Shadow | Huang Renjun

18

The day after the dance, Eunah feels like shit.
She barely remembers anything from last night, but is sure something happened, judging by the unfamiliar writing in her notebook.

She hasn't spoken to anyone yet, having just woken up around mid-afternoon, but can hear her phone going off on the kitchen counter while she cooks.

After making herself some egg rolls, she goes back upstairs to her room and sits at her desk, eating while checking what the fuss is about.

62 missed calls from Nana✨
47 new messages

Deciding it's probably best for her to answer the calls, she calls Jaemin back first.
He picks up after the second ring, probably having been trying to call her again at the same time.

"Eunie? Eunie, are you okay?"

His worried face flashes on the screen as she props her phone against a pile of books.

"...yeah, why?"

"So you don't remember anything from last night?"

Confused, Eunah frowns and has another bite of egg roll.
"No?"

"Wow, you must've been really drunk. Uh... how do I put this gently...? You and Yijun had a screaming match near the end of the dance."

She blinks at him, frowning deeper.
"What?"

"Here."

Her phone pings as he sends her a message. It's a crudely-taken video of last night.
Someone had recorded the whole thing.

She watches it, filled with regret and fearing her next public appearance at university.

Eunah and Yijun stand a few feet apart in the middle of the now-empty dance floor, surrounded by curious students.

Both appear enraged and Eunah's mascara is smudged, likely from tears.
Yijun's once-gorgeous dress is stained with red; probably wine judging by the empty glass in her hand.

"You fucking whore! My dress is ruined!"

"It was an accident!" Eunah yells back, frustrated.

"Accident, my ass! You've been ruining my life on purpose for months now! First you steal my fucking boyfriend, then you throw wine on my dress!"

"I didn't do shit! You already know why Mark left, you abusive asshole!"

Yijun throws the wine glass at the floor, smashing it to pieces.

"He left me for you! Pathetic, whiny little Eun with nothing better to do than whore around with any man who breathes!"

"I don't 'whore around', they're my friends! But I wouldn't expect you to understand what friends are, since all your supposed 'friends' only pretend to like you, so you don't stalk and harass them like you do me!"

"How dare you accuse me of–"

"Of what?"
Eunah interrupts, seething with unspent rage.
"Something you actually did? You fucking cornered me in the bathroom of a mall, for no reason other than to accuse me of stealing your ex-boyfriend! I'm not even fucking interested in him like that! And I doubt he's interested in me, so keep your fucking delusions to yourself!"

"But–"

"But nothing! I'm sick to fucking death of hearing you bitch and moan, blaming me for shit you caused, just because you can't accept that you're a shitty person and need to change.
Sure, I'm not perfect. Nobody is. But at least I have the decency to not manipulate, bully and stalk others! Get a fucking grip, Yijun."