28 Reasons To Break Up With You

Chapter 2: Transformation

Kang Seulgi was once again facing the unbearable presence of her lecherous boyfriend, Park Min-hwan. His unwarranted advances had become a regular nightmare, but this time, fate—or perhaps someone else—intervened. A knock at the door interrupted Min-hwan's approach, and when Seulgi opened it, she found a bewildered delivery man holding a box of chicken.

"I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong address," the delivery man said, glancing at the receipt. Seulgi immediately recognized the opportunity and feigned surprise.

"Oh, that must be for me!" she exclaimed, taking the box and thanking the delivery man. As she turned to Min-hwan, she added, "Sorry, Min-hwan, I forgot I had ordered this. It's getting late, maybe you should go."

Caught off guard, Min-hwan reluctantly left, mumbling something about her being inconsiderate. Seulgi breathed a sigh of relief and made a mental note to change her door passcode. The next time Min-hwan and Jung Somi came knocking, they found that they could no longer waltz into her space as they pleased.

Seulgi was scheduled to attend her high school reunion soon, a dreaded event, but before that, her friend Hee-yeon invited her out for a meal and a makeover. Over lunch, Hee-yeon shared her philosophy on facing difficult situations. "Give it your all so that you can leave it in the past with no lingering regret," she advised. Her words resonated with Seulgi, and at the salon, she decided to go for a drastic change, as if she was being reborn.

When Seulgi emerged from the salon with stylish wavy black hair, elegant makeup, and a sophisticated dress, she could hardly recognize herself in the mirror. Tears welled up in her eyes. It was Hee-yeon, not Somi, who had given her this fairy godmother magic. It was an uplifting act of female friendship, a stark contrast to Somi's deliberate attempts to undermine her.

Hee-yeon: (smiling) Seulgi, you look amazing! How do you feel?

Seulgi: (teary-eyed) I can't believe this is me. Thank you, Hee-yeon. I really needed this.

Hee-yeon: (reaching out to hold Seulgi's hand) You deserve it, Seulgi. You deserve to feel good about yourself. What's been going on?

Seulgi: (sighing) It's been tough. Min-Hwan and Somi... they betrayed me. I feel like my whole world is falling apart.

Hee-yeon: (concerned) I'm so sorry, Seulgi. They don't deserve you. You're stronger than you think. Remember what I said? Give it your all so that you can leave it in the past with no lingering regret.

Seulgi: (nodding) Your words really hit me, Hee-yeon. I want to move on, but it's so hard.

Hee-yeon: (gentle smile) It's okay to feel that way. But look at you now. You're taking the first step. You're transforming, not just on the outside, but on the inside too.

Seulgi: (smiling through tears) This makeover... it feels like a new beginning. Like I'm shedding my old self.

Hee-yeon: (hugging Seulgi) Exactly. This is just the start. You have so much to look forward to. And remember, you're not alone. I'm here for you, always.

Seulgi: (sniffling) Thank you, Hee-yeon. I don't know what I would do without you.

Hee-yeon: (wiping Seulgi's tears) We all need someone to lift us up sometimes. Today is about you. Embrace it, and show the world the strong, beautiful woman you are.

Seulgi: (taking a deep breath) I will. I'll face that reunion and whatever comes next. No more hiding. No more fear.

Hee-yeon: (smiling brightly) That's the spirit! Let's make today the first of many amazing days ahead.

With newfound confidence, Seulgi turned heads at the reunion. She flipped the past timeline's confrontation on its head, revealing the truth about Somi's gift of knockoff earrings. She also demanded the full story from her high school bullies, uncovering that Somi had spun tales of Seulgi coveting all the men she'd been interested in, including Min-hwan and Wonho.

Thanks to Minho's intervention, Wonho was conveniently present to counter Somi's lies. Not once had they ever dated, and Seulgi had certainly not orchestrated their breakup. Wonho looked genuinely happy to see Seulgi again, especially when she admitted that she had a crush on him back then. Seulgi, mortified, ran off, but Wonho rushed after her, blurting out that he had felt the same. He nervously apologized for grabbing her hand to stop her, then tried to wipe it clean, only to realize he would need to hold her hand again to finish the job.

Seulgi: (with newfound confidence) Somi, it's time to stop hiding behind your lies. Remember these? (holds up the knockoff earrings) You gave these to me, pretending they were real. Why?

Somi: (defensive) What are you talking about, Seulgi? They're just earrings.

Seulgi: (firmly) No, they're a symbol of your deceit. Just like how you've been lying about me for years. You told everyone I was after the men you liked. Why?

Somi: (scoffing) Oh, please, Seulgi. You were always trying to steal the spotlight, always wanting what I had.

Seulgi: (letting a small laugh) That's not true! I never did anything to you, Somi. You spun those stories to make me look bad. Isn't that right?

Wonho: (stepping forward) Somi, you lied about everything. Seulgi never tried to come between us. We never even dated. You made it all up.

Somi: (flustered) I... I don't know what you're talking about.

Seulgi: (turning to Wonho) Is that true? You really never dated?

Wonho: (smiling warmly) No, we didn't. And I never believed those rumors about you, Seulgi. I always thought you were amazing,and i had a crush on you.

Seulgi: (pulling away, mortified) I... I need to go.

Wonho: (rushing after her) Seulgi, wait! (grabs her hand again) I'm sorry for grabbing your hand. I just... I don't want you to leave.

Seulgi: (tears in her eyes) Wonho...

Wonho: (nervously) Let me wipe it clean. (tries to wipe her hand, realizes) I guess I'll need to hold it again to finish the job.

Seulgi: (laughs through her tears) You're ridiculous.

Minho witnessed this awkward confession and noticed Seulgi's discomfort. He quickly called her, giving her an excuse to leave. The excuse turned out to be a professional platform showcase, where Minho advocated for Seulgi's capabilities while she smoothly put a nasty power-tripping businessman in his place.

Afterwards, Minho treated her to coffee. For the first time, Seulgi felt truly reinvigorated. She smiled freely, radiating a confident glow that had been absent for far too long. Minho's presence was comforting and encouraging, and Seulgi found herself wondering if perhaps there was more to him than met the eye.