DISGRACE ──── ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ ✔️

37 ─── ˢᵗᵒʳᵐ

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ

The music room was dimly lit, the soft glow from the streetlights outside filtering through the tall windows. Kim Rian sat at the piano, his fingers grazing the keys without pressing down. The silence in the room was heavy, interrupted only by the faint hum of the city beyond the walls.

He stared at the polished surface of the piano, his reflection distorted. The events of the day swirled in his mind, especially the sight of Mi-hee walking away with Kang Ha. That image burned in his chest, a mix of jealousy and something deeper.

The door creaked open, and Jae-i stepped in, her movements hesitant yet purposeful. She paused by the doorway, her eyes scanning the room before landing on him.

“Rian,” she said softly, breaking the stillness.

He straightened, offering her a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Jae-i, I didn’t expect you.”

She moved toward him, stopping a few feet away. “I thought I’d find you here,” she said, her voice calm but tinged with something unspoken. “You’ve always come here when you needed to think.”

Rian nodded, gesturing for her to sit beside him on the bench. She hesitated for a moment but eventually sat down, keeping a noticeable distance between them.

The silence stretched, the weight of their shared history pressing down on both of them.

“Jae-i,” Rian began, his voice low, “I’ve been thinking.”

She turned to him, her expression unreadable. “So have I.”

Her words hung in the air, and for the first time, Rian realized how much had changed between them. She wasn’t the Jae-i who used to look at him with unwavering faith, and he wasn’t the Rian she had once admired.

“I’ve hurt you,” he said finally, his voice raw with guilt. “And I don’t know if I can ever make it right.”

Jae-i shook her head, a small, sad smile on her lips. “You don’t need to, Rian. I’ve been holding on to something that doesn’t exist anymore. Maybe it never did.”

His chest tightened at her words, but he knew she was right. With Jae-i, he had always been driven by anger and pride, his worst traits amplified. She had been his constant, but he had taken her for granted, treating her more as a haven than a person.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he admitted, his voice breaking.

She reached out, placing a hand on his. “You won’t. But not in the way you think. We’ve been holding on to each other for the wrong reasons, Rian. You were my safe place, and I was yours. But that’s not love—it’s dependency.”

Her words cut through him, but instead of pain, there was clarity. She was right. With Jae-i, he had been stagnant, relying on her to anchor him while he spiraled.

“And Mi-hee?” Jae-i asked gently, her tone free of accusation.

Rian swallowed hard, his thoughts immediately consumed by the fiery girl who had turned his world upside down. “She’s… different. She makes me want to be better, even if it kills me.”

Jae-i’s smile widened, though it was bittersweet. “Then go after her, Rian. But do it for the right reasons. Not to win, not to prove anything—just because you care.”

He looked at her, his heart heavy with gratitude and regret. “You’re a better person than I deserve, Jae-i.”

She shook her head, standing up and smoothing her skirt. “You don’t owe me anything, Rian. Just promise me you’ll stop running from yourself.”

He nodded, watching as she stepped toward the door. “Jae-i,” he called after her.

She paused, looking back over her shoulder.

“Thank you,” he said simply, his voice filled with a sincerity he hadn’t felt in years.

She nodded, her eyes glistening. “Goodbye, Rian.”

And with that, she walked out, leaving him alone in the music room.

Rian sat there for a long time, staring at the empty doorway. For the first time, he felt a strange sense of peace. Jae-i had been a part of his life for so long, but he realized now that they had been holding each other back.

With Mi-hee, it was different. She didn’t just see him—she challenged him, pushed him to confront the parts of himself he hated most. And for her, he was willing to change, even if it meant losing everything.

The faint light of the city outside seemed to glow brighter, and Rian’s fingers finally pressed a key on the piano, the single note echoing through the room.

It was time to face the storm. And Kim Rian had decided to let the storm ruin him if that is what Mi-hee wanted. Rian was no longer against Mi-hee, he'll face the storm with Mi-hee in the name of love.

ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ
ʰⁱᵉʳᵃʳᶜʰʸ