Street Racer || Yang Jungwon

°•♡•° / 54

—— Yeji

I finally managed to get Seori to hang out with me after school. It wasn’t easy, given how she’d been distancing herself from everyone, but I wasn’t going to give up. We settled in her living room, a cozy spot that once felt like a refuge but now seemed tainted by her troubles. I watched her as she absentmindedly flipped through TV channels, her eyes dull and lifeless.

"Seori, we need to talk," I began gently, breaking the silence. She glanced at me, a shadow of her usual self. "I’m really worried about you. You’ve been avoiding everyone, and I know something’s wrong. Please, just tell me what’s going on."

She sighed, turning off the TV and pulling her knees up to her chest. "It all started with that coffee meeting with Daejin," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I listened as she recounted everything from the innocent coffee meeting that turned into a nightmare when Daejin tried to kiss her, to Jiyeon’s malicious blackmail. She described how Jiyeon sent the picture of her and Daejin "kissing" to Jungwon and how Jungwon didn’t want to hear her explanations.

"Then, one Saturday, I got a picture of Jungwon kissing Jiyeon," Seori continued, tears welling up in her eyes. "I couldn’t believe it. He came to my house later, wanting to talk, but I was too hurt. I didn’t let him in."

My heart ached for her. I knew she was in pain, but hearing it all laid out like this made it even more real. "Seori, why didn’t you tell me any of this sooner?" I asked, reaching out to take her hand.

"I didn’t know how," she admitted. "I felt so trapped, so scared. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me."

I squeezed her hand, trying to offer some comfort. "Seori, you’re not alone. You have friends who care about you, who want to help you. You shouldn’t have to go through this by yourself."

She nodded, wiping away a tear. "I know, Yeji. I just... I didn’t know what to do."

After a bit more reassurance, I left Seori’s house, my mind racing with everything she’d told me. As I walked home, I texted Jake, asking if Jungwon was at the racing house. His reply came quickly: Yeah, he’s here. Why?

I told him I was on my way, then hurried over. When I arrived, I found Jungwon sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the wall. Jake gave me a questioning look, but I just shook my head and walked over to Jungwon.

"Jungwon, we need to talk," I said firmly, pulling up a chair next to him.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and sadness. "What’s there to talk about, Yeji? It’s over between me and Seori."

"No, it’s not," I insisted. "You need to hear what she told me. There’s more to this than you think."

I recounted everything Seori had told me, from the coffee meeting with Daejin to Jiyeon’s blackmail and manipulation. Jungwon listened silently, his expression shifting from anger to shock to realization.

"So, it was all a setup?" he asked, his voice trembling. "She didn’t kiss Daejin, and Jiyeon’s been playing us both?"

"Yes," I said firmly. "And you need to talk to Seori. Really talk, not just argue. She’s been hurting just as much as you have."

Jungwon ran a hand through his hair, looking more determined than I’d seen him in days. "I need to fix this," he said, mostly to himself. "But how?"

"I can help," I offered. "We’ll set up a date, somewhere quiet where you two can finally talk everything out. No interruptions, no misunderstandings."