Only if you say yes!! (En-drama)

"I don't feel comfortable with you guys anymore"

The gym was buzzing with excitement as Heeseung and Ni-ki returned from their week-long basketball tournament. They had been eager to reunite with the group, but something felt different as they stepped back into the school. The usual lighthearted banter was replaced by tension so thick they could practically feel it in the air.

As they made their way down the hallway, they noticed the whispers, the sideways glances, and the noticeable absence of Eunjin in their usual crowd. Everyone seemed distant—especially Sunoo.

"What happened while we were gone?" Heeseung asked, glancing over at Ni-ki, who shrugged, just as confused.

They soon found out. The once tightly-knit group had fractured, with Eunjin at the center of it all. Sunoo, usually the bright and cheerful one, seemed withdrawn. It was unsettling, and Heeseung couldn’t stand it anymore.

“I’m gonna talk to her,” Heeseung muttered as they spotted Eunjin sitting alone by the lockers, her face etched with frustration.

They approached her cautiously, but before they could say anything, Eunjin shot them a glare, her lips trembling with anger.

“What?” she spat out, her voice laced with venom. “You’re here to turn on me too? Just like everyone else?”

Heeseung blinked, surprised by her aggression. “We just want to understand what happened. You weren’t acting like this before we left.”

Eunjin scoffed, her eyes flashing with fury. “Understand? There’s nothing to understand! That little rat Sunoo has been spreading lies, turning everyone against me!”

Ni-ki, who had been quiet the entire time, narrowed his eyes. “Sunoo wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh, wouldn’t he?” she hissed, her voice rising. “You have no idea how manipulative he is! He’s always been jealous, always playing the victim.”

Heeseung held up a hand, his patience thinning. “Calm down, Eunjin.”

“I won’t calm down!” she yelled, tears brimming in her eyes as she lost control. “You all act like he’s so innocent, but he’s just like everyone else—just a pathetic, attention-seeking—”

“Enough!” Heeseung’s voice boomed, cutting her off. He stepped forward, towering over her. “Shut up already. You’re just making excuses for your own actions. It’s getting annoying.”

Eunjin froze, stunned by Heeseung’s harshness, her mouth hanging open as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Ni-ki sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. He had already pieced together the truth, and a particular detail made his stomach churn. “You were the one who fed Cheese the spoiled cat food, weren’t you?”

Eunjin’s silence confirmed it.

Disgusted, Ni-ki turned away. “I’m done here,” he muttered, walking off, leaving Eunjin stunned and alone.

Heeseung watched him go before turning his gaze back to Eunjin. “You need to own up to what you’ve done. Blaming Sunoo isn’t going to fix anything.” With that, he walked away too, not giving her the chance to respond.

---

Heeseung and Ni-ki eventually found Sunoo in the courtyard, sitting under the shade of a tree, flipping through a book. He seemed calm, but the absence of his usual cheerfulness was evident.

“Sunoo,” Heeseung called out, making his way over.

Sunoo looked up, his expression neutral, though there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something tired.

“We’re sorry,” Heeseung began, sitting down beside him. “We didn’t know how bad things had gotten. We should’ve been here.”

Ni-ki nodded, standing off to the side, his hands shoved into his pockets. “Eunjin crossed a line, and we should’ve realized sooner.”

Sunoo gave them a small nod but remained quiet. He wasn’t angry anymore—just distant. “It’s okay,” he said softly, though it didn’t feel okay.

“You’re not mad?” Ni-ki asked, shifting uncomfortably.

“No,” Sunoo replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not mad. I just… don’t feel comfortable around everyone anymore.”

Heeseung’s chest tightened at those words. He knew Sunoo had every right to feel that way, and it hurt knowing they had been part of the reason for his change in demeanor.

“Sunghoon told us what happened in the gym,” Heeseung said after a pause. “He never sided with Eunjin, did he?”

Sunoo shook his head. “No. He never took her side.”

The mention of Sunghoon seemed to bring a sense of comfort to Sunoo, but it was fleeting. He stared down at the ground, absentmindedly kicking a rock. “I just… I don’t know how to be around you guys anymore. I’m tired.”

Heeseung looked over at Ni-ki, both of them unsure of what to say. The Sunoo sitting before them wasn’t the same cheerful, bubbly friend they had known. There was a distance between them now, and they could feel it.

“We’ll give you space if you need it,” Heeseung said quietly. “But know we’re here for you, whenever you’re ready.”

Sunoo nodded but didn’t say much else.

---

From that day on, Sunoo continued to hang out with the others, but something had changed. He no longer laughed as easily or engaged in the same lively conversations. He kept to himself more, speaking only when necessary.

Heeseung and Ni-ki could feel the shift, and though they tried to bridge the gap, Sunoo remained distant. Sunghoon was the only one Sunoo seemed to be truly comfortable with, and it was clear why—Sunghoon had never betrayed him.

The others, meanwhile, silently wrestled with their guilt, knowing that the damage had already been done.