Hearts Entwined || PpoToz

CHAPTER 22

NO ONE POV

Yubin tapped her pencil against the desk, the rhythmic sound doing little to ease her boredom. The lecture had lost her interest some time ago, and her thoughts wandered, thinking about what she might do after school. She was alone in class, as usual, since she was a year younger than her friends and could only see them during lunch or after school. The feeling of isolation tugged at her, but she had grown accustomed to it by now.

Suddenly, the classroom door creaked open, pulling Yubin back to the present. The teacher walked in, but she wasn’t alone. The class buzzed with curiosity as a girl followed closely behind. She was petite with long, dark hair and wore an expression that was both calm and serious.

"Class, this is Koma Mayu," the teacher announced. "She's just transferred here, so please make her feel welcome."

Yubin’s heart skipped a beat when she realised that, being the only one without a seatmate, the new girl would be sitting next to her. Sure enough, the teacher gestured for Mayu to take the empty seat beside her. Yubin tried not to look too eager as Mayu sat down, arranging her books with quiet efficiency.

"Hi, I’m Yubin," she whispered, trying to sound casual.

"Mayu," the girl replied with a small smile.

The lesson resumed, but Yubin's mind was no longer on the board. She had a new distraction—her new seatmate. They exchanged a few words here and there, getting to know each other between the teacher's explanations. Yubin found herself warming up to Mayu quickly; there was something intriguing about her.

After a while, Yubin leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Hey, just a heads-up. You should be careful around one of the seniors here."

Mayu raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Jae Yoojin," Yubin said, watching for a reaction.

Mayu's eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, her composed demeanor faltered. "Jae Yoojin?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You know her?" Yubin asked, her curiosity piqued by Mayu's reaction.

Mayu hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do. And... I know something about her. Something most people don’t."

Yubin leaned in, excitement bubbling up inside her. "What do you know?"

Mayu looked around cautiously before whispering, "It's a dirty secret. One that could ruin her if it ever got out."

A sly grin spread across Yubin's face as she began to scheme in her head. This information could change everything. She couldn’t wait to tell the others. For the first time in what felt like ages, the dullness of her day had vanished, replaced by the thrill of a new plan forming in her mind.

•••

Lunch break had just begun, and the group had gathered at their usual spot. Seoyeon, Xinyu, Nakyoung, Sohyun, and Yooyeon sat together, engaged in a hushed discussion. Yubin was notably absent, though they didn't think much of it yet.

"We need to find a way to expose Yoojin," Seoyeon said, her voice determined. "But we can't act until we have something solid."

Sohyun, always thoughtful, nodded in agreement. "It has to be something that hits her where it hurts. Something she wouldn't want anyone to know."

"Maybe we should look into her past," Xinyu suggested. "There might be something there we can use."

Yooyeon, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "I’ve noticed she’s been a bit more cautious lately. She knows we’re onto her."

Nakyoung, ever the optimist, chimed in. "But it has to be something big. Something that would really shock everyone."

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps drew their attention. They turned to see Yubin sprinting towards them, her face flushed with urgency. She skidded to a stop and slammed her hands down on the table, startling them all.

"Yubin, what’s going on?" Yooyeon asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

Yubin, still catching her breath, grinned widely. "I found someone who can help us take down Yoojin."

The group exchanged puzzled looks. "Who?" Seoyeon asked, her curiosity piqued.

Yubin straightened up, her excitement palpable. "Unnies, meet Koma Mayu." She gestured behind her, and Mayu stepped forward, her demeanor calm and sweet as she smiled at them.

Mayu gave a polite wave, her expression lovely and innocent, making it hard to believe she could be part of any scheme. The group looked her over, trying to reconcile Yubin's dramatic entrance with this gentle-looking girl.

Seoyeon frowned slightly, speaking what they were all thinking. "Yubin, how can someone as cute as Mayu help us ruin Yoojin?"

Sohyun, ever the sharp observer, glanced between Mayu and Yubin, sensing there was more to this than met the eye.

Yubin's smirk grew as she shared a knowing look with Mayu. "You’d be surprised at what she knows."

Mayu's sweet smile didn’t waver as she looked at the group, but there was a glint in her eyes that suggested she wasn't as innocent as she appeared. The group fell silent, exchanging glances filled with intrigue and anticipation. Whatever secret Mayu held, it could be the key to finally turning the tables on Yoojin.

The group huddled closer, the atmosphere tense as Mayu prepared to share what she knew. Her voice was barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of something significant.

“Yoojin once threatened a kid at her old school,” Mayu began, her tone careful. “It wasn’t just bullying; it was relentless. The pressure drove the kid into depression, and eventually… they couldn’t take it anymore. The kid committed suicide.”

The revelation hit the group like a cold wind. Seoyeon’s eyes widened in shock, Nakyoung’s hand flew to her mouth, and Xinyu’s expression tightened. Even Sohyun, usually composed, looked unsettled by the gravity of Mayu’s words.

Mayu continued, her voice steady but laced with empathy. “That kid had a little sister, and she still lives around here. I don’t know if Yoojin is aware, but if she finds out that we know this, she’s going to lose it.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances. There was a weight to the information, an unspoken understanding that this could be the key to everything.

Yooyeon, who had been silent until now, felt a familiar knot tighten in her stomach. She knew all too well about the consequences of digging up Yoojin’s past. “So, that’s what happened,” she murmured, her tone tinged with regret. “That’s why she was bullied at her old school.”

The others turned to her, already aware of Yooyeon’s past with Yoojin. There was no need for further explanation. They knew Yooyeon had been one of those who had turned on Yoojin, unable to resist the mob mentality that had consumed their school after the truth about Yoojin came to light.

“What I didn’t know,” Yooyeon continued, her voice hardening, “was that Yoojin must have made sure only a few of us got exposed. She didn’t want the whole truth coming out, just enough to get revenge on me and a couple of others.”

Xinyu nodded, her expression thoughtful. “That makes sense. She was trying to protect herself while punishing those who knew her secret.”

Yubin’s eyes gleamed with a mix of excitement and determination. “This is perfect,” she whispered, barely able to contain her enthusiasm. “Now we have what we need to ruin her.”

The group fell silent as they considered their next move, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. Mayu had handed them the final piece of the puzzle, and now it was up to them to decide how to use it.

Mayu’s revelation had changed everything, and they knew they were holding something powerful—something that could bring Yoojin’s carefully constructed world crashing down. They exchanged glances, a shared understanding that their next steps would be crucial. And with Yubin already formulating a plan in her head, it was clear that Yoojin’s reckoning was closer than ever.