I Love You
"I'm home…."
I dragged my heavy body through the front door.
Suah, lounging on the living room sofa watching TV, poked her head out.
"Oppa, why're you so late? I told you to hurry~."
"Don't know~ don't talk to me, I'm too tired. Where are Mom and Dad?"
"They both have meetings tonight, super late."
I nodded vaguely at Suah's half-hearted reply and headed straight for the bathroom.
After a hot shower, it felt like the horrific, humiliating memories of the bunny girl ordeal at the cosplay shop—and all the exhaustion—were washing away.
"Haa… feels so much better after a wash."
I roughly toweled my wet hair dry and glared at my reflection in the mirror.
Baek Haeun… just you wait. I'll pay you back for this humiliation today. I'll drag you straight to hell. Look forward to it.
Still deluded into thinking I had the upper hand.
I flicked off the room light and slipped into my soft bed in the familiar darkness.
"Haa… home really is the best."
How much had Baek Haeun tormented me today?
"Heh heh… home is the best."
Tension easing, a low groan slipped out.
Then, right by my ear, a familiar, annoying voice popped up.
"What's the best?"
"……What the fuck, you scared me!!"
I jolted in shock and flung the blanket off.
In the dark, a silhouette hogging one corner of my bed, bundled up in the covers.
It was Lee Suah.
"Hey… Lee Suah. Get out of my room."
"Oppa~, I'm scared. Mom and Dad aren't home tonight, I don't wanna sleep alone~."
Suah whined and plastered herself against me.
"Fuck, this is gross. Get out, it's too cramped."
"Why…? Can't we just cuddle like old times?"
"No. That was back when you were a snot-nosed brat. Get out."
"Don't wanna."
As I tried to shove her away in disbelief, Suah clamped onto my arm and sprawled out like she owned the place.
"Argh, whatever! I'm tired, I'm sleeping~. If you hate it so much, you go sleep on the living room sofa!"
What an outrageous brat.
But after getting drained by Baek Haeun all day, I didn't even have the energy to bundle up and head to the living room.
"Ugh… fine, whatever. Do what you want."
As I gave up and closed my eyes.
Suah threw one leg over my stomach and burrowed in.
"Hehe. Oppa pillow is the best~."
"Hey… don't touch…."
I grumbled and tried to push her forehead away, but
"Zzz… zzz…."
Within a minute, Suah's steady breathing tickled my ear.
"…….."
I gazed down at my little sister's head in my arms and let out a hollow sigh.
Whatever… it's fine.
Overwhelmed by fatigue, I slowly closed my heavy eyelids.
Unaware that my utterly ordinary, warm world was seeping intact through the thin concrete wall beyond.
Same time.
The wall adjoining the head of the bed where Suah and I lay—next door.
Inside Baek Haeun's pitch-black room.
In the unlit center of the room, Haeun stood frozen, ear pressed flat against the wall.
"……."
Woojin's grumbling voice filtering through the thin wall.
Lee Suah's whining voice.
And the ensuing silence filling the room.
Her eyes gleamed grotesquely in the dark as she obsessively lapped up every tiny vibration like a tongue on flesh.
Sensing Woojin had fallen asleep, Haeun finally pulled her ear away and slowly walked to her bed.
"Woojin-ah…."
Her low whisper echoed in the empty room.
"I'm going to sleep now too…."
Haeun climbed onto the bed and tenderly embraced the massive something lying there.
A dakimakura clad in Woojin's school uniform shirt.
Steeped in Woojin's scent.
As if cradled in the real Woojin's arms, Haeun buried her face deep in the cushion and rubbed her cheek against it.
"See you tomorrow…!"
A pure, innocent voice.
But in the thick darkness.
The final whisper slipping from her lips as she clutched the cushion was thick with viscous obsession.
"I love you."
Next morning.
Jiwon arrived early, opened the classroom front door, and stopped in front of her desk.
"……."
The desk surface covered entirely in someone's malicious graffiti.
And the chair where Jiwon should sit—gone, leaving the desk alone.
As Jiwon stood there pale and trembling.
Giggling sneers erupted from behind.
"Pfft… hey, you see her face?"
At the back of the classroom.
Doeun, Soyoung, and Jina stood with arms crossed, laughing at Jiwon.
Jiwon's gaze turned to them, and Doeun cocked her hip, jutted her chin, and snapped.
"What're you looking at?"
"……."
Defiantly thrusting her chin up, utterly shameless.
But Jiwon averted her eyes and bowed her head in resignation.
"…It's nothing."
Jiwon turned silently.
Arguing her case here would only lead to worse bullying.
"Hey. You're making me wanna puke—get lost already?"
"…….."
Ignoring the knife-sharp barbs flying at her.
Jiwon trudged out of the classroom to fetch a spare chair from the rooftop storage.
Right after Jiwon left the classroom.
As I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed to my seat, I glanced at her empty spot.
She's… late today?
I didn't even notice the vandalized desk.
I sat down feeling relieved at the empty seat.
Whatever. Lately she hasn't been yapping in my ear annoyingly. Good if she stays away on her own.
I stretched leisurely, savoring the unusually peaceful morning air.
Ding dong dang—
The bell for first period rang, and the homeroom teacher stood at the podium.
As he was about to call roll, the front door slid open.
"Huff… haa…."
Jiwon, struggling with a dusty old chair in both hands.
The teacher's brow furrowed at the panting Jiwon.
"Yu Jiwon."
"Y-yes…?"
Jiwon froze in panic, still holding the chair, and the teacher slammed the attendance book on the podium coldly.
"Go stand outside."
"But… there was no chair at my desk, so I went to the rooftop to…."
Jiwon pleaded desperately, but the teacher cut her off ruthlessly.
"Didn't you hear me? No excuses—if you're late, stand outside."
The teacher tsked in pity.
"Kids these days… getting worse. Ruining the class vibe."
"……."
Jiwon bit her lip and, head bowed, picked up the heavy chair again and shuffled into the hallway.
I watched the whole commotion with arms crossed, indifferently.
Clueless to the bullying hidden behind the missing chair.
Sigh. Why's she making such a racket first thing?
I dismissed it as annoying noise and flipped open my textbook casually.
The chilly hallway.
Jiwon had to stand holding the heavy chair until the end-of-period bell for first class.
Slide—
The door opened, and the teacher stepped into the hall.
"Yu Jiwon. Next time you're late, write a reflection essay. Letting it slide today."
"…Yes. Sorry…."
Jiwon answered weakly.
The moment the teacher vanished toward the office.
Doeun, Soyoung, and Jina spilled out into the hall like they'd been waiting.
"Whoa~ epic. Yu Jiwon misses class and stands in the hall?"
"Right? Why even come to school?"
Doeun shoved Jiwon's shoulder and cackled.
Soyoung and Jina chimed in exaggeratedly, mocking her.
"Facts. Just rot at home. Why bother school? Total nuisance~."
"Why'd she climb the rooftop first thing? Pfft."
The kids' jeering laughter filled the hall.
"…….."
Jiwon clenched her bandaged hands, head down.
The bullies tormenting her.
The teacher scolding without asking why.
And… even Woojin, whom she'd believed would help.
There was nowhere left in this school for her to lean on.
"……Hic."
Unable to hold back the tears welling up, Jiwon shoved past Doeun's gang and bolted down the hall.
Thud—
"Ah… fuck… stay there?"
Jiwon burst into the bathroom, locked herself in the farthest stall, and slumped onto the toilet cover.
"Hnn… hu-hu-huk…!"
Stifled sobs filled the narrow stall.
In this hell where no one saved her, Jiwon's thoroughly isolated heart crumbled silently.
The farthest locked stall in the bathroom.
Huddled on the toilet lid, Jiwon buried her face in her hands, sobbing quietly.
Why… what did I do wrong…?
Was it her greed to stay by Woojin's side?
"Why… does everyone… hate me…?"
Spilling resentment inwardly amid injustice and sorrow—that very moment.
SPLASHHH—!!
"Kyaaah…!"
A waterfall of ice-cold water poured from above.
Someone had dumped a bucket over the stall.
Drenched head to toe in seconds, Jiwon fumbled the lock with a ashen face and stumbled out trembling.
"Puhahaha! Yo, look at her! Hilarious, like Waterbomb festival?"
Doeun, Soyoung, and Jina leaned against the sinks, clutching their stomachs laughing.
Jiwon's uniform blouse soaked sheer, she hunched in shame and glared at Doeun.
"What're you looking at?"
Doeun tossed the empty bucket to the floor sneering.
"You kept flirting with guys like a dirty slut, so we kindly washed you off~. Right?"
"Totally~. Ah, all clean now—want us to dry you?"
Soyoung grabbed a filthy, stinking mop from the corner cackling.
"N-no… don't…!"
As terror-stricken Jiwon backed against the wall shaking.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"