A DANGEROUS DECISION

"Some shadows are cast by the past, others by the lies we tell ourselves."

Meanwhile, Jieun tightened her grip on her bracelet, her heart pounding with urgency. She slipped on a hoodie, pulling the hood low to shadow her face. The streets were deserted as she hurried through the cool night air, the school's silhouette looming closer with every step. She couldn't wait until morning—not when the pieces of the puzzle were so close, waiting to be put together.

Once inside, she moved silently through the darkened corridors, making her way to the library. The stillness around her only heightened her senses, every small sound amplified in the quiet. Finally, she slipped into the library, her gaze sweeping across the room. Her eyes locked onto a familiar sight—her diary, lying innocently on a table in the corner.

For a split second, relief washed over her. But then doubt crept in. She was certain she hadn't left it there; in fact, she distinctly remembered it slipping out of her bag in the morning rush, landing beneath a table. Who had put it out in the open?

Just then, a voice broke the silence, smooth and unsettlingly familiar.

"Hey, darling, did you find what you were looking for at this hour?" The voice held a hint of mockery and something else—satisfaction. Jieun's heart stilled as she turned slowly, dread settling in her stomach.

Dae-Hyun Kang stood there, arms crossed, his intense gaze fixed on her. A small smirk played at the corner of his lips as he nodded toward the diary. "Thinking how it ended up here? I wondered that too, after I found it."

Jieun's mind flashed back to the morning. She had slipped into the library early, just as the school opened, in search of the hidden door the diary hinted at. She'd been moving quickly, scanning the shelves, when the sounds of approaching students startled her. In her rush to leave, she'd accidentally knocked over a row of books, and her diary must have fallen beneath one of the tables.

Dae-Hyun continued; his expression unreadable. "You were looking for something, weren't you? In a hurry to leave… I guess you didn't realize what you'd left behind." He stepped closer, his tone softening. "This little diary of yours—it's interesting, Jieun. I didn't peg you as someone with secrets."

Jieun stiffened, her mind racing as she tried to compose herself. She couldn't let Dae-Hyun know the significance of the diary, nor could she show him any fear. Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze with defiance.

"It's none of your business, Dae-Hyun," she replied, her voice steady. "You have no idea what you're messing with."

He chuckled, crossing his arms. "That may be true, but the more you try to hide, the more curious I get. You know, there's something strange about you, Jieun. Something worth figuring out."

A tense silence hung between them, each assessing the other. Jieun weighed her options, the urge to retrieve the diary overwhelming. She stepped forward, eyes locked on his. "Give it back."

Dae-Hyun raised an eyebrow, but after a moment, he extended the diary, holding it just out of reach. "Sure. But I wonder… what's so important about this? You wouldn't be sneaking around at night for just any notebook, would you?"

Jieun snatched the diary from his hand, her fingers tightening around it protectively. "That's none of your concern."

Jieun's fingers tightened around the diary as she faced Dae-Hyun, his presence uncomfortably close. She kept her expression calm, unbothered on the surface, but inside, her heart hammered against her chest.

A sly smirk played on Dae-Hyun's lips. "So, my 'brave' Jieun isn't quite what everyone thinks, hmm? There's a lot more to you… or should I say, noona? Just like Minho used to call you."

The word noona hit her like a shockwave, and suddenly, as if summoned by his voice, Minho's face flashed before her eyes. His gentle smile, the way he'd laugh and look up to her with that trust only a younger brother could have—it was as if he were there, right in front of her, stirring up a surge of emotions she fought to keep buried.

Reality snapped back, and with a sharp intake of breath, she stepped forward, her expression hardening. In one swift, forceful motion, she grabbed Dae-Hyun's collar, her grip tight and unyielding, and shoved him back against the nearest shelf. Books rattled and tumbled from the impact, but she didn't waver.

Her voice was a low, fierce whisper, laced with barely contained anger. "What did you just say?"

Jieun's grip tightened around the diary as she faced Dae-Hyun, keeping her expression cool, though her mind raced. The silence between them stretched, heavy and tense, until Dae-Hyun's smirk deepened.

"Why so tense?" he drawled, his eyes glinting with something unreadable. "Does it get you emotional when someone calls you noona? Just like your younger brother used to?"

The words hit her like a slap, dredging up the painful, buried memories she tried so hard to contain. For a fleeting second, Minho's face appeared before her—his warm smile, his trusting gaze, the way he'd looked at her with that absolute, unwavering faith. The memory tightened around her heart, but it also ignited something raw and fierce.

Without thinking, Jieun's fist shot out, striking Dae-Hyun squarely across the face. His head snapped to the side, and a thin line of blood trickled from his lip. He straightened, surprise flashing briefly in his eyes, but he held his ground, his jaw tightening as he steadied himself, refusing to back down.

She took a step closer, her voice a low, dangerous whisper. "Don't you dare call me that," she seethed. "You know nothing about me, Dae-Hyun. So, keep your fucking mouth shut if you want to stay safe. Because next time, I won't hold back."

The words hung in the air like a challenge, charged with a fierce intensity. For a moment, they simply stood there, locked in a silent standoff, each refusing to yield. Dae-Hyun's expression shifted, respect flickering in his eyes, though his smirk quickly returned, even with blood staining his lip.

Jieun held his gaze, her breath steadying as she tightened her grip on the diary. Minho's memory was her own—her strength, her purpose—and she wasn't about to let anyone, especially Dae-Hyun, trample on it.

Jieun turned on her heel, her steps steady as she walked away from Dae-Hyun. But tension coiled in her muscles, her mind racing with doubts. Had she done the right thing by leaving him there? She had seen the defiance in his eyes, the way he hadn't backed down even with blood on his lip. What if he decided to make a problem of this later?

Her grip on the diary tightened. The thought of Dae-Hyun meddling in her plans, digging into secrets he had no right to, only sharpened her determination. Her revenge—her brother's memory—was too important to risk. If Dae-Hyun became a threat to her mission… she'd have to deal with him herself. She couldn't afford anyone standing in her way, especially not him.

As she exited the library, Jieun cast one last glance over her shoulder, her gaze hardening. Whatever game he thought he was playing; she wasn't about to let him get in her way. Not now.

Dae-Hyun stood there for a moment, wiping the blood from his lip, his gaze fixed on the spot where Jieun had just disappeared. He felt an odd flicker of respect for her, mingled with frustration. Her anger, the fire in her eyes—it reminded him of someone. As he stared into the silence, Minho's face surfaced in his mind, his expression defiant and determined.

A faint smile tugged at Dae-Hyun's lips as the memory took hold. He and Minho had never been on good terms. Minho had a way of standing up for what he believed in, challenging anyone who crossed a line—including him. Fierce, stubborn, and always causing trouble. Just like his sister.

A scene replayed in his mind, clear as day: Dae-Hyun, a junior at the time, had been taunting a new student, a timid boy who looked out of place among the others. Dae-Hyun's words had been sharp, each one calculated to provoke, but before he could push further, Minho had stepped in. Without hesitation, Minho had placed himself between them, his voice unwavering as he'd stood up to Dae-Hyun.

"Leave him alone, Kang," Minho had said, his tone low but firm. There was a fierce protectiveness in his gaze, a trait Dae-Hyun recognized now in Jieun. It had irked him back then—Minho's willingness to challenge him, the fearlessness in his stance. He'd brushed it off at the time, but now, seeing that same fire in Jieun's eyes, he couldn't help but respect it.

As Dae-Hyun stood alone in the empty library, he felt an unfamiliar pang of something—regret, maybe, or just a strange curiosity about the girl who shared her brother's relentless spirit.

The next morning, Jieun entered the school with an unusual heaviness. Something about the day felt off, a strange emptiness lingering in the air. She glanced around, searching for familiar faces, but quickly realized that both Taewon and Nari were nowhere to be found. Their absence only amplified the sense of isolation she already felt. The rumours surrounding her had spread like wildfire after the janitor's death, with whispers hinting that she had somehow been involved. It didn't help that she had been seen in the area on the night of the incident. Jieun could feel the weight of the students' stares as she walked through the hallways. Whispers followed her, barely concealed, and some students moved out of her way, as if just being near her was enough to unsettle them. The janitor's death still lingered in everyone's minds, an unsolved mystery that had cast a dark shadow over the school.

Jieun clenched her jaw, trying to ignore the looks. Soo-Jin and Young-Jae noticed her tension and exchanged worried glances. Determined to lift her spirits, Young-Jae stepped beside her, giving a friendly nudge. "Hey, they're just spooked because they need something to gossip about," he said with a casual grin. "Ignore them—they'll find a new distraction soon enough."

Soo-Jin nodded, looping her arm through Jieun's. "Exactly! Besides, they're only intimidated because you're way cooler than any of them," she said, attempting to lighten the mood.

Jieun forced a smile, grateful for her friends' support, but her mind was elsewhere. As they walked past the library, something caught her attention. She noticed two shadowy figures slipping out of the library, moving quickly down the hall. She didn't remember seeing anyone enter, which made their sudden appearance all the more suspicious. Her eyes narrowed, a strange sensation prickling at her skin.

The secret passage. The thought hit her with an almost alarming clarity, and she mentally noted to come back later that night to investigate.

Jieun's gaze drifted to the hallway near the science labs, where she saw a detective speaking quietly with a few students. The investigator was tall and stern-looking, his eyes sharp and calculating as he questioned them. Every now and then, he would pull out a small notepad, jotting down observations and nodding at the students' responses. Jieun recognized him as Detective Han, the same man who had questioned her about the janitor's death. She couldn't shake the feeling that his eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than necessary as she passed by.

"What's he doing here again?" Jieun murmured, glancing toward Soo-jin.

"He's been interviewing everyone since the incident," Soo-jin whispered back, her expression tense. "They still don't have any solid leads, so they're questioning anyone who might have seen something unusual."

Young-Jae, walking on Jieun's other side, leaned in with a small grin, trying to break the tension. "Maybe they should be questioning the ghosts in this place instead. This school is creepy enough to have some, right?"

Jieun gave a faint smile, appreciating his effort, but her mind was elsewhere.

That evening, after the last of the staff had left, Jieun slipped through the deserted hallways, her footsteps quiet against the floor. She wore a dark hoodie, pulling the hood low to cover her face as she made her way toward the library, her heart racing with anticipation and dread.

The library was shrouded in darkness, the rows of shelves casting long shadows that seemed to shift with each step she took. She moved cautiously, her hands skimming over the spines of books as she searched for anything out of place. Her fingers brushed against an old leather-bound book on one of the lower shelves, and as she pulled it, a soft click echoed in the silence. She froze, her heart skipping a beat.

Slowly, the entire shelf rotated, revealing a hidden passageway behind it. Jieun's eyes widened as she stepped through, her breath hitching. The room beyond was dimly lit by a single bulb hanging from the ceiling, casting an eerie glow over the contents of the small, cramped space. The walls were lined with shelves stacked with dusty files, old school records, and a collection of strange artifacts—each one more unsettling than the last.

As she ventured further inside, her eyes fell on a row of folders labelled with student names. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out a few at random, scanning through the contents. Each folder held information about students who had been expelled or had transferred suddenly, leaving behind a trail of rumours and unanswered questions. Her heart sank when her eyes fell upon a familiar name: Minho Park.

She gripped the folder tightly, opening it with a sense of dread. Inside was a photograph of her brother, his face captured in a candid smile that sent a pang through her heart. But her stomach twisted as she noticed a red "X" scrawled across the photo in thick ink. It was as if he'd been marked—singled out in a way that felt disturbingly final.

Jieun's heart raced as she clutched her brother's folder, her mind reeling from the weight of her discovery. But before she could retreat, she froze, hearing footsteps approaching from the passageway she had come through. Her heart leaped into her throat as she realized she wasn't alone. The figure stepped into the dim light of the hidden room, and Jieun's breath hitched as she recognized him immediately—the black-masked man.

This was the same figure she had fought in the school hallways, the one who slipping out of the janitor's room after his death. He moved with purpose, his eyes scanning the shelves, seemingly searching for something among the scattered files and artifacts. Jieun pressed herself into the shadows, holding her breath, hoping he wouldn't notice her. But as he turned, his gaze swept across her hiding spot, his body stiffening in alert.

Jieun knew she couldn't wait any longer. She lunged forward, her movement swift and silent, aiming to catch him off guard. But he reacted instantly, spinning around to block her strike. They locked eyes, his face obscured behind the dark mask, but his expression was fierce, challenging.

"Who are you?" Jieun hissed, her voice low and sharp. But he only responded with a shift in his stance, preparing for the fight.

They circled each other, each gauging the other's strength, the air thick with tension. Jieun made the first move, throwing a punch aimed at his jaw, but he sidestepped, grabbing her wrist and twisting it in an attempt to throw her off balance. She reacted quickly, using the momentum to swing her leg around, aiming a sharp kick at his side.

The man grunted as her kick connected, but he recovered quickly, grabbing her shoulder and shoving her back against the shelf. Books tumbled around them, the sound echoing in the small room. Jieun didn't hesitate, slipping out of his grip and spinning behind him, her hand shooting out to grab at his mask. She managed to grip the edge, her fingers brushing against his skin, but he jerked back, breaking free before she could pull it off completely.

His eyes flashed with anger, and he countered with a swift jab, forcing her to dodge as he advanced. Jieun matched his moves, her focus unwavering, blocking his punches and countering with strikes of her own. They were evenly matched, each movement fluid, their skills mirrored in an intense rhythm of blows, blocks, and dodges.

Suddenly, he threw a feint to her left, and when she moved to block, he shifted, bringing his elbow down to strike her shoulder. Jieun staggered, the pain sharp, but she quickly recovered, pushing through the discomfort. Her eyes narrowed, and with a fierce determination, she charged forward, aiming a high kick that grazed his face, knocking him back a step.

Seizing the moment, Jieun leaped at him, her hands reaching for his mask again, desperate to uncover his identity. Her fingers grasped the edge, and for a split second, she glimpsed a lock of dark hair beneath the fabric. But before she could pull it free, he slammed his arm down on hers, twisting out of her reach.

Frustration flared in her chest, but she kept her stance firm, blocking his attacks with a steely resolve. The black-masked man, sensing her persistence, seemed to realize he wouldn't be able to shake her off easily. His eyes narrowed, and with a sudden, calculated movement, he reached into his pocket and threw something small and metallic across the floor.

The object emitted a sharp, blinding flash, and Jieun instinctively raised her arm to shield her eyes, momentarily disoriented. When the light faded, she blinked rapidly, trying to regain her focus. But he was already gone, his retreating footsteps echoing down the passage.

Fury burned in her veins as she scanned the empty room, her mind racing. He had slipped away again, just as he had that day, leaving her with more questions than answers. She clenched her fists, breathing heavily, vowing that next time, she wouldn't let him escape.