Chapter 17

That afternoon, I met up with the study group . Ms. Lee walked in, holding a stack of papers, and the energy in the room instantly shifted.

"Alright, everyone," she announced. "Your exam results are here."

A hush fell over the group as she placed the papers on the desk. One by one, she handed them out. I took mine with steady hands, scanning my score quickly.

First place. Se-Hyun and I tied for the top rank.

"Not bad," Se-Hyun said with a smirk, nudging my shoulder.

I smiled slightly. "We both worked hard for it."

Ji-Woo peeked at my paper and whistled. "Damn. You guys are insane."

"Alright, what about everyone else?" Hee-Won asked, glancing around.

Ms. Lee called out the results.

Ji-Woo: Rank 80.

Hee-Won-: Rank 95.

Lee-Joon: Rank 97.

There was a pause.

Then Lee-Joon groaned dramatically. "97?! What the hell?! I swore I did better than that!"

Se-Hyun snorted. "That's what happens when you argue with Ji-Woo over the answers instead of actually studying."

Ji-Woo waved his paper in the air. "Oh, please. I got 80, which means my answers were way more correct than yours."

"I was so sure that the question was about economic policies, not supply chains," Lee-Joon muttered to hisself.

Hee-Won laughed. "Well, I moved up 10 places, so I'm celebrating!"

Then, all eyes turned to Ga-Min.

Lee-Joon leaned in dramatically. "Alright, Ga-Min. The real question is... did you rise from the bottom, or are you still the legendary underdog?"

Ga-Min sighed, glancing at his paper before rubbing the back of his neck. "I moved up."

Ji-Woo snatched the paper from his hands before he could react. "150 out of 200! You used to be 198! That's a huge jump!"

The room exploded into cheers.

"Dude, that's insane!" Lee-Joon clapped Ga-Min's back. "You're really getting up there!"

"I told you all that studying would pay off!" Ji-Woo grinned.

"Even though there's still a long way to go," Se-Hyun said in a teasing tone, "it's clear he's actually trying now."

I turned to Ga-Min, feeling a wave of pride. He had been working so hard these past few weeks, despite everything happening around us. "See? I told you you're smarter than you think."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah."

Ms. Lee smiled at all of us, watching the celebration. "I have to say, I'm proud of everyone. You've all improved, and that's what matters. Keep this up.

The study group had already packed up and started heading out, but something felt off. It wasn't the usual end-of-day energy. No, this time there was an undercurrent of tension, a subtle disturbance in the air.

As I walked through the school gate, I saw them. A group of men, wearing dark jackets with hoods, hanging around near the school gates. They didn't belong to our school. The motorbikes parked along the side were a dead giveaway—they were different. The bikes were rough, made for speed, with custom designs and dark chrome that gave off an intimidating aura.

My heart raced, a sense of dread creeping up on me. They weren't being subtle about it. They were watching—no, waiting. Their eyes were fixed on something, and I followed their gaze, only to realize they were staring at me.

I froze for a second, locking eyes with one of them. He was tall, his face shadowed by the helmet under his arm. His eyes, though, were cold—dangerously cold. It was a glance that felt like a threat, one that made me want to run, yet my feet stayed rooted to the ground.

Se-Hyun must have noticed the shift in my demeanor, because he turned around, his brows furrowed. "Hera, what's wrong?"

I barely registered his voice over the sound of my racing heart. The gang didn't speak, but there was no need. Their mere presence was enough to send a chill down my spine. One of them, who looked like the leader, took a slow step forward, his eyes never leaving mine.

Then, as quickly as they had arrived, they turned back to their bikes. Without saying a word, they climbed on and revved the engines. The rumble of the motors vibrated in the air, loud and heavy, as if announcing their departure.

But even as they drove off, I couldn't shake the feeling that they hadn't left. It wasn't like they were leaving because they were done—it was more like they were retreating for now, biding their time.

"Who were they?" Se-Hyun asked again, his voice laced with concern.

I shook my head, still processing what had just happened. "I... don't know. They weren't from our school."

Ji-Woo walked over to me, clearly unsettled by what she had seen. "They were watching you, Hera," she said, voice low. "Why would they be doing that?"

"I don't know," I replied, trying to steady my breath. "I really don't know."

Lee-Joon, who had been watching the whole situation from a distance, glanced around and then back at me. "Should we be worried? I don't like the way they were looking at you."

We all stood there for a moment in silence, unsure of what to make of what had just happened. The fact that the gang wasn't from our school didn't ease my nerves at all. If anything, it made me feel even more exposed—like they had no reason to hide their intentions, no need to blend in. They were making a statement.

Eventually, we decided to leave the, but the image of those men, those cold, calculated eyes watching me, stayed burned into my mind.

That night, as I returned home to my apartment, I felt a sense of unease wash over me again. Something about the whole situation didn't sit right. I had no idea who they were, or why they had been watching me, but I knew one thing for sure—they weren't just passing through.

When I entered the apartment it was a mess. Things were thrown around—books, papers, and broken glass. It looked like someone had ransacked the place. Panic rose in my chest as I took in the destruction. Whoever had done this had made sure to leave their mark.

My mind raced. Who could have done this? Why?

I stumbled into the living room, my body trembling. It didn't take long before I spotted it—the red letter. It was sitting on my kitchen table, placed neatly amid the chaos, like a sick reminder of the person behind it. My heart skipped a beat as I walked over and hesitated before picking it up. The letter was simple, but the words inside were anything but.

"I miss you.""I can't wait to see you soon."

It was Ryeowook.

A chill ran down my spine, and I could feel my hands shaking as I held the letter. He had been here. And this time, it wasn't just to watch. He had made his presence known. He was sending a message. But what did he want? Why now?

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I needed to think. I couldn't be alone tonight, not after this. I grabbed my phone and dialed Ga-Min's number.

The phone rang once, twice, before he picked up.

"Hera?" His voice sounded concerned. "What's wrong? You sound—"

"Ga-Min, I need you," I interrupted, my voice barely above a whisper. "Someone... someone trashed my apartment. It's all messed up. And I—there's this letter." I paused, my throat tight. "It's from Ryeowook."

There was a brief silence on the other end, and then I heard him exhale deeply. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Don't go anywhere, okay? Lock the door and stay inside."

I hung up quickly and sat on the couch, staring at the mess around me. My heart was racing, my mind was spinning, and I felt helpless. I wasn't sure what to do next.

A few minutes later, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. I jumped up from the couch and rushed to the door, my heart pounding in my chest. As I opened it, I saw Ga-Min standing there, looking tense but determined. His expression softened when he saw me standing in the doorway, and I could tell he was trying to hide his concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, his gaze scanning the room behind me. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

"I... I don't know," I said quietly. "I'm scared, Ga-Min. This doesn't feel like it's over."

He walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "We'll figure this out. But for now, you're not staying here."

I blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"My mom's out of town for a few weeks," he said. "She's away for work. I'm alone at home. You can stay with me, okay? It's safer that way."

I stared at him for a moment, the offer catching me off guard. His eyes were earnest, filled with a quiet reassurance. He could see how shaken I was, and I could see how much he cared. The offer was genuine, and for a moment, I felt a small sense of relief.

"I don't want to drag you into this, Ga-Min," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He shook his head. "You're not dragging me into anything. And I'm not going to leave you alone in a place like this, especially with what's happening." He gave me a reassuring smile. "Come on. You need to rest. I promise, we'll figure it all out together."

I hesitated for a moment, but then I nodded. I wasn't sure what would happen next, but I didn't want to stay here alone, surrounded by the mess Ryeowook had left behind.

"Okay," I said softly. "Thank you."

Ga-Min smiled and gave me a reassuring nod. He grabbed my bag and handed it to me, and together, we left the apartment, the red letter still resting on the table behind us, waiting for the next step in this twisted game Ryeowook had set in motion.

As we stepped into the hallway and made our way down the stairs, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Ryeowook hadn't shown himself yet, but his presence was still hanging over us, looming. And I knew that whatever came next, we'd have to face it head-on. Together