The room was still unsettled from the vote.
Eunbyeol picked up the next card.
Confident.
Unbothered.
She unfolded it.
Her eyes moved across the words-
And stopped.
For the first time since the game began-
Her expression changed.
Just slightly.
But everyone saw it.
A flicker.
Shock.
She read it aloud.
"Did you kill the fifteenth member of the council?"
The air vanished from the room.
No whispers.
No movement.
Nothing.
Harin stared.
Sora's posture stiffened completely.
Sungwon's playful demeanor disappeared.
Jinwoo's eyes sharpened instantly.
Jiwon didn't move.
She didn't look surprised.
She just watched Eunbyeol.
Carefully.
Eunbyeol lowered the card slowly.
"That's a serious accusation."
Her voice was steady.
But the softness was gone.
"This is a truth game," Jiwon said calmly.
"If it's false, it's easy to deny."
Silence stretched.
The board stood behind them.
Points suddenly meaningless.
Because this question-
Was about something bigger.
Rumors.
A missing member.
Something that was never explained.
Eunbyeol's fingers tightened slightly around the card.
"Be careful," she said quietly.
"Truth requires evidence."
"No," Jiwon replied evenly.
"Truth requires courage."
The tension was suffocating now.
Fourteen council members.
One exposed leader.
And a question that could destroy everything.
Eunbyeol slowly lifted her chin.
"No."
The word was clear.
Cold.
Measured.
"I did not."
The room exhaled-but not fully.
Because denial doesn't erase suspicion.
A point was marked under her name.
Truth accepted.
But doubt?
Doubt had just been born.
And this time-
It wasn't between Jinwoo and Jiwon.
It was between the council and their leader.
Eunbyeol picked up the next card.
Unfolded it.
Her expression didn't change this time.
"Sungwon."
He leaned back lazily in his chair.
"Finally. My turn?"
Eunbyeol read the question.
"Is it true that you're not here by choice... but because your family forced the council to accept you after what happened last year?"
The room went cold.
Not confused.
Cold.
Sungwon's smile didn't fade immediately.
But it stopped growing.
Jinwoo's eyes shifted slightly.
Harin looked uncertain.
Sora looked down.
Jiwon didn't move.
Because this question wasn't about flirting.
Or rumors.
It was about scandal.
About something buried.
Sungwon tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
"You guys really dig deep," he said lightly.
But his tone wasn't playful anymore.
Eunbyeol's voice was smooth.
"Truth earns a point."
"Lie deducts."
"Silence ends the game."
The words hung there.
Heavy.
Sungwon's gaze slowly moved around the circle.
Fourteen faces watching.
Waiting.
Judging.
He could deny it.
He could laugh.
He could twist it.
But if it was true-
And someone here knew-
A lie would cost him.
His fingers stopped tapping.
The room felt suffocating.
"Well?" Eunbyeol asked.
Sungwon exhaled slowly.
Then-
He leaned back fully.
And said nothing.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Harin shifted in her seat.
Jinwoo stared at him sharply.
Jiwon's eyes narrowed slightly.
Because she understood.
This wasn't hesitation.
This was calculation.
Eunbyeol spoke quietly.
"Sungwon."
No response.
His jaw tightened slightly.
But he didn't speak.
The silence stretched long enough.
Long enough to trigger the rule.
Eunbyeol stood.
"Silence."
Her voice echoed softly.
"Ends the game."
And just like that-
The circle broke.
No winner declared.
No final score calculated.
Just unfinished tension.
Sungwon stood up slowly.
His usual smile gone.
"Guess we're done," he said calmly.
And walked out.
No one stopped him.
No one moved.
Because the game didn't end with a scream.
It ended with fear.
The entire council room was silent.
The final vote was announced.
"Result confirmed."
A pause.
"The one who lost the game... is Sungwon."
Gasps filled the room.
Sungwon's eyes widened.
"What? That's impossible-"
But the numbers were clear. The votes had turned at the last second.
Eunbyeol's expression froze for a fraction of a second - only a fraction - before she composed herself.
Jiwon stood quietly. No smile. No reaction.
Sora lowered her head slightly, hiding her eyes.
The teacher in charge spoke firmly:
"According to council rules, the losing member must transfer out of the school."
Whispers spread instantly.
"Sungwon is leaving?" "He was Eunbyeol's closest supporter..." "How did this happen?"
Sungwon looked at Eunbyeol.
"You said this was under control."
For the first time, Eunbyeol had no immediate answer.
Jiwon finally spoke, calmly.
"Rules are rules."
Sungwon was escorted out.
The door closed.
And with that sound, Eunbyeol lost her most loyal piece.
_________________________________________
The school buzzed with rumors the next morning.
Everyone believed Eunbyeol had almost won.
Everyone believed Sungwon acted on his own.
Everyone believed Jinwoo was jealous.
Everyone... was wrong.
On the terrace, only three people knew the truth.
Sora leaned against the railing, calm.
Jiwon stood quietly, looking down at the courtyard where students walked like nothing had happened.
Jinwoo crossed his arms.
Jinwoo: "So... that's why you told me not to react."
Jiwon: "If you didn't get jealous, Eunbyeol would suspect something."
Sora: "She thinks emotions are weaknesses. So we gave her exactly that."
Jinwoo looked at Jiwon.
Jinwoo: "You planned that corridor meeting too... didn't you?"
Jiwon smiled faintly.
Jiwon: "Sungwon didn't approach me by accident. He was pushed."
Sora: "And I made sure Eunbyeol believed I was collecting information."
Jinwoo let out a small laugh.
Jinwoo: "So we never played to win."
Jiwon: "No."
She turned toward them.
Jiwon: "We played to make her believe we were losing."
Silence.
The wind moved slightly across the terrace.
Sora: "And now?"
Jiwon's eyes sharpened.
Jiwon: "Now she'll get confident. And confident people make mistakes."
Below them, Eunbyeol walked proudly - unaware that the game she thought she controlled had already slipped from her hands.