fragments of forever | han yujin zb1

chapter 10 : facing the rival

aejung stood there, her heart sinking as she witnessed the intimate moment between yujin and boyoung. she felt like she was watching a scene from a movie, except this was real life, and it was breaking her heart. her mind struggled to process what she was seeing, her thoughts swirling in a chaotic whirlwind of confusion and hurt.

as boyoung leaned in for a kiss, aejung felt a sharp pang of pain shoot through her chest. she watched in disbelief as yujin reciprocated, his attention fully captured by the moment. it felt like her world was crumbling around her, like she was standing on shaky ground with nowhere to turn.

frozen in place, aejung felt like time had slowed down to a crawl. she couldn't tear her eyes away, even as her heart shattered into a million pieces. she wanted to scream, to cry out in anguish, but her voice refused to cooperate. all she could do was stand there, feeling like she was drowning in a sea of emotions.

as the reality of what she had just witnessed sunk in, aejung's head began to ache with a dull, persistent throb. her face felt numb, her cheeks wet with tears that seemed to flow endlessly. she couldn't bear to watch any longer, couldn't bear to see the person she cared about most being taken away from her.

without a second thought, aejung turned and ran, her feet carrying her away from the painful scene. she ran blindly, her vision blurred by tears as she stumbled through the halls of the school. she didn't care where she was going, didn't care about anything except getting away from the agony that threatened to consume her.

as she ran, aejung collided with someone, the impact jolting her out of her daze. she stumbled backwards, her hands flying up to cover her face as she tried to regain her bearings.

gunwook's expression softened with concern as he gently approached aejung, his eyes filled with worry.

"aejung, are you okay? what happened?" he asked, his voice gentle yet insistent.

aejung hesitated for a moment, feeling overwhelmed by the flood of emotions coursing through her. she tried to compose herself, but the tears were already welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment.

"gunwook... i'm fine," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. despite her attempts to reassure him, she could feel the weight of her sorrow pressing down on her like a leaden blanket.

gunwook studied her for a moment, his concern deepening as he realized the extent of her distress.

"you don't look fine," he said gently. "come on, let's go somewhere more private."

he reached out, his touch gentle yet reassuring as he took her arm and led her away from the bustling school grounds. aejung followed silently, her thoughts swirling with confusion and pain.

once they reached a quieter area outside the school, gunwook sat down beside her on the soft grass, offering her a supportive presence as she gathered her thoughts.

"now, tell me what's going on," he said softly, his voice filled with compassion.

aejung took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she struggled to find the words to express the turmoil raging inside her.

"yujin... like i said this morning, he's been very avoidant. but i noticed it really was just to me, so... when i saw him with boyoung again i noticed he was still being nice towards her even though she confessed to him too," she began, her voice trembling with emotion.

aejung's voice wavered as she struggled to find the strength to continue, her words catching in her throat like shards of glass.

"so i decided to follow them to see why he was treating me so differently, & when i was following them they..." her voice trailed off, the pain evident in her eyes as she relived the moment.

gunwook sensed her distress and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his touch gentle yet grounding.

"it's okay, you don't have to say it if you don't want to," he said softly, his voice filled with understanding.

aejung looked up at him, tears welling up in her eyes once again as she struggled to articulate the depth of her anguish.

"they kissed, gunwook. i saw them kiss, and it just... it hurts so much," she managed to say, her voice choked with emotion as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.

gunwook pulled her into a gentle embrace, offering her the solace of his presence as she allowed herself to release the flood of emotions pent up inside her.

after a while, aejung's sobs started to subside, her tears gradually giving way to a sense of numbness. she sniffled, wiping her tears with the back of her hand as she tried to regain her composure.

"i'm tired of crying, gunwook. i... i need to move on from yujin," aejung said, her voice tinged with exhaustion as she voiced her resolve.

gunwook nodded in silent understanding, his gaze reflecting empathy and unwavering support for his friend.

"you're strong, aejung. and you have friends who will be here for you every step of the way. you're not alone in this," gunwook reassured her, his words carrying the weight of genuine care and encouragement.

aejung managed to summon a small smile, a flicker of gratitude shining in her eyes as she absorbed gunwook's comforting words.

"thank you, gunwook. i... i'm going to be okay," she said, her tone infused with newfound determination as she made a silent vow to herself.

with resolve coursing through her veins, aejung rose to her feet, gunwook rising alongside her in a gesture of solidarity.

"i know you will be, and i'll be right here if you ever need me," gunwook promised, his unwavering support a beacon of strength for aejung in her moment of vulnerability.

they shared a brief moment of solidarity, a silent understanding passing between them, before they turned and headed back inside the school building.

gunwook waited patiently outside the girls' bathroom as aejung retreated inside to compose herself, offering her the space and time she needed to gather her thoughts and emotions.

after taking a moment to compose herself, aejung emerged from the bathroom, her appearance refreshed and her demeanor more composed. she offered a small but genuine smile to gunwook, gratitude evident in her eyes.

"i couldn't ever thank you enough for this, gunwook," aejung expressed, her voice filled with sincerity.

"it's no worries. let's get you to your next class, shall we?" gunwook replied, his tone gentle and reassuring as he stepped to her side, offering his support.

together, they walked in companionable silence, the weight of aejung's recent turmoil momentarily eased by the presence of her steadfast friend. as they made their way to aejung's next class, gunwook's quiet presence served as a comforting reminder that she was not alone in her struggles.