It All Started With A Creepy Mail ⚊ Yang Jungwon [#4]

✗ thirty one ✗

⚊ chapter thirty one

SD: You ever feel like parents can be so unfair sometimes? Like, they play favorites without even realizing it.

Me: Hmm, I can't really say I can relate. I'm an only child, so I never had to deal with that.

SD: Lucky you. I’ve got a sibling, and it’s like no matter what I do, I’m always the one in the wrong. If I break something that belongs to my sister, everyone’s furious. But if she breaks something of mine, it’s somehow my fault. Like, I should’ve taken better care of it or something.

Me: That sounds rough. I can’t imagine how frustrating that must be.

SD: It is. And it’s not just that they get mad at me—they’ll laugh if I actually get upset about it, like I’m just being immature or overreacting. It’s like my feelings don’t matter at all.

Me: Wow, that’s really unfair. No one should make you feel like your emotions aren’t important.

SD: Exactly. And it’s not just that. When I try to talk to anyone else about it, like friends or other adults, they just tell me not to make a big deal out of it. It’s like they don’t get it, or they think I’m blowing it out of proportion. It’s so frustrating, feeling like no one’s on my side.

Me: I’m sorry you’re going through that. It’s tough when people dismiss how you feel, especially when it’s something that affects you every day.

SD: Thanks. I didn’t realize how much I needed to talk about it. Sometimes I just want to shout at them that my feelings are real, you know? But I know they’d just laugh it off or tell me I’m being silly.

Me: Your feelings are real, and they’re important. Don’t let anyone make you feel like they aren’t. It’s okay to be mad when things aren’t fair, and it’s okay to need space from that.

SD: That means a lot. I just have to keep reminding myself of that, I guess. Thanks for being there.

Me: Anytime. You deserve to be heard and understood, even if the people around you don’t always get it.

As I read SD’s messages, I felt a deep sympathy for him. The way he described his family’s favoritism and how they laugh off his feelings was so heartbreaking.

It made me wonder if this is why Jungwon often stays at his rooftop house, away from his family.

Jungwon has always spoken fondly about his grandparents, never really diving into details about his immediate family. It’s as if he’s kept them at a distance in conversation, focusing more on the positive aspects of his life.

SD’s stories about feeling overlooked and not taken seriously made me realize that perhaps Jungwon has been hiding similar frustrations from us.

It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that SD is indeed Jungwon. The way he opened up about his family’s unfairness and his own coping mechanisms aligns perfectly with the subtle hints Jungwon has dropped over time.

It’s like putting together pieces of a puzzle that I didn’t even know I was assembling.

As I was about to message Chenle to ask how Beans was settling in, my phone buzzed with a new text from Shaira. I opened it, and it read:

Shai: Hey! Tomorrow’s the big day—my cousin’s wedding. I’m so nervous about not tripping on the aisle in these heels. I really don’t want to steal any attention from the bride!

I couldn’t help but smile at Shaira’s worries. It was so typical of her to be anxious about the smallest details, even when everything was probably going to be perfect.