Love's Lethal Game | Night Has Come

Chapter 01

Park Ji-Eun gazed out the window of the bus, her eyes tracing the fleeting landscape as it blurred past. The world outside was a tapestry of emerald and gold, the sun casting long, lazy shadows over the countryside. She was one among many, a sea of uniforms and youthful energy, all bound for the Muryeong Youth Center for their class retreat.

Inside the bus, a cacophony of voices competed against the hum of the engine. At the back of the vehicle, a group of students had congregated, their heads bowed in concentration over a game of Mafia. Whispers and accusations flew, punctuated by bursts of laughter. Ji-Eun smiled faintly at their antics, feeling both a part of and apart from the excitement.

A few rows near them, a different kind of silence prevailed. Go Kyung-Jun, the notorious bully with a reputation that preceded him in every hallway of their school, was preparing for a nap. His presence, even in slumber, was enough to quell the usual rowdiness of his two followers. They sat in hushed reverence, their usual brashness tempered by the unspoken rule of not disturbing their leader.

The rest of the bus was a landscape of solitude. Some students, lulled by the rhythmic motion of the bus, had succumbed to sleep, their heads lolling against the windows or resting on the shoulders of their neighbors. Others were lost in their worlds. Oh Jung-Won was coding using her laptop. Kim So-Mi was sneakily taking photos of their class president - Kim Jun-Hee - who was napping quietly in his seat. Lee Yoon-Seo, sitting beside Jung-Won, occasionally took glances at Jun-Hee.

Ji-Eun noticed for the first time Lee Yoon-Seo's fleeting glances towards Kim Jun-Hee. There was something in Yoon-Seo's eyes – was it admiration or something deeper? Ji-Eun felt a twinge of curiosity but dismissed it, returning her gaze to her peers when Baek Eun-Ha called her.

"Ji-Eun? Ji-Eun! Who do you think is the Mafia?" she asked, her eyes wide with hope, as she had been recently accused of the Mafia.

Nam Yeon-Woo added, "Yeah, your vote is the only one left."

Ji-Eun glanced at all of them. Baek Eun-Ha, Nam Yeon-Woo, a boy who was larger in weight than all of them, and Im Eun-Chan were her closest friends there. In fact, she was generally well-liked in the class due to how she avoided any drama, taking any side, and was just kind and shy enough to keep her mouth shut. After all, her mother did tell her a phrase many times which was "If you gossip about someone, then soon enough, someone will gossip about you". But despite that, Ji-Eun was observant. She knew who disliked who and who liked who. She just stayed quiet and kept herself with her close friends.

She finally answered after glancing at Heo-Yool and seeing his grin, "It's Heo-Yool."

"What?" Heo-Yool exclaimed, his smile dropping in an instant.

Choi Mi-Na spoke up, frowning at Ji-Eun, "But that will be only two votes for Heo-Yool and many votes for Eun-Ha."

"See?" Eun-Ha said, pointing at Heo-Yool as she spoke to the rest of them, "Ji-Eun voted for him! You all should have voted for him, not me!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Im Eun-Chan stopped them from talking further before he glanced back at Ji-Eun and asked, "Ji-Eun, why did you vote for Heo-Yool?"

Ji-Eun smiled and stated, "I just think his smile is fishy."

"Wait, my smile?" Heo-Yool replied. That's when he placed his chin on the palm of his hand and grinned adorably, saying to her, "Why? Do you think my smile is cute?"

Im Eun-Chan laughed while Nam Yeon-Woo bonked Heo-Yool upside down playfully. Lee Joo-Young and Choi Mi-Na laughed as well while Heo-Yool asked Ji-Eun again, "Should we go out then?"

Baek Eun-Ha bonked him on the shoulder as well and yelled, "Hey, stop it!"

Ji-Eun laughed at Heo-Yool's antics when she noticed a motion a few rows in front of them. Go Kyung-Jun, who was close to napping, turned his head around and glanced at them. Ji-Eun watched as his eyes darted from the laughing Heo-Yool to her before he whispered something to his gang member seated beside him named Shin Seung-Bin. Seung-Bin then glanced at Baek Eun-Ha and the rest of them in the back of the bus and whispered to another goon named Kim Jin-Ha. The latter then looked back at Heo-Yool and the others.