The room had gone completely silent.
Yerin stared at the screen of Do-hyun's phone.
You shouldn't leave the city.
The message was short.
Too short.
But somehow, it made the entire room feel colder.
Do-hyun read it again.
Then once more.
Yerin slowly sat up.
"Do-hyun..."
"I know."
His voice was quiet.
She looked at him.
"Should we cancel the trip?"
He finally lifted his eyes from the phone.
"No."
Yerin frowned.
"No?"
"We can't let some stranger decide where we go."
"But they know about the trip."
"I know."
"How?"
"I don't know."
That answer only made her more nervous.
Yerin looked at the screen again.
"What if they're serious?"
"Then we'll be careful."
She stayed quiet.
Do-hyun took a screenshot of the message and saved the number.
Yerin watched him.
"What are you doing?"
"Keeping evidence."
He saved the screenshot in a separate folder.
"If they delete the message or change the number, we'll still have this."
Yerin nodded slowly.
"Should we tell your parents?"
Do-hyun immediately shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because we don't know who sent it."
He locked his phone.
"And I don't want our families making another decision for us."
Yerin understood exactly what he meant.
After everything they had discovered about their fathers, neither of them wanted to give their families another reason to control what happened next.
"So we're still going?"
Do-hyun nodded.
Yerin looked at him for a long moment.
Then slowly nodded.
"Okay."
Neither of them knew whether they were making the right decision.
But they had already spent too much of their lives letting other people make decisions for them.
They weren't going to cancel their plans because of one message.
Not yet.
The university was louder than usual.
Students were gathered outside the main building with backpacks, small suitcases, and travel bags.
The buses were parked near the entrance, waiting for everyone to arrive.
Emily looked like she had been awake since sunrise.
"This is going to be so much fun!"
Yerin smiled.
"You've said that about ten times."
"Because it is!"
Min-jae walked over with his backpack hanging from one shoulder.
"Wait until she realizes we're actually going camping."
Emily turned toward him.
"I know we're camping."
"With tents."
"I know."
"Hiking."
"I know."
"Probably bugs."
Emily's smile disappeared.
"Don't ruin this for me."
Min-jae laughed.
"I'm just preparing you."
Yerin shook her head.
"You two are impossible."
Emily grinned.
"You're coming with us, so you're stuck with us."
Yerin smiled.
Do-hyun stood nearby, listening to them.
Min-jae looked at him.
"What about you?"
Do-hyun raised an eyebrow.
"What about me?"
"You ready for camping?"
"I'll survive."
Min-jae laughed.
"That's not a very convincing answer."
Do-hyun shrugged.
"I'm not the one who packed six bags."
Emily immediately looked at him.
"Are you making fun of my luggage?"
"No."
"You definitely are."
Yerin laughed.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Almost.
Emily noticed the smile on Yerin's face.
Then she noticed how quickly it disappeared when Yerin thought nobody was looking.
Her expression changed.
She waited until Min-jae and Do-hyun walked a little ahead.
Then gently touched Yerin's arm.
"Yerin."
"Hm?"
"Are you okay?"
Yerin looked at her.
"Yeah."
Emily gave her a look.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"You've been acting strange."
Yerin's heart skipped.
"Strange how?"
"I don't know."
Emily lowered her voice.
"You seem distracted."
Yerin looked toward the buses.
"I'm just nervous."
"About the trip?"
"Yeah."
Emily studied her.
"That's it?"
Yerin hesitated.
For one brief moment, she almost told her.
She almost said everything.
I'm married.
Do-hyun and I didn't choose this.
Our fathers have been hiding something from us.
Someone keeps contacting us.
Someone knows we're leaving the city.
The words were sitting at the back of her throat.
But she swallowed them.
"Yeah."
She forced a small smile.
"I'm just nervous about being away for a few days."
Emily's expression softened.
"That's all?"
Yerin nodded.
"That's all."
Emily looked at her for another few seconds.
Then sighed.
"Okay."
She smiled.
"But if something is bothering you..."
She pointed at Yerin.
"You tell me."
Yerin smiled.
"I will."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Emily nodded.
"Good."
She hooked her arm through Yerin's.
"Now come on. I want the best seat."
Yerin laughed.
"You mean the window seat."
"Obviously."
They started walking toward the buses.
Yerin glanced back.
Do-hyun was standing near Min-jae.
Their eyes met.
He knew immediately.
Emily had asked.
Yerin gave him the smallest shake of her head.
Not yet.
Do-hyun understood.
He simply nodded.
They returned home later that afternoon.
Yerin walked straight upstairs.
She dropped her bag beside the bed and opened the suitcase.
She stared at it for a moment.
Then began packing.
One shirt.
One pair of jeans.
Another outfit.
She folded everything neatly.
That was enough.
She zipped the bag.
Do-hyun walked into the room and stopped.
His eyes went to the small bag.
"That's it?"
Yerin looked at him.
"Yeah."
He walked closer.
"Is that enough for you?"
She shrugged.
"Yeah. It's not like I'm moving there."
Do-hyun stared at the bag.
Then at her.
He slowly sat on the edge of the bed beside it.
"Usually girls are like that."
Yerin frowned.
"Like what?"
"Going on a two-day trip and packing six pairs of clothes."
She laughed.
"Six?"
"Maybe more."
Yerin shook her head.
"I'm not one of those girls."
Do-hyun laughed softly.
"I can tell."
She smiled.
Then looked at him.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Are you going to pack?"
He froze.
His expression changed.
"I completely forgot."
Yerin stared at him.
"You forgot?"
"Yes."
She laughed.
"You're the one making fun of me."
"I wasn't making fun of you."
"You were."
He stood up.
"Fine. I'll pack."
Yerin smiled.
"Good."
He walked toward the closet.
Do-hyun opened his side of the closet.
Yerin moved toward hers.
Both began choosing clothes.
For a few moments, everything was quiet.
Yerin reached toward one of the hangers.
Her foot shifted.
Suddenly—
"Ah!"
She slipped.
Do-hyun turned immediately.
He caught her before she could hit the floor.
Everything stopped.
Yerin's hand had grabbed his arm.
Do-hyun was holding her steady.
They were much closer than either expected.
Neither spoke.
Yerin looked at him.
He looked at her.
For a second, neither remembered what they were supposed to be doing.
Then Yerin slowly regained her balance.
"I'm okay."
Do-hyun immediately stepped back.
"Yeah."
Yerin straightened her clothes.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
He looked away.
She looked toward the closet.
Neither said anything else.
But Yerin couldn't stop the tiny smile that appeared on her face.
Across the room, Do-hyun turned toward his clothes.
His ears felt strangely warm.
He quickly reached for another shirt.
Neither looked at the other again for a while.
Once they had finished packing, they carried their bags downstairs.
Mrs. Choi was sitting in the living room.
She looked up.
"Are you two going somewhere?"
Yerin smiled.
"We wanted to tell you about the university trip."
Do-hyun nodded.
"It's for final-year students."
"How long?"
"Three days."
Mrs. Choi's face immediately brightened.
"That's wonderful."
She smiled at both of them.
"You should enjoy yourselves."
Yerin nodded.
Mrs. Choi then looked at her son.
"And Do-hyun."
He looked at her.
"Yes?"
"Take care of Yerin."
Yerin immediately looked away.
Do-hyun became slightly awkward.
"I will."
His mother smiled.
"Good."
Yerin gave a small nod.
"Thank you."
"Now go and get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."
They both nodded.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Back in their room, Yerin placed her bag near the door.
Do-hyun placed his beside hers.
She looked toward the couch.
He had already picked up his pillow.
"Do-hyun."
"Hm?"
"You should sleep on the bed."
He looked at her.
"What?"
"The couch isn't comfortable."
"I'm fine."
"Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
"I'll survive."
Yerin sighed.
"You always say that."
He smiled slightly.
"I mean it."
She shook her head.
"Fine."
Do-hyun walked toward the couch.
Yerin climbed into bed.
The room became quiet.
The lights went off.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then Yerin quietly said,
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
She closed her eyes.
Tomorrow...
They were leaving the city.
And neither of them knew what was waiting for them.
The next morning, the university parking lot was crowded.
Students carried their bags toward the buses.
Emily immediately pulled Yerin toward one.
"Come on!"
They climbed inside.
Emily quickly claimed the window seat.
Yerin sat beside her.
Across the same row, Min-jae took the other window seat.
Do-hyun sat beside him.
The arrangement meant Yerin and Do-hyun were sitting directly across from each other.
Yerin glanced at him.
He glanced back.
Neither said anything.
Emily noticed.
But thankfully...
She didn't comment.
The bus started moving.
At first, the entire bus was loud.
Students talked.
Someone played music.
Min-jae joked around.
Emily kept pointing things out through the window.
Yerin laughed.
Even Do-hyun smiled occasionally.
But as the hours passed, the noise slowly disappeared.
One by one, students fell asleep.
Emily eventually rested her head against Yerin.
Yerin looked down.
She was completely asleep.
Across from them, Min-jae had also fallen asleep.
His head rested against Do-hyun's shoulder.
Do-hyun looked down at him.
Then looked across the aisle.
Yerin was already looking at him.
They stared at each other for a moment.
Then both looked away.
The bus had become almost completely silent.
Half the students were asleep.
The others were either listening to music, looking out the windows, or lost in their own thoughts.
Then—
Do-hyun's phone vibrated.
He looked down.
His expression changed.
Yerin noticed immediately.
She quietly took out her phone.
A message appeared.
Yerin:
What happened?
Do-hyun looked at her.
Then typed.
Do-hyun:
I'll tell you later.
Yerin frowned.
Yerin:
That's not nothing.
He looked at her for a moment.
Then replied.
Do-hyun:
Wait until everyone is asleep at night.
Yerin slowly lowered her phone.
Something was wrong.
She knew it.
After hours of traveling, the bus finally arrived at the camping spot.
The moment the doors opened, the students began getting down, stretching their legs and grabbing their luggage.
Emily jumped down first.
"We're finally here!"
Yerin followed her, laughing.
Min-jae and Do-hyun helped them carry their bags toward the area where the students had been instructed to set up their tents.
"Don't tell me you actually know how to do this," Emily said, looking at Min-jae.
Min-jae proudly picked up the tent poles.
"Of course I do."
Do-hyun looked at him.
"You've never done this before."
Min-jae paused.
"That is completely irrelevant."
Yerin laughed.
The four of them began setting up their tent.
It took longer than expected.
Emily kept holding things the wrong way, Min-jae kept giving instructions he wasn't even sure about, and Yerin repeatedly asked which piece went where.
Eventually, their tent finally stood.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was standing.
"Good enough," Min-jae declared.
Emily looked at it suspiciously.
"Are you sure it won't fall?"
"Absolutely."
Yerin raised an eyebrow.
"You're not very convincing."
Before Min-jae could answer, Do-hyun started setting up his own tent nearby.
Yerin helped him.
They worked quietly together, occasionally exchanging a few words.
Once their tent was almost finished, someone approached them.
"Do-hyun?"
He looked up.
Seo Jina stood there holding several tent poles.
"Can you help me set mine up?"
Do-hyun glanced at her.
Then, almost instinctively, he looked toward Yerin.
Yerin was already staring at him.
It wasn't an ordinary look.
It was the kind of look that made her opinion very clear without her saying a single word.
Do-hyun immediately cleared his throat.
"I think you should ask Min-jae."
Jina frowned.
"He's busy."
She looked at the half-finished tent.
"You're almost done anyway."
Do-hyun gave an awkward smile.
"I actually need to finish this."
Jina didn't seem to notice the hint.
"Just for a few minutes."
Do-hyun looked at Yerin again.
Another death stare.
He immediately looked away.
"I really can't."
Jina sighed.
"Fine."
She turned around.
Yerin watched her walk away.
Do-hyun quietly continued fixing the tent.
After a few seconds, Yerin looked at him.
"You could've helped her."
Do-hyun glanced at her.
"I could've."
"But you didn't."
"No."
"Why?"
He shrugged.
"I was busy."
Yerin tried to hide her smile.
"Right."
Before he could say anything else—
"AHHH!"
Everyone turned.
Jina came running back toward them.
"There was a mouse!"
She pointed behind her.
"It was right there!"
Min-jae burst out laughing.
Emily covered her mouth.
Yerin couldn't stop herself either.
Even Do-hyun laughed.
Jina looked offended.
"Why are you all laughing?!"
Min-jae wiped his eyes.
"You just screamed louder than everyone on this entire campsite."
"It was a mouse!"
"It's tiny."
"You go touch it!"
Min-jae immediately stopped laughing.
"No, thank you."
Emily laughed harder.
"Where's all that courage now?"
Do-hyun shook his head, smiling.
Jina crossed her arms.
"I hate this place."
Yerin looked at Do-hyun.
He was still smiling.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
No mysterious messages.
No family secrets.
No forced marriage.
Just friends laughing around a campsite.
But that feeling wouldn't last.
As evening arrived, the students gathered around the campfire.
The flames flickered against the darkening sky.
Everyone talked, laughed, told stories, and teased one another.
Emily sat beside Yerin.
Min-jae was telling an exaggerated story that nobody completely believed.
Yerin laughed.
Do-hyun sat nearby, quietly watching everyone.
For the first time in weeks, the atmosphere felt peaceful.
Then his phone vibrated.
Do-hyun looked down.
His expression changed slightly.
He unlocked the screen.
A message.
He read it.
Then locked his phone without saying anything.
He didn't reply.
He simply slipped it back into his pocket and continued listening to Min-jae.
Yerin noticed.
Their eyes met briefly.
Do-hyun looked away.
This time, Yerin didn't ask.
She knew he would tell her when he was ready.
Or at least...
She hoped he would.
The campsite eventually became quiet.
One by one, the students disappeared into their tents.
The campfire had burned down to glowing embers.
Yerin lay awake inside the tent.
She couldn't sleep.
Something about the night felt different.
She quietly got up and stepped outside.
The cold air hit her face.
She wrapped her arms around herself.
The campsite was almost completely dark.
Then she noticed someone standing a short distance away.
Do-hyun.
He had also stepped outside.
Their eyes met.
"You can't sleep either?" he asked.
Yerin shook her head.
"No."
He walked closer.
"Me neither."
For a few seconds, they simply stood there.
Then Yerin looked around.
"Did you see anything?"
"No."
"Then why do I feel like someone is watching us?"
Do-hyun's expression became serious.
"I don't know."
Yerin looked toward the trees.
Something caught her attention.
A white envelope.
It was hanging from a low branch.
She frowned.
"Do-hyun..."
He followed her gaze.
"What?"
"What's that?"
They slowly walked toward it.
As they got closer, Yerin's expression changed.
Her name was written across the envelope.
Hwang Yerin.
She stopped.
"How did that get here?"
Do-hyun carefully removed it from the branch.
Neither of them spoke.
He opened the envelope.
A photograph slipped out.
Yerin picked it up.
Her eyes widened.
It was an old photograph connected to their fathers.
The same photograph.
But this time, something had been marked.
Someone standing in the background had been circled.
Yerin stared at the figure.
Do-hyun looked at her.
"Do you know him?"
She didn't answer.
Her eyes remained fixed on the photograph.
Then she whispered,
"I've seen him."
"Where?"
Yerin's fingers tightened around the photograph.
"I don't remember."
Do-hyun stepped closer.
"Yerin."
She looked up at him.
Something about the person in that photograph felt familiar.
Far too familiar.
Then—
Do-hyun's phone vibrated.
They both looked down.
Another message appeared.
You were warned.
Neither moved.
Yerin slowly looked toward the trees.
"Do-hyun..."
"What?"
"I don't think we're alone."
He turned toward the darkness.
Nothing.
The campsite was silent.
Then—
Snap.
A branch broke somewhere beyond the trees.
Yerin instinctively stepped closer to Do-hyun.
He looked toward the sound.
Still nothing.
Only darkness.
He looked back at Yerin.
Then at the photograph in her hands.
Whatever had been following them...
Had found them here too.
...To Be Continued...