The day of the competition, Keiba was playing her song in the music room while Min-Kyung, Ruth, and Ben discussed what’d happened yesterday in Ruth’s office.

“So she wants us to give the diary back?” Ruth clarified.

“Pretty much.” Min nodded.

She shook her head. “No, we can’t. It’s all we have on her.”

“But babe,” Ben protested. “Your reputation—”

“My reputation? Ben, I don’t even care at this point. This has to be stopped. And she should’ve been put in jail last week.”

Min glanced at his phone as Ben and Ruth talked. Sun-Hee had texted him a little while ago about needing to talk to him, but she hadn’t responded when he asked why. He sighed and put his phone back in his pocket.

“Actually,” Min interjected. “Keiba doesn’t think we should give it to her either. She said she’d understand if you wanted to, but she doesn’t think Darcie would keep her word completely. Like, she’d have someone else do it instead of her directly.”

“Of course.” Ruth sighed.

“We could make copies of her diary.” Ben suggested. “We can give her the actual diary, but we let her know that we have copies. If she or anyone else snitches, we’ll give it to the police.”

“That could work.” Min said. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he quickly pulled it out, adding, “Okay, we should go with that. I’ll let Keiba know when she’s done practicing.”

“Cool. I’ll go down to the front office—er, wait. Meaghan works there.”

“Better go with the library.” Ruth said.

“Right. I’ll see you, babe.” He kissed her cheek before leaving the office at a jog.

“Hey, Min-Kyung?”

“Yeah?” He looked up from frowning at his screen.

“You seem kind of tense. Everything okay?”

“I got a text from a friend about an hour ago.” He explained. “She replied just now that she wants me to go and see her.”

“If you want, I could tell Keiba what we’re planning while you go check on her.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah why not?”

“I’ll try to be back before she finishes, but if I’m not, tell her I went to Campus Central.”

“Okay.”

“Thanks, Ruth.” Min left her office and jogged all of the way to Campus Central where he found Sun-Hee standing under a tree. He almost hadn’t recognized her. She was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a graphic t with her hair up in a low messy bun. She wasn’t wearing any makeup.  

She tried for a smile as he neared. “Hey, Min.”

“Hey,” he looked at her outfit. “You don’t look like yourself.”

She looked away. “Yeah, well I haven’t really felt much like myself.”

“Why not?” He asked.

She looked around and bit her lip. She stepped toward him and touched his bicep. “Can we go to your dorm to talk?”

“Is it really that important?”

She nodded. “I think so.”

He sighed. “Okay. Come on.” He led her up to his dorm and closed the door. Sun-Hee started to pace. It reminded him a little of Keiba, but Sun-Hee’s pacing was slower and more deliberate.

“So what’s up?”

“It’s Ricky.”

“What about him?”

“He…” she paused when her voice broke. “He broke up with me.”

“What? When?”

“Yesterday after he got home from soccer.”

“Did he say why?”

She sighed and wiped at a tear that had started to slide down her face. “He said he’d fallen out of love with me.”

“Really? Ricky said that?” That was pretty cold, especially for someone as easy going as Ricky.

She nodded. “He’s been acting differently ever since that day at Subway.” She wiped at more tears. “God, Min, I don’t know what to do. I feel so… lost.”

That’s how I felt when you and Ricky did this to me. He couldn’t help but think. He said aloud, “I don’t know what to tell you, Sun. Relationship advice has never been my forte.”

She looked up at him with fresh tears in her eyes. “But you can help me. I know a way.”

“Um okay, how?” he asked suspiciously.

“By kissing me…” She went toward him with her eyes closed.

Min stepped back and put a hand on her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, she met his gaze which was very still. He shook his head.

“You’re better than this Sun-Hee.”

His words surprised her. She took a step back.

 “You know I’m with Keiba.” He reminded her.

She took another step back, then stopped, frowning. “It’s only been a couple of months. I didn’t think you two were that serious.”

He shook his head. “That’s pretty selfish of you, Sun-Hee.” His words were like a slap to her face. “After what you and Ricky did to me, how could you assume I’d just welcome you back now that you two broke up?”

Her knees buckled and she collapsed. She put her head in her hands and sobbed. “I’m s–sorry, M–Min.”

He didn’t say anything. He went into his bathroom and came back with a roll of toilet paper for her to dry her eyes with. He crouched beside her as she took a few squares and blew her nose.

“Thank you.” She sniffed.

He set the roll on the ground, watching her expectantly.

“I—it as a lapse of judgment, Min.” She admitted. “It won’t happen again.”

“I know it won’t.”

She took a few more squares and wiped her damp face. “I guess you’ll tell Keiba about this, huh?”

“I have to.” Though he’d probably wait until tomorrow to do it. He stood up and offered his hand. “Now get up. You have to move on from Ricky, but I can’t help you. Not like that.”

She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. She teetered a little, but stayed standing.

She shook her head, looking down at the floor. “I still love him.”

Min shrugged. “I wish I could give you something more, but like I said, relationship advice isn’t really my thing.”

She sighed and went toward the door. “You know, Min-Kyung? Keiba’s been really good for you. The guy I used to know probably would’ve yelled my head off if I’d done something like this.”

“I do want to yell your head off.” He admitted. “But you’re right. Keiba’s helped a lot with keeping my temper in check.”

She nodded again, but hesitated before leaving. “You were right about Meaghan.” She told him. “She was taken by the police for questioning a couple days ago and I haven’t seen her around since.”

Min recovered from his initial surprise. “Oh really?”

“Yeah. She’s been ignoring my calls and texts, so I guess that means she’s really done something.” She sighed. “Now I don’t know who to talk to, but that’s really not your problem.”

“You’re right.”

Sun-Hee smiled. “You know, I’ve always hated your honesty.”

 

Min waited a few minutes after Sun-Hee was gone for him to leave. He walked back to the music building, hoping Keiba was still there.

“Min!”

He flinched initially, but relaxed when he realized it was Keiba calling for him. She was carrying her cello on her back and walking in his direction. He met her halfway and hugged her tightly. Keiba hugged him back, but was surprised by the sudden embrace.

She placed her hand on his neck and pulled back to look at him. “Mini, what’s wrong? Is your friend okay?”

He sighed. “She’ll be fine.”

“Was it Sun-Hee?”

He nodded.

“You’re sure she’ll be okay?”

“I think so, but I probably should’ve sent her to you; you give better advice.” He took her hand. “So do you think you’re ready for tonight?”

“Yeah. Ruth said she thinks I’ll win the competition if I play like I was in the room.”

“You’ll win.”

She laughed. “Mini, what makes you so sure? You’ve only heard me play once or twice.”

“So? You’ll win. I know it.”

She lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “You’re so sweet.”

“Yeah.” He started feeling guilty.

“I’ll probably practice again before the tonight, but for now I think I should just relax.”

“I second that.”

Keiba glanced to her left and saw Sun-Hee talking with someone. She looked in their direction and her body stilled. Min looked where Keiba was looking, and assumed an unreadable expression. Sun-Hee tugged her friend away and Min watched her leave. Keiba noticed the exchange and stopped walking.

“Min, what was that?” she asked. “Did something happen between you and Sun-Hee?”

“Yeah.”

 “What happened?”

“She tried to kiss me.”

She tugged her hand free of his. “Tried?”

He nodded. “I stopped her before she could.”

Keiba was quiet, then she her lips. “Were you going to tell me about this, Min-Kyung?”

“Yes.”

“When? Today?”

He shook his head. “Tomorrow. I didn’t want to stress you out for your performance.”

She touched the black strap across her chest and avoided his eyes.

“Keiba, don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Shut it inside. Tell me what you’re feeling.”

“I just… I want to believe you. And I do believe you,” she added quickly. “But I don’t know how I should feel.”

He couldn’t be upset with her for that. “Ask me whatever you need to.”

She thought for a moment. “Why did she try to kiss you?”

“She wanted me to help her get over Ricky. He’d broken up with her yesterday.”

“What did she say after you stopped her?”

“That she’d thought we weren’t serious since we haven’t been together long.”  He added quickly. “But she also said that she was sorry.”

“Do you believe her?”

“Yes.”

“So I should I believe her?”

“I think so.”

“How do you feel about this, Min?”

“A little frustrated.” He replied. He shook his head, remembering how worried he’d been. “I feel like she almost used me.”

Keiba softened. She wrapped her arms around him. “I guess I should be glad you were strong enough to keep her from getting into your heart again.”

“It wasn’t hard.”

She smiled and lifted her face. Min wasted no time in placing his lips over hers. There was a sigh of relief that seemed to vibrate deep inside of him at the feeling. She kissed him again before she pulled away and took his hand.

“You know, Meaghan was questioned by the police.” Min told her.

“Good. Where is she now?”

Min shrugged. “That’s all I know.”

“Hopefully the officers will be able to arrest her. Or at least keep her from meeting up with Darcie at the competition.”

“Agreed.”

The pair headed back to the dorms so that Keiba could get started on her relaxation.

It went unspoken between them, but neither she nor Min actually believed her hopes would actually be realized. They each had a very bad feeling about later tonight.

And rightfully so.

---

Welp it's finally winding down you guys! There are only a few more chapters left of TUK. I'll be sad to see it end, but it must be done *swipes at a tear*. How do y'all think it'll end? I'll PM you if you're right or at least kinda right ;P