Chapter: 55

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The practice for the second match, scheduled for the next day, was in full swing.

Determination radiated from every player as they pushed themselves, desperate to climb the points table and secure their spot in the finals. Yet, beneath their focused expressions lay the lingering weight of doubters-those who, yet again, questioned their abilities.

The players resolve seemed louder than words, each movement an unspoken answer to those who scrutinized them.

But the atmosphere shifted when whispers about Yewon's return and Miyeon taking over as captain began to circulate throughout the university. Disappointment and doubt shadowed Miyeon's every step. They didn't say it to her face, but she could feel it-an unspoken resentment that clung to the air whenever she entered the basketball court.

She understood, to some extent. Yewon wasn't just another player.

She was the universities pride.

When Miyeon first joined the university, Seungkwan, Hoshi and Dokyeom had told her with stories of Yewon's glory days-the university's pride and the team's beacon of hope. They had even won the last tournament under her captaincy two years ago.

Naturally, people had faith in Yewon.

That faith wasn't so easily transferred, especially not to Miyeon, who now bore the weight of proving herself yet again.

As she sat on the bench during their five-minute break-a break she'd grudgingly allowed after nearly an hour of relentless practice-Miyeon's thoughts wandered. Not to the game, not to the strategy, but to something far more unsettling.

Her mind replayed the earlier conversation with Wonwoo. He had cornered her, insisting they talk, his words carrying an urgency that hinted at things she wasn't sure she was ready to hear.

She had tried to avoid him, but their friendship made it nearly impossible. Her sudden distance only raised his suspicion, and Miyeon couldn't risk him finding out why-not yet. Not after the chilling phone call that had thrown her into a spiral and she still had no answer to it.

When they returned to campus, Wonwoo had stopped her before she could escape. His eyes were serious, his voice steady as he said, "There's something you need to know. Something we should have told you a long time ago."

The memory made her chest tighten, her gaze instinctively drifting across the gymnasium. Both boys and girls teams were sharing the court for practice due to space constraints, their upcoming matches leaving no room for otherwise thoughts.

Her eyes traced the players movements-Mingyu and Seungcheol deep in discussion, Joshua and Taehyung practicing their shots, and then, there he was.

The guy who so generously was capturing her heart and mind all the time.

The same guy who was staring at her at the moment.

Yoon Jeonghan.

And the memory of them dancing under the starry night sky crossed her mind.

Miyeon blinked, startled. Her expression must have caught him off guard too because his eyes widened slightly before he masked it and gave her a small smile. But the concern etched into his features was unmistakable.

'So, Wonwoo must have told him I know', she thought, breaking their eye contact.

Her gaze shifted to her own team.

Hara and Sohee were helping each other stretch their sore muscles, their laughter light despite their exhaustion. Yewon, in stark contrast, sat alone in the corner, her face as unbothered as ever while listening to something Hana told her.

Something twisted in Miyeon's chest as she recalled her conversation with Jeonghan the day before, the way she had urged him to mend things with Yewon. She wasn't naive-she knew there was history between them, something fractured but still present.

Shaking off the thought, Miyeon's attention landed on the one person who had occupied her mind the most at the moment.

Yejin.

Sitting against the wall with her head tilted back, her eyes closed, and sweat glistening on her forehead, Yejin seemed entirely unaware of the weight gathering in the room.

"Yejin," Miyeon called out, her voice firm and cutting through the gym like a blade. She rose from the bench ignoring the quick wave of dizziness, the sudden movement drawing every pair of eyes toward her.

Yejin stirred, lifting her head in confusion, her expression clouded as she looked at Miyeon, "Captain?", she asked softly confused, but her voice carried across the now-silent court.

Miyeon's face betrayed no emotion, her cold demeanor unsettling those watching. The boys exchanged wary glances, already anticipating what might unfold. Wonwoo had warned them after showing Miyeon the CCTV footage, but none of them had expected her to act so decisively-or so publicly.

Jeonghan's eyes darted across the court, his thoughts racing. Should he intervene, or let Miyeon handle this in her own way? He hesitated, caught between wanting to protect her and fearing he might only make things worse.

The look on her face was a peculiar mix of anger and something entirely unfamiliar to him. She had always been like an open book-smiling brightly in her happiest moments or wearing her emotions unabashedly when things went wrong.

But now, there was a sharpness to her expression, a restrained intensity that caught him off guard a little.

Her anger wasn't the explosive kind; it was quiet, simmering just beneath the surface, as though she were holding it together by sheer force of will. Yet, mingled with that anger was an undeniable confusion, her eyes flickering with questions she couldn't-or wouldn't-voice.

It was a side of her he had never seen before: controlled but volatile, vulnerable yet unyielding. The duality of it unsettled him, making him wonder if he truly understood her fully at all and he knew the answer.

He didn't.

But even in the unfamiliarity of her expression, he knew one thing with absolute certainty-he wanted to understand it all. Every part of her. The light she so easily shared with the world and the shadows she kept locked away.

He was willing to face the storm and the calm, to accept her in all her complexity.

If she was the midnight sky, with its mysteries and shadows, he was ready to be her daylight-a steady, unwavering presence to meet her darkness and make it whole.

Before anyone could make a move, Miyeon spoke again, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Let's go out. I need to talk to you."

The words hung heavy in the air, and Yejin slowly rose to her feet. Her eyes flickered around the gym, confusion and unease twisting her features as her met eyes with others in the large gymnasium, all holding same confused expression, except some.

But there was something more, something darker-a shadow that seemed to linger in the depths of her expression, making her look eerily detached, almost out of place in the bright, bustling gym.

As she moved to follow Miyeon, the tension in the room thickened. No one dared to speak, the weight of unspoken questions pressing down on everyone.

"Let's just hope our university doesn't make headlines for a murder case tomorrow," Mingyu muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

His comment earned him a mix of reactions: a sharp glare from Joshua, followed by a disapproving shake of the head from Seungcheol and Taehyung.

"Seriously, Gyu?" Joshua's tone cut through the tension like a knife.

Mingyu only shrugged, but their exchange did little to ease the unease that hung in the air.

A few corridors away, Miyeon leaned against the cold wall, her expression carefully composed, betraying none of the storm raging inside her. Truth be told, she didn't fully understand what she was feeling herself.

As she stood there, mere feet away from a visibly nervous Yejin, her emotions churned-a mix of apprehension and dread.

She was nervous about what she might uncover by the end of this conversation.

And she was afraid of what that truth might mean.

But most of all, she couldn't ignore the weight of what she already knew-or rather, what she had seen.

Breaking the tense silence, Miyeon tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, her voice sharp and deliberate. "Why do you look so nervous, Yejin?"

Yejin jolted slightly, her posture stiffening as if caught in a trap. Her nervous laugh came out strained. "Nervous? Captain, you called me out of nowhere. Who wouldn't be?"

Miyeon's sharp gaze didn't falter. She had seen it all before-bitten lips, restless hands, the subtle sway of someone trying to ground themselves. Yejin was a bundle of unease, and every small gesture confirmed it.

"Are you sure that's it?" Miyeon asked again, her voice cutting through the feigned casualness like ice.

"Yeah," Yejin replied, though the quiver in her voice betrayed her.

"Let's cut the crap."

Miyeon didn't bother with more small talk. Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she scrolled for a moment before finding what she needed. Her chat with Wonwoo. Without a word, she turned the screen toward Yejin.

The reaction was immediate.

Yejin froze, her blood running cold as her eyes locked on the video playing on the tiny screen. Her face went pale, and Miyeon noted the flicker of recognition that crossed her features.

Despite her panic, Yejin's gaze stayed glued to the video.

The grainy footage was from of the security camera positioned outside their team's changing room. It showed Yejin in her competition uniform right before their first match, animatedly talking to someone-a girl whose face was unmistakable.

Wen Jiyang.

Miyeon didn't say a word, letting the video do the talking.

Anyone else might've assumed it was a harmless interaction, but Yejin knew better. She could almost feel the walls closing in as she stared at the damning video.

She had spent years publicly voicing her disdain for Wen Jiyang, dismissing her at every opportunity. And yet, here she was, smiling, laughing, and engaging in what looked like a friendly conversation.

The video ended on a damning note: Yejin typing in the changing room's passcode-a code meant strictly for team members and staff-and ushering Jiyang inside while she herself left to god knows where.

The realization hit her like a tidal wave.

She had broken the rules.

And worse, she had been caught.

Miyeon's gaze burned into her, unrelenting. The silence between them was suffocating, heavy with unspoken accusations. Yejin could feel the weight of Miyeon's thoughts, her captain's mind likely racing with all the ways this could be connected to... everything.

She didn't need Miyeon to say it.

She had screwed up.

And she had no idea how to fix it.

The silence dragged on, suffocating and oppressive, as Yejin tried to steady her breathing. She was sure Miyeon was furious and she was afraid that if the rest of her team knew, she would be done for.

It wasn't just about the rule-though breaking the passcode rule was bad enough. Miyeon was strict about discipline, especially when it came to their team ever since last week she started her tenure as their captain.

Allowing an outsider, let alone someone like Wen Jiyang, into the changing room was a betrayal of trust, and Yejin could feel the weight of that judgment pressing down on her.

"I know it looks bad," Yejin started, her voice faltering as she glanced up at Miyeon's cold, unreadable expression, "But I swear, it wasn't... I mean, it wasn't what it looks like. We've been friends and she just needed-"

Miyeon held up a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence, "Stop."

The single word was enough to freeze Yejin in place, her excuses dying in her throat.

Miyeon's gaze was sharp, her eyes narrowing as she studied Yejin like a puzzle she was trying to solve. Yejin swallowed hard, feeling her stomach churn. She couldn't tell if Miyeon's silence was worse than her potential anger.

"You really think I care this much about the broken passcode rule?" Miyeon finally said, her tone calm but laced with an edge that sent chills down Yejin's spine.

Yejin blinked confused, caught off guard, "Isn't that-"

"No," Miyeon interrupted, leaning forward slightly, "This isn't about that. At least, not entirely."

Her words hung in the air, and Yejin felt her stomach drop.

Miyeon exhaled sharply, pulling back her phone and swiping to something else. She didn't turn the screen toward Yejin this time, but her grip on the device tightened. When she spoke again, her voice was lower, quieter.

"This is about my drink being tampered with."

The words hit Yejin like a slap. Her eyes widened, and her mind scrambled to make sense of what she'd just heard. While her mind played different possibilities of her being at fault, this was definitely not on her list.

"Your... drink?" she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Miyeon nodded slowly, her expression darkening and calcukative ad she stared at her, "During the last competition. Someone messed with it. I've spent the past week trying to figure out who could've done it, and guess what?"

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.

"Every clue led me to Wen Jiyang. How? That's for me to know."

Yejin's breath caught in her throat. Her gaze darted back to the phone in Miyeon's hand, the video playing over and over in her mind.

"But... but what does that have to do with me?" Yejin stammered, panic creeping into her voice. She didn't want to be swept in something she wasn't responsible for. Especially not something as big as drink tampering.

Yejin's mind raced as she pieced everything together, her chest tightening with a mix of fear and dread. She knew what Miyeon had been through. Everyone did. And now, she understood it wasn't just Miyeon's anger she was facing-it was the weight of the entire team bearing down on her.

The memories hit her like a tidal wave, each one sharper than the last.

She hadn't missed the cold, accusing stares of Jeonghan, Wonwoo, and Dokyeom the day they had come to check on Miyeon. The three of them hadn't said much, but their silence had been louder than words.

Nor had she forgotten the way Nari, Joshua, Taehyung, Mingyu, and Seungcheol had sized her up the other day, their skepticism practically oozing from their eyes. It wasn't just suspicion-it was the look of people already convinced of her guilt.

And then there were Seungkwan and Hoshi. Their avoidance had stung the most. They hadn't glared or accused her outright, but their sudden reluctance to even meet her eyes spoke volumes.

It all made sense now.

The realization clawed its way into her chest, leaving a suffocating weight.

Yejin's lips twitched, a strange smile threatening to curl at the edges. It wasn't happiness-far from it. Her expression was unsettling, almost eerie, as if she were teetering on the edge of laughter and despair. Her wide eyes darted around the corridor, catching every flicker of shadow, every phantom movement, as paranoia began to creep into her veins.

They all thought she was involved.

They all thought she was capable of... what? Poisoning Miyeon's drink? Ruining the team's trust? Aligning herself with Wen Jiyang of all people?

Her fingers fidgeted at her sides, nails digging into her palms. The truth of the matter was irrelevant now. Perception was everything, and their perception of her was clear.

Yejin swallowed hard, her throat dry as the pieces of this puzzle fell into place. It wasn't just about the rule she had broken or the video Miyeon had shown her.

It was about how far the damage had spread.

Her eerie smile faltered for a moment, replaced by the faintest flicker of panic. She had no idea how she would claw her way out of this-or if there was even a way out at all.

Miyeon's eyes narrowed, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You tell me, Yejin. What were you doing talking to Jiyang? Laughing with her? Bringing her into our changing room? A place she had no business being?"

"I-I didn't know!" Yejin blurted out, shaking her head, "I swear, I didn't know anything about that!"

"Then why was she there?" Miyeon's voice was sharp now, cutting through Yejin's frantic denials.

Yejin's mind raced, replaying her encounter with Jiyang. She thought back to the conversation they'd had outside the changing room, the way Jiyang had smiled so sweetly, the way she'd insisted it was important.

"I... I didn't think it was a big deal. I didn't tell the team or anyone but me and her... we've known eachother for a while. That day-," Yejin admitted, her voice cracking. "She said she needed to drop something off for someone on the team. I didn't ask questions because I trusted her. I just..."

"You just let her in," Miyeon finished for her, her tone dripping with disappointment.

Yejin's chest tightened. She wanted to defend herself, to explain that she hadn't meant any harm, but she knew how it looked. The video was damning, and now, with Miyeon's accusation hanging over her, it all felt even worse.

Miyeon straightened, crossing her arms as she studied Yejin carefully. "Whether you knew or not, you've put yourself in the middle of this. Jiyang was in that room because of you, and now I need you to tell me everything-every single thing-about that conversation you had with her."

Yejin hesitated, her heart pounding. The weight of Miyeon's words settled over her like a heavy blanket, suffocating and inescapable.

And in the pit of her stomach, she knew there was no way out of this without consequences. Therefore, she ended up telling her everything.

Or so she wanted Miyeon to believe.

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Anyways, how have you all been?

What do you think of Yejin? Is she involved or just being suspected wrongly.

Or even better.

Is Jiyang even involved and are their suspicions without proof valid?

Happy Reading!📚🤍