The next morning, when Yujin woke up, she found her manager had prepared her favorite dish, a strawberry cake. "Oh, strawberry cake?" Yujin remarked, a touch of surprise in her voice. She hadn't had cake in quite a while and was genuinely pleased. "Hmm, it's so good. Thank you, Mr. Heoyeon," she said, savoring each bite with delight.
After finishing her breakfast, Yujin got ready for school and received a message from Minsoo, expressing a desire to meet and apologize. Yujin agreed to the meeting but decided to choose a discreet location, so she called Minsoo to meet in an alleyway. When Yujin arrived at the designated spot, she found Minsoo missing. Waiting for a while, Yujin eventually returned to school, disappointed that Minsoo hadn't shown up. As she entered the classroom, she noticed Minsoo sitting there, seemingly engrossed in her notebook.
"Minsoo?" Yujin called out.
"Huh?" Minsoo looked up, feigning innocence.
"You messaged me to meet but didn't show up," Yujin pointed out.
Minsoo shrugged, "Oh, I was just embarrassed, that's all."
Yujin nodded, not pressing the issue further, and made her way to her seat. Sora, her classmate, was there, deeply engaged in solving a math problem. "It's good to see you again, Sora," Yujin whispered softly.
"Hmm," Sora responded, not saying much but then discreetly passed a note to Yujin.
The note read, "Minsoo called me today to meet her somewhere unknown. She's watching me closely, making sure I don't tell anyone."
Yujin carefully folded the note and tucked it into her pocket, absorbing the information without a word.
As school ended, Yujin noticed Minsoo following Sora, who was apparently going to the meeting place. Yujin decided to tail them but eventually lost track of Sora. Now alone in the unfamiliar alleys, she felt a bit uneasy.
"You're looking for Sora," a voice startled her.
Yujin turned to see a man she didn't recognize. "Yes, but who are you?" she asked cautiously.
"I'm your school's senior teacher," he replied confidently.
Perplexed, Yujin questioned, "What are you doing here? And why don't I know you?"
The man smirked, "Because I teach only the best classes, and you're not in one of them."
Yujin nodded slowly, trying to process the situation. "But how do you know I was looking for Sora?"
The man's grin widened, revealing a sinister intent. "Because I asked her to bring you here. She's my best student, after all."
Just then, Sora emerged from the shadows, and the teacher pulled her close, emphasizing his authority over her. "She does exactly as I say," he boasted.
Yujin was shocked and frightened. "Sora, tell me the truth. Why are we here? Why did you bring me here?" she demanded, her voice quivering with fear.
Sora hesitated, her eyes glued to the ground. "I... I do what the teacher says," she stammered, clearly scared.
The teacher chuckled darkly. "See, she's a model student," he remarked, dismissing Yujin's concerns.
As Sora quickly ran off without looking back, the teacher turned his attention back to Yujin, who felt a sense of dread creeping over her.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Yujin pleaded, her voice trembling.
The teacher's demeanor turned menacing. "You're here for revenge, aren't you? You want to avenge your siblings," he stated, a cold certainty in his tone.
Yujin was stunned. "How... how do you know?" she whispered, her mind racing with confusion and fear.
"I know everything about you," the teacher sneered. "And I know about Jayyun too. You've involved him in your plans, haven't you?"
Panic surged through Yujin as she realized the extent of the teacher's knowledge. "Please, don't harm him. He's not part of this," she begged, desperation creeping into her voice.
The teacher laughed cruelly. "Oh, but why not? You care about him, don't you?" he taunted, reveling in Yujin's distress.
Yujin felt trapped, her options dwindling as the teacher moved closer, taking her phone to cut off any chance of outside help. "You can't escape," he gloated, gesturing to the lack of signals in the secluded alley.
Tears welled up in Yujin's eyes as she realized the gravity of the situation. "Please, let's keep this between us. Don't involve anyone else," she pleaded, her voice shaky with emotion.
The teacher's smile turned sinister. "I have my ways of handling things," he remarked cryptically. "And you have much to learn about this game."
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"and you must not know the kids i killed were i keep and eye on their family so they don't bother me ever . you are a beginner in this game you need to learn something form me.why don't i teach you this time."
The teacher started to move closer and grabbed her from wrist.
Yujin attempted to retreat, but the teacher's grip was firm as he clasped her arms. Desperately, she lashed out with a kick to his stomach, seeking an escape. He reeled momentarily but recovered quickly, seizing her once again and forcing her against the wall. She was immobilized, pinned by his proximity; his body pressed against hers, leaving her no room to maneuver.
"You think you can escape? I told you, no one will help you," he hissed menacingly.
His lips crashed against hers in a violent kiss that drew blood, his actions brazen and violating. Yujin struggled to scream, but his weight kept her securely in place; her strength was futile against his. She continued to resist, and after a grueling five minutes, it was he who suddenly collapsed, releasing her from his hold.
Once released, Yujin's legs nearly gave way beneath her as she processed the sudden turn of events. With a mixture of shock and relief, she scrambled to her feet and fled without looking back. Frantically, she dialed her manager, pleading for a car to take her away from the hostel for good.
At the hostel, she hastily gathered her belongings, her resolve to leave unshakable. A note slipped under her door halted her in her tracks. With trepidation, she retrieved the paper and perched on the edge of her bed. Her hands shook and tears streamed down her face as she unfolded the message.
"Do as I say... don't be smart ass and get yourself killed... we will meet soon... Voxen."
The note bore the unmistakable signature of Voxen, confirming its authenticity. Initially in disbelief, Yujin's emotions overwhelmed her, her cries drawing the attention of the staff. They rushed to her aid, to which she feigned an overreaction to a minor fall, attributing it to the whims of a 'rich kid'.
Silently, she completed her packing and returned home, her composure barely containing the flood of emotions. Once within the sanctuary of her room, she allowed herself the privacy to shower and confront the day's harrowing events. One glimmer of hope remained amidst the turmoil: the unexpected collapse of her assailant had to be an act of intervention.
The dawn of Sunday arrived, yet Yujin found herself unable to muster the strength to rise from her bed. The harrowing events of the previous night clung to her, leaving her in a state of shock, her body still quivering with the memory of the vicious assault.
As she lay there, enveloped in her own tumultuous thoughts, a sudden knock at the door jolted her from her reverie. It was her manager, bearing a parcel that bore an eerie resemblance to the one she had received the night before.
With hesitant hands, she opened it to reveal a pin card. She inserted it, and to her horror, it played back a video of her assault from the previous evening. The chilling footage brought back the raw emotion of the incident, but questions swirled in her mind—Who was Voxen, and why were they helping her?
Accompanying the video was a note devoid of any signature, just the mark of Voxen. Its words were a cryptic directive:
"This is not enough to prove his wrongdoings. You must protect those in need and take down those who have wronged. You can't leave a single one unnoticed."
The anonymity of the message and the absence of any reliable sign of Voxen's identity deepened Yujin's mistrust. She scoured the address on the package but found it led nowhere. Turning to her manager, she implored him to investigate the sender.
Compelled by concern, Yujin decided to visit Jayyun, aware that the teacher might have targeted him as well. Upon reaching his residence, the door remained unanswered for a tense interval before Jayun appeared, her eyes ablaze with anger.
"What do you want now?" she demanded, her voice heavy with accusation.
"What do you mean?" Yujin replied, taken aback.
"My brother could have died because of you... and you show up here with ignorance?" Tears welled in Jayun's eyes as her emotions spilled over.
"I didn't do anything..." Yujin protested feebly.
"Alright, come inside..." Jayun's grip was firm as she ushered Yujin into the house, where Jayun's brother lay on the bed, his head and face marred by grievous injuries, his hands swollen and bruised.
"I am sorry," Yujin whispered, her voice cracking as her own tears began to flow.
"What sorry? You could have prevented this... now we are both in trouble," Jayun sobbed, her voice quivering with pain and frustration. She lashed out at Yujin, striking her on the arms in a torrent of grief and confusion.
Jayyun intervened, his voice a mix of pain and authority. "Enough, Jayun... enough."
Collapsing to the floor, Jayun was the embodiment of despair. "I thought you considered me a friend, but we were just being used... like always. First, I lost my parents, and now... look at him..." She gestured helplessly towards her brother.
Yujin stood silent, her gaze fixed on the siblings, her heart aching with guilt and sorrow.
"If I had known he was this dangerous, I wouldn't have involved anyone," she murmured, her voice barely audible.
"It's not your fault," Jayyun replied softly, surprising Yujin.
"What do you mean it's all her doing?" Jayun challenged, her emotions raw.
"No, it's not. Can't you see? She's injured too. Look at her face..." Jayyun tried to draw his sister's attention to Yujin's battered visage.
"I don't care about these injuries; I just don't want to lose you..." Jayun's words were a desperate plea.
"He assaulted her... can't you see?" Jayyun's voice rose in defense. "She's hurt too."
Jayun's gaze finally settled on Yujin, and she took in the torn lips and trembling hands. At a loss for words, she simply sat in stunned silence.
"He used Sora and Minsoo to lure me there, and then..." Yujin's sentence trailed off, choked by the recollection.
"But I'm alright. He fainted—I don't know how—but I was saved. I ran away..." Yujin's recounting was punctuated by tremors of fear, her mind still haunted by the nightmare of the night before.
To Yujin's astonishment, Jayun's demeanor softened, and she reached out to embrace her in a hug. The warmth of the gesture contrasted sharply with the chill of despair that had settled in the room.
"I don't know what to say to you anymore, but please don't come here again. We can't handle this kind of trouble. We're not like you, Yujin; we don't have the means to deal with things on our own... we're alone," Jayun pleaded, her voice laced with a blend of resignation and sorrow.
Yujin felt a pang of anguish as if her heart had plummeted to the depths of despair. She offered a heartfelt apology and made a solemn vow not to return, recognizing the burden her presence brought upon them. As she stepped out of the house, the weight of the world seemed to press upon her shoulders, and her mark glowed with an inexplicable light.
Her departure was a quiet one, with no words left to bridge the gulf of circumstances that divided them. Yujin walked away, the heaviness of her heart mirrored by the slow, deliberate steps she took. Each footfall was a silent promise to bear the weight of their collective pain and to tread carefully in a world that had shown them little mercy.