Chapter 3: Divided Lines

The clock on the wall of the sixth-period classroom ticked agonizingly slow. So-min sat at her desk, her eyes fixed on the empty seats where Da-eun and Rora had been sitting just an hour before. The sudden arrival of their older sister had sent a chill down her spine, and she couldn't shake the feeling that the walls were closing in on all of them.

Suddenly, the classroom intercom buzzed to life, cutting through the teacher's lecture.

"Jung So-min, please report to the main office for early dismissal. Your brother is waiting for you."

A few students snickered, whispering about how everyone was getting a free pass out of school today, but So-min couldn't breathe. She stood up, her legs feeling like lead, and packed her things with trembling hands.

When she walked into the administrative lobby, she spotter her older brother immediately. Do-hyun wasn't leaning casually against the counter like he usually did. He was pacing the length of the linoleum floor, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his athletic jacket. His eyes looked bloodshot, and he was chewing aggressively on the inside of his cheek.

"Do-hyun?" So-min called out quietly.

He snapped his head toward her, his posture straightening instantly. Without a word to the school receptionist, he grabbed So-min’s backpack from her hand and threw open the heavy exit doors.

"Let's go," he muttered, his voice unusually sharp.

"What is going on?" So-min demanded, struggling to keep up with his long, urgent strides as they headed toward the student parking lot. "First Da-eun and Rora get dragged out by In-ah, and now you're pulling me out of sixth period? Is this about whatever happened last night?"

Do-hyun stopped by his car, unlocking the doors with a sharp click of his key fob. He turned to face her, his eyes dead serious, stripped of all the usual warmth he carried as an athlete.

"Listen to me very carefully, So-min," he said, his voice dropping to a harsh, controlled whisper. "From this moment on, you do not text, call, or look at Da-eun or Rora. If they message you, you delete it. If they approach you at school, you walk away."

So-min stared at him, completely stunned. "What? Why? They’re my best friends, Do-hyun! We’ve been inseparable for years!"

"I don't care," Do-hyun hissed, his grip tightening on the car door handle. "Their family is dangerous to us right now. Everyone from that night is losing their minds, and I am not letting you get dragged into the crossfire. You stay away from the Lees, and you definitely stay away from anyone connected to the Kims or the Parks. Do you understand me?"

So-min stepped back, looking at her brother as if he were a complete stranger. The invisible walls that had started forming last night were finally visible, cutting her off from the only people who understood the terror she was feeling.

Inside the back of Do-hyun’s car, So-min stared out the window, her brother’s harsh warning ringing in her ears. He thought he had cut her off. He thought a simple command could erase years of friendship.

But he didn't know about the Cipher.

Sitting in her lap, So-min's phone vibrated. A notification popped up from Da-eun. To anyone else looking at the screen, it looked like a random string of typos and gibberish—a chaotic mix of numbers, punctuation, and out-of-context words they had put together in middle school.

A second later, another message slid in from Rora.

So-min’s fingers flew across the keyboard, translating their childhood code in her head as she typed back.

[THE TRIO CHAT - ENCRYPTED]

Da-eun: In-ah just locked us in the house. She’s losing her mind. Said the Jungs and Kims are dangerous. What did Do-hyun say?

So-min: Same here. He just pulled me out of 6th. Told me if I talk to you guys, everything blows up. He said the Lees are a threat.

Rora: They’re trying to isolate us. If they’re this scared, whatever happened 7 years ago is coming for them right now.

Da-eun: We can’t stop investigating. In-ah left her desk key on the kitchen counter in the rush. I have it. I’m going into her files tonight.

So-min: Be careful. My brother is pacing outside my door. If they catch us talking like this, they’ll take our phones.

Rora: They won't crack the code. Keep your eyes open. Meet in the chat at midnight.

So-min quickly locked her screen and shoved the phone into her pocket just as Do-hyun glanced at her in the rearview mirror. She kept her face completely blank, staring out at the passing streetlights.

The older siblings thought they were protecting a secret. They didn't realize their younger sisters were about to blow it wide open.