The Regret We Bring

Chapter 14

A few minutes earlier, Ha Min and Haneul had met up at Ha Min's apartment. The two had been discussing how to deal with the figure, and after a few minutes of thinking they had finally found the perfect plan. "When the figure comes to kill you Haneul," Ha Min said as he smirked, "you'll distract him and get the truth out of him. Then hold him still and I'll take off the hood and take a picture."

When Ha Min returned to his classroom, his friends were waiting for him shaking their heads. "Ooh look who decided to show up," Seokdam said as he smirked, "Did you have fun with Haneul?" Ha Min just rolled his eyes ignoring them before pulling out his books. The teachers weren't there yet and the class had been sitting around chatting so their teacher could enter the classroom.

"Isn't it weird?" a classmate asked as they glanced at the front. "Why isn't the teacher here yet? It's been 10 minutes after the bell." At this Ha Min narrowed his eyes in confusion. It was true their homeroom teacher was almost never late and somehow with all the cases appearing as of late, the students expected the worst. A knock on the door alerted them of someone's presence.

"Hello students," a teacher said as they entered the classroom, "your teacher called in today saying she couldn't come in." Ha Min glanced up at the teacher before his eyes widened in surprise. It was So Mang as she stood at the front of the classroom with her usual bright smile, Ha Min couldn't help but feel a bit weird about it. Haneul glanced at Ha Min from her side of the classroom.

"What's going on?" Seokdam said as he glanced at Ha Min, "I thought she taught the grade 10s, not the grade 12s." Ha Min narrowed his eyes not saying anything as he too thought it was weird. The sudden call that their teacher couldn't come in and the appearance of So Mang who had no reason to be there. It had Ha Min thinking of some things, that perhaps So Mang who had been so nice to Ha Min since his brother's death could be the killer.

Doing everything to keep Ha Min away from the case, and to distract him by pretending to be nice to him. It was slowly starting to make sense, yet, Haneul had some doubts. She had seen the figure up close and knew by the voice and figure that it was not their new teacher. Yet, every sign was pointing towards her and they had a sudden sense of red flags telling them that she was the one.

Meanwhile, hidden behind some trees was the killer. He stood quietly watching the classroom where Ha Min was in. His own plan was in motion and the two of them were slowly falling into his traps. Ha Min had nowhere to go from there and everything would be just like how the figure wanted. He'd make the two lose their guards against him and start to suspect the teacher.

"Stupid," the figure said as he shook his head, "that's always been your weakness."

Ha Min shivered as he glanced out the window, he had thought somebody was talking about him. Yet, he couldn't find anyone standing in the courtyard from the classroom window. So Mang was watching him quietly as he packed her things to leave. She gave a small smirk as she made her way to the door, Haneul had been the only one to suspect her.

Even if she told Ha Min, the boy wouldn't believe her over a family friend. Especially one that had seen them grow since birth, and one who knew his brother especially well. So Mang could tell him all about Jae MIn when he missed his brother hoping for a glimpse of what they had when they were little. Ha Min couldn't blame her or pin her as the suspect, she was everything his parents weren't.

Haneul knew too, she had watched Ha Min talking with their teacher about Jae Min a soft smile on the boy's face. He seemed to be at ease when he talked about his brother as if the boy was still here. She hadn't fully known the extent of the brother's bond, she had just assumed that Ha Min was doing it for the revenge. He just wants to just avenge his brother and get back to a normal life.