Guardian <remake>

9 ✔️

21th November 2018

It was late afternoon, and Eunbi sat alone in the nearly empty classroom, her fingers idly tracing the edge of her desk. The room was dim, shadows stretching across the walls as the last students trickled out of the school. Eunbi preferred this time of day, when the corridors were silent, and she could gather her thoughts without interruption.

She was supposed to meet Yuna after school, but she had chosen to linger, a quiet dread pooling in her stomach. Chaeyeon had texted her earlier, demanding they meet, and Eunbi had a sinking feeling she knew exactly what it was about.

The door creaked open, and Chaeyeon strolled in, a smug smile playing on her lips as she took in the sight of Eunbi. She closed the door behind her, the quiet click echoing ominously in the empty room. Eunbi felt a chill run down her spine, the air heavy with tension.

“Eunbi,” Chaeyeon’s voice was sickly sweet, her eyes glinting with malice as she approached. “I think it’s time we had a little chat.”

Eunbi’s hands clenched into fists beneath the desk, her jaw tightening. “What do you want, Chaeyeon?”

Chaeyeon laughed softly, a sound that was far from pleasant. She leaned against the desk beside Eunbi’s, crossing her arms and tilting her head as she regarded her with a calculating gaze.

“You’ve been acting strange lately,” she said, her voice low and taunting. “All these little nice gestures toward Yuna… it’s almost as if you’re trying to make up for something.”

Eunbi’s heart pounded, a wave of nausea rising within her. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but the weight of Chaeyeon’s words pressed down on her like a lead weight. She had done everything she could to make things right for Yuna, to honor Ryujin’s memory. The last thing she wanted was for someone like Chaeyeon to twist her intentions.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eunbi replied, her voice steady but strained.

“Don’t play dumb,” Chaeyeon sneered. “You know exactly what I mean. I saw everything, Eunbi. I saw you that day with Ryujin. And I know that you’re the reason she died.”

Eunbi felt her throat tighten, memories of that horrible day flooding her mind. She had already confessed to Yuna, hoping to find some peace, but Chaeyeon’s words reopened the wound she had tried so desperately to heal. The guilt weighed on her, suffocating, as she looked down at her hands, feeling the shame seeping into her bones.

“So,” Chaeyeon continued, her tone dripping with satisfaction. “Here’s the deal. You can either keep being this pathetic, goody-two-shoes version of yourself, and I’ll make sure everyone knows what you did. Or”—she leaned in closer, her voice barely a whisper—“you can keep your mouth shut, go back to your old ways, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll keep your little secret safe.”

Eunbi’s fists tightened, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her composure. She had always known this day might come, the day her darkest secret would be used against her. But hearing it out loud, spoken so casually, cut deeper than she’d ever imagined. The idea of returning to her former self, of becoming the bully she had once been, made her stomach turn. She had made a promise to Ryujin, a vow to change, to protect Yuna, and to make things right. But the threat hung over her like a dark cloud, a constant reminder of the fragile peace she had managed to create.

“What if I don’t?” Eunbi asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Chaeyeon’s smile widened, a predatory gleam in her eyes. “Then everyone will know. Everyone will see you for the monster you really are. Can you imagine how Yuna would react? She adores her sister, loved her more than anyone in the world. Do you really think she’d want anything to do with the person responsible for taking her away?”

Eunbi’s heart twisted painfully. Chaeyeon didn’t know that she had already confessed to Yuna, that Yuna knew the truth and had chosen to forgive her. But the fear lingered, the thought of everyone else finding out, of the whispers and the stares, the hatred that would undoubtedly follow. Ryujin had been loved by so many. To be known as the person who caused her death… it was a weight she wasn’t sure she could bear.

Chaeyeon’s gaze was relentless, her words slicing through Eunbi’s defenses like a knife. “Imagine how disappointed Yuna would be, knowing that the person she trusts now, the person who’s been trying to ‘protect’ her, is the same person who took her sister away.”

Eunbi looked down, her vision blurring as a thousand conflicting emotions churned within her. She had tried so hard to change, to become someone worthy of forgiveness. She had promised herself she would never go back to who she was before. But now, that promise felt fragile, barely holding together under the weight of Chaeyeon’s threat.

“So what’s it going to be, Eunbi?” Chaeyeon’s voice was soft, almost coaxing, as she continued to pile on the pressure. “Are you going to keep playing the hero? Or are you going to protect yourself, save what’s left of your reputation, and go back to doing what you’re good at?”

Eunbi’s mind raced, memories of Ryujin flashing through her thoughts—her laughter, her kindness, the way she had always stood up for Yuna, even when no one else would. Ryujin had been everything Eunbi wasn’t: selfless, compassionate, brave. And now, she was gone, her life cut short because of a mistake Eunbi could never take back.

But she had a choice. She could give in to Chaeyeon’s blackmail, surrender to the fear, and let herself fall back into the person she used to be. Or she could stand her ground, keep her promise to Ryujin, and face the consequences of her actions, no matter how painful they might be.

“I… I can’t,” Eunbi whispered, her voice trembling as she forced herself to meet Chaeyeon’s gaze. “I won’t go back to that. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.”

Chaeyeon’s smile faded, her eyes narrowing as a flicker of frustration crossed her face. “Oh, really? And how long do you think you can keep this up, huh? Sooner or later, everyone’s going to find out, and when they do, you’ll be left with nothing.”

Eunbi swallowed, the weight of her decision settling heavily on her shoulders. She knew Chaeyeon was right. She knew the truth would come out eventually, that she would have to face the judgment of her peers, the whispers, the hatred. But she couldn’t bring herself to betray Ryujin’s memory, to throw away everything she had fought so hard to achieve.

“Maybe,” she said quietly, her voice steady despite the fear that gnawed at her. “Maybe everyone will hate me. Maybe I’ll lose everything. But I won’t let you use that to control me. Not anymore.”

Chaeyeon’s expression hardened, her eyes flashing with anger. “Fine,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. “You want to play the hero? Go ahead. But don’t come crying to me when everyone turns on you.”

With one last glare, Chaeyeon turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Eunbi alone in the heavy silence. For a moment, she sat there, her body trembling as the enormity of what she had done washed over her. She had chosen to defy Chaeyeon, to face the consequences head-on, but the fear lingered, gnawing at the edges of her resolve.

Slowly, she stood, taking a deep, shaky breath. She didn’t know what the future held, didn’t know if she would have the strength to endure the judgment of her peers. But as she walked out of the classroom, she felt a sense of peace, a quiet certainty that, whatever happened, she had made the right choice.

And somewhere, in the quiet corners of her mind, she felt a faint, reassuring presence—a whisper of encouragement, a reminder that she was not alone.

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I didn't mean to make Chaeyeon as the antagonist here but things happened 🤣🤣