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The classroom door slid open with a quiet click.
It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t dramatic.
But the temperature in Class 2-3 dropped ten degrees.
Every head turned to stare at the person who just walked in.
Standing in the doorway was a tall man dressed in black—long coat, gloves, posture straight and composed. His expression was calm. The kind of calm that made you rethink every life decision you’d ever made.
Ijin didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
Yeongchan blinked. “Ijin… do you know that guy?”
At the front of the room, the teacher stiffened. “Excuse me—this is a class in session—”
002 stepped inside without raising his voice.
“I’m here for Yu Ijin.”
The silence that followed could have shattered glass.
Hyeokjin slowly turned to Lee Jaehyung. “Bro is this… is this a mafia thing?”
Jaehyung whispered back, “Did Ijin finally get caught by some secret organization?!”
Yuna’s grip tightened around her pen. And Seokju’s eyes sharpened instantly, analyzing the man in black from head to toe. Protective instincts flared.
Yeongchan leaned toward Ijin in pure panic. “BRO. BLINK TWICE IF YOU’RE BEING KIDNAPPED.”
Ijin finally looked up.
Their eyes met.
002 gave a barely perceptible nod.
Translation: We need you.
Ijin sighed.
Of course they did.
The teacher swallowed. “Do you have… authorization?”
002 reached into his coat.
Half the class gasped.
Jaehyung muttered, “Oh my god, he’s pulling out a gun—”
It was a card.
Calmly presented.
Official-looking. Probably forged. Extremely convincing.
“I’ll take responsibility,” 002 said evenly.
The teacher, who had survived three decades of education but not this, nodded weakly. “Y-Yes. Yu Ijin… you may go.”
Yeongchan grabbed Ijin’s sleeve. “WAIT. This is how action movies start.”
Yuna stood abruptly. “Ijin, don’t go if you don’t want to.”
Seokju was already halfway out of his seat. “I’ll follow.”
Ijin gently removed Yeongchan’s hand from his sleeve.
“It’s fine.”
That was it. Two words. Calm. Reassuring.
Which only made it worse.
Jaehyung whispered, “That’s exactly what someone being kidnapped would say.”
Ijin grabbed his bag.
As he walked past 002, the difference between them was almost comical—high school student beside what looked like a professional assassin.
They exited into the hallway.
The door slid shut.
The classroom exploded.
“WE SHOULD CALL THE POLICE!”
“NO, CALL SW SECURITY!”
“YUNA, YOUR GRANDPA OWNS HALF THE COUNTRY, DO SOMETHING—”
Meanwhile—
In the hallway.
Ijin walked beside 002 in silence.
“…You could have texted,” Ijin muttered quietly.
002 glanced at him. “You don’t respond.”
“That’s because you only text coordinates.”
A pause.
“Correct.”
They reached the stairwell.
“What is it this time?” Ijin asked.
“004.”
Ijin closed his eyes briefly. “What did he do?”
“Bought a drone.”
“…That’s not illegal.”
“He attempted to attach knives to it.”
Ijin stopped walking.
“…Why?”
002’s expression did not change.
“He said it would ‘increase efficiency.’”
“…Of what?”
“Chaos.”
Ijin rubbed his temple.
“008 confiscated it,” 002 continued calmly. “004 is sulking. 016 and 018 are debating whether we should allow it for ‘field experimentation.’ 005 voted no. 032 is curious. 006 is encouraging him.”
Ijin stared at the wall.
“You pulled me out of class,” he said slowly, “because 004 is trying to weaponize a flying knife drone.”
“Yes.”
A beat.
“We require majority vote,” 002 added. “You break ties.”
Ijin let out the quietest, most exhausted breath.
“You’re the leader right now.”
“You are 001.”
“…You’re doing this on purpose.”
002’s lips twitched—barely. “Perhaps.”
They continued walking.
Back in the classroom—
Yeongchan was pacing dramatically.
“I’m telling you, that was a professional extraction.”
Jaehyung nodded. “He didn’t even argue. That’s suspicious.”
Yuna stared at the door, worried.
Sukjoo adjusted his glasses. “He didn’t look distressed.”
“That’s what makes it scary,” Yeongchan said.
Outside the school gates—
A black van was parked.
Inside was:
004, sprawled across two seats, spinning a knife between his fingers with manic boredom.
006 grinning like this was the funniest thing ever.
032 sitting properly, hands folded, red eyes curious.
008 quietly holding what looked suspiciously like a disassembled drone.
016 and 018 arguing in low voices.
005 scrolling through her phone, unimpressed.
The van door slid open.
Ijin stepped in.
Every head turned.
004’s grin stretched wide.
“001~ You came. Missed you.”
Ijin sat down calmly. “No drone.”
004 groaned loudly. “You didn’t even hear the proposal!”
“I don’t need to.”
006 laughed.
002 stepped in last, closing the door.
“Majority vote,” he stated.
Hands were raised.
No drone.
004 slumped dramatically against the seat. “You’re all cowards.”
008 gently patted his shoulder.
The van began moving.
Ijin leaned back.
“…Next time,” he said quietly to 002, “wait until lunch.”
002 considered this.
“…Very well.”
A pause.
Then, softly—
“Thank you for coming.”
Ijin didn’t answer.
But he didn’t leave either.
Back in class—
Yeongchan dramatically opened his phone.
“If Ijin doesn’t text me in ten minutes, I’m forming a rescue squad.”
Yuna whispered, worried, “He’ll be okay… right?”
Seokju looked toward the window.
Far in the distance, the black van turned a corner and disappeared.
“…Yes,” Sukjoo said quietly.