The Second Study Session (2)
YuriMental: Kinda weird to say this, but... honestly, I just wanna cut ties with these people. That makes me the bad guy, right?
Did I scare her or something? Yuri seemed totally normal at the study session, same as always. And she hadn't posted anything particularly depressing on SNS lately.
Basically, she'd used up all her energy on social stuff. Happens to everyone. But cutting off even her close connections? That's an overreaction.
Hmm. If Cho Yuri vanished like this... it'd mean dropping out of the heroine group, which would actually ease one of my worries. But like on the school trip night, leaving her like this felt too precarious. Talking about this stuff in front of a depressed girl felt off, but I was scared it'd turn into resentment and she'd lash out at my sisters or something.
Maybe as her kind internet friend, I should respond with something supportive. While I pondered, more messages kept coming.
I sent that, but no reply came no matter how long I waited. Waiting here felt awkward. What if I wandered off and Gahee noona opened the door and dragged me inside? To avoid her, I headed to the bathroom, only to run into Seong Juyeon and Choi Seonwoo coming back down the hall.
They were probably having a great time. I ignored them and kept walking, but Juyeon unnie strode forward first, holding a plate of snacks, ahead of Seonwoo.
Her expression... it was a mix of grievance and sadness.
"...What the hell."
I muttered without thinking, but she didn't even glance my way, just went into the room and slammed the door.
My gaze naturally shifted back to Seonwoo. What the hell did you do, Seonwoo?
"Seonwoo hyung, what happened?"
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing."
Seonwoo, looking spaced out, waved it off.
No intention of spilling.
"Juyeon noona looks pissed."
"Don't worry. I'll smooth things over later. Anyway, where you headed?"
"Just the bathroom. It's really nothing?"
"Yeah. Thanks for worrying."
Seonwoo, those aren't words you should be saying. He gave a wry smile and headed back inside.
In an instant, the Cho Yuri issue exploded into the Seong Juyeon issue too.
"Haa~ Even when I set up the perfect stage, you still shatter the flags."
I hadn't expected her affection to drop without any interferers. I could head back in now, but might as well hit the bathroom. Plus, Yuri still hadn't replied, which bugged me.
I turned right down the hall and decided to wait by the bathroom door. Phone out—no reply yet. Was she seriously pondering her future now? No way she'd drop everything for one comment and brood in a not-so-close friend's bathroom.
"Urk... blegh— oogh—"
"......"
Endless dry heaving from inside. Then the sound of vomit splashing, followed by more heaving. She was forcing it out.
"Yuri noona, you okay?"
I knocked and asked. Panicked sounds from inside.
"Stomach bothering you right now?"
"Y... yeah......"
Haa~ What the hell. Can't even speak properly.
Stepping in would just scare her more and make it worse.
"Don't worry, just hang tight."
Without thinking, I bolted back to the room and called Gahee noona and Juyeon noona.
"Yuri noona's not doing great right now!"
"What?"
"Gahee noona, can you check on her?"
Juyeon noona didn't like Yuri much, so better if Gahee noona handled it. She knocked gently.
"Yuri, what's wrong?"
"N... nothing... it's fine..."
"You get it all out?"
"Ate something bad this morning... I'm good now. Really."
Her habitual "I'm fine" sounded utterly drained.
"Hey! Whatever, we're coming in!"
"What?"
Juyeon unnie stepped up and yelled.
"Guys, just turn away for a sec in case."
Bang! She yanked the door open roughly, and Juyeon noona and Gahee noona went in, closing it behind them.
"Hope she's okay..."
Seonwoo muttered softly, biting his lip.
"Wonder if I pushed her too hard inviting her."
I know from the game how Yuri joined the study group. The one guy who was actually nice to her and seemed to like her invited her to study together, so despite her fears, she went for him. Of course, not Seonwoo's fault here. No vomiting in the game. She actually fit in better.
The variable... probably me? Gotta stop scaring her from now on. Though the issue of her wanting to cut ties remained.
Soon the door opened, and Gahee noona led Yuri out.
"I'll clean up and head back."
Juyeon noona stayed to handle cleanup. Her house's bathroom, so she'd feel more comfortable.
"Yuri."
"...Yeah."
Yuri flinched timidly at Juyeon noona's call, but her tone had softened.
"You look rough. Go home and rest if it's bad."
Makes sense—even someone you don't like, you wouldn't go hard on if they're sick.
"Yeah, Yuri, take some meds and rest today."
Gahee noona chimed in worriedly. Seonwoo encouraged her too, and Yuri, glancing around awkwardly, packed her stuff with slumped shoulders.
"Make sure you take your meds when you get home."
"Sorry for worrying everyone."
"Take care."
Gahee noona and Seonwoo offered to walk her, but she stubbornly refused. Worried she'd collapse on the way, but following her home would freak her out more. In the end, Seonwoo just saw her off a bit and came back.
"Phew~ All done."
Juyeon noona returned too, and the study session continued. But with Yuri gone, my role was pretty much over. No Choi Gahee flag next as per game plot, and no Cho Yuri flag either. Plus Juyeon noona still looked down, no drive left to try anything.
We studied in this awkward vibe and wrapped up.
I scrolled back through YuriMental's chats from today on SNS. It still stopped at my question about post-graduation plans.
"Wait, 'graduation' after?"
Meaning 'after no more school'... I remembered. That's why she reacted like that.
I'd hit her trauma button dead-on. What Cho Yuri planned after graduation was suicide.
Before getting close to Seonwoo or the heroine group, she lived just to graduate and die. She wanted to end it, but her late mom's dying plea and command was 'please at least finish school.'
Then Seonwoo and the heroines cared for her, and by third year, those thoughts faded. Other heroine routes don't mention her fate, but on the Cho Yuri route, it splits two ways: kill the other heroines to monopolize Seonwoo, or feel abandoned by him and suicide post-graduation as planned.
"In other words, if Seonwoo doesn't take her in or someone equally reliable shows up, Yuri kills herself."
I wrote that conclusion in my Love Chain notes.
"Haa~ I knew it, but..."
I sighed deeply. Facing someone suicidal up close hits different. I'd braced for the bleak future, but suicide made it way heavier.
Yuri absolutely couldn't leave the heroine group. Better to give her more supports—no way cutting ties helps. Worse, if she did and my sisters learned of her suicide later, it'd turn into her second ending—pure despair.
Of course, gotta keep her from fixating on Seonwoo. For that, build more people she can rely on besides him.
The "The World Is Still a Warm Place!" operation was for exactly that.
"First, let's save one person."
I'd steeled my resolve. Time to create that existence. Like Love Chain's Seonwoo—someone Yuri could open up to and lean on. But more than just nice; someone truly reliable.
The "The World Is Still a Warm Place!" operation kicks off for real. Again.