Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Chapter 18 — (I Trust Her)
The next morning, the group met at their usual table.
But nobody spoke.
Han-seok kept thinking about everything they had discovered.
Seo-jun looked exhausted.
Miho finally broke the silence.
Miho: “We're going too far.”
Han-seok looked at her.
Han-seok: “What?”
Miho: “We're treating Me-yongi like she's guilty when we don't have a single piece of real evidence.”
Me-yongi looked down.
Me-yongi: “It's okay, Miho.”
Miho shook her head.
Miho: “No. It isn't.”
She looked at Han-seok and Seo-jun.
Miho: “Think about it. The messages, the deleted message, the girl Soo-ah was seen with… none of that proves Me-yongi did anything.”
Seo-jun nodded slowly.
Seo-jun: “She's right.”
Han-seok sighed.
Han-seok: “I still don't trust the situation.”
Miho: “You don't have to trust the situation. But you should trust our friend until we have proof.”
Han-seok looked at Me-yongi.
After a moment, he nodded.
Han-seok: “Fine.”
Me-yongi looked relieved.
Me-yongi: “Thank you.”
Miho smiled.
Miho: “We're friends. That's what friends do.”
After School
Miho and Han-seok walked home together.
Neither spoke for a while.
Then Han-seok suddenly stopped.
Han-seok: “You really trust her that much?”
Miho nodded.
Miho: “Yes.”
Han-seok: “Even after everything?”
Miho: “She's been there for me through everything.”
Han-seok looked at her.
Han-seok: “And if you're wrong?”
Miho's smile faded.
Miho: “Then I'll deal with it.”
Han-seok was quiet.
Then he gently took her hand.
Miho looked at him.
Miho: “What are you doing?”
Han-seok: “Making sure you don't have to deal with everything alone.”
Miho smiled.
Miho: “You're getting soft.”
Han-seok smirked.
Han-seok: “Only around you.”
Miho laughed.
For a moment, the mystery disappeared.
It was just them.
Meanwhile…
Seo-jun was sitting alone in the library.
Me-yongi walked in.
Me-yongi: “You're still investigating?”
Seo-jun looked up.
Seo-jun: “Yeah.”
She sat across from him.
Me-yongi: “You should rest.”
Seo-jun: “I can't.”
She looked at him.
Me-yongi: “Because of Soo-ah?”
Seo-jun nodded.
Seo-jun: “I just want to know the truth.”
Me-yongi smiled softly.
Me-yongi: “You'll find it.”
Seo-jun looked at her.
Seo-jun: “Thanks.”
She smiled.
But inside, her thoughts were completely different.
They believe I'm innocent.
Miho defended me.
And Seo-jun still trusts me.
She lowered her eyes.
For now, everything was exactly how she wanted it.
That Night
Miho received a message.
UNKNOWN: You really believe she's innocent?
Miho stared at the screen.
Another message appeared.
UNKNOWN: You're protecting the wrong person.
Miho deleted the messages.
She wasn't going to let another threat change her mind.
She opened her chat with Me-yongi.
MIHO: Don't worry. I believe you.
A reply came almost immediately.
ME-YOUNGI: Thank you. ❤️
Miho smiled.
But somewhere else, Me-yongi stared at the message.
Her smile slowly disappeared.
She whispered:
Me-yongi: “You shouldn't trust me this much.”
Then she put her phone down.
And for the first time, the reader knew something the others didn't:
Mi-youngi wasn't afraid of being discovered.
She was waiting for the right moment.