Deadly Riddle

That evening, Jae Hyun was lounging on his couch, a bowl of popcorn in his lap and a classic action movie playing on the TV. The dim light of the screen illuminated his small but cozy living room. Despite the chaos of his morning, the night felt calm and relaxing. He laughed at the movie's dramatic fight scenes, his worries momentarily forgotten.

Meanwhile, far across town, at a quiet and desolate dock, the atmosphere was anything but peaceful. The dim glow of streetlights barely illuminated the shadowy figures moving around the area. Expensive and mysterious cars were parked in a row, their engines still humming softly.

A group of men stood near a warehouse, discussing their plans in hushed voices. Inside the warehouse, the scene was chilling. Large metal tables were covered with strange chemicals, powders, and equipment. The place reeked of danger and secrecy—it was a drug production lab.

At the center of the operation stood a man in his mid-40s, wearing a sleek black suit and a stern expression. He was the leader, a figure known only as "Chairman Kang." He held a phone to his ear, his voice cold and calculating as he spoke to someone on the other end.

"It's time," Chairman Kang said firmly. "I want the tests to begin tonight. Make sure the formula is perfect. We can't afford any mistakes."

The voice on the other end replied with a hint of nervousness. "Understood. I've already completed the preliminary research. The new compound is ready for production. It's more potent and undetectable than ever."

Chairman Kang's lips curled into a smirk. "Good. You've done well, Professor Lee. Your talents have proven to be invaluable to this operation."

Professor Lee, a brilliant but morally ambiguous scientist, had been working in secrecy for months. Known for his groundbreaking research in chemistry, he had recently completed a project that could change the game entirely. Unbeknownst to the world, his "secret formula" wasn't for any noble purpose—it was a key ingredient in a new and highly addictive drug.

The professor stood in his private lab, surrounded by complex machinery and test tubes filled with glowing liquids. He adjusted his glasses, his face a mix of pride and apprehension. He had just finished crafting the first batch of the secret compound, a product of his genius and questionable ethics.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Kang," the professor muttered under his breath after ending the call. Despite his loyalty to the operation, a small part of him couldn't shake the unease growing inside him.

Back at the dock, Chairman Kang turned to his men and barked orders. "Double the security tonight. No one goes in or out without my permission. This is our future, and I won't let anyone interfere."

As the night wore on, the warehouse became a hive of activity. Workers moved quickly, preparing the first batch of the new drug for distribution. Little did they know, their actions were setting the stage for a chain of events that would change everything.

In his living room, Jae Hyun stretched and turned off the TV, completely unaware of the danger brewing just miles away. He had no idea that his peaceful life was about to collide with a dark and dangerous underworld—a world where greed, power, and betrayal ruled.

The next day, during the lunch break, Jae Hyun and Seok Woo decided to take a walk around the school grounds. The sun was shining, and the air felt fresh, but there was a strange tension lingering in the air. As they turned the corner near the school garden, they noticed a commotion near one of the benches.

A male student was crouched on the ground, visibly shaking. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were wide and wild, darting around as if he were terrified of something unseen. He suddenly gripped his hair tightly, pulling at it and muttering incoherently, as if in extreme discomfort.

"What's wrong with him?" Jae Hyun asked, stopping in his tracks, concern etched on his face.

The student let out a low, guttural sound, then began scratching at his arms like he was on fire. He moved erratically, tugging at his clothes and breathing heavily, his behavior growing more and more unsettling. Other students kept their distance, watching in shock but unsure of what to do.

Seok Woo frowned deeply. "This… this looks bad," he said, crossing his arms. "Maybe it's the effect of drugs."

Jae Hyun turned to him sharply. "Drugs? How would you know that?"

Seok Woo shrugged. "I've seen it before, back when I hung out with a rougher crowd. Some cheap, experimental stuff can mess you up like this."

Jae Hyun glanced back at the student, his gaze narrowing. "If that's true, why are the teachers just letting this happen? Someone needs to step in!" His voice was laced with frustration, but he noticed none of the teachers were paying any attention to the situation, almost as if they were deliberately ignoring it.

Then Jae Hyun noticed something strange. As he looked closer from a distance, he could see the student's hands trembling violently. But there was more—his hands had a greenish hue, and something unnatural was growing on his skin. Tiny clusters of green fungus, almost like mold, were spreading across his fingers and palms. They glistened faintly under the sunlight, spreading slowly but visibly, almost like a living organism.

"Seok Woo," Jae Hyun said, his voice low and tense, "look at his hands."

Seok Woo squinted, his expression turning from confusion to alarm as he noticed the fungal growth. "What the hell… is that? That's not normal."

The student suddenly let out a piercing scream, drawing even more attention. He clawed at his hands as if trying to scrape off the fungus, but it was no use—it seemed to spread even faster with every frantic movement.

Students around him began to back away in fear, some covering their mouths to stifle their gasps. The atmosphere turned chaotic, whispers and murmurs spreading like wildfire.

Jae Hyun and Seok Woo exchanged worried glances. "This isn't just some drug issue," Jae Hyun said firmly. "Something else is going on here."

Seok Woo nodded, his usual cocky demeanor replaced by genuine concern. "You're right. This is something worse. But if it's spreading like that…" He trailed off, his voice heavy with the weight of realization.

Jae Hyun clenched his fists, his mind racing. "We need to figure out what's happening before it gets worse. That guy—he could be in real danger. And if it's contagious…" He didn't finish the sentence, but the unspoken fear hung heavily in the air.

The two of them stood frozen, watching the horrifying scene unfold, unsure of what to do but fully aware that something far bigger was at play. Whatever was happening, it was just the beginning.

Jae Hyun and Seok Woo quickly made their way back to the school hallway, their expressions grim. They glanced around to ensure no one was too close before whispering to Min Joon and Ji Hoon, who were casually leaning against a locker.

"Guys, something really weird just happened," Jae Hyun began, his voice low but urgent.

Seok Woo nodded in agreement, looking unusually serious. "We saw a student in the courtyard acting like… I don't even know how to describe it. Like he was losing his mind. And his hands—" He hesitated, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "They had these green fungi growing on them, spreading fast."

Ji Hoon raised an eyebrow, his usual calm demeanor intact, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes. "What? Fungi? Are you sure you didn't just imagine it?"

Min Joon, on the other hand, leaned in closer, his curiosity piqued. "Wait, are you serious? Fungi on his hands? That's insane. Are you saying it's some kind of infection?"

Jae Hyun shot him a sharp look. "We're not joking, Min Joon. This is real. And the teachers… they're not doing anything about it. It's like they're ignoring it on purpose."

Before they could continue, a faint shuffling sound came from behind them. The group froze. Turning their heads slightly, they noticed a student lingering a few lockers away, trying to appear inconspicuous.

The boy's eyes darted toward them, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Fungi, huh? Something spreading around? Sounds creepy," he said, loud enough for everyone in the hallway to hear.

Jae Hyun stiffened. "Hey, keep it down!" he hissed, stepping forward to confront the boy. "This isn't something to joke about."

But the student, clearly enjoying the attention, raised his voice even more. "Hey, everyone! Did you hear that? They're saying someone has fungi growing on their hands! Like some kind of zombie infection or something!"

Heads began to turn. Whispers spread like wildfire through the hallway as more students stopped to eavesdrop. The boy continued, his grin widening. "Next thing you know, we'll all be turning green!"

"Shut up!" Seok Woo growled, grabbing the boy by the shoulder. "This isn't a game."

The boy shrugged off Seok Woo's hand, still smirking but now slightly wary of Seok Woo's intimidating presence. "Relax, I'm just having some fun. Don't take it so seriously."

Min Joon sighed, rubbing his temples. "Great. Now everyone's going to know about this."

Ji Hoon stayed silent, his gaze drifting toward the gathering crowd. "This is going to spiral out of control fast," he muttered under his breath.

Jae Hyun clenched his fists, frustration boiling inside him. "We need to figure this out before it gets worse. Let's go somewhere private to talk. This idiot has already caused enough trouble."

The four of them hurriedly left the scene, ignoring the curious stares and whispers following them. As they rounded a corner, Jae Hyun's mind raced. Whatever this was, it wasn't just some harmless rumor—it felt like the start of something much bigger, and much more dangerous.

The chaos in the school escalated quickly as the police arrived and began escorting the infected student out of the building. Students gathered near the hallways, peering through windows to catch a glimpse of the scene. Teachers whispered among themselves, confusion and fear evident in their expressions.

Jae Hyun stood by the window, watching as the police car drove away with the student in the backseat. He clenched his fists, feeling a strange sense of unease. This wasn't normal. He needed answers. His eyes darted across the schoolyard, scanning the distance until he spotted someone familiar—a tall man in a sleek suit, standing near the school gates.

It was none other than his sister's boyfriend, Agent Kang Ji Woon, a highly skilled narcotics officer specializing in dismantling underground drug operations. Jae Hyun quickly opened the window and shouted, "Ji Woon hyung!"

The agent turned his head sharply, his professional demeanor not faltering even when he saw Jae Hyun waving at him. Ji Woon casually adjusted his earpiece and walked toward the school building, entering through a side door to avoid drawing too much attention.

Meanwhile, at the docks,The air was thick with tension as members of the cartel scrambled around the warehouse. A shipment of chemicals had gone missing, and their leader, Mr. Kwon, was furious. He slammed his fist onto a table stacked with papers, sending a cup of coffee flying.

"How could this happen?!" Mr. Kwon roared, glaring at his subordinates. "I told you to double the security! Do you know what this means if we lose even one batch of that formula?"

One of the cartel members nervously stepped forward, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Sir, we're doing everything we can to track it down. It must've been an inside job. There's no other explanation."

Mr. Kwon leaned in close, his voice dangerously calm. "If you don't find out who's responsible, you'll wish you had disappeared along with that shipment."

The room fell silent as the leader stormed out, leaving his men scrambling to organize a plan. Outside, the waves crashed against the dock, the eerie glow of headlights from parked vehicles reflecting off the water. The operation had been running smoothly for years, but now everything was starting to fall apart.

Back at the lab ,The infected student sat restrained in a sterile, white room within a secure medical facility. The walls were lined with advanced scientific equipment, and a team of specialists in protective suits surrounded him. Monitors beeped steadily, recording his vitals. The student's breathing was erratic, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Dr. Han, the head scientist on the team, stepped forward and adjusted his glasses. "Begin the examination," he ordered.

One of the assistants carefully rolled up the student's sleeve, revealing his arm covered in spreading green fungal growth. The patches of mold pulsed faintly, as though alive. The assistant recoiled slightly but maintained professionalism as they prepared to take a sample.

The student suddenly opened his eyes, his expression wild and panicked. He thrashed against the restraints, screaming incoherently. "It's burning! It's burning inside me!"

Dr. Han's eyes narrowed. "Sedate him. Quickly."

Before the assistant could administer the sedative, the fungal growth on the student's arm began to spread more aggressively, creeping up his neck and down to his torso. The monitors started beeping erratically, signaling a spike in his heart rate.

"This… this isn't a normal infection," one of the scientists whispered. "It's almost… evolving."

Dr. Han stepped back, his face pale but determined. "We need to contain this immediately. If this spreads further, we could be dealing with a biological catastrophe."

Unbeknownst to them, Jae Hyun and Ji Woon were already on their way to uncover the truth behind the infection. The threads of the cartel's secret operations and the mysterious substance were starting to intertwine, and time was running out to stop what could become a disaster far beyond their control.

At the end of the school day, chaos erupted as students hurried to leave the building. Whispers and rumors filled the air about the infected student taken by the police earlier. Fear and curiosity mingled as theories spread—was it a disease? A drug experiment gone wrong? The school buzzed with uncertainty and unease.

Jae Hyun, Min Joon, Seok Woo, and Ji Hoon walked together toward the school gate, trying to process the day's events. They spoke quietly, their voices blending with the crowd's chatter.

"That kid... in the lab," Min Joon muttered. "What if it wasn't just him? What if it spreads?"

"Don't start," Seok Woo said, trying to sound confident, though his eyes darted nervously. "The police will handle it. It's not like we can do anything."

Jae Hyun stayed silent, replaying the image of the student's green fungal growths in his mind. There was something deeply unsettling about it, something that didn't sit right.

As the crowd around them thinned, the four continued their conversation, unaware of a presence trailing behind them.

A few steps back, another student walked slowly, their movements unnaturally stiff. The boy looked pale, his face drenched in sweat despite the cool air. His eyes darted around nervously, and his fingers trembled as he clutched his bag.

Step by step, the boy moved closer, his breathing shallow and ragged. His lips murmured incoherently, as if he were arguing with himself. A faint green hue shimmered along the veins of his hand, but no one noticed.

Jae Hyun and the others were too caught up in their hushed conversation to realize what was happening behind them.

"If it's something serious, why aren't the teachers doing anything?" Jae Hyun said, his voice filled with frustration.

"Exactly," Min Joon added. "They're just ignoring it, hoping it goes away. What if someone else gets sick?"

The group reached the school gate, their focus solely on their conversation. The boy trailing behind them suddenly paused. His head twitched slightly, his body stiffening as if fighting an invisible force. His breathing grew heavier, and for a brief moment, his wild, unfocused eyes fixed on Jae Hyun and the others.

Without warning, the boy staggered sideways, gripping his arm in pain. His fingers curled into a claw, and a faint, guttural noise escaped his lips. He turned abruptly and stumbled away, vanishing into the dispersing crowd.

Unaware of the eerie scene that had just unfolded, Jae Hyun and his friends continued walking, oblivious to the silent threat that had been mere steps behind them.