(The chapter opens in the same classroom where LEE JIN-WEE just introduced herself. A dense, awkward silence hangs over the room.)
PARK MIN-HO was frozen in his seat. His heart pounded violently against his ribs. It had only been a month since the incident involving Lee Jin-Woo, and this new girl... her name and surname were identical to Jin-Woo's. This could not be an accident. It felt meticulously intentional.
The Teacher, oblivious to the intense tension in the classroom, announced:
TEACHER CHOI
"Alright, Jin-Wee. You can take the seat... yes, the one in the fourth row, next to Min-Ho. That spot is currently vacant."
(Jin-Wee offered a slow, slight smile. She spared a glance at Min-Ho, whose eyes were wide with fear and suspicion, before calmly proceeding to her new seat.)
Min-Ho quickly lowered his head, praying that Jin-Wee would not pause near him. He desperately wanted to avoid any conversation about that name, at least for now.
As Jin-Wee stopped right next to him, she gave Min-Ho's desk a deliberate tap.
"Hello, \text{Park Min-Ho}."
Min-Ho flinched, looking up sharply. He hadn't heard Jin-Wee introduce his name, yet she knew it.
"H-How do you know my name?"
Jin-Wee smoothly pulled a pristine notebook from her bag, her eyes unnervingly calm.
"I saw the class list. And you were the only one who looked utterly terrified when I spoke. \text{It wasn't hard to figure out your name.}"
(For the next few days, Min-Ho lived in a state of high anxiety. Jin-Wee seemed to be everywhere he was—during breaks, during lunch—but she never initiated another conversation. She simply observed him, like a scientist studying a peculiar specimen.)
A Calculated Conversation
(Lunch break. Min-Ho sits alone, trying to hide his head in his hands. Jin-Wee effortlessly slides into the seat directly across from him.)
MIN-HO
(In a strained whisper) \text{What are you doing here?}
JIN-WEE
"Just having lunch. I don't like eating alone. Anyway, could you show me around the school? I'm still unfamiliar with the layout."
MIN-HO
"No. I don't have time."
JIN-WEE
"Oh, are you perhaps visiting \text{Lee Jin-Woo} in the hospital?"
The question hit Min-Ho like an electric shock. He snapped his head up, his face a mixture of fury and genuine surprise.
"You... How do you know about him? You just transferred here."
JIN-WEE
(She smiled, but the warmth did not reach her eyes)
"In Black Secret High School, \text{someone} knows \text{something} about \text{everyone}. \text{And a student rushed to the hospital after an attempted suicide... that's information everyone knows.}"
MIN-HO
"You're talking nonsense! No one... no one knows why he's in the hospital. It was ruled an 'accident.'"
JIN-WEE
"Was it? But you still hate \text{Kim So-Yun}, don't you?"
This was the final blow. Jin-Wee knew about the ex-couple's dynamic too.
"This is none of your business. Stay away from me."
JIN-WEE
"It is my business. \text{When someone with my name does something so desperate, I get interested.} Will you tell me what happened between them? In detail."
(Min-Ho stared at Jin-Wee. She was too direct, too fearless. Her words carried no sympathy, only a sharp, cold curiosity. He realized this girl was not just a transfer student. She was a detective, or perhaps something far more sinister.)
(The next day. Min-Ho was trying to escape Jin-Wee in the library, but she cornered him, holding an old school photograph.)
JIN-WEE
"Look at this. That's \text{Kim So-Yun}, right? She looks happy."
MIN-HO
"Where did you get all this stuff? Are you actually a spy?"
JIN-WEE
"No. I am simply interested in the \text{truth}. So-Yun is the reason Jin-Woo is gone. She is guilty."
MIN-HO
(Angrily)
"She is not guilty! \text{He was just... tired.} So-Yun was only the last straw. Jin-Woo was suffering from something much bigger!"
JIN-WEE
(Her eyes sparkled with sudden intensity)
"What? Suffering? \text{Suffering from what?} Tell me, Min-Ho. You were his friend. What were his \text{real} secrets?"
(Min-Ho instantly realized Jin-Wee had skillfully tricked him. In trying to defend So-Yun, he had just confirmed that Jin-Woo had deeper, private troubles.)
MIN-HO
"No! I won't tell you anything."
JIN-WEE
"But you already have. You said he was suffering. \text{Suffering}? The pressure of what? School? Family?"
(Jin-Wee leaned in, her voice dropping to a decisive whisper.)
"Or... \text{Black Secret High School}?"
(Min-Ho's breath hitched. 'Black Secret High School'. It wasn't the name of the institution, but the name of the \text{problem} that every student faced but no one dared to speak of. It was the \text{real} reason behind Jin-Woo's attempt. Min-Ho began to tremble.)
MIN-HO
"You... What are you talking about? That's not a name."
JIN-WEE
"It's a \text{code}. \text{You know exactly what it is.} Tell me, Min-Ho. \text{I need to know why someone with my name was killed.}"
MIN-HO
"He... He is not dead! He's in the hospital!"
JIN-WEE
"He is spiritually dead. And whoever killed that spirit is still walking around here. \text{And I will find them.} Will you help me?"
(Min-Ho felt defeated. Jin-Wee was too persistent, and she had expertly touched all the sore spots Min-Ho wanted to hide—Jin-Woo's true pain, So-Yun's perceived guilt, and the school's \text{Black Secret}.)
MIN-HO
(Trembling, but finding a new firmness)
"Why? Why are you doing this?"
JIN-WEE
(Staring straight into his eyes, with an expression far older than her years)
"Because \text{Lee Jin-Wee} is not here to finish \text{Lee Jin-Woo}'s story. \text{She is here to continue it.}"
(Jin-Wee held out a small, old, \text{Lee Jin-Woo}'s-batch school badge to Min-Ho.)
JIN-WEE
"Come on, Min-Ho. Tell me everything. \text{I'm waiting for you.}"
(Min-Ho stared at the badge. He felt like he was being forced into a game that had started long before he knew it. He took the badge. This was Jin-Wee's first step, and Min-Ho was now inextricably caught in her web.)
Conclusion of Chapter 2
In this chapter, Lee Jin-Wee successfully manipulates Park Min-Ho through calculated dialogues and pointed inquiries. She expertly targeted the sensitive facts—Jin-Woo's attempt, So-Yun's involvement, and the secret problem of the \text{Black Secret High School}—that Min-Ho wanted to keep hidden. Min-Ho is now an unwilling but crucial participant in Jin-Wee's investigation, setting the stage for the revelation of the mystery between the names \text{Lee Jin-Woo} and \text{Lee Jin-Wee}.
The chapter opens after school hours. MIN-HO and JIN-WEE are sitting on the school rooftop—the same place where Jin-Woo and So-Yun had their final fight. Min-Ho is visibly stressed, having just reluctantly taken Jin-Woo's badge from Jin-Wee.)
Min-Ho sat silently, Jin-Woo's badge clutched tightly in his fist. Jin-Wee's questions were drilling into his conscience.
"Well?" Jin-Wee prompted, without any sense of urgency. "You took the badge. Now you're going to tell me about the \text{Black Secret}."
Min-Ho took a long, shuddering breath, as if discarding a heavy weight.
"It's not a name, Jin-Wee. It's just a code. \text{A code we use when we're afraid of something we can't name.}"
"Afraid? Of what are you afraid?"
"The school's system," Min-Ho whispered. "On the outside, Black Secret High School is perfectly normal. Good grades, strict rules. But inside... it's a Grading War. We are all pitted against each other."
(Min-Ho began to explain how the school classified students not just by academic performance, but by a \text{Hidden Social Ranking} that dictated everything.)
MIN-HO
"The grading system here is brutal. The \text{A-Level} students are the ones who control everything. And the \text{C-Level}? They are barely treated as human."
JIN-WEE
"And Jin-Woo... what level was he on?"
Min-Ho looked down in shame.
"He was always stuck at \text{B}. But So-Yun... she was an \text{A}. She always tried to pull Jin-Woo up, telling him he needed to 'fight' for more."
JIN-WEE
"So their fights were rooted in this system?"
"Yes. So-Yun wanted Jin-Woo to become an A. She wanted him to fight against the rules the A-Level students made. But Jin-Woo hated all of it. \text{He hated the competition.}"
(Min-Ho explained that Jin-Woo had tried to defend a \text{C-Level} student who was being heavily bullied by the \text{A-Level} group.)
MIN-HO
"Jin-Woo refused to log that student's name into the 'Database.' \text{That's the database that determines who is at what social standing.}"
JIN-WEE
(Her voice showed the first hint of genuine emotion—sharp disappointment)
"Database? Is it an online list?"
"Yes. It's a secret page on the school's server. Only a few people can access it. \text{The list marks students for social exclusion.} When Jin-Woo resisted, they started targeting him."
(Jin-Wee pulled out her notebook and quickly jotted something down.)
JIN-WEE
"So, the \text{Black Secret} is the cruel social hierarchy used by the A-Level students to control everyone else. And Jin-Woo tried to stand up against it."
MIN-HO
"He couldn't stand it. They made his life hell. \text{They destroyed his reputation.} And when So-Yun forced him to fight harder... he broke."
JIN-WEE
"And the student he tried to defend? What happened to him?"
"He transferred out a few days ago. \text{Completely shattered.}"
JIN-WEE
(Closing her notebook, her face now serious)
"I need to access that \text{Database}. I need the name of the \text{A-Level} Leader."
MIN-HO
(Shaking with fear)
"No, Jin-Wee! You don't know how dangerous they are. \text{The A-Level Leader... he can ruin anyone.} If they find out you're investigating..."
JIN-WEE
(Cutting him off, her eyes shining with determination)
"They won't find me. Remember? My name is \text{Lee Jin-Wee}. \text{To them, I am just here to take Lee Jin-Woo's place.}"
(Jin-Wee stood up. The night's darkness had now completely enveloped the rooftop.)
JIN-WEE
"Give me the name of the \text{A-Level} Leader, Min-Ho. \text{And the access point to that online database.} This is how I continue \text{Lee Jin-Woo}'s story."
MIN-HO
(Admitting defeat, placing the sweaty badge on the ground)
"His name is \text{Kang Se-Joon}. He is the undisputed \text{A-Level} Leader. And... the access point for the database is in the school's main server room. But you can't get in there."
JIN-WEE
(Smiling, a smile that unnerved Min-Ho because it held no kindness)
"We will go, Min-Ho. \text{That was just the first step.} Now the real game begins."
(ACTION: Jin-Wee picked up Jin-Woo's badge from the ground and put it into her pocket, as if making a solemn promise. Min-Ho understood that he could no longer escape this plan for revenge.)
The chapter opens late the next afternoon. JIN-WEE and MIN-HO are hiding in the seldom-used Media Club room after classes have finished. Jin-Wee has spread out a detailed blueprint of the school, which she somehow acquired.)
Min-Ho paced nervously while Jin-Wee meticulously highlighted areas on the blueprint with a red pen.
"I still think this is crazy, Jin-Wee. We should go to the principal. Tell them about the database!"
Jin-Wee didn't look up, her focus entirely on the map.
"And watch them cover it up? The \text{A-Level} system is the school's secret strength; they won't risk exposing it. \text{We are going to dismantle the system from the inside.}"
Min-Ho stopped pacing, staring at the map. "Dismantle it? How?"
"First, we get to the main server room. You said it was the access point, right?" She pointed to a section of the basement near the administrative offices. "It's well-guarded. \text{Three doors, two security cameras, and a keycard lock.}"
MIN-HO
"Exactly! We can't get past that. That's for faculty only. The card code changes daily."
JIN-WEE
(Her lips curled into a calculating smile)
"That's where you come in, Min-Ho. You know the staff. You're the quiet, non-threatening \text{B-Level} student. You blend in."
MIN-HO
"And what do you want me to do? Steal a keycard?"
"No. I need the code. The keycard system uses a simple digital pin pad. Every morning, \text{Teacher Choi Ji-Soo} enters the code to access the main server room to manage attendance records."
MIN-HO
"Teacher Choi? She's the only one? That's impossible to get!"
JIN-WEE
(She leaned closer, her voice conspiratorial)
"Not impossible. Just difficult. Min-Ho, think. How does Teacher Choi operate? \text{She's stressed, overworked, and uses a lot of coffee.} Where does she keep her personal effects?"
(Min-Ho thought back to the countless times he'd seen Teacher Choi rushing around.)
MIN-HO
"Her desk is a disaster. But she always keeps her mug and her small purse on the top right corner. \text{She sometimes writes important notes on sticky pads on her desk phone.}"
JIN-WEE
"Perfect. The plan is simple: Distraction and Observation. Tomorrow morning, while she is stressed, you need to distract her long enough for me to observe her entering the code. \text{You are her dependable student. You need a favor.}"
MIN-HO
(His hands felt clammy)
"A favor? Like what?"
"Ask her for a private make-up test—say you're struggling badly in her class. That will take her full attention for thirty seconds. \text{That's all the time I need.}"
(Jin-Wee pulled out a small, high-tech looking device—a tiny camera disguised as a pen cap.)
JIN-WEE
"This records thermal impressions. The pin pad is cold. When the code is entered, the buttons retain heat for a moment. \text{I will record the residual heat pattern to decipher the code.}"
Min-Ho stared at the device, his jaw slack. "Where did you get that? \text{You're not a normal student!}"
"I told you, I'm here to continue Jin-Woo's story. \text{And Jin-Woo was fighting against advanced tech, so I need better tech.} Focus on your part, Min-Ho. If we fail, Kang Se-Joon will know someone is looking for the \text{Black Secret}."
(Min-Ho realized the stakes were terrifyingly high. If they were caught, he would instantly become a \text{C-Level} outcast, just like the student Jin-Woo tried to save. But he looked at the badge in his hand and thought of Jin-Woo in the hospital.)
MIN-HO
(Nodding slowly, fear still visible but determination setting in)
"Okay. Tomorrow morning. \text{I'll ask for the test.} But what about the cameras? And the \text{A-Level} Leader, Kang Se-Joon?"
JIN-WEE
"The cameras are passive. We'll deal with those once we have the code. As for \text{Kang Se-Joon}... he operates through proxies. We need the database to expose him, not confront him directly. \text{Exposing the system is how we win.}"
(Jin-Wee pointed to the escape route on the map—a seldom-used service hatch near the server room.)
JIN-WEE
"We get the code tomorrow. The infiltration happens the day after, late at night. \text{Are you in, Min-Ho?} There's no turning back."
MIN-HO
(He looked at the blueprint, then at the pen cap camera, then finally at Jin-Wee's unyielding eyes. He took a deep breath.)
"I'm in. \text{For Jin-Woo.}"