Minji sat on the cold wooden floor, her arms wrapped around her knees. The sun was still high, but it felt like the light didn't reach them anymore. The weight of everything—the fear, the uncertainty, the possibility that their friends might never come back—pressed down on her chest like a heavy stone.

Kyung-jun stood a few feet away, his back turned to her as he stared at the entrance of the forest. He hadn't moved in a while. His fists were clenched at his sides, his whole body tense like he was barely holding himself together.

"Kyung-jun," Minji called softly.

He didn't respond.

She bit her lip, hesitating before pushing herself to stand. She walked up to him, gently tugging at his sleeve. "Please talk to me."

Kyung-jun exhaled sharply through his nose. "What do you want me to say?" His voice was low, strained.

Minji searched his face, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. "I just... I just want to know what you're thinking."

He let out a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "What I'm thinking?" His jaw tightened, and when he finally turned to face her, she saw something unfamiliar in his eyes. Not just anger. Not just frustration. Something deeper. Something that hurt.

"I'm thinking that I was stupid to believe we'd be fine," he said quietly. "I'm thinking that no matter what I do, I can't protect you from this."

Minji's breath caught in her throat.

He looked away again, his voice barely above a whisper. "I hate this. I hate feeling this fucking helpless."

Minji reached for his hand, but he pulled away before she could touch him. That hurt more than anything.

"Kyung-jun..."

"Just... stop," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I don't want to say something I'll regret."

Minji felt her chest tighten. She had never seen him like this before. He always acted so strong, so untouchable. But now, standing in front of her, he just looked... broken.

For the first time since this nightmare started, she didn't know how to comfort him.

Kyung-jun let out a shaky breath, running a frustrated hand down his face. He knew he was being cruel—pushing her away when she was the only thing keeping him from completely losing it. But the fear, the anger, the helplessness—it was eating him alive.

Minji stood there, silent. She didn't try to reach for him again, didn't try to force him to talk. And that hurt even more.

He stole a glance at her, and his heart clenched painfully. She was biting her lip, her fingers curled tightly into her sleeves. She was trying not to cry. Because of him.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, finally looking at her properly. "Minji, I—"

Before he could finish, she turned away, hugging her arms around herself. "It's fine," she whispered, her voice small. "I get it."

No. She didn't.

Kyung-jun stepped forward, hesitating for only a second before pulling her into his chest. She stiffened in surprise, but he didn't let go.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against her hair. "I didn't mean to act like that. I just—" He exhaled shakily. "I'm scared too."

Minji's fingers clutched at the fabric of his shirt, as if anchoring herself to him. "You don't have to go through this alone, you know," she mumbled, her voice muffled against him.

He closed his eyes, holding her tighter. "I know."

They stood there in silence, wrapped in each other's warmth, as if trying to push away the cold fear surrounding them. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm never pushing you away again."

Minji stayed still in his embrace, but he could feel the way her shoulders trembled slightly. She wasn't crying—not yet—but she was holding everything in, just like she always did. Always trying to be strong for everyone, even when she was barely holding on herself.

Kyung-jun clenched his jaw, guilt sitting heavy in his chest. He should have known. Should have noticed sooner how exhausted she looked, how much she had been pushing herself.

He pulled back just enough to see her face. Her eyes were glossy, her usual bright expression dimmed by everything they had been through. His heart ached at the sight.

"You're too good for this place," he muttered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Too good for me."

Minji let out a shaky breath, a weak attempt at a laugh. "That's the first time you admit it."

He frowned, hating the way she was still trying to joke when she was clearly hurting. "I mean it," he said, voice quieter now. "I don't deserve you, Minji."

Her eyes flickered with something—hurt, frustration. "Don't say that," she whispered. "You always act like you're this awful person, but you're not."

Kyung-jun looked away, his grip on her waist tightening. "I yelled at you. Pushed you away. And you still stand here looking at me like I'm worth something." He let out a bitter chuckle. "You're kind of an idiot, you know?"

Minji didn't respond immediately. Instead, she reached up, hesitating for a second before cupping his cheek in her warm hand.

"You think you're the only one scared?" she murmured, tilting her head to meet his eyes. "I'm terrified, Kyung-jun. But the only thing keeping me from completely breaking down is you."

His throat tightened.

She blinked, finally letting a tear slip down her cheek. "So please, stop acting like you don't matter to me."

Kyung-jun exhaled sharply before pulling her back into his chest, burying his face in her shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut, holding her as if she would disappear if he let go.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again, his voice raw. "I'll do better. I swear."

Minji didn't say anything, just curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt, holding him just as tightly.

The group finally returned to the entrance hall, the tension suffocating as their classmates rushed toward them, faces filled with desperate hope.

"So? Did you find anything? Wait... where is—?" someone began, scanning their group.

Jun-hee lowered his gaze, his voice flat, yet heavy with emotion. "He... he's dead. He slipped and fell on the white line."

A wave of panic erupted. Screams filled the air, fear latching onto everyone like a parasite. The hope that had briefly flickered in their eyes was gone, replaced with terror.

But Kyung-jun remained still. His sharp gaze locked onto Jun-hee's, both of them thinking the same thing—there was no way out.

Amidst the chaos, Minji, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. Her voice was steady but gentle, carrying an unshakable determination.

"Please... calm down. I promise we'll find a way out of here."

Her words did little to ease the panic.

"And how exactly are you going to do that, huh?!" Mina's voice cracked with frustration, tears threatening to spill. "Our phones aren't working, and we can't even step outside without dying!"

"Stop yelling, Mina! Screaming isn't going to change anything!" Yoon-seo snapped, her usually calm expression firm with authority.

Jun-hee sighed, rubbing his temple before speaking. "For now, the best thing we can do is find a place to hide from the mafia. If anyone has an idea or finds something useful, we can communicate through the game."

With that, he turned on his heel, leaving with Yoon-seo and Jeong-won.

Slowly, everyone else began splitting off, each group bound by fear rather than trust—Na-hee with Hyun-oh, Mina clinging to Joo-young and Na-yeon, Eun-chan sticking close to Eun-ha and Yeon-woo.

Seungbin and Jin-ah lingered for a moment, exchanging glances before hesitantly looking at Kyung-jun. There was an unspoken understanding between them—despite their usual indifferent exteriors, they still respected his relationship with Minji. Without a word, they turned and left, leaving the two of them alone in the dimly lit hall.

Kyung-jun finally exhaled, running a hand through his hair before glancing at Minji, who was standing still, lost in thought.

He frowned. "Minji..."

She flinched slightly at the sound of his voice but didn't respond.

He stepped closer, his voice softer now. "You don't have to act like you're fine."

Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but she hesitated. Then, without warning, she buried her face in his chest, her fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt.

Kyung-jun stiffened for a moment before wrapping his arms around her protectively. He rested his chin on top of her head, his grip tightening as if he could shield her from the nightmare they were trapped in.

"I hate this," she whispered, her voice muffled against his chest. "I hate feeling this powerless."

His heart clenched. Minji was always the strong one, always the one reassuring everyone. Seeing her like this made him want to destroy everything in their way just to keep her safe.

"You're not powerless," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You have me."

She let out a shaky breath, her grip on him tightening.

And for a moment, in the midst of all the chaos, they held onto each other—because it was the only thing keeping them from falling apart.

Kyung-jun held Minji for a long moment, feeling her tremble against him. It was rare for her to show this kind of fear—she was always the one shining, always the one lifting everyone up. But now, her light was flickering, dimming like the moon behind heavy clouds. And he hated it.

But he couldn't let himself fall apart, not when she needed him to be strong.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled away slightly, his hands still resting on her shoulders. "We can't stay here," he muttered, his voice low but firm. His eyes flickered to the doors, the hallways, the windows—anywhere that could be a threat. "We need to find a place to hide before night falls. If we just stand around, we're sitting ducks for the mafia."

Minji swallowed hard, nodding. "You're right..." Her voice was softer than usual, her usual brightness dulled. She glanced around, hugging herself. "But where? The rooms aren't safe, and we don't even know how many mafia are left."

Kyung-jun clicked his tongue in irritation, running a hand through his hair. "But..i think this morning the voice said that they are 5 mafias left.."

His eyes landed on the stairwell leading to the storage room.

"Come on." He grabbed her hand—gently, but with a firm grip, as if afraid she'd slip away. "We'll check the storage rooms. They're small, and nobody will think to look there first."

Minji nodded quickly, tightening her hold on his hand as they made their way up the stairs, careful not to make too much noise. Every creak of the old wooden steps sent shivers down her spine.

When they reached the door to the storage room, Kyung-jun twisted the handle. Locked.

"Figures," he muttered, scowling. Without hesitation, he raised his leg and kicked the door hard. The lock snapped with a loud crack, and the door swung open.

Minji stared at him, wide-eyed. "You could've at least tried to open it normally first."

"No time for that," he grumbled, tugging her inside and shutting the door behind them.

The room was dusty and cramped, filled with old sports equipment, broken desks, and stacks of unused blankets. Minji coughed as she waved away some of the dust.

Kyung-jun rolled his eyes. "Tch. Of course, you'd be worried about dust when we're fighting for our lives."

Minji shot him a weak glare before sighing. "We should block the door with something."

Kyung-jun nodded, already moving an old metal shelf in front of the entrance. "This should hold, at least for now."

Minji sat down on an old pile of blankets, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Do you really think we'll make it out of this?" Her voice was small—nothing like her usual self.

Kyung-jun hesitated before sitting beside her, leaning back against the wall with a sigh. He wasn't good with words, and he hated lying. But he also couldn't stand seeing her like this.

He reached out, gently flicking her forehead. "Ow!" She pouted, rubbing the spot he'd hit.

"Stop thinking about it too much," he said, looking away. "It's not like you."

Minji let out a small breath of laughter—weak, but still there. "And it is like you to just ignore the problem?"

Kyung-jun scoffed. "I'm not ignoring it. I'm just not gonna waste time panicking over something we can't control."

Minji looked down at her hands. "But... I'm scared."

Kyung-jun turned his head, watching her. He hated this. Hated seeing the brightness in her eyes start to fade, hated that she was losing that warmth that made her Minji.

So, without thinking, he reached out and took her hand.

Minji blinked, looking at him in surprise.

"I don't care how scared you are," he said, his voice quieter than before. "You're not alone. You have me. And I swear, I won't let anything happen to you."

Minji bit her lip, her eyes welling up with tears again. But this time, they weren't just from fear.

She squeezed his hand. "Promise?"

Kyung-jun sighed, rolling his eyes. "You always make me promise things." But then he softened. "Yeah. I promise."

For now, they stayed like that—two lost souls in a world gone mad, holding onto each other as the night crept closer.

➤ Rey's note ✶ Making a chapter while i reveal you all the mafias...( cuz i changed them , lol.)