Knew You Were Trouble | KAZUJIN

Chapter 14: Mistakes

The school hallways were unusually quiet, almost tense, as students buzzed in small groups, their heads bent together in hushed conversation. Yunjin noticed the shift as soon as she stepped through the doors, her backpack slung over one shoulder. Normally, she'd be greeted with nods, waves, or some light teasing from her teammates. But today, people just glanced her way and looked back down, whispering. It felt... off.

"Hey, Yunjin." Hanni jogged up to her, her face a mix of worry and excitement. "Have you heard?"

Yunjin frowned, shaking her head. "Heard what?"

Hanni glanced around, as if checking who might be listening, and leaned in closer. "Someone posted about you on the school's confession page."

Yunjin's heart skipped a beat, and she tried to shrug it off. "What, like a fan? Happens all the time, doesn't it?"

But Hanni's expression was serious. "Not this time. Someone posted something about you, but it's... personal."

Yunjin felt her stomach tighten. "What did they say?"

Pulling out her phone, Hanni opened the school's unofficial social media page, a place where students could anonymously submit messages about anything—crushes, drama, or secrets. Her screen showed a recent post with the caption, "Everyone thinks Yunjin's perfect, but I know what she's really like."

Yunjin's hands went cold. She stared at the post, feeling her pulse thunder in her ears as she read further.

"Yunjin only cares about herself. She's fake, a total player who only uses people to boost her popularity. And she's been pretending to care about someone she doesn't even respect. Maybe it's time she faces some consequences."

Her mind raced. The post was vague but had enough truth to sting—she knew it described her recent, complicated behavior with Kazuha. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots, and she could already sense people looking at her differently, wondering if the rumor was true.

"Who could've posted that?" Yunjin murmured, more to herself than to Hanni.

"I don't know, but it's brutal," Hanni said, concern in her eyes. "People are going to start treating you differently. Maybe they already are."

For once, Yunjin didn't have a quick comeback or a charming smile to fall back on. The words felt raw, exposing insecurities she hadn't wanted anyone to see. And suddenly, the image she'd built so carefully, the popularity she'd clung to—it felt as fragile as glass, like it could shatter with one more careless move.

She took a deep breath, struggling to stay composed, but there was something else clawing at her mind. Deep down, she knew there was only one person who'd understand the complexity of what she was feeling. And that person wasn't Kazuha.

It was Chaewon.

With a quick glance at her phone, Yunjin sent Chaewon a short text: Can we meet?

As she pressed send, she felt the weight of her decision sink in. For the first time, she was going to let someone see beyond the persona she'd perfected—and trust that maybe, they wouldn't walk away.

Yunjin clenched her fists, feeling a surge of anger and betrayal surge through her veins as she confronted Chaewon by the lockers. Her jaw was set, and her eyes blazed with frustration, making Chaewon shift uneasily.

"Did you have something to do with that post?" Yunjin demanded, her voice cold and sharp. She knew she was being unfair, but the stress of the day had worn her down. Chaewon was one of the only people who knew the truth about her struggles, and part of Yunjin feared that her former friend had turned against her.