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xxii

f l a s h b a c k—
2/10/2086

IT has been more than a year of bliss for the girl. she and yugyeom had been dating, and he gradually became her lifeline and her light in the bleak, dark world she once isolated herself in. it was perfect for her. she started smiling and laughing more, started going out and socializing more, and now she had more friends. it felt good, knowing that so many people was ready to die for her. she agreed with them—happiness looked good on her. 

yugyeom could be the best thing that happened in her life.

but recently, he was withdrawing himself from her. he was mostly out, always at work, and now she was suspicious. was he seeing someone behind her back?

though she wanted to consider that as impossible, she could not deny that it was a possibility. after all, he had always been the more fickle-minded and flirty one in this relationship. 

and so as of today, she has vowed that she could not take his indifference anymore, and decided to follow him. 

all was well, really, until after school. as usual, she hugged him, smiled at him brightly and said a cheery "bye, oppa!" and waved him away. he gave her a strained smile, kissed her head, and walked off without a word, his head hung low as his skinny figure disappeared into the distance. 

she immediately starts trailing him, discreetly following him. occasionally, his head would turn, and she would frantically scramble into hiding. nevertheless, she was not found out. 

his activities weren't suspicious for the whole day, he caught up with his friends, but it was only when they parted ways, did he start acting up. he had got into his car and drove to someplace faraway. she hitched a ride at the bottom of the car, the road so close to her that she wanted to scream, but she had no choice. 

eventually they had reached an unidentified building, situated on a cliff in the middle of nowhere. it was truly strange, for the geographical location itself, but it was a towering building, magnificent just for being that. "gods," she thought to herself. "what is this place?"

yugyeom remained in the car for a while, but when he came out, he was in a suit, and wore a mask. not just any surgical mask, but a full-face mask, as if he were in the Phantom Of the Opera or something.

"Alpha!" 

yugyeom's head turned in the direction of the female voice. "Beta," he says, his voice different from his actual voice. despite that, she could sense the softness in it, softer and gentler than he has ever been with her in a long, long time.

they hold each other's hands and walk into the building, unknowing of her presence, while she lurks around, stalking him. they enter a room, and she quickly darts inside the huge room, hiding inside the large vase that took up so much space in the room. there somehow were tiny holes and cracks inside, and so those were what she used to spy on them. when they came out from the door inside the room, they were making out.

she spent the rest of the time there listening to the obscene sounds they were making, crying and crying. 

he really was unfaithful.

she didn't care that he was some alpha, and perhaps worked in some suspicious building wearing a mask to conceal his identity. he could be Jesus for all she cared. 

but now...

too engrossed were they in their love-making that none of them noticed her slip out. she ran all the way back to the city, running, running, and not bothering to stop. she didn't even register that she was achingly exhausted.

whipping her phone out, she sends a text to the man.

me
now i realize what kind of man you are. fucking someone behind my back? you think i wouldn't know? we're over. don't even try contacting me anymore.

she then smashes her phone on the floor, jumping on it repeatedly until it was nothing but a pile of electric waste.

—

mijoo babe 
now i realize what kind of man you are. fucking someone behind my back? you think i wouldn't know? we're over. don't even try contacting me anymore.

me
babe, i can explain
unseen

me
mijoo?
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me
mijoo!
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me
answer my texts, please!
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me
mijoo!!
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me
i'll find you, yoo mijoo.
unseen

me
i promise
unseen