As soon as we arrive at the cafeteria, Kyungjun jumps from his sitting position on his chair as he sees me and I signal everyone to finally start to vote as a response to calm him down. "Kyungjun, we will use your name. That you threaten us, since we have no proof now. Hope you don't mind." I say at last.
"An Nahee has voted for Park Wooram."
"Jang Hyunho has voted for Park Wooram."
"Kang yoonhwa has voted for Park Wooram."
"Beak Eunha has voted for Park Wooram."
I find Kyungjun releasing a big sigh as he checks the increased number over Wooram. "Fuck!" He covers his face with both hands for a second before he sits on the chair again.
"Where did you guys search to find a proof?" I ask.
"We went to the freezer to see if a mafia's personal item got stuck on one of the body's uniforms or buttons when they were brought in." Yeonwoo answers as he pushes back his glass.
"Smart thinking. Did you find any?"
"No." Hyunho shakes his head while crossing his arm and adds "we did check to see if there was any CCTV running as well but we got nothing. The camera monitor's screen itself didn't work back on the security main surveillance room."
"There is no need for a proof anyway, since everyone just voted on the bat of an eye without needing it in that meeting." Nahee sits on the chair and puts her left palm over her heart as Hyunho gives her a cup of water.
"I didn't see that one coming, what a scary reaction. Peer pressure is scary."
"You did good. You did good."
I hug Eunha as she pats my shoulder, her hug feels so comforting that I stay for a couple of seconds there as she runs her hand through my head. It's almost midnight now, and my body feels so tired.
"Hey! Check this out." Nahee shows me her phone screen for a split second quickly as she passes behind Eunha towards her seat after she threw something in the basket container, I nod my head to her.
"Thank you." I take a cup of water from Seungbin as I ask Eunha, "Have you spoken with Yoojoon and Jisoo? Who are they going to vote for?"
"Jisoo needs extra time to think, I don't blame them, since Seungbin held Yoojoon by the collar."
"He did what?"
"That crazy fool couldn't decide a thing on his own." Seungbin says.
'Great job, Seungbin. Let's write an internal memo to never assign this job to you again.'
"Doesn't matter. The number on our side is more anyways now, am I wrong?" Jinha smiles as he looks at Kyungjun.
"But now how will Hyunho explain his choice?" I look at Hyunho, especially since I can't save him twice in a row now. Will he be okay when the night comes? In this matter, I still have to think about who to save next, but no one specifically comes to mind. Who will the mafia pick this time round?
Think like a mafia. If I was the mafia, who would have I been so pissed on right now?
"KANG YOONHWA!"
The shout startles me as I stand when I see furious park Wooram dash through the cafeteria, Kyungjun, Seungbin and Hyunho step forward and block his way before he comes.
"And fucking Nahee too! These bitches! You fooled me, right?"
"I forced them to vote for me, you son of a bitch!" Kyunjun pushes back Wooram.
"And you are freaking proud? This, this is the person you guys voted for? Do you guys want to kill me to make him live?"
His voice echoes through the whole shop as he screams with his whole body, his nerves start to pop up in his forehead, and his veins start to show through his neck.
"And what about you motherfucker!" He gets close to Hyunho, with his tall and wide body figure Hyunho ends up looking down on him coldly as he says, "His theory seemed more logical than just voting someone out just because he chose you."
"You!" he yells at Hyunho's face then turns and faces me, "And you!" then looks at Kyungjun as he shouts "And you! If I have to die, then I will bring you all with me. I will kill you all!"
'Okay, things are starting to get out of control.'
Wooram aims to hit Kyungjun but as Kyungjun moves his body to the left, Wooram horribly misses the chance to punch him. Hyunho comes and holds him from behind as Wooram tries to struggle his way out, they both hit the cashier area and hit the candy trails section as they fall down to the ground. Kyungjun joins as he helps Hyunho to hold Wooram still on the ground but the sudden appearance of Junhee disturbs them both as he comes and tries to separate them all.
"Have you all gone mad? Stop the fight."
Yoonseo comes at last shouting at everyone to stop.
Eunchan and Yeonwoo awkwardly try to give a hand and separate the three of them. But in a moment where Wooram is free, nobody saw him slide his hand in his pocket and grab out that kitchen knife.
"Wooram, calm down."
I say slowly as I raise both my hands towards him, everyone stops and looks at him when I do so and they all become freezed and rigid when they notice the scene. I steal a glance over the clock to see the pointer passing through the ten and then the twelve. Thank goodness, he's out now.
"Put that knife down," Junhee asks from Wooram.
'Hmm? Shouldn't the alarm go now?'
"Wooram, There's no need to go that far," Eunchan adds.
'Isn't it 12 o'clock? That doesn't make any sense!'
Wooram runs towards Hyunho and stabs him three times, he pulls the knife and blood flows out of his body like a fountain, Hyunho passes out and falls to the ground.
"Jang Hyunho has died."
"Jang Hyunho was a civilian."
'Huh?'
I freeze.
Nahee, surprised by the scene, hurries to Hyunho as she forgets Wooram is just there right across, he grabs her hair, "No!" I try to scream and stop him but my feet stuck in its place as I witness him sliding the knife through her neck and blood splatter and go over my face.
"An Nahee has died."
"An Nahee was the police."
He throws her body to the ground as her blood splashes and goes over my face first as I see him in slow motion with his hand dripped in blood walking slowly to me as he smiles.
Wooram holds the knife to my neck as he presses it, I could feel drops of cold liquid running down my neck. Kyungjun appears and tries to hold his arm, as he tries to shake the knife away, I feel a cold metal running across my neck in a sharp cut, the pain tingles as I touch it and see blood over my hand.
"Crazy fucker!"
"An error has occurred, the game will proceed shortly."
I open and close my eyes as I see bits of changeable scenes.
'Does the roof move on its own now? is this Kyungjun? Is this my dorm room?'
"Park Wooram with the most votes will be executed."
"Park Wooram was a mafia."
"Hey! Stay with me! Fuck! Hey, press this on, shit wait,"
I hear drawers being open and shut as items are being thrown to the floor. A notification pops to my phone screen.
"Who will the doctor use his skill on?"
"Who will you save?"
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
click*
School bells ring*
"Park jisoo was executed by the mafia."
"Park Jisoo was a civilian."
"Kang Yoonhwa was executed by the mafia."
"Kang Yoonhwa was the doctor."
"The police have used their skills before midnight."
"The doctors have used their skills before midnight, Kang Yoonhwa will live."
I gasp for air and open my eyes as I check my neck right away with both hands.
"Since there was an error through the system, an update has been made."
"A hidden skill can be acquired through a hidden task and will be notified personally to further aid the citizen."
It takes a while until my brain registers where I am.
I notice the bed I'm in as I check my tiny fuchsia alarm clock in my bedside table. As soon as I remember what happened, my eyes get blurry and my heart starts to ache from pain, I squeal to Eunha as I wail my eyes out and my hand shakes next to the phone.
"Here, here. Everything will be alright."
I don't know how long that cry lasted, but it was clearly still morning and my body weeps from pain and exhaustion already.
I hear a knock on the slightly opened door. Eunchan and Yeonwoo come for a visit.
"Are you okay?"
"Will be. Thanks for asking."
"There will be a meeting at 11 am organized by Kyungjun. You still have time."
"Thank you, Eunchan."
"Here's chips I brought."
"Thank you, Yeonwoo."
"Then, we will take our leaves."
"Goodbye."
"How about you sleep for a bit?" Eunha suggests as she adjusts the navy cotton blanket on top of me.
"How did I get here?"
"Kyungjun took the key dorm from your pocket and put you there through the night."
"Are the rest safe?"
Eunha doesn't answer for a while after staring at me for seconds, and I continue with my hoarse voice. "I know. I heard the announcements before. I mean the others, are they fine?"
"Everyone is fine." She adjusts the blanket once again.
"Thank you."
She gives me a look I can't explain, it feels like she has a lot to say to me but she decides to save it later.
'Later when? I don't know, since later doesn't have a weight in here.'
***
"Why did you call us all here?" Yoonseo strides forward up ahead when we see Kyungjun coming into the formed crowd.
"See? I told you all I was right, about Wooram being the mafia."
"Go Kyungjun really got a great hunch!"
Seungbin claps as he pulls off his orange glasses after he's done clapping.
"So, what exactly do you want from us?" Jeongwon replies in a flat tone.
"Everyone tell me who you think the mafia is, and I will choose for you."
Eunha whispers to my ears, "your lips are with no color, wanna go back?"
I don't answer.
"And why should we listen to you?" Mina says.
"Because I can prove that I'm a citizen, unlike the rest of you. If you want to catch the mafia, do as I say."
"What about Yoonhwa? She's also a doctor." Yeonwoo says.
"That's right! Ya! Yoonhwa, you were also friends with the police. Did she tell you anything?"
"Mina! can't you see she is feeling unwell!" Eunha raises her voice.
"Aren't we all feeling unwell?" Mina yells back.
"She didn't."
I feel the stares at me as I answer.
"What do we do now?" Jinha cuts the silence of the room and waits for Kyungjun orders.
"I think the mafia are among the people who voted for me yesterday."
"That's not true." Yoonseo says.
"You sided with Wooram and tried to kill me, what other clear evidence there will be?"
"We really didn't know." Junhee answers him. "Don't judge only based on one night."
"Then what should I judge based on?" Kyungjun asks as he sneers, "All of you voted for me last night."
"Is that it?" Jeongwon says, "your logic is crap."
"Ya." Kyungjun steps closer as Yoonseo blocks him from her.
"Then what about Jisoo?" Mina asks,"Especially when she voted for Wooram too, why would they kill someone from the same team then?"
"Who cares how close you are when you are about to die?" Kyungjun says as I notice both Jinha and Seungbin staring at him.
"Wasn't she in the same room as Yoojoon? And he is still alive, right?" Eunchan says.
"But could he really kill his girlfriend?" Eunha asks.
"That would be creepy if it happened." Jinha says more to himself than us.
"Why not?" Eunchan says, "there were no signs of breaking in, the door was completely fine! It was opened from the inside!"
"Ya! Yoojoon, explain yourself!" Seungbin yells at the crowd but ends up with no answer.
"Where is Yoojoon?" Yeonwoo grabs the attention and all of them start to look around.
"See? He is not even here!" Mina says.
After a while, Kyungjun add after he covers his forehead with hands for a second,
"Your lots are so frustrating, I will choose for you then."
"He thinks he's in charge." Jeonwon mumbles next to me and Eunha.
"Kim junhee's a mafia." He points his finger with his whole arm at him. "You can tell how he stopped me and Hyunho from putting down Wooram, if he wouldn't interfere, no one would've gotten killed!"
"He just wanted to stop the fight." Yoonseo says.
"Yes, I don't think it's a good reason to just vote for him for that." Mina adds.
"Then, what about the fact he voted for me?" Kyungjun adds when Yoonseo steps in.
"Don't insist when you don't have proof."
Kyungjun steps closer to Yoonseo, then he pulls his hair to the back as he lowers his voice to the point of almost whispering.
"My hunch is a proof, fuck it. How else will you find a proof in these conditions?"
"I'm sure I can find some."
Yoonseo speaks as everyone looks at her. "There is a surveillance room in the basement. I'm sure we will find proof."
We all move to the surveillance room. Jeongwon takes the lead as I hear clicks and code programs running through the black screen as she tries to check the files. Behind her on her right side, stands Yoonseo crossing her arms while she shakes her legs next to Junhee. In Jeongwon's left side, stands Jinha, Kyungjun, and Seungbin.
"Haven't you and Hyunho seen it before in searching for a proof yesterday?" Eunha whispers to Eunchan and Yeonwoo from the back as Eunchan leans with an angle towards her, "We checked the building centre's main security room, but not this basement one. I don't even know how she founded it."
"This is awesome! We could catch all the mafia in one go!" Jinha says, where Seungbin says right just after him.
"Mensa, speed up. You're so darn slow"
"It's Mensan." Jeonwon explained in one tone. "I just turned it on. Wait, what is this?"
"What is happening?" Yoonseo gets closer to see the screen.
"All the files are deleted."
"Are they saved somewhere else?"
"It's not that. They are really deleted. It wasn't even formatted automatically, someone deleted them on purpose."
"Lee yoonseo, what is this? You trolled us?" Jinha says.
"Gosh, you mafia jerks." Kyungjun raised his head towards her, "Nice team-play, did you delete them?"
"It's not like that!" Yoonseo answers as her voice wavers.
"You and Junhee defended Wooram from the start, you showed up late because you deleted the files. You're just pretending you didn't know." Kyungjun suddenly speaks as if he figured this all out.
"It's not like that! I showed up late because I found an old photoــ"
"Yoonseo," Yoojoon interferes, "how did you know you can see the footage from here? If there were none the moment you discovered it you wouldn't even know about them if you really didn't delete the files."
"What? No! .. No. I came across this place by accident!"
"If she deleted them, why would she lead us to this place then?" Junhee asks.
"Yes, and she doesn't know how to use this old computer and perform such a task." Jeongwon adds.
"Go Kyungjun has voted for Lee Yoonseo."
"Shin Seungbin has voted for Lee Yoonseo."
"Cha Yoojoon has voted for Lee Yoonseo."
"Kim Jinha has voted for Lee Yoonseo."
"Game over." Kyungjun shakes his phone ahead of her and leaves with the rest following them.
"Guys wait! I'm really a citizen. I will prove that I'm!" Yoonseo grabs Yoojoon by the sleeve as he pushes her hand away and walks out.
Well that was something, I stand as well and start to take my leave as Eunha and Eunchan with Yeonwoo follow me.
"What do you think? Is it really Yoonseo?" Eunha asks.
"What about Yoojoon?" Eunchan asks too.
"The door was open with no signs of breaks. Isn't this a clear sign?" Yeonwoo cleans his glasses as I stop moving.
"If Yoojoon was the mafia, he would convince Jisoo to vote for Kyungjun too. He won't hide it just because they want a cover up. There are no cover ups in this game when you can die next, or that is what I think so far. I need to go back to the staff or security office rooms and check the drawers for any extra spare keys specified for the guest dorm rooms. Don't they usually hold keys that can open the doors for emergencies? What do you guys think?"
"I think it is plausible." Yeonwoo says.
"Okay, I will help." Eunha says.
"I will lend a hand too, then let's separate in a team of two." Eunchan instructed us as we listened, "me and Yeonwoo will go to the security room and you will check the staff office rooms with Eunha."
"Won't it be dangerous during these times for two girls to be alone?" I ask.
'Especially, when everyone knows I'm a doctor.'
"Then how about I go with Eunha and Yeonwoo goes with you?"
"Fine by me." I say.
I turn to Yeonwoo as he feels all nervous. He pushes his glasses back as he says, "how about we all go together?" as we eye him.
"Let's start looking now." I grab Yeonwoo's arm as we separate our ways.
Eunchan and Eunha go to the security room as me and Yeonwoo make our way to the staff rooms.
'Where could the spare keys be right now? They would keep it in a safe cabinet or a safe lockbox or a well hidden storage location according to what I have seen from movies and media.'
'The ones that Kyungjun has, it's only related to the security and cafeteria, staff rooms only right?'
We enter the first staff room, and I open the desk drawers through everything out then check the inside and roofs of the tiny spaces between the drawers as Yeonwoo does the same. I get down on my knees and push away the wheeling chairs as I put my head under the huge desk table and search anywhere. We repeat the same process over the four desks and then he stands up and checks the inside of files that were ordered in the cabinets.
"There is nothing."
"Yes, I didn't find anything either." I say.
"No, I mean the inside of the folders, there is nothing." Yeonwoo holds a black folder as he opens it for me to see.
I stare at him and run my palm over my face pushing my hair backwards. This is wrong. Something is off. And if I was the mafia anyways won't I also make a mess of the room in order to find the same spare keys I'm looking for. The mafia only have limited time to kill, I don't think they will be in the mood to clean after their mess.
"Maybe there were no spare keys found, maybe my theory is wrong and Yoojoon is really the mafia."
"Behind you."
I look at Yeonwoo as I stop staring at the floor and I find him pointing with his finger behind my back, I turn around and I find Kyugjun with Seungbin and Jinha standing across the room's door leaning on the door frames.
"Out."
Kyungjun aims with his chin for Yeonwoo to step outside as Yeonwoo shivered. I nod to him that it's okay.
Kyungjun closes the door as he lets Seungbin and Jinha out guarding Yeonwoo. He closes the curtains.
"So, who is it?"
"Who is what?"
"Don't play dumb Yoonhwa. The last person Nahee checked." Kyungjun says after I stay silent, "the announcer said the police used their skills before midnight, I already saw Nahee showing you something in secret with her phone before the fucking bloodbath happens. What else would it be?"
He sneers, "No wonder why you were so trusting to me while I chose Wooram, you fucking knew since the beginning. Now, tell me. Who's the last one you checked?"
"Help me to find the spare keys first, then I will tell you."
"The spare keys I found on day one?"
"No, the dormitory room's spare keys."
"What if the mafia used them and put it back in its place."
Kyungjun says.
I take my time to search for words but as this usually consumes a lot of energy which I have lost most of the last couple days, I say it as it.
"I don't think the mafia are that smart." Kyungjun stays still as he checks me for a second and I continue in a flat tone."They would rather throw it away while they are in a hurry after killing someone or keep it with them to use it again later on."
"I was going to search for them too anyways."
'I bet you would have forced someone to speak.' I internally sneer.
"Hey! Open the doors! Kyunjun!" Eunchan knocks on the door.
"Stop yelling!" We can hear Seungbin shouts next.
"You are yelling too!" Eunha joins them.
I head to the door as I don't cut the glare at Kyungjun and before opening the door I ask one last question as I remember this morning gathering, "how much do you trust Seungbin and Jinha?"
"Not much."
He answers too quickly and casually as I frown over the unexpected reply.
"But aren't they, like your people?"
He cleanses his ears and chooses silence as a reply so I can leave.
I sneered at him out loud, "If you really didn't care about them, then why would you push Seungbin out of Heoyul's way when he dashed running into everyone on day one? Or why would you stop Jinha from running after the two students who first stepped out of the border's white line? I saw both scenes with my eyes."
Kyungjun stares at me as I finally add, "As someone who will die tomorrow. Listen to me as I say, I don't think they are a mafia."
"Why would you die?" Kyungjun frowns.
"The mafia knows I'm a doctor through this morning announcement and I can't use my skill twice in a row. Plus, the dorm rooms aren't safe anymore since the mafia might have the extra emergency keys within their reach now," I breathe in.
"I only have one day," I let out a chuckle, "worth a shot to kill your friends for."
"You can hide withـــ
I open the door as I welcome the kids outside and go speak with them, "don't worry, I'm fine."
"Yoonhwa!"
"Are you sure you are fine?"
Eunchan and Eunha check on me up close as Yeonwoo looks all sorry, I pat his shoulder as I ask.
"Any updates on the spare keys?"
"No, we have checked the security room. It was open but there was nothing." Eunha says.
'It seems the mafia really got their hands over the dorm keys if we don't end up finding them.'
'If that's really the case,'
'Then fuck.'
"We still have one room to check." Eunchan says.
"That's right! The chief staff room storage." Eunha says as she shakes my arm with new found energy inside.
"Let's go."
We all jog towards the hallways as we take a few turns following Eunchan leads, "Over there!" He then points with his arm to a room where the sign ahead over it holds the title 'For Staff Only' as I get closer and ahead of the running group, I quickly press on the handle to enter as I push once, twice, then internally swear as I push my body away from it.
"It's closed."
We reach a dead end.
I watch Eunchan and Eunha speaking and turning in circles nervous about what to do next, or that's what I think. I can't really hear them talking as their voices become mute. I throw my back in the side hallways walls and I gradually slide downwards as I pull my knees to my chest. A song crosses my mind and I find my head moving left and right slightly to the rhythm of the song as I hum it.
🎶
I'm heavy
Alone inside
Don't tell me what I want, what I need
Like a loser like me will be fine
Maybe I'm living in my head
Maybe I'm living to pretend
Maybe I wanna stay in bed
Far from the weight of the world in my hands
'Cause they don't understand
Is someone telling me don't get in the water?
What have I done?
I don't wanna get lost inside the color under my tongue
'Cause I don't wanna be in love with another
Even in another life
Can someone tell me it's alright to be covered
Underneath the covers? But I
No, I don't need to sleep anymore
Is someone banging at my door?
When I just wanna be alone?
Is someone banging at my door?
🎶
"...hwa..oonhwa ..
"Yoonhwa!"
A voice snaps me to my surroundings. I look clearly to find Eunha all worried about me. "Are you fine? Here, let's go to the clinic so you can relax for a bit." She raises me by the arm as I stand again. I push her hand away in slow motion and I comfort her, "I think I need some time alone. I'm sorry guys."
"It's okay."
That's the last thing I hear as soon as I turn my body and walk to the other side, I soon pick up the rhythm then run away from the staff room, down the stairs, to the ground floor. I take my breath as I push the gate door, stepping outside the whole building into the fresh air as I raise my head towards the moonlight that just hugged the yellow dusk sky.
This feels so real, yet doesn't.
warning !
"The game must take place within the boundaries."
I throw my body to the ground across the white line.
Just a few centimeters away, I can end all this.
I spread my body over the ground as I feel the midnight bloom and hear the rustle of the trees' leaves. I have spent all day looking for those goddamn keys, why there are so many rooms. Is Yoojoon really the mafia? Why did Jisoo die? Did she get on one of the mafia's nerves? She spent most of her time either with him or with the Wooram group. Eunha said she visited her yesterday as Wooram did in the company of both Junhee and Mina. What if the mafia just wants to frame Yoojoon and that's exactly why it picked Jisoo? Anyways, whether yoojoon was a mafia or not, let's get rid of whom I am sure of first.
"Are you okay?"
I see who's voice it's, and I find it's Mina's.
"Yes, I'm fine."
I pull up my back so I can sit as she gets down and sits next to me.
"Want to talk to someone?"
"Actually, instead of talking. I want to eat." I grin as I show my teeth. "Want to use the kitchen and cook something for each other?"
"I'm not really in the mood to cook, plus it's close to the freeze and it gives me the creeps."
"No worries, let me cook and wait for me in the canteen food arena. You said you would lend me an ear right?"
"Sure…"
Mina answers somewhat in a bland way, I ignore it and go to the kitchen where I suddenly have the urge to cook rice for myself. I have been eating snacks and I'm starting to feel the lower blood intakes that go to my mind.
'Is that a rice cooker?'
"I hope I wasn't late or something."
Time passes and I finally hand the course meal that consists of two bowls of white cooked rice and a side dish I just found in the refrigerator. I sit across Mina at the table.
"Do you have any idea who to vote for tonight?" I ask as I mix the rice with my metal spoon.
"I don't know, it's either Yoonseo or Yoonjoon. Both are suspicious."
"Hmm."
Mina mixes her rice for a bit before hesitantly puts her spoon to the side as she leans forward.
"Have you seen how jisoo was murdered? It makes me shiver."
"Yes, I saw." I eat a spoonful of rice. "It was by choking, am I wrong?"
"Yes! Guess that pretty face of hers didn't save her that time. That's why I will vote for Yoonjoon."
"Makes sense."
I shove one spoonful of rice inside my mouth. Mina holds her spoon again and mixes the rice with a little bit of kimchi from the side dish I brought.
"Right? It gives me the creep. Even if Jeongwon really succeeded in getting in the deleted files or not as she sent in the group chat. I think Yoojon is still the most suspicious one."
"You know, I do write thriller crime stories once in a while."
Mina knits her brows because of the huge change of topic. I almost see her sneers but decides to go along with me and ask after she ate her first bite as I swallow mine to speak clearly.
"When you write crime stories, you need a lot of research to check the information you include. But by doing so, sometimes you end up with interesting facts." I lean forwards as I whisper and smile all at once. "Researchers found out that male serial killers are prone to target strangers, while female serial killers are most likely to target their acquaintances instead."
Mina blinks as her body gets slowly far away from me, she then drops her spoon at the table and stands.
"I'm done eating. The kimchi tasted weird anyways. Must have been stacked there, since like, forever."
"Sure."
I see her take her leaves.
My phone buzzes with notification, I pull it on and I see Jeongwon text, 'I think we can restore the security camera footage on the third floor.' and just like that we gather again over the basement surveillance room.
Jeongwon still types some codes to run whoever knows what programs she is running. In the black screen, a white smaller tap appears with downloading percentage showing up, and then seconds later a video pops up and starts to play as well get excited and look closer at the screen. Yoonseo cries at Junhee's arm.
"It's done."
"What?"
"The footage from yesterday is restored." Jeongwon says. "All we should do now is to check if someone entered Jisoo's room."
"Wait, what's that?"
"It's glitching."
"What?"
A weird noise is heard running through the machines as tiny sparks go out of it, an explosion goes next and fire starts to take place in the computer's desktop device. Screams happen as everyone goes backwards and Junhee freezes before he suddenly moves to the back to bring the fire extinguisher to put down the fire up ahead.
Moments later, after everyone calmed down, Kyungjun goes first and squad to the desktop as he hits it a few times making everyone flinch back momentarily. He adds a smile as he looks at Yoonseo. "Were you fucking trying to burn us all to death?" I look over where his gaze is from earlier to find a few wires are being cut.
"It really wasn't me." Yoonseo shouts.
As everyone looked at each other, "Hey, what's this?" Eunchan says. As he points toward another tiny computer where a video is being run. We all step to see what's in there as we glance over the swimming pool. According to the camera footage a girl suddenly appears.
Eunha gets close as she whispers, "there really must be a ghost here."
Yoonseo suddenly after watching the girl, she inserts her hand in her pocket and brings up a picture in front of everyone's sight. "This is the girl in this picture, I think we really should search for her as she might be related to the game makers."
"Where did you find this picture?" I ask.
"I found it when I was searching for a way out, I came across a hidden room and found a photo album within it."
"Stop with your nonsense. You could have worked to fake this video." Kyungjun scoffs once then he stresses his jaws the more he goes on.
"You idiot, look at the time code. It's filming right now in real time."
"Then," Yoonseo states at Kyungjun with newly regained determination in her eyes, "will you play the game that kills as they say? What if you win? Do you think we can survive and get out of here? Do you think you can live even after you have seen how others die? Get a grip. We should find out who made us play this game."
No one speaks after her.
We move to the swimming pool as the other students try to search for the …. Ghost. I think they want to speak with her. Of course if she blesses us with her divine appearance and perhaps allows us for a tea visit to talk about who she thinks the game's masters are.
'What are they even thinking?'
I'm running out of time and I overestimated my abilities to kill all the mafia. I need time as we are still not one hundred percent sure if the mafia have spare keys or if it's really Yoojoon. I scrunch over next to Kyungjun as he squads over the walls while others are searching.
"You owe me."
"Fuck no."
"Yes."
Kyungjun turns his head as he looks at me, he must remember I'm a doctor as he suddenly seems interested.
'Opportunist.'
"What do you want?"
"Do you know a good place to hide? You're smart, you properly thought about searching for a well-hidden place."
"Guess the shit plan of searching for the dorm's extra keys failed, huh?"
"Please, just help me this time. I really don't want to die."
He doesn't answer my previous question, but judging by his personality I lose hope.
"Who are you voting for?" he asks.
And I don't answer.
He checks the hour then he stands up. Kyungjun speaks loudly, "It's almost midnight, will you not vote?" All the students crowd over him and so does Junhee and Yoonseo. As soon as Junhee opens his mouth to say something, we hear noise from the back.
"Mina! what's wrong?"
"Mina!"
Both me and Eunha run to Mina as we support her. "It hurts! Ouch! It hurts!" Mina squeezes her stomach as she leans forwards trying to take a breath while her face all wrinkles up.
"What happened?"
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Mina!"
All the students gather around her but she suddenly pushes me and Eunha as she goes to the swimming pool and squad making vomit sounds.
"Blood!"
"Thats's blood!"
"What the fuck?"
"Why? Just why? No one voted yet!"
"My stomach! Ouch!"
"Was she poisoned?" Yoonseo asks as she glances over Junhee.
Junhee steps forward to Mina and asks her calmly and clearly "did you eat something weird today?"
"Food… Kitchen Food!..."
I sit next to her as I pat her shoulder and say to the others "she said the food from the kitchen! It must have expired or something!"
"No! .. ugh my stomach!"
"shit."
"What do we do now?"
"Do we have any medicine for this in the clinic?"
"Do you think there are any, brainy?"
"We don't have doctors here."
"What about Yoonhwa?" Jinha asks.
"Moron! Real doctors! She only saves citizens who the mafia kills!" Seungbin replies.
"Maybe …."
everyone suddenly quiets down as if they have all thought of the same conclusion, looking at her and the clock. I stand as I pull back with everyone staring at her just like Junhee stumbles back with the help of Yoonseo and Jeongwon.
She is going to die anyway
I bet that's what they're thinking.
Mina cries out of pain. Her body moves and whimpers one side to the other as she shouts, "Make it stop! Please!" she bursts into tears wishing for all of this to stop. We all run outside the pool as we make our choice.
"Stop! It hurts! No!"
"Im Eunchan has voted for Choi Mina."
"Kang Yoonhwa has voted for Choi Mina."
"No!"
"Nam Yeonwoo has voted for Choi Mina."
"Stop!"
"Jin Dabeum has voted for Choi Mina."
"Oh jeongwon has voted for Choi Mina."
"PLEASE!"
"Nam Yeonwoo has voted for Choi Mina."
"Beak Eunha has voted for Choi Mina."
"Kim Junhee has voted for Choi Mina."
"Lee Yoonseo has voted for Choi Mina."
"Choi Mina with the most votes will be executed."
"Choi Mina was the mafia."
"As we just came out from Wooram's gathering, who do you suspect?" Nehee asks,
"Honestly, all of them. At the top of the list, Mina."
"Really!?"
"Kyungjun just warned her that she might die after Yoojung by Wooram, not only she brushed it off but also denied the existence of the video. Isn't it more natural for her to vote him out of fear?"
"Now that you mentioned it, it does make sense."
"What about you?"
"I didn't want to say that earlier, but our class president Junhee. But no proof, just a hunch."
"Who will you choose then?"
"I don't know yet, but once I do I will show you."
"Got it."