Hyunwoo leaned against the school's back gate, arms crossed, eyes sharp. His usual carefree grin was nowhere to be found today. He'd heard something — something that rattled him.
"…I'm telling you, that kid's connected to the debt crew."
"No way. He looks like a damn otaku."
"Exactly why they're using him. Easiest to pressure."
The voices of the third-years faded as they walked off, but their words burned into Hyunwoo's head.
Debt crew? Minjae? What the hell is going on?
His fist clenched. Minjae had been acting strange for days. Distant, nervous, and always checking his phone like it was going to explode.
Hyunwoo's gut told him his best friend was hiding something.
But he wasn't the type to push. Not yet.If Minjae didn't want to talk, maybe someone else knew.
Later that afternoon, Hyunwoo tracked down Jisoo in her usual lazy hangout spot — the back stairwell where she skipped most of gym class.
She was lying on the steps, earphones in, her eyes half-open like she couldn't be bothered with the world.
"You got a minute?" Hyunwoo asked, sitting next to her.
"No," she said flatly, but didn't make him leave.
Hyunwoo ran a hand through his hair, restless. "I think something's wrong with Minjae."
Jisoo slowly pulled out one earphone. "Oh? You just noticing?"
Her tone was cold, but there was a flicker of concern in her eyes.
"I heard some third-years talking. Something about debt collectors using him."
Jisoo finally sat up, her playful laziness slipping. "Debt? Minjae? That makes no sense. He's harmless. He doesn't even know how to lie properly."
"Exactly," Hyunwoo said. "That's why they'd target someone like him."
Jisoo frowned, her usual sharpness kicking in. "Did you ask him?"
"He'll just brush it off."
There was a long pause between them, the sound of distant basketballs thudding in the gym below.
Finally, Jisoo sighed, standing up and stretching. "Fine. I'll try to corner him later. He talks more when I'm around anyway."
Hyunwoo cracked a small smile. "That's because he's scared of you."
"Good. Maybe he should be."
That evening, Minjae sat alone on his rooftop, staring at the wrinkled threat note.
He hadn't told anyone. He didn't want to drag his friends into it. They deserved a normal life, not this mess.
But deep down, a part of him knew — the moment the debt collectors showed up at his school, his world stopped being normal.
The storm was coming, whether he liked it or not.