In the Restroom
Akira stood alone, clutching her phone tightly. Her voice was low, almost a whisper.
"I'm not good at interacting with others. I can't even speak while maintaining eye contact. So... I put on a mask to hide the real me."
Her thumb scrolled through old photos—moments of smiles, fake or real, she couldn't tell anymore.
"I'm fine with being alone," she whispered again. "I'm fine with being lonely…"
Ping.
A new message appeared on her screen.
> "You're still so cute, even prettier now. Your smile gives me motivation. You've been updating less lately... I'm so lonely. I'm a big fan. Looking forward to your next post. You're so cute, I adore you."
Akira's hands trembled. Then another message popped up:
> "I'm always by your side. Too bad we didn't get to talk alone. You want that too, right? We were meant to be together. We breathe the same air. You breathe in the air I breathe."
Terror crept in. Her body froze, then dropped to the ground as she slid to the edge of the wall. More messages kept coming—unceasing, obsessive.
She covered her ears and began to cry.
---
At the Post Mail Office
The door creaked as Akira walked in, forcing herself to remain calm. She reached into her assigned drawer.
A letter with her name.
She tore it open—and immediately dropped to her knees, eyes wide with horror. Inside were pictures... of herself. Half-naked. Violated.
Tears streamed down her face.
Footsteps.
Snapping into survival mode, she shoved the photos into her bag and rose quickly. Passing by other students in the hall, she kept her gaze low, fighting back the tears burning in her eyes.
---
At the Special Annex Complex
Aria wiped sweat from her brow. "It's so hot. The heat... it can affect one's judgment."
Kairon, sitting nearby, spoke up, "This is the best place to assault Kei. So? Do you have a plan?"
Aria frowned, frustrated. "I'm thinking. Since Akira's testimony extended the hearing, our best bet is to find another piece of decisive evidence."
Kairon looks at her. "Come to think of it, they don't have it here. The security cameras."
Aria walked closer. "Yes. If they had been here, it would've been important evidence."
"Right."
"If cameras were installed, none of this would've happened." She paused, eyes narrowing.
"What's wrong?" Kairon asked.
"I want to test something out," she muttered.
---
Class 1-D
The classroom was empty.
Akira sat alone, looking around with a hollow expression. Then—
"Akira!"
She jumped.
Kairon entered. "Good morning."
"M-morning," she replied, eyes darting away.
"You're not here as a witness today. You don't have to be nervous."
She placed a hand over her chest, calming her breath.
"We have a chance to save Kei—and our classmates. It's all thanks to you."
Her eyes widened.
"I believe you."
He smiled gently. "If you ever need help, I'll help you."
Akira blinked, surprised. Then, a soft smile crept across her lips. "Thanks."
"It's not just me—Aria, Ivy, Kei... Everyone in class believes in you. So rest assured."
She nodded, moved.
"Well, there's something that's been bothering me. I don't know if I should tell you…"
Kairon's phone beeped.
He glanced at it.
> "I'VE SENT THE MESSAGE. EVERYTHING IS READY."
"I'm sorry, Akira. Can we talk about this later?"
She hesitated, then closed her eyes and smiled faintly. "Okay."
---
At the Special Annex Complex
Darian, Draven, and Daiki ascended the stairs.
"It's so hot," Darian groaned. "Why are we even meeting here?"
"What's Ivy gonna talk about?" Daiki asked.
"Maybe she's gonna confess her love for me," Draven smirked.
Daiki burst out laughing. "You? She has taste, you know!"
Draven lunged at him playfully.
"Idiots," Darian muttered, glancing forward.
At the top stood Kairon, hands in his pockets, light from the window casting his shadow across the stairs.
Draven squinted. "What is this, a superhero drama?"
They chuckled, but Darian didn't laugh. "Why are you here?"
"Ivy won't be coming," Kairon said flatly. "I asked her to send you a fake message."
"What?! Why?" Darian barked.
"Because you wouldn't have listened otherwise. I just want to talk."
"I already told you," Darian snapped. "Kei got violent with me. Accept the punishment and move on."
He turned to leave—
"Are you sure about that?"
Aria stepped from the side.
"If you walk away now, you'll regret it."
Daiki stepped in. "You heard Darian. That's the truth."
"Truth?" Aria smirked. "Let's say I reenact what happened."
"What…?"
Aria grabbed Darian's shirt.
"H-hey!"
"This is how it happened, right? You and Kei struggled. Draven jumped in. All of you had your bags from practice. And Daiki, who isn't a basketball player, just happened to be there."
"I—I guess…"
"As the fight went on, you 'found' the exam papers in Kei's bag. But the truth is…" She turned toward Daiki.
"You planted them, didn't you?"
"What!?"
"You planned it all. Used the fight as cover."
"You're lying!" Darian shouted. "What we said at the hearing is the truth!"
"Is it?" Aria asked calmly.
Click.
They all turned.
On the wall beside Kairon—was a security camera.
"There are labs in this building," Aria said. "Toxic substances. Of course there'd be cameras."
They turned again. Another camera, high above Aria.
Darian's face paled. "No... If everything was caught on camera... You wouldn't need to say anything. You'd already have the proof."
Kairon stepped forward.
"From the start, we knew both classes would face punishment. Even if you did plant the questions, it wouldn't change the fact that Kei hit you. That part… is still true."
Darian stammered. "The footage… it'd get Kei punished, but also get us expelled."
"Your lies dragged everyone down," Kairon said coldly. "So it's only fair."
"Then why hasn't the school done anything?" Daiki asked desperately.
"They're testing us," Kairon replied. "To see how we deal with it."
Daiki collapsed to the ground. "I don't want to be expelled…"
"Don't fall for it!" Darian yelled.
Kairon's calm voice cut through the panic.
"Do you want to test it out?"
"…No," Darian thought. That unreadable calm, that emotionless face—he's not bluffing.
Draven finally said, "Let's just confess. Maybe they'll forgive us."
Darian grinned. "So easy, huh?"
"There's another way," Kairon said.
"What?!"
"We make it disappear," Aria said, smirking.
All eyes turned to her.
"Withdraw the accusation. Then the incident never happened."
"As long as our stories match," Kairon added, "there's nothing the school can do."
Darian pulled out his phone. "Let me call first—"
Aria snatched it away. "You can't decide alone."
"Give it back!"
She threw the phone to Kairon.
"Give it back!" Darian lunged up the stairs, swinging—Kairon dodged with ease.
He tried again—missed. Grabbed Kairon's shirt and raised a fist.
But Kairon simply touched his hand.
And suddenly—
Darian froze.
In that moment... something shifted.
His thoughts raced. He...He's calm… but why does it feel so cold all of a sudden?
A chill crawled up his spine as he looked at Kairon's unreadable expression. The air around him felt heavy—like he was standing in front of something dangerous.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kairon said quietly. Calm… yet sharp like a blade.
Darian hesitated. His gaze flicked to the security cameras watching from above.
"Tch…" He clicked his tongue and slowly let go of Kairon's coat. Kairon dusted it off, not even sparing him a second glance.
"Damn it," Darian muttered under his breath, a twisted grin creeping across his face as he looked down.
"We lost, Darian," Draven said bluntly.
"Just do what they say," Daiki added. "Getting expelled ain't something you wanna mess with."
Darian clenched his fists tight… then sighed and let them go.
"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "We'll withdraw the accusation."