Invisible String

Three steps back

*Song recommendation: i love you - billie eilish

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Si-eun walked through the halls of Jumadeung, feeling her chest ache. She didn't even try to wipe the tears that fell on her face, because she always ended up crying again. Her vision was blurred, but the only thing on her mind at that moment was Joong-Gil.

How could he have done such a terrible thing?

Why had he done it?

She burst into his office, finding him sitting at his desk, still.

He didn't move. As if he already knew she would see him. As if he was waiting for her.

Si-eun approached him, taking a deep breath in an attempt to control her unregulated breathing.

— Why did you do that? – she asked, trying hard not to scream. — You could have killed her.

— What's the difference? – He looked at her. — She wanted to die, I just made sure Koo Ryeon couldn't interfere anymore.

Si-eun stepped back in shock.

It was as if the person in front of her was someone totally different.

— You can't be serious. – She looked at him angrily. – Koo Ryeon was saving her. That's our job. — Si-eun walked toward him. — You can't just show up and do that! – She frowned, staring at him. — Tell me why you did it. Tell me you were forced to do that, anything. – Tears streamed down her face. — Please.

Joong-Gil looked at her for a moment, without answering.

She waited for an answer. However, he said nothing.

Si-eun covered her mouth with her hand, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself.

— Did you do this to hurt Koo Ryeon?

He looked away, clenching his jaw.

— That's what she deserves. She deceived me. She worked with me for years, just for me to find out that she is a weak person who took her own life.

Si-eun didn't know how to react. How could anyone think like that?

And what was worse was the fact that he had done it only to hurt his friend. How could he be so... cruel?

She put her hands on the desk.

— How can you talk about her like that? Koo Ryeon definitely doesn't deserve this. She is a good person! And yet, you hate her for a reason as ridiculous as the fact that she took her own life. – She paused, taking a deep breath. — I never understood why you hated our team, but I never thought that was the reason.

— People who commit suicide are selfish and weak, and deserve to suffer and pay for it.

He stood up and approached her.

Si-eun stared at him.

— This is ridiculous! If you think so, then I guess our relationship, or whatever it is that we have, ends here.

Staring at him, Si-eun waited for an answer, for an apology, for anything. However, he just looked back, without saying a word.

She wiped her hand across her face to wipe away the tears that had fallen, swallowing hard.

— Joong-Gil. – Her voice broke. — From the moment I leave this office, everything is over. Are you sure you have nothing to say?

He looked at her for a moment, as if in doubt, and frowned slightly.

— If I'm important to you, apologize. And apologize to Koo Ryeon too. – Si-eun tried to convince him. Her voice gave away the desperation she felt.

— I have nothing to apologize for.

Si-eun pressed her lips together. Taking a deep breath, she said:

— Then, goodbye, Mr. Park.

She left the office, and only allowed herself to collapse when she was far enough away.

Si-eun didn't know how long she had cried, but there came a time when there were no more tears to shed.

To make matters worse, Koo Ryeon had disappeared and no one from the RM team had seen her. And according to Jun-woong, there was an order to arrest her.

— Si-eun. – Jun-woong called out to her.

— What? – she asked, not taking her eyes off the computer screen.

— We need to help Ms. Koo.

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention from the computer to face him.

— And do you have a plan?

He nodded.

— But I need your help.

Si-eun waited for him to continue.

— Let's ask Mr. Park for help!

— He hates her, he would never help us. And besides, I don't want to see him.

She wasn't lying.

Since their argument, she had not sought him out, and had avoided him every time they met. She had been sincere when she had said that everything was over.

Bo-Yun was the only one who knew what had happened, and she always showed up to try to distract her and try to lift her spirits, although she was not successful at it.

Jun-woong sat down beside her.

— You don't understand. He... – he paused.

Si-eun raised her eyebrows.

— He what?

— He was married to Koo Ryeon in his past life.

She didn't hear anything Jun-woong said after that.

It wasn't possible.

Did that mean... that Joong-Gil's true soul mate was Koo Ryeon, and not her?

If Koo Ryeon wasn't there...

How cruel was that? Not only for Si-eun, but Koo Ryeon. All the times she had seen them together. What had she felt? Thought?

— Are you all right? – Jun-woong's voice sounded distant.

Si-eun covered her face with her hands.

— Si-eun, are you... crying?

She denied it, even though she felt the tears streaming down her face and wetting her palms.

— He doesn't love me. - she whispered. — Maybe he never did.

Jun-woong remained silent.

— It's ridiculous, I know. But – she sobbed. — if Koo Ryeon was married to him, it means that she was Joong-Gil's true love. – Si-eun uncovered her face, looking at Jun-woong. — Then what was I? A substitute? Someone that fate bound him to when his string with the person he was destined to spend the rest of his life with committed suicide?

He hugged her, and Si-eun buried her face in his neck.

— You should have heard the horrible things he said. – Her voice was muffled. —I told him it was over between us, and he didn't even care. I felt stupid.

— He is the stupid in this situation.

She didn't answer.

It didn't matter that he was the wrong one in this situation. She was the one who was suffering. She was the one whose heart was broken into a thousand pieces.

She had been foolish to think that there was anything special between them.

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A/N:
Don't know how to feel about this chapter. I don't hate it, but I don't like it as well 🤔

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