"Shattered Perceptions"
As she walks with headmaster, . Miss Choi catches sight of Ji Yeon approaching from the opposite direction, her figure briefly illuminated by the flicker of an overhead light. Without breaking stride, Miss Choi subtly signals her to retreat, pointing upward toward the second floor.
Ji Yeon hesitates for a moment, confusion flickering across her face. Her mother's silent command lacks explanation, but the urgency is unmistakable. Trusting her instinct, Ji Yeon pivots on her heel and sprints back toward the staircase, her steps quick and deliberate. She disappears up the stairs just as the headmaster, walking steadily ahead, remains unaware of her presence. His attention is focused entirely on Miss Choi, who matches his pace with calm composure.
Miss Choi's mind races. The headmaster's curt response to her earlier question had confirmed her growing suspicion—he knows someone has been trying to break into his office. It is imperative that she shields Kangha and Wo Jin from the fallout, whatever it takes. The stakes are too high. Her resolve hardens as she quickens her stride to stay close behind the headmaster.
Meanwhile, Ji Yeon ascends to the second floor and quickly scans the dim hallway. Her heart pounds as she finally spots Kangha and Wo Jin crouched near the headmaster's office door. Her eyes widen in disbelief as she hurries toward them.
"What are you two doing here?" she whispers sharply, her voice cutting through the silence.
Wo Jin glances up, his expression betraying a mix of guilt and defiance. "We were trying to open the headmaster's office," he admits without hesitation.
Ji Yeon's jaw drops. "What?!" she hisses, struggling to keep her voice low. Panic seeps into her tone. "Are you two out of your minds? The headmaster is coming this way! You'll both get caught!"
Kangha stands abruptly, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "We didn't think he'd come back so soon."
"There's no time to explain!" Ji Yeon urges, glancing over her shoulder. "We need to get out of here—now!"
Her urgent plea jolts them into action. Together, they dart down the hallway, disappearing into the shadows just as the faint sound of footsteps grows louder in the distance.
The second floor feels heavy with silence as Wo Jin and Ji Yeon help Kangha to his feet. His shoulder throbs with pain, making every step toward the end of the floor a struggle. Kangha's room is situated at the far corner of the floor, opposite the headmaster's office. Between them lie several student rooms and the library, their doors shut in eerie stillness.
At the headmaster's door, the man stands tall, surveying the hallway with sharp eyes. Miss Choi is by his side, her calm demeanor masking the tension bubbling within. The door to his office remains closed, just as it was left. His piercing gaze scans the area but finds nothing suspicious.
"Headmaster, are you all right?" Miss Choi asks in an even tone, but the man doesn't acknowledge her words, his focus solely on his office door. Miss Choi watches him carefully, suppressing a relieved smile as she thinks, Kangha, I hope you got what you needed.
The headmaster reaches for the door, his hand brushing over its surface before he pushes it open. Inside, the room looks undisturbed, each object precisely where it belongs. He steps in, his sharp eyes examining every corner. After a moment, he turns back toward Miss Choi, who waits outside.
"Miss Choi," he calls, his voice firm. "Go and take care of the students. I have work to do here." Without waiting for a reply, he closes the door firmly behind him.
Miss Choi wastes no time and heads toward Kangha's room. A flicker of joy crosses her face, but it vanishes the moment she opens the door and sees Kangha lying on the bed, his face contorted in pain.
"What happened to him?" she asks, her voice tinged with worry as she rushes to his side. Ji Yeon is kneeling by the bed, carefully placing a soft pillow under Kangha's injured shoulder, while Wo Jin gathers equipment from across the room.
"Kangha's shoulder is fractured," Wo Jin explains, his tone steady but urgent. "I'm getting what we need to immobilize it."
Miss Choi kneels beside Ji Yeon, whose swollen, tear-streaked eyes betray the turmoil she's been holding back. Despite the situation, her quiet resolve shines as she focuses on easing Kangha's discomfort. Kangha, though wracked with pain, finds himself watching Ji Yeon. Her silent face, framed by her loose black hair, holds an unspoken strength. Even in this moment of distress, she appears breathtaking. For a brief second, his pain seems to fade as his gaze lingers on her.
"Kangha, how did this happen?" Miss Choi's voice cuts through the room, pulling him from his thoughts. But Kangha doesn't respond. Instead, Ji Yeon looks up, catching Kangha's gaze before quickly glancing away, her cheeks tinged with an unspoken emotion.
"The headmaster's office," Kangha begins, his voice strained. "There was… something outside the door. Some kind of force. It wouldn't let us in. And when we tried to push past it, it threw us back—hard."
Miss Choi's eyes narrow as she listens. "Do you have any idea what kind of force it was?" she asks.
"I don't know," Kangha admits. "But it proves there's something in that room they're hiding. And we can't get to it without their presence."
Miss Choi leans back, deep in thought."The headmaster is In his office,""He just touched the door, and it opened for him."
"We'll figure this out,"He promises, his tone resolute.
Ji-yeon gestures towards her hand, her voice steady yet laced with curiosity. "It means there's something in his hand," she says, explaining her reasoning as if piecing together a puzzle. Her expression grows thoughtful, her words carrying a hint of doubt. "Or maybe… it's something else entirely?"
Kangha, cradling his injured shoulder, winces but manages to respond firmly. "There's nothing in his hand, Ji-yeon. It's not an object." His voice softens as he looks at her intently. "It's something inside him, and his power."
He adjusts his position, trying to ease the pain radiating from his shoulder. The makeshift cushion Ji-yeon had placed beneath his head earlier has begun to soothe his discomfort, its softness a small relief amidst the chaos.
Miss Choi steps forward, her face tense with concern. Her furrowed brow and sharp tone command attention. "dark magic—cannot exist in this school. It's forbidden. No dark force can enter this place, yet..." She pauses, her gaze darting between them. "How is a wizard residing here? It's impossible!"
Her words hang heavily in the air. The question leaves them all pondering, an unsolvable mystery binding them together. None of them—neither Ji-yeon, Kangha, nor Miss Choi—has an answer.
Breaking the silence, Kangha speaks again, his voice thoughtful yet firm. "It's because that wizard isn't in plain sight. He's hiding inside our grandfather's body. That's how he's been moving unnoticed. No one suspects him because no one realizes he's a wizard."
Ji-yeon looks stunned, Miss Choi's expression shifts to one of alarm, and the weight of Kangha's revelation deepens the tension. The truth feels unsettling, a dangerous secret threatening to unravel their fragile reality.
As the tension lingers in the room, Woo-Jin enters carrying a bag filled with supplies. His expression is calm yet focused as he sets the items on the nearby table. In his hands are a tube of ointment for the pain, medicine to ease Kangha's discomfort, bandages for dressing the wound, and additional materials to stabilize the fractured shoulder.
Ji-yeon stand-up from the bed, her voice steady despite the exhaustion etched across her face. "Did you find everything?" she asks, her eyes scanning the bag.
Woo-Jin nods and hands the bag to her. "Yes, I got everything. Here, take it." His tone is matter-of-fact, though a flicker of concern flashes in his eyes as he glances at Kangha.
Ji-yeon begins inspecting the items, her mind momentarily distracted by the task. Meanwhile, Kangha turns his attention to Miss Choi, his voice firm but respectful. "Principal, I think you should take a look at the old books—those about the school rules and its security system. Maybe there's something in them we don't know about, something that can explain all this."
Miss Choi listens carefully, her expression thoughtful. She nods, acknowledging the suggestion. "You're right, Kangha. I'll check the archives. Ji-yeon, make sure you dress his wounds carefully," she adds, her gaze softening as she places a comforting hand on Kangha's head. "And you, Kangha, take care of yourself. Woo-Jin, come with me. I'll need your help retrieving the books."
Woo-Jin hesitates for a moment but follows Miss Choi, glancing back briefly at Kangha and Ji-yeon before leaving the room.
Ji-yeon finishes inspecting the supplies and turns toward Kangha. Her mind feels heavy with unanswered questions. Was her mother's worry about her safety justified? Or was it the truth Kangha had just revealed about the wizard that weighed on her? She shakes the thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand.
"Take off your shirt," she says bluntly, her tone practical. It's the kind of sentence even a nurse would say without hesitation in such a situation. Still, the words feel awkward as they leave her lips.
Kangha hesitates, his eyes flickering with embarrassment, but the urgency in Ji-yeon's voice leaves no room for argument. The girl, her face still flushed from the tears she had shed earlier, stands by the edge of the bed. Her hands tremble slightly, not from fear but from the weight of the responsibility before her. She's determined to help him, even as the sight of his injured shoulder makes her heart ache.
"Should I take off my shirt?" Kangha asks, raising his hazel eyes toward Ji-yeon, his voice laced with hesitation