Kaye peeked outside through the cracks of the wooden cabin, her brows furrowed in worry. "Can Seojun find us? I hope he doesn't cross paths with them," she said softly, her voice trembling.
"Where is that guy anyway?" Lila asked, her eyes still closed as she rested on the makeshift bed.
Kyle glanced at her and sighed. "He separated from us to find you faster."
"What an idiot," Lila muttered, shaking her head weakly.
Andrew, leaning against the wall, stood up abruptly. "I'll go and find him," he declared.
"I'll come too," Kyle offered, stepping forward, but Andrew raised a hand to stop him.
"Stay here and guard Lila and your sister," Andrew said firmly.
Kyle hesitated, glancing between Kaye and Lila. He realized Andrew was right—if they both left, no one would protect them. With a nod, Kyle agreed
"Be careful," Kyle said as Andrew opened the door and slipped outside.
Andrew moved quickly through the forest, his sharp eyes scanning for any sign of Seojun. "Where can I find him?!" he muttered to himself, frustration building.
After searching for some time, Andrew spotted a clearing and hid behind a tree, peeking out carefully. His heart pounded as he looked around, staying low to avoid being seen in case the enemies were nearby.
Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Startled, Andrew spun around and instinctively kicked the figure hard.
"Who—" His words caught in his throat as he realized it was the boomerang-wielding guy from earlier. The man collapsed to the ground from the kick but didn't move.
Andrew blinked in confusion. "What the hell happened?" he muttered, noticing the man was injured, his breathing shallow.
Before he could process what was happening, Andrew heard a sound nearby. He quickly crouched down, hiding in a bush.
Peeking through the leaves, his eyes widened in shock. In the distance, he saw the man who had attacked Lila earlier. But something was wrong.
The man wasn't standing. He was pressed against a tree, his feet barely touching the ground, with a hand gripping his throat tightly.
Andrew's breath hitched. The one holding him was none other than Seojun. His expressionless, and his strength was undeniable as he choked the man, lifting him effortlessly.
"I-Is that Seojun?!" Andrew whispered to himself, his heart racing. The sight sent a shiver down his spine. Seojun wasn't just defending himself—there was something frightening in the way he moved. Something ruthless.
Andrew froze as he heard a sharp crackling sound. He peeked again just in time to see Seojun release the man, whose body fell to the ground with a heavy thud. A chill ran down Andrew's spine, and he quickly ducked behind the tree, his breath shaky.
"Maybe it's an illusion," he thought, trying to calm himself. "There's no way that's Seojun. Also… did he kill him?!"
Summoning his courage, Andrew peeked out again, but his eyes widened in shock. Both Seojun and the man's body were gone.
Slowly, Andrew stood up, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He spun around and jumped back when he noticed the guy he had kicked earlier was also missing.
"What's going on?!" Andrew whispered harshly, panic creeping into his voice. His eyes darted around until something else caught his attention. "Wait… where's the camera?!"
He finally realized that the strange surveillance camera that had been monitoring them earlier was also missing. But just as he thought about it, the camera reappeared in its original position as if it had never moved.
Andrew gulped, his throat dry. He rubbed his arms as shivers continued to creep up his spine. "What is happening? And just who is Seojun? Could it be… could he have faked his evaluation?" he muttered, his thoughts spinning.
He stood there in silence, staring at the ground, then grabbed his hair in frustration. "Arrgghh! Should I tell them what I saw?! What if it's just an illusion? Ahhh! I don't want to think about this anymore!"
Frustrated and confused, Andrew took off running back toward the cabin, his mind racing. He slowed down after a while, staring up at the sky in deep thought. "What if Seojun isn't weak? But… he wouldn't hurt us, right? I mean, I'm his best friend now… so he wouldn't, right?"
Andrew flinched at the familiar voice and turned his head sharply, his eyes widening in shock. Seojun was standing right beside him, his expression calm as if nothing had happened.
Andrew couldn't stop himself from shouting. "Ahh!"
Seojun sighed and covered his ears. "Stop it. You scream like a woman," he said flatly.
"Ahhh!" Andrew immediately clamped his hand over his mouth, his heart racing. "Calm down!" he thought, trying to keep his face neutral. "He can't know I saw him kill that guy! Right! Just act normal!"
He let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "S-Sorry! You startled me. A-Anyway, we found Lila! Let's go!"
Without waiting for a response, Andrew turned and started running toward the cabin, his nerves still on edge. Seojun followed behind him silently, his calm presence only adding to Andrew's growing unease.
When Andrew and Seojun arrived at the cabin, everyone turned to look at them. Seojun's eyes immediately went to Lila, who was lying on the makeshift bed with bruises on her face and her hair disheveled.
"What happened to her?" Seojun asked,
"We found her getting beaten up," Kyle explained, sitting by Lila's side. "But the guy was alone, so he retreated when we showed up."
"We're lucky he retreated," Kaye added, brushing her hair back nervously. "If he had attacked us, it's possible he could've gotten the upper hand."
Everyone nodded in agreement. The atmosphere was heavy until suddenly, a loud growling sound filled the room.
"Uh…" Kaye glanced down at her stomach and blushed.
Then another growl came from Kyle, followed by Andrew.
Seojun reached into the bag he had been carrying and pulled out a few packets of food. Kyle's eyes widened in shock. "Where did you get this food?!" he exclaimed.
Seojun casually set the packets down. "I just found it in a bush while looking around. I think they prepared it for us."
Kaye took a packet from her brother, who opened it for her. "This entrance exam is harder than I thought," she muttered between bites. "It feels more like a final exam than an entrance test."
Kyle handed her a drink and opened his own.
"Yeah, it's way more dangerous than I expected," he said, taking a sip.
Lila, still lying down sit down, took a small portion of food from Andrew. "At least we've made it this far. Let's just hope it doesn't get worse."