Lucy picked up the phone, staring at the number on the screen. To her surprise, it was actually Michael calling. Instinctively, without thinking too much about it, she picked up the call.
"Hello?"
"How are you doing?"
"What do you need?" Lucy asked, her voice sounding a little childish—almost like she was waiting for Michael to maybe apologize or say something comforting. But to her surprise, he just went straight to the point, no hesitation.
"Well, I heard about the result of the competition, and this has actually brought a sudden twist to our plan," Michael said, not acknowledging the slight hurt hidden in Lucy's voice.
Lucy's face flushed. So, he didn't really care. Tears began forming at the entrance of her eyes. Maybe she was just too emotionally attached to him. Maybe he never saw her the way she thought he did. Maybe it was all just one-sided.
"Are you still there?" Michael's voice came through from the other side.
Lucy gently dropped the phone on the bed for a second before slowly picking it back up and wiping the tiny drip that had started falling from her eyes.
"Yes, I am," she replied. She had thought maybe he was feeling remorseful for how he had ended the call the last time they spoke. Maybe he had called to say sorry, to acknowledge the tension. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe he actually didn't feel anything. Maybe this call wasn't about her at all—just his own selfish agenda.
"Well, I had suspected that Derek was definitely participating in that competition. So, I sent out spies from the Mafia Cult to check things out. And they discovered a lot. Turns out Derek is actually Noah Crimson, and his academic rank is SSS. I'm sure you already know that part."
Michael paused for a few seconds, expecting Lucy to say something. From his tone, it sounded like he believed he had just dropped a bombshell—high-level, confidential information. But since Lucy was also part of the Mafia group, he probably didn't think it was too risky to share.
There was a long silence on the line. It almost felt like Michael had just revealed something he wasn't meant to. After what felt like forever, Lucy finally spoke up again.
"So… how do I come into all this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. It carried so many unspoken emotions—hurt, confusion, and maybe even betrayal.
"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd ask," Michael replied, his voice suddenly sharper. "There's been a huge change in the plan. First of all, the Black Box operation has been officially terminated."
Lucy's eyes widened a bit at that. At least that meant the drama with the Black Box was finally over. A strange sense of relief swept through her for a moment. But the very next thing Michael said shattered that calm completely.
"I've got something bigger coming up. All I need you to do is get closer to him. Act less suspicious. Be smart about it. We're dealing with an SSS-ranked genius here—we need careful planning if we're going to pull this off."
Michael's tone had shifted. He sounded more calculating now.
"Look, we need him on our team—now more than ever. He's SSS rank. That means he's light-years ahead in knowledge. If we can bring him in, we'll surpass every other mafia group in the country. Maybe even globally. The Black Box isn't enough anymore."
Lucy could hear the excitement and ambition in Michael's voice. He wasn't just talking about Derek—he was dreaming big. She couldn't help but sigh slightly at his greedy tone. In her heart, she felt that Derek was too innocent to be caught in this kind of power game. It just didn't sit right with her.
"I still don't understand what I'm supposed to do," Lucy said, now with more seriousness. The initial emotional sting she'd felt earlier had begun to fade. But what replaced it was a growing fear—fear of Michael's intentions, and fear of what she might be dragged into.
"Look, after I heard the result, I started digging into his background," Michael continued. "Him bumping into me after visiting Miss Alison's office—it wasn't a coincidence. I was already watching him from the moment he stepped into the school. I had a feeling something was up with that boy. My instincts are never wrong."
Lucy sat still, listening. Her mouth was slightly open in shock. She had always thought that encounter in the hallway was just a random thing. But now it seemed like it was staged. Maybe she had been used too—to make it feel normal, to create a false sense of chance. Her hands clenched tightly. The idea that Michael had been manipulating her from the start stung, but deep down, she knew this wasn't the first time. She had let herself fall into a toxic relationship and now she couldn't escape it.
Another silence followed. Michael had revealed more than she expected. And yet, the call wasn't over.
"Actually," Michael continued, "I couldn't dig up anything about his past. It's like he doesn't exist outside this school. But I found one weakness—he's emotionally vulnerable. That's where you come in. I want you to build an emotional bond with him. Something strong. By the end of this competition, I'll give you a task. A master plan. Once you're back, we'll execute it together."
Michael didn't wait for a reply.
"Do have a wonderful night," he said, and the line went dead.
Lucy slowly dropped her phone. The shock from the call still hung heavily over her. Her hands trembled slightly. Everything about that conversation felt dangerous. But it was already too late to back out.
---
Six days flew by like a blur.
Derek got up early that morning and quickly dressed up. It had been announced that everyone should gather in the hall first thing in the morning. Derek guessed it was to update them on the details of the next stage of the event. He hurriedly cleaned up the room before heading out. It was going to be a long day.
He felt stronger than he had in the past six days. Late-night studying and determination had made him sharper. He was ready.
As he reached the hall, it was still relatively empty. But within thirty minutes, all seventy candidates had gathered. The room buzzed quietly.
Lucy made her way to Derek's side, clearly trying to start a conversation, but Derek didn't seem interested. He kept his focus forward.
"Good morning, students," Miss Alison's voice cut through the chatter, drawing everyone's attention to the front.
"I'd like to explain how the next stage of the contest will work, and what preparations we need to make."