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"Are you seriously leaving?!" Minnie's voice cracked in disbelief as Haeun's friends crowded around her at the back of the classroom. She offered a weak smile.
"Yeah. I'm going to live with my dad for a while. But don't worry—I'll come back."
"But it's going to feel so empty without you..." Dahyun whined, pouting. Haeun draped an arm over her shoulder.
"You'll be fine," she said softly. Then she turned to face the group. "I'll keep in contact while I'm in Busan."
"You better!" Lisa growled playfully, drawing a laugh from everyone.
Before the conversation could continue, the homeroom teacher walked in, expression dull. Haeun hurried to her seat as the class bowed.
"I don't have good news today," the teacher said, her voice flat. "Today will be Haeun's last day. Bid your goodbyes—she's leaving for Busan." Her gaze swept over the students, cold and unreadable.
Haeun felt all eyes on her, but she braced herself. The teacher's next words froze the entire room.
"Your classmate, Nam Seonggi, has been arrested."
A stunned silence followed. Seonggi had always been approachable, helpful, and fairly good in his studies. Confusion bubbled across the classroom as whispers erupted.
"Miss, what did he get charged with?" a student asked, quiet but tense.
"Though he hasn't been tried yet, he was detained for intense stalking and attempted murder," the teacher replied, voice monotone but heavy with implication.
Haeun bit her lip, recalling the night she had unmasked him and the chaos that followed.
"Yah, who do you think he stalked?" Lisa poked her arm. Haeun gave a faint, blank stare.
"I don't know. Whoever it is, I feel bad for them," she said carefully, hiding the truth.
"I hope they're alright," Lisa murmured, turning her attention back to the door.
Then a loud static burst from the TV. Haeun instinctively covered her ears. On the screen, a dark figure appeared, black clothing blending into the shadowed room. His hair fell across his face, but his glare pierced the camera.
"You know who you are," the deep, raspy voice said.
The teacher lunged for the remote, but the video played on. Questions rippled through the classroom.
"I filmed this in case you somehow escaped or outsmarted me," the figure continued, smirking. "You must be proud. But why didn't you ever think from my perspective? I offered my love and affection, and you threw me away like trash. You meant the world to me, but I never mattered. I knew I had to make you mine by any means."
The room fell silent, the students frozen as the voice grew harsher.
"I'm not sorry. If anything happened to you... if you're dead... I'm not sorry. If I'm in jail now, it's your fault for putting me here. But if you're still alive, I will get out and take my revenge."
