"If you ask me who on this campus is most likely to commit murder, I'd have only one person in mind."
"And who would that be?"
"You."
Kim Miran has two goals in life: One, to get through her final year as a Criminology major and graduate successfull...
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“No,” Taehyung says, his mouth pressed in a firm line.
The ensuing silence renders the food that has been served as cold as ice. Jaesung and Yuna exchange pained looks and their father clears his throat uneasily.
“With everything that has been happening, we feel that it is best you two withdraw from the university immediately,” Jaesung explains in a grim voice. His tone suggests that his words are not to be trifled with and Miran stares at him in disbelief.
“We’ve got only over five months until graduation, Dad! You can’t just ask us to leave like that,” she points out tersely but her father’s face doesn’t register even a flicker of leniency. “This is ridiculous.” The food lies forgotten on the table, chopsticks and spoons cluttered around it as they catch the light emitted by the chandelier.
Yuna sighs. “No one’s stopping you two from graduating. We just want you to complete these semesters through private tutoring.”
Taehyung’s eyes flit between his parents. “Bullshit-”
“Language, Kim Taehyung!” Jaesung interrupts, but his son rambles on without flinching.
“-there’s no way I’m dropping out of school just because you two have allowed a killer to take advantage of the lax administration and security,” he remarks bluntly and their father glares daggers at him.
Seokjin reaches out an arm to grab his brother’s. “Tae, slow down a little.”
“Thank you, Seokjin,” Yuna says, shooting a small smile at her eldest child. “Will you please explain to your brother that we’re just worried?”
But he shakes his head. “I don’t think he said anything wrong, Mom. I mean, I know it is dangerous, especially with a murderer on the loose, but that doesn’t mean you can just flip their world around out of nowhere.”
“Exactly!” Miran fixes their parents with a challenging look they are all too familiar with. “What about the other students, then? Will you let them keep attending a potentially unsafe university whilst protecting only your own children?”
“Miran,” Seokjin chastises softly, patting her arm to abate the ire flashing in her eyes. Jaesung and Yuna remain silent, weighing the implication in their daughter’s words. Their appetites have all been squelched and the air is heavy with discomfiture.
“Mom, Dad,” Miran intervenes again slowly, though her voice is firm. “We know you’re both concerned, but let’s trust Detective Jung. You know he’s caught a serial killer before.” She manages to keep her lips from quivering at the thought even though the memory is still raw in her mind. And judging by the tense expression on her parents’ faces, it is in theirs, too.
“I don’t know, Miran,” Yuna begins, gnawing at her bottom lip. “Two girls have already died and we’re worried the killer may not stop there.”
