𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ── 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗬

twenty

─•❃✾❃•─

The irony wasn't lost on her.

Despite her sister's animosity, Yoona held everything that Yeon-jin had yearned for. Academic brilliance, a thriving career—she had it all. A narcissist, she thought, recognizing the bitter irony of her own introspection.

For too long, she had worn the mask of the strongest. The unreachable. It provided comfort, a fleeting illusion of invincibility, and it felt nice─still is.

A line had been drawn, separating her from the world. Loneliness lingered, an uninvited companion.

Now she is no longer Park Yoona, the strongest. She is back to a young teenager wanting so badly to live her youth to the fullest, happiest.

But she hated him.

"I look forward to working with you," Do-yeong said as he extended his hand. She placed her hand in his, but his grip tightened, pulling her toward him until she fell against his chest. Her cheek grazed his nose, and she could swear she could feel him smirk.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

But Do-yeong, ever composed, spoke close to her ear. "Why do you keep pretending you don't remember?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," she replied, her voice wavering.

"We slept together at your apartment, room 2078. Are you really going to keep acting like you don't remember?"

Hated the way Do-yeong put out the hatred within her. She had become so accustomed to a life of suffering and pain that she didn't know how to deal with what he made her feel. She expected herself to remain cold, to see Do-yeong as just another person who would betray her, making her lose her trust all over again.

But beneath the shelter of the umbrella Do-yeong had provided, her coldness crumbled. Tears welled up, her nerves screamed, yet in that unexpected moment of solace, she completely broke down.

As the silence settled, so did her thoughts—a solitary descent into self-pity. Loneliness, a steadfast companion, echoing a refrain: she was alone, destined to remain so.

She downs another shot glass of alcohol as her body slumps forward.

"Hey! Don't drink from the bottle like that," her friend, Yeon-hee, scolded, gently prying Yoona's fingers off the bottle and taking it away.

“Why?” Yoona asked, her voice hoarse and filled with genuine confusion.

“I didn't edit those headlines myself just to see you like this,” Yeon-hee said, rolling her eyes before looking at Chae-won, who sat neatly opposite them, her shot glass of soju still untouched.

It was a friday night. Yeon-hee, Yoona's childhood friend, had suggested to go out for drinks, promising a worry-free evening. Yoona dragged Chae-won along with her, muttering about how she never let loose and reminding her of her highschool days.

"Aren't you a bit too drunk?" Yeon-hee side-eyed Yoona before glancing at Chae-won. "How high is your boss's alcohol tolerance?"