After getting back with Inseop and the others, we headed straight to karaoke. The neon lights, the sound of bad singing, and the smell of cheap soda filled the room as we passed the mic around.
But in between songs, I noticed Inseop had been calling Suwon repeatedly. His phone screen lit up with No Answer every time. A faint crease formed on his forehead.
Seeing that, I spoke up. "Before I came here… I ran into Suwon. He was with Park Dong and those guys."
Inseop froze mid-dial. His eyes slowly lifted to mine, filled with disbelief. "…He's still hanging out with them?"
I gave a small nod. He didn't say anything else, but I could tell his mood soured instantly.
We tried to shake it off by singing louder, messing around, but the energy had shifted. After karaoke, we decided to hit a billiard hall nearby.
The place echoed with the clack of pool balls and our curses at how terrible some of us were at aiming.
Junhyun groaned. "God, you play like trash."
Just then, the door opened with a loud creak. Suwon stumbled in, panting, sweat on his forehead as if he had run straight here.
"Sorry… I'm late," he said, slightly breathless.
Junhyun leaned on his cue stick, unimpressed. "Look who finally decided to show up. Just sit down we're about to finish."
Ignoring the jab, Suwon walked over and dropped into the seat beside Inseop. The second he sat, Inseop's nose wrinkled. He leaned closer, sniffing faintly. His expression darkened.
"…You smell like cigarettes." His voice was low but sharp. "Don't tell me you smoke now?"
Suwon immediately shook his head. "No way."
"Then alcohol? Did you drink?"
Suwon hesitated before mumbling, "…Just one shot."
Inseop's eyes widened, his chair screeching back as he suddenly grabbed Suwon by the collar. "Are you crazy?!"
The room went tense instantly. Junhyun hurried forward, trying to pry his hands off. "Hey hey, chill, both of you!"
But Inseop wasn't listening, his frustration spilling out. "This is why I told you to stop hanging around those guys! They're bad news, Suwon! Stop acting tough it doesn't suit you!"
Suwon's jaw tightened. His hands pushed weakly at Inseop's grip. "Let go."
That was when I finally stepped in. My cue stick tapped against the table, the sharp clack cutting through the tension.
"Enough," I said firmly, walking closer. Both of them turned their heads toward me.
I looked straight at Inseop. "You're right to be worried. But grabbing him like that do you think it's gonna make him listen?" My voice was calm, but heavy.
Then I turned to Suwon. "And you. Don't brush it off like it's nothing. You know exactly why he's pissed. If you keep messing around with those guys, it's not just your reputation it's your future on the line."
Neither of them spoke, the silence thick.
I sighed, stepping between them and prying Inseop's hands off Suwon's collar. "We're friends, aren't we? Then act like it. Fight the world, not each other."
I exhaled slowly, easing the tension. "Look, no one's trying to control you. But you don't need to prove anything to anyone. Not to them. Not even to us."
Suwon's face was flushed, maybe from anger, maybe from the alcohol still on his breath. His chest rose and fell unevenly, and for a moment I thought he'd just shut down like always.
But then he snapped his head up, his gaze locking with mine. His eyes were bloodshot, his voice trembling between fury and desperation.
"…Don't lecture me like you know how I feel. You're different from us you're popular, handsome, everyone looks at you like you're special. You've got confidence, attention, girls who actually likes you even you barely spoke to them… You can never know what it feels like to be me."
The words cut sharp, echoing in the room. Inseop's glare faltered, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.
Suwon's voice dropped, bitter and raw. "You are smart, confident, talented… Whatever. I'm just the dumb one tagging along. When I'm with Park Dong and the others, I don't feel like dead weight. At least they make me feel like I matter."
The air thickened. Junhyun scratched the back of his neck, uneasy. Ono looked straight at him looking at him like an idiot.
I crouched a little, trying to meet him eye-to-eye. "And you think hanging around guys who smoke and drink makes you matter? That's not strength, Suwon. That's just running away. Strength is standing on your own without needing…"
"SHUT UP!" Suwon roared, slapping my hand away before I could finish. His chair screeched against the floor as he stood, his fists trembling at his sides. "You think you can just say that and it means anything? You've never been humiliated like I have. You've never been invisible. Stop pretending you get it!"
I froze, my mouth still half-open. His face was twisted with rage, his voice cracking like he'd been holding it in for years.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Then Inseop moved. His fist shot forward, connecting squarely with Suwon's cheek with a sickening crack. Suwon stumbled back, crashing into the billiard table, one hand clutching his face.
"You idiot!" Inseop shouted, his voice trembling with equal parts anger and pain. "Do you even hear yourself? We've been your friends this whole time! We stick with you even when you're an ass, and you throw it in our faces like we're your enemies?!"
Suwon's chest heaved, his eyes glossy now, not only from the punch. His mouth opened like he wanted to fire back but nothing came out.
Junhyun muttered, "Shit…" under his breath.
I stayed still. Suwon's earlier words lingered in my head, heavy and bitter.
Suwon finally looked away, wiping at the corner of his mouth where blood had gathered. His voice came out hoarse, almost breaking. "…You'll never understand."
The room fell silent again, the sound of a billiard ball rolling across the table the only thing breaking it.
Me and Inseop left together, the air between us heavy and unspoken. His fists were still clenched, jaw tight, but his pace was sharp, like if he stopped moving, the anger would catch up to him.
Behind us, Junhyun and Ono lingered by Suwon, who sat slouched against the edge of the billiard table, his hand pressed firmly to his cheek where the bruise was already starting to show.
"You sure you're okay?" Junhyun finally asked, crouching down a little. His voice was quieter than usual, missing the teasing edge he often carried.
Suwon gave a quick nod, forcing his lips into something that looked like a grin but didn't reach his eyes. "It's fine." His voice was rough, the word strained.
Junhyun clicked his tongue. "Damn, you guys really made a scene tonight. You know how Inseop is he's got too much pride. Maybe he'll get over it in a while. Just let him cool off."
Ono glanced at Suwon uneasily but said nothing.
Junhyun sighed and straightened up, grabbing his bag. "But seriously, why'd you even blow up at Seojin like that? You know he was just worried about you too."
Suwon didn't answer right away. His eyes were on the floor, shadowed and unreadable. Finally, he muttered, "…I know."
Junhyun and Ono exchanged a quick look. Then Junhyun patted Suwon lightly on the shoulder. "Anyway, see you on Monday. Don't do anything stupid until then."
With that, they left, the sound of the door closing echoing through the now quiet billiard hall.
Suwon sat there a while longer, his cheek throbbing, his chest heavy. Alone, with only the faint smell of chalk dust and cigarettes hanging in the air.
I tugged the hem of my white hoodie lower, smoothing it over my black skirt before slipping on my red sneakers. The knee-high socks hugged snugly against my legs, the golden circle earrings brushing lightly against my jaw whenever I moved. I gave myself one last glance in the mirror before heading out of my room.
"Seol Hyorim." my brother's voice boomed. Seol Minsu, ever the annoying brother.
"I said I'm not eating!" I called back, tightening the straps of my bag.
"Eat before you go out." Minsu shot back, his mouth already full. "You'll regret it if you don't."
I poked my head around the corner, only to see the table crowded with dishes way more than necessary.
Minsu's girlfriend was sitting beside him, watching him with that hopelessly-in-love expression she always wore.