the door to his father's office, walking in with a calm demeanor, though his eyes carried a hidden edge.

Behind a luxurious desk, Lee Joo Hyun sat with an air of authority, his fingers idly tapping a pen against the polished wood. He barely acknowledged his son's entrance.

Jin Seok's gaze sharpened as he spoke, "Why did you kill Jin Ho's father? Was it because you thought he was incompetent?" His voice was steady, but a subtle irritation seeped through his words.

Lee Joo Hyun finally looked up, meeting his son's gaze with an impassive expression. "He asked too many questions. Besides, isn't it better to eliminate a problem before it grows out of control?" he replied nonchalantly.

Just then, a soft rustling sound came from the doorway. Min Joon leaned against the frame, watching their conversation with mild amusement. With a casual tone, he chimed in, "I think Father did the right thing. People like Jin Ho's father would only become a burden if left unchecked."

Jin Seok scoffed lightly before turning to leave. As he passed by Min Joon, he muttered coldly, "You don't know anything, so stay out of this. Don't overstep your boundaries, Min Joon. You're just a stepbrother."

Without waiting for a response, Jin Seok walked away, leaving Min Joon standing there with a faint, unfazed smirk.

As they returned home, Seung Min walked alongside Dae Hyun. The night felt quieter than usual, perhaps because of the lingering sorrow that still weighed on them.

On the way, Seung Min glanced at Dae Hyun and said, "Just stay over at my place tonight. You live alone, right? I bet you don't have any food at home."

Dae Hyun hesitated at first, but after a moment of thought, he finally nodded. "Alright."

When they arrived, they took off their shoes at the entrance and stepped inside. Dae Hyun looked around, observing the house with tired eyes before finally making his way to the sofa and sitting down with a slumped posture.

Across the room, Lee So Mi was watching TV, but her gaze shifted toward Dae Hyun. She silently observed him, as if trying to read his mood.

Meanwhile, Seung Min walked into the kitchen and asked his mother, "Where's Dad?"

His mother, still busy with her tasks, replied, "He's still at work. He might be home late tonight."

Lee So Mi, who had been watching Dae Hyun for a while, finally spoke up. "Where did you guys come from?" she asked curiously. "And... are you staying over?"

Dae Hyun turned to look at her, then gave a small nod. "Yeah, Seung Min insisted," he replied with a faint smile, trying to lighten the mood, though his eyes still reflected exhaustion.

During dinner, the atmosphere at the table was quieter than usual. Seung Min, Dae Hyun, and Lee So Mi sat together, eating the meal prepared by their mother.

"Eat plenty," Seung Min's mother said gently, noticing how Dae Hyun seemed a bit down.

Dae Hyun nodded slightly and picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks. "Thank you, Auntie," he replied politely.

Lee So Mi glanced at Seung Min before finally asking, "Aren't you guys going to tell me what really happened?"

Seung Min only gave a faint smile. "There's nothing to tell right now, So Mi. Maybe later."

After dinner, they cleaned up the table together, and then Seung Min showed Dae Hyun the guest room.

"You can sleep here," Seung Min said, placing a blanket on the bed.

Dae Hyun sat at the edge of the bed and let out a deep sigh. "Thanks, Seung Min."

Seung Min nodded before heading to his own room. Just as he was about to lie down, his door creaked open slightly, revealing Lee So Mi's face.

"Oppa, if you need anything, just let me know," she said softly before closing the door again.

The night grew deeper, and the house fell silent. But in their hearts, thoughts and emotions still swirled, especially about the events they had just gone through.

🎵 "God's Menu" – Stray Kids