The corridor was empty.
Silent.
A figure stood at the far end—
Face hidden.
Still.
Waiting.
Slowly… carefully…
They adjusted something on the floor.
A setup.
A trap.
Then—
They stepped back into the shadows.
As if they already knew—
Someone was about to come.
---
Yuna walked down the corridor, headphones in her ears.
Soft music played.
Her steps were calm.
She didn't notice anything unusual.
She was just about to pass—
When suddenly—
Two boys came running from the other side, laughing loudly.
"Catch me if you can—!"
Before Yuna could react—
SLIP!
"AHHH—!"
"WHAT THE—?!"
Both boys crashed straight into the trap.
Everything happened in seconds.
Yuna froze.
"…What?!"
She immediately pulled off her headphones and rushed forward.
"Are you okay?!" she asked, helping them up.
The boys groaned, covered in the mess.
"I-I didn't see anything—!"
"What even was that?!"
Students began gathering.
Whispers filled the air.
"What happened?"
"Another prank?"
"Is it Scarlet Shadow again?"
Minji pushed through the crowd.
"Yuna! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Yuna said quickly.
Jihun arrived next, his expression serious.
"What happened?"
Yuna shook her head.
"I don't know… it happened so fast, I couldn't even process it."
Harin and Choi Kyungmin also appeared, looking around the scene.
The crowd kept growing.
Murmurs spreading.
Confusion turning into suspicion.
Then—
Yuna's eyes shifted.
At the very end of the corridor—
A figure.
Half hidden.
Watching.
Her eyes narrowed instantly.
There…!
Without saying a word—
She ran.
"You can't run from me this time!"
Her footsteps echoed loudly as she rushed forward.
But—
When she reached there—
Nothing.
Empty.
The corridor stood still.
The person was gone.
Yuna clenched her fists.
Again…
---
By lunchtime—
The entire school was buzzing.
"Scarlet Shadow has changed…"
"She's targeting random people now…"
"That's too much…"
"She's becoming unfair…"
Yuna walked through the corridor, hearing everything.
Each word felt heavier than the last.
This isn't me…
Her jaw tightened.
Someone is using my name…
---
Later—
Classrooms fell silent.
The door opened.
The Elite 7 entered.
All eyes turned toward them.
Jihun stood at the front, calm but serious.
"Whoever is behind these pranks," he said, his voice cold,
"come forward."
Silence.
No one moved.
Choi Kyungmin crossed his arms.
"Or we'll find you ourselves."
A chill ran through the class.
Then—
Park Haeun stepped forward.
Her gaze swept across the room—
And stopped.
On Yuna.
Sharp.
Cold.
"Don't test our patience," she said.
Yuna felt it.
That look.
Why… is she staring at me like that?
For a moment—
Their eyes locked.
Something unspoken passed between them.
Then—
The Elite 7 turned and walked out.
Leaving behind silence.
And tension that refused to fade.
The classroom slowly returned to normal—
But Yuna didn't.
She sat there, silent, her thoughts racing.
This isn't me…
Then who…?
Harin noticed immediately.
She walked over and lightly tapped Yuna's desk.
"Hey," she said softly. "Stop overthinking."
Yuna looked up.
"I'm not—"
"You are," Harin cut in, smiling gently. "Your face says everything."
Yuna sighed quietly.
Minji also came closer, lowering her voice.
"…Are you okay?"
Yuna forced a small smile.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
There was a brief silence.
Then suddenly—
Yuna stood up.
"I'm going to the washroom."
Without waiting, she walked out.
Harin watched her leave, her expression slowly turning thoughtful.
Something's not right…
Who is doing all this…?
Beside her, Minji hesitated for a moment.
Then she looked at Harin shyly.
"Haruu…"
Harin glanced at her.
"Hmm?"
"Are you… free after school?" Minji asked, slightly nervous.
Harin paused for a second—
Then smiled casually.
"No."
Minji blinked.
"Oh…"
"Maybe next time," Harin added lightly.
Minji nodded awkwardly.
"Yeah…"
Both of them returned to their seats.
---
Meanwhile—
Inside another room—
The Elite 7 gathered.
The atmosphere was serious.
"These pranks are increasing," Seojun said.
"And getting worse," Lee jiwon added.
Jihun stood quietly, his expression calm but sharp.
"I'm already investigating," he said.
All eyes turned toward him.
"And when I find Scarlet Shadow…"
His tone turned colder.
"I'll end this."
Silence followed.
Then—
Jihun spoke again.
"But…"
The others looked at him.
"This feels different."
Park Haeun frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Jihun crossed his arms.
"The pattern has changed," he said. "The targets… the timing…"
He paused.
"It might not be Scarlet Shadow."
The room went still.
"…You're saying someone is pretending to be her?" Yoon Somin asked.
Jihun nodded slightly.
"That's a possibility."
Choi Kyungmin leaned back.
"…I was thinking the same."
Haeun's eyes shifted slightly.
Then she spoke calmly—
"Let's see."
But her expression said otherwise.
Like she didn't fully believe it.
Or maybe—
She didn't want to.
The tension in the room grew heavier.
Because now—
It wasn't just about catching someone.
It was about figuring out the truth behind a shadow that was slowly changing shape.
___
The girls' washroom was quiet.
Yuna pushed the door open and stepped inside, taking a slow breath.
I need to think clearly…
But the moment she looked up—
She froze.
Chaeyoung was there.
Not alone.
Beside her stood two girls—
The same ones from that day.
The "thief-thief" game.
They were chatting casually, laughing.
Yuna's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—
Something caught her attention.
Her gaze shifted.
And stopped.
Chaeyoung's hair.
A clip.
Star-shaped.
Yuna's breath hitched.
That…
Her fingers tightened.
That's the same clip…
The one she found in the corridor.
The one that cost so much.
Her expression slowly turned serious.
Without hesitation—
She stepped forward.
"Chaeyoung."
The laughter stopped.
All three girls looked at her.
Yuna didn't hesitate.
"That hair clip," she said directly.
"Where did you get it?"
Chaeyoung blinked once.
Then tilted her head slightly.
"…What?"
Yuna's eyes didn't leave her.
"That clip," she repeated. "Answer me."
For a second—
Silence.
Then—
Chaeyoung smirked.
"Oh…"
She stepped a little closer.
"So you think I'm the one?"
Yuna didn't respond.
Chaeyoung's smile widened.
"You think I'm trying to become Scarlet Shadow?"
Her tone was calm.
Confident.
Almost amused.
"Come on," she said lightly. "Why would I do that?"
Her friends glanced at each other but stayed quiet.
Yuna's gaze hardened.
"…Then explain the clip."
Chaeyoung didn't answer.
Instead—
She simply turned around.
"Let's go," she said to her friends.
And just like that—
She walked past Yuna.
Without another word.
Her friends followed.
The door closed behind them.
Yuna stood there.
Alone.
Silent.
Her mind racing.
What is happening…?
Her grip tightened.
Everything is getting worse…
The reflection in the mirror looked back at her—
More serious than ever.
Because now—
This wasn't just suspicion anymore.
It was turning into something deeper.