─── chapter ten.
❛ REMINDERS ❜

2004
The sound of choking came from Dong-Eun. Myeong-O's grip tightened around her throat as she desperately clawed at his hand, trying to break free.

Sa-Ra stood nearby, recording the scene on her phone. After a few agonizing moments, Myeong-O finally released his grip, and Dong-Eun collapsed to the floor, gasping and coughing, struggling to catch her breath.

Eun-Ji was waiting for Dong-Eun in the library, but when the girl didn't show up, suspicion grew. Knowing where her so-called 'friends' might be, she headed toward the gym, a place where Yeon-Jin and the others sometimes dragged Dong-Eun against her will.

"Eight seconds... she was supposed to pass out by then. That can't be right." Sa-Ra whined, her lips curling into a disappointed pout as she stepped closer to Myeong-O, showing no concern for Dong-Eun, who lay on the floor, still coughing. "If you hit her hard enough, she'll pass out. Otherwise, you're just weak."

Myeong-O rolled his eyes. "Seriously? Who got the high score on the punching machine?" He bragged, as Sa-Ra's phone beeped, indicating she had resumed recording. "That was all me," he added with a smug grin.

Roughly grabbing Dong-Eun by her school uniform, Myeong-O slammed her against the wall. "Tell me if it hurts, Dong-Eun. I'll pray for you," he mocked, his voice dripping with fake sympathy.

Dong-Eun's bruised cheek was hidden behind her short hair, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe. Panic surged through her—she was terrified, silently begging for someone to save her.

"Stand straight. Let's go, Dong-Eun." Myeong-O taunted, his smirk widening. He laughed, relishing the power he held over her. "Careful, if I miss, I might hit your boob," he sneered, before winding up and punching her hard in the stomach.

As the gym doors swung open, Eun-Ji froze, her eyes widening in horror. Her heart sank at the sight of her friend being assaulted. Without thinking, she rushed forward and shoved Myeong-O away. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Dong-Eun weakly heard her friend's angry voice, barely managing to lift her head. "E-Eun-Ji... stop..." she whispered, her voice faint.

Eun-Ji's fury only intensified. "You're disgusting! You all love tormenting people who can't fight back!" She shouted, pushing Myeong-O with every ounce of strength she had.

Her gaze snapped to Sa-Ra. "And you—standing there recording like this is some game! You prey on anyone less fortunate than you!"

Sa-Ra glanced at her phone, casually texting the group chat. The response was chilling: Teach her a lesson.

Turning back to Myeong-O, Eun-Ji's voice was filled with rage. "You and Hye-Jeong only get away with this because you're useful. If it wasn't for that, you'd be in Dong-Eun's position!"

Myeong-O smirked, exchanging a look with Sa-Ra, who nodded in silent agreement. Sa-Ra's phone beeped again, signaling she had resumed recording.

"Eun-Ji!" Dong-Eun whimpered from the floor.

Distracted, Eun-Ji didn't see Myeong-O as he shoved her to the ground, kicking her repeatedly, aiming for her stomach. Dong-Eun's face contorted with horror as she watched her friend being beaten, guilt gnawing at her insides.

"We're sorry, Eun-Ji, but we have to teach you not to interfere," Sa-Ra said in a sickly sweet voice, her fake sympathy almost worse than Myeong-O's cruelty.

Dong-Eun's misery deepened, the weight of guilt crushing her. She felt responsible for Eun-Ji's pain, convinced that her friend's suffering was her fault.

PRESENT
Later that night, Eun-Ji sat on a yellow couch adorned with colorful pillows, trying to distance herself from Yeon-Jin, who lounged nearby.

"Dong-Eun demanded money from you?" Yeon-Jin asked Sa-Ra, clearly curious since her own attempt to pay off Dong-Eun had failed. "How much does she want?"

Sa-Ra shrugged, her hands buried in her cardigan pockets. "No idea. She threw a bag at me and told me to fill it up. "That bag is so huge! Fuck!" Sa-Ra grumbled in frustration, her arms flinging out of her cardigan pockets.

Seated in a slightly rounded chair with a blue-striped pillow, Eun-Ji and Yeon-Jin watched silently as Jae-Jun made his way up the stairs toward them.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Eun-Ji asked, her brows furrowing in confusion. He never called her. Before Jae-Jun could reply, Sa-Ra chimed in, "When did you even call me?" Her confusion mirrored Eun-Ji's as she stood, glancing at the group.

"Can I go now? I have a daughter at home to take care of," Eun-Ji said, growing impatient.

"Sit. You have a nanny for a reason," Yeon-Jin responded coolly, making Eun-Ji roll her eyes before reluctantly taking her seat.

"Wasn't talking to you," Jae-Jun said pointedly to Sa-Ra.

Sa-Ra blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, then Eun-Ji?" she guessed, casting a glance toward the other woman.

"Not her either," Jae-Jun replied, his attention now on Yeon-Jin.

"Ah, Yeon-Jin, then," Sa-Ra remarked, nodding toward her, legs crossed and hands neatly placed in her lap.

"Has she not spoken to either of you?" Sa-Ra asked, watching Jae-Jun settle into a chair, crossing one leg over the other like Yeon-Jin.

"It's not money she's after," Jae-Jun said.

"I tried to bribe her. She didn't want anything to do with it," Yeon-Jin muttered, frustration seeping through her voice.

Leaning back, Sa-Ra absentmindedly scrolled through her phone. "Why isn't Myeong-O answering my calls? Did you fire him?" she asked, only half paying attention.

Just then, Eun-Ji's phone beeped, pulling her attention. She fished it out of her bag and frowned at the message that popped up on the screen: 'Miss Seong, sorry to bother you, but could you pick up some medicine for Joo-Won? I don't want to leave her alone.'

Worry immediately flashed across Eun-Ji's face. She quickly slung her purse over her shoulder and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Jae-Jun called after her.

"Unlike you, I actually care about my kid," she snapped back, bitterness coating her words. "Joo-Won is sick, so I'm getting her medicine."

Jae-Jun rolled his eyes, clearly unfazed by her sharp response. Sa-Ra, however, cocked an eyebrow. "Wait, isn't it your week to take care of her?" she asked, confused.

Jae-Jun's glare was enough of an answer. Sa-Ra smirked knowingly. "Ahh, I see. You dumped her on Eun-Ji, didn't you?"

He grumbled something under his breath but quickly shifted the conversation back to the group's main concern—Dong-Eun.

That night, after Eun-Ji returned home, she cradled her daughter, Joo-Won, who was sick and in need of comfort. The little girl, unfamiliar with her mother's extended absence, cried herself to sleep in Eun-Ji's arms. Together, they slept soundly, seeking solace in each other's warmth.

In the middle of the night, Eun-Ji was jolted awake by a nightmare—a memory of a younger version of herself, standing bruised and broken, staring at the same group that had tormented her for years. "You put me through hell," she had screamed, her voice trembling with pain.

Now, awake and trembling, she felt her daughter's small hand gently touch hers. Looking down, she saw Joo-Won signing, 'Mommy, no worries.'

'Okay, baby,' Eun-Ji signed back, managing a smile as she lay back down, holding her daughter close.

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