There is nothing but suffocating atmosphere silence as the six of them gather in Chorong’s living room.

Chorong paces back and forth in front of the fireplace. Bomi sits on the couch with Naeun and Hayoung, the three of them sitting on the edge like they’re ready to get up at the slightest sign. Namjoo sits on the arm of the chair across from them, and Eunji leans against the doorway with her arms crossed and a stony expression on her face. 

“What’s going on?” Bomi asks, somehow both hesitant and firm. “Chorong, you said we suddenly have to go, but… Why? Why is it so bad that I saw your dad?” Bomi bites her lip then asks, “Did your dad do something bad?”

Chorong stops, jaw clenched as she stares into space. She looks like she’s thinking about what to say. Her hands ball into fists as she lets out a shaky sigh. She turns to Bomi, and Bomi doesn’t think she’s ever seen Chorong look so scared. Over the last few weeks, Bomi has seen Chorong happy and sad and even angry and annoyed. She’s never seen her scared though. 

“I don’t know where to begin,” Chorong murmurs. She looks to Eunji, and the other girl lets out a sigh of her own before she pushes off the doorway. She walks over and comes to stand beside Chorong, looking at Bomi and her friends with a strange mixture of pity and guilt. “What do I say?” Chorong whispers.

“We used to have another close friend,” Eunji begins carefully. She tucks her hands into her pockets and stares at her feet as she speaks. Beside her, Chorong has gone completely still, as does Namjoo. “Yookyung went to a different school, but we spent every summer with her as kids. The three of us were always much closer, but she was still a good friend.” Eunji’s voice cracks on the last word, and she immediately clamps her lips together. 

Namjoo picks up where Eunji left off, saying, “Last summer was no different. When school let out, the three of us met her out here. We spent the summer together.”

“Why didn’t Yookyung come this summer?” Hayoung asks, eying Namjoo carefully.

“Because of what happened last summer,” Chorong says, voice thick with tears. She ducks her head to wipe away a few strays, and when she looks back up, she can’t even meet Bomi’s gaze. “One night, the three of us went home early, but Yookyung wanted to stay out at the bonfire for a little while longer. We let her. We’d all done the same at some point.” Chorong in a shaky breath, forcing herself to continue. “Yookyung saw something she shouldn’t have. She saw all of our fathers making a business deal with some… questionable methods, and she told all of us about it the next morning.” 

“We didn’t know what to do,” Namjoo says softly, picking at her nails to avoid looking at the other three. “Something like this had happened a few years before…”

“Stop,” Chorong chokes out.

Eunji shakes her head and says, “If we tell them this, then we have to tell them about Changsub.”

“I can’t,” Chorong shakes her head. 

Chorong runs from the room, her crying echoing in the otherwise silent house. Bomi makes to follow her, but Eunji steps in front of her before she can. “Do you want to know what happened or not?” Eunji asks. “Chorong will be fine.”

“What the hell happened for her to react like that?” Bomi demands, suddenly fearing the answer. She tooks a step back. “What… What happened to Yookyung?”

“She died,” Namjoo says, but Eunji corrects her sharply, “She was killed.”

Naeun clears and asks with a trembling voice, “Who killed her?”

When Eunji wordlessly meets her eye, Naeun has her answer. She looks away, trying not to feel sick as she tries to understand what this means.

“Our fathers have never been good men,” Eunji says bitterly. She looks away. “They didn’t get to where they are today by keeping their hands clean. We just never knew how ed up they were until two years ago.” Eunji presses her lips together then tiredly drags her hands over her face. “Two years ago, a close family friend of Chorong’s came to visit. His name was Changsub. Just like Yookyung… Just like Bomi… He saw something he shouldn’t have. He confronted Chorong about it. He was so angry that he scared her. Chorong told her father that Changsub saw him, and the next day, Changsub was dead.”

Bomi gasps, and Naeun reaches down to grab Hayoung’s. All three girls look pale and nauseous. Eunji wonders if she should keep going, but Bomi meets her gaze and gives a jerky nod. Taking a deep breath, Eunji explains, “Last year, when Yookyung told us what she saw, we were faced with a choice. We didn’t know what would happen if we didn’t tell our fathers what Yookyung knew, but we did know what would happen if we did.” Eunji glances at Namjoo, silent and picking at her fingers as she stares at the ground. “Namjoo wanted to try and save Yookyung, send her away in the middle of the night and make sure she got far, far away. I’ll admit I was more on the fence. I hate my father, but I’m selfish enough to realize what might happen to me if he’s caught. Chorong…” Eunji gives a humorless smile. “Chorong said there was no saving her. Yookyung’s fate was sealed in her eyes. It was only a matter of time.”

“Chorong told her father,” Namjoo whispers brokenly, and Eunji has to look away from the tears that fall onto her cheeks. “And I’m sure you know what happened after.”

“Why?” Hayoung demands. She stands from the couch, and she’s shaking so badly that Eunji can see how each shiver wracks her body. “Why would you just let her die? She was your friend.”

“Because none of us are safe.”

Everyone turns to look at Chorong, who stands in the doorway with an unreadable expression on her face.

“Our fathers aren’t the sentimental type,” Chorong continues. “If they think it’s necessary, I don’t think they’ll hesitate to get rid of us either.”

“You must be kidding,” Naeun shakes her head. “No one is that messed up. You’re their kids.”

“No?” Eunji laughs darkly. “Must be nice living in a bubble like that.” She stuffs her hands in her pockets in her hands and walks out of the room, saying, “Now, they know. I’ve done my part. I’m done with this.” 

Naeun chases after her though, dragging a scowling Eunji into her room. She shuts her door behind them and stares at the girl in front of her. Naeun doesn’t know what to do. She started the summer ready to hate Eunji, but somehow she’s become her friend. Maybe even something more. She’s been Naeun’s confidant this summer, and now Naeun has to face the fact that she’s the daughter of a murderer. 

“Why did you bring me in here?” Eunji asks, sounding tired and resigned and downright dismal. She still has her hands tucked in her pockets as she avoids Naeun’s gaze. “Brought me here to see just how messed I am?”

“Of course not!” Naeun snaps. She grabs Eunji’s arm, forcing her to look at her. “I was worried about you.”

“Do yourself a favor and don’t bother,” Eunji says. “Your life will be easier if you just forget about me.”

“I can’t do that!” Naeun shakes her head. She holds Eunji by the shoulders and tries not to cry as she stares into Eunji’s eyes. “Eunji, I don’t… I don’t want you to hurt.” 

“I’m fine!” Eunji scoffs. She tries to move away, but Naeun grabs her hand and refuses to let go. “Naeun,” Eunji says warningly.

“It’s okay to not be fine,” Naeun tells her tearfully. “Eunji, please. I’m scared for you. If I were you, I’d be even more scared. Please. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Eunji tenses for a moment before her shoulders slump. She sits down on the bed and rubs at her eyes. She looks up at Naeun, looking more ghost than human. “You can’t be weak, Naeun. Not with my father,” Eunji says quietly.

“What do you mean?” Naeun asks as she carefully sits down beside her, their shoulder brushing against each other.

“Did you know I have a little brother?” Eunji says, and it isn’t what Naeun is expecting but she shakes her head nonetheless. Eunji looks down at her hands as she says, “He’ll be turning twelve this year. Four years ago, my father sent him away to boarding school. My brother isn’t like me. He’s a good kid. He’s kind… Caring. To my father though, he was too soft. My father thought he was weak, unworthy of taking over the family company one day, so he sent him away. Instead, he kept me here, trying to groom me into the heir he wants.” Eunji gives Naeun a humorless smile. “I’m sure you can imagine what kind of heir a man like my father wants.”

Naeun can’t help but shiver at the thought of who Eunji might’ve become. She purses her lips then hesitantly reaches out and holds Eunji’s hand in hers. “You’re nothing like your father,” Naeun says.

“No?” Eunji says. “I let my friend die last year.” Naeun flinches, and Eunji sees it clearly. She pulls her hand away and stands up. She gives Naeun a dark look and says, “Do you really think you can accept what I’ve done?” When Naeun says nothing, Eunji leaves, and this time Naeun doesn’t chase after her.

Meanwhile in the living room, Namjoo breaks down into tears, covering her face with her hands as she tries to muffle her sobs. Hayoung shares a look with Bomi before Bomi guides Chorong out of the living room. Once they’re gone, Hayoung sits down in the armchair and gently pulls Namjoo into her lap. The other girl goes easily, immediately wrapping her arms around Hayoung and burying her face into her shoulder. Hayoung wordlessly hugs her back, rocking her gently as Namjoo lets go of everything she’d been holding back the past year.

When her tears finally subside, she pulls back and stares at Hayoung with puffy eyes. She opens , but no words come out. Namjoo closes her eyes for a moment and tries again. This time she manages to choke out a shaky, “I’m so sorry, Hayoung.”

“We have a lot to talk about,” Hayoung says. “It can wait though.”

“Can it?” Namjoo counters, and she looks so small in Hayoung’s arms.

“It can,” Hayoung says. She hugs Namjoo to her, letting her head come to rest in the crook of her neck. “There’s a lot of ed up things about this, but I have to know. Eunji said you wanted to save her.”

“Yes,” Namjoo says softly.

Hayoung sighs and holds Namjoo just a little tighter. She presses a kiss to her forehead and murmurs, “I’m sorry you had to go through that.” She feels tears fall against her neck, but she just holds Namjoo closer. “I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like. You’re strong, Namjoo.”

“I’m awful,” Namjoo says. “You were right. We let Yookyung die. We should have tried to save her. I… I should’ve stood up to Chorong.”

“I know how much you love them,” Hayoung says. “Chorong and Eunji. I know it would’ve been hard for you to say no to them, especially if they agreed.”

Namjoo shakes her head and insists, “I should’ve tried harder. I should’ve… I should’ve done something.” She curls more in on herself. “If I had… None of you would be in trouble right now.”

“This isn’t your fault,” Hayoung reasons gently. 

“Maybe, maybe not,” Namjoo sighs. “But I have to fix it now, don’t I?”

Hayoung doesn’t have an answer for that, so she just holds Namjoo tighter.

In Chorong’s father’s office, Bomi sits on a decorative trunk and watches as Chorong resumes pacing. She tries to say something several times, but Chorong just keeps walking, ignoring her. Eventually, Bomi gets frustrated and jumps right in front of her. Chorong barely stops herself from walking straight into her with some help from Bomi’s hands on her arms. Chorong huffs and looks away. 

Bomi tries to wait, but when Chorong refuses to look at her, she leans in and kisses her. She kisses Chorong gently, feeling her melt into the kiss. She wishes she could kiss her like this forever, but this is neither the time nor the place. Bomi pulls away and rests her forehead against Chorong’s. “Please,” Bomi whispers. “Talk to me.”

“I can’t,” Chorong says, voice breaking. “I can’t, Bomi.”

“Try,” Bomi urges her. “Please, Chorong.”

“What do you want me to say?” Chorong cries, tears streaking down her cheeks. “Do you want to tell me that it’s my fault that Yookyung is dead? That I convinced Namjoo and Eunji she was better off that way? That I let, not one, but two of my friends down? What do you want from me, Bomi?”

“I don’t know!” Bomi shouts back as she clutches at Chorong’s arms. She doesn’t know at all. All she knows is she’s ing terrified, and that the girl she’s in love with has done some horrible things. Has lived through some awful things. Bomi has no idea what she wants. “I just… I don’t know, Chorong.”

“Just leave,” Chorong snaps. “Just pack your bags and leave. Take Naeun and Hayoung with you.”

“What, and leave you with Eunji?” Bomi says without thinking.

Chorong stares at her like she’s just slapped her and says lowly, “What did you just say?”

Bomi hesitates before saying shakily, “You and Eunji… What’s going on there?”

“Is that seriously what you’re asking about?” Chorong yells. She pushes Bomi away from her and says, “You find out that I basically got someone killed, and you want to ask about Eunji?”

“I just want answers,” Bomi argues. “I want you to tell me the truth for once, not for you to try and avoid talking to me. I’m asking about Eunji because even you can’t deny that she plays a big role in all of this.”

“And what’s all of this?” Chorong replies. “My life? You’re right, Bomi. Eunji has been with me since we were kids, and she’s the only one I can trust in this godforsaken place.”

Bomi her lips and tries to keep her voice even as she says, “You can’t even trust me?”

“It’s not like that,” Chorong says, realizing what she said. “Eunji is different.”

“Why?” Bomi asks, and she can’t even find it in herself to be embarrassed by how pleading her tone is. “Please, Chorong, I just want to understand. What is she to you? What am I to you?”

Chorong looks away and says nothing.

“Chorong–”

Before they can continue, a knock on the door interrupts them. The two of them find Eunji herself standing in the doorway. For once, Eunji is not confident and charming; she’s shuffling and uncomfortable. With a jolt, Bomi wonders how much of the conversation she heard.

“What?” Chorong asks curtly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Eunji’s eyes grow serious as she holds up a small black block. Bomi doesn’t know what it is, not until Chorong asks quietly, “Is that what I think it is?”

“A mic,” Eunji replies, and her suddenly defeated demeanor makes sense. Bomi feels her blood go cold as Eunji continues, “I found one just like this in every room of this house, Chorong. They know, and they’re coming.”

“You mean,” Bomi tries to say, but the words get stuck in .

Eunji gives her a pitying look then nods, “Yeah, our fathers know you know, and now they’re coming to clean up the mess we’ve made.”

Bomi turns to Chorong for some kind of reassurance that Eunji is lying, but Chorong can't even look at her. That in itself feels like a death sentence, just like the small mic innocently laying in Eunji's palm.

a/n: and the secret is out... i hope it was worth the wait. now just one chapter left!! thank you for reading!