Light High | •° RIIZE °•

09. FIRST SUNDAY

Hyeon's pov

Today ** of **** Sunday, 2023

I awoke this morning with a dull, persistent ache in my shoulder. As my eyes fluttered open, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. The realization dawned slowly—I was in Wonbin's room. My mind raced back to the events of the previous night: my emotional breakdown and Wonbin's unexpected kindness.

Yesterday, after the unsettling incident, Wonbin had taken me to his room. Overwhelmed by tears and fear, I had clung to him for comfort. His presence had been a lifeline in the storm of my emotions.

"You can sit here," Wonbin had said gently, guiding me to the edge of his bed. I sat down, feeling the weight of my despair. He took a seat beside me, his concern palpable.

"I think you should explain what's going on," he said, his voice steady but filled with curiosity and worry.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "I know you're the principal's grandson, but you mustn't tell him that we know where Yeon is," I began. Wonbin nodded, his expression serious, encouraging me to continue.

"Yeon is my twin sister," I confessed. "We look alike not because of any cosmetic surgery, but because we're twins. I wasn't planning to reveal this, but circumstances have forced my hand."

My voice wavered as I spoke. "I initially thought she was dead, but recently, she reached out to me through a letter, asking for help. That's why I came here. I believe Yeon knows something critical that the school is trying to conceal. This is what I've pieced together so far."

Wonbin's face darkened with concern. "I want to help you, Hyeon, but I can't. It's not that I don't want to; I just can't."

"Why not?" I asked, frustration mingling with my desperation.

"This is something you'll need to keep between us," he said. "I hope you understand."

"I promise," I assured him, though a knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach.

...

A sudden knock at the door jolted me from my thoughts. I quickly shut my diary, hiding it before opening the door.

"Oh, Seunghan. What brings you here?" I asked, surprised to see him standing there.

"May I come in?" he asked politely. I nodded, stepping aside to let him enter.

Seunghan looked around before speaking. "I thought I might be able to help you," he said, his voice carrying a note of excitement.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Follow me," he said, leading me out of the room. We walked through several corridors until we reached a door.

"Be quiet," he instructed, opening the door with a practiced hand. The room beyond was another abandoned classroom. As I scanned the room, I heard a faint, almost imperceptible sound—a creak from a hidden door.

"How did you find this?" I asked, astonished.

"It's simple," Seunghan said with a grin. "Just pick the odd book from this shelf, and voilà, the door opens." His exaggerated hand gestures made me giggle. We carefully descended into the dark passageway. I instinctively reached out and took Seunghan's hand to avoid stumbling. I noticed him blushing slightly in the dim light, which made me smile.

"Oh, so you're not used to holding hands with girls?" I teased, leaning closer. I could almost hear his heart pounding.

"Yah, why are you so sensitive to girls?" he asked, his voice slightly raised. Seunghan quickly shushed me, signaling me to keep quiet.

We reached the end of the passageway and found another door. To our surprise, it was unlocked. We stepped into the room, and an awful stench hit our noses. The room was filled with skeletons, their clothing eerily similar to ours.

"What is this place, Seunghan?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear.

"Check the name tags on the skeletons," Seunghan suggested. As I searched the room, I found a body with a name tag.

"This is the last ranker, right?" I asked, noticing the name tag. Seunghan's face grew grim as he confirmed that it was indeed him—a student who had been missing for about a week.

Seunghan quickly scanned the room, reading the names on the tags. "Kim Yeonhee... Jo Seyi... Hyun Boju... Sendy Park," he listed. "They're all last rankers."

"We need to get out of here," I said urgently, grabbing his hand. We retraced our steps, making sure to leave everything as we had found it.

When we reached the door with the bookshelf, I discovered it was locked. "Seunghan, did you lock this?" I asked, puzzled.

"No, I didn't," he said, pulling out a set of keys. "Maybe a guard saw it open and locked it."I was still suspicious but kept my concerns to myself. Seunghan unlocked the door, and we exited without being noticed.

As we walked back to the dorm, Seunghan suddenly turned to me, his expression serious. "If you had to choose between me and Wonbin, who would you choose?"

I was taken aback by his question. "Of course, it's you," I replied, offering him a reassuring smile. "Why would you even ask that?"

Seunghan looked away, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Everyone compares us, and I feel insecure. Even Yeon chose Wonbin over me once."

"Don't worry, Seunghan," I said softly, my heart aching for him. "I'll definitely choose you." His cheeks flushed as he looked away, making him appear endearing.

"Hyeon, you have that challenge tomorrow, right?" Seunghan said, changing the topic abruptly. His reminder brought the looming fight back into focus.

"Yeah," I replied, my mood sobering.

We continued our walk in silence, each lost in our thoughts, as we made our way back to our respective dorms. The weight of the challenge and the mystery of Yeon hung heavy in the air, adding an unexpected gravity to our conversation.

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I smell something fishy here..