TENACITY

Chapter 8 — The Warning

The dorm room was quiet.

Alicia stared at the message on her phone as if it might suddenly explain itself.

You survived tonight.

But next time… I might not be able to help you.

Her fingers hovered above the screen.

“Are you going to reply?” Min-ji asked.

“I don’t even know who this is,” Alicia said.

“That’s exactly why you should.”

Alicia hesitated, then slowly typed.

Who are you?

She pressed send.

For a few seconds nothing happened.

Then the three little dots appeared.

The person was typing.

Alicia’s heart beat faster.

Another message arrived.

Unknown:

Someone who doesn’t want to see you destroyed.

Min-ji leaned closer to read.

“That’s not creepy at all,” she muttered.

Alicia typed again.

Why are you helping me?

The reply came slower this time.

Unknown:

Because the person you’re fighting is more dangerous than you think.

Alicia swallowed.

She already believed that.

But hearing someone else confirm it made the situation feel heavier.

Unknown:

Be careful of the people around her.

Min-ji frowned.

“Ask who they are.”

Alicia nodded and typed again.

Do you mean So-yeon’s friends?

The typing dots appeared again.

Then stopped.

No reply came.

Minutes passed.

The phone stayed silent.

“Great,” Min-ji sighed. “Mysterious and dramatic.”

Alicia put the phone down slowly.

“Whoever it is… they clearly know something.”

Min-ji stretched and stood up.

“Well, we’re not solving that tonight. I have class tomorrow morning.”

Alicia groaned.

“Don’t remind me.”

The adrenaline from the plaza had finally started to wear off.

Exhaustion replaced it.

But even as Alicia lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind kept replaying the night’s events.

So-yeon’s confident smile.

The fake evidence.

Min-ho stepping in at the last second.

And the unknown messages.

Eventually sleep pulled her under.

The next morning, the campus buzzed with energy.

News about the plaza incident had spread everywhere.

Students were talking about it in the cafeteria, the hallways, even outside the lecture halls.

Alicia felt the attention immediately.

Some students looked at her with curiosity.

Others with respect.

A few even smiled.

Min-ji nudged her.

“Look at that.”

“What?”

“You’re famous again. But this time in a good way.”

Alicia sighed.

“I just want a normal university experience.”

Min-ji laughed.

“You chose the wrong school for that.”

They entered the classroom.

Several students were already there.

Kang Jae-hyun sat lazily at the back, spinning a pen between his fingers.

When he saw Alicia, he smirked.

“Ah, the hero of last night has arrived.”

Alicia dropped into her seat.

“I am not a hero.”

“Maybe not,” Jae-hyun said. “But watching So-yeon lose her composure was very entertaining.”

Min-ji rolled her eyes.

“You really enjoy chaos.”

“Of course.”

Just then the classroom door opened again.

Park Min-ho walked in.

The room quieted almost instantly.

Alicia noticed it immediately.

People respected him.

Or feared him.

Maybe both.

Min-ho took his seat near the window.

For a moment, his eyes met Alicia’s.

He gave a small nod.

Then looked away.

Jae-hyun leaned forward.

“You two keep having intense eye contact.”

Alicia glared at him.

“Stop talking.”

But before the conversation could continue, another presence entered the room.

The air shifted instantly.

Han So-yeon.

She walked in gracefully, as if nothing embarrassing had happened the night before.

Her uniform was perfect.

Her expression calm.

Students watched her carefully.

She ignored everyone.

Until her gaze landed on Alicia.

For a brief moment, the two girls stared at each other across the room.

Min-ji whispered, “This feels like a movie.”

So-yeon suddenly smiled.

Then she walked toward Alicia.

The classroom grew silent.

Even Jae-hyun looked interested.

So-yeon stopped beside Alicia’s desk.

“Good morning,” she said sweetly.

Alicia looked up at her.

“What do you want?”

So-yeon’s smile widened slightly.

“I just came to congratulate you.”

“On what?”

“Surviving last night.”

The words sounded polite.

But the tone wasn’t.

Alicia held her gaze.

“You’ll have to try harder next time.”

Jae-hyun quietly whispered, “Oh, this is getting good.”

For the first time, something sharp flashed in So-yeon’s eyes.

Then she leaned slightly closer to Alicia.

And whispered something only she could hear.

“Let’s see how brave you are when the person you care about gets hurt.”

Alicia’s blood ran cold.

So-yeon straightened immediately.

Then she walked calmly to her seat.

Min-ji grabbed Alicia’s arm.

“What did she say?”

Alicia’s voice came out quietly.

“She said the next attack won’t be on me.”

Min-ji’s expression changed.

“Then who?”

Alicia looked around the room.

Her eyes slowly stopped on Min-ji.

And a terrible realization formed in her chest.

So-yeon had just made something very clear.

If she couldn’t break Alicia directly…

She would go after the people around her.