The library was the only place where Jae-wook felt he could breathe, but today, even the smell of old paper couldn't calm his nerves. He sat in the furthest corner, hidden behind a stack of encyclopedias, his heart still drumming from the encounter in the classroom.
"She's suspicious," he thought, burying his face in his hands. "She's smart. If I'm not careful, she'll connect the dots before I'm ready."
Suddenly, his phone vibrated on the table. A notification from the Shadow Strike mobile app.
Starry: Gun, are you there? I had the weirdest morning.
Jae-wook hesitated, then typed back.
Gun: What happened?
Starry: I lost my favorite keychain at the café yesterday. But today, a boy from my class—someone who never talks to anyone—found it. He said he found it at the school gate, but I have this gut feeling he's lying. And Gun… his voice. Just for a second, he sounded exactly like you.
Jae-wook's blood ran cold. He waited a few seconds to stabilize his breathing before replying.
Gun: Maybe you're just tired, Starry. Voices can sound similar. Besides, didn't you say that guy was 'creepy' and 'invisible'? I'm a pro gamer. We're nothing alike.
Starry: I know, I know. It sounds crazy when I say it out loud. But I need to be sure. Let's meet again. This Friday. Same café. I want to see you again.
Jae-wook stared at the screen. It was a trap. Or a test. If he went as Gun, he could maintain the illusion. But if he made even one mistake, everything would crumble.
The rest of the week was a game of cat and mouse. Yoo-na started appearing wherever Jae-wook was. When he went to the cafeteria, she was at the table behind him. When he walked down the hall, he could feel her gaze on his back.
She wasn't just passing by anymore; she was observing.
On Wednesday, Jae-wook was helping Teacher Hae-in carry a stack of heavy textbooks to the faculty room.
"You're being watched, little brother," Hae-in whispered, a playful glint in his eyes.
"I know," Jae-wook hissed back. "She won't stop."
"Park Yoo-na is persistent. She's like a top-tier seeker in a raid," Hae-in teased. "Maybe you should just tell her? It's better than this 'glitch' you're living in."
"Not yet," Jae-wook muttered. "She likes Gun. She doesn't even see Jae-wook. If I tell her now, I lose both."
As they turned the corner, they ran straight into Yoo-na. She was leaning against the wall, twirling the silver star keychain around her finger.
"Oh! Teacher Lee, let me help with those," she said brightly, stepping forward. But her eyes weren't on the books; they were locked onto Jae-wook's eyes, searching behind the lenses of his glasses.
"Thank you, Yoo-na," Hae-in said, handing her half the stack. "Jae-wook here was just telling me how much he enjoys… history."
Yoo-na smiled, a sharp, knowing smile. "Is that so? You know, Jae-wook, I was thinking about what you said. About finding the keychain at the gate. I checked the CCTV by the entrance this morning—the guard is a friend of mine. He said no one stopped to pick anything up at that spot."
Jae-wook's heart stopped. He felt the sweat break out on his neck.
"I… I might have been mistaken about the exact spot," Jae-wook managed to say, his voice cracking slightly.
"Right," Yoo-na murmured, stepping closer. The hallway was crowded, but in that moment, it felt like it was just the two of them. "You're a very mysterious person, Kim Jae-wook. But I'm very good at solving mysteries."
She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper that only he could hear. "See you Friday, Gun."
She turned and walked away, leaving Jae-wook standing in the middle of the hallway, paralyzed. She hadn't confirmed it yet, but she was calling his bluff. The shadow was being dragged into the light, and for the first time in his life, Kim Jae-wook had nowhere to hide.