twenty three

The days after their fragile reconciliation felt like walking on glass for Y/N.

Seong-je's quiet hope was a gentle presence in her life, but beneath it all, a storm was quietly brewing, one she didn't even know was coming.

It began innocently enough.

One afternoon, while Y/N was at the campus café, scrolling through her phone, a message popped up from an unknown number.

"Hey, it's Minjae. We need to talk."

Y/N's heart skipped, memories flickering through her mind, memories she tried hard to bury.

She debated ignoring it but curiosity won.

"What do you want?" she texted back.

Minutes later, Minjae appeared beside her table, arms crossed and wearing that trademark cold smirk.

"Y/N," he greeted, voice smooth but with an edge. "Long time no see."

She stiffened but nodded cautiously. "What do you want, Minjae?"

He pulled up a chair without waiting for an invitation and leaned in, lowering his voice.

"I heard you've been talking to Seong-je again."

Y/N frowned. "Yeah. We're working on a project."

Minjae's eyes darkened. "More than that, I bet."

Y/N's fingers curled into fists. "What's your point?"

He smirked. "Just thought you should know... he's still in the Union."

Her heart sank. "What?"

Minjae pulled out his phone, swiping through photos until he landed on a grainy image of Seong-je standing in a dimly lit room, surrounded by tough-looking guys wearing a jacket with the Union insignia clearly visible.

Y/N stared at the picture, disbelief and hurt crashing through her.

"This... this is from last month," Minjae said, watching her reaction. "So much for him leaving, huh?"

Y/N's world shifted in that moment.

All the quiet promises, the late-night talks, the hope she had started to feel, it felt like it was all built on a lie.

She wanted to scream. To confront Seong-je and demand the truth. But she didn't.

Instead, a cold, distant part of her took over.

The next day at campus, when Seong-je greeted her with his usual soft smile, she barely looked up.

"Y/N, hey," he said cautiously. "You okay?"

"Fine," she replied curtly, avoiding his gaze.

He frowned. "Did I do something wrong?"

She hesitated, then shook her head. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"Talk to me."

She bit back the rising frustration. How could she talk to him when she was questioning everything? The man she thought was trying to leave the past behind was still wrapped in it, hidden behind his silences.

That evening, Minjae texted again.

"I didn't want you to find out this way. But it's better you know the truth."

Y/N stared at the screen, torn between anger and confusion.

Why hadn't Seong-je told her? Why did he keep pretending he was out?

The betrayal stung sharper than she expected.

Over the next few days, Y/N began to pull away.

She skipped study sessions with Seong-je, avoided his texts, and kept her distance in the halls.

When he tried to approach, she would turn cold, her words clipped.

Seong-je was desperate to reach her, but every attempt seemed to push her further away.

One rainy afternoon, Seong-je caught up to Y/N near the library entrance, his voice urgent and pleading.

"Please, Y/N. Just talk to me. Don't shut me out."

She stopped, eyes cold and distant, fighting back tears that threatened to spill.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" she demanded, voice trembling but fierce. "Minjae showed me pictures—proof—that you're still in the Union. How could you lie to me?"

Seong-je's jaw tightened, pain flashing in his eyes. "I'm not in the Union anymore. I left many months ago."

Her laugh was bitter, hollow. "If you left, why would Minjae lie to me? Why would he have those pictures? Why should I believe you?"

"I don't know what Minjae's playing at, but I swear—I'm out. I'm done with that life."

Her gaze dropped, but her voice remained sharp. "You say that, but how am I supposed to trust anything you say? You hid so much from me before. Now it feels like history repeating itself."

Seong-je reached out, desperate to bridge the distance. "I'm trying, Y/N. I want to be honest with you."

She stepped back, the space between them widening. "I can't do this. Not until I know the truth."

That night, Y/N lay awake, the photo Minjae had sent burning in her mind. Despite Seong-je's words, the image haunted her, a vivid, damning reminder she couldn't ignore. 

She wanted to believe him, but how could she when everything she saw told a different story? And she couldn't bring herself to say where the photo came from, not even to him.

Was she betraying her own heart by trusting Minjae's lie? Or was she just protecting herself from being hurt again?

Seong-je, unaware of Minjae's deception, fought his own battles. He had left the Union, broken free from its grip, but the scars ran deep, and the fear of losing Y/N again was unbearable.

He spent sleepless nights crafting messages, begging for a chance to prove himself, messages he never sent.