But i wasn't a liar ✔️[ENG ver]

Part 24

Part 24

Yeji's bedroom door slammed shut with enough force to make the framed photos on her wall tremble. The pink backpack that usually landed gently on her plush chair now hit the bed with a dull thud, sliding across the satin sheets until it slumped against the headboard like a defeated opponent.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, the screen lighting up with Leeknow's contact photo—a silly selfie they'd taken at last year's school festival. Yeji turned away, letting it ring until the room fell silent again. The moment the screen darkened, it lit up once more, the vibration skittering the phone toward the edge.

"I won't answer your call," she muttered to the empty room. But when the third call came, her traitorous fingers snatched it up before she could stop herself.

"Why don't you answer me?" Leeknow's voice was tinny through the speaker, but the familiar warmth in his tone made her chest ache.

Yeji wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I was in the bathroom so I didn't hear it." The lie tasted bitter—they both knew she always kept her phone within reach.

A pause. Then, unexpectedly bright "Let's get out together today!"

"Why?" The word came out sharper than intended. Outside her window, a sparrow landed on the balcony railing, cocking its head as if waiting for the answer too.

"What's this question? Are you not my friend?" Leeknow's chuckle was meant to disarm her, but it only twisted the knife deeper. That word—friend—felt like a demotion after all their years together.

Yeji watched the sparrow take flight as she exhaled slowly. "Okay, where?"

"Come to the restaurant!" His enthusiasm practically vibrated through the phone.

"Hmm, ok." She ended the call before he could say more, tossing the phone onto the bed where it bounced once before settling next to her abandoned backpack.

The bar pulsed with neon lights that reflected off sticky tabletops, the air thick with the scent of spilled soju and cheap perfume. Yuna slumped against the polished counter, her school uniform skirt wrinkled and her cheeks flushed an unnatural pink. At just sixteen, her delicate fingers looked out of place wrapped around the sweating cocktail glass—half-empty, just like her parents' trust.

Wobin smirked beside her, his arm draped possessively over the back of her chair. His expensive cologne couldn't mask the alcohol on his breath as he signaled the bartender for another round. The gold chain around his neck glinted under the lights—a trophy from his latest conquest.

"My...dear let's go...home," Yuna slurred, her words dissolving into giggles as she nearly slipped off the stool. The strawberry daiquiri had long since stained the collar of her blouse pink.

Wobin's grip tightened. "No, we have to be here." His eyes darkened as he leaned in, the scent of whiskey heavy between them.

Yuna's fingers—still bearing traces of glitter from yesterday's nail polish—pressed against his lips. "Hey...my love," she hiccuped, "I...said not now...until I agree." Her smile was lopsided, her usual sharpness drowned in alcohol.

"Ughhh! Ok okk," Wobin growled, throwing back his shot with unnecessary force. The glass cracked against the counter as Yuna's head lolled onto his shoulder, her breathing already slowing into drunken sleep.

The evening air was crisp as Yeji arrived at Suho's restaurant, the last streaks of sunset fading behind Seoul's skyline. The warm glow from the restaurant spilled onto the sidewalk, where Leeknow stood waiting, his apron still tied loosely around his waist. He grinned when he saw her, but Yeji's expression remained guarded, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.