As I stood in the midst of the tense confrontation, emotions boiled over, fueled by the heated exchange between Sejeong and me. The atmosphere crackled with tension, every word exchanged like a spark igniting an already volatile situation.

I lashed out impulsively, my words sharp and unrestrained, directed at Sejeong, who stood defiantly in the doorway. Her presence felt like an intrusion, a disruption to the fragile peace we had managed to maintain until then.

The weight of my anger surged through me, and I found myself unable to hold back, the words tumbling out before I could even consider their impact. "Sejeong. You have no right to barge into his house and bad mouth him about something he never did."

But Sejeong was not one to back down easily. Her response was quick, cutting through the air with a venomous edge. "Huh. You were there too, weren't you, Jongyun Seok. Can't believe you'd stick around with someone as insensitive--"

My patience snapped, and I erupted, my voice thundering with authority. "Kim Sejeong. Get out of this house." Yet, even as I spoke, I felt the restraining tug of Songjae's hand on my wrist, a silent plea for restraint.

I stepped back, allowing reason to prevail momentarily, but the simmering anger within me threatened to boil over. Sejeong's defiance only fueled the fire, her words a challenge that I was all too eager to meet head-on.

"What? What did you just say? This house doesn't belong to you, Jongyun!" Sejeong's retort was filled with indignation, her defiance unwavering despite my demand for her departure.

With a sharp tug, I freed my hand from Songjae's grasp, my resolve hardening as I squared off against Sejeong. "Look, sister. You barged in here, threw water on my friend, broke a glass in someone else's house, and now you have the audacity to scream about your rights? I am being very nice and asking you to get out of here."

Sejeong's eyes flashed with fury, her resolve unyielding as she met my gaze head-on. "Or what, huh Jongyun? Or what?"

I swallowed back the urge to unleash my anger, instead opting for a firm, measured response. "..leave."

Her defiance remained unshaken, her retort dripping with disdain. "Oh, I'm going to leave alright. I am going to leave after I give that jerk a piece of my mind--"

But I refused to let her escalate the situation further, my voice cutting through the tension with a warning. "Let's not get our parents involved. You know very well who my mother is."

Sejeong's response was laced with bitterness, her words a thinly veiled attempt to undermine my authority. "Stop flaunting your riches, Jongyun. I am not scared."

I couldn't help but notice the tremble in her hands, a telltale sign of the unease that lurked beneath her bravado. With a pointed glance, I called her out on her facade. "I see that."

Sejeong recoiled, shoving her hands into her coat pockets, her glare never wavering. "You are not the one I'm here to talk to. Move aside and mind your own business."

But I refused to back down, my loyalty to Songjae unwavering in the face of Sejeong's hostility. "He is my business," I asserted firmly.

Sejeong's fury blazed anew, her resolve unyielding as she prepared to unleash another barrage of accusations. Yet, even as she spoke, I made a silent vow to shield Songjae from any further harm. Turning away from Sejeong, I reached out to offer a small gesture of comfort to my friend, a simple act of solidarity in the face of adversity.

Sejeong's words cut through the air like a knife, her accusations landing like blows against our already frayed nerves. But I refused to let her rattle me, my response firm and resolute. "Can you shut up? I'm sure Songjae didn't do anything, and you are just being delusional all by yourself."

As Sejeong settled herself on the edge of the bed, a sense of unease settled over the room, her presence a stark reminder of the rift that had formed between us. With a heavy sigh, she began to recount the story of her and Songjae's meeting, tracing back to the early days of middle school.

In those formative years, Sejeong was just like any other average student, navigating the halls of the school with a handful of friends by her side. But everything changed when Songjae, Yunjin, and I entered the picture, newcomers to the school and thrust into the same class as her.

Sejeong's eyes sparkled as she reminisced about those initial encounters, admitting to finding Songjae undeniably charismatic. While I preferred to keep a low profile and Yunjin remained his usual self, Sejeong found herself drawn to Songjae's magnetic presence.

As she delved deeper into her narrative, it became apparent that Sejeong had developed strong feelings for Songjae, her admiration blossoming into a full-fledged crush. She eagerly volunteered for cleaning duty alongside him every Thursday and eagerly sought opportunities to partner with him in gym class.

Listening to her recount these moments, I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration building within me. It was clear to me, in that moment, that Sejeong had misinterpreted Songjae's kindness for something more, failing to recognize that his actions were merely gestures of friendship.

Her words grated on my nerves, each one stoking the flames of my simmering anger. How could she twist innocent acts of kindness into something so misguided and misconstrued?

Yet, despite my growing frustration, I remained silent, allowing Sejeong to finish her story uninterrupted. She spoke of the countless hours spent together, of shared moments and stolen glances, each detail serving as a painful reminder of the growing divide between us.

Finally, as her narrative drew to a close, I could contain my emotions no longer. "Get out," I spat, the words dripping with contempt.

Sejeong's gaze hardened, her eyes locking with mine in a silent challenge. "Even after I told you all that, this is what you have to say to me?"

"Sejeong. Even in your own narration he never once mentioned that he has feelings for you. Then how come you just went ahead and assumed that?"

Sejeong listened to my words with a somber expression, her eyes reflecting a mixture of hurt and understanding. The room seemed to hold its breath as the weight of my accusations settled in the air between us.

"I..." Her voice trailed off, a hesitant admission hanging in the silence.

But before she could gather her thoughts, I pressed on, my frustration spilling forth in a torrent of words.

"I know that you liked him because he is handsome, he is kind, and he takes care of people around him and stuff. I understand that he is very likable, but you have no right to assume his feelings for you when he never once mentioned it to you himself. It's your fault your life was destroyed."

Sejeong remained silent, her gaze fixed on the ground as if searching for solace amidst the chaos of her emotions. With a quiet resolve, she apologized for the broken glass, offering to pay for the damage—a gesture that Songjae gracefully declined. But the tension in the room refused to dissipate, lingering like a heavy fog.

As Sejeong left, her footsteps echoing faintly in the hallway, Songjae approached me, concern etched on his features.

"Jongyun, what happened back there?"

I turned to him, my frustration still simmering beneath the surface.

"What happened? What happened, you ask? Why do you never confront these people, Songjae? Why do you always let them just burst on you as if it's your fault?"

But Songjae remained calm, his voice steady despite the storm raging within me.

"It's enough that you know I'm not actually some kind of serial heartbreaker," he said with a hint of humor, though the gravity of the situation was not lost on him.

"Is this funny to you?" I retorted, my anger flaring once again.

"No, it's not funny," he replied softly, reaching out to grasp my hands in his own. "Everyone thinks I like them when the person I have liked is just you and you alone, Jongyun."

His words hung in the air like a fragile thread, tethering us to a truth that had remained unspoken. I stood frozen, my heart pounding in my chest as the weight of his confession settled upon me like a heavy shroud. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the world around me in a haze of emotion.

"J-Jongyun, I'm sorry, was that too much for you?" Songjae's voice was filled with concern as he brushed away the tears that streamed down my cheeks, his touch gentle against my skin.

"It's not you, Songjae," I managed to choke out between sobs. "I did something bad."

"What does that mean?" Songjae asked, his voice soft and reassuring.

"Songjae, I... you need to understand when I say I had no choice..."

But before I could explain, he interrupted, his voice a soothing presence in the turmoil of my emotions.

"What? What are you saying? First calm down. Stop crying, come on."

His words were a lifeline in the darkness, pulling me back from the edge of despair. With my trembling hands in his, he guided me to his bed, his presence a source of comfort amidst the chaos that threatened to engulf me.

"What did you want to say?" Yunjin's voice cut through the silence, her tone tinged with bitterness.

"Songjae," I began, unable to meet his gaze. "There was really nothing I could do—"

"You accepted Sooyeong, isn't it?" Yunjin's accusation hung in the air, a painful reminder of the choices I had made.

I could only nod in response, the weight of my guilt pressing down upon me like a crushing weight.

I could feel Songjae's gaze boring into me, his eyes searching for answers that I was not yet ready to provide. Before I could muster the courage to explain myself, he spoke, his voice laced with an unexpected lightness.

"Oh. Congratulations."

My heart stuttered in my chest, caught off guard by his unexpected response.

"W-what?" I stammered, unable to comprehend the sudden shift in tone.

"That's amazing," Songjae continued, his smile genuine despite the tumultuous emotions swirling around us. "You guys are going out now? Gosh. You should have led with that, and I would have asked Sejeong to leave myself."

His words hung in the air like a fragile thread, the weight of his congratulations mingling with the unspoken tension that still lingered between us. But before I could process his words, Yunjin's anger flared anew, her frustration palpable as she turned on her heel to leave.

"Jongyun, you should leave too," she spat, her voice tinged with bitterness as she ushered me towards the door.