021: PAINFUL HEARTBREAKS

"Not every truth hurts, some truths bring eternal happiness. . ." 

- Ha Eun-Bi

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

021: PAINFUL HEARTBREAKS

Rona pov:

I knew that he liked her.

I know that he loves her.

It was pretty obvious by how he looked at her.

Whenever he comes to school, the first thing he does is look for her.

I knew that I didn't stand a chance.

I closed my eyes, letting my tears fall.

But I still thought I stood a chance.

If he got to know me better, I thought he would also fall in love with me.

Flashes of Seok-hoon's kindness popped into my head.

Every single piece of memory that we made was a lie.

Everything. . .

My tears continue to flow down my cheeks.

"Rona!!!"

I shut my eyes upon hearing his voice.

It's the voice I didn't want to hear right now.

"Rona!

Rona!!

Are you okay?"

I wanted to shut everything out.

His voice,

His touch.

His kindness.

"Rona. . ."

He loosed the rope that tied me to the chair.

I opened my eyes when I was free and looked at him angrily.

"Everything was a lie! Every smile you gave, every word you uttered, EVERYTHING!!!"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, Rona."

"I didn't mean to hurt you like that."

"I really am sorry."

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses!"

. . . . . . . .

Rona pov:

I wandered aimlessly.

I just wanted everything and everyone to disappear.

'I just . . . wanted to be happy.'

'I did everything I can to be happy. . .'

'Is it so bad to want happiness?'

'Why can't I belong with him?'

I didn't even notice that I had arrived home.

"Rona! Rona!!"

"Where were you? Do you know what time it is?"

"Where have you been?"

I hugged my mom tight.

All the pain I felt kept me crying and crying as my mom comforted me.

"What happened?"

"What's wrong?"

"I hate them!"

"I hate them all!!"

. . . . . .

My mom tucked me into bed.

She helped me wash up and even dried me.

She didn't ask anything anymore and just. . . helped me.

"Rona. . . Remember this, mom is always here, and I will always be on Rona's side, okay?"

I nodded as she closed the lights and hummed me to sleep.

. . . . . .

Eun-bi pov:

I marched into Min-hyuk's place after I heard what had happened.

When I got inside, his mom greeted me, but my thoughts were too preoccupied to even greet back.

I marched to his bedroom and opened it without permission.

"LEE MIN HYUK!!!"

He didn't even turn to me.

I snatched his phone and immediately looked for the video.

"Explain?"

"What's going on? What are you doing here?"

Her mother angrily confronted me.

"You can't be this rude to me!!" His mother screeched, annoying my ears.

"Mom, it's okay. I'll handle this."

Min-hyuk tried to hold my arm, but I pushed him away.

"What do you think you were doing?!"

"Let's talk somewhere else."

I huffed in annoyance and left their place with his phone in my hand.

He followed behind as his mother gruffed in annoyance, saying words like: "She's so rude," "She's definitely that woman's daughter!" and stuff.

When we reached the pool, I had him unlock his phone again as I browsed through the video, watching the damn thing and looking at his photos.

"WHY!!!"

"WHY WON'T ANY OF YOU LEARN!!!"

"You guys never learn!!!"

"After what you did to that poor girl Min Seol-ah! Here you are again!!"

"When will you stop!!!"

I glared angrily at Min-hyuk, who only looked away from me.

"LEE MIN HYUK!!!"

I screamed for his name to get his attention.

"Bae Rona didn't do anything that warrants this kind of treatment!"

Min-hyuk scoffed at me and looked at me with a smirk.

"Have you forgotten about the dressing room incident? or maybe you've forgotten the photo incident."

"So, you're saying she deserves this because of those! Simply because of those things, you did this to her?"

He pursed his hands in the pocket of his pants and leaned on the wall casually.

"This is her karma. I already reminded her before that she should live quietly in Cheong-ah, but she keeps doing stupid things."

"She caused you and Seok-kyung to fight."

"She keeps competing with you, knowing she doesn't stand a chance, and when she loses, she destroys the gown because she can't accept her loss."

"This is the result of her own insecurities."

"Are you even listening to yourself!!!"

"Ha Eun-bi."

He looked at me with a serious look.

"Cheong-ah high is not a place of equality. We already knew that since day one. Parents donate a tremendous amount to give their children power inside the school."

"It's a mini-political game board where powerful people teach their children how to gain power and wealth. That is Cheong-ah high."

"Her acting as if she can destroy the school's hierarchy got her in that position in the first place!" He says while looking at me boredly.

"But you already know all of that!"

"So just let it be."

"with this, Seok-kyung had already vented out, and Rona must have learned her lesson, so it's two birds with one stone, right?"

. . . . . .

Min-hyuk pov:

I look at Eun-bi, who's still glaring at me.

"That is exactly why I didn't want to enroll in Cheong-ah."

"That kind of mentality and that kind of mindset!"

"Lee Min-hyuk. Until when are you going to act like a stupid spoiled brat!"

"Why do all of you refuse to grow up!"

"Until when will you live like this, LEE MIN-HYUK!"

I sighed again.

This isn't working.

I knew Eun-bi would be coming for us when I saw Rona tied up.

I really didn't care.

But seeing her worked up like this makes me wonder if I should have ensured that what happened never reached her ears.

"Ha Eun-bi. . ."

"I know you're feeling guilty for what happened to Min seol-ah for your sister, but Min Seol-ah and Bae Rona are different. Min Seol-ah is a real victim . . . but Bae Rona isn't. . ."

"They're not different! They're the same."

"They're both talented and have a lot of potential for their futures, but they are suffering just because they weren't born with the same privileges that we have!"

"They're not different at all!!!"

She starts tearing up.

My heart constricted at the sight of her crying.

"Are you going to wait for another tragedy to happen just so you'd wake up?"

"Why can't you see that you are creating victims and monsters yourselves!"

I put my hand on her back, patting her lightly. I tried comforting her, but her cries just became louder.

"You don't have to worry. Bae Rona and Min Seol-ah are different. You must have felt it by now, the kind of person Bae Rona is."

"I'm tired of hoping that all of you will feel guilty about what happened at some point."

She looked at me disappointed, then left without a single word or breath.

. . . . . . .

Eun-bi pov:

Seok-kyung and I haven't spoken ever since I found out about what she did.

I kept her at arm's length, not giving her even a word.

She can't keep doing this.

Seo-jun leaned on the same wall I was leaning. He took out a lemon juice can and handed me one.

I smile when I remember Seok-hoon gave me the first one.

"Are you seriously going to ignore her. . . till when?"

"I don't know."

"You should at least let her explain. She has a good reason for that."

"There is no good enough reason for violence."

"I don't want Seok-kyung to keep thinking that power, money, and influence are good enough reasons to bully people."

"Then tell her that."

"Talk to her. You're friends."

"I can't. Not right now."

Seo-jun stood straight, preparing to leave.

"She misses you, you know."

"Take care of her for me."

"Take care of yourself as well."

We separated like that.

'I really wanted to wait for Seok-kyung and the others to realize their mistake and confess on their own, but with how they're acting, I don't think it will ever come.'

. . . . . . . .

Seok-hoon pov:

I slammed the piano when I kept failing to focus on the music sheet.

I keep making mistakes.

Eun-bi started avoiding me because of what happened to Rona.

I couldn't keep my focus because of that.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

I turned around and saw Eun-bi with two cans of lemon juice.

"By the way, that's school property. You can't destroy it. You'll be pointed out."

I smile at her as she walks closer to me.

"Come sit with me?"

"I would've even if you didn't ask me."

I held her by the waist as she leaned her head on my chest.

"How was your day?"

"Lonely."

"Yours?"

"Horrid."

"I'm sorry for what my sister did. I wish I could do something about it. I really do."

"Seok-hoon-ah. . ."

"Hmm. . ."

She removed herself from me and gazed at me straight, with those doe eyes that looked apologetic.

"Don't hate me, okay?"

I held both her cheeks with my palms and leaned toward her. My nose touched hers, and our lips were inches apart.

"NEVER!"

I place my lips on her.

It was supposed to be a chased kiss.

I was going to pull away, but I. . . couldn't.

Not after she kissed me back.

She places her hands around my neck, pulling me toward her as I put my hands on her waist, pulling her closer to me.

"I love you. . . Ha Eun-bi. . . ."

She pulled away, standing away from me, shocked.

"What?"

"I said I love you, Ha Eun-bi. . ." I stood in front of her, looking at her with a hopeful smile.

"How did you know?"

"When did you know?"

"You and Eun-byeol may look alike, but you're very different inside."

"And you. . . . didn't say anything?"

"I was scared. . . that you would leave."

"I. . . ."

"I know why you came here. Whatever you think you need to do, whatever it is. . . ."

I took her hands and leaned them to my lips before looking at her.

"Do it."

"There is nothing you can do to me or my family that I will ever condone you for."

"I promise."

. . . . . . .

Rona pov:

I thrash everything in my room.

I destroyed the piano mom bought for me while thinking of Seok-hoon and Eun-byeol's kiss earlier at school.

"I HATE YOU!!!"

"I HATE YOU!!!"

I kept throwing everything everywhere.

When I finally got tired, I slumped onto the bed and cried everything out.

"Just because you're rich!

Just because you've known him longer!

Just because of those privileges,

I hate you so much!!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Rona-ya. . ."

"Eomma!"

She ran to me, holding me close.

"I hate them, mom! I hate all of them."

"Shhh. . . it's okay. It's okay."

"You can tell me anything. . ."

"Seok-hoon, Seok-hoon. . ."

I started to tell her everything Seok-kyung did to me.

I told her how they made a bet to make me fall in love with Seok-hoon.

How Seok-hoon used me to distract me from school.

"They broke me, mom! I hate them so much!"

"Sshhhh! Don't cry!"

"Rona! You are stronger than this!"

"Why do they always get everything! Why don't we have anything!"

"Why are we so poor, mom?"

"I hate this! I hate being so poor!!"

"Don't worry! I will do everything to make sure you get everything you deserve!"

"I promise. . ."

. . . . . .

Su-ryeon pov:

I followed Yoon-hee to this hotel.

I didn't want to believe that Yoon-hee would betray me again, but if she really planned on betraying me, I won't go easy on her again.

"Yes, thank you." I smiled at the receptionist and went to the room I had booked.

I set myself on the sofa as I open my listening device.

'Don't do this Yoon-hee shii.'

I wanted it to be a lie.

I didn't want her to choose him and betray me too.

But their conversation just confirmed it.

'You betrayed me, Oh Yoon-hee.'

. . . . . . .

TO BE CONTINUED