The school clock glowed 11:58 PM when Seo Hae-won's phone buzzed. A single message from Kang Ji-hoon:
> "Operation: Sweet Escape starts now. Be outside the library."
She tip-toed down her hallway in pajama bottoms and a hoodie, slipped on her sneakers, and crept out the door. In the courtyard, Ji-hoon waited beside the koi pond—black jacket swapped for a ridiculous panda onesie he'd smuggled from an amusement-park prize booth.
"You look… comforting," Hae-won whispered, raising an eyebrow.
He bowed. "Mister Panda at your service."
---
They darted across moonlit grass toward the library's side entrance. Ji-hoon pulled out a key card—hacked earlier from the night guard's car—and swiped it. The door clicked open. They slipped in like professional thieves, hearts pounding.
Inside, the library was a cathedral of silence. Rows of desks stood empty, lamps off. Hae-won carried a duffel bag stuffed with supplies: a mini flashlight, gloves, and—most importantly—frosting-filled cupcakes from Eun-sae's secret midnight bakery.
Ji-hoon led her to the front desk, where the "sacred scroll" awaited: the upcoming English final's answer key that mysteriously vanished days ago. Rumor had it the paper was locked in the librarian's vault. Tonight, they would reclaim it—both for Hae-won's peace of mind and for the promise of bonus points in Panda's Honor Roll.
They found the librarian's office—glass door sealed with a keypad. Ji-hoon tapped the keys in a practiced rhythm: the guard's birthday (October 9th), his badge number (0042), then "1337" for style. The lock clicked, and they slipped inside.
But the vault door loomed in the corner—an industrial safe with a massive combination dial. Hae-won crouched beside it, exhaling. "What's the code?"
Ji-hoon grinned. "You know I don't remember numbers. Wing it."
She bit her lip. Then, recalling the librarian's obsession with cherry blossoms: "April 1st, 2010—her daughter's birthdate." She spun the dial: 04, 01, 10—crack! The vault swung open.
Inside lay neatly stapled pages: the English final answer key.
"Jackpot," Ji-hoon whispered, reaching for the paper—when a metallic CLANG echoed down the hallway.
--
The night guard's flashlight beam swept the corridor outside. They froze.
Ji-hoon hissed: "Plan B!"
He grabbed the cupcakes and shoved them into Hae-won's arms. "Cover!"
Confused but trusting him, she flung a cupcake across the room. The guard's beam caught the white swirl glinting off the glass, and he stepped inside, muttering, "Who threw that—?"
Ji-hoon leaped, Panda suit flailing, and showered the guard with frosting bombs. The startled guard stumbled backward, slipping on a rogue cupcake. Hae-won grabbed the answer key and bolted past him, Ji-hoon close behind.
They dashed through the stacks, knocking over a small tower of encyclopedias. The guard recovered, slick with frosting, and gave chase—his heavy footsteps and angry shouts muffled by the thick rug.
---
Their fastest route led them up the maintenance stairs to the roof. A thin mist curled around the ledges. Hae-won's heart drummed so loudly she was certain even the guard could hear it.
"I owe you one," she gasped. "Thanks… for the cupcakes?"
Ji-hoon held the answer key aloft, grin silly under the panda hood. "Anything for you."
They sprinted to the rooftop door—locked. Above it, a tiny ventilation grate offered an escape. Ji-hoon pulled out a Swiss-Army tool, popped the grate, and they climbed inside.
Just as they shimmed through, the guard slammed the roof door. The grate clanged shut behind them. Hae-won emerged into the ductwork, panting, clutching the papers to her chest.
---
They crawled through narrow vents until they reached an exterior shaft that led to the music room's broken window—where Min-soo had promised to wait with the getaway vehicle: his uncle's beat-up hatchback.
Ji-hoon whistled low: "Min-soo…picked a heck of a spot."
Min-soo appeared in the window, half-asleep, eyes widening at the frosting-smeared panda and the duffel-dump of papers. "Whoa—midnight heist, huh?"
Hae-won hopped down, adjusted her hoodie, and offered Min-soo a cupcake. He sniffed it, shrugged, and took a bite. "Worth it."
In record time, they piled into the hatchback, Ji-hoon tossing the duffel to Hae-won's lap. As Min-soo revved the engine, they heard the guard's distant footsteps pounding behind them—and then, the roar of bike tires as Ji-hoon's motorbike peeled out to trail them.
---
Safe in Hae-won's kitchen at 12:47 AM, they laid out the answer key and—more importantly—the cupcakes. Hae-won brewed milk tea; Ji-hoon dotted tiny frosting flowers on the survivors.
They missed half the questions anyway—mostly because they'd been too busy giggling.
Hae-won smiled at Ji-hoon. "You're ridiculous."
He offered her a cupcake. "But effective."
On her phone, JHighGossip had already erupted:
> "PANDA BANDIT & CUPCAKE QUEEN PULL LIBRARY HEIST!"
Views: 500K | Comments: 8K
Comments ranged from:
"That panda was GOALS."
"I need those cupcakes IRL."
"Midnight snack heist: 10/10 would watch again."
Hae-won chuckled, frosting on her cheek, heart full. "So… worth it?"
Ji-hoon wrapped an arm around her. "Anything for my partner in crime."
And under the warm kitchen light—amid half-eaten cupcakes and stolen exam answers—they shared a quiet, triumphant smile that said: whatever came next, they'd face it together… and eat dessert first.