𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐘 | Haobin

24 - #ZhangHoe

POV: Hanbin | MONDAY EVENING

I was lazily scrolling through Instagram when I stumbled upon Yuji's latest post. She had shared a flyer advertising the art exhibition happening tonight, urging everyone to attend and support her friend. Her caption promised a "surprise" for those who showed up. Beneath her post, curious comments were already piling up.

As I considered scrolling past, my phone buzzed with a message from her.

YUJI: Hanbin, I hope you're feeling better. There's a beautiful art exhibition tonight, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
PS: Bring that loser with you since you can't seem to live without him.

The message was laced with her usual venom. I didn't give a damn about art, and I knew Yuji didn't either. This wasn't about culture or aesthetics—I stared at her message, trying to decipher her true intentions when another one came through.

YUJI: If you don't show up, I might do something... reckless~ 🤍

And there it was. The threat, subtle but unmistakable. Yuji always knew how to wrap her poison in silk. What choice did I have? God only knows what she'd do if we didn't show up.

HANBIN: Time and place?

She sent the details, and I realized we had less than thirty minutes to get there. Just as I was getting up, my phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Ricky.

RICKY: Yo, why is everyone heading to that lame art exhibition? Am I missing something?

With a sigh, I sent him the link to Yuji's post. As I made my way to my room, my footsteps woke Hao, who blinked at me, disoriented.

"We need to go to the art exhibition tonight. Get ready."

"What? Why? I don't want to," Hao mumbled, trying to shake off his sleepiness.

"Neither do I, but we don't have a choice. Yuji will pull something if we don't show up."

That was enough to make him groan and stumble out of bed, reluctantly preparing to face whatever tonight had in store for us.

The walk to the arts building was tense and silent. The campus seemed unusually crowded as if the entire student body had been lured out by the promise of Yuji's mysterious "surprise." Hao trudged along beside me, his fatigue evident, until Hanna suddenly appeared, linking arms with him and pulling him into conversation. I drifted towards a group of elites, my mind already spinning with possibilities of what Yuji had planned.

The hall was packed to the brim. Every wall was adorned with the best artwork the new students had produced, but no one seemed to care.
Clusters of students were engaged in lively chatter, networking, and gossiping. As I navigated through the sea of bodies, heads turned, whispers followed, and I could feel the weight of a hundred eyes on me.

On stage, a few teachers were arranging themselves, ready to begin the opening speeches. I scanned the room and spotted Ricky in the center, waving like an idiot.
Yuji was nearby, a grin plastered on her face, one I couldn't quite read.

"Welcome, everyone," a teacher announced, her voice echoing through the packed hall. "Tonight, we showcase the hard work and dedication of our new students. And now, the moment you've been waiting for—the announcement of our top student. Please join me in congratulating the scholarship recipient, Kim Jong-Su!"

The hall exploded with applause, but my mind was elsewhere. I watched as Jong-Su, looking every bit the model student, made his way to the stage. But just as he reached the microphone, the lights dimmed, and the wall behind him came to life.