Whispers That Wound
The classroom buzzed with hushed voices.
"Ji-ah stole the guy Ha-rin had a crush on since high school? And she knew Ha-rin liked him?"
"Really? Why bring it up now? That was ages ago. Weren't they still close until recently?"
"She held it in until it exploded. Apparently she was super close with the guy too. She kept quiet out of consideration for Ji-ah and her boyfriend, but something happened lately and it all fell apart."
"Whoa. So she hid her feelings for years? That's… intense."
Lee Ji-ah sat alone in the lecture hall, listening to the whispers directed at her. Her face was pale as she fidgeted with her clasped hands.
Ha-rin liked I-jun? And I took him from her…? I… I didn't know…!
Really?
The thought that surfaced in Ji-ah's mind dismissed her own denial.
She had known, deep down.
Not with certainty, but she had noticed the way Ha-rin looked at her and I-jun. It had never felt normal.
Of course she had.
They had been inseparable for nearly ten years. A single glance was enough to read each other's thoughts.
Yet she had pretended not to notice.
More accurately, she had deliberately refused to acknowledge it.
Squeeze—
Ji-ah clenched her fists as the realization sank in.
If that was true, she should have just told me! Then I could have given up on I-jun—
The words refused to continue.
Could she have given him up?
She had loved her boyfriend I-jun far too much.
Even if she had known Ha-rin's feelings… would she have been able to let go?
…Even so, this is too unfair.
The rumors Ha-rin had spread across the department were not limited to Ji-ah's relationship with her boyfriend.
There were also absurd claims that Ji-ah had dated multiple boys in high school and kept them all on a string. That she had hung around with low-life delinquents and was now trying to wash her image clean in university.
Ha-rin was spreading vicious, baseless rumors about Ji-ah.
Ji-ah had no close friends in the department besides Ha-rin. Meanwhile, the sociable Ha-rin had many other friends, so people believed every word she said without question.
Because of her timid personality, Ji-ah couldn't bring herself to refute the rumors one by one. All she could do was shrink her shoulders and endure the uncomfortable stares.
Listening to the whispers and feeling the eyes on her, Ji-ah stared at her desk with eyes that looked ready to spill tears at any moment. Then she saw Ha-rin enter the lecture hall and shot to her feet.
"H-Ha-rin!"
"What?"
Ha-rin gave Ji-ah a cold, mocking smile as she hurried over.
"My dear best friend, Ji-ah?"
The sarcastic tone made Ji-ah flinch. The look in her once-close friend's eyes—filled with contempt, anger, and irritation—felt alien, as if she were looking at a completely different person.
The mere thought of being hated by a close friend was terrifying enough, but receiving such an openly rejecting gaze made Ji-ah's mind go blank for a moment.
Even so, she gripped her hands tightly and mustered what little courage she had.
"Let's talk!"
"I don't want to."
"Please! If I've done something wrong, I'll apologize! So please—"
"…If you've done something wrong?"
The mocking smile twisted into icy rage.
Anger.
Hostility.
Ha-rin glared at her as if she were a mortal enemy, her eyes blazing with murderous intent. Ji-ah felt her heart drop.
"Get lost."
"…Huh?"
Ji-ah thought she had misheard. Even if Ha-rin hated her, she never imagined she would say something like that.
But the next words shattered her naive assumption.
"I said get lost, you two-faced bitch."
The vicious curse struck Ji-ah like a hammer to the head. Her mind went completely blank.
Then Yoon Seung-woo, who had been standing beside Ha-rin, spoke with a disappointed look in his eyes.
"I'm disappointed in you, Ji-ah."
"O-Oppa…?"
Ji-ah's spirit completely left her body. As she stood there in despair, Ha-rin and Seung-woo walked past her, chatting casually as if nothing had happened.
Left alone in the university building, Lee Ji-ah collapsed.
"Ah…"
Thud.
She crumpled to the floor in front of everyone.
* * *
"Hic— Hic… Hic—"
"Unni…"
Lee Ji-seo didn't know what to do as her older sister sobbed heartbreakingly in her arms.
Words of comfort were useless unless the other person was calm enough to hear them. So she simply patted Ji-ah's shoulder and waited for her to settle down.
Watching her sister cry in silence, Ji-seo felt a heavy weight in her chest.
Haah… This is insane, seriously…!
That day in the park.
The day she met him and Ha-rin.
She had sat there listening as Ha-rin poured out the feelings she had long harbored for Ji-ah's boyfriend, I-jun.
After hearing the story, Ji-seo's heart couldn't help but feel torn.
She understood the hidden pain her sister-like friend had carried, and she also understood the guilt that now weighed on Ji-ah because of it.
It was impossible to take one side completely.
Still… this isn't right.
She could sympathize with Ha-rin's unfortunate situation, but that didn't justify what Ha-rin had done at university.
Instead of trying to resolve things through conversation with Ji-ah, Ha-rin had spread rumors. That alone was unreasonable. Spreading malicious lies on top of it was even harder to understand.
When Ji-ah had first told her about it, Ji-seo hadn't been able to believe her ears. The Ha-rin she knew would never do something like that.
I need to mediate between them.
Recently, she had been meeting Ha-rin more often. Since Ji-ah refused to see her, Ji-seo had been trying to persuade Ha-rin herself.
It's weird that Oppa is always there whenever I meet Ha-rin unni, though…
That oppa.
Yoon Seung-woo.
Honestly, he had no reason to be involved in their conversation. Even if he had grown close to them recently, it had only been less than a month. He had no connection to this complicated matter filled with old memories and grudges.
Yet whenever she met him, the sense of distance and rejection she felt would rapidly fade. It was as if they had known each other for a long time.
Because of that, she had discussed this situation with him quite a bit.
The problem was…
What exactly did we talk about…?
She was sure they had discussed something important, but she couldn't remember the details clearly. Every time she met him, an odd feeling crept over her. It felt like she was overlooking something she shouldn't… an unsettling sensation.
"Hic… Hic—"
The sound of her sister's loud sobbing snapped Ji-seo out of her thoughts. She stroked Ji-ah's head as tears welled up in her own eyes.
What should we do about Unni…
Feeling her sister's sorrow, Ji-seo hugged her tightly.
Listening to the muffled cries against her chest, she made a vow.
I'll be Unni's support. Even if everyone in the world turns their back on her, at least I…!
She would protect her precious older sister.
She would do anything for her.
Otherwise, her sister would—
* * *
"…Huh?"
A chill ran down her spine as consciousness returned.
Feeling as though she had just woken from a dream, Ji-seo blinked and looked around. An unfamiliar room came into view.
Standing in front of her was a face that had become somewhat familiar lately—Seung-woo oppa—holding a camera.
"What are you doing? If you're naked, come here."
"????"
When he spoke so casually to her naked body, a natural question rose in her mind.
"U-Um, Oppa… why am I here…? And why am I naked…?"
Strangely, she felt no shame despite being naked in front of a man. Only a faint confusion about the situation she couldn't remember.
"Your sister is having a hard time because of Ha-rin, right? So you asked me to help you film a video to cheer her up. Don't you remember?"
…Right.
The memory finally returned.
"Ah, th… that's right…?"
"Kikik! You remember now?"
"Ah, ah…! Yes! That's what happened!!"
The hazy memory became clear. Ji-seo clapped her hands and reacted, and for some reason he chuckled quietly.
But why did I ask Oppa for help? We… haven't even known each other for long…
Throb.
A sudden headache hit her. Her mind went blank for a moment, and the doubt that had surfaced suddenly felt meaningless.
…I must have had a reason to ask for help. Let's not overthink it. What's important right now is filming a video that will cheer Unni up. Oppa is helping with that. …Thinking about it like this makes me feel sorry and grateful to him at the same time. I should get him a gift later as thanks.
"Hurry up and come here."
"Ah… Yes!"
Feeling guilty at his urging, Ji-seo quickly ran over. A room with a bed came into view.
When she hesitated, unsure what to do, he spoke.
"Do it like I told you."
"…Yes?"
When she looked at him in confusion, he sighed and said,
"You don't remember this either? We met and talked about this a lot."
"……???"
"You're hopeless…"
"Ah, I-I'm sorry, Oppa!"
When he looked disappointed, Ji-seo immediately bowed her head deeply, feeling terribly rude. She couldn't remember clearly, but she could tell he had worked hard to prepare this situation for her.
"It's fine. That can happen. I'll tell you again. First, squat down on the bed. Like how people squat on the street when they smoke. Lift your heels a little."
"L… Like this?"
"Kukuk… Good. Now spread your thighs as wide as possible."
"Ugh…"
Following his instructions, Ji-seo squatted on the bed and spread her thighs apart. A cool sensation brushed against her inner thighs as her most private area was completely exposed.
It was necessary exposure for the video, so there was no reason to feel embarrassed, yet her face grew hot for some reason.
"Next, raise both hands and make a V sign, then do an ahegao face."
"I'm sorry, Oppa… What's an ahegao?"
She managed to raise her hands into a V, but she had to ask about the next part.
"Roll your eyes upward and inward, then open your mouth slightly."
"L… Like thith?"
Stammering, she obediently followed his words. Without a mirror, she couldn't see what kind of expression she was making, but she was certain it wasn't a pretty one.
She didn't understand why she had to make such a bizarre face, but she tried her best with the single-minded desire to help her sister.
"Good, that's it. Now shake your thighs up and down a little. Like a vulgar, lustful female begging for a man's cock."
"I-Is thith… the right way…?"
"Puhaha!! Perfect!!"
Ji-seo did her absolute best for the man filming her so diligently.
The incomprehensible, grotesque ahegao expression.
The meaningless act of shaking her naked body.
"Unniii— Get sthrrrong— I'll… be with youuu—"
Even the desperate encouragement directed at her sister while holding that pose.
Seemingly satisfied with her attitude, he burst into laughter before muttering to himself, the words faintly reaching her ears.
"Ah, this is really fun. As expected, altering common sense is way more entertaining than one-sided brainwashing."
Feeling an inexplicable sense of pride at his satisfied demeanor, Ji-seo began doing her utmost to follow his every word.
This was all.
For the sake of her precious older sister.