The Love Scandal ♪ Nishimura Riki

21 ♪ psychology tells the truth

Chapter twenty-one

"What a surprise," Jihyun mumbles, gazing boredly into her crowded screen. Everyone knew that the competition was coming up soon so it made sense that people would skepticize about her and Riki 'getting back together', it was nothing new, Jihyun was bored.

"By any chance, are you Bae Jihyun?"

"Depends on who's asking," Jihyun murmurs, looking up from her phone at the girl beside her table, there was a sense of familiarity about her. On further analysis of her tone, Jihyun comes to the staunch conclusion that it was the other girl in the bathroom that day; Nara.

There was another thing besides her voice that wasn't foreign, it was her. Nara wasn't just the girl she overheard in the bathroom, but an active member of the student government at their school, the receiver of all accolades. How is she friends with Gyuha?

Nara was everything Gyuha wasn't; lissom with a telltale aura of cordiality. The question, which was abrupt in the uncomfortable way, didn't seem bad in hindsight, for it was at least Nara.

"Sorry to interrupt and invade your privacy. I was just a bit curious. I know we go to the same school but being in public means it can be anyone so I wasn't sure. I'll get out of your hair."

"Nara?"

"Oh," Nara makes a small noise of surprise, bringing her dainty hand over her mouth to hide her gentle chuckle. "That's me. Sorry, I guess I was a bit surprised that you knew who I was. I didn't think I was that well known."

Jihyun peers down at her drink to avert her eyes, pulling the straw away from her lips. "I heard."

"You heard?" Nara questions, slapping her hands to her mouth when it opens in immediate shock. "Wait, were you the one in the stall that one day?"

How did she find out so quickly? I've barely said anything.

"Excuse me?"

Nara warily drops her arms, frowning apologetically. "Sorry, I always tend to assume the worst despite being wrong most of the time. I probably confused you. You probably overheard from staff or other members of the student government."

"No," Jihyun clarifies. Nara seemed completely different from Gyuha, were they tied by some type of relation? "I...was the person in the stall that day." Jihyun could have played it off because there was no guarantee that they were talking about the same day, but Jihyun let it slip regardless.

"Oh, I was right!" Nara chimed, subtly lighting up before dropping back down. "Well—that's not a good thing necessarily. Oh gosh, I'm so sorry about everything that you heard, especially if I offended you in any way. Gyuha is a little...I don't know. I try to change her mind but she's really stubbornly persistent."

"It's nothing," Jihyun asserts, belatedly turning her phone off. Since the question was on her mind, she decided to inquire, "How did you two become friends?"

Nara seemed taken aback by the inquiry but answered nonetheless, Jihyun supposes it's not normal to be asked by a stranger how you've become friends with someone. "Her mom was a friend of mine, after a while my mom started caring for her too so we are kind of like sisters."

Jihyun was right about the relations it appeared, it also appeared that Nara was brushing over something akin to a family passing with her choice of words, perhaps. With that information, Jihyun questions her again. "So do you know Mr. Lim?"

"You mean Lim Gwanhee? How do you know him?"

Lim Gwanhee.

"Oh, he works at HVBE so that must be why," Nara whispers after Jihyun's extended silence. "Do you mind if I sit?"