ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ | ɪɴsᴏ's ʟᴀᴡ

026

As the sunset cast its golden glow, Chomi couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness wash over her. No ringing tones, no phone calls, no messages—just silence, as if she had been forgotten.

She attempted to reassure herself, rationalizing that perhaps her friends were simply too exhausted to reach out. Maybe they were preoccupied with handling the aftermath of the fight and the truck incident.

Gaslighting herself, she tried to push aside the gnawing sense of abandonment, focusing instead on the events of the day. Yet, despite her efforts, the emptiness lingered, a persistent ache in her heart.

Opening the window, she allowed the cool breeze to caress her face, seeking solace in the soothing embrace of nature. But her moment of tranquility was shattered by the sudden intrusion of her father.

"DAUGHTER! LET'S EAT OUTSIDE, MY TREAT!" he exclaimed, bursting into her room with infectious enthusiasm, followed by her mother, who chuckled at her husband's antics.

They knew, Chomi realized. They knew she was struggling, even if they didn't understand why or how. All they knew was that their daughter was tired.

Forcing a smile, Chomi matched her father's exuberance. "LET'S GO, FATHER! WE'RE GONNA VACUUM YOUR MONEY!" she declared playfully.

"YEAH— wait, what?!?" her father sputtered in surprise.

"YAHOO!" Chomi cheered, allowing herself to be swept up in the moment of familial warmth, if only for a fleeting instant.

---

Admitted to the hospital, Chomi lay in her bed, her body wracked with feverish chills as tears welled in her eyes. This time, she was truly sick, her temperature soaring to a staggering 40°C.

Dinner with her family provided a brief respite from her misery, but even then, she couldn't escape the persistent sneezing that plagued her.

"Curse you, breeze from the window!" she muttered under her breath, her frustration mounting with each involuntary shiver.

A single message lit up Chomi's phone screen, catching her off guard.

[Rude but nice: Are you okay?]

It was Ru-da.

She blinked in surprise. How did he know she was sick? Replying quickly, she typed out, "Yeah, I'm alright, just lying down because my temperature spiked again."

Her heart skipped a beat as she awaited his response. When it came, she was taken aback.

[Rude but nice: YOU'RE SICK?! SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE ABSENT?]

[Weird but cool: Yea? You didn't know?]

[Rude but nice: Idiot, how was I supposed to know?!]

[Weird but cool: But why did you ask if I'm alright?]

[Rude but nice: Never mind, I'm going to visit you later. Hang in there.]

Ru-da's frown deepened as he glanced over at Dan-I, concern etched into his features. Rumors were swirling around campus about the recording of Chomi's voice, and he couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

Turning to Dan-I, he asked quietly, "Dan-I, could we talk privately?"

---

"Dan-I, have you seen the recording?" Ru-da inquired, his voice tinged with concern.

Dan-I nodded silently, her expression troubled.

"You don't believe it, do you?" Ru-da pressed, searching her eyes for reassurance.