It’s the second night

Episode 5

A strange mix of unease and relief washed over Juheung. Even though this felt unfamiliar, the glowing text in front of her seemed to be the only thing that could explain the situation.

Thin, shimmering lines floated like mist, forming white letters against a pale blue transparent screen.

[Game Acceptance Reward]

For being kind and brave, you have been sent a gift.

Would you like to open it?

Yes or No

The words didn’t make much sense. Juheung held her breath.

A reward for accepting the game?

A gift? From who?

Her mind raced as she reread the glowing letters again and again.

“The training center exploded. I died. Then this thing appeared, and I accepted its offer to come back to life. But now… I’m in Yoo Haein’s body?”

Before she could process it, the blue screen vanished, and new white letters appeared against the darkness.

[Not just ‘as Yoo Haein’—you have taken over Yoo Haein’s body.]

[Juheung, this body is now yours.]

Juheung’s heart pounded. She hadn’t spoken—only thought those words—but something had responded.

[I am connected to your thoughts.]

Connected… to my mind?

[I can explain everything you want. But first, I suggest opening your reward.]

The glowing screen reappeared.

[Game Acceptance Reward]

For being kind and brave, you have been sent a gift.

Would you like to open it?

Yes or No

Juheung hesitated.

She had accepted the game, but back then, she hadn’t really had a choice. It was either say yes or get swallowed by the void. Now there was a reward?

Curious yet cautious, she reached out and pressed Yes.

[Mafia Game Participation Reward]

Status Recovery: ON

All of Yoo Haein’s previous physical defects have been removed.

Status recovery?

So that’s why her eyesight was fine. That’s why the burns were healing so fast.

Juheung stared at her hands. For the first time, the absurdity of the situation felt real.

“Then… who sent me this?”

“Are you not allowed to say your name? Are you some kind of being that must remain nameless, like Voldemort?”

[Now, let me explain the game.]

Realizing there was no answer, Juheung gave up and quietly read the words appearing before him.

[Mafia Game]

The Mafia game.

It is a well-known social game played by kids and adults alike. There was even a TV show based on it.

You know how it goes—like a game of tag, players sit in a circle and close their eyes while the game master secretly assigns roles.

“The mafia will now be chosen.”

Once the mafia is selected, the same process happens for roles like the doctor, police officer, and judge.

Anyone who is not given a special role is just an ordinary citizen.

When everyone opens their eyes, the game truly begins.

The game always starts in the morning. It seems peaceful, but during the night, the mafia has secretly killed a citizen.

“Last night, the mafia killed citizen OOO. Now, the citizens must work together to find the hidden mafia among them.”

With that announcement, the game master sets the stage, and players start discussing to figure out who the mafia is.

The mafia, on the other hand, tries to lie and manipulate the citizens into making wrong choices.

It’s easy to make mistakes. Sometimes, everyone seems suspicious. Other times, even the mafia seems innocent.

At that moment, the line continued displaying more text, like a rulebook.

[Game Overview]

1. Players are divided into mafia and citizens.

“If this is the game I think it is, I don’t need such a long explanation.”

Juheung took a deep breath and spoke again.

“I’ll ask a question instead.”

[Go ahead.]

It still felt so unreal, but there was no other choice.

If this was really happening, she needed to understand the situation.

“Where are we in the game right now?”

[Stage]

“It is the second morning.”

“The second morning?”

“That means someone died on the first night, and now it’s morning again?”

[That’s right]

Juheung knew that some time had passed since the accident, but it was still only the second morning?

[The game’s time does not match real-life time.]

“What?”

[To move to the second night, certain conditions must be met.]

“What conditions?”

[Just like the moon must become full, you must complete the given quest first.]

“So, I have to go through different steps?”

[Yes. Find the scattered puzzle pieces, observe your surroundings carefully. The mafia and their allies may be closer than you think.]

Closer than expected…

Juheung stared at the quickly appearing words and nodded. Then, she continued thinking.

“Alright, next question.”

“This game… is it connected to my real life?”

“Are you saying that the mafia I need to find is actually the industrial spy from InoSystem? My team has been chasing that spy.”

[Yes, that’s correct. The goal of this game is to find the real culprit behind the case.]

“Then… Yoo Hae-in is not the criminal?”

[Correct. Yoo Hae-in is not the mafia.]

Yoo Hae-in is not the criminal?

Juheung was a hacker.

She always relied on accurate data and logic.

Based on her analysis, Yoo Hae-in was the criminal.

She was helping Detective Sooyoung with the industrial spy case, but she had her own goal.

She was looking for the murderer who killed her entire family three years ago.

At first, she thought it was just a robbery. Back then, Juheung had just joined a major company and was away on training in Jeju Island. She thought her family was just unlucky.

Then, her brother’s friend, Sooyoung, visited her.

“This case isn’t just a simple robbery.”

Not a simple robbery? She couldn’t understand it.

Her family was just normal people. Why wouldn’t this be an ordinary case?

“This is because of your father.”

That’s when she learned the truth.

The man she thought was just a salesman was actually an intelligence officer for the National Intelligence

Service.

And he had leaked classified government secrets.

“Why would he do that?”

“It was because of a woman.”

Sooyoung handed her a picture.

It was a photo of Yoo Hae-in.