Beneath the Moonlit Sky. | R - 18+

Chapter 6: A Crack in The Armor

Chapter 6

The rain had stopped by the next morning, leaving the high school grounds shimmering under the weak sunlight. Students milled about as usual, the air filled with chatter and laughter. But for Yumi, everything still felt out of place.

Eunchae's words from the day before haunted her. That flicker of something-something more than hostility-had burrowed into her mind, refusing to let go. Why had Eunchae seemed... vulnerable, if only for a moment? Yumi shook her head, frustrated with herself. This wasn't the first time Eunchae had confused her, and she doubted it would be the last.

"You've been staring into space all morning."

Yumi jumped slightly as Floryn appeared beside her, her bright smile softening the worry etched into her features.

"Sorry," Yumi said quickly, adjusting the strap of her bag. "Just... tired."

Floryn gave her a knowing look. "Tired, or thinking about someone again?"

Yumi frowned but didn't reply. Floryn had a way of reading her like an open book, which was both comforting and unsettling.

"C'mon, forget her for a bit," Floryn said, looping her arm through Yumi's. "I've got something to show you."

---

Floryn led Yumi to the school courtyard, where a small group of students had gathered around a makeshift runway.

"What's going on?" Yumi asked as Floryn guided her to a spot near the front.

Floryn grinned. "Oh, just a little fun. They're hosting a mini fashion showcase for charity, and I thought I'd join in."

Yumi's eyes widened. "You're participating?"

"Why not? Modeling is my thing," Floryn said with a wink. "And maybe it'll cheer you up."

Before Yumi could respond, the announcer called Floryn's name. Floryn gave her a quick thumbs-up before stepping onto the runway.

The transformation was immediate. The playful girl Yumi had come to know disappeared, replaced by someone poised and captivating. Floryn owned the runway, her every step confident and elegant. The crowd watched in awe, and Yumi couldn't help but feel a swell of pride for her friend.

As Floryn walked, Yumi felt a strange sensation-a prickling at the back of her neck, as though someone was watching her. She turned, and her breath caught when she saw Eunchae standing at the edge of the crowd, her arms crossed and her gaze fixed on Yumi.

Eunchae's expression was unreadable, but her eyes betrayed a storm of emotions Yumi couldn't decipher. Anger? Jealousy? Something else entirely?

Yumi quickly looked away, her heart pounding. She tried to focus on Floryn's performance, but Eunchae's presence was impossible to ignore.

---

After the showcase, Floryn returned, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

"So? How did I do?" she asked, beaming.

"You were amazing," Yumi said honestly.

Floryn laughed. "Thanks. I think I'll stick to modeling full-time if school ever gets too boring."

As they walked back toward the building, Yumi glanced over her shoulder, half-expecting Eunchae to still be there. But she was gone.

Floryn nudged her. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Looking for her," Floryn said, her voice gentle.

"I wasn't," Yumi said quickly, though even she didn't believe it.

Floryn sighed. "Yumi, you don't owe her anything. Whatever's going on with Eunchae, it's not your responsibility to figure it out. You've got me now, okay?"

Yumi nodded, grateful for Floryn's support. But deep down, she knew it wasn't that simple.

---

Later that day, Yumi found herself lingering near the school's rooftop. It was a quiet place, one she often escaped to when she needed to think. She pushed open the door, stepping into the crisp afternoon air, only to freeze when she saw Eunchae sitting on the edge of the railing.

"Great," Eunchae said without looking up. "Just the person I wanted to avoid."

Yumi hesitated, unsure whether to leave or stay. But something about Eunchae's slouched posture and the tension in her shoulders made her step closer.

"Why are you here?" Yumi asked softly.

Eunchae glanced at her, her expression tired. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I just wanted some peace and quiet," Yumi admitted.

Eunchae snorted. "Yeah, well, good luck with that."

They fell into an uneasy silence, the wind rustling softly around them. For the first time, Eunchae didn't look like the confident, untouchable person Yumi had always known her to be. She looked... tired.

Yumi swallowed her nerves and said, "Why are you always like this with me?"

Eunchae turned to her, her eyes narrowing. "Like what?"

"Angry. Cruel. Watching me like I've done something wrong," Yumi said, her voice trembling.

Eunchae stared at her for a long moment, as though debating whether to answer. Finally, she looked away.

"Maybe I'm just messed up," Eunchae muttered, her voice barely audible.

Yumi blinked, caught off guard. She hadn't expected honesty, let alone vulnerability, from Eunchae.

"Eunchae..."

"Don't," Eunchae said sharply, standing up. "Don't act like you care. You don't know me."

Before Yumi could reply, Eunchae brushed past her, disappearing down the stairs.

Yumi stood there, the weight of Eunchae's words pressing heavily on her chest. She didn't understand Eunchae-why she acted the way she did, or why her words hurt so much. But one thing was clear: there was more to Eunchae than she let on, and Yumi wasn't sure she was ready to find out what it was.

Sorry guys for not posting for a month😭😭 i was too busy, And lazy.

-Lovie cakes ni shekinah (jowk lang po🥵🥵😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😜😜😜😜😜🫣🫣🫣🥹🥹🥹😍😍💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐😎😎😎😎😎😎😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅🪅👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏♥️❤️🎂🙍🙍🙍😁🥳😫😫😉😉🥵🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈😟😟😟😟🤬🫣🤭🤨🤭😱🫢🫣🤫🤨🤫😱🫣🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤔🤔🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴😑😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋😋🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤😛😛😝😝😝)