Mind Games - Night has come

03

A message was swiftly dispatched: "Lee Yoon-seo, come to the pool in the annex right now. It's urgent."

"So, sent," So-mi announced, a satisfied smile gracing her features as she stowed her phone away in her skirt's pocket.

Min-ji stood alongside her, holding a box of donuts with a small tower of them on top, featuring a single stick to mimic a candle since they didn't have a real one, nor did they have a birthday cake. Park Ji-soo and Cha Yu-jun flanked them, each clutching a phone ready to record the surprise celebration for Yoon-seo. Woo-ram, with his camera at the ready as usual, poised to capture every moment.

Na-hee was keeping guard at the door, so that she could alert everyone to hide once Yoon-seo arrived.

After a brief wait, Na-hee signaled everyone to conceal themselves, then made her exit. Surprisingly, Jung-won accompanied Yoon-seo. "You came. Go inside," Na-hee instructed, addressing Yoon-seo, who complied with a nod.

As Jung-won attempted to follow, Na-hee intercepted her. "Wait, they want to shoot Yoon-seo first," she explained, using the pretext of an interview about the upcoming field trip event for tomorrow. "Let's go in a little later," she added with a friendly smile, though Jung-won remained unconvinced.

Despite her clear displeasure and complaints, Jung-won followed instructions and remained outside.

Yoon-seo stepped into the vast, dark, and silent space, her eyes surveying the expansive pool before her focus settled on the other end of the room, frozen in place.

Min-ji and her friends exchanged glances, hidden behind her in the darkness. So-mi nodded once, signaling them to step forward. And so, they did.

"Surprise!" they exclaimed in unison, lights flooding the space as Yoon-seo turned around, startled by their sudden appearance. Slowly approaching her, they signed "happy birthday," and, initially confused and scared, Yoon-seo began to gently clap her hands, a small, uncertain smile forming on her lips.

Jung-won and Na-hee joined the scene, Jung-won's eyes shifting between her friend and the assembled classmates.

So-mi and Min-ji, positioned closest to Yoon-seo, concluded the birthday song, with others recording behind them. Min-ji held out the small box to Yoon-seo.

"Think of it as a candle and blow it," So-mi instructed. Yoon-seo, still slightly lost, complied, softly blowing on the stick atop the donut tower, earning a satisfied smile from So-mi with an intense gaze.

"Since when have you done stuff like this?" Jung-won interrupted, her expression stern and arms firmly crossed over her chest. "You usually don't even talk to her," she added.

Yoon-seo dismissed her friend's words visibly, shaking her head slightly, and expressed genuine gratitude with a smile. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," So-mi quickly replied. "We should celebrate since we're friends," she added before a sinister grin graced her lips, pausing briefly. "We brought a present, too."

So-mi looked to her left at Min-ji, gesturing for her to step back as she did the same. "Let's give her a birthday beating," she announced with pure amusement, a wide smile contrasting Yoon-seo's expression, her smile slowly fading as she absorbed the unexpected words.

Woo-ram and Yu-jun promptly stepped forward, positioning themselves on either side of Yoon-seo, effortlessly lifting her despite her attempts to resist.

"Should we throw her in?" Yu-jun suggested, playfully holding her close to the pool's edge.

"Throw her. Throw her. Here we go," echoed laughter and repeated chants, Yoon-seo's panic evident on her face.

"Throw her or not?" Woo-ram inquired, clearly enjoying the situation.

"Go ahead," So-mi commanded, her tone oddly genuine amidst the laughter.

Min-ji glanced at So-mi in surprise, a hint of concern creeping in, fearing she might be serious. The prank, intended to be quick and light-hearted, seemed to be escalating.

"Don't act like you're any better." Kyung-jun's words reverberated repeatedly in her mind, a sudden small realization hitting her and inducing a sense of unease.

"That's enough. Put her down," Min-ji intervened, taking a step forward. Despite initial hesitation, Yoon-seo was gently placed back on the ground.

"She's about to cry," Ji-soo joked, finding Yoon-seo's reaction amusing.

Jung-won, though held back, displayed genuine concern for her friend. Yoon-seo slowly rose to her feet, clearly still in a state of panic as she attempted to process the unexpected turn of events.

Min-ji swiftly handed the donut box she had been holding to Na-hee and approached Yoon-seo, a worried expression on her face. "Are you okay?" she asked, receiving a slow nod from her.

"Min-ji, you really just had to interrupt the moment, didn't you?" So-mi remarked.

Min-ji shot So-mi an unamused look. "We took it too far," she replied, her expression serious.

So-mi's eyebrows rose as her laughter gradually faded. "Too far?" she repeated, then fell silent, her gaze intense as she moved toward the two. "Then maybe you should get the birthday beating on her behalf since you want to play hero now," she quickly added.

Min-ji blinked in confusion. "What?"

Before she could fully process the situation, So-mi had already launched both her arms towards her, pushing her down. Min-ji instinctively seized one of So-mi's arms, pulling her along. Their bodies made a splash as they both landed inside the pool, leaving them submerged.

"This is priceless," Woo-ram exclaimed contentedly, holding out his camera to capture every moment of the unfolding situation.

Min-ji swiftly surfaced, catching her breath amidst the cold water that made her shiver. Glancing around as she swam back to the edge, she noticed the absence of So-mi, sparking concern.

Stopping halfway, Min-ji turned to face the pool, waiting for So-mi to surface. However, with each passing minute, there was no sign of her.

"What the hell? Where's So-mi?" Ji-soo's voice echoed behind her as everyone else seemed to become aware of the situation.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Min-ji swam back inside, fully submerged, searching for So-mi.

She soon found So-mi's floating body not too far away and quickly swam towards it. Once in front of her, Min-ji realized that she had already lost consciousness.

Looking down at her motionless body, face down, and long hair gracefully moving with the water, an unfamiliar feeling ignited inside Min-ji, consuming her.

You were starting to get on my nerves.

She thought to herself, reaching to turn So-mi over to see her face. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her mouth slightly open—she was still alive.

Without realizing it, Min-ji's hands made their way to So-mi's throat, wrapping around it. Her grip tightened little by little, a blank expression on her face, seemingly unfazed by the lack of oxygen underwater and fixated on one thing.

Maybe you should just die right here.