Hearts Entwined || PpoToz

CHAPTER 40

NO ONE POV

The evening sun cast a warm glow through the windows of the school, but inside, the atmosphere was anything but light. Sohyun sat at her desk, deep in thought, while Yubin shuffled around beside her, organizing the last of the CSAT candidates' paperwork. They had been at it for hours, making sure everything was in order before throwing out the papers no longer needed now that the results were out.

“I can’t believe Yooyeon just left like that,” Yubin huffed, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and sadness. “She didn’t even say goodbye or give us a reason. And then she blocks us on everything? What the hell is that about?”

Sohyun nodded, though her thoughts were elsewhere. She listened to Yubin’s complaints, not wanting to interrupt, but she couldn’t help the growing unease in her chest. Yooyeon’s sudden departure had shaken everyone, but for Sohyun, it had stirred something deeper—a suspicion she had kept to herself for a while now.

As Yubin continued sorting through the papers, Sohyun’s eyes scanned the pile in front of her. She flipped through a few sheets, distracted, until one paper caught her attention. Yooyeon’s name was neatly written at the top.

Sohyun’s heart skipped a beat. Yooyeon’s exam paper. The one that had determined her rank. A spark of curiosity flared in her mind. Without thinking, she pulled the paper closer, her eyes narrowing as she skimmed through the answers.

Yubin was still talking, her voice a background hum, as Sohyun carefully reviewed Yooyeon’s work. At first, everything seemed normal. But the further she read, the more her confusion grew. Several answers were left incomplete or strangely worded. And then it hit her. The realization was like a cold shock running down her spine.

Yooyeon had intentionally answered incorrectly.

Sohyun’s breath caught in her throat. She flipped through the rest of the paper, her hands moving quickly now, scanning every answer. It was clear—Yooyeon could have easily secured first place. But she hadn’t. She’d purposefully placed herself second.

Why?

Sohyun’s thoughts raced, trying to make sense of it. She looked over at Yubin, who was still busy organizing the papers, oblivious to what Sohyun had just discovered. Sohyun carefully slid Yooyeon’s paper into her own bag, making sure Yubin didn’t notice.

As the weight of her discovery settled in, Sohyun’s mind pieced together what she had always suspected. Yooyeon’s erratic behavior, her sudden disappearance, the strange changes in her demeanor—it all pointed to one person.

Her father.

Yooyeon hadn’t left because she wanted to. She had been forced into it. Likely to escape something far worse.

Sohyun’s grip on her pen tightened, her expression hardening. She glanced at Yubin again, who was still blissfully unaware of what was unfolding in Sohyun’s mind. Yubin’s complaints about Yooyeon had faded into the background, but Sohyun wasn’t listening anymore. She had too much to think about now.

Yooyeon hadn’t just left them. She had left a message hidden in plain sight.

As they finished up for the evening, Sohyun kept her composure, carefully tucking Yooyeon’s exam paper away. She knew now that she couldn’t tell anyone—not yet. Not until she understood the full truth.

But one thing was certain: Yooyeon hadn’t just abandoned them. She had left behind something far more important, something that only Sohyun had seen. And it was up to her to figure out what it meant.

As they packed up their things and headed out of the school, Sohyun’s mind was already racing ahead. She had to find a way to help Yooyeon. No matter what.