Complexity

One Lie

Sohyun POV

Feeling like a tangled ball of emotions that was on the verge of unravelling. I didn't know how to bring it up to Xinyu. How much did she know? Did she even care? Would she still treat me the same way if she knew about my past, my family, the mess I came from?

A part of me wanted to keep quiet, to continue living in this illusion of warmth and safety. The three of them—Xinyu, Ning-Ning, and Handong—they had become my sanctuary, my little patch of normalcy. I didn't know their stories, but I didn't care. For the first time in years, I felt like I had a family.

But the guilt was eating at me. It had been days since the bathroom incident, and I could still feel Xinyu's lingering concern every time she glanced my way.

SeoAh, on the other hand, was practically glued to me. Her guilt over the incident had turned her into my shadow. She was sweet—too sweet—but her constant apologies and attempts to cheer me up only reminded me of the mess I was trying to forget.

And then there was Xinyu. Oh, Zhou Xinyu. Her jealousy was ridiculous, and honestly, it was the funniest thing about her. She would try to hide it, but it was so obvious to anyone paying attention. If I spent too much time with someone else, she would swoop in like a possessive bird, staking her claim in the most dramatic way possible.

Like that time with Yubin.

I was sitting with her, talking about some mundane topic, when Xinyu appeared out of nowhere. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around me from behind, glaring at Yubin as if she were ready to fight her.

Yubin, of course, wasn't one to back down. She smirked, clearly amused, and hugged me as well, as if to challenge Xinyu. The whole class erupted in laughter, everyone enjoying the spectacle of their playful tug-of-war.

Xinyu's arrival a few months ago had turned my life upside down. It didn't take her long to fit in with everyone—her natural charm and energy made it impossible for anyone to dislike her. Watching her joke around with the others, it was easy to forget that she was still somewhat of an enigma to me.

But even as she blended in with the rest of the class, she always came back to me. Her protectiveness, her teasing, her warm smiles—they all made it harder for me to hold back. I wanted to tell her everything. I needed to. But the fear of losing this newfound family kept my mouth shut. If Xinyu knew the truth, would she still look at me the same way? Would she still wrap her arms around me and fight off Yubin with her ridiculous antics?

I wasn't sure I could bear it if the answer was no.

The exam day was approaching, and the pressure was palpable, especially for Xinyu. She had been muttering her frustrations for days, claiming that no matter how much she studied, she would still fail. I didn't believe her, of course, but her constant complaints made me worry.

"You've studied. You should be confident in your ability," I said reassuringly, but instead of looking encouraged, she sighed dramatically and shoved a thick folder into my hands.

Confused, I opened the folder and flipped through its contents. It was filled with her past exam results. My eyes widened slightly as I realized they weren't bad—far from it, actually. Her scores were consistently above average.

"Xinyu, these are good. What are you even worried about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I want more than that," she muttered, slumping in her chair.

Her voice softened as she added,

"At least I want to show Handong that I can be better. At least..."