Second Overtime | JENSOO & CHAELISA

Chapter XXXVII

For a long time after Jihyo left, no one moved.

The old music room sat around them in stunned silence, dust drifting through the thin afternoon light, the crooked piano in the corner standing like a witness that had seen too much. The door had clicked shut minutes ago, but the sound still seemed to hang in the air, a held breath that none of them knew how to release.

Nayeon was on the floor, and the others had tried to help her up. Moonbyul checked her phone for the third time to make sure the video was saved before she looked at Tzuyu.

Tzuyu was still by the piano, one hand wrapped around her phone, face pale, eyes fixed on the door Jihyo had walked through. She looked like she might shatter if anyone spoke too loudly.

"You okay?" Moonbyul asked. 

Tzuyu blinked. The question seemed to take a long moment to reach her. "I don't know." 

Moonbyul nodded once, accepting that. 

Lisa looked over from where she crouched beside Nayeon. "Did you make sure that it was saved?" 

Moonbyul held up her phone. "Yes." 

Tzuyu looked down at hers, thumb trembling as she opened the recording app. Her breath hitched when she saw the file. "Mine too," she said quietly.

The room exhaled. 

Seulgi slumped against the nearest chair and let out a shaky, half-hysterical laugh. "Holy shit, that was intense." 

Jeongyeon looked at her. "That's your official analysis?" 

"Yes." Seulgi pressed a hand to her chest. "My official analysis is holy shit."

Lisa dropped her head for a moment, both hands dragging through her hair. "We did it." No one answered right away. 

Nayeon lifted her head from Rosé's shoulder. Her eyes were red, but her voice was steady. "We got the video deleted."

Moonbyul's expression sobered. "The video we saw." Nayeon looked at her. Moonbyul didn't soften the truth. "We don't know if there are other copies." 

Lisa swore under her breath. Rosé's hand moved gently over Nayeon's back. "But now we have leverage."

"That's true. She won't be sending those unless she doesn't want to be dragged along with it," Jeongyeon said.

For one strange, suspended second, something almost like laughter rippled through the tension. They were still afraid and still angry, but Jihyo was gone. For the first time in weeks, they held something other than dread in their hands.

Nayeon stared down at her own lap, fingers twisting together. "I need to tell Jennie."

The room quieted again. Lisa's eyes flicked to Moonbyul. Moonbyul shook her head slightly. "Okay, but I would advise not to tell her of everything yet." 

Nayeon's face tightened. "I know. I'm not telling her about the photos, not unless I have to." Nayeon swallowed hard. "She's barely breathing as it is. If I tell her Jihyo had all those pictures of her..." She shook her head. "No. Not today."

Moonbyul nodded. "Tell her Jihyo can't use the video anymore and that we have proof against her. Tell her she doesn't have to keep obeying Jihyo." 

"We should leave separately," Jeongyeon said. "If Jihyo is still nearby, she shouldn't see all of us walking out together like we just finished a group project on blackmail, she might turn it against us." 

Moonbyul slipped her phone into her pocket. "Jeongyeon's right. We leave in pairs. No one goes alone." 

Tzuyu's eyes lifted.