Blossoming (9)
The gym storage door, which I'd thought would never open, swung open disappointingly easily. And the person who entered wasn't just Gahee noona.
Two burly men in black suits and one white-haired old man stepped inside.
Eunbi lit up with a happy smile at the approaching white-haired man.
“The car's here! Oppa, now let's ignore that stalker bitch and hop in the car quick!”
“Taeyang…”
In contrast, Choi Gahee looked shocked at the sight of me. Not that there was much to see—just chains binding me tightly.
“…Gahee noona.”
“Taeyang, just hold on a bit.”
Eunbi ignored whatever Gahee was saying and barked orders without even glancing her way.
“What are you all doing? Hurry up and move the mattress with him on it! He's precious, so handle him with care!”
The men didn't budge at her command. They just stood in a line, hands clasped behind their backs.
“What are you doing? Why are you all just standing there like idiots?”
Finally, the white-haired old gentleman spoke up reluctantly.
“What?… No way…”
While Eunbi froze for a moment, Gahee glanced around cautiously and approached me.
“D-don't come closer! Oppa's mine!”
“Eunbi… it's all over.”
“What do you mean, all over?”
Gahee just walked toward me casually, step by step. No one tried to stop her.
“…No way, did you buy these guys off with money?”
“No, it's not that…”
Gahee glanced back at the door once, then turned to Eunbi.
“Eunbi, doing something like this is really bad.”
“What do you know, you stalker!”
A flicker of pity for the kidnapper passed through Gahee's eyes. But a wrong was a wrong. It was time for punishment.
“Your mother's here.”
“……”
In an instant, all the color drained from Kang Eunbi's face.
“…You're lying, right?”
But no one gave Eunbi time to accept the reality.
“Kang Eunbi, have you had enough fun now?”
“M-Mom…”
The white-haired old man, who now looked like a butler, stepped back and bowed deeply to the woman entering the warehouse.
“Traitor!! I specifically told you not to tell Mom!!!”
Eunbi screamed, her body trembling violently. In her desperation to calm herself, her cold hand gripped mine tightly. I'd have to let go soon, though.
“Wh-why?! Why doesn't anyone listen to me?!”
“You think I'd sit idly by while my daughter goes around causing nothing but trouble?”
The woman strode in with her arms crossed, glaring at Eunbi with a fierce intensity like she was staring down a ghost.
“Why… why won't anyone…”
“Daughter, that's not what you should be saying right now.”
“…S-sorry… Mom.”
She finally broke down in tears and apologized, but her mother showed no emotion—just cold fury. Well, her young daughter had run away from home, snuck into another country without a word, and even staged a kidnapping… She had it coming.
“We'll handle your education later.”
“Hic! P-please! Mom! Forgive me!!”
Eunbi clung to her mother's leg, begging hysterically. Her desperate sobs tugged at my heartstrings too.
“Taeyang, just hold on. I'll get you out of these.”
“Thanks, noona.”
Eunbi, mid-tantrum, suddenly looked my way, shoved Gahee's hand aside, and hugged me.
“I'll go quietly! So take my boyfriend with us too!”
“Boyfriend?”
The lady turned her gaze to me. Her icy stare made even me, the victim, flinch.
“Yes! Oppa and I promised to live together! If you take him, I'll study my whole life!! I'll listen to you, Mom!!”
Her eyes bored into me again, as if demanding confirmation. It was so terrifying I nearly froze, but I shook my head.
“I was just kidnapped.”
Thankfully, she seemed to understand from my current state.
“What are you talking about, oppa? You said you liked me too!! I recorded it all! Proof of our love is overflowing!”
Eunbi pulled out her phone, desperately trying to prove we were a couple.
“Eunbi, stop it now.”
“Oppa!… You too? What if I can't live without you… Waaahhh~!!!”
Eunbi wailed even more pitifully than when she'd begged her mom.
“Y-you said you liked me!!… You'd stay by my side~!”
I'd heard somewhere that a little kindness can change someone's life. But now that felt terrifying. Who knew casual goodwill could lead to imprisonment?
“Hoo~ Sorry about this, young man. We'll compensate you later.”
“Ah… well, thanks.”
At least some pocket money. No point dragging this to court—it'd just be more hassle, and as a minor, she wouldn't get harsh punishment anyway. Better to take the cash and send Eunbi back to America.
“We're truly sorry to the young lady of Choi Group as well.”
“We'll let this incident slide, just this once.”
“Thank you so much.”
Chaebol connections, huh? No wonder she seemed unfazed from the moment she arrived at the gym storage.
“More importantly, can you free me now?”
At Gahee's words, the silent men approached and unchained me.
“Hoo~ Thanks. Thanks, noona.”
“Let's go.”
“Ugh… hngh!!”
Meanwhile, Eunbi was dragged away by the scruff of her neck. As she was hauled off, she spat one last remark.
“This is all the worst!! What makes trash like you worthy of being an oppa?!”
Her escort's grip paused briefly at her words. Love turns to hate, and hate to pure loathing, they say. Especially for a yandere like Eunbi—her emotions flipped in an instant. She unleashed a torrent of complaints without pause.
“Don't pretend to be nice! You flirt with this girl, that girl!! And you sneak around approaching girls you met on SNS while dressing like a woman, you creepy bastard!!”
She'd started spilling secrets. Gahee followed Eunbi's pointing finger. And there, predictably, was the teddy bear costume.
Well, damn~ I never imagined it'd be exposed like this.
“No one but me would ever love a loser like you!! You'll regret it forever and end up crawling back to me!!!”
Her final scream. After that, Gahee noona's palm suddenly covered my eyes.
Slap—!!!
I couldn't see, but the sound told me everything. What Eunbi's mother did to end her final rampage.
“Ah……”
“Where did you learn such manners?”
Eunbi clutched her stinging cheek, her eyes utterly lifeless. A different kind of brokenness from her yandere glare—utterly desolate.
“Looks like you need more education.”
“……”
With that, she gripped Eunbi's arm tightly, bowed apologetically to us, and dragged away the cowed girl. Eunbi didn't utter another word as she was pulled out.
After the chaos settled, only Gahee and I remained in the gym storage. I fumbled to fix my uniform—buttons torn off here and there, clothes a mess. I'd need proper repairs later.
“Ah, does my noona know too?”
With the other noonas worried, there was no way Hayan noona wouldn't know. She was definitely concerned.
“Hayan only knows that Taeyang went missing for now.”
So she didn't know about the kidnapping.
“Can you keep it a secret? No point worrying her and messing up whatever she's doing.”
It was all over anyway—telling Hayan noona would just lead to late tears, anger, and emotional drain. I couldn't ruin the school festival she should be enjoying.
“Got it… Hey, Taeyang.”
Gahee hesitated, her gaze lingering on one spot before speaking.
“This teddy bear costume…”
“……”
“Did you wear this to secretly meet Yuli?”
“…Gahee noona.”
Gahee looked at me. Even after hearing the truth, her eyes weren't creepy or disgusted. Just genuine curiosity, tinged with a bit of anxiety.
“Gahee noona, I'm really sorry! Just… pretend you didn't hear, keep it secret? I won't do it anymore.”
Of course, I knew it was a stretch. I'd dug up her SNS, disguised myself as a girl to approach her under the guise of help. No matter how I spun it, it was stalker behavior. Asking her to stay quiet in a situation where my close dongsaeng might stray or my friend get hurt was unreasonable.
“……”
Gahee stayed silent, not answering right away.
“Yeah, figured not.”
I waited for her judgment, her eyes fixed on me.
“…Calling me 'noona' now, huh?”
“Ah…”
Until now, I'd ignored her, called her 'sunbae'—but the moment I needed a favor, I pulled the 'noona' card pathetically. It was cowardly.
“Just one question.”
“Yeah.”
“What is Yuli to you, Taeyang?”
Cho Yuli to me…
“………A friend.”
Nothing else came to mind. No matter how we met or why I approached her, Yuli—Glass Mentality—was a friend now. Frustrating, idiotic, but kind chats; pitiful yet hilarious encounters… That's what she was.
“We just got close after meeting on SNS.”
“Then why hide it?”
“Didn't think revealing my identity would work… She'd probably be scared of me.”
“Hmm…”
“I know it's an unreasonable ask, but I don't want to ruin the friendship! Please keep it secret!”
I bowed my head deeply in plea. If Gahee told Yuli, things would get messier. If Yuli fixated on me, her dependency on Friday Angel could turn into obsession with me. But if Gahee refused… I'd really have to run from all the noonas.
“Okay, I'll help.”
“Really?”
I hadn't expected her to nod so readily.
“But on one condition.”
Of course, no free favors when holding leverage.
“What is it?”
I swallowed hard. We'd kept distance, so she'd built up obsession or resentment. Probably payback for past grudges, or deeper attachment. Hell, I half-expected her face to twist and lock me up.
I steeled myself for Gahee's condition.
“Can we go back to being close with the noonas?”
“Huh?”
“Like now, calling me 'Gahee noona,' laughing and chatting with the noonas like before, stroking your hair, coming over sometimes to share snacks.”
It wasn't obsession—just pure affection.
“Yeah? Noona gets lonely without Taeyang, you know. Got it?”
“……Noona…”
I stared at her outstretched hand, like for a handshake, and slowly raised mine. But I hesitated again so close.
'Is this really okay?'
If I leaned on their feelings again and stayed close, it might nurture their twisted emotions…
“……What if I refuse?”
Maybe keeping distance from these yandere heroines was safer? Gahee, Iri, Yuyeong, and now Yuli too.
“Mm… well, that's fine. I'll still keep your secret.”
“What? Then your condition…”
“Noona likes Taeyang. Never thought you'd plot anything bad from the start.”
Gahee smiled and handed me the teddy bear costume. She'd been folding my clothes just moments ago.
“So be good to Yuli. Smile at me a bit if you change your mind.”
Why keep being so nice to me?
“Gahee noona, stop it now.”
“Huh?”
“If you keep this up, you'll just end up hurting because of me.”
“……”
“Look, even now…”
I'm rejecting her to the end, but she's trying so hard alone. But Gahee noona smiled—cute yet infuriating—as if my worries were foolish.
“But noona's never been hurt because of Taeyang, not once?”
“No…”
“Being close to you made every day happy. For real.”
“……”
I was speechless. Even when I pushed her away and hurt her, she'd never felt pain… Hearing that made me question why I was even worrying.
“Noona promises not to tell. Pinky swear~”
Gahee grabbed my hesitating hand and hooked her pinky with mine.
“Yeah… thanks, Gahee noona.”
Damn, I lost. Completely.