They emerged from the trail that night, faces downcast and hearts heavy. Their somber procession was greeted by the other students, all of whom ached to know the fate of Kim Dong-Hyun. 

  Im Eun-Chan stepped forward, curiosity getting the best of him.

  “What happened out there? What happened to Dong-Hyun?” He asked, and vivid memories flashed inside the witnesses’ heads.

  “The game must take place within the boundaries.” The warning came, almost like a cruel joke.

  Dong-Hyun groaned, but immediately scrambled to pick himself up from the rough fall. He glanced up at the line, then at the girls, a look of knowing terror gradually filling his face.

  His eyes befell So-Mi, who also seemed to have fallen during the commotion. She stared back at him, breathing heavily.

  “H-How…?” Eun-Ha's voice pierced through the silence.

  Beside her, Yoon-Ji’s breath hitched. Everything happened too fast, too quick for them to act. 

  "For breaking the rules, Kim Dong-Hyun will be executed." The announcement rang out, and it was during this time that the other volunteers finally found the girls. 

  But it was already too late. 

  They could only watch as Dong-Hyun started to thrash everywhere, taken over by some kind of commanding power, much like what happened to Heo-Yool.

  Yoon-Ji felt her heart ache as she saw flashes of her best friend's face overlaid with Dong-Hyun's. Her breathing became shallow, but as she gazed down at the earthy soil beneath her feet, she was able to ground herself. 

  Jun-Hee and Woo-Ram rushed to Dong-Hyun's help, racing past So-Mi, who was still on the ground, barely dragging herself away from the scene. 

  They tried to persuade the male to return inbound, even extending their hands for him to grab, but it was futile, as Dong-Hyun had long since lost his own consciousness. 

  Jang Hyun-Ho arrived last, yelling and screaming, all rationality thrown out the window at the sight of his best friend.

  Dong-Hyun, at the height of his convulsions, continued to thrash about, grasping the ends of his hair and writhing in place. 

  And then he stopped. 

  His face completely blanked out, and the male started to reach up, placing his appendages over his eyes before slowly plunging them in, yanking his dark orbs while blood spurted endlessly from them. 

  Screams erupted.

  After the male's eyes were completely detached from his head, he flung them away and began to emulate Sang-Hwan and Hyun-Seok. Grabbing the first large rock he could get a hand on, he repeatedly banged it against his head, not stopping until the flesh beneath his skin was exposed. 

  Then, after pulling out his eyes and brutally opening a hole in his skull, his footing slipped, causing him to fall backward and roll down the edge until he met his inevitable end. 

  "Dong-Hyun!" 

  "We couldn't save him," rasped Jun-Hee, clenching his palm into a tight fist. "We couldn't even retrieve his body. I'm sorry, everyone.”

  Mi-Na gasped, but mustered the courage to ask. "Wait, what happened to Dong-Hyun exactly? How did he get..." Her voice trailed off, leaving the question hanging. 

  "Dong-Hyun, he-" So-Mi began, fear evident on her face as she spoke, "He wasn't sure if the line stopped there, so he started checking for the edge.”

  “I-I told him not to b-because the ground could be unstable.” The girl started running short of breath, her chest rising and falling erratically as she tried to recall the scene. “B-But he continued, and then he slipped, fell past the line.” 

  Yoon-Ji clenched her fists and turned away, her eyes wandering until they fell on Eun-Ha, who, while just as gloomy, was strangely fixated on the weeping vice president.

  She said nothing, but decided to store the sight for later questioning.

  "Then, how far into the village were you able to go?" Kyung-Jun stood up to Jun-Hee, his question being met with deathly stillness. "You said you'd contact people and get help! Did you do it?!"

  "Yah, Go Kyung-Jun, stop it!" A palm firmly pushed against his chest, directing him away from the class president, who continued to evade everyone's attention. 

  Kyung-Jun gazed furiously at the perpetrator, Yoon-Ji, who did her best to ignore the male's hostility. He removed her hand away from himself, hissing, “Don't touch me.”

  Yoon-Ji scoffed, feeling the heat of frustration get to her. She glanced over at So-Mi, who seemed reluctant to speak, and Jun-Hee, who appeared defeated, and decided she needed to take the reins for the moment. 

 "We couldn't reach the village or make contact with anyone, it's impossible."

  "What?" The students began to murmur amongst themselves, fear and confusion tangling in the air.

  "What the hell do you mean?" Kyung-Jun demanded, peering at the girl. "You guys said there's supposed to be a village there, and now you're claiming there isn't one?" 

  "No, that's not it." Yoon-Ji clarified, "I meant that whoever put us here completely closed every possible path leading to the village." 

  “How can you be so sure?” One of the students prodded.

  “We know because we didn't stop searching for a way out-” Yoon-Ji looking at everyone, “-even after what happened to Dong-Hyun.”

  "What do we do?" Eun-Ha sobbed. Yoon-Ji went in for a side embrace, lending her body heat to help the girl recuperate from the shock.

  They all stood around in frustration, their faces engraved with apologies and sadness for their fallen friend. 

  Jun-Hee folded the map in his hands before finally speaking up, "We should keep going while we can."

  "But—" "We can't waste time like this," Woo-Ram was interrupted by the class leader, who stood up and left in search of a path to the village.

  Everyone looked at him before warily glancing over at Hyun-Ho. 

  To their surprise, the athlete rose to his feet and followed the class president.

  "He's right," Hyun-Ho said, wiping his tears away. "We can mourn Dong-Hyun and everyone once we've found help and gotten out of this hellhole."

  He and Jun-Hee shared brief nods before setting off.  

  "We continued looking for a way to get to the village, but each path led to a dead end." Yoon-Ji squeezed her hands tightly. She remembered every turn and how the lines marked every road they took, bringing them nowhere but inside the game's reach.

  "We've been completely trapped," she declared, her eyes darkening.

  Everyone responded viscerally, including the slick-haired delinquent next to her, who turned away and threw the object he was holding while cursing obscenities under his breath.

  "Then," Yoon-Seo began, echoing Yoon-Ji's fears. "Is it true that we can't leave until the game is over?"

  The frail girl's remarks made everyone fearful. Deep down, they hoped to hear a no, a maybe, anything that signified they still had a chance of fleeing the situation alive.

  All eyes turned to the class president.

  He stood there, rigid and pale. He didn’t look at anyone. There was no room left for comfort. No room for lies.

  And so, with a voice as hollow as a grave, he told them.

  “Yes.”

—

  “Like, there’s really nothing out there?” Yeon-Woo asked his friends, still in disbelief. 

  A wave of silence washed over the room as he received no reply. He stammered, “B-But we can't be stuck here forever, right? Surely, our families would become suspicious and search for us?”

  “Maybe we're just experiencing a collective hallucination,” Yeon-Woo gestured vaguely, struggling to find the right words. “L-Like that town where everyone kept dancing? Because there's no way this is happening, right? I mean-”

  As Yeon-Woo spoke, Yoon-Ji's thoughts wandered. She had her own theories about the nature of this game, especially with what they had seen during the expedition. But something else was plaguing her since they returned from outside.

  Yoon-Ji only noticed something was amiss with Eun-Ha during their return. The Eun-Ha she knew wasn't reserved- but was still generally guarded about her deepest thoughts and feelings. Which was why seeing Eun-Ha's apprehensive behavior towards the class vice president confused her.

  She shuffled to Eun-Ha, trying to catch her eye. And, during a lull in the conversation, Yoon-Ji gently placed a hand on her friend's arm, shattering the silence that enveloped them.

  "Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?" She noticed Eun-Ha tense slightly at her words but nod in agreement. Yeon-Woo and Eun-Chan exchanged puzzled looks but ultimately decided not to meddle.

  The girls went over to a corner in the room where they could talk. Yoon-Ji took a deep breath. "I couldn't help but notice earlier, after what happened with Dong-Hyun... you seemed off. Is everything okay?"

  Hearing this, Eun-Ha’s breath hitched, her eyes darting aside, before meeting Yoon-Ji's stare. "I'm not sure," she replied hesitantly. "It's just... something didn't feel right.”

  Yoon-Ji nodded slowly, encouraging Eun-Ha to continue. "Anything specific?" she asked gently.

  Eun-Ha hesitated, visibly torn. Yoon-Ji waited patiently, sensing Eun-Ha needed to gather her thoughts.

  Finally, Eun-Ha spoke in a hushed tone, as if afraid of being overheard. 

  "I think... I think I saw So-Mi... push Dong-Hyun," Eun-Ha confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. She glanced around nervously, as if expecting repercussion for her words.

  At this, Yoon-Ji's stomach sank. 

  She hadn't expected that. Dong-Hyun's fall had seemed sudden and chaotic. But if Eun-Ha had seen something... "Are you sure?" Yoon-Ji asked gently, seeking clarification.

  Eun-Ha nodded, her expression fearful. "I... I didn't want to believe it at first, but I think I saw them arguing just before it happened. And then Dong-Hyun was pushed. It was quick, but y-you must've seen a bit too, right?"

  "I only saw him fall," Yoon-Ji shook her head, recalling the incident. As she did so, she remembered the victim's and vice president's faces. 

  This had her pausing, taking a minute to digest the memories that resurfaced in her head. A betrayed expression, partially obscured by a head of hair. "Though, something about Dong-Hyun's expression was…" 

  If they were to draw anything from this realization and what Eun-Ha witnessed, it would be that an altercation most likely happened between So-Mi and Dong-Hyun, which resulted in the latter's fall.

  And if this was true, then it also meant that the vice president lied to everyone about what happened before Dong-Hyun's final moments. "So she might actually be a mafia, huh?"

  Eun-Ha nodded.

  "Would you have said anything or told anyone if I hadn't asked?" Yoon-Ji inquired softly, knowing full well what the other would say.

  Eun-Ha shook her head and looked down, anxiously twisting her fists. "No, I was scared," she acknowledged in a faint voice, "of what might happen if I spoke up. I was scared of making a wrong judgment.”

  Yoon-Ji reached out, squeezing Eun-Ha's hand reassuringly. "Thank you for telling me," she said sincerely. "I'll figure out a way to open it up to everyone else, alright? For now just calm down for a bit."

  Eun-Ha managed a weak smile, clearly relieved to have shared her burden. "Okay, I trust you,” she murmured.

  As they rejoined the boys, Yoon-Ji's mind raced. Confronting the suspect, So-Mi, was risky considering their evidence was merely based on another's account.

  But one thing was clear. She couldn't ignore Eun-Ha's revelation.

  “Don’t you guys think we should regroup with the others now?” Yeon-Woo said all of a sudden. The three looked at him in confusion, prompting him to explain. “Well, I just thought that maybe the others are already banding up and thinking of who to vote next. If we keep sticking together, someone out there might mistake us all for the mafia and try to convince others to vote us out.”

  “That’s so stupid–” Yoon-Ji remarked. “But given how some of our classmates act, it's not entirely impossible.”

  Yeon-Woo's suggestion hung in the air, prompting a moment of contemplative silence. Eun-Ha furrowed her brow in thought, while Eun-Chan chewed his lip, considering the implications.

  "I understand Yeon-Woo’s point," Eun-Ha finally spoke up, her voice measured. "Staying together might make us an easy target if others start suspecting us. But... we don't know anything about the others out there. What if they're already allied with someone we can't trust? And they use that against us?"

  Yoon-Ji knew who her friend was thinking of. But it was for this exact reason they had to weigh in on both options. “It’s risky, but isolating ourselves won't be a good move either. Big alliances dominate discussions, like Yeon-Woo said, if we get suspected, those big groups can easily sway everyone into voting for us."

  Eun-Chan also cut into the tension with a pragmatic tone. "The only reasonable thing to do for now would be to agree to join the others, but on our terms. We establish our ground rules, like always having each other's backs, no matter what."

  Yeon-Woo slowly nodded, feeling a surge of confidence. "Right. Since we've practically cleared each other, we just need to be wary of the others, especially guys like Kyung-Jun."

  Hearing the delinquent’s name, Yoon-Ji opened her mouth to speak before falling silent as she considered the weight of her words. 

  Yeon-Woo shifted in his seat. "So then, what do we do now? Are we going to join Joo-Young and So-Mi's group? I think Woo-Ram is already out there looking for people to join them."

  Everyone glanced at Yoon-Ji for confirmation. She took a moment to consider, then nodded decisively. "Yes, but remember, we follow our own rules. We come first."

  “I only trust you guys,” Eun-Chan declared, earning a nod of agreement from all members.

  Once the discussion was over, the group left their room and went up to Woo-Ram, who was wandering about and trying to get more people to join them. Yoon-Ji’s group were led to the room where the rest had gathered. 

  Yoon-Ji felt an immediate sense of mistrust when the door opened and numerous sets of eyes met theirs.

  "You guys decided to join us?" Joo-Young asked, her tone neutral.

  Yoon-Ji nodded, speaking up for her group. "Yes, we thought it would be safer to stick together with everyone else."

  Before the other could respond, Yoon-Ji continued. "Though, just to be clear, the four of us are still a team within the team. We look out for each other first and foremost."

  “That’s…how do we know you’re not all mafia within that team?” Park Ji-Soo asked. Her tone was accusatory but more composed than it had been in their exchange following Sang-Hwan and Hyun-Seok’s execution.

  “If we were,” Yoon-Ji replied, unable to contain her amusement by the notion, “we'd be the stupidest mafia ever to announce our alliance to you guys.”

  “Besides, we all know this entire room has a lot of smaller alliances,” the girl went on to say, “it would be hypocritical to suspect us just because of that.”

  Hearing this, the others turned to So-Mi, who observed the group, her expression unreadable. "Come in and close the door behind you," she urged.

  With that, the four sat by the door and listened as Ji-Soo began the conversation by asking who each person suspected to be the mafia. 

  “Given how it's Ju-Won who died,” Joo-Young began, fiddling with her fingers as she shared her thoughts, “it could be someone from Kyung-Jun's gang.”

  Murmurs of agreement arose from the others. Even Yeon-Woo put forward a theory relative to the fact that Kyung-Jun’s group owed Ju-Won money, which could have been their motive for the killing. 

  Yoon-Ji continued to listen, trying to see where this was going.

  “I don't know about Ju-Won,” Mi-Na spoke as she fiddled with a curler on her forehead. “But if we're talking about mafia, they only target citizens, right? Maybe we might be able to identify a suspect based on yesterday's vote.”

  As soon as she said this, she turned her head to Eun-Ha, whose eyes widened.

  “You wanted everyone to vote for Heo-Yool,” Mi-Na said. “I and others only voted for him because you asked us to.”

  “Hey, Choi Mi-Na,” Eun-Ha said with a betrayed look, “You think I’m mafia?”

  “Mi-Na’s right, it's pretty weird…” Woo-Ram spoke up before lowering his gaze once he felt Eun-Chan and Yeon-Woo’s glares on him.

  “Eun-Ha,” So-Mi interjected, her face contorted in confusion, “Why did you tell us Heo-Yool was mafia? Why try to get him voted off by claiming he's a mafia? Unless… you’re mafia yourself?”

  The room was overtaken with silence as the accusations were put in place. Eun-Ha looked on in disbelief and frustration. She scrunched her brows, trying to find the right words to defend herself, but was cut off as her friend intervened.

  “Hey,” Yoon-Ji finally interjected, getting in the way of the accusations. “Aren’t you guys being unreasonable?”

  “Everyone, didn't you also think at first that this was just some harmless game?” The girl looked at the occupants of the room, who took her words in.

  Without giving anyone a chance to respond, Yoon-Ji pressed on, “Eun-Ha, knowing this, would of course play the game as we always have. That’s why, when Heo-Yool started teasing her in the chat, she teased him back about getting voted off.”

  “How could you overlook that, if not deliberately?” She scoffed, earning guilty looks from Mi-Na and a few others, who had easily jumped on the suspicion.

  “Right,” Yeon-Woo cut in to defend his friend. “You all went along with it too, didn’t you? Because we didn't know, none of us knew things would turn out like this.”

  So-Mi glanced at the members of her group, only to find them eagerly awaiting her response. She swallowed once before countering, “But just because they were teasing each other then doesn’t mean Eun-Ha isn’t a mafia.”

 She continued, her voice rising. “You know we can’t risk letting a mafia member stay, even if they're someone we were close to. This is a matter of life or death!”

  “You’re right– it doesn’t automatically clear Eun-Ha of suspicion,” Yoon-Ji agreed.

  “But the reason I'm pointing this out in the first place is because you all jumped on her so quickly, as if you were already certain she had killed my best friend, without even trying to hear her side of things!” She yelled, startling everyone.

  The room startled, tension settling over them as they heard Yoon-Ji’s voice teeter into an aggravated tone they'd rarely heard from her before.

  A teary Eun-Ha took the chance to speak up, “Yool and I have always been close, and we’ve played this game together so many times throughout the years. I would never harm him! Or even think about killing him! How could you even say anything like that?!”

  Her words hung heavy in the air, and the group fell silent, their faces reflecting a mix of guilt and shame for having doubted her. The realization of their hasty accusations weighed on them.

  Meanwhile, Yoon-Ji kept a watchful eye on only one person. Kim So-Mi. 

  Despite the expression of fear in the vice president’s face, there was a subtle slip in her demeanor. An underlying mask of nonchalance as she observed the scene unfolding before her. 

  ‘How can you be so indifferent while pushing others into the fire?' Yoon-Ji seethed inwardly, seeing through the entire facade now that she knew what had happened. 

  She gazed back to Eun-Ha, before deciding it was time to change the tides.

  “Actually,” she began, pushing herself up with renewed determination, “I have a question that’s specifically for you to answer, Vice President.”

  “M-Me?” So-Mi stammered, caught off guard as she found herself in the spotlight.

  “If Dong-Hyun had only really fallen accidentally like you said,” Yoon-Ji started, her voice accusatory, “then why did Eun-Ha and I see your hands push him away just before the fall?”

───────── •✧• ─────────

( note )

so here's the ep that marked the start of the many headaches I had in the entire show istg

the canon thought processes of the characters were at an all time low here and while watching I was rlly angry for Eun-Ha bc her friends were just looking at her while girlie was being accused to all hell when in the first place THEY WERE ALL TOGETHER like UGH ik they're all scared but!!! they're so! stupid!! 

bc of that i made them a bit more loyal fearless type shit here bc power of friendship>>evil mafia game,, go on u guys!

edited: 04/17