Hierarchy : Murder Mystery ⚊ Lee Heeseung & Park Sunghoon

five

Hana woke up to find her dorm room empty. Sunghoon was gone, leaving no note or trace behind. She wasn’t surprised, though.

After all, it mirrored how she had treated him a year ago when she had ended things between them in England without any explanation.

He had been desperate enough to follow her there, only to be met with the harsh blow of a break-up confession. As much as it pained her to think about, she knew it was best not to dwell.

After getting dressed, she decided to take a walk around the academy, hoping the fresh air might clear her head. But not long after she left her dorm, Hana began to feel a presence behind her, subtle but persistent.

Her instincts told her someone was following her, and she discreetly glanced around, eventually catching sight of a familiar figure—Hong Eunchae. Jay had mentioned her, noting that the girl was highly observant.

With that in mind, Hana made the decision to confront Eunchae, but not directly. Instead, she casually approached her, a friendly smile plastered on her face.

"Hey, you're Hong Eunchae, right?" Hana called out, making the girl stop in her tracks, wide-eyed.

Eunchae blinked, surprised that the Seo Hana was speaking to her. "Y-yes! I didn’t think you knew who I was…"

Hana laughed lightly, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Of course I do. I was hoping we could be friends."

Eunchae’s eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "You want to be my friend?"

Hana nodded, already noticing how eager the girl seemed. Eunchae began to ramble about how honored she was, how unexpected it was for someone as prestigious as Hana to talk to her.

The longer she talked, the more Hana realized just how useful Eunchae’s tendency to ramble could be.

With calculated precision, Hana asked about the school hierarchy and how everything functioned. She made sure to appear genuinely interested, even when Eunchae’s answers veered off topic.

And, just as expected, Eunchae began to talk about herself, revealing bits of information Hana could later use.

"So… about the hierarchy. It's all about connections, right?" Hana probed carefully, making sure her question felt like part of the casual conversation.

"Oh, totally! But not everyone knows what’s really going on. There are hidden layers, you know? Like how certain students have secret meetings or… oh wait! I shouldn’t be talking about that," Eunchae quickly covered her mouth.

Hana’s interest piqued. "Secret meetings? I guess that’s where Lee Seola comes in, huh?" she asked, feigning nonchalance.

Eunchae’s face paled for a second before she chuckled nervously. "How do you…?"

"Just something I overheard," Hana replied smoothly, her expression calm.

"Y-yeah… she was… close to some of the higher-ups," Eunchae stammered, clearly uncomfortable.

Hana mentally filed that away. Lee Seola was becoming a central piece in this puzzle.

Knowing Eunchae’s talkative nature, Hana smiled and decided to shift the conversation again. "You’re really fun to talk to, Eunchae. We should hang out more."

Eunchae beamed, excitement back in her eyes. "Really? You mean it? Well, do you want to come to my dorm room? I could cook something special for you!"

Hana internally celebrated. This was her opportunity. "I’d love that."