𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 - 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐬

(TWENTY-ONE)

"Jiwoo, someone keeps texting asking for you to call them," Hyunjin shouted up the stairs. "It's an unknown number, so don't ask who it is."

"Who is it?" Jiwoo mocked her. "Okay, can I borrow your phone? I still haven't found mine." Hyunjin stomped up the stairs and into her sister's room. Jiwoo had been in bed, as instructed by Dr. Park, to ensure there would be no excess movement that could tear the stitches.

Hyunjin held Jiwoo's hand with the phone clasped between both of theirs. "You can tell me anything, Chuu," she whispered. "I'm here for you." She let go of Jiwoo's hand and left the room as Jiwoo called the unknown contact.

"Hello?"

"You know she doesn't actually care about you, right?"

"Who is this? Who are you talking about?"

"She won't be your friend. She just wants to fuck you. She's just like everyone else."

"Tell me who this is or I'm ending the call now and blocking you."

"I'm a bit hurt you don't recognise my voice, Jiwoo. Are we not still best friends? I mean, I know you call me a heinous bitch in your diary, but you also call me your best friend."

"How did you find my journal?"

"Your passcode is easy. I've found out so much interesting stuff about you. You're not as shallow and stupid as I always thought you were. What a shame, you could've been so much more than what you decided to become."

"I can't get away from it—"

"You know I'm Sooyoung's best friend, too, right? She talks about you. And apparently she tells you about me. She tells you what I say about you and she has no clue that it's her 'adorable little Jiwoo' in all my stories."

"She hasn't figured it out?"

"Don't you think she'd have spit in your face already if she knew?"

"Please, don't tell her. Seriously, you can't tell her the truth. She'd hate me!"

"Jiwoo, she already hates you. For the past week, you've been texting her some horrible and brutal things. Shame on you for doing that to a girl who wanted to care about you. Sorry, I misspoke– she just wanted to fuck you. Sooyoung doesn't care about you. And now she doesn't even want you. How sad."

The call ended, and Jiwoo sat in bed with the phone in her hand listening to the dial tone as she stared at the wall.

She needed to fix things. But how could she do that without spilling the ugly truth?