The veil of retribution

Chapter 9: "Close Bonds, Dark Threats"

The bell rang for lunch break, and Jihoon strolled out of class, heading toward the cafeteria. As usual, Minho, Jin, and Kwon were waiting for him at their usual table. The warm, noisy atmosphere of students catching up on gossip and last-minute homework gave the school a lively energy, but Jihoon couldn’t shake the unease that had been lingering since David’s death.

“Yo, Jihoon!” Minho called out, waving his hand enthusiastically. “You’re late, man! Did you get stuck in that boring math class again?”

Jihoon chuckled, forcing a smile. “Yeah, you know how it is. Just another exciting day of numbers and equations.”

Kwon smirked, leaning forward as he spoke. “More like another day of you zoning out, huh? You’ve been acting kind of strange lately.”

Jin, always the quiet observer, tilted his head. “Yeah, what’s up with that? You never tell us what’s going on with you anymore.”

Jihoon sat down, trying to keep his expression neutral, but his friends were getting too close to things he couldn’t explain. He needed to change the subject—fast.

“So, speaking of strange…,” Jihoon said, shifting his tone to sound casual, “what’s going on with you guys? Any new gossip?”

But Minho wasn’t letting him off that easily. “Nice try, Jihoon, but we’re still on you, man. Last week, you mentioned something about learning how to cook. You said it was for some girl you’re dating. Now, spill the details! What’s her name? How’d you meet her?”

Jin chimed in, curiosity evident on his face. “Yeah, we’ve never heard you talk about a girl before. You keeping secrets from us?”

Kwon grinned mischievously. “Come on, Jihoon, don’t leave us hanging! Who’s the lucky girl?”

Jihoon’s heart raced. He hadn’t thought of an answer to their questions last time, and now they were pressing harder. He needed to think quickly. “Uh, yeah… I mean, it’s still pretty new. We’re just taking things slow.”

Minho leaned closer, eyes wide. “Oh, come on! What’s she like? Does she go to our school? Or is she someone mysterious we don’t know about?”

Jihoon swallowed, trying not to look suspicious. “She’s, uh… someone I met outside of school. We’ve been hanging out, but I don’t want to rush things.”

Jin raised an eyebrow. “Huh. Sounds serious. So when are we going to meet her?”

Jihoon felt a lump forming in his throat. He needed to find someone—anyone—who could pretend to be his girlfriend, or his friends would start asking more questions. His secret investigation into his family’s murder would be exposed. He forced a laugh, trying to deflect. “Maybe soon. I’ll see if she’s cool with it.”

Kwon punched Jihoon lightly on the shoulder. “You better, man! If you’re really dating, we need to give our stamp of approval.”

They all laughed, but Jihoon’s mind was elsewhere. How was he going to find a girl to play along? He barely had time for anything outside of his job and investigation.

As the conversation drifted toward school rumors, Jihoon’s phone buzzed in his pocket. His heart stopped. He had a bad feeling about this. He pulled out his phone and, as he feared, it was another message from the unknown person.

"That’s nice bonding with friends, Jihoon. But too bad… maybe that’s the last time you’ll get to bond with them."

His blood ran cold. Were they threatening Minho, Jin, and Kwon now? He glanced up at his friends, laughing and teasing each other, completely unaware of the danger they might be in. Jihoon’s chest tightened. He couldn’t let them get hurt like David.

The rest of lunch felt like a blur. Jihoon pretended to be engaged in the conversation, but his mind was racing. What should he do? How could he protect them?

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That night, Jihoon lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts wouldn’t let him rest. The message had shaken him to his core. They were watching him, always one step ahead. The fear of losing his friends gnawed at him, but he couldn’t stop now. He was too deep in this mystery. He had to keep going, no matter the risk.

As he turned over, his phone buzzed again. Jihoon’s hands trembled as he picked it up. It was another message, but this time, there was an attachment.

A photo.

Jihoon opened it and froze. It was a CCTV image of himself, taken just a few nights ago. He was holding his phone, snapping pictures of documents at the company—information he wasn’t supposed to have. His face was clearly visible in the image. He had been caught.

His pulse quickened. Whoever was behind this knew everything. They had proof of his involvement, and they were watching his every move.

Another message appeared beneath the photo:

"You’re getting too close, Jihoon. Don’t think you can outrun the consequences. You can’t hide forever."

Jihoon’s heart pounded in his chest as he dropped the phone on his bed. There was no escape from this. He had to protect his friends, find out who was behind everything, and finish what he started—even if it meant risking his life.

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