The campus felt… normal.
Laughter echoed lightly across the street as four figures walked side by side, the night settling quietly over the campus.
Mira adjusted the strap of her bag, a faint smile lingering on her lips.
"Okay, but you seriously thought that answer was correct?" Emily laughed, nudging Daniel slightly.
"It was correct," Daniel shot back immediately. "The professor just… interpreted it wrong."
"Yeah, sure," Adrian muttered, hands in his pockets, a faint, easy smile on his face.
And Mira noticed.
A small laugh escaped her.
For a moment… it felt like an ordinary day.
Coffee. Studying. Pointless arguments.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing dangerous.
…
Her steps slowed.
Just slightly.
Her eyes flickered to the side.
Then… behind.
Nothing.
But—
A faint feeling.
Like someone had been there.
Watching.
Mira frowned… but said nothing.
A few minutes later, they reached the split near the dorm paths.
"This is our way," Emily said, stretching her arms.
"Finally," Daniel sighed. "I'm dead."
"Me too. I'm exhausted," Adrian replied lazily.
They stopped.
A brief pause.
Then—
"Good night," Mira said softly.
"Good night," Daniel waved.
Then—
He winked at Emily.
She smiled.
Adrian gave a small nod.
The girls continued forward.
The boys turned the other way.
…
A few seconds passed.
Then—
Adrian stopped.
"…Wait."
Daniel blinked. "What?"
"I still have Mira's charger."
"…You're joking."
Adrian clicked his tongue lightly. "I took it earlier. She might need it tonight."
Daniel exhaled. "You're actually going back?"
"I'll catch up."
Daniel shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Don't get lost, hero."
Adrian was already walking away.
The path grew quieter.
The lights dimmer.
Footsteps softer.
Emily was mid-sentence—
When they appeared.
Two figures.
Standing in the middle of the path.
Waiting.
…
Mira slowed.
This time… she didn't hide it.
Their expressions—
Wrong.
Too relaxed.
Too confident.
Like they had been standing there for a while.
Like they knew exactly who would walk this path.
"Hey," one of them said, voice smooth—but empty.
His eyes dragged over them slowly.
Deliberately.
"Didn't expect to see something this nice tonight."
The other chuckled.
"Yeah… lucky us."
Emily's smile vanished instantly.
Mira's gaze hardened.
"Move," she said flatly.
Silence.
Then—
A quiet laugh.
"Relax," the first stepped closer. "We're just talking."
His eyes never left her.
Not even for a second.
"We don't want trouble."
Mira didn't react.
"Then you shouldn't have stopped us."
A pause.
Their smiles faded.
Just slightly.
"Careful," the second said, voice lower now. "You don't talk like that unless you can back it up."
—
Elsewhere.
Jin sat in silence.
The faint glow of his laptop reflected in his eyes.
Numbers.
Graphs.
Sales.
Cold.
Organized.
Controlled.
Click.
Scroll.
Click—
—
[Emergency Mission Triggered]
Jin's hand stopped.
Target: Seo Mira
Status: At Risk
Mission: Ensure her safety
Failure Penalty: — Unknown
—
…
A quiet breath left him.
"…You've got to be kidding."
His eyes lingered on the system window.
Not panic.
Not hesitation.
Just calculation.
"…Distance?"
—
[Target Distance: 312m]
—
He closed the laptop.
Stood up.
Grabbed his jacket.
—
The door slid open.
The hallway stretched ahead.
Silent.
—
Jin moved.
Not rushing.
Not wasting motion.
—
Back at the girls.
"Last warning," Mira said.
"Move."
The first guy sighed.
"…You're really not fun."
His hand moved—
Toward her waist.
Mira reacted instantly—
Slap!
Sharp. Clean.
The sound cracked through the empty path.
Silence.
…
His head tilted slightly.
Then slowly turned back.
His expression changed.
The fake smile disappeared.
Only irritation remained.
"You—"
His arm moved again.
Fast.
Straight toward her face—
A punch.
—
It stopped.
Mid-air.
Firm.
Unmoving.
The attacker blinked.
Turned—
Adrian stood there.
Grip tight.
Eyes cold.
"…That's enough."
A pause.
The second guy frowned. "Who the hell—"
Adrian didn't answer.
He pushed the arm aside.
Not violently.
Just enough.
Like it didn't matter.
—
From a distance—
Jin stopped.
His eyes locked onto the scene.
He saw everything.
The stance.
The timing.
The control.
…
"He's good."
Jin stepped back.
Into the shadows.
And stayed there.
Watching.
—
"Great," one of them muttered. "Another idiot."
They moved.
Together.
Fast.
—
Adrian exhaled once.
Then—
Moved.
No wasted motion.
A step.
A shift.
A strike—
Clean.
Precise.
The first dropped instantly, breath gone.
The second swung wildly—
Adrian slipped past it.
A sharp hit to the ribs—
A crack.
The body collapsed.
Silence.
…
It was over.
Just like that.
Emily grabbed Mira's arm.
"Let's go—"
They stepped back quickly.
Breathing uneven.
Eyes wide.
The two men barely moved.
One spat blood.
"…You're dead."
Adrian didn't respond.
He simply turned away to the girls.
Like it was nothing.
—
From the shadows—
Jin watched.
Unmoving.
—
Then…
A system window appeared.
[Mission Failed]
Jin's eyes narrowed.
"…But she's safe."