CHAPTER 15: THE BULLIES TARGET

In the quiet night, the police officer Sam, troubled by lack of sleep, found himself caught up in the puzzling cases of two recent suicidal deaths of the unknown woman and the carpenter. He rushed to his computer,fueled by an intense need for answers.

The computer screen's pale light displayed CCTV footage of the unknown woman's final moments. As Sam carefully looked through the frames, a realization struck him,the woman's behavior changed significantly after making eye contact with Arya. He zoomed in on Arya's face, hoping for a clue.

To his confusion, Arya seemed normal, showing no signs of a sinister influence. Frustration weighed on Sam's mind, leading to a loud scream that broke the silence of the investigation room. The sudden noise startled his colleagues awake, their faces filled with panic.

Yu-jeong, with a disturbed mind, approaches Sam as he apologizes to other colleagues for his behavior. "Mr. Sam Lee, what do you think about yourself? The two suicides that happened are normal, you can't label them as murders. The unknown woman is social media influencer Maria, aged thirty-five. She is a famous YouTuber and was recently arrested for a forgery case, cheating out lakhs of money with her partner. This led to her career downfall, and the social media is filled with hatred, so she chose to end her own life. Now, regarding the carpenter man Cha Seung Won, aged forty-five, he had to repay his bank loan, but unable to do so, he chose to die. Please don't disturb your mind just because of your personal problems with So-yeon, who cheated on you. We are working like crazy people with so much burden inside our heads, so we need a little sleep.It's already 3 o'clock."

Sam, with a lowered voice, says, "I understand your situation, and I am really sorry, but I am not a person who mixes personal problems into the professional. You know me well, and my predictions about a case are always accurate. You might not understand it now, so please continue resting. Let's talk about this in the morning. Good night, Yu-jeong."

Yu-jeong shakes her head, thinking Sam won't understand, and moves towards her seat. She sleeps on her table, but Sam rushes towards the files of recent suicidal deaths. He checks for commonalities between the cases but finds nothing. Despite his efforts, he rushes towards the computer, trying to discover more, but nothing comes up. The clock ticks to 5:45 AM, and he decides it's time to sleep.

At Arya's home, Arya focuses on her eye yoga and notices the time is 6 o'clock. She hurries over to the bathroom and gets ready for school with hurried actions. Arya's mother packs snacks in two lunch boxes for Arya and Min-ho. Since Min-ho has already finished his breakfast, Arya, who is running late, faces scolding from her mother for her laziness. Arya's mother then gives some dollars to Min-ho, causing tension in Arya's mind. Later, they both reach the school.

At the school gate, Arya warns Min-ho, "Anyway, our classmates are going to tease you. Be strong to face that, and don't even mention that we are living in the same home, okay?" Min-ho gives a thumbs up.

Both entered their classroom, where classmates react strangely to their arrival. Arya takes her seat, places her books, and finds a paper.

She reads, "Hey Arya! Hope you are fine, and I missed your pretty face so much. If you are reading this, just spread a smile as I take it as a signal that you are doing good."

Arya smiles and looks around but notices Seo-joon making direct eye contact. Seo-joon raises his eyebrows, questioning, while Arya nods with a confusion.

An interruption comes from the bully gang leader, Mi Cha Sang-hee, between two questions. "How are you doing, dead meat? I heard you're scared due to our English teacher's suicide. Let's put the past behind. Now, I want you to talk with me during the break. Meet me at the basketball ground."

Min-ho concentrates on his writing, but Mi Cha Sang-hee comes closer and says, "Mr. Model Poser! How about the comments section on your Instagram? How are you handling the netizens? You know that you're almost drained by your personal issues, which makes me enjoy it. I really want to see your downfall. For that, the first step is to meet me at the basketball ground during the break hour. If you avoid that, you know the further consequences. Mind it."

During the break hour, both Arya and Min-ho arrive at the basketball ground, where the bully gang leader, Mi Cha Sang-hee, is ready with her gang. As they approach, Min-ho is hit by senior boys, unsettling Arya's nerves. Sang-hee comes closer and says, "Yaaa! I already told you that Seo-joon belongs to me. But you know what? He feels something when the topic is about you, and it literally makes me mad. So, this is my final warning to you. Don't even dare to cross your lines. Maintain a distance with my man when you teach him. Now, you can go to class."

Arya's eyes are fixed on Min-ho, who has been hit by the seniors. She asks, "What about Min-ho?"

Sang-hee responds, "Yaa! It's not my fault. The seniors told me to call him, and I called. So what's the point of questioning me? Don't involve yourself in the story that doesn't concern you. Just run to save yourself.otherwise, you will be the next target."

Arya slowly moves towards class with shaking hands, adjusting her spectacles. Meanwhile, Min-ho becomes a target for the seniors and gets beaten up, causing his nose to bleed. Despite facing the difficult situation, he notices Arya moving like a stranger. As the seniors raises the violence, one of them grabs a cricket bat with the intention of hitting Min-ho. Arya's inner voice urges her to save Min-ho, echoing her parents words about taking care of him. She runs fast to prevent an action and grabs the cricket bat just before it can strike Min-ho's head.