APRIL 10, 2023.

"Class is done. Remember to work on your homework and get it done before the end of the week," Professor Park said, turning off the projector. Everyone began to pack up and leave, linking with their friends to head to their next classes or head to lunch–which is what me, Beomgyu, and Yoona plan on doing. I could see her in the corner of the lecture hall on her phone, waiting.

However, I had to give Professor Park our script, so she's going to have to wait a little longer. "Ready?" Beomgyu asked me as I held the papers in my hand, smiling. I nodded with determination and turned around, only to see a body a few feet away from us. I couldn't make my gaze up to his face before Beomgyu shuffled around me and blocked the view, but I was sure of who it was–he wore that shirt on our date to the amusement park.

"Yewon."

"Excuse us," Beomgyu spoke, taking a step forward. Soobin remained in place, looking over his shoulder to see if I was already looking at him. I continued to stare at the back of Beomgyu's jacket, gripping tight on the stack of papers against my chest. "Move, hyung. We're busy."

"I have to talk to her."

"We're busy," Beomgyu gritted his teeth, raising his head slightly to look him in the eye. Soobin had no choice but to take a step back, allowing us to pass by. I could hear his friend murmuring beside him, wondering why Soobin was attempting to stop us, but as I walked down the stairs and refused to face them, I blocked it out of my ears. "Professor Park!"

With that look in her eye, I could tell that she was watching the whole scene play out from afar. I raised my eyebrows as I stuck my hand out, the papers sitting and waiting to be taken. "Here's the script for our submission. Tell us what you think and if we should change anything," Beomgyu spoke for both of us, grinning. "Yewon wrote most of it, and I did the editing. Yewon will be the main director, and I'll help with anything else."

"You don't have to inform me of the specifics, but I'm glad to be your second opinion," Professor smiled and took it out of my hand, placing it on her podium. "It's also good to see you both so close. I'm going to assume you guys have become friends?"

Beomgyu nodded, looking the happiest between us. She chuckled at his brightness, nodding as well. "That's good. Keep up the good work, and I can't wait to see what direction you take this. I'll read over it tonight and have Yewon come pick it up if I have any notes. If not, I'll just email."

"Sounds good. Thank you, Professor Park," We both bowed, saying goodbye. As I turned to my right, I saw Soobin briefly, turning the corner with his blonde-haired friend. Yoona was already staring–or really, glaring–grimacing cold. Once Beomgyu and I went over to her, her cute persona reappeared, smiling big and uncrossing her arms.

"Hey, you two! How was class?" Beomgyu chuckled, causing Yoona to blink. "What? I've been waiting for you guys for such a long time. Shall we go get lunch now?"

"Let's go," Beomgyu nodded, answering for the both of us once again. We walked out, and the moment we did, I felt a touch on my shoulder. It didn't feel like one I was familiar with and not one I feared. I stopped for a moment, analyzing it–before turning around to face it. It was a foreign face which confirmed his anonymity to me. Beomgyu noticed that I was facing the other way, so he joined me on my left with Yoona jogging over to my right. "Who are you? What do you want with Yewon?!"

The boy chuckled, shaking his head. "I promise I'm not going to hurt her. I'd just like to talk to her," But the foreign face started to get a little more familiar. I've seen him in a certain place, at a certain time. "Yoona, you know me–I don't bite."

Beomgyu looked at her for reassurance, to which she pursed her lips in annoyance. "You make a good point, Choi Yeonjun," Yoona sighed, nodding. "We can trust him, Beomgyu. He's someone from the sports club."

I looked over, and Yoona's mouth was still open as if she was going to add something else–but decided to press her lips back together. Now, his title had me hanging on a thread, trying to determine what followed. "Can I get a moment with you, Miss Han?" It seemed like I had no choice. So, I nodded and both of us walked a few feet away from Yoona and Beomgyu. "I'm the president of the sports club at Yonsei. I know you had an encounter with one of my friends, Soobin."

That was the hanging thread. He's someone from the sports club, and he's Soobin's friend. Oddly, his presence didn't give off any red flags. From his hair to his denim jeans, he appeared normal. "I was also..." He trailed off, opening his palm. I stared at it–and eventually, my eyes widened. Our high school ring. "Part of your past, Yewon."

I lifted my gaze, unable to push away my fear. I took a step back, jaw agape–and clenched my fists. He knew everything. He knew about me, Soobin, and that wretched issue that I wanted to hold back. That must've been why his familiarity came to me after I stared long enough; the past never washes away. "Wait," He paused, closing his fist back up. "Hear me out, Yewon. I'm not here to coax you into getting back with him or anything of the sort. I'm actually here to lend you a hand."

Yeonjun sighed, putting his hands into his leather jacket. I stood up straight, trying to calm myself. "I know what you've been through, and I'm probably the only one at Yonsei who recognizes you. I can't steer clear of who's in the right or wrong, but I don't want you to fall back in his claws again–especially with the stuff he says about you," He shook his head. "He never says your name, but he tells everyone about you. They know about some of the things that happened in your relationship, and that you go to Yonsei. If you both keep colliding, I'm sure that more will be unveiled."

God, you think I don't know that!? I'm doing everything I can to stay away from him. "I'm doing my best to keep you both from meeting, and I'm glad you have friends like that boy and Yoona. They seem dependable–and I hope that whatever's going on in your head, you're going to use that against him," Yeonjun stated, beckoning me closer. I inched toward him slightly, lending him my ear. "And, if I'm completely honest, Yewon–his biggest weakness has always been you. You are his greatest fear. If you use your voice, you can gain the upper hand. Why do you think he's using his?"

But, a moth will still be hated, no matter how they flutter their wings. Even with revenge in mind, I can't get past that hurdle with Soobin. I, too, know what he's capable of.

But, perhaps... he's not as brave as me.

"Alright, enough talking," Beomgyu intervened, putting space between the both of us. "It's been more than a moment, and we have to go to lunch. Talk another time, hm?"

"Remember what I said, Yewon," Yeonjun ignored Beomgyu, smiling. "I... believe in you."

But, what I wanted to hear more was that statement without 'in.' I believe you.

Because, if he said that, I think I'd feel reassured that someone out there doesn't hate the moth–that someone has seen through the stereotype and through that screen–and saw me. A normal human being.

I was pulled along by Yoona as Beomgyu followed, the three of us heading to lunch. However, as I turned back and saw Yeonjun watching, I felt it.

I believe you.

"When you press this button, it'll start recording the voice," Beomgyu explained, pointing to the red button. Then, he beckoned to one beside it. "This is for camera recording. This will turn on the central camera, and you'll use the numbered buttons to the right to change to the other cameras. This is only used when we do our online recordings, so focus mainly on the blue button to the left. We use that every morning for announcements."

"I see," I whispered, beckoning to the levers. "What about those?"

"Those adjust the microphones. It changes volume and will be helpful when someone else speaks. You use it when more than one person is speaking in the recording booth," Beomgyu smiled, nodding for reassurance. I, too, nodded, smiling. "That's mostly it. When we do outside recordings, you'll be able to use your film skills. That's usually during spring or before breaks."

"Sounds good," I took a seat, looking around. Nobody else was in the broadcasting room. Usually, Minah is always here, eating or reading, but for the first time, the club room was left unattended.

"Yewon," I heard, causing me to face Beomgyu. "Can I have your wrist, please?"

I narrowed my eyes slightly before giving in, reaching out my hand. He scooted his chair close, his legs between the space of mine, and brought my hand down by my fingers. His other hand reached for something in his pockets and put it on the desk beside us: Topical medication.

He gently pulled back my sleeve to my forearms, revealing the bruise Soobin left two days ago. It was still fresh and I hated looking at it. Beomgyu took off the cap and grabbed the cotton tip, pressing the pushed-out cream against the tip. Then, he hovered it over my wrist. "It's going to hurt," Beomgyu warned. I can take it. I'm not weak. "Just bear with it until it's done."

Like I said, I'm not–shit. Oh my god, that hurts. Holy fuck.

I squeezed my fingers into my palms, hissing. "Sorry," He whispered as he tried to apply it with less force, but the pain remained the same. It wasn't like an oozing gash, it was just the aching got worse every time something touched it. It was sensitive, like me.

"I was reading through the script again today during break," Beomgyu started, causing me to look at his concentrated face. He bit his lip briefly and then returned for some more medicine. "I don't mean to doubt you, but are you sure that the script is all fiction? Are you sure it isn't based on something you went through?"

I didn't respond, so Beomgyu further explained himself. "I just felt like... I don't know. I was reading some of the narrator's lines, and it felt so moving. The ending almost made me cry too–when they met again in university, and she cried when she got back to her dorm to shower and wash it all away. It doesn't feel used at all and feels authentic. It's realistic."

I licked my lips, taking in a breath. "It's fiction," I lied. Beomgyu glanced over, frowning for a moment, but quickly hid it. "Well, some–most–of it is. The ending is similar to something that happened to me."

Then, I exhaled. "With Soobin."

He stopped applying pressure, frozen. "Your history with him is something you see in thrillers," Beomgyu commented, causing me to briefly chuckle. "I don't know how you both know each other if you're a grade younger."

"Beomgyu," I said. "I took a gap year."

"You did?" He widened his eyes–and I think he made the connection. "So when that girl in the script took a gap year, that was inspired by you too?"

I nodded.

"And, you knew Soobin before coming to Yonsei?"

I nodded again.

He knitted his eyebrows together and put down the cotton tip, allowing me to retract my arm. "Then, is the film your revenge, Yewon?" There it was. The question I prepared to answer. "This is your way of getting back at him?"

I stared into his eyes. "Yes."

The script I wrote consisted of the aftermath of our breakup where the ending is when we met again. It was the epitome of trying to showcase my independence, which seems a little selfish, but if he can watch it and see what he put me through after he left, then it's all worth it. I want people to know our history if I am unable to escape it–at least then, I can put it to rest. It showcased the relationship, the incident, my gap year, and the erasure of his touch on my skin–for the sole purpose of expressing that memories are a mixture of both death and revival and that even if it reminds people that things have changed–then, it's for the better.

"I see," Beomgyu responded curtly, eyes fluttering. "Well, I know that whatever happened has made you become a better person. Look at where you are now."

I snorted, crossed my arms, and leaned back. "I know what you're thinking. You're just attempting to be nice to not make this more awkward than it needs to be, huh?"

"I'm being honest," Beomgyu raised his eyebrows. "I know where your boundaries on this issue lie, Yewon. I'm poking at it already. I won't pursue any further if you're not going to be the one to introduce it."

I mocked him, raising my eyebrows too. "So, you have a theory, then? About us?"

"Thousands," He replied hesitantly, and it almost caused my face to fall. "And, in every one of them, he's the bad guy."

I cracked a smile. "If you knew the truth–and what other people say–then, you would change your mind."

"I don't care about other people, Yewon," Beomgyu stated, eyes straight. I wonder if he'd ever let his eyes go adrift. "I care about you and what you have to say. All I want... are answers from you."

My heart almost fell apart–in a good way. The glue was starting to melt with his sweet words, and if it continued, I wasn't sure how I'd be able to act around him. "Don't act like that," I chuckled awkwardly, shaking my head. "I'm older than you. You can't be so enchanting."

"Age isn't an issue."

"What?"

"Hm?"

...Stupid.