The air in the room felt tense, thick with the weight of unspoken words and unresolved emotions. Jongyun's accusing tone cut through the silence like a knife, his frustration palpable as he confronted Songjae.

"So all of a sudden you are sick of me?" Jongyun's voice was raw with hurt, his eyes searching Songjae's for answers he feared he already knew.

"I didn't mean that, Jongyun," Songjae replied, his own voice strained with tension as he struggled to find the right words.

"Then what did you mean, Songjae? You are always being distant. When we first met we were both under some silly misunderstanding but what about now? I'm not asking you to confide in me but can't you at least make an effort and show me that we are something?"

Songjae's jaw clenched, his frustration evident as he struggled to articulate his feelings. "I haven't done anything to hurt you until now, Jongyun. You saw me in the wrong light first."

"Oh? So it's on me now? Songjae, I had an issue. I was dealing with something no five year old should have experienced in their life."

"And I respect that. I understand that, I understand you, so why can't you understand me?"

Their voices rose, the tension between them escalating like flames licking at dry kindling. Sooyeong and I watched helplessly, knowing that intervening would only fan the flames of their argument.

"You are being ridiculous, Songjae. When have I not understood you? If you are referring to your jealousy, I told you-"

"Jongyun. I didn't label your weakness, your emotions, so I'd prefer you don't label mine."

There was a pregnant pause, the room heavy with unspoken words and unresolved tension. Jongyun searched Songjae's face for any sign of understanding, any indication that they could bridge the gap between them.

"Then what do you call it? Give me something to understand, Songjae. I can't read you like a book."

Songjae's eyes narrowed, a flicker of anger flashing across his features. "And yet somehow you can read Sooyeong very well, huh, Jongyun?"

I could see the hurt in Jongyun's eyes, the sting of Songjae's words cutting deeper than any physical wound. It was clear that their relationship was hanging by a thread, the fragile bonds they had worked so hard to mend threatening to snap under the weight of their unresolved issues.

I knew it wasn't my place to intervene, but as their argument spiraled out of control, I couldn't help but speak up. "Songjae. Jongyun. That's enough out of you both."

My words hung in the air like a heavy fog, their weight pressing down on us all as we grappled with the aftermath of their heated exchange. It was clear that if something didn't change soon, they risked losing the fragile connection they had fought so hard to rebuild.

But the tension in the cafe reached a boiling point as Songjae's words hung heavy in the air. Jongyun's brow furrowed in confusion, his gaze locked on Songjae, a mix of hurt and frustration swirling in his eyes.

"No, Yunjin. I want to know. I want to know exactly what is going on with dear Songjae here. So tell me. Exactly how am I reading Sooyeong well?"

Yunjin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on him. He knew that Songjae's outburst had opened a floodgate of emotions that had long been simmering beneath the surface.

"It took us so long to mend what was broken between us. Yet for him, nothing was necessary... you never once tried to talk to me about this misunderstanding while you gave Sooyeong a chance so easily," Songjae's voice cracked with emotion, his frustration pouring out in waves.

Jongyun's expression softened, a pang of guilt gnawing at him as he realized the extent of Songjae's hurt. "What?"

"I would have been happy if you were sick of me, Jongyun... because of all of my nonsensical swirls... but you are not. I can't handle whatever this is and it's crazy, and I know you will never understand," Songjae's voice wavered, his words a jumble of emotions.

"Songjae? You can tell me what's going on-" Jongyun began, his voice filled with genuine concern.

"It's easy for you to say. You hid everything about yourself from me for more than a decade and yet somehow if I don't tell you something I'm a bad guy?" Songjae's voice rose with frustration, his hands shaking slightly as he struggled to contain his emotions.

"Songjae, listen. I have no idea what you are saying right now. I'm sorry I didn't consider you as a friend earlier-" Jongyun's voice trailed off, his words tinged with regret.

"You don't have to make things clear to me, Jongyun. I definitely blurted the wrong words because I'm upset right now. I'm not sick of you. I can't be... but I don't... want to talk."

With that, Songjae abruptly stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor as he stormed out of the cafe, leaving behind a trail of unresolved emotions and shattered expectations.

Yunjin watched silently as Songjae left, his heart heavy with the weight of their fractured relationship. She knew that Songjae was hurting, grappling with emotions that he couldn't fully comprehend.

Turning her attention back to Jongyun, Yunjin could see the turmoil written across his face. Jongyun slumped onto the couch, his shoulders hunched with the weight of the conversation that had just unfolded.

Yunjin exchanged a solemn glance with Sooyeong, silently communicating her intention to give Jongyun some space. Sooyeong nodded understandingly, rising from his seat and quietly leaving the cafe, leaving Yunjin alone with Jongyun.

Minutes turned into hours as Yunjin sat by Jongyun's side, a silent presence offering comfort in the midst of chaos. Though neither of them spoke a word, Yunjin could feel the weight of the pain hanging heavy in the air.

The weight of the unresolved tension hung heavy in the air as I lifted my head, casting a glance at Jongyun who was fidgeting with his phone, lost in his thoughts. Despite his attempts to mask it, I could tell he was still reeling from the sting of the recent argument.

"Will you get that repaired?" I asked softly, breaking the silence that enveloped us. Jongyun responded with a small nod, his mood still soured by the events that had transpired.

"Is it," he hesitated before continuing, surprising me with his willingness to engage. "That bad that I let someone in without being paranoid for once?"

"Jongyun, it's not what you think," I replied gently, hoping to offer some clarity amidst the confusion. "Songjae always wanted to be close to you, to be friends with you, but you never spoke to him, almost cold and distant-"

"I'm guessing you know why," Jongyun interjected, his voice tinged with bitterness.

"I do now, Jongyun, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel anything," I countered, trying to convey the complexity of the situation. "It's different when it comes to me and you, you know that. Sooyeong knows everything about you... at least your likes and dislikes, things that Songjae tried so hard to figure out."

Jongyun fell silent, his expression pensive as he mulled over my words. Finally, he spoke, his voice tinged with vulnerability. "To be honest, Yunjin, I was always scared of Songjae. His demeanor reminded me of that bully, and I didn't like that feeling."

"I understand," I replied sympathetically, recognizing the depth of Jongyun's fear and apprehension. "There's also something Songjae is going through. It's his to tell, but I assure you he likes you as much as you like him, so please don't fight like this."

As the weight of our conversation settled between us, I couldn't help but feel a sting. Their relationship now seemed strained, a relationship they had only now begun to face.

As days turned into weeks, the rift between Jongyun and Songjae seemed to deepen, despite my best efforts to mediate and resolve their differences. They remained stubbornly distant, their gazes avoiding each other's like opposing magnets repelling one another.

I watched with growing frustration as their relationship deteriorated before my eyes, feeling helpless in the face of their stubbornness. No matter how many times I tried to reason with them, it seemed like my words fell on deaf ears, each of them retreating further into their own emotional fortresses.

As if their personal feud wasn't enough, the looming threat of midterms added an extra layer of stress to an already tense situation. I found myself torn between wanting to shake some sense into Songjae and the pressing need to bury myself in my textbooks and study materials.

But even the thought of studying seemed like a distant dream as I struggled to navigate the turbulent waters of their fractured relationship. The weight of their unresolved conflict bore down on me like a leaden blanket, suffocating any semblance of normalcy in our once harmonious group dynamic.

Despite my frustration and growing impatience, I knew that resorting to drastic measures like scolding Songjae wouldn't solve anything. If anything, it would only serve to further alienate him and drive a deeper wedge between him and Jongyun.

So, with a heavy heart and a mind weighed down by the burden of their discord, I reluctantly set aside my concerns and focused on my own academic pursuits.

As I made my way into the classroom, the atmosphere was palpably tense, each student immersed in their own world of textbooks and notes, desperately trying to cram as much information into their minds as possible before the impending storm of midterms.

I scanned the room for my assigned seat, feeling like a fish out of water amidst the sea of focused students. Their determined expressions only served to highlight my own lack of preparation although I'm sure I studied it all, leaving me feeling like an outsider in my own academic environment.

"Yunjin-ah~"

The sound of Yuri's voice broke through the silence, pulling me from my thoughts. I turned to see her smiling warmly at me, a sight that both comforted and unsettled me at the same time.

"Hi, Yuri," I replied, mustering up a weak wave in her direction, my enthusiasm dampened by the weight of my own insecurities.

Yuri's smile faltered slightly at my lackluster response, but she didn't let it deter her. "Yunjin-ah, I bet you studied everything."

I couldn't help but chuckle at her assumption. She may not be wrong here but she was doing nothing pulling me down with that comment. "Well, I'm betting on you, so we'll see how that goes, huh?"

Yuri's confusion was evident as she cocked her head to the side, puzzled by my response. "....so then will I score the best?"

I offered her a reassuring and sarcastic smile, hoping to make her realise she is not fencing anyone. "Sure, Yuri. Let's hope the paper is as easy as it can get."

Deep down, I knew that competitiveness was her nature, but in that moment, I didn't need her to appear and tangle the wires in my head that were already very much jumbled.