Legacy High

The next morning, Ji-hoon Park walked early through the school gates again, but something felt different.

The wind was strong. Clouds moved quickly across the sky, and there was a strange tension in the air, like something was about to happen.

Ji-hoon adjusted his bag on his shoulder and stepped inside the building. The same heavy silence from before was still there. The students were quiet, walking quickly.

Ji hoon thinking about letter he got from the locker.

> "You are being watched. Stay away from the third floor."

He had read it over and over. Who had written it? And why warn him?

Was someone really watching him?

As he moved toward his classroom, he caught a group of students whispering near the stairs. Their voices were low, fast, and nervous.

One student said> "He's here, right?"

> "That red-haired guy?"

Second student> "Yeah. Transferred yesterday. Some say… he's not just a student."

Ji-hoon froze for a second.

Red hair.

That same boy who spoke to him on the terrace?

His thoughts were interrupted when the teacher entered, and everyone rushed to their seats. But even during class, Ji-hoon's mind kept drifting. He kept thinking about the third floor… and the red-haired boy.

---

During break, Ji-hoon walked through the hallways. He had no real destination. He just wanted to understand where is his brother and what's going on in this school. He turned a corner and saw the stairs leading up to the third floor.

There was a chain across it and a sign that read:

> "Closed for Renovation."

But the metal looked old. Dust had gathered on the steps, and the air around it felt colder than the rest of the building.

> "They're not renovating anything," Ji-hoon thought. "They're hiding something."

He stepped closer, just to take a better look — when a loud voice called out behind him.

> "Hey! What are you doing there?!"

Ji-hoon turned. A teacher stood at the end of the hallway, eyes wide with panic.

"I was just looking," Ji-hoon answered quickly.

The teacher marched over, his voice tense.

> "That floor is on renovation so don't go there. Go back to your class. And don't ever come near here again."

Ji-hoon nodded slowly and walked away, but his thoughts were racing.

> "Why are the teachers so nervous about it too? What's up there?"

Then Ji-hoon went to the school yard and sat alone under a tree. He noticed some students outside are playing football and basketball.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. He looked up.

It was the red-haired boy again.

"You don't listen very well," the boy said, sitting next to him.

Ji-hoon kept quiet.

> "You looked at the third floor," the boy added.

"…So what?" Ji-hoon finally said.

The red-haired boy chuckled. "That's where everything started."

Ji-hoon's heart skipped. "What do you mean?"

The boy leaned in, his voice soft and low. "Your brother. He was also from the jaesung high wasn't he?"

Ji-hoon's eyes widened.

"How do you know about him?" he asked, almost whispering.

The red-haired boy didn't answer right away. He just looked at the school building.

> "I don't know everything. But I've heard stories. About those students .About teachers who were forced to stay silent. About secret meetings that happened… up there."

Ji-hoon was quiet for a long time. Then he asked, "Who are you?"

The red-haired boy smiled. "You can call me Seo-jin....Seo-jin kim

Ji-hoon repeated the name in his mind.

Seo-jin kim. The transfer student. The one who didn't act afraid.

"What do you want from me?" Ji-hoon asked.

Seo-jin stood up. "I don't want anything. I just think you're not like the others. You're looking for answers, aren't you?"

Ji-hoon stood up too. "Yeah. I am."

Seo-jin stared at him for a moment, then said, "Then be careful. The truth in this school… it's dangerous. And the ones who know too much either disappear… or change."

"Change into what?" Ji-hoon asked.

But Seo-jin was already walking away but he said You are not ready for that when you are capable to handle this then will explain everything to you .

That evening, Ji-hoon sat in his room, staring at the wall. His mind was full of questions.

> "My brother… what really happened to you?"

He looked at the folded note again.

> "You are being watched."

Ji-hoon clenched his fists.

> "Whatever secrets this school is hiding… I'm going to uncover them."

And so, the first real step had been taken. The game had begun.

But Ji-hoon didn't know…

He wasn't the only one searching for the truth anymore.

To be continued…