Hearts Entwined || PpoToz

CHAPTER 20

*TW*

NO ONE POV

Yooyeon walked home, the adrenaline from the day's events still coursing through her veins. Her thoughts replayed the moment over and over-the moment her hand met Yoojin's face. She felt an odd satisfaction, as if the slap had been years in the making. It wasn't just about defending herself; it was about reclaiming something Yoojin had taken from her a long time ago.

As she approached her house, the feeling began to fade, replaced by the usual dread that accompanied returning home. She knew what awaited her, but tonight, she clung to the brief victory she had seized.

The familiar creak of the front door greeted her, and as she stepped inside, the world seemed to slow down. Before she could even close the door behind her, a fist drove into her stomach with brutal force.

Pain exploded through her midsection, knocking the breath out of her lungs. She crumpled to the floor, gasping and disoriented. Confusion clouded her thoughts as she tried to understand what she had done to deserve this.

Looking up, Yooyeon saw her father standing over her, his face twisted in rage. The anger in his eyes was unmistakable, and it terrified her more than the pain.

"What did I do...?" she whispered, barely able to get the words out.

Her father didn't answer. Instead, he struck her again, a blow that sent her head snapping to the side. And again. And again. Each hit seemed to come with more force than the last, as if he were trying to pound something into her that just wouldn't stick.

Through the haze of pain, Yooyeon heard the accusation. Yoojin's mother had called him, claimed that Yooyeon had beaten up Yoojin at school. It was a lie, of course-a twisted version of the truth. But it didn't matter. For once, her father had a reason to justify his anger, and that made it worse.

The satisfaction Yooyeon had felt earlier evaporated, leaving only despair in its wake. She lay there on the cold floor, battered and broken, understanding that this was the cost of that brief moment of power.

•••

The next day, Yooyeon made her way to school, each step a reminder of the bruises hidden beneath her uniform. The pain coursed through her body with every movement, but she pushed it down, refusing to let it show. The anger simmering inside her was almost too much to bear. She wanted to make Yoojin pay for everything, for all the humiliation and fear she’d caused. But Yooyeon knew she couldn’t lose control—not now.

As she entered the classroom, a tense silence fell over the room. Her classmates turned to stare at her, their eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. It was a familiar feeling, being watched like a dangerous animal, but today it felt even more suffocating. The weight of their gazes pressed down on her, almost as heavy as the bruises she carried.

Yoojin was already seated, and when Yooyeon met her gaze, she saw the same smug smirk that had haunted her dreams. It took all of Yooyeon’s willpower to stop herself from reacting. Instead, she rolled her eyes and headed to her seat, determined not to give Yoojin the satisfaction of a response.

Seoyeon, sitting beside her, immediately noticed something was wrong. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice low and full of concern.

Yooyeon nodded, her response automatic. “I’m fine,” she replied, though her tone was unconvincing. She didn’t look at Seoyeon, afraid that the worry in her friend’s eyes might break the fragile composure she was clinging to.

In the back of the classroom, Nakyoung watched the exchange with a heavy heart. As Yooyeon’s cousin, she knew the truth that no one else did—that Yooyeon’s bruises weren’t just from school bullies. She knew that her uncle, Yooyeon’s father, was responsible for the marks hidden beneath Yooyeon’s uniform.