The Truth Behind the Rumor (8)

Kim Su-ji knew that crying wouldn't solve anything. She swallowed her irritation and soothed Mun Ji-min.

"You know that's not what's important right now. Ji-min, if we get caught, we're really done for. It's not just expulsion."

"...Yeah. I know."

"You're anxious too, right? That's why you came to school. Let's just watch today. And tomorrow's Saturday, so we can sneak in and grab them then."

"Yeah. Got it. But tomorrow... will there be no one at school?"

"...There'll probably be a TA. But we have to do it anyway. We hid them secretly—can't we at least retrieve them?"

Mun Ji-min nodded. It wasn't about whether they could or not; they had to. If they didn't recover them soon, she wouldn't be able to sleep easy.

That was when it happened.

An unexpected voice rang out.

"Su-ji, Ji-min."

"...Park Do-hee?"

Park Do-hee stood there with a face like she was about to burst into tears.

*

Kim Su-ji's heart sank the moment she spotted Park Do-hee.

How much did she hear? Did she figure it out? She's not on our side anymore.

She'd been forced to hand over the KakaoTalk logs to that bitch Jeong Ha-yeon. That's how the rumors spread through the department. Park Do-hee must have heard them too, so she was no longer an ally. She must have come here to chew them out.

But Park Do-hee's words were completely different from what she'd expected.

"Guys... the rumors going around the department are fake, right? Even if they're true, there must be some misunderstanding? You guys wouldn't do that."

Kim Su-ji's eyes widened for a split second, and she glanced sideways. Sure enough, Mun Ji-min was looking at her too. She quickly turned back to Park Do-hee.

"Ji-min, Su-ji. I trust you guys more than some rumors. We've been friends since middle school, right?"

Kim Su-ji made a snap judgment.

She hasn't seen the KakaoTalks. Just heard the rumors.

Come to think of it, what had spread through the department was just rumors, not the actual logs.

Right. Personal info leak. They couldn't spread it freely because of that. And Jeong Ha-yeon isn't close enough to Do-hee to show it just to her.

She pieced it together in an instant. Kim Su-ji gave a faint smile, which soon softened.

"Of course, Do-hee. Why would we badmouth you? Well, honestly, maybe a few times. But it was just minor gripes—nothing to ruin our friendship over. Everyone has complaints about friends, right?"

"R-right? We're friends?"

"Obviously. Sorry, Do-hee. We dragged you into this..."

"N-no! It's fine."

At the word "friends," Park Do-hee smiled in relief and stepped closer. Seeing that, Kim Su-ji was certain. As long as she hadn't seen the logs herself, Park Do-hee was still useful.

She's got no real friends but us anyway. We've been whispering in her ear since middle school: don't trust anyone but fellow lesbians.

Park Do-hee was gullible and believed people easily. Over five years, they'd drilled that into her. Plus, they'd saved her when she was isolated, so she saw them as benefactors.

"Do-hee, actually... there's something we need your help with..."

*

The recording revealed that there were two cameras in each restroom. Kim Su-ji and Mun Ji-min were asking Park Do-hee to help retrieve them under the guise of friendship. The plan was set for Saturday, when the school would be emptier.

As the audio ended, Park Do-hee held out her phone.

"Here, oppa."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Good work."

"No... it wasn't hard."

Park Do-hee gave a bitter smile. In truth, there hadn't been much effort. Kim Su-ji and Mun Ji-min had spilled everything far too easily.

It wasn't about five years of friendship.

They trust me.

They believed she was too stupid to escape them.

Seo Joo-hwan looked at Park Do-hee, who wore a complicated expression, then received the recording file. He handed her phone back and said,

"Go inside and rest now. Won't take long."

"Okay... thanks."

"If those bitches call, don't pick up. If they come by, don't open the door."

"Hehe. I know that much."

"Go on in."

"Yessir."

Park Do-hee turned and took a couple steps before flinching and spinning back around. Facing Seo Joo-hwan, she said,

"Oppa."

"Yeah?"

"I'll drop out soon."

"...I said you don't have to."

Unlike at first, Seo Joo-hwan had no intention of telling her to leave school. The situation was entirely different from what he'd assumed initially.

But Park Do-hee shook her head.

"You know the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rumors are all over the department already."

"You're listed as a victim."

"Not just that."

Seo Joo-hwan understood what she meant. The rumors weren't only about the backtalk. In the group chat that included Park Do-hee—beyond Kim Su-ji and Mun Ji-min's conversation—there were multiple mentions of homosexuality. The whole department now knew the three were lesbians.

"The kids don't badmouth me, but they all avoid me. They whisper behind my back too."

"Then hang with us?"

Park Do-hee's eyes widened, as if she never expected that from Seo Joo-hwan. But she soon shook her head again.

"I did something mean to you... Thanks for caring."

"Forget it. I overreacted too, misunderstanding things. But you're really dropping out?"

"Yeah... I'm grateful you're looking out for me, but I just can't stay. The stares bother me, and... my motivation's gone."

Seo Joo-hwan nodded. With her obedience stacked five times over, this refusal meant she'd made up her mind. Pushing her further would be ridiculous.

Instead, he made another suggestion.

"If that's how it is, don't drop out—just take a leave of absence."

"...Even after I tried to blackmail you?"

"I've said it's fine. Drop it."

"...Got it. Thanks, oppa."

Park Do-hee gave a faint smile and nodded. Before she turned away, Seo Joo-hwan added,

"You've got talent."

"Huh?"

"Pen name Neungsohwa, right?"

Park Do-hee wrote webnovels. He'd learned this when she asked how he knew her pen name Seo Hwan. She'd overheard his group at the restaurant and realized Seo Joo-hwan was Seo Hwan—that's why two lines of respect (yellow) had floated up.

Who knew Park Do-hee was Neungsohwa.

It wasn't just from her status window. In reality, "Neungsohwa" would later dominate the romance fantasy genre. Originally a GL writer, she'd switched to ropan at some point. He suspected that even in his original timeline, she hadn't fallen out with those two.

"Keep at it."

Park Do-hee blinked, then gave an awkward smile.

"Uh... all I write is yuri."

"First yuri I've read too."

"Ahaha. If Seo Hwan-nim says it's good, I feel better."

She smiled like she'd been comforted. Seo Joo-hwan shook his head, his expression serious.

"You really have talent. So write hard. If you want to, that is."

"......"

"When you're writing, other thoughts fade. You get lost in it. Oh, try romance or ropan instead of just yuri."

"...I'll keep that in mind, Seo Hwan-nim."

Park Do-hee smiled with teary eyes.

Now she looks pretty.

Prettier than when she was stripped bare.

*

As Park Do-hee left, Lee Seok-chan spoke up.

"Why'd you make her do unnecessary stuff?"

"What?"

"If you guessed the cameras were there, you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠didn't need her help."

"True."

As Lee Seok-chan said, they didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠really need Park Do-hee's help. Knowing the cameras existed was enough. Report to the police, leverage his connections to escalate, done. The recording was nice to have but not essential. No way the cops couldn't catch them with micro-cameras as evidence. Even if incompetent, he could drop hints from behind the scenes.

"So why?"

"Just... y'know."

Seo Joo-hwan scratched his eye corner, then answered.

"Revenge hits harder when you do it yourself."

*

The next day, the Publishing Content Department—no, all of Da-an University—was thrown into chaos.