Chaewon hadn’t spoken to anyone. She wasn’t sure what to say or even what to think. The truth was too heavy, too sharp, and it had settled uncomfortably in her chest.
She liked Niki—she really liked him. But now she knew she was just a bet to him.
Her initial reaction had been anger, a fiery urge to cry and scream, but she had suppressed it. She refused to waste another tear on him or Sunwoo. Instead, she bottled up her emotions, a volatile cocktail of shock, betrayal, and frustration swirling inside her.
She couldn’t understand it. Why would anyone agree to such a cruel bet? Was it a joke to him? Was the intention to shatter her already fragile heart further?
She was exhausted.
Tired of the drama that followed her like a shadow. Tired of second-guessing herself. Tired of constantly questioning her judgment.
Two times. She had trusted the wrong people twice in a row. She had been wrong about Sunwoo, and she had been catastrophically wrong about Niki. If her judgment couldn’t protect her, what could?
The past week had been a blur of avoidance. She had skipped school, stayed confined to her room, and drowned in her thoughts. Her mother had reluctantly allowed it, but Chaewon knew she wouldn’t get away with it much longer. Tomorrow, she’d be forced to return to the chaos she’d been running from.
“Great work, Chaewon! Second overall in the class—very impressive,” Mr. Jo said, giving her a warm pat on the back as he handed her test paper.
Chaewon glanced at the grade. Normally, such an achievement would have filled her with pride, maybe even a little excitement. But not today. Not in this mess.
She sat quietly as Mr. Jo moved on, her thoughts too loud to allow her to feel anything.
Jinni had spoken to her briefly in the morning, but their conversation had been surface-level, nothing deep. Chaewon wanted to talk to her, to unload the weight of everything she was carrying, but the words never seemed to come.
"That's such a good grade," Dayeon said as she slid into the seat beside her, smiling warmly.
Dayeon. The one bright spot in Chaewon’s week.
Dayeon had sent her a steady stream of memes over the past few days, silly little things that had somehow brought a flicker of light into her darkest moments.
“Thanks,” Chaewon said, smiling for what felt like the first time in days. A genuine smile, small but real.
Dayeon’s expression shifted slightly, her curiosity evident. “If you don’t mind me asking... why were you absent for almost a week?”
Chaewon hesitated but found herself answering. “I was sad. Really, really sad.” She paused before adding, “Thank you for those memes, Dayeon. They really helped. More than you know.”
Dayeon’s face softened, and for a moment, she looked like she had pieced something together. “Was it because of Niki?” she asked, her voice low and careful.
“Yes.” Chaewon’s admission felt like a small release of pressure, as if finally acknowledging the truth made it a little easier to bear.
Dayeon frowned slightly, her concern deepening. “Did he hurt you?” she asked gently. Then, almost hesitantly, she added, “And, um... about those memes? He’s the one who asked me to send them. I didn’t know why, but they were funny, so I didn’t think much of it.”
Dayeon’s voice faded into the background as Chaewon’s mind spiraled.
He asked her to send them?
Why?
Why would he care?
Why check on her indirectly when he had been the one to hurt her so deeply?
If she had been just a bet to him, why create this unnecessary fuss? Why make her smile again, even if it was through someone else?
None of it made sense.
Her heart felt pulled in two directions—half wanting to cling to her anger, the other desperate to find an explanation. An answer. Anything.
Why?
Why would he do this?
Why would someone who had supposedly broken her heart also try to piece it back together?
The questions pounded in her mind, louder and louder, as her resolve began to crack.
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