Guardian <remake>

2✔️

13th August 2018

The hallway was filled with chatter as students moved to and from their classes, the noise providing a steady hum that distracted Eunbi from her thoughts. She leaned against her locker, her face carefully blank, as her gaze drifted aimlessly over the crowd. Every day felt heavier, and each moment with her friends felt more like a performance she was struggling to keep up with.

She didn’t notice Chaeyeon approaching until her friend waved a hand in front of her face, jolting her back to the present.

"Hey, Eunbi, are you okay?" Chaeyeon asked, her voice carrying a tone of concern, though a small, amused smirk danced at the corners of her lips. Eunbi knew that look; Chaeyeon was observing her, watching for any crack in her carefully composed exterior.

Eunbi forced a small smile, one she hoped looked reassuring. “Yeah, just a bit tired.”

Chaeyeon raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Tired? Or is it… something else?” she said, her words laced with a subtle provocation. Eunbi felt her muscles tense. Chaeyeon had always been perceptive, and Eunbi knew better than to underestimate her friend’s intuition.

“No, nothing else,” Eunbi replied quickly, trying to keep her tone casual. She could feel Chaeyeon’s gaze, sharp and probing, like she was daring Eunbi to admit something.

But Chaeyeon wasn’t one to back down easily. She leaned in slightly, her voice lowering just enough that it was only for Eunbi to hear. “Really? It’s not because of… Ryujin?”

The mention of Ryujin’s name made Eunbi’s heart lurch painfully. Her mask slipped for just a second, her eyes widening as she met Chaeyeon’s gaze. She quickly looked away, trying to regain her composure, but she knew Chaeyeon had seen the flicker of panic in her eyes.

“Ridiculous,” Eunbi muttered, trying to sound dismissive. “Why would I care about her?”

But Chaeyeon’s smirk only widened, her expression laced with a hint of triumph. She had caught Eunbi off guard, and they both knew it.

“Well, if it were me,” Chaeyeon continued, her tone soft but pointed, “of course I’d care. After all… she died because of me. Isn’t that right, Kwon Eunbi?”

Eunbi’s heart pounded in her chest, her face paling as Chaeyeon’s words hit her like a punch to the gut. The playful banter that usually filled their conversations had vanished, replaced by something darker, something laced with accusation. She could feel her carefully built walls crumbling, the weight of her guilt pressing down on her like a suffocating fog.

“So, it’s true, isn’t it?” Chaeyeon’s voice was almost a whisper, but her words echoed in Eunbi’s mind. “Shin Ryujin… she died because of you.”

Eunbi’s fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to maintain control. She couldn’t let Chaeyeon see her break, couldn’t let her friend pry open the wounds she had tried so desperately to keep hidden.

“It was an accident, Lee Chaeyeon,” Eunbi replied, her voice rising slightly. She forced herself to meet Chaeyeon’s gaze, but her eyes betrayed the pain simmering beneath the surface.

Chaeyeon shrugged, her expression cold and indifferent. “Whatever you say, Eunbi. Doesn’t really matter to me, honestly. I can’t deny that I’m relieved she’s gone. She was the reason Chaeryeong left me—to join that stupid group of hers.”

For a moment, Eunbi could see a flicker of bitterness in Chaeyeon’s eyes, a hatred that she hadn’t noticed before. She knew the complicated relationship Chaeyeon had with her younger sister, Chaeryeong, who had distanced herself from Chaeyeon’s toxic influence to be with Yuna and her other friends. It was a sore spot for Chaeyeon, one she rarely talked about but couldn’t quite hide.

“Maybe it’s not Chaeryeong’s fault she left if you still act like this,” Eunbi muttered under her breath, though her voice was quiet enough that Chaeyeon didn’t catch it. But the words lingered in her mind, a truth she wished she could speak aloud.

Chaeyeon’s smirk returned, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction as she pressed on. “So, that’s why you’ve been avoiding her, isn’t it?” She leaned closer, her voice dripping with malice. “I noticed you’ve been trying to keep us away from her. Maybe it’s because you feel guilty… for killing her sister.”

Eunbi felt her heart drop, a wave of nausea washing over her. She knew exactly who “her” referred to—Shin Yuna, the girl they had tormented endlessly, the girl Ryujin had always protected. Since the accident, Eunbi had done everything she could to keep her friends from bothering Yuna, guiding them away, making excuses to avoid their usual meeting spots.

But Chaeyeon had noticed. She’d seen through Eunbi’s attempts to shield Yuna, and now she was calling her out.

“Hi, unnie! What are you guys talking about?” Wonyoung’s cheerful voice cut through the tension, her bright smile a stark contrast to the dark undercurrent between Eunbi and Chaeyeon. She tilted her head, looking between the two of them with innocent curiosity. “You both seem so serious.”

Chaeyeon’s smirk vanished, replaced by an overly sweet smile as she turned to Wonyoung. “Oh, nothing! We were just discussing our studies.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Did you know humans are called Homo sapiens?”

Wonyoung blinked, looking slightly confused. “Um… isn’t that something everyone knows?”

“Yena didn’t know!” Hyewon pointed out, gesturing to Yena, who blinked in surprise, looking affronted.

“You can’t compare Yena to others. She’s… she’s special,” Chaewon mumbled, trying to be polite, though her words were hesitant.

“Just say she’s stupid, Chaewon. You’re being too nice,” Sakura said, patting Yena on the shoulder. Yena’s face turned red, and she quickly retaliated by swatting at Sakura and Hyewon, grumbling under her breath as she joined the playful scuffle.

Eunbi watched her friends, her mind drifting back to Chaeyeon’s words, the accusation still lingering like a poison in her veins. She felt a tightness in her chest, a growing discomfort that made it hard to breathe. She could sense Chaeyeon’s gaze on her, feel the knowing smirk hidden behind her friend’s innocent expression.

Yujin approached Eunbi, touching her hand lightly with concern in her eyes. “Unnie, you seem… a bit off. Are you okay?”

Eunbi managed a weak smile, nodding. “I’m fine, Yujin. Just tired.”

But even as she reassured her friend, she could feel Chaeyeon’s eyes on her, watching with that same cruel satisfaction. She forced herself to keep her expression neutral, but her mind was racing, her heart pounding with the weight of Chaeyeon’s accusation.

How does she know? The thought echoed in her mind, a question she couldn’t shake. She had never told anyone the details of that day, had never confessed the guilt that had haunted her since the accident. And yet, Chaeyeon had seen through her, had somehow pieced together the truth.

The rest of the group continued chatting and joking, their laughter filling the hallway as they discussed their plans for the weekend. But Eunbi couldn’t focus on their words, couldn’t join in their lightheartedness. Chaeyeon’s words echoed in her mind, a dark reminder of the secrets she was trying so desperately to hide.

Chaeyeon leaned in close, her voice a low murmur that only Eunbi could hear. “It must be exhausting, pretending like everything’s fine, trying to keep us away from Yuna. Do you really think she’d forgive you if she knew?”

Eunbi’s hands trembled, her composure slipping as Chaeyeon’s words sank in. She could feel the weight of her guilt pressing down on her, suffocating her with each passing second. But she forced herself to stay calm, to keep her expression steady.

“She doesn’t need to know,” Eunbi replied, her voice barely above a whisper, her gaze fixed firmly ahead. “And neither do you.”

Chaeyeon shrugged, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips as she pulled away. “Suit yourself. Just remember… secrets don’t stay buried forever.”

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Soooo Eunbi is the cause of Ryujin's death?