Chapter Text
Seulgi’s fingers curled into fists as she paced the length of the living room, her thoughts spiralling. The weight of the silence was unbearable. She hadn't heard from Jaeyi since this evening… no texts, no calls, nothing. Each unanswered attempt only made the dread coil tighter in her chest. Something was wrong. She could feel it.
She considered going to the police, but she knew how it would go. They’d ask how long Jaeyi had been missing, and when she answered, they’d brush it off. Come back after 24 hours. But Seulgi couldn’t just sit here and wait.
With a sharp breath, she turned on the TV, flipping through news channels, scanning for any reports… accidents, incidents, anything that could hint at where Jaeyi might be. Her hands quivered when she switched to the radio, barely breathing as she listened to each bulletin. But there was nothing. No breaking news. No mention of her. The lack of information didn’t ease her fear. It only made it worse.
She ran a hand through her hair, her pulse pounding in her ears. She needed to do something… anything before she lost her mind. And then, an idea struck her.
She grabbed her phone and, without hesitation, called the only person Jaeyi could at least tolerate, Choi Kyung.
Kyung was a law student at Korea University, someone whose presence in Jaeyi’s life had always been complicated. They barely interacted, either by circumstance or because Jaeyi had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with her. There had been a time when Kyung’s admiration for Jaeyi had bled into something closer to obsession, an academic rivalry that clung to them both like a shadow. It had taken years for Kyung to let go of it.
Jaeyi had once admitted, in a rare moment of honesty, that It’s easier to breathe now that she’s finally stopped competing with her.
And yet, despite everything, Seulgi knew that if anyone had any idea where Jaeyi might be, it was Choi Kyung.
“Yah, you finally got bored with Jaeyi and decided to call me?” The voice on the other end was laced with amusement, nonchalant as ever. Seulgi could even hear the soft scoff of disbelief at the end, like Kyung found the idea of her reaching out almost laughable.
Seulgi had no patience for her games. “Choi Kyung, have you heard anything about Jaeyi?” she asked, cutting straight to the point. Her voice was tight, urgent.
There was another pause, stretching just long enough for Seulgi’s anxiety to spike. Her fingers curled tighter around the phone, knuckles turning white.
“Kyung-ah…” she tried again, her voice softer now, tinged with a kind of worry she couldn’t mask. “She’s not answering her phone, I haven’t heard from her since this evening, and I don’t know where she is.” Her breath hitched at the end, her own fears creeping in despite how hard she tried to push them down.
The silence on the other end stretched a second too long before Kyung finally exhaled… a long, drawn-out breath, the kind people take when they’re about to do something they know they’ll regret.
“Yoo Jaeyi is definitely going to kill me tomorrow,” Kyung muttered, almost to herself. Her voice carried the weight of reluctant resignation like she was giving up a fight she never wanted to have in the first place.
Seulgi went still. “So you do know something.”
Kyung sighed again, this time heavier. “Look… I’m not saying I do, but if I were you, I’d stop pacing in circles and get to Biro Bar, next to Miugi Station.”
Seulgi’s heart stuttered. “A Biro bar? Isn’t that a nightclub?”
Kyung hummed. “Just… don’t freak out, okay? It’s not what you’re thinking.” She hesitated before adding, “But get here fast… before she does something she’ll regret tomorrow.”
Seulgi didn’t waste another second. She barely muttered a rushed “I’m on my way” before ending the call and grabbing her coat. Her hands trembled as she shoved her phone into her pocket, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
Jaeyi. In a nightclub. Alone or worse, not alone.
The thought made something tighten in her chest. This wasn’t like her. Jaeyi wasn’t the type to go out drinking, let alone disappear without a word.
The moment Seulgi stepped outside, the cold night air bit at her skin, but she didn’t slow down. She practically ran, her feet carrying her toward the station like an invisible force was pulling her forward.
By the time she reached Biro Bar, her pulse was hammering. The neon sign buzzed faintly above the entrance, casting a flickering red glow on the pavement. Music thumped from inside, muffled but heavy, the kind of beat that rattled through your bones.
Seulgi didn’t hesitate. She pushed through the door, stepping into dim lights and swirling cigarette smoke, her gaze darting through the crowd.
Then she saw her.
Jaeyi was at the bar, hunched over a half-empty glass of something amber-coloured. Her hair was messier than usual, strands falling into her face as she swirled the drink in her hand, staring at it like it held the answers to the universe.
Relief hit Seulgi so hard that her knees nearly buckled. But it was short-lived.
Because Jaeyi wasn’t alone.
A man stood beside her, leaning just a little too close, his arm resting casually on the bar as he murmured something near her ear.
Jaeyi didn’t react… not immediately. But then, slowly, she turned her head toward him, her expression unreadable.
Seulgi didn’t wait to see what would happen next.
Before she even realized what she was doing, she was moving.
Seulgi pushed through the crowd, her pulse roaring in her ears, drowning out the heavy bass of the music. She barely registered the confused glances thrown her way as she shoved past dancing bodies, eyes locked on one thing, Jaeyi.
The man was still talking, leaning in, a smirk playing on his lips. Seulgi’s jaw clenched. He was too close. Way too close.
And Jaeyi… Jaeyi just sat there, fingers still wrapped around her glass, her face unreadable. But Seulgi knew her. Knew that look. It wasn’t amusement, wasn’t interest. It was exhaustion, apathy, the kind that made her stomach twist.
By the time she reached them, she wasn’t thinking, wasn’t planning. Just reacting.
“Yoo Jaeyi.” Her voice was firm, cutting through the noise.
Jaeyi blinked, slowly, as if pulling herself from a haze. Her gaze lifted, locking onto Seulgi’s, and for a split second, something flickered in her eyes… something tired, something worn.
The man turned too, raising a brow. “Oh?” he drawled, eyeing Seulgi up and down. “Friend of yours?”
Seulgi ignored him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Jaeyi, voice softer this time, though the tension in her body remained.
Jaeyi exhaled, setting her drink down with a soft clink. “Having a drink.”
“Alone?”
Jaeyi tilted her head slightly, considering. “Not anymore, I guess.”
The way she said it… careless, and detached and it rubbed Seulgi the wrong way. This wasn’t Jaeyi. Not really.
The man chuckled. “Didn’t know she had a bodyguard.” He took a slow sip of his drink, unbothered.
Seulgi turned to him, her patience thread-thin. “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. But she’s done here.”
The smirk on his face didn’t waver. “Pretty sure she can decide that for herself.”
Jaeyi sighed, rubbing her temple. “Seulgi—”
“Let’s go.” Seulgi reached for her wrist, not forceful, but firm enough to let her know she wasn’t backing down.
Jaeyi’s fingers twitched beneath her touch. For a moment, she didn’t move. Then, finally, with an exhale that sounded almost resigned, she slid off the stool.
The man huffed out a laugh. “Guess that’s my cue.” He raised his glass in a mock toast. “No hard feelings, sweetheart.”
Seulgi ignored him, already leading Jaeyi toward the exit.
The moment they stepped outside, the cold air hit them, sharp and sobering. Jaeyi shivered slightly, stuffing her hands into her coat pockets.
They stood there for a moment, the neon lights from the bar casting a flickering glow against the pavement.
Seulgi was about to speak when someone suddenly appeared, slightly out of breath.
“Yah! You barely even noticed me in there!” Choi Kyung huffed, pushing her sunglasses higher onto the bridge of her nose.
Jaeyi’s eyes narrowed the moment she registered her presence. Realization dawned, and her expression darkened.
“Yah! Choi Kyung,” she said, voice low and dangerous. “Have you lived long enough?”
Her glare was sharp enough to cut, filled with a silent promise of retribution. If looks could kill, Kyung would have dropped dead on the spot.
Kyung raised her hands in surrender, but the smirk on her lips betrayed any real sign of fear. “Relax…Your very concerned girlfriend was about to tear the city apart looking for you. I did you a favor.”
Jaeyi scoffed, crossing her arms. “Some favor.”
Seulgi, still holding onto Jaeyi’s wrist, exhaled sharply. “Kyung, not now.” Her patience was already hanging by a thread, and she wasn’t in the mood for Kyung’s usual antics.
Kyung rolled her eyes but took a step back, slipping her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. “Fine, fine. I’ll let you two have your moment.” She turned, but before walking away, she threw Jaeyi a knowing look. “Just try not to be too self-destructive next time, okay?”
Jaeyi shot her a glare sharp enough to cut steel, but Kyung only smirked, scoffing before disappearing back into the bar.
The tension between them settled again.
For a moment, they just stood there, the cold night air pressing in around them. The neon lights of the bar flickered against Jaeyi’s face, casting shifting shadows that made her unreadable. Seulgi’s grip on her wrist had loosened, but she hadn’t let go.
Jaeyi was the first to break the silence.
“ Woo Seulgi… Aren't you tired?”
Seulgi blinked, momentarily thrown. “What?”
Seulgi slowly let go of her hand. The absence of warmth was immediate, seeping into her skin like ice. It wasn’t just the cold night air… it was the realization settling in her bones, heavy and unbearable.
Jaeyi glanced at her now-empty hand, then let out a soft scoff. Not mocking, not cruel, just… tired.
“We’re not in high school anymore, Seulgi-ah,” she murmured. “You don’t have to hover over me all the time. Let me breathe.”
Each word landed like a dull blow, chipping away at whatever fragile hope Seulgi had been clinging to.
She wanted to say something…anything to make Jaeyi take it back. To prove that this wasn’t about suffocating her, that she wasn’t trying to control her. That she just cared. But Jaeyi’s expression was unreadable, like she had already made up her mind.
“You understand right. Not everything has to be reported—
“Okay, you can stop now…” Seulgi cut her words this time.
Seulgi swallowed hard, forcing down the lump in her throat. “I get it..” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. It wasn’t a plea, nor was it anger… just quiet exhaustion, the kind that settled deep into her bones.
She wanted to stop whatever might come out of Jaeyi’s mouth next because every word felt like being stabbed with a dull knife… aching, relentless, but never quite enough to bleed.
Jaeyi’s gaze flickered, something unreadable passing through her eyes before she looked away. The silence between them was heavy, thick with everything they weren’t saying.
Seulgi let out a quiet breath, her shoulders sagging as if the weight of it all had finally become too much. Without another word, she turned and walked away, her steps slow but deliberate.
Jaeyi watched her go, her expression unreadable, but she didn’t call out. Didn’t stop her.
Even as Seulgi’s figure faded into the night, Jaeyi remained still, staring after her until there was nothing left to see.