Matter of Harmony || Oneus Seoho

The Sense of an Ending (19)

Yuri's PoV

When I walk out of the bathroom it's not that hard to keep my head high and shoulders straight anymore. A new shade of anger boils in my chest, I remember Xion asking me about Seoyeon "She goes to a private school, how do they afford it?" "Seoho works really hard to give her what he couldn't have,"

I'll give him a chance to explain himself and then I'm out of this ostentatious, pretentious place. I stop by a table to fetch some liquid courage.

I just—I should have known he didn't show his true self. I knew I was never a priority but that doesn't make it any easier. I knock down a few drinks in a row. Ravn pops out of nowhere, "You sure you want to be doing that at five in the afternoon?" he chides as I wobble on my next step— damn these high-heels..."Those are stronger than they look," I screw my brows at him "Since when do you care?"

"You're cranky today, that's new," he smirks "What's up? Rain in paradise?" He takes a couple more steps toward me, his charm is turned to a hundred but I'm not getting sidetracked now. I need to find Xion. Who knows, maybe he put Ravn up to this to keep me away. I adjust his tie and pat him on the chest. He looks far too jovial today—it's annoying. "Will you tell me where Xion is before I 'rain' down on your parade?" To my surprise he complies, he tucks my arm under his and leads me to him.

Son Dongju watches the crowd from a corner with a look that I've come to know as his calculating one. He weighs people and reads their emotions like this almost in every party we have been to. When he sees us walking his way he smiles like everything's normal.

"We need to talk." "Are you ok? I was worried about you after the strife with your mom." Were you really? "Did you set this up?" I ask—straight out, "Did you plan this with Kang Yoonah." "She invited me," he replies "That is not what I'm asking you Son Dongju. Why did you accept the invitation? Why did you not tell me it was an invitation from her?" For the first time, I see him struggle for words.

"Let me ask it another way." I take a miraculously stable step and corner him against the wall. "What did she offer you in exchange?" "An eye for an eye." He replies, tentatively—his eyes belong to a boy caught misbehaving.

I don't have the patience for his games or flowery words right now. I get to the point. "Did you expose Seoho to his sister?" I don't need to hear him confirm it. The look on his face is enough of a confession. But he admits to it without breaking eye contact "Yes." I am glad he is not trying to lie about it.

"Do you want a chance to explain yourself?" "He revealed a secret of mine to someone I care about and so I did the same to him. Ruining your friendship with him was not the intention." I turn and pace, I hope Kang Yoonah is busy, I hope she doesn't see this—I try to push her away from my mind. There are more important things to attend to right now.

"So would you have kept it to yourself then? Just let me live in ignorance." I ask as I stop pacing "No, I would have let you know, but not immediately." He looks beautiful as usual, he is in his element here. With his tuxedo and proper hair and manners. With his games and strategies. A bird—beautiful but caged. He sings his pretty songs and dances to the rhythm of this twisted life.

"I am being completely honest with you Yuri. Would you have believed me if I told you? Or would it just ruin our relationship? So I would have kept it to myself until I knew you would trust me over him. Until you would choose me over him." He looks genuine as he talks but what do I know? What do I know besides the fact that I hate this? I hate this world wholeheartedly. And he belongs to it.

"Thank you for your honesty." I reach for the clasp of the necklace he gifted me. It's easily removed. I take his hand as he watches in something between surprise and denial. I drop the necklace in it and step away. "I enjoyed the time we had. But I'm not going to be whatever you need me to be anymore."

I point around me to the splendor and indulgence. A fundraiser this is supposed to be—for the mentally wounded. A poor attempt at compensating for the son they lost. A fundraiser that spends as much money for its party as it raises for its cause. An opportunity for networking to become richer and a show to seem charitable. It's all games and secrets and pointless extravagance. "I won't take part in any of this."

"You were right about Xion." I text Seoho, it's the first time I contact him after learning about his spying. It turns out I learned about that because of Xion's scheming. I feel like there's no one I can lean on. No safe harbor. He is leaving me to go work in Japan. I should let him go. I've been giving him the cold shoulder for how many weeks now? I shouldn't be selfish, but he is still the person I want by my side when everything goes to hell. "Can we meet?"

I leave the party and hit a close-by bar. No other way to clear my head about this mess.