Love-ish~~ | | Hwang Hyunjin

23. The Mission

Ribyeol sips on her bubble tea, giving us the most unimpressed look ever. "Okay, what is it?"

Everyone turns to look at me like I'm supposed to speak.

Of course.

I clear my throat awkwardly. "So, um... it's about Jaejoon."

Ribyeol's face stiffens for a second before she masks it with a lazy blink. "What about him?"

"We need something from him," Ryujin says, cutting to the chase.

Ribyeol raises a perfect eyebrow. "Are you trying to kidnap him next? Because good luck with that."

I exhale slowly. "We just... need his phone."

Ribyeol blinks at us. Once. Twice. Then leans back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You want me to steal my boyfriend's phone?"

I wince. "Not steal... just, you know, borrow for a little bit."

Ribyeol looks at us like we've lost our minds.

Honestly, fair.

"And why exactly would I do that?" she asks, sipping her bubble tea like she's judging us all at once.

Ryujin leans in, voice low. "Because he's not who you think he is."

There's a tense beat of silence.

Ribyeol's brows raise, "Just because you guys don't get along with him doesn't mean you could put blames on my boyfriend."

I sigh, "You honestly have no idea, don't you? You sure you like him?"

She frowns, "What do you mean?"

I hesitate, but then I just say it. "He bullied Jeongin. Badly. And he recorded everything. It's all in his phone."

Ribyeol looks at me confused, thinking if she should believe or not.

Jeongin shifts uncomfortably next to me, staring at the floor.

"I didn't mean to tell you this, but I think you should know it too. He also followed me after school few times."

"More like stalked her." Hyunjin rolls his eyes.

Ribyeol's lips part slightly, her brows knitting together. "No... he wouldn't..." she whispers, like she's trying to convince herself.

Zuha leans forward. "He would. He did. And if he's hiding that, there's probably more."

For a long second, Ribyeol just sits there, silent, frowning at her cup.

"I..." she starts, voice small, "I did notice... things. Weird things. We actually get tutored at his house after school."

We all stay quiet, letting her talk.

"Sometimes he'd get angry over small stuff. He'd always want to control everything. And once... once, I saw him delete some messages from someone before he let me touch his phone." She pauses, her hands trembling slightly. "I thought I was overthinking it."

"You weren't," I say gently.

Ribyeol looks up at me, and for the first time, she looks scared. "He's... not just a jerk, is he?"

I shake my head. "He's worse."

She bites her lip, thinking hard. "Okay. I'll help. But, remember that I'm not doing it for you guys. I have to check it myself."

Hyunjin asks, surprised. "You sure? It's risky."

She nods. "If he really is like that... I need to know the truth too."