Roses and Thorns (Jinlia)

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 | depth

Book 1, Chapter 5
𝖣𝖾𝗉𝗍𝗁

With one of the sophisticated cameras gifted to her by Ryujin and her mother in hand, Jisu effortlessly captured the graceful flight of birds soaring across the sky. A smile of pure contentment spread across her face as she marveled at the clarity of the shot.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself,” Chaeryeong’s voice broke through, and Jisu turned to see her friend entering the backyard.

With a warm smile, Jisu nodded. “Absolutely. The quality is beyond what I expected.”

“Must be up to President Shin’s standards then,” Chaeryeong remarked, her gaze flicking to the camera before turning away.

Jisu’s attention returned to the lens, but something about Chaeryeong’s tone caught her off guard. She paused, lowering the camera and looking at her friend with a silent question in her eyes.

But Chaeryeong simply smiled, a brief and unreadable expression, before giving a slight nod and heading toward the gate. “I guess I’ll head out now,” she said, her voice colder than before.

Jisu watched her leave, her brow furrowing in confusion. The sound of the door closing left her in silence, the unease lingering in the air as she stared after her, wondering what had just passed between them.

──⇌••⇋──

Later that evening, as Jisu sat at the dinner table, her mother’s voice broke the quiet. “Jisu, have you and Chaeryeong had a disagreement?”

Jisu blinked, genuinely puzzled. “Not at all, why do you ask?”

Her mother’s brow furrowed, concern creeping into her tone. “I saw Chaeryeong leaving earlier, tears in her eyes. She seemed upset and didn’t even notice me.”

Jisu felt a pang of unease. “She might be dealing with something, mom.” The words came out slower than she intended, her mind spinning. It was unsettling, but she couldn’t understand why Chaeryeong would be acting that way.

──⇌••⇋──

That evening, Jisu lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Restlessness gnawed at her. The events of the day, Chaeryeong’s strange behavior, and her mother’s troubling observations swirled in her mind. Something’s wrong... she thought, but she couldn’t quite place what it was.

She reached for her phone, desperate to clear things up with Chaeryeong, but her calls went unanswered, each one rejected.

Frustrated and growing more worried by the second, Jisu made up her mind to confront her. She quickly left the house and headed for Chaeryeong’s room. As she approached, she noticed that the door to her best friend’s room was unusually closed off. The sunset had already started, and Chaeryeong always loved to watch it, especially with her. Why would she close the curtain? Jisu’s stomach sank. Oh, shoot.

Without thinking twice, she pressed her palm against the scanner on Chaeryeong’s gate and entered. When she found the door locked, panic surged through her. Her mind raced as she quickly searched for the spare key. She unlocked the door, and what she saw inside made her heart stop.

The room was dim, and as she flicked the light switch on, her eyes immediately landed on Chaeryeong, who was holding a blade. A wave of fear surged through her. Without hesitation, she rushed forward and knocked the blade out of Chaeryeong’s hand, her voice shaking with panic. “What are you doing, Chaeryeong?!”