Kind's POV
Win's face suddenly flushed a deep crimson, his features scrunched tight as he stared daggers at Mean. "No! You can't!" he shouted, voice cracking with raw emotion.
The nearby students froze, eyes wide in surprise at Win's sudden outburst. Nobody could understand why the usually calm Win was so explosive the moment Mean appeared.
Jun glanced at Kind, both sharing the same confused look. Why is Win so angry? Neither of them knew.
Kind stepped closer to Win, lowering his voice into a gentle whisper, "Win, calm down… They're our seniors, not enemies."
Win didn't seem to hear. Kind added awkwardly, forcing a small smile, "Don't mind him. You guys can sit."
Jun and Mean slid into the empty chairs beside them, each balancing plates of food and drinks. The atmosphere was heavy, like a storm about to break.
Jun leaned in, voice low and serious. "Kind, I think you should send that message to your parents. They deserve to know where you're going."
Kind's eyes flicked down to his phone where the message sat ready to send:
"Mom, I'm going on a school trip. If leaving me home alone on my birthday was okay, then this should be too. I'll lock up and leave the keys with Mrs. Rai while I'm gone. It's only four days, so if you get back early, just get the keys from her. Tell Dad not to worry about the café—I'll handle things with Benita."
Jun's words pushed him forward, and without hesitation Kind hit send.
Just then, Win's phone dinged sharply as he brought noodles to his mouth. He grabbed it quickly, eyes widening in shock at a message from his younger sister.
"Shit!" he cursed under his breath, nearly dropping his spoon. Without a word, he stood, carried his plate toward the stall, and started walking away.
"Win! Win!" Kind called after him, worry pinching his chest.
"What's wrong?" Jun asked, eyebrows knitted as they watched Win disappear down the corridor.
Win didn't look back. "I can't say right now," he shouted over his shoulder before vanishing around the corner like a gust of wind.
Kind frowned, rubbing his temple. "What do you think happened?"
Jun shrugged, eyes scanning the emptying hall.
Kind's mind raced back to Win's words from that morning. His mom has been sick...
"Maybe she's worse than we thought," Kind said quietly, the thought hitting him like a punch.
Jun and Mean both stood abruptly, voices in unison. "What?!"
"Let's go to the principal's office," Jun suggested, but Mean was already moving, determination in his steps.
At the principal's door, they overheard Win asking for a half-day leave.
"Yes, of course," the principal replied, expectant for a reason. Win showed his phone screen silently.
The principal nodded and said simply, "You may leave."
Win disappeared in a flash, Kind and Jun following, but Mean lingered by the office, arms crossed.
Inside an empty classroom, Kind caught up to Win.
"Kind… please tell Miss Sulochana I won't go on the trip," Win said, hurriedly packing his books.
"Okay, but why? Is your mom alright?" Kind stepped closer, concern softening his voice.
Win met Kind's gaze, eyes glossy with unshed tears. Silence stretched heavy between them.
Why won't he say anything? Kind's heart ached.
"I'll tell you later," Win finally whispered, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.
He turned toward the door, glanced back with a faint smile. "Enjoy the trip," he said, then left the room, leaving Kind and Jun with unanswered questions.
Kind's classes dragged on until evening, the final bell releasing a flood of students rushing home. Kind packed up silently, walking alone through the quiet corridors.
Jun caught up beside him. "May I walk with you?"
Kind looked up, a small smile breaking through his gloom. "Don't call me sir," he chuckled softly.
They walked side by side.
"So… excited about tomorrow?"
Kind nodded, eyes distant.
"Are you playing today?" Kind asked, noticing Jun carrying a guitar case.
"Yes," Jun smiled gently. They continued quietly to the café where Kind worked part-time.
After changing into his uniform, Kind spotted the note pinned to the board: Honey toast and red tea.
He worked steadily, taking orders and making drinks until break time.
Where was Jun? Kind wondered. Jun was supposed to perform today.
Benita, the café manager, noticed his gaze.
"Looking for Jun?"
"Yes. He said he'd perform, but—"
"Mr. Limbu told him to perform next week," she said, sitting beside him.
Kind hesitated, then spoke quietly, "Can I take four days off?"
"Sure, but why?"
"I'm going on the trip."
"With Jun?" Benita's eyes lit up. She had been treating Jun like Kind's boyfriend ever since Jun threw him a surprise birthday party.
Kind shook his head, then reconsidered. "Well… technically, yes. We're going on the school trip to Pokhara."
"Pokhara, huh?" She pulled a small envelope from her pocket and handed it over. "Please give this to my mom. She lives there."
Kind blinked in surprise. "You never said your mom lived in Pokhara."
"We never really talked family," she smiled.
Their break ended and they rose.
The Next Morning
Kind stood alone at the bus station, the earliest arrival for the trip. His breath steamed in the chilly air. Despite layers of clothes, the winter cold seeped into his bones.
He pulled out his phone, checked the message status: Seen. No reply.
She must be very upset, Kind thought, frustration creeping in as the minutes crawled by.
8:20, then 8:30. Still no word.
"Agh, I shouldn't have come so early," Kind grumbled, kicking a nearby pole.
"Careful! The pole spirit might get angry," a mocking voice teased.
Kind turned, grinning. "There's no such thing as pole spirits," he laughed.
Jun approached, puzzled. "What are you doing here? Didn't they tell us to arrive at 10?"
Kind scratched his head. "Umm… I got here early."
Jun smirked, grabbed Kind's arm, and tugged him forward.
"Where are we going?"
"Don't ask. Just come."
Kind hesitated only a moment before following.
Kind's footsteps echoed softly as Jun led him away from the bus station. The cold air bit at their faces, but Jun didn't slow down, his grip firm on Kind's arm.
"Where are we going?" Kind asked again, a mix of curiosity and unease swirling in his chest.
"Just trust me," Jun replied with a cryptic smile. "I saw something yesterday — something strange — and I think it's connected to those students who disappeared."
Kind's heart skipped. The missing students — a shadow that had hung over their school for months, whispered in hallways and rumors.
They turned a corner and entered a narrow alley behind the café district. The walls were covered in peeling posters and graffiti, colors faded by time.
Jun stopped in front of a rusted metal door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn key, unlocking it with a soft click.
Inside was a dimly lit storage room, cluttered with old boxes and forgotten supplies. Jun's flashlight beam danced over stacks of papers and broken furniture.
"Look at this," Jun said, pulling out a crumpled notebook from the floor. The cover was stained, but the words "Student Journal" were barely visible.
Kind took it, flipping through the pages. The handwriting was shaky but urgent.
"They watch us… always watching. I don't trust the teachers anymore. Something's wrong with the school trip plans."
A chill ran down Kind's spine.
"What is this?" he whispered.
"Someone was keeping a record," Jun said, eyes scanning the room.
Suddenly, a faint rustling came from a dark corner. They froze.
"Who's there?" Kind called out, voice steady despite the pounding in his chest.
A small rat scurried across the floor, disappearing into a crack.
Jun exhaled. "Just a rat."
Kind looked back at the journal. Some pages had names — some familiar, some not. Dates matched the days students went missing.
"Why hide this here?" Kind wondered aloud.
Jun's brow furrowed. "Because whoever wrote it didn't want anyone to find out. Maybe they were scared."
Kind felt the weight of the secret pressing down on him. The mystery was bigger than they thought.
"Maybe the trip to Pokhara isn't just a school trip," Kind said quietly. "Maybe it's part of something else."
Jun nodded. "We need to find out more."
As they prepared to leave, Kind's phone buzzed again — a message from an unknown number.
"Stop digging or you'll be next."
Kind stared at the screen, heart pounding.
Jun put a hand on his shoulder. "This just got serious."
The words "Stop digging or you'll be next" stayed frozen on Kind's phone screen, glowing like a quiet threat in the dusty gloom of the storage room.
He swallowed hard. "Jun… someone's watching us."
Jun didn't flinch. He leaned over, eyes scanning the message. "They know we found this place," he said. "That means we're close to something."
"But who would…?" Kind's voice trailed off.
Jun locked eyes with him. "Someone inside the school."
A knot formed in Kind's stomach. The thought that a teacher—or even a student—might be involved in something this dangerous made the air feel tighter.
Jun stuffed the journal into his backpack. "We can't stay here. If they're watching, we might've already been followed."
They slipped out into the alley and disappeared into the bustle of morning traffic. Jun flagged a cab, and they both slid into the back seat.
"Where to?" the driver asked.
Jun gave the address of a small library across town. "We need to research the names in that journal," he said under his breath to Kind. "See if they match any of the missing students."
Kind nodded, hands clasped tightly in his lap. He couldn't help but glance out the rear window every few seconds, half expecting a black van to appear out of nowhere and follow them.
Later That Day: The Library
The library was mostly empty, its silence wrapping around them like a thick blanket. They sat at a corner table with the journal, Jun's laptop, and a stack of archived school newsletters and missing person reports.
"Here," Jun whispered, pointing at a news clipping. "Jisoo Nam. She disappeared three months ago—her name's in the journal, dated the week before."
Kind's fingers trembled slightly as he turned the journal page. "Lee Chan. That name's familiar… he was in Class 10-C. He disappeared during a 'family vacation.' That's what the school told us."
"Another lie," Jun muttered.
They looked at each other.
The trip to Pokhara.
The list of names.
The missing students.
"What if this trip is a pattern?" Kind asked. "What if every trip is a way to pick students off? Make them disappear without raising suspicion?"
Jun leaned forward. "And what if this one is next?"
Kind felt the room tilt slightly. "I'm on that list."
"I know," Jun said. "That's why we need to figure out what happens during these trips. What are they doing to these students?"
Back at the Café That Evening
Kind returned to the café for his usual shift, but his mind wasn't with him. The image of that threat message wouldn't leave his head, and neither would the names in that journal.
Benita noticed. "You okay? You're quieter than usual."
Kind gave a half-smile. "Just tired."
She slid a cup of warm honey milk his way. "Take a break."
Kind sipped it in silence, staring out the window, when Jun walked in — but he wasn't alone.
Behind him was Mean.
"Hey," Jun said, voice low. "We need to talk."
Kind nodded and followed them to the back hallway. Mean leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"You guys want answers?" he asked. "Then listen carefully. My brother disappeared two years ago. He was on a school trip. Said he was going to Pokhara too."
Kind froze.
Jun stepped forward. "Your brother?"
Mean's face was hard. "Yeah. Everyone said he ran away. Even my parents gave up on him. But I never did."
He pulled out a small object from his pocket — a charm, cracked down the center. "This was found near the school's back gate two days after the trip returned. No one reported it."
Jun's voice was sharp. "Do you think he never made it to Pokhara?"
"I don't know," Mean said. "But I've been keeping tabs on every trip the school's taken since. This one? It matches the pattern. Even the teacher in charge—Miss Sulochana—she was on every trip connected to a missing student."
Kind felt his stomach drop. "And she's going again."
Mean nodded grimly. "That's why I'm coming on the trip. I pulled some strings with the principal. Said I'd supervise as part of my community service hours. He agreed."
Jun turned to Kind. "Then we're all going. But not just as students."
Kind stared at them both — his heart pounding.
"We're going to expose the truth," Jun said. "Whatever it takes."
Later That Night
Alone in his room, Kind sat on his bed, staring at the gift Jun had given him — the bracelet with the letter K. The locket rested against his chest.
No one will love you… the voice from his dream whispered again in the back of his mind.
But now it felt distant. Replaced by something louder.
The truth is waiting.
Kind grabbed his bag, stuffed it with his essentials, and placed the envelope Benita had given him into a zipped compartment.
He didn't know what they would find in Pokhara.
But he knew he wouldn't come back the same.