Street Racer || Yang Jungwon

°•♡•° / 50

—— Seori

After the argument with Jungwon, I spent my entire Saturday afternoon curled up in bed, sobbing uncontrollably. My chest ached, and my eyes were puffy and red from crying so much. I clutched the pillow tightly, trying to find some semblance of comfort, but it was useless. The weight of everything that had happened was crushing me.

The message from Jiyeon was the catalyst for all of this. She had sent me pictures of Jungwon and me at the arcade and the street food bar, followed by a chilling text:

Break up with Jungwon by Friday, or I show him the picture of you and Daejin kissing. And I'll tell your mom about your relationship with Jungwon. You have time until Friday.

I stared at my phone screen, the words blurring through my tears. How had things gotten so out of control? Jiyeon's threats hung over me like a dark cloud, and I felt utterly powerless.

As I lay in bed, I glanced over at the two plushies Jungwon had won for me at the arcade. The sight of them brought fresh tears to my eyes. They were supposed to be symbols of our happiness, our fun times together, but now they only reminded me of the argument and the looming ultimatum.

My phone buzzed again, and I hesitantly picked it up, hoping it wasn't another message from Jiyeon. It was a text from Yeji:

Hey, are you okay? Haven't heard from you all day. Need to talk?

I typed a quick reply:

Not really, Yeji. Just dealing with some stuff. Can we talk later?

Yeji responded almost immediately:

Of course. Take care of yourself, Seori. I'm here if you need me.

Her words brought a small measure of comfort, but it wasn't enough to lift the heavy burden I was carrying. I thought about Jungwon, about how much I loved him and how our relationship had meant everything to me. The thought of breaking up with him tore me apart, but the fear of Jiyeon's threats was even worse.

My mind kept replaying the argument from earlier. Jungwon had looked so hurt and confused, and I hated myself for being the cause of his pain. But how could I possibly tell him the truth? How could I explain that I was being blackmailed by someone who wanted to destroy our relationship out of spite?

Time seemed to drag on as I lay there, my thoughts spiraling in a never-ending loop. I knew I needed to make a decision, but every option felt wrong. If I stayed with Jungwon, Jiyeon would carry out her threats. But if I broke up with him, I would lose the person I cared about the most.

My phone buzzed again, and this time it was a message from Jungwon:

Seori, can we please talk? I hate how we left things. I just want to understand what's going on.

Fresh tears streamed down my face as I read his message. I wanted nothing more than to talk to him, to explain everything and lean on him for support. But I knew I couldn't. Not with Jiyeon's threats hanging over my head.

I typed a shaky reply:

Jungwon, I'm so sorry. I need some time to think. Please give me until Friday.

After sending the message, I buried my face in the pillow and let the sobs overtake me once more. The thought of having to face Jungwon again, to pretend everything was fine when it was far from it, was overwhelming. But I had to be strong, at least for a little while longer.

As the hours passed, I continued to cry, feeling more alone and hopeless than ever. The plushies sat on my nightstand, silent witnesses to my misery. I reached out and clutched them to my chest, hoping that somehow, some way, things would work out. But deep down, I knew that the road ahead was fraught with challenges and heartache.