Their eyes widen at the notification, they haven't planned nor talked about who to vote yet they're already making their own decision. Yeon-Woo approaches Mi-Na, asking why did she made the vote.
"Come to think of it, Kyung-Jun has a point." Mi-Na gaze over Woo-Ram who was eyeing her with widen eyes. "I knew it. They way you were eyejng Joo-Young yesterday."
"You crazy witch!" Woo-Ram raise his hand to hit Mi-Na but the girl's stance didn't falter. Hyun-Ho grab Woo-Ram's wrist, preventing him from harming the girl. "Woo-Ram!" Jun-Hee called out the male, trying to wake the boy from his senses and back to reality. He is letting his anger consume him.
Mi-Na walk off, giving a one last disgusted look on Woo-Ram's figure before walking away, her body being consumed by the darkness as she leaves the Hall. Min-Ji stood silent, she doesn't know what to do as she agrees with Mi-Na, Kyung-Jun did made a point.
It is a good reason for him to kill someone even though how he shows how much he adores the girl, but there's the grudge that was buried deep inside of him, he was always being reminded that he was humiliated by her. How Joo-Young made fun of Woo-Ram when the boy professed his undying love to her, how Joo-Young laugh at the corny and cringey letters the boy wrote just for her.
All of it qas posted on the Social Media, everyone online made fun of the poor boy. Not caring how it will affect him as a human being, comments after comments saying how stupid Woo-Ram was to dream about going on a date with a person like Lee Joo-Young. She was way out of his league.
Min-Ji was one of the hundres of students who saw Park Woo-Ram kneeled in front of Lee Joo-Young, his head meeting the hot surfaces of the pavement as the blazing hot sun glares at their skin. The girl was holding her umbrella while her other hand was on her water bottle. Everyone around her erupt in chatters and whisper, laughters escaping their lips as they point out to Woo-Ram who was crying and begging for the girl he had love to take the post she made down.
Her eyes travelled to Mi-Na, she was chuckling as she zoom in to Woo-Ram's pathetic face, how tears stream down his face and how his voice quiver. Embarrassment was evident on his face, he was shaking in fury and humiliation, being filmed out, made fun of, and be the cause of the gossips. Woo-Ram just cried whilst still begging for Joo-Young.
"I'll go to my room." Min-Ji suddenly spoke, eyes on the table. She could see the dust covering the top of the table that they lean on. Jun-Hee stares at her, he was thinking of what he should say to the girl. "You're.. you won't vote for me right?" There were hope in Woo-Ram's eyes, he was begging her in his eyes to not vote for him.
Licking her lips and feeling how dry they are, she stare at Woo-Ram and how he was hoping for her to say yes, to help him.
"I don't know." The spark of hope in Woo-Ram's heart falter, flickering as it then turn into a smoke. Beads of sweat roll down his cheeks as he eye Min-Ji. "Mi-Na is right, Kyung-Jun made a point. With how Joo-Young had treated you, it was obvious that you want to take sort of revenge to her, and maybe.." her voice trail off, she was walking away now, not looking back.
"Maybe you take this chance, this game, to form your revenge and unalive her under our nose." Woo-Ram feel cold water was splash on him on how cold and different Min-Ji is right now. He was about to open his mouth, planning to say something but the words got caught in his throat when Min-Ji spare him a glance, there was an unexplainable glint in Min-Ji's eyes that he only saw, and nobody else.
. . .
[Im Eun-Chan, Nam Yeon-Woo and Jin Da-Bum voted for Park Woo-Ram.]
Park Min-Ji stared at her phone when it beep, she saw three names that voted for the same person. She already knew that Kyung-Jun had influenced them into voting for Woo-Ram, why would they even vote for the man if they weren't forced or a favor that was did for them. Putting down her phone on the bed, she remove her shrug and toss it on the other end of the bed. She was planning to change out of her clothes, whe wonders why her classmates won't change clothes, they've been in their uniform since day 1, aren't they uncomfortable?
Changing into a simpler clothes; a fitted white shirt and their school P.E uniform's jogging pants. Detangling her now dried hair, she decided to blow it dry before brushing it. Starting at the tip of her hair until she reach the top, she carefully brush through, not wanting to shed any hair.
She held her phone once again, not knowing what to do with it, she click the app of the game and stared at her screen. Park Woo-Ram now had a total of 7 votes. She was conflicted if she should vote for him too, as she knows that if he ever was a Civilian, then there's another one to go.
But if he were a Mafia, then there's another one less to the opposing team.
Licking her lips as she click on Woo-Ram's profile, seeing another message pop up: "Do you want to vote for Park Woo-Ram?" It read on the screen, she sigh as she grip her phone. She was having double thoughts right now.
But she suddenly sat straight up, she almost hit the bar on her left. She grab the side of the ladder (bunk bed's ladder), her eyes widening as she click on the votes. Her eyes staring as vote comes after vote. Another 7 people had voted, but not with the same person they were suspecting earlier on.
[Park Woo-Ram, Kim So-Mi, Ahn Na-Hee, Oh Jung-Won, Jang Hyun-Ho, Kim Jun-Hee and Lee Yoon-Seo voted for Ko Kyung-Jun.]
The words on her screen read as, now, both Kyung-Jun and Woo-Ram had the same amount of votes. But if she were to vote for Woo-Ram, then one additional for him, making him to have the most votes. Then there are other two people who haven't cast their votes. It was the couple who had accused for being a doctor.
A curse left Min-Ji's lips, she got up and left the room. Her footsteps was heard on the empty hallway, she maneuver her way through the end of the corridors, no fix destination in her mind. While she was speed walking to wherever her feet drag her to, she suddenly run into Kim So-Mi and Park Woo-Ram, the both parties look startled when they suddenly came across one another, with Kim Jun-Hee following behind the two.
Min-Ji feel uneasy at the way Woo-Ram was staring at her, he was expecting something from her and the girl knew it all too well. He was hoping that she would side with him and following what they did earlier on: voting for Ko Kyung-Jun.
Kim So-Mi seem relieved that she had bump into the girl, Min-Ji stared at them as if already knowing what they would say. So-Mi grab the girls arm and stare right into her eyes. She can see that there was a spark of hope that glints in the girls eyes, Min-Ji back off a little.
"I'm glad that you haven't voted yet." The girl sigh in relief, before urging the girl once again. "Vote for Ko Kyung-Jun." So-Mi was also hoping, wanting for Park Min-Ji to do what she says so they could save Woo-Ram and officially execute Kyung-Jun from the game.
"No." The word caught the three off guard, they're surprised that she decline. "Don't force me to do something." She shook her head, grabbing So-Mi's wrist and pushing the girls hands on her arms off. Woo-Ram approach her, grabbing her hands as he stare at her, he was desperate to stay, he doesn't want to be killed.
"Min-Ji." She could hear the way the boy's voice quiver and cracking. "I'm not forcing you or anything. But I'm not really a Mafia, I'm just stuck in this position." Referring to how Kyung-Jun accused and put the pressure on him and having the others already vote for him.
"You bump into me and want me to vote for Kyung-Jun." Removing her hands from Woo-Ram's, backing away from them. "He have a point." She saw how Woo-Ram swallow, his adams apple bobbing up and down, the beads of sweat stream down his face. "You have a reason to kill Joo-Young, after all, she keeps reminding you that she don't have feelings for you and how she had ridicule you in front of everyone at our school." Woo-Ram was on the verge of tears, he was about to lunge himself to her and wanting to make her vote for Kyung-Jun but Jun-Hee grab his shoulder and pulled him back.
"Yah, Park Woo-Ram, if you do that she'll have more reason to blame you." Jun-Hee stated, he eyed Min-Ji before dragging the boy out and off to go to the couple's room. Kim So-Mi stared at Min-Ji, she was annoyed at how the girl was stubborn.
"We're not friends to begin with." Min-Ji claim and walking off to a different direction, a direction that leads to the Café.
. . .
Min-Ji sure acts nice, and had gotten softer, or more like back to her old self, as they continue to play this game that kills, a game that they once thought as innocent and harmless.. a simple game of Mafia.
But it was the opposite now, their lives depend on this game.
She once again go back to the app, going to the participants list and her eyes focus on Woo-Ram's profile. She click on it and had pressed on the vote button. New notification beep on everyone's phone, announcing that another vote was casted.
[Park Min-Ji voted for Park Woo-Ram.]
Kyung-Jun's brows furrowed, staring at his phone. He was flabbergasted at the notice, he didn't expect Min-Ji to side with him, he thought that maybe she would vote him out or scatter her vote. But instead, Min-Ji registered her vote to Park Woo-Ram.
His eyes then averted to the window, seeing a panting Min-Ji. Their eyes met and he notice how her face lit up when she saw him. Min-Ji entered the café, everyone's eyes was on her, pondering why she was there.
The girl didn't exactly planned anything when she let her feet drag her, she didn't even know that she was going to the Café in the first place. And when she stood there, eyes focus on the infamous bully of their school, no words left her mouth and just stood there like a statue.
"What are you doing here, Min-Ji?" Then her eyes snap to Yeon-Woo, he was holding a corn dog and half of it was already in his mouth, sitting next to him was Eun-Chan who was slurping his noodles but stop midway, noodles hanging in his mouth. Then her eyes was met with Da-Bum's, he was mixing his noodles and was eating an Onigiri. "Huh?" She knew it, a reason why the three of them voted out for Woo-Ram. She already knows that Da-Bum was under Kyung-Jun's hands, he doesn't even have a choice in the first place.
"Where's that punk? Park Woo-Ram." Kyung-Jun suddenly query, his voice going lower as his gaze at her unwavers. The theater girl approach him for a moment before stopping in front of him. "I bump into then at the 3rd floor, I don't know where they are right now."
Min-Ji saw something flash in Kyung-Jun's eyes, he was irritated, angry even. What Park Woo-Ram and the others did; voting for him, so it's either him or his suspected Mafia member, had vexed him. An exasperated sigh left his lips, brushing his hair back, closing his eyes trying to think of something. Putting down his hand on top of the back of the chair, strans of hair fell over his forehead, reaching his cheeks. The plaster on his cheek was slowly peeling off, Min-Ji was about to approach him once again but the enraged man stand up, towering over Min-Ji's small figure.
"Where are you going?" Grabbing his wrist and pulling him back when he walk past her. Kyung-Jun stare at her hands before looking down her face, he raise his unoccupied hand and place it on her cheeks, inching their face closer as he saw red coated the girls cheeks, he tap her flush face twice.
"I'm gonna show everyone that Park Woo-Ram is indeed a Mafia." Grabbing Min-Ji's wrist and removing her hold on his hands, Kyung-Jun didn't spare her any last glance as he walk out of the Café, his two underlings following behind him.
The stunned girl raise her right hand to her cheeks, her palm touching and feeling how hot her face had become. Silence befall the Café, as Min-Ji stared at the door whete the three bullies had left and off to find Park Woo-Ram.
A slurp of noodles snap her out of her trance, it was awkward when she look at Yeon-Woo, he was slowly slurping his noodles staring at her, with every sound left his lips, Min-Ji's face continue to raise in temperature. Eun-Chan was stunned, witnessing the scene that unfolded earlier, he didn't expect that to happen, especially to the two of them.
"Damn, the sexual tension was high." And with that, the girl's face was as red as a tomato.
. . .
"Park Woo-Ram!" So-Mi and Jun-Hee's voice reiterated in the Hall, repeating the same name over and over again, finding where the suspected Mafia could be hiding.
Min-Ji stop in her tracks, she once again bump into them. Her eyes just stared at their figure and the three stop, she saw Hyun-Ho behind the two, he was at the other end of the hallway, possibly trying to find the missing boy too. She could feel So-Mi's glare on her, she could also see a hint of betrayal in her eyes, Min-Ji wonder as to why would the girl feel that, as what she said earlier—they weren't friends to begin with.
"Have you seen Woo-Ram?" Jun-Hee suddenly draw near her, stopping when they're an arm away from each other. Min-Ji shrug, raising her hands, signaling that she haven't. "Nope, the last time I saw him was with you guys."
"What about Kyung-Jun?" Hyun-Ho spoke from behind Jun-Hee, he walk closer to them, standing next to So-Mi. "What about him?" Min-Ji was confuse, why would they ask for Kyung-Jun's whereabouts to her. "Have you seen him?" Rephrasing his question, the athlete continues to push.
"He was at the Café earlier with Da-Bum, Eun-Chan and Yeon-Woo." And she was telling the truth. "But I haven't seen him since." Partially the truth, she wasn't lying about not seeing him because really, she haven't saw him when he left to go and find Woo-Ram.
"Shit." Hyun-Ho suddenly curse loudly. "What if Kyung-Jun found Woo-Ram?" And something unimaginable flash in their mind, having the same thought if that thing happened. They know the boy named Ko Kyung-Jun, he would do anything to get something out of Woo-Ram's mouth, even if the means of torture.
"Are you sure Kyung-Jun didn't tell you where he'll go?" Hyun-Ho suddenly grab her shoulders, her eyes widen at how he was acting and they way he eyed her. "No." Staring at him as she said that word, convincing them that she didn't get any information out of Kyung-Jun about where he would disappear into.
Licking his lips, Hyun-Ho pushes her slightly, she watch as he approach the two and formulated a simple plan to find Woo-Ram. She didn't linger any longer, she left before they could ask her for more questions, she doesn't know if they'll question her occupation.
After leaving the three to find not just Woo-Ram, but also Kyung-Jun, the girl fend herself. She walk back down to the entrance of the Youth Center, there she saw the sitting girl's statue. A light above her illuminated her figure, she was looking down on the floor. Min-Ji draw closer to the statue, standing in front of it and staring at the face of the girl.
"Park Min-Ji." Somebody called for her, but it was hush and unfamiliar, she look around but there was no one. She once again focus her eyes on the girl, she look down on the pillar, trying to see if there's a history background about her, as every statue she had encountered would have a plate of information right next to it. But there was none for this statue.
She walk closer until she finally touch the feet of the girl, putting a hand on its feet and looking up. Her neck hurts for looking up too much, she tiptoed as if she wants to touch the girl's face but the heigh difference is too much for her to reach the veneer. Shaking her head as she thought that she looks and feels like an idiot trying to reach something that she can't actually touch due to her height, she step back.
"Yah! Park Se-Eun!"
A sudden memory flash in her eyes, it was a face of a girl, things were blurred in her mind. She stared st the statue's face once more, it was the same feature of the girl that flash in her mind. She gasp trying to remember the event, where she called out the name Park Se-Eun, but as she tries to go down to her memory lane, it hurts her head.
Her head look towards to her side, hearing Jun-Hee's voice that followed by Yoon-Seo, and she saw So-Mi walking down the stairs in a hurry, a look on her face that is similar of a jealousy as her eyes focused on the two. She slowly walk towards them, she haven't saw Yoon-Seo ever since the girl was sent to the infirmary because she had pass out earlier.
Once she was near them, Yoon-Seo saw her and nodded at her as a greeting. "Have you seen Woo-Ram?" Min-Ji just shook her head, Jun-Hee stared at Yoon-Seo, opening his mouth to speak but was cut off when the speaker tune in, they thought that maybe it was another announcement and they waited.
"I'm Park Woo-Ram." The person they were looking for spoke through the speaker, Min-Ji's mouth agape at his voice. She saw Hyun-Ho running down the stares as he point out to the speaker. "At the broadcasting room!" He exclaim, running back up. The four following behind him.
"I'm a Mafia." Min-Ji's eyes widen at his revelation, she stare at So-Mi and she was just shock as her, Jun-Hee was in disbelief at what he was hearing right now. "I killed Lee Joo-Young. I wasn't planning to do that at first but I got upset because she humiliated me. Because she always belittled me, I wanted to kill her." They hear his sobs echo through the speakers, they can't believe it.
It would be too hard to believe if Kyung-Jun was forcing him to say those words, but it is believable to say that Kyung-Jun forced Park Woo-Ram to confess and reveal his occupation as a Mafia and he was the one who took Joo-Young's life. The five of them arrive at the Studio, Hyun-Ho pounded his fist on the door loudly as So-Mi yell out Woo-Ram's name.
It was quiet for a moment before they heard the boy cry out for them, announcing that he was inside, and probably Kyung-Jun and his goons also. Hyun-Ho and Jun-Hee took turns on kicking the door open, trying to crack it open.
Yoon-Seo run off to somewhere and Min-Ji stared at her hands in disbelief, she was carrying an axe and Jun-Hee grab it, Min-Ji back off as Jun-Hee pushes Hyun-Ho on the side.
"Back off." He said and swing the axe to break down the door so they could save Woo-Ram from the hands of Kyung-Jun. So-Mi scream at how many times Jun-Hee had swing the axe and they finally got the door open, the knob flying off somewhere.
"Are you crazy?!" That was Jun-Hee's startling question, the axe still in his hands, swinging it and threatening them. They entered the Studio and saw Woo-Ram's gorey look, he was covered in his own blood.
Min-Ji quickly move behind Jun-Hee to help him, even though that she had voted for him doesn't mean she won't help him in this state. A pen was stuck on his thigh and she grabs it, pulling it out, a groan left Woo-Ram's lips as So-Mi and Yoon-Seo untied his hands that was tape shut to the arms of the chair, while Jung-Won was removing the tape on Woo-Ram's feet.
The three girls help Woo-Ram stands up and guide him outside, while Min-Ji stayed and stare at Kyung-Jun in shock. She didn't expect him to be this violent, to the point of hurting someone to confess.
"Who's the real crazy here?!" Kyung-Jun shouted back to Jun-Hee, pointing at the axe in their Class President's hands. "He's the Mafia. He killed Lee Joo-Young! He had confessed already!" The man shouted, he can't face Min-Ji as he saw in his side the look she's giving him.
"Cut it out." Jun-Hee panted, still glaring at Kyung-Jun. "Come to your senses, idiot." But Jun-Hee continue to glare at him, still on Woo-Ram's side even after hearing the announcement that he had made himself. Beep sound escape everyone's phone, Min-Ji opened her phone and saw two notification on her lock screen.
"Look here." Kyung-Jun raise his phone, showing them the notifications.
[Park Ji-Soo voted for Park Woo-Ram.]
[Cha Yoo-Joon voted for Park Woo-Ram.]
And suddenly, the door once again flung open, revealing the disheveled Park Woo-Ram. Min-Ji screams as the boy tried to stay on his feet, behind the door was the others, watching the scene unfold inside the Studio.
"I should've killed Ko Kyung-Jun in the first place." And there it was, he had confirmed himself as he was in the brink of death. Hyun-Ho was behind him, trying to pull him away but as if it was his last strength, he manage to push Hyun-Ho down on his butt. Min-Ji once again let out a scream as Woo-Ram grab the axe in Jun-Hee's hands, wobbly standing as he glare at Kyung-Jun. "I would be an idiot if I don't drag you down with me." And with that, he hand swing the axe towards Kyung-Jun, the man rolling the ground as he had avoided the attack
Jun-Hee tried to intervene but Min-Ji grab his wrist and drag him outside. She knows that if they try to stop Woo-Ram, they would just hurt themselves. After then, Kyung-Jun crawl outside, a frantic Woo-Ram following behind him.
"I'll kill you before I die!" Woo-Ram shouted, evryone in his way was push to the side. "Even if I don't kill you now, the others would kill you in my place." Dragging the axe on the carpetted floor, everyone let out a scream as he keep on swing the weapon.
"Die you jerk!"
Min-Ji doesn't know if she should help him, but she was glued shut on the ground. She scream as grab Woo-Ram's shoulder, trying to stop him from striking Kyung-Jun. The man stumbled as he was cornered at the end of the Hallway. Woo-Ram had pushed Min-Ji to the wall, her head hitting the wall pretty hard. She grab her neck as she couldn't anything but to watch Woo-Ram's homicide act.
But an announcement was fhen blared in the speakers, the same annoying sound rung. Min-Ji fumbled on her phone, staring at it was already midnight. Woo-Ram had stop in his tracks as the sound surrounds the whole Hallway, he tried to strike and swing the axe to Kyung-Jun but his body wouldn't let him.
"Voting is over."
Park Woo-Ram brought down the axe, Kyung-Jun heave a relieve sigh as he thought that it would be his last night. They all watch as Woo-Ram put a hand on his ears, trying to swat the sound away.
"Park Woo-Ram with the most votes will be executed."
Min-Ji immediately run to Kyung-Jun, holding his face as she stare at him in shock, her heart was beating faster and faster with every second that strike. Kyung-Jun grab her hands and then they focus on Woo-Ram, who had grab the axe with both hands and facing the sharper side of the axe to his face before it landed on his head.
Gasps resonated from everyone, they were shock as this one was one of the gorey and traumatizing thing to experience and to witness right now. Min-Ji choke out a sob as Kyung-Jun grab her head and place it on his chest, she could hear how fast his heart was beating.
"Park Woo-Ram was a Mafia."
Grabbing Min-Ji's waist and helping her to stand up, he snake his hand on her's, grabbing them and gripping her hand tightly. He let out a smirk but it wasn't one of the arrogant one he always put on his face.
"See, I told you." He had left with Min-Ji after saying that, he had told everyone about his suspicion, his reasons why he blame Woo-Ram but no one listened. They choose to side with Woo-Ram even though Kyung-Jun's reasoning was valid and made sense to them.
The two maneuver their way, Kyung-Jun leading her and had pull her to him, she had familiarised her way to the Youth Center and know that they're going to the Café. She could feel how cold Kyung-Jun's hands on hers, she knew that the man was still in utter shock as he almost died tonight.
Putting down the roller door of the Café, Kyung-Jun had lock it and he had threw the key on the desk, he place Min-Ji on the corner as he took a sit next to her. He rest his head on his hands as the events of tonight was still fresh and he was still shock.
Min-Ji was surprised to see Kyung-Jun's tough exterior fall down, but then again, they're all human. Seeing this side of him made something in her heart clench, she grab his head and lay it on her shoulder, her hands going to his and intertwining it together. Kyung-Jun leaned on her shoulder, a shaky breath left his lips, Min-Ji knew that he was scared right now. Everyone of them was.
Kyung-Jun was trying to hold back his tears, he doesn't want to cry and let Min-Ji saw him in a weak state. As when Min-Ji was about to talk to him about it, the lullaby song tuned in the speaker. They both sigh as they have no choice but to fall asleep as they have no control of their own body. She felt Kyung-Jun's head lay limply on her shoulder, falling asleep almost immediately.
Min-Ji close her eyes and lean her head on top of Kyung-Jun's, both of them falling asleep and so as everyone who had hide themselves after knowing that the other Mafias would kill them too.
˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
♡︎༄,'; ALSEPHINA'S NOTE:
AGORA HILLS! EPISODE 4 AND 5 ARE DONE! have you guys guess Park Min-Ji's role?
Comment it down if you do, and don't forget to vote! I want to read what your thoughts about the chapters and how you feel.
STAY TUNED! MWA!