Dear Chapter 13

Lee SooHyun~

“Do not bring this up to SoMi no matter what.” I told Yeri and JooHyun as we scrolled through our class social media group chat. SoMi didn’t have any social media, so as long as she didn’t find out about this everything would be fine. I was furious at WooHyun. What was he doing? I figured that he and HaYoung were back together and being the toxic duo they usually were.

The pictures that Ryu HaYoung uploaded were of SoMi and that handsome oppa hugging in an underground parking lot. The accompanying caption claimed that SoMi cheated on WooHyun. There couldn’t be a more false accusation, but to the rest of our colleagues these photos were quite scandalous and a welcome target of gossip. Ugh, I swore that was manipulative. After SoMi directly caught him cheating on her, he posted these photos to make himself out to be the victim.

“Wow. Sunbae acts like an angel, but even she has a messed up side. Cheating on such a sweet guy like WooHyun? Such a y move.” I heard an underclassman chatter among her group of friends. Oh no. It was already spreading to the lower grades too.

“I mean regardless of how good looking that oppa is, SoMi would never cheat on her boyfriend. Well ex-boyfriend now.” Yeri said in a hushed voice as we briskly made our way to the cafeteria.

“Besides, SoMi said that he is a good friend of hers. Those photos are being misconstrued. We don’t know the circumstances behind it. It’s WooHyun manipulating the photos to his advantage. Sneaky bastard.” JooHyun whispered to us as our rage was boiling towards the shady ex-boyfriend.

Taking a seat in the crowded cafeteria, we took out our phones to comment about the pictures in defense of SoMi. The crude comments blowing up the group chat were dismaying as everyone sided with WooHyun. Majority of the girls were dense enough to say that they would have likely cheated too because of how attractive the guy was. Wow. I was baffled by how vapid our graduating class was. These shallow and ignorant young adults were our future. I loudly sighed, shaking my head at my phone when SoMi’s plate landed on the table.

“What’s wrong, SooHyun?” She inquired, thankfully oblivious to the situation at hand. Yeri and JooHyun turned their phones over onto the table and began to eat, hoping that SoMi won’t question anything.

“Nothing. You have your shift at the NIS today right? How’s that going?” I asked. SoMi sat down in her dark jeans and black-checkered blazer. Her professional attire told me that she was going to the NIS today, which I forgot. Using it to my knowledge, I changed the topic.

“You know I can’t say much due to the confidentiality reasons, but I’m hoping that they offer me employment since I’ll be graduating soon anyway.” She told me, eating her lunch voraciously. SoMi was back to normal again. I didn’t want this to stress her out. For a while she seemed off, especially after the car accident and I didn’t want to see her closed off again.

“HaYoung. HaYoung. Stop her before she…” JooHyun was frantically whispering into my ear while Ryu HaYoung was approaching SoMi with her lunch tray in hand. While SoMi was busy eating, we all stood up to stop HaYoung when we were one step too late.

“Hahaha.” HaYoung obnoxiously laughed, wickedly pouring the juice at a slow rate over SoMi’s lap. “That’s for you, you cheating .” She slyly smirked, setting down the empty cup next to SoMi’s clenched hands.

“What is she talking about?” SoMi hissed through her clenched teeth, standing up and staring at us intensely. Her seat was dripping with the spilled juice. Yeri became flustered and fumbled with her phone before showing it to SoMi. JooHyun, Yeri, and I rushed to follow SoMi, who was striding over to where WooHyun was sitting with a group of our senior class.

“Wow Jung SoMi. I never thought you were that type of girl, stringing along WooHyun like that.”

“No wonder WooHyun went to HaYoung for comfort.”

“Poor WooHyun, he’s heartbroken because of you.”

SoMi’s livid glares were directed toward WooHyun, who was feigning pity for himself. Her silent anger indicated for us to grab her from making a mistake she would regret. We knew the truth and that was enough. Others could point fingers and blame her, but we knew the truth that they were ignorant to. SoMi’s limbs were flailing as she was trying to escape us and beat up WooHyun. He fully deserved it, but SoMi could get in trouble for being involved in another fight. I couldn’t have her risk her graduation with disciplinary action. WooHyun wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t worth anything.

We took her to the bathroom, placing a mop over the door handle to give us some privacy. SoMi was blowing off her steam in a locked bathroom stall while Yeri, JooHyun, and I quietly waited for her. The sound of her fists painfully hitting the walls and her roaring frustrated groans made me flinch as I leaned against the sink. Yeri took out her makeup bag, reapplying her lip-gloss. The bathroom was finally quiet for once and then SoMi walked out of the stall, huffing indignantly. She looked into the mirror and the water, splashing water onto her stained white top.

“He’s not worth your time. What he did proves what a piece of trash he is.” I told her, while JooHyun helped her wipe off the juice stains from her jeans. Yeri applied her lip-gloss onto SoMi’s thin lips, mumblings wo