"Line up outside," the teacher said. "You'll be called."
Students pushed their chairs back and stood up.
The legs scraped hard against the floor, a rough screeching sound filling the whole room. Bags knocked into desks, straps swinging. Feet shuffled everywhere, bumping into each other as everyone tried to move at once.
Hyun Woo also stood, but instead of going forward with the others, he moved toward the back of the classroom.
Back in the moment when Choi first entered—
[ Judge Eye — Activated ]
One eye flickered gold, a faint glow hidden under his lashes.
[ Suspicion Detected ]
[ Target: Choi Do-hyun ]
[ Verdict: Not Guilty — Pursuing Truth ]
[ Transferring Inner Thought… ]
I've seen this boy somewhere…
Hyun Woo's chest tightened.
Choi's eyes had paused on him for just a second. And that night at the crime scene, Choi had only seen his back.
If he showed that same back again, maybe Choi would remember.
Hyun Woo whispered under his breath, his lips barely moving.
"I can't… I can't let him see my back…"
He pressed his head low, slipping between desks, hiding himself among the flow of students. His steps were quiet, trying to vanish inside the noise.
Outside the classroom it was a mess. Students pushing each other, whispering.
"You go first."
"No, you go first."
"Why me? You go."
No one wanted to be the first in line. Their shoes scraped on the floor, shoulders bumping. Some laughed nervously; some looked down, fidgeting with their sleeves.
Then a loud voice broke it.
"Line up properly!"
The principal had come from the hall. His face was red, his finger pointing straight at the students. They froze. No one dared to argue anymore. They hurried, standing in a line, their heads low.
One by one they went inside.
The classroom didn't feel like a classroom anymore. The blackboard was still there, the desks still there, but now police officers sat in chairs.
The classroom didn't feel like a classroom anymore. The blackboard was still there, the desks still there, but the seats were filled with police now.
Their pens were moving, writing down the statements, while they asked questions from the students one by one.
"State your name."
"When was the last time you saw Kang Ji-ho?"
"Did he fight with anyone recently?"
Students answered in low voices, some stuttering, some speaking fast like they just wanted to get it over with and leave.
Choi sat on the teacher's desk, both legs hanging down, his back leaning a little.
His jaw was tight, his brow furrowed deep. His eyes didn't move away from the students; he just kept watching them.
He listened to every word, but his eyes were more on their faces than their answers.
A twitch, a lip bite, a glance to the side — he searched for all of it.
Even the way their voices shook or got too flat, too steady. Anything that told him who was hiding something, who was guilty.
One boy said, "Kang…" Kang was a model student; he was always nice."
But his lips trembled. His eyes darted away.
Another girl said, "Yes… he helped everyone… never bullied…"
Her voice was too sweet, too careful.
Choi's jaw moved slightly, grinding. He didn't believe it.
Their words said Kang was a saint, but their faces, their pitch, and their eyes told something else.
But everything else they said—their alibis, where they were last night, what they heard—seemed true.
Hyun Woo stood at the very back of the line. His head was low, his hands in his pocket. From outside he looked calm, just another student waiting his turn.
But inside, his eyes burnt.
[ Judge Eye Activated ]
[ No lies can be hidden. ]
The voices from inside the classroom flowed into his ears, clear and sharp, like he was standing right there. Every word, every tone, every fake smile.
"Kang was a good guy…"
[ Lie detected ]
[ Inner thought: That bastard stole my lunch money every week. ]
"He never hurt anyone…"
[ Lie detected ]
[Inner thought: He slapped me once just for looking at him.]
"He was… a model student…"
[ Lie detected ]
[Inner thought: Thank god he's dead. I hope I don't get blamed.
Hyun Woo's lips twitched under his hand. He wanted to laugh, but he pressed it back, his teeth biting his lip.
They lied to the police, but they couldn't lie to him. He saw through all of it.
For a second his chest burnt hot, not from anger, but from something else—satisfaction.
"They all knew," he thought, fingers curling tight in his pocket.
"They all suffered… But no one ever stood up. Not one."
One by one, the students walked inside. Some looked nervous, some talked too loud, and a few tried to act like nothing had happened.
Each time, a student spoke while the officers wrote things down, and then the student walked out again. The line kept getting shorter and shorter.
Hyun Woo stayed quiet at the very back, his hand holding the strap of his bag. He kept his head low, eyes on the floor, pretending he was invisible.
Finally, the last few were called in. Then only he was left.
The teacher looked at the list. "Next—"
And Hyun Woo enters the classroom.
But before he could walk towards the officers, a deep voice cut in.
"I'll take this one."
It was Detective Choi.
He was still sitting on the teacher's desk, but his eyes were locked on Hyun Woo now. His legs came down, shoes hitting the floor with a dull thud. He didn't look at anyone else.
"You. Sit here."
His finger pointed to the chair right in front of him.
Hyun Woo froze for a moment, his throat turning dry and his feet feeling heavy. Each step he took toward the chair seemed too loud, too slow, like everyone could hear it.
Then, inside his chest, something began to stir.
[Heart of Themisar — Activated]
A faint warmth spread out from his heart, slow at first, then steady. His pulse, which had been racing, started to calm down, and the tremble in his legs eased until they felt firm again.
It was strange. A second ago he thought he would fall. Now it felt like his body wasn't his own weakness anymore. Like something was holding him up, forcing him to walk steadily.
Choi pulled the chair back and dropped into it with a thud, the iron legs scraping against the floor with a rough creak. He leaned forward right away, resting his arms on his thighs, his eyes fixed on Hyun Woo without looking away.
"Name."
"Hyun Woo," he answered, his voice steady, with no hint of a shake.
"Where were you last night?"
Hyun Woo blinked once, slowly, then gave his reply. His tone was flat and calm, no stutter, no rush.
The questions kept coming. Time, place, who he saw, what he did.
Normally a kid would fidget. Scratch his arm, rub his palms on his pants, and look away too quickly. Even if they weren't guilty, their body would show the nerves.
But Hyun Woo's face was blank. His voice even. His eyes didn't dart or shake. He didn't gulp too fast. He didn't cross his arms or shift in his chair. Nothing.
[Heart of Themisar—Active]
[Suppressing fear response. Body steady. Voice calm. Signs of guilt erased.]
Choi's eyes narrowed as he watched him closely, waiting for any twitch, any little crack to show. But the boy gave him nothing—just answers, plain and simple, sounding almost too normal.
The detective leaned back slowly, the chair groaning under him. His fingers tapped on his thigh. Something didn't sit right. This wasn't how scared kids acted.