The Golden Lead

The sunlight poured in through the open window of Yuri's room. The chilly breeze gently blew the scattered documents in the room towards Jiwon who was seated on the floor, staring at the papers one by one, while Yuri stood by the makeshift board, her eyes fixed on the notes and pictures pinned to it.

"So, what did you manage to squeeze out from your Oppa?" Jiwon asked sarcastically, looking up at Yuri with a raised eyebrow.

Yuri scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Can you just stop saying that? It makes me want to throw up." She rubbed her nose, her expression annoyed.

Jiwon chuckled, shaking her head. "Sorry, sorry. So, what happened at the party?"

Yuri's expression turned serious. "The party was fine, alright? But there were some students in there that I don't think should have been there. Somehow, they got in, and none of the rich kids paid them any mind."

Jiwon's eyes widened, and she sat up straight. "You mean students like us got to attend a high-profile party with that bitch Jina in attendance, and she did nothing about it?"

Yuri nodded, her eyes locked on Jiwon's. "I thought I was imagining things at first, but there were some of those students I could recognize. They were victims of bullying too."

Jiwon's expression turned thoughtful. "Could it be some form of punishment? Maybe they wanted to ridicule them?"

Yuri shook her head. "If that were the case, then Jina definitely wouldn't have let them be. And you know who the party was hosted for?"

Jiwon's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Who?"

Yuri's voice dropped to a whisper. "Minjun, that prick."

Jiwon's eyes widened in shock. "The number one aggressive bully? He's back?"

Yuri nodded, her expression grim. "Yes, he is. Those students' presence at the party doesn't add up. It got me thinking if there was a pass that allowed them entrance and freedom."

Jiwon's eyes darted to the papers on the floor. "You think there's a pattern? A particular procedure that had to fall in line before those students committed suicide and disappeared?"

Yuri nodded, her eyes locked on Jiwon's. "If that be the case, I think we would have to find out what these students had to do for that procedure to be completed."

Yuri stood up and reached into her drawer, taking out a picture. "But first, we have to figure out why this student wasn't on our list."

Jiwon's eyes widened as she took the picture from Yuri. Her hands clasped over her mouth as soon as she saw it. "How did this... she's among these students? How did she end up this way?"

Jiwon looked at Yuri, her eyes filled with questions. "How did you get this?"

" Someone gave it to me. He's neither a foe nor a friend. I think he's trying to pass a message that I shouldn't go deeper into this."

Jiwon's eyes locked on the picture, her expression thoughtful. "Or he is trying to give you a golden lead. You said he was neither foe nor friend. So, he's both. He sent you both a warning and a lead."

Jiwon's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "There must be a reason why she was not on the list. She's not missing, nor is she dead. Then why doesn't she exist?"

Yuri exhaled sharply. "Maybe she doesn't want to. She might be running."

Jiwon chipped in, her voice filled with excitement. "From what exactly?"

Yuri's eyes fluttered closed for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "We'd have to find out."

Jiwon nodded, her eyes already scanning the documents on the floor. "I'll check if she had the same financial issues like the others."

Yuri's eyes snapped open. "And check if she had any connection to Minhwan, Minjun or Jina. Or the Sorority club."

Jiwon nodded, her expression determined. "I'll start searching now."

Yuri's phone rang, breaking the silence in the room. She checked the caller ID and raised an eyebrow. Minhwan. She ignored the call, letting it go to voicemail.

Jiwon looked up from the documents she was studying. "You going to keep ignoring him?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Yuri smiled, a slight sneer playing on her lips. "Giving him a taste of his own medicine. I can be even more dramatic than he is."

Jiwon shook her head, chuckling. "You and your Oppa."

Yuri's eyes flashed with annoyance, and she threw a pillow at Jiwon. "I told you not to say that word!!!!"

Jiwon dodged the pillow, laughing. "Sorry, sorry! I couldn't resist."

Yuri glared at her, but a small smile played on her lips. "Just focus on finding out more about that student."

Jiwon nodded, her expression turning serious. "I'm on it. But you should be careful around that jackass. He doesn't seem like the type to give up easily. He seems to be more into you than he was with Yonna."

Yuri's smile faltered, and she looked away, her eyes clouding over with a mixture of emotions.

Yuri's mother called out from downstairs, "Dinner's ready!"

Yuri replied, "We're coming!" She and Jiwon quickly arranged the documents and hid them along with the makeshift board before heading downstairs.

As they walked down the stairs, Jiwon asked, "Yuri, can I sleepover tonight?"

Yuri replied without hesitation, "No, you can't."

Jiwon playfully hit Yuri's shoulder. "Come on, it's too late for me to go home."

Yuri returned the hit, laughing. "It's just eight! You can't use that excuse."

As they entered the dining room, Yuri's mother greeted them with a warm smile. "Welcome, girls! Dinner is ready."

Yuri and Jiwon took their seats, and Yuri's mother began to serve the food.

As they ate, the conversation turned to school and their friends. But Yuri's mind kept wandering back to the investigation and the mysterious girl.

She couldn't shake off the feeling that they were getting close to something big. And somehow Yonna had gotten involved in it.

After dinner, Jiwon reluctantly said her goodbyes and left.

Yuri walked her to the door, watching as she disappeared into the night.

As she closed the door, Yuri's mother asked, "Yuri, is everything okay? You seem a bit distracted lately."

Yuri forced a smile, "I'm fine, Mom. Just school stuff."

Her mother looked at her skeptically, but didn't press the issue.

Yuri breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she had to keep her investigation a secret for now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Yuri entered the school premises, she sighted the gloomy figure of Minhwan approaching her. "Oh shit," she muttered to herself, turning as if avoiding him. But Minhwan was too quick, and he caught up to her before she could sprint away.

"Yuri, are you still annoyed?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Yuri turned to face him, her eyes flashing with anger. "That party. Was that your way of apologizing? Do you have any idea what that asshole Minjun said to me? I'm sure you don't. You don't care about me one bit. I'm just a trophy for you to show off, aren't I? Well, this trophy has had enough of your bull shit, so scram."

Minhwan's face fell, and he looked taken aback by Yuri's outburst. But instead of getting defensive, he took a step closer to her and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Yuri. I didn't mean it like that. I... I'm really sorry," he whispered, his voice filled with remorse.

Yuri struggled against him for a moment, but Minhwan's apology seemed sincere, and she didn't have the energy to keep fighting. She relented, her body relaxing against his.

"Fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But just this time. The next time, apologies aren't going to cut it."

Minhwan eased back, his eyes locked on hers, and nodded. "I understand. I promise to make it up to you, Yuri."

Yuri's expression softened slightly, and she looked away, her eyes scanning the surrounding area to make sure no one was watching. Minhwan's apology had caught her off guard, and she wasn't sure how to react. But for now, for some reason, she was willing to give him another chance.

*****

The day went by quickly, and soon it was recess. Not feeling quite in the mood to head to the cafeteria, Yuri decided to head outside to the field instead. She needed some fresh air and a break from the chaos of the school.

As she walked, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw a message from Jiwon. "Where are you? I've got some information on that lead of yours."

Yuri continued walking, typing back to Jiwon. "Outside. I'm at the field. Where are you?" She hit send just as she heard a thud in front of her.

Yuri's face paled immediately as she stood dumbstruck, staring at the body oozing blood lying a few inches from where she was. Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the scene before her.

She felt like she was frozen in time, unable to move or speak. The sound of her own heartbeat was the only thing she could hear as she took in the gruesome scene before her.

The body was that of a student, a boy Yuri recognized from her school. He was lying on his back, his eyes open and unseeing. A pool of blood was spreading from his head, staining the grass and dirt around him.

Yuri's mind was racing as she tried to process what she was seeing. She felt like she was in a nightmare, and she couldn't wake up. She was vaguely aware of the sound of footsteps approaching, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the body.

Suddenly, Jiwon's voice cut through the fog in Yuri's mind. "Yuri, oh my god, what happened?" Jiwon exclaimed, rushing to Yuri's side.

Yuri turned to Jiwon, her eyes wide with shock. "I...I don't know," she stuttered. "I was just walking here, and then he fell..."

Jiwon's eyes followed Yuri's gaze to the body, and she gasped. "This is...this is insane," she whispered.

The two girls stood there in stunned silence, unsure of what to do next. The sound of sirens echoed in the distance, growing louder with each passing moment.