" 𝐈𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒

𝟎𝟓 : 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐄𝐒

JUYEON'S POV:
I was walking in the hallway of Jeguk High as my minions followed me. Everyone looked at me in fear as they walked fast. I chuckled to myself. I then caught Desire and Amira Brownstone, taking out supplies from their lockers. I approached Desire and Amira with my minions trailing behind me. As soon as the sisters caught sight of us, they let out an audible sigh and rolled their eyes. Despite their reaction, I couldn't resist teasing them a little. "Hey, Desire and Amira," I called out, grinning mischievously. "What's the matter, huh?" I asked, feigning innocence before breaking out into laughter. My minions joined in on the fun as we all chuckled together.

However, Desire quickly shut down the playful banter with her snarky comment. "We don't want you to talk to us," she retorted, her tone sharp and curt. I winced in jest, clutching my chest dramatically before abrupting into laughter.

Amira's voice was laced with annoyance as she asked, "What do you want Juyeon?" My face still wore a visible smirk as I replied, "Chill... I want some fun." But her frustration only grew, "We are in the same level of class. What exactly do you want!" I couldn't help but taunt them a little, "Who said I wanted that type of fun?" My smirk grew bigger as my minions took steps closer to the sisters. However, before I could take another step, Wooyoung and Ky'mire stood in front of them, blocking our path. "Fuck you doing nigga?" Ky'mire asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"You already know what I'm doing Ky'mire." I looked at him, still having a smirk on my face. "Answer the question Juyeon," Wooyoung asked him while standing in front of Desire. "I'm just having a bit of fun," I said as my smirk fell off. Desire clutched her hands on Wooyoung's uniform shirt. "That isn't fun," Wooyoung murmured angrily. Ky'mire held Amira's hand, glaring at me. I chuckled. "Let's just go guys," Amira mumbled, looking up at Ky'mire, Wooyoung, and Desire. They all nodded before walking away. I watched the 4 walk away with a smirk on my face. The crowd around soon left, leaving me and my minions alone in the hallway. I soon walked to my class with my hands in my pocket.

AT THE CAFE
As I took a seat at the cozy table, I looked down at the menu placed in front of me, my eyes scanning the list of drinks and snacks. The soft chatter of other patrons filled the air, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the room. Suddenly, I was interrupted by the friendly voice of the waiter. "Hey Juyeon, the usual, right?" he asked, a warm smile lighting up his face. I met his gaze and nodded in response. "Yes, that's all," I replied, my smile soft and grateful. The waiter gave me a courteous bow before turning to walk away. As I waited for my order, I gazed around the café, taking in the cozy atmosphere and the familiar surroundings. This was the same café where my mom and I used to spend time together before she left, and the memories flooded back, both bitter and sweet.

FLASHBACK (9 years ago)
The sun was shining brightly as I walked to school, the upbeat tune of 'My House' by 2 PM blasting through my earphones. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out my name from behind. I paused my music and turned around to find Sunwoo, a former friend of mine."Juyeon! Lee Juyeon!" he exclaimed, running up to me. Feeling annoyed, I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. "What do you want?" I asked him. "It's your mom, she's waiting for you," he informed me, holding out his hand. I glared at him, feeling frustrated and betrayed. "Don't touch me," I snapped, yanking my shoulder away from him. "I can't even trust you anymore. Who knows what else you're keeping from me?"

"Juyeon," said Sunwoo, his voice low and urgent. "I know I haven't been honest about everything, but we need to focus on the present. We have to leave now." He reached out to grab my arm, but I jerked it away, feeling a surge of frustration. "I can't just ignore what you've been keeping from me," I said, turning to face him. Sunwoo scoffed and took a step back, his arms crossed over his chest. "Fine," he said, his tone cold. "Do what you want. But don't blame me if anything happens." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

I shook my head and continued to walk back to school, pressing play on the music to calm down.

PRESENT
As I sat in the café, I couldn't help but notice the wall that was adorned with vibrant drawings. Every stroke and color seemed to tell a story, reminding me of the times my mother and I would draw on the walls as well. Suddenly, I was jolted back to reality by the sound of my phone buzzing. I reached for it and saw a text from my father that read, "Go to Pierre Gagnaire in Seoul. I have an announcement to make." I let out a resigned sigh, knowing that whatever my father had to say would likely be unpleasant. I stood up, ready to leave, and handed the waiter $500 as a gesture of gratitude for the service.

The waiter's eyes widened with surprise, but he quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully. "Okay, thank you very much," he said. As I walked towards the door, the waiter called out, "Excuse me, sir. Is everything okay?" I paused for a moment, surprised by his concern. "Yes, everything is fine. I just have to go meet my father," I replied. The waiter nodded and smiled. "I hope everything goes well for you."

I smiled back at him, grateful for his kind words. "Thank you, I will," I said before stepping out onto the bustling street, my thoughts consumed by what my father could want to tell me.

AT THE RESTAURANT
As I entered the dimly lit, private room, my eyes adjusted to the low light, and I saw my father sitting across from me. Park Rachel and her mother, Park Ara, were there as well. Rachel sat with her arms crossed, looking disdainfully at me, and I couldn't help but smirk in response. I took a seat in front of my father and leaned in. "What's going on here?" I asked him, curious but also a little wary. My father cleared his throat and began to speak. "You remember Rachel from school, right?" I nodded, my eyes flicking back to Rachel, who was now rolling her eyes. "Well, her mother is the president of RS International. And we're getting married," he announced, his words hitting me like a punch to the gut.

My smile faded, replaced by a look of shock and disbelief. "Mother! What the fuck!" Rachel exclaimed, her voice rising in anger. "Watch your language, young lady," Park Ara said sternly, turning to face her daughter. "This is my decision. You don't get to decide, okay?"

"This shit isn't love" I admitted, my voice strained with frustration. "Could you please watch your language?" Park Ara chided me, giving me a stern look. "And who are you? My mother?" I retorted but then burst out laughing. "You gave it your best shot!" I exclaimed, still giggling uncontrollably, while Park Ara looked at me in shock but remained silent. My father abruptly rose from his seat, his face distorted by a sudden burst of anger. For a few tense minutes, the entire table fell silent as he raised his hand and slapped me across the face. I felt a surge of anger and humiliation, but I couldn't resist a small, defiant smirk.

The awkward silence around the table was palpable. Rachel, who had been sitting beside me, looked at me with a mix of shock and worry. I spoke up, my voice steady but cold. "Thank you for inviting me. Don't invite me to the wedding though," I said, looking up at my father before pushing back my chair and leaving the restaurant. I walked to my motorcycle, feeling a mix of anger and sadness. As I put on my helmet, I heard Rachel's voice behind me.

"I had no idea that you were being abused. Those are where those scars come from," she said softly. "Stop acting like you care, I bet you think it's funny." I spat at her angrily. A smirk rose on her face. "You're right, I don't care." She says, making me scoff. "What do you want Rachel? Or should I say step-sis?" I smirked, noticing her smile fading away. I could tell she wasn't too thrilled about being reminded of our new family connection. "What? Should I not call you step-sis?" I continued, carefully observing her reaction. Rachel tried to scold me, "Shut up, don't call me that in public alright?" she said, clearly uneasy about being referred to as my step-sister in front of others.

With a cold and arrogant smirk, I declared, "I do what I want." As I was getting ready to leave, Rachel started speaking again. "Sunwoo called me yesterday. We were discussing you," she said with a mischievous grin. Although I could sense that she was not being entirely truthful, her words gave me pause. "I'm heading to LA tomorrow. Should I bring you up in our conversation?" Rachel asked, flashing a knowing smile. I glanced at her before letting out a dismissive scoff. I flipped her off before driving off.

"Guess I'll take that as a no!" Rachel shouted, making me roll my eyes.
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𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆!