𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓼 | 𝓑𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓴 | 𝓢𝓚𝓩 | 𝓘𝓽𝔃𝔂 |

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 1: 𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓭 ?

The school hallway buzzed with the same lively energy it always had—students shouting to each other between classes, the occasional locker door slamming shut, and the rhythmic echo of footsteps down the polished floors. It was a cacophony of youthful noise, the sound of life in motion. But for me, it all felt distant, like I was watching from the outside. What used to be a comfort, a place of warmth and belonging, now felt alien. I was walking through the same halls I had known for years, yet everything felt different. The people I had once called my family—BTS and Blackpink—now passed by me as if I was a stranger. No acknowledgment, no warmth, just indifference.

It hadn't always been like this. Just a few months ago, these very halls had echoed with our shared laughter. We were inseparable, a group so tightly bound that it seemed nothing could ever come between us. Our friendship wasn't just casual; it was the kind of connection where every inside joke, every late-night conversation, every shared moment felt like a thread weaving us together. With them, I felt seen, heard, and understood. We celebrated each other's triumphs and comforted each other through heartbreak. I couldn't imagine life without them.

But now, all of that felt like a distant memory.

I never saw it coming. It all began when she arrived.

Areum.

She was the new girl in our class, transferring in mid-semester, which was unusual enough to catch everyone's attention. On her first day, she was quiet, unassuming. Her uniform was neat, her hair perfectly in place, and she carried herself with a strange combination of nervousness and confidence. She seemed harmless at first, just another new face trying to find her place. I didn't think much of it. In fact, I even made an effort to befriend her, to help her feel welcome. That was just the kind of person I was—or at least, I used to be.

Looking back, I can't pinpoint the exact moment things started to change. It was subtle, creeping in like a shadow I didn't notice until it had consumed everything. Areum wasn't content with just fitting in—she had an agenda. At first, she was all smiles and compliments, a bit too eager to ingratiate herself with everyone. I didn't think much of it; we were all friendly, after all. Why wouldn't she want to be part of our group?

But slowly, almost imperceptibly, she began to shift the dynamics. It started with small, seemingly innocent remarks. She would say things like, "Oh, Y/N seems a little stressed lately, don't you think?" or "I'm sure Y/N didn't mean it that way, but she can be a bit intense sometimes." These were throwaway comments, casual observations made when no one was paying much attention. Except, they were paying attention.

The first time I realized something was off was when I noticed the shift in how the group treated me. It wasn't dramatic at first—just small things that made me feel like I was on the outside looking in. Hangouts that had once been spontaneous and easy now happened without me. I'd find out after the fact that they'd gone to the movies or grabbed dinner together. When I asked why no one had told me, I was met with vague excuses.

"Oh, we thought you were busy," Jimin would say, his voice nonchalant.

"Sorry, Y/N, it was last minute," Rosé would add, with a casual shrug that only made me feel worse.

At first, I told myself it was nothing. We were all busy with school and life. Schedules didn't always align. But as time passed, it became harder to ignore. There were moments where I'd catch them exchanging glances when I spoke, or conversations that would abruptly shift the moment I walked into a room. The group chats that used to buzz with activity were now oddly quiet—at least for me. Sometimes, I'd send a message, and it would go unanswered for hours, even though I knew they were all online. It was as if I had become invisible.