Chapter 17

Chapter 17 — (The Face Nobody Knew)

The hallway was almost empty after school.

Mi-youngi walked alone.

Her smile had disappeared.

She stopped near the stairs and looked around.

Nobody was there.

She took out her phone.

There were several messages from an unknown number.

UNKNOWN: They're getting suspicious.

Mi-youngi stared at the screen.

Then she typed:

MI-YOUNGI: I know.

Another message appeared.

UNKNOWN: Then why are you still staying with them?

Mi-youngi smiled.

MI-YOUNGI: Because Miho trusts me.

She put her phone away.

Her expression became completely calm.

Then she heard footsteps.

She immediately changed her expression.

A worried smile appeared on her face.

Miho came around the corner.

Miho: “Me-yongi? What are you doing here?”

Mi-youngi smiled innocently.

Mi-youngi: “I was looking for you.”

Miho nodded.

Miho: “Come on. We're waiting for you.”

They walked away together.

But Mi-youngi glanced back once.

Her innocent smile disappeared.

Later That Evening

Seo-jun was at home, looking through the information they had collected about Soo-ah.

His phone suddenly received a message.

UNKNOWN: Stop looking.

Seo-jun frowned.

Another message came.

UNKNOWN: You won't like what you find.

He immediately showed Miho.

Seo-jun: “Someone's threatening us again.”

Miho looked worried.

Miho: “We should tell Han-seok.”

Before she could send the message, Me-yongi arrived.

Me-yongi: “What's wrong?”

Seo-jun showed her the screen.

For a split second, Me-yongi's expression changed.

Then she smiled.

Me-yongi: “Maybe they're just trying to scare you.”

Han-seok entered the room.

Han-seok: “Or maybe they're warning us.”

Me-yongi looked at him.

Me-yongi: “Why are you always so suspicious?”

Han-seok stared at her.

Han-seok: “Because something isn't right.”

Miho stepped between them.

Miho: “Enough.”

She looked at Han-seok.

Miho: “You can't keep treating Me-yongi like she's guilty.”

Han-seok sighed.

Han-seok: “Fine.”

Mi-youngi looked at Miho.

Me-yongi: “Thank you.”

Miho smiled.

Miho: “You're my best friend.”

Me-yongi hugged her.

Me-yongi: “I know.”

But over Miho's shoulder, Me-yongi looked directly at Seo-jun.

Her eyes were cold.

That Night

Mi-youngi returned home.

She closed the door.

Silence.

She walked to her room and locked it.

Then she stood in front of the mirror.

For a long moment, she simply stared at herself.

Her innocent expression slowly disappeared.

She smiled.

But it wasn't the same smile she showed her friends.

Mi-youngi: “They still believe me.”

She sat on her bed.

Her phone buzzed.

She looked at the screen.

A photo of Seo-jun appeared.

Mi-youngi smiled at it.

Mi-youngi: “He should have been mine from the beginning.”

She opened another hidden folder on her phone.

Inside were screenshots of Soo-ah's messages, photos, and notes about Seo-jun.

She stared at them.

Then whispered:

Mi-youngi: “She had everything.”

Her smile disappeared.

Mi-youngi: “And she didn't even deserve him.”

She locked the phone.

Then looked at herself in the mirror again.

Her innocent expression returned.

Mi-youngi: “Tomorrow…”

She smiled.

Mi-youngi: “I'll be Mi-youngi again.”

To be continued…