Hierarchy : Murder Mystery ⚊ Lee Heeseung & Park Sunghoon

nine

Hana lay in the unfamiliar dorm room Heeseung had secured for her, trying to settle into sleep. It had been hours since she’d last felt any semblance of safety, and though her mind was racing, her body was utterly exhausted.

Heeseung had insisted she stay in this room instead of her own, arguing it was safer, away from the prying eyes that had been watching her every move.

She agreed, but the unease in her chest refused to fade.

Just as her eyelids began to grow heavy, there was a knock at the door, soft but insistent. Her heart skipped a beat as she sat up, dread flooding her mind, but then she heard familiar voices outside. Jungwon and Jay.

Hana opened the door cautiously, letting the two of them in. Jay’s face was serious, his eyes flicking to the sides as if checking the hallway for danger. Jungwon immediately pulled out a folder from his bag, the very one that would shatter whatever peace Hana had left.

“We got it,” Jungwon said quietly, as he and Jay entered the room, closing the door behind them. “It’s worse than we thought.”

Hana's pulse quickened as they gathered around the small table in the center of the room. Jay flipped the folder open, revealing the file they had managed to secure.

The file that was about to pull Hana deeper into the nightmare she couldn’t escape.

The documents, filled with surveillance photos, reports, and detailed notes, lay sprawled before her.

She recognized herself in the grainy images—walking through the campus, sitting in the courtyard, talking with students, and entering her dorm. Every step she had taken, every conversation, had been observed.

Jay pointed to one section of the file. “Heeseung was right. You weren’t safe in your dorm. Look at the dates—this has been going on for a long time.”

Hana’s breath caught in her throat. “Since I returned to Daesung?”

Jungwon nodded gravely. “Even before that. Since you arrived in Seoul, they’ve been tracking you. Watching every move you made.”

She stared at the pages, horrified. “This... this is about Hwan, isn’t it? They’ve been watching me because of what happened to him.”

Jay’s jaw clenched as he turned another page, revealing more surveillance—this time of Hwan. “They were watching him, too. Right up until the day he... died.”

The words hung heavy in the air.

“They knew,” Hana whispered, her voice trembling. “They knew something, and they didn’t stop it.”

Jungwon leaned forward, his expression stern. “Hana, this isn’t just about Hwan anymore. This is much bigger. The principal... he’s involved in something. Something bad. He’s been pulling strings to keep this covered up. And now you’re getting too close.”

Jay shook his head, his frustration palpable. “The principal’s been manipulating everything from the start. And he’s not just watching you. He’s been actively suppressing anyone who tries to uncover the truth. If we’re not careful, he’ll come after you harder.”

Hana gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white. The enormity of the situation crashed down on her.

The danger wasn’t just a vague possibility anymore—it was real, and it was closing in fast. But despite the fear gnawing at her insides, her resolve only hardened.

“I’m not backing down,” she said, her voice strong despite the fear. “I’m going to see this through. I don’t care what he’s trying to hide—I need to know the truth.”