Chapter Eleven :
"What people commonly call fate is their own stupidity."
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(A/n: continuous itallic fonts represents scenes from a flashback.)
"Ahhh fuck.. this shit is boring as hell."
Jake whispered, listening to the lecturer's lessons about chemistry. He slumped his head on his table, watching from the highest back of the seats of the lecture room.
"Get your shits straight, Jake. If you don't want to spend your whole summer on a summer camp or taking extra backload courses, endure it."
Jungwon, his seatmate, stated while staring at the board and jotting down his own notes on his notebook. Jake sneered at him, chuckling as he lean towards Jungwon.
"Or I could just screw the professor for an A? What do you think?"
He snickered, a grin curving his thick lips up. Jungwon looked at him in disgust and scowled at him. Jake laughed, putting his pen that he hasn't used since the start of the class and put it in his lips.
"I know Ms. Jin, saw her at the storage room near the soccer field one time, she's technically enjoying her student's company. All of it while giving him the cake and all. Hahaha..."
Jake laughed while glancing at his professor busy discussing. Jungwon rolled his eyes and shook his head, tried focusing on the lecture once more but as he scribble on his notes, Jake said that made him stop writing.
"And what if i tell you it's your boyfriend's company? Ohh... plot twist." Jake added to his snickering comment, raising his eyebrows to Jungwon who glared at him with eyes like piercing knives.
"What the hell?"
Jungwon cursed, which made Jake laughed and shrug his shoulder.
"Oh? Did i say something? Please disregard it."
He deadpanned with a smirk as he started writing something on his notebook, a bunch of random nonsense as Jungwon look at his chemistry professor.
He gazed at her with blank eyes, and you can't read what he is thinking. The professor caught his gaze and made eye contact, only for Jungwon to plaster a fake smile in his face and started writing again.
But this time, his scribbles are full of foul words and curses for his whoring professor, all for what Jake had told him.
The next day, an unfamiliar man walked inside their lecture room, holding books for chemistry.
"Ms. Jin is... sick and couldn't finish this semester with all of you so she made the brave and heartbreaking decision to turn you all over to me. Starting today, I will be your chemistry professor until the end of the year. All pending activities shall be passed to me and..."
The professor continued rumbling, with Jake gazing at Jungwon with eyes amused and wondering. Jungwon took his clean notes out, smiling at Jake.
"What? Why are you so fazed?"
Jungwon does not like it when others touch his toys.
He is one possessive brat.
"Jake? Jake-hyung?"
Jake was snapped back to reality when Jungwon walked towards him with a smile in his face. They are currently gathered on the field, the identical soccer field from their university. Armed men are all over the place, making sure no one is making any disturbance.
The first period is just about to start. There is a small podium created in the middle of the field, a mic stand and a big screen it has on the back is revealing the countdown for the first period. Five minutes before the start of the first period.
"Should I be nervous? This is not the same as the train, right?"
Jungwon murmured, shutting his eyes close and taking deep breaths. Jake looked at him. He's not fazed, not at all, he thought.
"I hope so."
Jake shortly answered. Jungwon gazed at him, seeing the latter in deep of his thoughts.
"You know something, right?"
He asked. Jake gazed at him, not speaking.
"Tell me, Jake-hyung."
Jungwon leaned closer to him so he could whisper it instead. Jake, still hesitant, heaved a sigh.
"I'll tell you after this period."
Jake replied which made Jungwon nod his head.
"Alright, then."
Jungwon eyed Jake with curiousity but shrugged it off his mind once someone started walking towards the podium.
A guy on a suit and tie with a big mascot head of a bunny. Similar to what they've been seeing since the train period. The guy opened a small envelope that has a letter inside, clearing his throat before testing the mic as he tap on its surface, creating a reverberating sound of an annoying high pitched frequency that caught all of the students' attention.
"All students are advised to make two lines based on their coins. Each line, proceed to your designated rooms."
After waiting for like an hour, that was the only thing said before the man walked out of the podium. Another two bunny masked guy raised two different posters, one with the head and one with the shield.
"Guess we'll be apart for this period."
Jake told Jungwon, making him see that he's on the heads side while Jungwon is on the shield.
"Great. Now I have someone to keep an eye on Jay-hyung."
Jungwon smiled at him, the mischievou, arrogant smile that tells him Jungwon is in control, or else, who knows might happen next.
Jake did not answer and walked towards his designated line.
"psycho..."
He whispered beneath his breath, chuckling.
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"What... is this...?"
The teams were lead towards two different locker rooms. The typical ones with many various lockers all over the place, with a shower room and shelves.
In the left corner of the room is a telephone. Of what purpose? No one knows yet.
"The lockers are locked."
One of their classmates said upon checking the lockers for an opened one. The masked men were not saying nor doing anything about it so it would be a part of the game, the students thoughts.
"What is this phone?"
Seo Jun-lee, one of the surviving students asked, looking at the telephone at the corner of the room.
"Who knows?"
Jung Aria answered him, gazing at the two students that were looking at the stack of lockers in the middle of the room.
Sunoo and Ryeon.
"You're thinking what I'm thinking?"
Sunoo asked her, gazing at the stack of mini lockers.
They are stacked in an irregular way, of different heights and colors per lines, as if it meant something.
"The Periodic Table."
Ryeon answered, gazing at the locker.
Sunoo smiled. Everyone started gathering up in front of the lockers, gazing at it and figuring out what it is.
"Fuck... I should have listened to my chemistry classes!"
Someone already made a commotion.
"What are we gonna do? Use the chemicals inside to kill each other?"
"Sounds too cliche."
"But we will be needing to kill each other, right? with chemicals?"
The lockers were stacked like the periodic table of elements. As if like each locker holds something inside per element.
What is the game?
"Attention, Students."
The speakers on the top corners of the room made a monotonous sound of a man's voice, as if it's AI formed to not let anyone know who it really is.
"This is your first period, your chemistry class."
Everyone became nervous and alerted. Anxiety spread all across the corners of the room upon hearing that the first period is now starting. The trauma of the train game started seeping out to each of everyone's nerves and no one dared to make any sounds while listening to the instruction.
"The game will be simple. Do nothing within twelve hours to pass the first period."
Huh?
Do... nothing?
"This is a game to test the chemistry of the whole class. Within twelve hours, if no group succeeded in the mission, both team will pass the first period."
The first instruction was simple, and it made everyone sigh in relief.
"So we just don't do anything? That's... easy."
Someone whispered and sat at the side of the room.
The instruction continued.
"However, succeeding the mission will reward the winning group and will penalize the losing group."
The instructor added which made everyone laugh.
"Nothing can sway us from doing something we don't have to do. Stop it."
Taeho, the leader of the pacifist cult told the speaker, as if he's asking for a reply. His followers nodded their heads in approval. Truly, they don't have to kill each other this time.
"Reward for succeeding the mission....
Immunity of penalty for the next period."
Everyone paused. Literally. The idea of immunity to death for the next period will secure their safety. Especially with its uncertainty, you would want to be safe for the next period of course.
But with the cost of the other group's lives.
Immunity.... Huh?
"Every 30 minutes, the telephone will be open for a communication between the two groups for five minutes."
That was the telephone is for.
To communicate with the other group.
Ryeon smirked. She started figuring out the game.
This game is not meant for chemistry but rather
To shatter the trust everyone has of each other.
It's either they not do anything and no one will win nor lose, but all of them will go through hell on the unknown of the 2nd period
Or
Do something this period and betray the other half of the class for your own group's safety for the next upcoming period.
"The telephone will be tricky."
Sunoo whispered, looking at Ryeon.
"Without further ado, We wish all of the students good luck. Glory to Veritas."
The game starts.....
Now.
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Updateeee~ attention to all students, bring your periodic table next chapter. jk jk