Yunjin's heart ached with regret as she navigated through the aftermath of her clash with Chaewon. The bitter taste of their last encounter lingered in her mind, a constant reminder of her own foolishness. Despite her attempts to bury her feelings and carry on with her usual routine, the absence of Chaewon's presence weighed heavily on her.
Days passed, each one dragging on with a dull ache that refused to fade. Chaewon's avoidance only served to intensify Yunjin's guilt, leaving her feeling isolated and alone in her remorse. She longed for the chance to make things right, to apologize and beg for forgiveness, but she couldn't bring herself to face Chaewon's wrath.
Instead, Yunjin found herself wandering aimlessly around the law school, hoping to catch a glimpse of Chaewon, even from a distance. The first few days yielded no results; Chaewon was absent, supposedly sick according to Sakura. Each missed opportunity left Yunjin feeling more despondent than before, the weight of her mistake bearing down on her shoulders.
In a desperate attempt to bridge the gap between them, Yunjin turned to social media, hoping to find some trace of Chaewon's presence. But even there, she found herself shut out, relegated to the sidelines as an outsider looking in (she removed Yunjin from her close friends list). Chaewon's posts were filled with melancholy musings and cryptic messages, a testament to the pain she was feeling.
As Yunjin scrolled through Chaewon's Instagram stories, her heart sank with each somber lyric and gloomy quote from every Mitski song the older posted (like 'I Don't Smoke' and 'I Want You', it broke the blonde's heart even more when she googled the lyrics and read them). She couldn't help but feel responsible for adding to Chaewon's distress, her own actions serving as a catalyst for their current estrangement.
With a heavy sigh, Yunjin closed her phone and leaned back against the wall, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness. She knew that she had to find a way to make amends, to reach out to Chaewon and try to repair the damage she had caused. But as she stared into the void of uncertainty that lay ahead, Yunjin couldn't shake the sinking feeling that she had already lost the person she cared about most.
As Chaewon resumed her attendance at school, Yunjin couldn't help but notice the stark change in her demeanor. Gone was the confident and composed girl she once knew; in her place stood a shadow of her former self, weighed down by the burden of heartbreak.
Yunjin's heart ached at the sight, but she steeled herself against the urge to reach out. She had already caused enough damage, and she didn't trust herself not to make things worse. So, with a heavy heart and a resigned sigh, Yunjin made the decision to withdraw.
She retreated into herself, building walls around her emotions and burying them deep within. Friendship was too complicated, and feelings were too messy. Yunjin wasn't cut out for either, so she chose the path of least resistance: solitude.
So, Yunjin turned her focus inward, seeking solace in her family. She reached out to Kazuha, the only young person she felt comfortable confiding in, and asked her to accompany her to the gym.
Kazuha was left dumbfounded, but sensing the gravity of Yunjin's request, readily agreed, offering her support in any way she could.
They ran side by side, Yunjin found herself losing track of time, the rhythmic motion of their workout serving as a soothing balm for her troubled soul. In that moment, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the gym, Yunjin felt a sense of peace wash over her, if only for a fleeting moment.
As the treadmill hummed beneath them, Kazuha glanced over at Yunjin, concern etched across her features. "Come on, Yujinnie. You can't just bottle up your feelings like that. What's eating you?"
Yunjin huffed, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she struggled to keep up with the treadmill's pace. "I told you, I don't wanna talk about it," she replied, her voice strained with effort.
