THE ARCHITECT OF SILENCE

THE ARCHITECT OF SILENCE

CHAPTER 6

PARK JAE IN’S POV

Witness.

I almost laughed.

Ridiculous.

The door opened.

Mi Jin walked in.

Her hand was wrapped in white gauze — stained faintly pink.

I froze.

Witness.

Her?

Detective Song straightened immediately.

“Miss—”

“Do I have to introduce myself?” she interrupted.

Her voice was calm.

Flat.

Like she was asking about the weather.

The detective stepped aside.

She didn’t even look at him.

She looked at me.

Not angry.

Not hurt.

Just… measuring.

Then she lifted her bandaged hand slightly.

“She attempted to kill me.”

Silence.

I stared at the bandage.

It looked like a deep cut.

Convincing.

Too convincing.

My lips curved.

“She cut herself,” I said lightly. “You expect me to believe I did that?”

She smiled.

Slow.

Small.

And that’s when something felt wrong.

***

*THURSDAY*

*MI JIN AH’S POV*

The classroom was quiet.

I rested my head on the desk.

Not listening to whatever the teacher was saying because—

Even if you score perfectly—

You will always be ranked last.

That is how systems maintain order.

Breaktime.

Whispers outside.

A disturbance at the gate.

I didn’t need to look.

They always protect their golden girl.

The door slid open.

Park Jae In walked in.

Untouched.

Unpunished.

Expected.

She walked toward me.

No hesitation.

Then—

Crack.

My face turned with the force of the slap.

The class inhaled sharply.

Stronger than before.

Progress.

“Attempted murder?” she spat. “Me?”

I looked up at her slowly.

Studied the anger in her pupils.

Fear hidden under arrogance.

Good.

***

*FLASHBACK – POLICE STATION*

She shoved me.

I let myself fall.

Timing matters.

I hit the floor.

Hard enough.

Not enough to injure.

Then I opened my eyes wide.

Shallow breathing.

Pulse controlled.

And I whispered—

“Mom…”

The room froze.

Detective Song moved forward.

I covered my ears.

Shaking.

Scanning empty corners like something was there.

“Mom… please stop…”

My voice cracked perfectly on the second syllable.

Park Jae In stepped back.

Confused.

The detective crouched.

“Miss Mi Jin, what do you see?”

I didn’t answer.

I stared past him.

At nothing.

Let my pupils tremble.

Controlled dilation.

Breathing uneven.

Hands trembling just enough.

I made sure my body looked small.

Breakable.

Victim.

Inside?

Silence.

Stillness.

No fear.

No memories.

Just calculation.

Park Jae In snapped.

“She’s acting! She always does this!”

Good.

Anger makes people loud.

Loud people look guilty.

I let one tear fall.

Only one.

Perfect timing.

***

*BACK TO PRESENT – CLASSROOM*

Jae In leaned down close to me.

“At least I have parents,” she whispered. “What about you? Yours left.”

Left me?

I almost smiled.

She never left.

She simply stepped off the stage.

And left the script to me.

My mother—

The woman who made powerful men disappear.

The one newspapers named—

The Serial Killer of Seoullungro.

They called her a monster.

I called her disciplined.

Jae In straightened.

Laughing.

She thinks I’m fragile.

She thinks I’m unstable.

She thinks she won.

I touched the fading mark on my cheek.

And calculated how long she had left.

Not long.

*END OF CHAPTER 6

______________________________________________

THE ARCHITECT OF SILENCE

*CHAPTER 7*

*AFTER SCHOOL*

My phone beeped.

Message:

Witness Mi Jin Ah, you are summoned to the investigation on 13/02/24.

Crazy.

I had told them everything.

What more did they want?

I walked home.

The streetlights were already on.

Then—

That feeling.

That suffocating feeling of being watched.

I stopped.

Looked around.

No one.

I brushed it off.

But still—

I had already figured it out.

Someone was following me.

***

*FRIDAY*

I sat face to face with the detective.

Detective Song cleared his throat.

"Miss Mi Jin—"

"What else do you want me to tell you?" I cut him off.

He stood abruptly.

"That is exactly why I summoned you. Mrs. Park has been released."

I blinked.

Released?

"They presented medical records. Multiple personality disorder. I was ordered to leave the case immediately."

I chuckled.

Multiple personality.

Wow.

"So what?" I said flatly. "Who cares?"

He leaned closer.

"I want to reopen the case. This time she won’t win. Do you have anything? Evidence? Something that proves her involvement in the murder… or in attempting to kill you?"

I don’t remember how he managed to convince me.

Manipulate me.

Fool me.

But I gave him everything.

The pictures.

The bag.

The tools she used.

Everything.

And then—

Her case was officially closed.

***

I opened my eyes.

Class hadn’t started yet.

The door opened.

Park Jae In walked in.

The entire class applauded.

I chuckled.

"Congratulations on proving your innocence!" one girl shouted.

"I knew someone framed you! But still, you really put them back in their place!"

Laughter filled the room.

Ridiculous.

I stood up.

I needed air.

Then—

All the phones beeped at once.

The sound echoed like a warning alarm.

I froze.

Slowly, students began looking at me.

Like I was already guilty.

I opened my phone.

> PARK JAE IN:

> Everyone deserves to know who Mi Jin really is.

> Mi Jin is a psychopath. She manipulates people. She even tried to sue me.

> But guess what? The story isn’t over.

> Do you know her mother? Guess who she is?

*STAY UPDATED FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PSYCHOPATH OF SEOUL HIGH SCHOOL.*

Wow.

I slowly turned to her.

There was no need to act rashly.

Everyone stared.

Whispers.

Pointing fingers.

Judging eyes.

I smiled.

And then—

I started clapping.

The murmurs grew louder.

Shock.

Confusion.

Fear.

The only calm person in the room—

Park Jae In.

She looked normal.

Perfect.

Untouched.

But—

I saw it.

A flicker.

A crack.

Fear.

In her eyes.

Stupid.

Silence is louder than noise.

Mrs. Gong, our literature teacher, entered.

"Mi Jin, take your seat. Lessons have started."

I looked at her.

Cold.

Then smiled—

Just enough.

Enough to make her uneasy.

Then—

I walked out.

*END OF CHAPTER 7*

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