DISCLAIMER: This is an ending where Park Min-Ji doesn't exist, just like Oh Jung-Won. She was programmed by Se-Eun's parents themselves, the happenings are the same, this will be where they all wake up. This was supposed to be how it should end but since Min-Ji got all of the flashback and she was very human compared to Jung-Won, I decided to make this as a second ending.
. . .
Congratulations.
Gasps escape everyone's lips, their chest are heaving up and down as they gasp for air. Their eyes was mer with a dimly lit room, they wander around and saw their fellow classmates in the same situation as them. Having been laying on a sort of bed with things connected on their head, then their eyes look at Lee Yoon-Seo, she was crying as a man was in front of her, they can hear the man apologizing as a woman had collapsed on a chair, teats streaming down her cheeks.
"What's going on?"
"Where are we?"
"What happened?"
Murmurs erupt from one another, confusion lace in their eyes as they watch the man approach them. Helping them on removing those that are attached on their head, when their feet meet the ground, they all felt weak. Some lean on the machine they were in earlier and use it as a support. Ko Kyung-Jun wander his eyes around, looking for a certain woman but his view was block by his classmates.
He pushes them to the side as he look at the machine, it was now empty and that the class had went straight to where a giant screen was place. Kyung-Jun was confuse, he was wondering where Park Min-Ji could be. As they then approach the screen, they realized that their profiles, names, age and as well as the happenings inside of the game can be viewed. Chills crawl their skin looking at the screen, they can't believe it, they were in a sort of coma for who knows how long, and they've been playing the game on repeat as soon as they all die.
"What the fuck is that?" Kyung-Jun muttered, the man—who introduced himself as Se-Eun's dad, step in front of them. Bowing his head as he muttered an apology. "I deeply apologize to all of the things that you've went through. Se-Eun's mother, my wife just wanted to take revenge on what happened to our daughter." He stands up, a smile on his lips but guilt visible in his eyes. "We know that not everyone of you are the reason why our precious daughter took her life." Then his eyes landed on Kim So-Mi, the girl look away, guilt was eating her up as she remembers what happened on the game and what happened before.
"Park Se-Eun didn't deserved that, she experienced depression and took her own life a day after. She jumped on the bridge where Kim Jun-Hee found her." Licking his lips as he clear his throat. "I apologize as you guys had went through death multiple times, my wife just wanted to protect and to revenge our daughter." He once again apologised, everyone was quiet as their eyes stared at the screen. He look up and click something on his laptop.
Their eyes widen as they see Oh Jung-Won, she wasn't real, that's what they realized. Her figure was on the screen, a blank look on her face and she looks humanised, she doesn't look like an AI like how Park Se-Eun's father described her to be. Kyung-Jun's eyes widen when he saw another figure, he pushes someone in front of him as he walk closer on the screen. His eyes going to the name plate under her figure, the way she smiles as her hair was neatly style.
"Park Min-Ji." She wasn't real, she was programmed like Jung-Won. "She's our daughter. My wife had programmed her right after Se-Eun entered highschool, she's real.. before." Clearing his throat as his eyes began to water. "She was programmed to be the perfect daughter that any parent would dream to had. We were ecstatic when we found out that we will be having twins but unfortunately, Park Se-Eun was the only one who was born." Se-Eun's father smile, looking at the beautiful figure that was on the screen. He eyed Kyung-Jun, he can see the sadness in his eyes as he look up, all of those beautiful and meaningful events that happened between them.. it was all fake.
"She became a bug in the game." The father continued to explain, everyone just listen intently as they continue to stare at the two figure in awe. "We manage to fix Oh Jung-Won but later we couldn't fix her. While Park Min-Ji, we tried and tried to fix and reboot her character but to no avail.. she wouldn't, she always go back to how she seemed to be in the game." He then flashes them a scene where the confrontation happened between Kyung-Jun and Min-Ji, the girl really looked really human, and she acts human like.
"When we tried to restart her character, things happened. The laptops we use sparks, and then it caught on a smoke then later, it lit up on fire. It seems like she doesn't want to be restarted." He smile in amusement, looking at how Min-Ji's character had disobeyed them, multiple times. "We even tried on removing her from the game, but as you can imagine, she won't let it happen as she had a mission in mind." The father then approach Kyung-Jun who was getting teary, looking at Min-Ji's figure who was smiling at them, at him.
"Her mission is to protect and to save you, Ko Kyung-Jun." Patting the boy's back, everyone look at him in awe, they saw the interaction between Min-Ji and Kyung-Jun in the game, it was still flashing on the screen. How much fun they had even though they're in a place that is full of death flags. "She would do anything to protect you, even to the point on destroying the whole game. That's how much.. Park Min-Ji harbour feelings to you. In which an AI doesn't normally do but she's a different case."
And that day on, everyone had started their life how it was supposed to be. Se-Eun's mother went into a mental hospital, she had apologised to them after realizing her mistakes. Se-Eun's father on the other hand had offered to pay for the kid's therapy, since the game really took a toll on their mental health. Some even experienced depression and would still hallucinate over the game.
While Ko Kyung-Jun, he had change, he doesn't bully anyone because he knows that Park Min-Ji wouldn't like it.
. . .
It was now their final year as High school student, everyone had reach the age of 18 and some are 19 now. Everyone was still slowly recovering of what happened few months back, they've consulted some psychiatrist and therapist, they needed it as every time they try to fall asleep, they would hear the Purge sound and would dream of dying over again. They couldn't even watch the Purge movie as the sound literally came from the show.
First day of school, everyone was tired from rheir vacation. Chattering and gossiping on what happened on tbe three months break they have, story telling about the amazing things that happened in those past three months. Lee Yoon-Seo sat in her table, she was quiet as she fidget with her pen, she was feeling lonely as she would always have a dream of being with Jung-Won. Even though it's only for days they've spent, but in the game, after how many times they repeated the game, she grew fondness for her.
Glancing at her side when she saw Kim Jun-Hee taking a sit next to her, she smile as he wave at her, putting his notebook on the desk and grab a book in his bag, she eyed him as he secretly coveded the front page of the book with a piece of paper and later, let out a gasp when Jun-Hee uncovered it. It was a limited edition Crime fiction book she's been wanting to grab a hold of and to read.
"What? Why?" She gasp, delicately tracing her fingertips on the cover, it was still sealed with a plastic. "In the game.. I asked you what you wanted for your birthday and I didn't get a chance to give it to you." Yoon-Seo sadly smile and hug the book, then they began to discuss it among themselves, drowning in their own conversation as some of their classmates smile at them.
Ko Kyung-Jun stared at them with bittersweetness in his eyes, he can't help but to always dream of the girl named Park Min-Ji. In his dream, they weren't in the game but rather in the real world. Where she was actually real and that was a part of their class. Her touches, kisses, her voice, it felt so real and so close but when he tried to touch her, to reach out for her, he would immediately wake up.
Shaking his head at his thought, rest his head on his table, they'll not be doing anything on their first week except for introducing themselves which he see no point as there are no unfamiliar faces and they're already familiar with one another. He just sigh, he heard the door opened followed by footsteps, he knew it must be their homeroom teach.
Ms. Cha.
He didn't bother to raise his head to greet her and just rest, he can hear her voice, greeting them. It was sweet and pleasant to hear but not like how Min-Ji would call his name, just by hearing her voice, he could feel calm and be lulled to sleep. Once again, he shook his head
There was a knock on the door which confuses the students, those who are near tried to take a peek when Ms. Cha had opened it and greeted whoever it was. Though, they couldn't see who it was but they notice the smile on their teacher's face. The woman stand back in the middle of the class, clapping her hands to gather their attention, some were looking at her and some just stay silent as they look outside the window or lay their head on the desk.
"Okay, everyone. We have new students joining us for this school year." Her tone was beaming with excitement, she is a one jolly teacher, students love her because of that. "Please do welcome them with open arms." Looking back at the door, she gestures for the students to come in.
"Students?"
"So there's more than one?"
"Of course, are you stupid, Yool?"
"I wonder who could it be."
The class murmurs to themselves and to their friends, then their eyes follow the two figure who walk in the middle. Ms. Cha going on the side to let the two girls be the center of everyone's attention. Gasp left everyone's lips as they look at the short haired female, they couldn't see the other as her hair was on her face and she was looking down on her shoes, it was a shiny mary jane shoes. The girl tuck a strand on her hair and fixed her eye glasses as she looks at them, she was carrying a blank face, and she's what everyone remembered whom to be.
"Good morning, I'm Kang Jung-Won."
Her name didn't change but her surname only, even though she carry a different surname, her face, expression, actions are all the same. The same Jung-Won they met on the Mafia Game, the girl who was programmed by Park Se-Eun herself, who carries the same personality as her. Jung-Won notice how everyone seem to be shock and saw familiarity flash in their eyes, she was confuse especially when her eyes landed on a girl near the window, her eyes were glossy, she has pale skin and her lips were agape open, next to her was a boy who carries a golden retriever aura, he was shock as her.
Kyung-Jun heard the name, he stay still on his chair, he can hear how everyone gasp and whisper to their seatmates upon hearing the name and seeing the familiar face. They talk among themselves how familiar Jung-Won is and if she's the same girl from the game but they think it was absurd because Se-Eun's father had already told them that she was created by his daughter.
He then felt how his two friend suddenly nudge him, he groan as he gave them a glare but it wasn't the right time for the two to be scared and be quiet, they stare at him in shock and pointed at the front. "What? If it's about Jung-Won, I do not give a damn." He roll his eyes at them but Jin-Ha and Seung-Bin shook their head, yet Kyung-Jun just groan and was about to lay his head once again when he caught a sight of the girl.
"Good morning everyone," her voice, the melodious tone that he always hear in his sleep, he look up and his eyes widen upon seeing the familiar girl. Her hair was longer than how he remembered, she also has curtain bangs but it was already outgrown. The way her smile reaches her cheeks and how rosy they became when their eyes were on her. She's different, because as all they remebered, the girl was annoyed when she entered their room but she's not her, she's similar in some traits; her characteristics is jolly, cheerful, have a beautiful smile, and carries the same features as the girl in the game. Bowing her head as she place a hand on her chest.
"The name's Park Min-Ji."
Her name, it didn't change one bit. She was still the same, Park Min-Ji isn't exactly rude, she just had a foul mouth and that she is blunt where everyone was afraid of her. She's known for being cheerful after beinf with Yoon-Seo and Se-Eun, but that was in the game, her personality changes in every game they spent with her. She doesn't have a fix personality but Kyung-Jun had her jolly personality stuck in his head.
The teacher once again clap her hands as her students were in awestruck, she wonders why. "Okay, you two can take the seats at the back." Ms. Cha smile at them, urging them to do so. Jung-Won sigh and lead the way, Min-Ji was following behind her as both of them can feel the questioning gaze linger on their figure. Once they took their sit, Ms. Cha had excused herself. "Class President, Jun-Hee, take charge as we will be having a meeting in the Faculty." She smiles at them before leaving, Jun-Hee just nod his head at her, his hair bobbing in the movement.
And once Ms. Cha had left, the new comers were immediately bombarded with question, questions that is related to the Mafia game, to how they remembered the two. Kyung-Jun was annoyed when one of his classmates accidentally nudge his desk, the girls was seating next to him and Min-Ji was just a yard away from him.
"Hey, hey. Jung-Won, do you specialized in computer stuffs?"
"Min-Ji, do you sing?"
"Wow, you're so pretty."
"Jung-Won, do you not smile?"
The two girls shared a look at how they're behaving, pursing her lips as Jung-Won stared at them with a blank look. "Please, don't bother us." All she said and the crowd sigh in disappointment at her words but Min-Ji smile at them and place a finger on her lips, shushing them.
"It's fine, just don't be loud. Your other classmates seems trying to sleep." Glancing at Kyung-Jun, all of them had their eyes widen upon seeing him and look away, noticing the glare. "It's fine." He grumble, laying his head on his desk and using his arms as pillow. He didn't really sleep, he was trying to listen to the conversation.
"I met Jung-Won when we enrolled and found that she's really great with techy stuffs." He can hear how she let out a chuckle, she was different from the game, maybe because of how they had to survive but at the memories that flashes in their minds before, that even before the game, one of her personality was this. Talkative, clingy, loud, and cheerful. "I do sing. I also play instrument: ukulele, piano, guitar and I'm trying to learn how to play the cello." She's still talented, she probably knows how to act and how to cook, she's probably a top performing students in her previous school.
And he was right.
"Yes. I can cook, I'm learning how to bake."
"Act? I guess, I did perform on stage on my previous school but they don't really give attention to the Theater club so.. it's sad."
"Well about academics, I don't think I'm bad either."
"Don't believe her, I saw her report card and she have high grades and was the rank one on her school." Jung-Won suddenly spoke, Min-Ji chuckle at her. Then there's one question that almost made Kyung-Jun raise his head and look at her, but he stopped himself and just stay there, unmoving.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"My relationship status is private." She then shushes them which earned a few chuckles from her. She was the girl in his dreams, the girl they met on the game.
. . .
It's been a whole month since Min-Ji and Jung-Won transferred to the Yooil Highschool, they have gotten closer to their classmates but they're much closer to Yoon-Seo and Jun-Hee. The two girls would give each other a knowing look whenever the supposedly best friends would do something that makes the other flustered. And Min-Ji notices that Kyung-Jun seems to be avoiding her, she wonders why.
Yoon-Seo opened up to the two girls, saying why their classmates had ask them a lot of questions on their first day. It wasn't a secret that the whole class went missing and that they were playing a mind game of Mafia. Yoon-Seo told them all of things that made them resemble the girls on the game, they shared a look of pity as the class had went through something like that. It was traumatizing, Yoon-Seo admitted, she even cried as she told them stories about Se-Eun and Jung-Won.
"I'm not that close to Min-Ji in the game, but she's always protecting and always by Kyung-Jun's side. He must be avoiding you because of how he felt towards her, and it seems like he doesn't want to fall for you because of how you reminded him of Park Min-Ji. Jun-Hee had talked to him about it and told him that he misses her and he can't help but to stare at you with longing, you really are a copy of her." That's what Yoon-Seo told her, Min-Ji glance at the sleeping Kyung-Jun. She found him interesting, and attractive. She would see him laughing and smiling with his two friends, but when he look at her, she notice that there was pain and yearning his eyes.
Min-Ji also notice how he always sleep in class but somehow pass their quiz, it was interesting. She was getting uncomfortable on how Kyung-Jun just uses his arm as pillow and decided to give him a gift, it was a blue arm pillow with a face of a cat. She couldn't find a blank one and decided to gift it to him, of course, she didn't said anything and let it be anonymous.
Kyung-Jun was confuse seeing the pillow on his desk with a tag: 'I hole you have an interesting dream, Ko Kyung-Jun. -meow. He chuckled at the last part, and his eyes went to Min-Ji who was talking to Yoon-Seo. He doesn't have the dreams anymore, the yearning for the programmed Min-Ji was slowly fading into nothing but just memories. He shook his head and uses the pillow, he can smell a sweet perfume and he snuggles close, it was her perfume. So much of being anonymous.
"Thanks." Min-Ji look up seeing Kyung-Jun looking on his test paper, he had once again passed, she was happy. The boy look up at her and notice that she was confuse on why. "For the pillow." She let out a smile at him and nodded her head, looking down on her paper and saw it was full marks once again. She feels haply and contented knowing that she's gonna pass the first semester.
"It's alright, you look so uncomfortable while you sleep." She flashes him one of her charming smiles, Kyung-Jun was awestruck to see it. When he haven't dream of Min-Ji in the game, he had started having a dream of the Min-Ji in the present, it's weird, he knows. He shook his head and gibe her a small smile, Min-Ji blink a few times as he stared at the teacher in front. Scarlet hues flash on her cheeks as she then put the test paper on her folder organizer so it wouldn't be crumpled.
'He's cute.'
. . .
Everyone took notice how the duo; Park Min-Ji and Ko Kyung-Jun, had gotten closer, it was sudden and was like a bomb for everyone. They saw how he would avoid going in the same way as her or how he would take the other door when Min-Ji would enter or exit the door on the back or at the front but now.. He opened the door for her, offered to carry her bag and her books.
They all blink as they watch the two study together right now, Min-Ji was teaching him something in one of their subjects. The way the creases on Kyung-Jun's forehead slowly faded as he eyed the paper Min-Ji had, he had understood whatever that left the girl's mouth. Everyone knew how Kyung-Jun was devastated knowing that the girl wasn't real, that she was just programmed but now, he looks much brighter and healthier compared on the last few months they saw him.
Park Min-Ji is like a pill that everyone would get obsessed with. She is better than drugs.
"I finally got it." Kyung-Jun mumble, writing the equation on his paper and Min-Ji just observed him writing, looking at his hand writing, it was neat and opposite of his attitude and behaviour. She took notice how everyone seems to be afraid of him, every students of the Yooil High seems to cower in fear under his gaze, even though he just got a glimpse of them, they would immediately run away with tails tuck between their legs. "That's right. Good job." And one thing that Min-Ji notice, he likes to be acknowledged, he likes her praises even though it was a small achievement, she would always show that he was doing a great job.
He even quit smoking cigarettes when he found out that Min-Ji doesn't like the smell. He threw every packs he have in his room that day, throwing everything that he noticed that Min-Ji doesn't like. The power that Park Min-Ji didn't know she have.
"So what's between you and Ko Kyung-Jun?" Baek Eun-Ha, one girl from Min-Ji's class, she was leaning on her table as the theater actress smiles, doodling on the blank page. Eun-Ha notice it and her eyes widen, seeing that the doodle was oddly similar to someone they knew. "Hmm, nothing of sorts." All she muttered, continue on drawing the details, even the way he has a frown on the face, it was really detailed for it to be a doodle.
"Are you sure?" Choi Mi-Na suddenly but it, looking at her drawing, both her and Eun-Ha shared a knowing look before asking their other friends to take a look. "That's neat!" One of the guys said, Min-Ji look up and smile, it was Park Woo-Ram, he have his camera on his hands as he zoom on her face then on the drawing. "Is that supposed to be.." he was shush when Min-Ji place a finger on her lips, they all look on the side and saw Kyung-Jun asleep.
The group then began to disperse, looking at the two on the back. Jung-Won had asked for their homeroom teacher, Ms. Cha, to change the seating arrangement as she and Yoon-Seo had set it up for the duo to sit together. Fixing her things when she notice that Kyung-Jun was waking up, she grab something on her bag and it was a small box and was tied neatly with a ribbon.
"Happy birthday." She whispers, not anyone hear her as Kyung-Jun doesn't like the attention and how everyone would start singing. The boy stared at her with sleepy eyes, and glance on the side seeing that Woo-Ram was filming them, he shot him a glare and the camera suddenly focuses on Namn Yeon-Woo and Heo-Yool who was arguing about the Mafia game once again. "You didn't have to give me something you know." He mumble, grabbing the box on her hand and unfolded the paper, his eyes spark with amusement at the drawing. It was just from her memory yet, it is really neat and capture all the details.
He put it down on his desk and opened the box, there lay a bracelet, Min-Ji raise her wrist and showed the same bracelet but different color. There hang an initial, it was letter K and on his bracelet was the letter M. "Couple bracelets, really?" He chuckled, giving Min-Ji the bracelet and held his wrist out for her to tie it. The girl laughs and securely tightening the knots.
"Are we a couple?" She teases, smiling at him with provocation. Kyung-Jun stop for a moment before leaning closer to her, catching her off guard. "Do you want to?" He humsz noticing the forming blush on her face, she looks away and mumble something. He leans closer, letting her lips be near his ears.
"Ask me on a date first before you ask." She repeated and the boy nodded her head. "Fine fine." Leaning on his chair, he raise his hands up, the initial dangling on the bracelet. "Wanna go out with me later?" Leaning on his table, he looks at her. They could feels eyes and the camera on them but they just brush it off. Min-Ji seems to be thinking for a moment before flicking her fingers.
"Sure."
♡︎༄,'; ALSEPHINA'S NOTE:
AGORA HILLS! This is just a bonus chapter, I'll probably gonna write more special chapters in the future hehe.