Knew You Were Trouble | KAZUJIN

Chapter 11: Minji and Hanni

Yunjin stood frozen in place, watching Kazuha's retreating figure until she disappeared into the school building. Her heart felt heavy, an uncomfortable mixture of guilt and frustration swirling inside her. She had been called out—truly called out—and it stung. The echo of Kazuha's words wouldn't leave her alone: Surviving doesn't mean you get to hurt people who care about you.

A breeze picked up, rustling the leaves of the nearby trees and making Yunjin shiver, though it wasn't from the cold. It was from the weight of the realization pressing down on her. Kazuha was right; she had been hiding behind her charm and popularity, letting her fear of being vulnerable drive her actions. But for the first time, someone she genuinely cared about was walking away, and she wasn't sure how to handle it.

Yunjin's friends, who had been watching from a distance, approached cautiously. Hanni gave her a concerned look, while Minji stayed a step behind, sensing the tension. "You good, Yunjin?" Hanni asked, her voice softer than usual.

Yunjin took a deep breath, plastering on a weak smile. "Yeah," she lied. "I'm fine."

But the moment she said it, she knew she was far from fine. Her mind kept replaying the hurt in Kazuha's eyes, the way her voice had trembled with disappointment. Yunjin's smile wavered, and she dropped her gaze to the ground. The mask she had been wearing for so long was beginning to crack.

Minji exchanged a worried glance with Hanni. "Maybe you should take a break from... all of this," Minji suggested, gesturing vaguely at the crowd and the chaos that surrounded them. "It seems like there's more going on than you let on."

Yunjin swallowed hard, the urge to brush off her friends' concerns rising within her. But for once, she didn't. Instead, she rubbed a hand over her face and sighed. "I messed up," she admitted, her voice uncharacteristically small. "I keep messing up."

Hanni stepped closer, her eyes full of empathy. "Then fix it," she said gently. "If Kazuha means something to you, show her. But you have to mean it, Yunjin. You can't just talk your way out of this one."

Yunjin nodded, the reality of Hanni's words sinking in. If she truly wanted to make things right with Kazuha, she needed to change—genuinely change—and that meant facing the parts of herself she had been avoiding for so long. It wouldn't be easy, but losing Kazuha felt even more unbearable.

Later that evening, Yunjin found herself sitting in her bedroom, the space cluttered with memories of her childhood. Her younger sister Rachel was sprawled on the floor, busy with her homework, and for once, the house was quiet. Their parents were out, and the usual noise of Yunjin's life had been replaced with an uneasy stillness.

Rachel glanced up from her math problems, sensing her sister's unusual mood. "Hey, Yunjin," she said, her voice curious. "You okay? You're awfully quiet today."

Yunjin looked at her sister, taking in her innocent, inquisitive expression. Rachel was only fourteen, but sometimes she seemed so much wiser than her years. Yunjin hesitated before responding, feeling the lump in her throat. "Just... thinking," she murmured.

Rachel set her pencil down, her brows furrowing. "About what?"

Yunjin sighed, leaning back against her bed frame. "About how I keep screwing up," she admitted. "Especially when it comes to the people I care about."

Rachel tilted her head, her eyes narrowing in thought. "You mean Kazuha?"

Yunjin's gaze snapped to her sister, surprised by how easily Rachel had put the pieces together. "How did you know?" she asked.

Rachel shrugged, a small smile playing at her lips. "I might be young, but I'm not blind," she said. "I see how you look at her. And I saw how sad you looked today after school." Her smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression. "If you really care about her, then you have to be brave enough to show it. Even if it's scary."