Chapter 67

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Everyone Found Out
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It was 9 p.m. All the scheduled activities had wrapped up.

The kids were scattered across various tents, ignoring their assigned groups.

A-jin, who hadn't felt well all day, was lying inside her tent.

Her group mates had tactfully gone to another tent to give her space.

As she lay there alone, resting, the tent zipper slid open with a ziiip.

A-jin lifted her head slightly, thinking it was Jung-hwa coming back.

"Wait a sec."

But it wasn't Jung-hwa—it was Jun-woo.

He poked just his head in and beckoned her with his eyes.

His appearance was both cute and welcome, bringing a smile to her face.

"What's up?"

As A-jin crawled out of the tent, Jun-woo glanced around cautiously before extending his hand.

Inside the auditorium, there was a storage room for gym equipment.

In the roughly two-pyeong space, one side held yellow baskets piled high with balls, another had hurdles, and yet another stored equipment from the last sports festival.

Folded mats lay on the floor.

Jun-woo spread one out in the barely available space and sat A-jin down on it.

"Why here?"

A-jin whispered softly.

"Eat this."

He brought over a paper bag, set it on the mat, and pulled out rectangular disposable containers.

One held beef porridge, another braised beef and kimchi.

Finally, he took out a round disposable container of dongchimi broth.

"What's this?"

She asked, even though she knew.

"Porridge."

"Why this?"

A-jin wore a puzzled expression, while Jun-woo looked embarrassed that she didn't get it.

"No way—you got this because I couldn't eat dinner?"

He nodded in response.

Unable to go out himself, he'd ordered delivery.

To avoid getting caught, he'd lightened his footsteps, hidden his body along the way, and basically filmed a spy movie.

He swallowed a laugh inwardly at the absurdity of it all.

"You didn't have to go this far..."

A-jin looked grateful yet apologetic.

"Then I won't next time."

"Don't say that. If you do it next time too, I'll be thankful."

"I'll get you something else, so just don't get sick."

He hoped what he bought her next time wouldn't be porridge again.

Seeing her sick had made him feel like he was the one falling apart.

He pushed the porridge closer, urging her to take a spoonful, when she suddenly planted a kiss on his cheek.

"What?"

Jun-woo furrowed his brow in embarrassment.

It was a reaction born of fluttering excitement.

Amused by his response, she turned his head and kissed him on the lips.

"Hey."

Teasing him like this in a place like this.

Dangerous.

After the playful peck, she met his eyes and twinkled hers with affection.

"The porridge is too bland."

The idea of kissing to add flavor was ridiculous yet adorable, drawing a laugh from him.

He put on a stern face, warning that any more teasing would be risky.

"Watch yourself. No one's around here."

"And if I don't?"

A-jin winked coyly, eager to provoke him.

With a short huff, he shoved the porridge bowl aside.

Then he grabbed her back and yanked her close.

"Then like this."

Her body was pulled right up to him, stopping just before their lips met.

Tiny sparks flickered in his eyes, ready to ignite.

His slightly tilted head looked poised to devour her lips at any moment.

A-jin finally realized she'd picked the wrong person to tease.

She hurriedly raised her hand, forming a barrier between their lips.

Kids were everywhere outside the poorly soundproofed wooden door.

Who knew when it might open.

"Sorry. I won't do it again."

At her surrender, he mischievously twitched his thick eyebrows before releasing his hand from her back.

In the end, he'd won, but he somehow felt like the bigger loser.

If she'd held out a bit longer, he might've pretended not to notice and kissed her anyway.

* * *

The squelching of rain-soaked sneakers sped up, then stopped repeatedly.

Cho-hee, who had raced to the school, desperately searched for an open hallway in the building.

She came splashing up, skidding to a halt with a screech before the locked door, shaking it frantically before giving up.

She repeated this two or three times before finally finding an open door.

It wasn't her classroom building, but there was a connecting bridge on the third floor she could cross.

Cho-hee dashed down the hallway again, her sneakers splashing.

As she ran, she thought only one thing.

Please let the glass door on the other side be unlocked.

By some miracle—or God's grace—the door connected by the bridge was wide open.

For the first time, Cho-hee offered a prayer of thanks to God.

She crossed the bridge and reached her classroom.

Another screech as she halted before the door.

The water droplets falling from her hair and clothes had finally stopped.

She took a deep breath.

She couldn't remember exhaling.

With trembling hands, she gripped and turned the classroom doorknob.

Turning on the light might draw someone running, but she had to check.

Cho-hee fumbled for the switch.

The lights flickered on sequentially with a click.

She hurriedly scanned the classroom.

Nothing.

No trace of the photo Min-hyuk had sent anywhere.

Maybe in a desk drawer? The locker? Or saved on the teacher's computer? She searched like a madwoman.

"Where the hell is that photo?"

If it had been right in front of her, she wouldn't be in this panic.

Not seeing it drove her even crazier.

Her hand shook violently on the mouse.

She bit her left thumbnail in anxiety.

That's when her eyes caught the auditorium across from her classroom.

Lights on.

"There..."

Her wet sneakers started running again.

* * *

"Hey! What if we get caught?"

Sun-ho whispered from behind Jong-min, keeping watch.

"Just flip it on and off quick."

Jong-min, flashlight in hand, looked at the scared Sun-ho pitifully.

"Still, this feels wrong. Didn't the team leader say no?"

"Is he an electrician? How would he know? I can't sleep if it's this hot."

"You look like you could sleep anywhere, but you're acting all sensitive."

"What?! Shut up and follow me."

Too humid and hot to bear, Jong-min dragged Sun-ho off to find the AC power switch.

"It was around here... Found it."

"If we get caught, I'm denying everything."

"Yeah, I did it alone. Chicken shit. Hold this."

Jong-min shoved the flashlight into Sun-ho's arms and opened the breaker box.

Inside were the AC breaker plus several circuit breakers.

The problem: he didn't know which was the AC one.

Jong-min fiddled with them, claiming to hunt for the AC breaker.

Click, clack—the auditorium lights blinked off and on, fans doing the same.

"Hey, we're gonna get busted."

Sun-ho fretted that the homeroom teacher would notice.

"Got it. This one... Agh!"

Just as he neared the AC breaker, sparks flew with a crackle.

Jong-min and Sun-ho jumped back in shock.

Panicking, Jong-min flipped the entire breaker box down.

* * *

The lights suddenly went out.

A-jin's spoon froze midair, her pupils dilating hugely.

"What? Power outage?"

Jun-woo stayed calm, not wanting to scare her more if he freaked out.

"Lights out? Bedtime."

"Already? Teacher said we could stay up late."

"I'll go check."

He started to stand from the mat.

But A-jin grabbed his pant leg.

"No, don't go."

Being alone in an enclosed space was terrifying.

Her voice sounded even more plaintive in the darkness.

"Then we'll go together."

Jun-woo took her hand from his pant leg and pulled her up.

* * *

The auditorium lights, on just moments ago, went dark.

Cho-hee was convinced Min-hyuk had been here.

She flung open the auditorium door.

Rain had dimmed even the moonlight; only around the door was visible, the rest pitch black.

Vague shapes loomed here and there, forms indistinct.

Cho-hee thrilled at the thought of catching Min-hyuk.

"You think messing with just my class is enough? I'll show the whole school! But damn, I found it first. Lee Min-hyuk! Where are you? Come out!"

Yelling as she stormed in, she let go of the doorknob. The door slammed shut with a bang.

Without even that faint light, the auditorium plunged deeper into darkness.

"You dare blackmail me? Perverted bastard. How pathetic do you have to be to screenshot a call? What'd you do with that photo? Obvious without asking. Dirty deeds, right? Makes me sick. Loser. Come out! Don't hide—show yourself! If you're not out by the count of three, I'm taking these photos to the cops. I'll tell them everything, how you blackmailed me with my picture. I'll make sure you rot in jail. I'll make it so your mom, so proud of her good-boy son, can never show her face again!"

Cho-hee's furious screams filled the vast auditorium.

Her words echoed, repeating two or three times.

"Come out!"

As the echoes faded, she yelled again. Right then, as if on cue, the lights snapped on.

The sudden brightness made Cho-hee squint.

No time for that—she quickly adjusted her vision.

And met countless eyes.

Unable to believe the scene before her, she burst into a mad laugh of "Ha!"

A long silence hung, then the room erupted in noise.

Friends whispered about her.

Countless so-called friends.

Actually, not quite friends.

She could barely breathe.

Collapsing right there wouldn't have been odd.

Her hand vibrated.

A call from Min-hyuk.

Cho-hee slowly raised the phone to her ear, still facing the kids.

Min-hyuk's mocking laugh came through the receiver.

-Did you find the photo? Hope you're freaking out. I'll assume you are. No photos at school. I deleted the ones I had. The ones I sent? Keep as memories or delete them, your call.

"Why... go this far?"

She wanted to ask why be so cruel.

He sounded incredulous.

-Why? You brought it on yourself. Sorry for messing with a kid like you, but I was too pissed about what happened to me. Won't contact you again. I really liked you a lot, but it ended shitty. Sad. Last advice as an adult: Don't toy with people, kid. You'll get punished.

With that paternal note, Min-hyuk hung up.

The rage on her face faded, leaving only emptiness.

Countless condemning gazes bore into her.

Everything was over.

No fixing it, no hope for better.

Despair.

Cho-hee backed away and fled the auditorium.