SEPTEMBER 30, 2023.

"You actually came?" Soobin turned around at my footsteps, the moonlight seeping through the thin windows. I gritted my teeth, and he noticed quickly, hand out. "Come here."

"Let me ask you: Why did you do it?" There it was. A mouth stuffed with silence. His choice, when met with triviality, is always to keep quiet, and hope it passes. But, I wasn't going to let it slide. "Why did you let the video arise when it was all in the past, when nobody knows the context?"

"Han Yewon," He was getting ready to change the subject. "You know I love you."

"No, you don't," I snapped. "You don't love anyone but yourself. You're a self-absorbed coward."

"Don't call me that, Yewon," Soobin winced, shaking his head slowly. Suddenly, it was like a change in personality–his eyes became hooded, expression falling. "You know what I really hate about you, though?"

I stood in silence. "That you talk too much," He said it before, but it hurt just as much. My heart weakened. I narrowed my eyes as he walked around me, almost in orbit, like a planet who was waiting for its centerpiece to explode. "Now that the video's become popular again, I might as well just tell you–I mean, as I've said, who would believe you, right?"

He then reappeared right in front of me, fixing his glasses. "I did it because I wanted to see how quiet you'd get–how when you complain, all you do is bother, and annoy, and make people suffer. I wanted to see how fast you'd learn."

"Learn what?"

"Silence," He clicked his tongue. "You hate it so much, so I wanted to see how long you could tolerate it. Of course, it wasn't going to be long, but after meeting you and seeing how afraid you were that people would recognize you, I realized I could finally fall for you. You became someone... I could finally love."

"Is that what love is to you?" I whispered, the memories flashing in my head. I shook my head, swallowing the knot in my throat. "Submission? Sick obligation? That's not what any of that is to me, Soobin."

"You haven't realized it yet. Now that you've found some new flame, it's all coming back to you," Soobin frowned. "Do you love him like you did with me, Yewon? Or, do you still think of me, no matter what?"

I disregarded that. "You've already been investigated, and you're in the middle of getting punished. So, I'm going to be nice and say it simply: Delete the video."

"Why?" He tilted his head, frowning deeper. "Still afraid?"

I scoffed. "Why should I–" That confused him. It was time to tell him what I came here for–what everything that led up to this, meant. I pulled out my phone and turned it on, clicking 'post.' As it finally uploaded, I pushed my phone out for him to see. "–When all the proof here exists?"

The blue light of my phone reflected in his glasses, his expression falling. I let him snatch my phone out of his hands, replaying the video over and over again. "W-Where did you get this?" He muttered, speechless. I slowly put my limb down, a new expression dawning on my face. He slammed my phone into the marble, shattering, and he grabbed my jacket collar. I allowed him–for I knew this would be the last time he'd ever touch me. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"I'm putting you in your place, Choi."

"Putting me in my place?" Soobin quoted, tears brimming his eyes. He pushed me into the tile and began to maniacally laugh, tilting his head back. "Do you know what you've done?"

"I told you," I said, watching as his head lowered to meet mine. I smiled slowly, bigger and bigger, until I knew I had haunted him. "I told you from the very beginning. I told you to wait for the day."

"This?" He pointed to my broken phone, the video paused on the lit screen. "You think this can stop me, Yewon?"

"No, I don't," I shook my head, sifting my hair back. My wrist was aching from the fall, from the pressure of it all, but nothing hurt more than the explosion in my head. I've waited for this moment... since I died. "But I know it'll get you off my back. I know that it'll ruin any image every student at Yonsei has had of you. I know if it gets enough traction, Soobin, like the day you ruined my life, you won't have anything left. You'll be like me, Choi–dead."

"YEWON!" By the grasp of my name, he picked me up off the floor with his hands, hands tugging at my shoulders. Before he could toss me into one of the covered paintings, someone kicked him in the stomach, a new pair of hands replacing the dirt that lingered. I fell into the person's arms, blinking.

"Are you okay, Yewon?" I heard, turning my head to the soft call of my name. Beomgyu. His face contorted into a fit in concern, turning back to Soobin in a newly found fit of rage. "I knew you were always such a coward, but to hit a woman? Have you lost your mind?"

Soobin dusted off his jacket, standing across the room. He ignored Soobin and kept his ugly eyes on me, fists clenching. "You–"

"I hope when you open your mouth, people recognize your voice," I took a step forward, taking one each time I could hear him breathe. "I hope that when they see your face in this video, they'll know it's the campus prince who had told everyone about his ex that so-forth abused him."

"Y-Yewon, you–"

I pushed him hard enough into the easel behind him, causing him to perfectly kneel. And, just like that day in the park, when we had crossed paths by force and not by face, like the time I forced him to kneel as an apology unsaid, I made him succumb. I put a hand on his shoulder and one on his chin, capturing him in place. "You know, it'll never be over. It's not over now, and it won't be until you find an eventual end. I hope..." I lingered, leaning down to keep the words I said between us. "You enjoy living in the space I kept warm for us all these years–the grave."

With my finale in the books, I watched him sow the threads into his lips. I watched his soul and our uncertainties die within him, like a moth the moment it decomposes and turns into dust. As I let go of him, I knew that feelings still reside–but I will never come crawling back. I may love something like you, Soobin, that loved me back then, before everything happened; but I will never come to admit my feelings for the you that lives now.

And when I'm dead, I'll bring the last choice–not fear, silence, resentment–romance,

To your grave.

"Why are you reading all the comments?" Beomgyu asked, Professor Park looking over my shoulder as well. "Isn't that just hurting you?"

"Why would it?" I asked. "They're taking my side although I have to rewatch the video. Everyone realizes that Soobin was the one in the wrong, and though it's clearly rude of them to call him such disgusting names, I can't help but say he deserves it."

"They could call him worse," Professor Park muttered, making me nod my head in agreement. It was the next morning, and just like how the original video blew up, the unedited version did too. His confession alongside it caused people to realize that Soobin was bad news, everything taking my side with an apologetic, cyber tone. Even in person, people have apologized and began to talk to me during class, wearing a smile on their faces despite myself looking at them in annoyance.

To say I was satisfied with it was a bit of exaggeration. I'm happy to see people realize what kind of damage Soobin is capable of, but I know that humans are just sheep–they follow trends and flow. They follow what leads the rest of the pack, and just like that video, people are led to change their minds about our relationship. Nobody truly had a standard opinion unless they continue to side with one of us even after the videos were posted.

Like Gyeowool, Yoona, Taehyun, Professor Park, and Beomgyu–they've never switched sides.

Presumably, Kai and Yeonjun remain on Soobin's side. Yeonjun is allied with me and he secretly is on my side, but as we've talked about, it's hard to break a habit of something you've known for a lot of your life. Maybe more people are loyal to Soobin, but who knows?

All I know is that until the day humanity is able to analyze and not take shit from other people, we achieve world peace. If we continue to follow a crowd, when will we form decisiveness? When will humans, by judgment, receive proper punishment?

But, I guess that's why we're called humanity. We're flawed in a million ways–indecisiveness is just one of many on the list, and it's probably not even the worst one.

I'm sure if I continued to fool myself back then, and even after the edited version, I would've been the same way. Hell, maybe revenge wouldn't have happened if I did.

Maybe in another world, it didn't. So, I thank myself in this one for pulling through–enduring.

"Oh, Yewon, I wanted to ask you," Professor Park began, attracting my attention away from my laptop. "Did you want to have a film showing for your old classmates, and even new ones? I know some people have already asked me if I have access to your film because they wanted to watch it. We can post a sign up if you're comfortable."

"Yeah, sure, I don't mind," I looked at my calendar, trying to find a perfect time. "How about we post the sign-up today, and the viewing can be in here, Friday at four?"

"Sounds good to me. I have no class," I nodded. "Okay, perfect, I'll release one. Say, have you seen him at all today?"

"No," Typically, Soobin was everywhere. So, it was uncanny in a good way to see his disappearance–or at least, from my line of sight. His suspension wouldn't start until tomorrow, and would last–I believe–four days.

"Good," Beomgyu answered, causing Professor Park and I to give him a curious look. "If he ever pops up in front of you, I'll do more than just kick him or land him another suspension."

"Hah," I exhaled. "Jealous that I'll switch sides, Choi Beomgyu?"

His face flushed red and he held his nape. "N-No!"

Cute.