The day after Jihoon appeared on the rooftop, the school felt… heavier.
Not louder. Not chaotic.Just… tense.A quiet storm pulsing under every glance, every whisper.
Minah sat in the corner of the cafeteria, phone in hand, scrolling.Her friends circled her like satellites. Eunbi, Hyejin, and Jisoo — each one pale, anxious, but trying desperately to keep their composure.
"We can't let him get away with this," Minah said sharply.Her voice was low, commanding, like a conductor leading an orchestra of fear.
"But…" Eunbi started. "He didn't leave… he didn't do anything illegal. We don't have—"
"We don't need proof yet," Minah snapped. "He knows too much. We make him the villain before anyone else even thinks to question us. We control the narrative, or we get burned."
Jisoo looked uneasy. "But… bullying him? That's risky. People could see."
"Good," Minah said, eyes glittering. "Let them see. Let him feel it. Let everyone start whispering. Make him look weak. Frighten him. Every rumor, every push, every little sabotage — it's building evidence. Evidence… against him. Not against us."
Hyejin leaned in, her lips pressed tight. "So… you want us to…?"
"Make him look like the problem," Minah finished, her voice sharp and precise. "We don't talk about the rooftop. Not a word. We just make him stumble. And if he fights back? Even better. Everyone will see it, remember it. And he'll look guilty before he even opens his mouth."
Her friends nodded reluctantly. Each one swallowed their unease and agreed, not because they believed in the plan, but because Minah's confidence made them follow.
Jihoon, meanwhile, sat in his classroom like nothing had changed.He watched. Observed.Minah passed by his desk once, bumped into him just enough to rattle his books.Another day, Eunbi "accidentally" spilled her drink near him.Jisoo whispered rumors to a few classmates — small, careful, designed to isolate.Hyejin left notes in his locker, taunting, hinting at things no one else would know.
Each incident was a tiny spark, but Jihoon's calm didn't waver. He was reading them all — their fear, their overconfidence, the cracks forming in their armor.
By the end of the day, Minah and her friends gathered at their usual corner.They laughed quietly, thinking they were winning.
Jihoon passed by the window, looking down at the group. His eyes were steady, unshaken.He whispered under his breath, almost to himself:
"I see everything… and I know what you did."
A single line, barely audible.But it cut through their false confidence like a blade.
The hunt had begun.