BLACK MAMBA ✔️

CHAPTER 3

TIMESKIP 1 WEEK...

"Jimin-ah."

Karina turned her head, seeing the student council's president stare at her in a serious manner.

"Hello, Irene-ssi."

The senior's gaze broke into a quick laugh, "I told you to lower your language, I'm not that much older than you."

The younger girl smiled, "sorry, Irene-unnie. But what's wrong?"

Bae Joohyun, the president of the student body in SM high school, was a mysterious girl, her expressions concealed with an icy gaze. But Karina knew better, being her "right-hand-woman", she knew that the gaze was just Irene's straight face, and she never meant to come off as cold... Unless it's to the troublemakers of the school. She actually had a funny sense of humor, although she only showed that to Karina and her own group of close friends...

Irene's original expression came back as she gestured for Karina to follow her, "come, I'll tell you in the council room."

Worry hovered over Karina as she quickly stood up and grabbed her things, following the senior out her classroom to the student council's room. Inside was one of Irene's friends, Son Seungwan, also known as Wendy, who was the student body's secretary. There were also two boys, Mark Lee and Kim Suho, the council's treasurer and historian, and a junior and a senior, respectively.

"What's going on?"

Mark shrugged at Karina, "we don't know, and Wendy-ssi wouldn't tell us anything."

"I'll tell you guys, just sit and calm down."

All of them listened to the president, gathering chairs and sitting around in a circle.

"You all have seen the news, right? About teenagers all over South Korea disappearing?"

A sensation of dread slowly began to fill the youngest member. Of course she's heard about the knews, how kids from South Korean high schools would disappear for a few days, only to be found in a comatose state by the police.

They all nodded at Irene and she sighed, "it's starting here now, in SM High School."

"W-what?"

"Who?"

"When?"

Wendy raised her hands to calm everyone down, "a freshman here, Kim Sungkyung, was first absent the day before we went on break for Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), but she didn't come on the day we all came back. The teachers didn't really mind, maybe she was gone for an extra day, or maybe she got sick from the cold weather. But two days ago on Saturday..."

Irene continued for her, "we've been told that she was in the hospital, in a coma since Chuseok."

Suho rubbed his forehead, "what do we do? Do we even know why this is happening?"

"Hold on..." The others looked at Karina as she continued, "if I'm not mistaken... There's less of these instances in rural areas right?"

Irene nodded, "it's mainly focused in major cities."

'Major cities... What's something we have that the countryside doesn't?'

Karina's eyes widened, "this... this might be a long shot. But what if it's a technology-to-human virus?"

"What?"

"Like- What if it was a virus inside computers and all that, but it can transfer into a human?"

"..."

"You know how viruses, they can't multiply on their own, they need a host to do it for them, they need a host to survive. They're parasites."