An UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

"The line between right and wrong blurs when you're chasing the truth. You can't trust anyone, not even yourself."

The low hum of the school's fluorescent lights echoed in the otherwise quiet hallway. Taewon leaned against the lockers, his fingers drumming against the metal, watching Jieun as she walked briskly past him. She hadn't seen him—her eyes were fixed straight ahead, a guarded expression on her face. He'd noticed it more and more lately: the way she seemed distant, lost in her own thoughts, like there was a wall between them that wasn't there before. It worried him, but he hadn't asked her about it.

Jieun entered a classroom and glanced around, making sure no one was watching, before slipping inside. Taewon hesitated for a moment before pushing himself off the lockers. He wanted to approach her, to ask if she was okay, but something held him back.

His chest tightened as his mind churned with thoughts—something wasn't right. He'd known Jieun for a while now, long enough to see when she was hiding something. She was good at it—too good. But this time, it felt different. The last few weeks, her behaviour had become more erratic, more secretive. She wasn't just keeping things from him; she was actively avoiding him. He had no proof, but his gut told him that she was in some kind of danger—or maybe she was the one causing it. The idea of confronting her about it made him uncomfortable, so instead, he chose to observe. Watch.

In the library, Dae-Hyun walked between the shelves, his eyes scanning the spines of the books. He'd come here to think, to clear his head. But something had caught his attention—a piece of paper sticking out from under a nearby table, half-hidden by an old chair.

Curious, he approached and bent down to pick it up. It wasn't just a random note. The leather-bound diary he found was worn, its cover scratched and faded. He opened it carefully, almost instinctively, as though he were meant to find it. The first few pages were filled with neat, calm handwriting—nothing unusual. But then the entries began to shift, becoming more disjointed, more frantic.

"They're watching me. I can't trust anyone anymore. The school isn't what it seems."

Dae-Hyun's eyes narrowed. This wasn't the typical rambling of a troubled student. Whoever had written this was trying to uncover something—something dangerous. The next pages were even more cryptic.

"I've seen too much. There are people in this school I can't trust. I don't know how long I have left. I need to get out of here before it's too late."

Dae-Hyun's pulse quickened. Whoever had written this was clearly terrified. And that terror was laced with something Dae-Hyun couldn't place—an urgent need to uncover the truth, even if it meant risking everything.

He kept reading, but the further he went, the more the entries seemed to reveal a web of secrets, a hidden world within the school that no one else knew about. But it wasn't just the unsettling nature of the diary that disturbed him—it was the connection he could feel between the writer's words and the strange happenings around Jieun.

When Dae-Hyun closed the book, his mind raced. The entries hadn't revealed much about who the writer was, but the fear in the words, the sense of desperation—it was too familiar. He couldn't shake the feeling that this diary had something to do with Jieun.

The school day was winding down, and the long corridors of the building were beginning to empty. Jieun walked quickly, her steps echoing in the quiet hall. Jieun walked quickly, her steps echoing in the quiet hall. She didn't care that the light was fading, that the world around her was slowly becoming a blur. She just wanted to get to the library and lose herself in its silence. The walls seemed to close in on her with every passing day. Something was off, and she could feel it creeping up behind her—like an unseen force was following her every step.

She barely noticed the shadow of a figure blocking her path until she was almost upon it.

"Jieun," Dae-Hyun's voice cut through the stillness. His tone was sharp, cutting, and for a moment, she considered pretending not to hear him. But there was no escaping now.

Jieun stopped, her heart racing. She didn't want this confrontation, not now. She wasn't ready. The last thing she needed was for Dae-Hyun. His eyes were cold, calculating, but there was an edge of curiosity that made her uneasy.

"What do you want, Dae-Hyun?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady, even though it trembled slightly.

He smirked, but it wasn't the usual arrogant grin. There was something darker in it, something unsettling. "I think you know why I'm here," he said, stepping closer, his presence overwhelming in the narrow space. "You've been acting strange. Hiding something."

Jieun's breath hitched. He was too close now, too close for comfort. She had always been able to control her emotions, but with Dae-Hyun standing in front of her, it felt like everything she'd carefully built up was about to crumble.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, her voice colder now, but her hands were clenched into fists at her sides. She had to stay calm, to keep her composure. This was exactly what she feared—someone starting to ask the wrong questions.

"Oh, you don't?" Dae-Hyun raised an eyebrow, as if he didn't believe her for a second. "You've been avoiding everyone. You're always off somewhere by yourself, slipping away into places where no one can find you. And then there's the way you act around the others—so guarded, like you've got something to hide." He paused, studying her for a moment. "Something about you just doesn't add up."

Jieun's mind raced, but she didn't show it. She couldn't. She needed to keep the lie alive, at least for a little longer. The truth could ruin everything.

"You're imagining things," she said, her voice a little too sharp. "I'm just a student trying to get by. Nothing more."

Dae-Hyun chuckled, the sound low and menacing. "Don't insult me. I'm not stupid, Jieun. I know you're not just 'getting by.' Something's going on here, and I'm going to find out what it is."

Jieun's heart pounded in her chest, her mind scrambling for a way out. She couldn't let him get any closer to the truth. She had to shut this down, now.

But before she could respond, Dae-Hyun took another step forward, his expression hardening. "You're not going to get away with this, Jieun. Whatever you're hiding—whether it's from me or from everyone else—it's not going to stay buried forever." His voice softened slightly, as if testing her. "But maybe... maybe I can help you. I can help you keep it buried. But first, you have to trust me."

Jieun's eyes flashed with anger, but she kept her face impassive. "I don't need your help, Dae-Hyun." She pushed past him, brushing her shoulder against his, but his hand shot out to grab her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"Don't walk away from me," he warned, his grip firm. "I'm not finished."

She turned to face him, her breath coming faster now, her nerves on edge. "Let go of me," she spat, but his grip didn't loosen.

"Not until you tell me the truth. Why are you so determined to hide whatever it is you're hiding?" His voice was low, almost threatening now. "What happened to make you like this, Jieun? What happened to make you so afraid?"

Her eyes narrowed, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. He was too close to the edge, too close to the truth.

"I'm not afraid," she said, forcing the words out, even though they felt like lies on her tongue. "And I'm not hiding anything. You need to stop pretending you know me."

Dae-Hyun studied her for a long moment, his grip never wavering. Then, slowly, he released her wrist, but his eyes never left hers. "I don't think you're telling me everything. And I don't think I'm the only one who's noticed. You might think you've got everyone fooled, but there's something off about you. I'll find out what it is. Just wait."

Jieun swallowed hard, her chest tightening. She knew this wasn't over. Dae-Hyun was too determined, too persistent. And as he turned and walked away, she couldn't shake the feeling that her time was running out.

As Dae-Hyun left, the weight of his words hung heavily in the air. Jieun stood still for a moment, her breath shaky, her heart still racing. She couldn't let him get any closer. She couldn't let him uncover the truth.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized something she hadn't fully grasped before: Dae-Hyun knew she was hiding something. He didn't have all the pieces, not yet, but he was getting closer. And once he pieced it all together—once he figured out that she wasn't just some transfer student—there would be no turning back.

The school day ended, and as dusk began to settle over the building, the principal sat alone in his office. He was staring at a file spread out on his desk, but his attention was elsewhere, on the soft tap of footsteps approaching from down the hall.

The door creaked open, and a cloaked figure stepped inside, their face obscured by the hood.

"You've made progress?" the figure asked, voice low and distorted.

The principal stiffened, looking up from the papers. "Yes. Everything is going according to plan. We've kept it contained so far."

The figure took a step closer, their silhouette barely visible in the dim light. "For now," they said. "But we can't keep covering things up forever. The truth will come out soon enough, and when it does, we need to be ready."

The principal's hands clenched. "I've handled worse," he said, though there was a flicker of unease in his voice. "No one will find out about this. I'll make sure of it."

The figure nodded slowly, their presence chilling. "We'll see. We'll see if you can keep everything under control. The game is far from over."

The principal remained silent, a nervous shiver running through him. The weight of the conversation hung heavy in the air as the cloaked figure turned and disappeared into the shadows.

As the day ended and the school quieted, Dae-Hyun stepped outside into the cold night air, his mind still racing. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out, frowning at the unknown number flashing on the screen. He hesitated before opening the message.

"The truth will come out soon. Be ready."

Dae-Hyun's breath caught in his throat. Who was this? How did they know what he was uncovering? A chill ran down his spine, and for a moment, the weight of everything that was about to unfold settled heavily on his shoulders. The truth wasn't just hidden—it was being buried for a reason. And Dae-Hyun was going to find it, no matter what it took.

The evening sky had turned a shade of dark purple as the last echoes of footsteps faded down the hallways. The school, now quiet, stood like a fortress. But not everyone had left.

A figure, cloaked in black from head to toe, moved with eerie precision toward the janitor's closet. His movements were deliberate, almost unnerving in their silence. The man's face was hidden behind a black mask, his eyes sharp as they scanned the surroundings, taking in every detail with unnatural focus.

He reached the doorway of the janitor's storage room, his gloved hand resting lightly on the doorframe, as if testing the air. The door had been left ajar, the remnants of the tragic event still fresh, though the body had been removed hours ago. The faint smell of antiseptic lingered in the air, a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded in this very room.

He stepped inside, his gaze sweeping over the small, cluttered space. The janitor's bloodstains were still visible on the floor, faint but undeniable, and the marks on the walls told the story of a struggle. The man's eyes narrowed as he observed the scene.

He knelt, inspecting the floor carefully, his fingers brushing over the faint traces left behind. The marks weren't just blood—they were signs of something more. Something that didn't belong. He carefully examined the area around the desk where the janitor had been found, and a faint glimmer of something caught his eye—a piece of paper, half-crumpled and soaked in blood.

The masked man reached for it slowly, his fingers delicate as they lifted the torn corner of the paper. It was a note. The writing was barely legible, but he recognized the symbols—ones he had seen before. This was no ordinary incident. Someone had orchestrated this.

"SARANG"

His lips curled into a thin, unreadable smile beneath his mask. The pieces were falling into place. But who was behind all of this? And why?

Meanwhile, across the school, Jieun sat in her room, rifling through her bag with growing frustration. Her fingers skimmed over notebooks, pens, and scraps of paper, but the one thing she was desperately searching for was nowhere to be found.

She paused, her heart racing as she emptied her bag onto the floor, the clutter of items scattering in all directions. There it was—nothing. It wasn't there. Her mind raced, her pulse quickening. Where had it gone? She had to find it.

The leather-bound diary. She had to find it before anyone else did. The last thing she needed was someone discovering it before she was ready.

The sound of her breath filled the room, heavy and anxious, as she quickly began pulling items from the drawers of her desk, scattering papers all over the floor. But still, nothing. It wasn't in her room. It wasn't in her bag. Where could it be?

Frustration boiled in her chest, and she slammed the drawer shut, sinking onto the edge of her bed. Where was it? She needed it. The diary had all the answers—answers she couldn't afford to lose.

Her mind drifted back to earlier that day. The encounter with Dae-Hyun in the library flashed vividly before her eyes. His smirk. His cold words. And then, his persistence—his need to know. He was already getting too close. He knew something was wrong, and now, Jieun was sure of it.

Dae-Hyun had the diary.

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. The way he had been acting, his sudden interest in her, the way he had cornered her—it all made sense now. He hadn't been bluffing when he said he would find out what she was hiding. He already had the key. The diary.

Her hands trembled as she clasped them together, her mind spinning in circles. Dae-Hyun must have taken it when he found it under the table in the library. He knew she was hiding something, and now, he had the proof.

But why hadn't he confronted her about it? Why was he waiting? Did he want her to come clean, or was he playing a dangerous game?

The thought of Dae-Hyun knowing her secret sent a shiver down her spine. He was more dangerous than she had realized.

Back in the janitor's room, the masked figure rose to his feet, his eyes scanning the remnants of the scene one last time. He straightened up, his gaze lingering on the shadows in the corner. Something felt off—something that didn't belong. It was as if the room had been touched by someone else's fear.

The man stepped back into the hallway, his expression unreadable beneath the mask. He had what he needed for now, but something told him this was just the beginning.

As he turned to leave, the school felt colder, darker—like it was hiding something more than just secrets. Something was waiting. Something dangerous.

Meanwhile, in her room, Jieun sat motionless on the edge of her bed, her fingers tightly gripping the bracelet on her wrist. It had always been a piece of comfort, something familiar and constant, but tonight it felt different. As though it carried more weight than she had realized.

Her mind raced back to the strange events of the day—the encounter in the library, Dae-Hyun's sudden interest, and the feeling that something was closing in on her. She couldn't shake the sensation that everything was slipping out of control.

She needed to find something. Something that could explain what was happening—before anyone else could figure it out. She couldn't let them see the pieces that were starting to fall into place.