Complexity

NemoNemo

Xinyu's POV

After dropping SeoAh off at her house, we had a brief chat. SeoAh's small voice was filled with guilt.

"So the gist of it is my fault. I ran around here and there without Sohyun eonnie knowing. Then I accidentally met her mom, and it ended with Sohyun eonnie being forced to meet her," she admitted, her head hanging low.

I sighed, gently patting her head.

"SeoAh, you're not entirely at fault. But are you okay?" She nodded quickly.

"I'm okay, but I'm worried about Sohyun eonnie. What if this makes her stop coming to school again?"

My heart sank at the thought. SeoAh was right. The last time Sohyun missed school for nearly a week, it was because of her family issues. Though I didn't know the full details, I knew enough to understand the weight it put on her.

On my way home, I decided to stop by a convenience store to grab some snacks. As I browsed the shelves near the cashier, my eyes drifted toward the counter. Behind the cashier, a row of cigarette boxes stood in neat alignment, like forbidden relics from my past. It'd been years since I'd even thought about them, but today...

"Xinyu eonnie?"

The voice snapped me out of my trance. I turned to see Sullin and Soomin, my classmates, standing a few steps away.

"Oh, hi. You guys buying snacks too?" I asked casually, hoping they hadn't noticed my lingering gaze at the counter.

Sullin nodded silently. Her Korean was still a work in progress since she'd moved from Thailand, so she often relied on gestures. Soomin, on the other hand, was chattier.

"What about you, eonnie? Why were you staring at the cashier?" Soomin's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing. Just... found something strange," I lied, trying to divert their attention.

"Right?! I told you, Soomin. This place feels off," Sullin suddenly chimed in, her tone serious.Soomin rolled her eyes.

"You think every place is haunted."

I laughed nervously.

"Well, go ahead and pay first. I'll be right behind you."

As they walked off, I whispered to myself.

"Should I talk to Nien about this?"

Nien's POV

Kaede, Dahyun, and Kotone were sprawled across my living room, allegedly "studying." But judging by the pile of cards and snacks on the table, it was clear no studying was happening.

"What exactly are you guys doing?" I asked, arms crossed.

Kaede looked up lazily from Dahyun's lap.

"Playing cards. Obviously."

"Obviously," I muttered, shaking my head.

"You guys are hopeless."

Before I could kick them out, the familiar rumble of a motorcycle engine echoed outside. Moments later, Zhou Xinyu strolled in uninvited, as if she owned the place. She didn't even greet me—just plopped herself onto the couch next to Kotone and hugged her like a stuffed animal. Kotone didn't even flinch, just patted Xinyu's head.

"Should I report this to Sohyun?"

Xinyu shook her head, refusing to let go of Kotone.

Something was definitely up. Xinyu only showed up at my house unannounced when she was stressed out. I decided to let her brood for now, knowing she'd spill the beans eventually.Hours later, after Kaede, Dahyun, and Kotone had left, Xinyu sat alone, flicking the lighter she always carried in her jacket. It was the same lighter I'd given her years ago, back when things were... different.

"You still have that?" I asked, sitting across from her.

She nodded, her eyes focused on the small flame.

"What's on your mind this time?"

Xinyu sighed, extinguishing the lighter.

"I thought about smoking again. If it wasn't for Sullin calling my name, I might've finished half a pack by now."

I frowned. Out of everyone in our class, I was the only one who knew about Xinyu's bad habits from her past. We'd grown up in the same daycare, shared the same childhood struggles, and stayed close until life pulled us apart.

"You haven't touched a cigarette in years," I said gently.

She smiled faintly.

"Yeah, but the thought's still there."

"What happened?"

"Sohyun met her mom today."

"And?"

Xinyu looked at me like I'd just asked the dumbest question in the world.

"Listen," I said, holding up a hand.

"If Sohyun's situation is anything like your family's, then yeah, I get it. But if it's not, what do you want me to do about it?" I explain which make Xinyu leaned back, exhaling loudly.

"The cases are similar. Not identical, but close enough."

"Go on," I prompted.

She explained everything: Sohyun's strained relationship with her family, what she and Ning-ning had discovered, and how SeoAh unintentionally triggered today's encounter.

"So what you're saying is, your family and Sohyun's have overlapping histories," I summarized.

Xinyu nodded.

"The world's small."

"But that doesn't mean you hate her, right?"

"Of course not," she said quickly.

"It's not her fault."

I smirked.

"If you hated her over this, you'd be the dumbest person alive." Xinyu chuckled.

"Well, I am stupid. Stupidly in love with her."

"Gross," I teased, throwing a pillow at her. But inside, I couldn't help but hope she'd find a way to fix things with Sohyun—for both their sakes.

A.N: it's my crush birthday!!