Bittersweet | Do Kyung-seok

𝟬𝟳. second guessing

CHAPTER SEVEN
i'm harder to forget than i was to leave

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     𝐅unny how it only takes a minute or a few words for everything to go downhill. Frankly, Chaewon thought the night was going decent so far. Then everybody else started talking about everybody's faces and bodies like they were mere toys that either needed fixing or just simply made perfect. It was really infuriating how one person can think such things about other people.

     It was absurd. Chaewon had to bite her tongue to stop herself from blowing up at them, knowing it usually never goes well on her side when she finishes telling the truth. Some of them were uncomfortable with the topic, but it went unnoticed by the oblivious people around them.

      It didn't make it any better when Soo-ah suddenly started throwing a bunch of compliments towards Mirae who was sitting beside her, which obviously turned everyone's attention to the quiet girl. Everybody grew silent. There were a few skeptical faces here and there, and Chaewon wasn't stupid to see that not everyone believed Mirae's beauty was 'natural'.

     Well, what if it was? It doesn't matter. Chaewon's face hardened as she picked on her food, hating how she was surrounded by a bunch of judgmental fools. Eventually, though, a few of them began agreeing with what Soo-ah said. Just because they want to get on her good side and not because they actually believe it.

     Soo-ah's smile grew wider. "Mirae didn't do any plastic surgery either."

     Almost like a pin dropped, an uncomfortable silence engulfed the whole table. Chaewon shut her eyes, sighing heavily as she lowered her glass. Someone cleared their throat. She craned her neck in Soo-ah's direction, a bittersweet smile on her lips. They finally tipped her patience.

     "Hey, Soo-ah," Chaewon called calmly.

     Her expression split with innocence when the girl looked at her. "Hm?"

     Before she could say what she wanted to say, Do Kyung-seok came between her and Soo-ah as he placed a dish on their table. Chaewon refrained from the urge to roll her eyes and clenched her fists. He definitely knew she was about to blurt out something hurtful towards the girl without a care in the world.

     "Hey." He looked down at Soo-ah with a blank stare. "You think it's funny?"

     "What do you mean?" She asked naively.

     "Is it fun?" Kyung-seok slipped his hands into his pockets, still wearing his black apron over his waist as he repeated his words. 

     "Oh, you mean, the frosh week party?" Soo-ah said, glancing around obliviously. Her pretty little innocent smile never faded. "Of course, it's fun."

     Chaewon scoffed loudly, urging some eyes on her. Kyung-seok almost tilted his head to look at her, but he wasn't done with the popular girl. He almost laughed, too when she answered. He wasn't sure if she was just completely oblivious to the fact she was being a total shit to someone or just acting like one.

     "The frosh party week?" Kyung-seok said incredulously. "I'm talking about your ridiculous act."

     "I don't know what you're saying."

     "Or you're just pretending like you don't know."

    His words turned Soo-ah speechless. She obviously had no more excuses to say and Kyung-seok wasn't stupid enough to play into her act. So she did the last thing she could do. Soo-ah really did her best to look like the victim as she slowly looked down, tears gathering in her eyes. Her pitiful act definitely worked on the other college boys around the table.