Fractured Fantasies
“Look, let me spell it out since you're not getting it. You and Kim Jin-seo are dating, right?”
“Uh, y-yeah.”
“But during the school suspension, Kim Jin-seo meets another guy? What do you call that? Cheating, that's what.”
“N-no, that's not it. J-Jin-seo wouldn't... uh, no way.”
“God, you dense idiot. Should I just report it then?”
“No! S-s-sorry!”
“Listen properly the first time, for fuck's sake.”
Go Jun-min shrank back under Bae Seong-hyeon's overbearing attitude.
“Okay, again. You and Kim Jin-seo are... fuck, even saying it pisses me off. Anyway, she's cheating. And the guy? Do Seon-woo, right?”
“Uh, y-yeah.”
“She got caught meeting another man besides you. Right?”
“Yeah.”
“So, what do we do? Sit on our hands and let him steal her? No way, right?”
“N-no way.”
Bae Seong-hyeon snatched Go Jun-min's phone and transferred a few photos from his gallery to his own.
“W-what are you doing? Give it back!”
“Just insurance. Evidence.”
“Give it! I said give it!”
Go Jun-min was 159cm tall. Bae Seong-hyeon towered at 187cm. No matter how much Go jumped, he couldn't reach the phone in Bae's hand. In the meantime, Bae sent over several pieces of evidence—just in case Go betrayed him later.
“Here, take it, you punk. Acting like you're gonna kill me over a phone.”
“D-don't do stuff like th-this.”
“Sure, sure. As long as you behave.”
Bae Seong-hyeon flashed a chilling smile as he continued.
“Just do exactly as I say. Got it? Then Kim Jin-seo will dump him and come back to you. Right, or wrong?”
“……”
“Answer me.”
“R-right.”
“That's right. Perfect timing?”
“Three days from now. The, the commendation ceremony.”
“Good.”
Finding out about the commendation ceremony after the suspension ended wasn't hard. Neither was learning that Kim Jin-seo and Do Seon-woo were the recipients. For anyone else, maybe—but not for Bae Seong-hyeon.
“Everything written down?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Go Jun-min nodded fearfully. Bae Seong-hyeon smiled in satisfaction at the lamb-like obedience.
If things went according to plan, this was a golden opportunity to bury both Kim Jin-seo and Do Seon-woo. Even if it backfired, Bae wouldn't take the fall. Go Jun-min was the frontman, and all the blame would land on him. Effortless win.
No matter how it plays out, this'll be fun.
Bae Seong-hyeon had orchestrated this for one simple reason: it seemed entertaining. Success and their ruin? Fun. Failure and Go's ruin? Also fun. Either way, Bae walked away unscathed.
“B-but... if we do this, J-Jin-seo will really d-date me again, right?”
“Of course~ Just follow my lead, and it'll all work out. I'm helping with your love life here.”
Bae fed Go's delusions. A flush and smile crept across Go's face.
This guy's the most repulsive of all.
Go Jun-min and Kim Jin-seo weren't anything. A few texts—that was it, all business-related. Yet his fantasies had spiraled so far he truly believed he was her boyfriend. Bae had exploited that delusion perfectly for his scheme. A bit disgusting, sure, but ideal as a pawn.
*
“Hey.”
No need to start hostile. I gave him a casual greeting.
“H-hi. But why're y-you here?”
“Me? Meeting someone. Why?”
“Oh. R-right.”
Slurred speech. Occasional stutters. Turtle neck, rounded shoulders, plain face. Scrawny arms and legs. Go Jun-min.
He sat on the bench, pretending to be calm. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, eyes darted aimlessly. His restless hands fidgeted with his nose bridge. Every gesture screamed anxiety—proof of guilt.
He was probably the post's author. Baron Samedi sending me here at 8 made sense now. But no hard proof. Pushing him wouldn't make him confess easily. Hell, I wasn't even certain it was him.
Nothing solid, just vague threads in a tangled mess. To sharpen the blur, use humanity's sharpest emotion: rage.
“You close with Jin-seo?”
“Jin-seo?”
Go Jun-min had to be fixated on Kim Jin-seo. Not 'close'—more like he'd been one-sidedly obsessed. Blind admiration bordering on love. Twisted love.
“Y-you close with J-Jin-seo? Why call her without the family name?”
“Huh? You do it too. Thought it was fine.”
“I-I'm close to J-Jin-seo, that's why. You little sh-shit—!”
Go yelled, clenching his fists and snarling. His hazy emotions sharpened into anger. Twisted love thrives on possessiveness. He wanted Kim Jin-seo to look only at him. Even the affectionate 'Jin-seo' was his alone. Poke that, and he growls like a dog robbed of its toy.
“I'm close to 'Jin-seo' too. Here to meet 'Jin-seo' right now.”
I hammered his reverse scale relentlessly. His face drained from red to ghost-white. Trembling lips were a nice touch.
Childish method, sure. But effective.
“You, you!”
He glared murderously, fists balled. Still too vague. Needed a knockout blow to crystallize it.
“Oh, and Jin-seo gave me jelly. Tasty stuff. You get any?”
Kim Jin-seo doesn't gift guys candy, let alone chat much. Hers was thanks for bandaging her finger—no way she'd give Go any.
As expected, Go's face twisted. Fists shook, lips quivered, brows twitched. Clear rage signs.
He bit his lip halfway and stalked toward me, gaze locked solid. He planned to swing.
“What're you doing?”
A clear, crisp voice shattered the tension—sharp yet caring. I turned. Kim Jin-seo stood there. Bare-faced, in a hoodie and sweats. Simple.
“J-J-Jin-seo?”
Go's face froze solid.
*
Kim Jin-seo knew Go Jun-min wrote the post. The photo he'd sent showed 'edit' and 'delete' options—author privileges only.
[Can you come to the municipal park at 8:15?]
She texted. He replied he'd be there, of course.
She planned to ask him to take it down. Not just for Do Seon-woo. Prep was minimal—no point impressing Go. Bare-faced, he'd probably back off.
Arriving at the park, a shocking scene unfolded.
“J-J-Jin-seo?”
Go had his fist raised to hit Do Seon-woo, who stood unfazed.
A fight? Why? Did it have to come to blows?
Kim felt a pang of unease.
“Go Jun-min... let's talk.”
She sat on the bench and spoke. Do Seon-woo left with some excuse. No need for him to know the author and get shocked. Ignorance is bliss sometimes.
Kim stayed silent until Do vanished from sight, then spoke.
“You wrote the post, right?”
Go flinched.
“N-no? What're you talking about?”
“The photo you sent.”
She showed the incriminating pic on her phone. Undeniable proof.
Go's eyes darted, scrambling for an out. After ten seconds of silence, he spoke slowly.
“S-sorry.”
An apology tumbled out.
“Not me you should apologize to. I'm fine—take the post down. Deal?”
“T-take... the post down?”
He hesitated. Couldn't yet. Backing out meant Bae's wrath. Scary as Kim was, Bae was too.
“N-no, can't.”
He hung his head. Kim sighed inwardly but kept smiling, patiently persuading. Her patience held strong.
“Then why post it?”
“W-well, the commendation should've been yours alone. That guy's sharing it. Suspicious.”
“Teachers judge, and Do Seon-woo earned it too—”
“A-and! You got caught smoking by him! I was h-helping. As your b-boyfriend!”
Go flailed. Kim shivered. Questions tangled: How'd he know about smoking? Boyfriend? What?
“Smoking? What? And what's this boyfriend crap.”
Her smile vanished. Eyes chilled with disgust. No masking it now—she didn't want to.
“I-I'm your boyfriend? R-right?”
“What? Why would you be...?”
Go's eyes shook.
“Huh? N-no, I am. Right?”
He pulled out his phone, showing her.
“See? We took pics together? The s-smoking one. That time. Right?”
The screen showed Kim—kneeling, crying, smoking. Do Seon-woo passing by. Candid shot.
When? Stalking me? Why?
Her hands trembled. Fear, revulsion, rage swirled endlessly.
Snatch!
She yanked the phone and deleted the photo.
“Huh...?”
Next: sweaty her leaving the gym. Delete. Next: entering home. Delete. Next: peeking through window. Next: shabby clothes heading to convenience store.
Thud.
The phone slipped from her hand, clattering on the ground. The dry sound echoed in the silent park.
Kim stared blankly, trembling. Body frozen in terror, couldn't turn. Mind blank. No thoughts.
“What's wrong?”
Go's voice was calmer than ever.
Run? Police? Paladin?
Breath short. Vision darkening.
“Why so s-scared, J-Jin-seo?”
His hand reached for her shoulder. Instinctively, she slapped it away. Dull smack—his hand recoiled.
“A-angry? Huh? Pouting! Haha. M-my bad. We're dating, right? That was just anger talking earlier?”
She bit her lower lip until it bled. Nauseous. On the verge of vomiting. Wanted out. To rest. Curl in bed thoughtless—like moments ago.
“Later... talk later. I'm not... right now.”
She stood from the bench. Legs wobbling. Dizzy, dark vision.
“W-wait!”
Go grabbed her arm. His face dry, humorless. She turned to empty eyes—abysmally creepy depths.
“Let go, what—!”
“Why that f-face again? Even mad, you can't do this to me. Right?”
Her face stiffened. She'd practiced smiling—happy, sad, angry. People called smiley her a good kid. But she never learned to cry. Tears pooled inside, untouched.
Now, she'd forgotten smiling too. Face blank, twisted only in disgust.
“I-I thought about you that much. Hoped you did me. Right? But meeting other guys outside. Thought I wouldn't know? You can't do this to me. How much I've—”
“Delusional. We're nothing. Let go!”
She yanked free. But his grip held—unnaturally strong.
“N-nothing? Delusion? No. What're you saying?”
His stutter vanished.
“Oh, got it. Switched? Traded up. For Do Seon-woo. After all I've done. How could you?”
“Huh? J-Jun-min, calm down. Let go... why suddenly...?”
Kim's voice cracked tearfully.
“Shut up, you filthy bitch!”
Rip. Crunch. Crack.
Flesh tore, bones snapped. New flesh and bone sprouted. Go shed his human form, reborn as a demon species.
Kim stood frozen before it. Spine chilled. Legs refused to move.
Demon species. Not training dummy. Real. The one that tore her mother apart as a child.
Thud.
Legs gave out. She collapsed. Go's body ripped and reformed, swelling monstrously.
“Ugh... urk. Heh. P-pretty? Apologize. G-give... it. Huh?”
Mumbling nonsense, he ballooned into a grotesque mass—black flesh and bone shards clinging.
The monster hoisted her with crude, filthy hands.
“Ugh... urk...!”
Its grip crushed her throat. She thrashed in agony.
No one came. No help.
Boom!
As consciousness faded, an explosion rocked the park. The arm choking her burst—from a flying stone shard.
“Tch.”
Beyond, Do Seon-woo stood, grimacing at the hideous beast Go had become.
(To be continued next time)