Whispers Behind the Walls

Someone knocked on my door, three quick raps.

Do Hwan and I exchanged a glance.

I stood up slowly, my chest heavy, and opened the door.

“Hana?”

Her face looked worn out, her hair slightly messy, and her breath rushed. But her eyes were sharp—like they were holding back a storm of things to say.

“I couldn’t stand being at school,” she said bluntly, stepping inside without waiting. “It feels like hell.”

I said nothing. I didn’t know what to say.

“Everyone keeps talking about you. They’re calling you a criminal. A cheater. Said you stole the exam. Lost your scholarship. Even the teachers aren’t defending you.”

I closed the door slowly. Do Hwan appeared from the living room.

“It’s Hana,” I told him softly.

Hana glanced at Do Hwan. “You’re here too?”

He simply raised an eyebrow.

“I came here after hearing what the kids at school were saying.”

Hana stared at him for a while, then sighed. “Good. That means you know everything. I don’t need to start from the beginning.”

She dropped onto the couch, looking both frustrated and exhausted.

“I really don’t get it. The timing was just too perfect—Narin got first place, and the next morning someone handed in a video as proof, and suddenly she’s being punished.”

“You mean… it was all planned?” Do Hwan asked.

Hana blinked, dumbfounded. “Did I say that? Did I mean that?” She turned toward me.

I shook my head slowly, chuckling. Hana clearly hadn’t meant it that way.

Do Hwan rolled his eyes. “Well, it does sound like a conspiracy theory... but honestly, I felt something was off too. Too clean, too fast. Like it had been planned all along.”

Hana looked between us, then leaned her head back against the couch. “I want to help, Rin. But I’m so angry at the teachers. How could they just believe it right away? Even your homeroom teacher said, ‘If she’s innocent, she should be able to prove it.’ As if you were guilty from the start.”

I looked down. “I’m confused too. I don’t even know who this ‘witness’ is. Who recorded it? And how did they hand it in so fast?”

Hana sat at the edge of her seat, a glass of water in her hand. “That’s not the only weird thing. Someone’s been following Narin around school all day.”

Do Hwan turned to me instantly. “Someone’s bothering you? Why didn’t you say anything?” His face looked worried.

“I wasn’t hiding anything, I just…”

“You don’t go to school, Do Hwan,” Hana cut in. “And seriously, why have you been skipping school so much lately? Smart doesn’t mean anything if your rank keeps dropping.”

“Not interested,” Do Hwan replied curtly.

“There’s a lot that doesn’t add up if you really think about it. But still, I don’t know what we can do.”

Then Hana spoke more softly. “One more thing’s been bugging me… about you getting first place, Rin. Are you sure that was completely your own doing? I know I shouldn’t doubt you, because you are smart, but... what if someone wanted you to get that spot?”

I turned quickly. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… maybe they wanted to put you up there so they could tear you down. If you were just a regular student, no one would care. But first place, scholarship holder, someone everyone admires… it’s easier to make people believe you cheated.”

A chill crept into my stomach. I looked at the others. “So… this could’ve all been planned from the start?”

Do Hwan crossed his arms. “Whoever did this… it’s possible you were the target all along.”

Min Ji lowered her gaze. “And we have to figure it out, before they take it further.”

“There are a few things we need to look into first. Let’s start with the evidence that anonymous witness gave,” said Do Hwan.

“What do you mean?” Hana asked.

“Didn’t the video already get handed to the teacher?” I added.

“Yes. But we need to look for CCTV footage from a different angle. We have to find it before the school committee meeting,” Do Hwan explained.

“But how? The CCTV room is heavily guarded,” said Hana.

“That’s why we need to go during off hours,” I said, getting a nod from Do Hwan.

---

And now here they were. Standing in a line, staring at the tall wall behind the school.

“We’re really doing this?” Hana clutched her bag tightly, eyes fixed on the towering dark wall ahead.

“If you ask that one more time, I swear I’ll send you home,” Do Hwan muttered, hands stuffed casually in his hoodie pocket.

“I’m not scared of being caught… I’m scared of what’s inside. You know… white… flying…” Hana’s voice trailed off.

I turned to her. “We’re here to find evidence. Not... ghosts.”

“Hey, if we’re lucky, we might get a bonus ghost,” Do Hwan added flatly.

Hana glared. “STOP. Don’t say things like that! You might summon one!”

I exhaled. “If you’re scared, Han… you can go home. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

She paused, then shook her head firmly. “No. I’m already here. I’m not backing out.”

Do Hwan stepped up to the wall, glancing upward. “Relax. I measured the height during the day. There’s a pipe we can use as a foothold. I’ll go first, you two follow.”

I tugged on his sleeve. “You’re way too calm. Don’t tell me you’ve done this before?”

He smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Do Hwan!” I hissed, but he was already climbing.

Hana poked my arm nervously. “What if there’s a camera? What if there’s a guard? What if… there’s a GHOST GUARDING THE SCHOOL?!”

I tried not to laugh. “Hana, the only thing making this more nerve-wracking is you.”

Once Do Hwan made it to the top, he turned and signaled. “Come on. Hurry.”

I grabbed the pipe and began to climb. My hands were trembling a little—not from fear, but from nerves.

It felt like we weren’t just sneaking in… we were stealing the truth.

Just as I reached the top, I heard Hana muttering below, “Oh God… oh God… oh God… is this a sin?”

“Worry about the sin later. Just climb,” Do Hwan said from above.

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