aurum | ko kyung-jun

[7]

A few months ago Mi-Sun's trainer had forced her to start training calisthenics. Calisthenics is a form of strength training that utilizes ones own body weight.

Though Mi-Sub was stocked at first, looking at the fascinating videos on social media, that fascination soon turned into disappointment as she started training for it. She realized how weak she actually was, as essentially the only trained area on her body were her legs.

However, the results the exhausting training induced couldn't be denied; Mi-Sun had never felt such a strength in her arms and core, which were never much involved in tracks.

So, when she looked into the eyes of her friend, him hanging off the side of the trail, fear written into his face, Mi-Sun was not worried for her friend; she could easily pull him within the boundaries.

But suddenly a thought made her stutter in her actions.

Why is So-Mi not moving a finger? If they were both mafias, wouldn't it make more sense to save her fellow mafia? Is it possible that only she is one and Dong-Hyun isn't?

She quickly turned towards So-Mi, giving her the chance to prove her idea wrong and shouted, "Quick, grab his other hand"

But So-Mi stayed still, just staring Mi-Sun into her eyes, a dark look in her eyes. Seconds passed by, no reaction from the taller girl, before she lifted one hand putting it on Mi-Sun's shoulder.

"Yah! Kim So-Mi"

Mi-Sun just stared at her, realizing what the other girl was about to do and pulled Dong-Hyun towards herself and outside of danger. The two fell onto the forest floor, the boy on top of her as he was still frozen in fear.

Mi-Sun could see Eun-Ha approach behind the tall girl, shock written into her face as the three classmates had gotten the much needed confirmation.

Kim So-Mi was a mafia.

***

The troop walked down the trail in silence, the difference between the way up and down starkly obvious. And in front of all of them: Kim Mi-Sun, basically storming down the mountain.

Anger was brewing inside of her, thinking back at the situation a few moments ago. Are they this far into this game to actually consider killing their classmates? And then she was worried; If one night is what it takes for the vice president to consider killing two of her classmates, will the same happen to herself?

Her head shifted to the back of the troop and she observed her friends.

Hyun-Ho, who carried Na-Hee on his back, without complaining once. Na-Hee, who hadn't voiced her pain since she had fallen down, though one could easily tell by the heavy bruising that she was. And Dong-Hyun, who formed the rear if the group, who looked as white as a ghost and met her gaze as she turned to him. All of them in pain, one way or the other, yet not voicing it to not make their friends worry.

No, she promised herself in that moment, i'll never get to the point of hurting someone else.

These are my people.

The expedition had turned out to be useless anyways. The trail had ended before they could get anywhere into the proximity of the village and Woo-Ram's camera had exposed something even more disturbing. The frozen people and birds in the video only caused more questions than solving them.

No one said anything else as they all came to the same feared conclusion. Would they really have to go through with the game?

Mi-Sun was the first stepping back into the old youth retreat building. Compared to her classmates she was in a much better shape, though she had taken of her sweat jacket and tied it around her waist.