Jeongyeon went to the Arts and Design building and tried to peek in the glass windows in each room to look for Momo and found her in one of the rooms at the end of the hall. She looked at her watch, the bell should ring anytime now. She saw Momo, looking very serious, diligently taking down notes. She doesn’t look like she knew anything yet, she looked so unbothered.

The bell surprised Jeongyeon, she almost jumped out of her skin. The students scrambled to get her things and Momo took her time putting her things on her bag as if she was deep in thought. Jeong is losing patience, she stepped on the doorway and called her out.

“Momo!”

Momo’s classmates who are still there in the classroom nudged Momo and some were whispering among themselves and teased Momo. Momo gave her a glance, picked up her bad, and went out the other door. Momo still remembers how she was not able to answer that night, after Ji Hyo’s confession. What is she doing here?

Jeongyeon ran after her but Momo is not even glancing at her, walking briskly. She grabbed Momo’s arm to stop her.

“We have to talk.”

“I have another class.”

“No, we have to talk now.”

“What is there to talk, Yoo? Why don’t you go back to your best friend”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Just then a camera suddenly flashed just outside the door. Jeongyeon saw a group of paparazzi taking pictures of them from outside the building.

“Miss Kisaki! Please look this way!”

“Yumi!”

“Why are you disguising as a nerd?”

Momo stepped back. What is happening? She looked at the girl beside her, jaws clenched. She is unusually calm and too quiet. 

Jeongyeon…knew.

Jeongyeon pulled her on the other side of the hall to the emergency exit. “The truck is at the back. Let’s go. “

Momo let to be pulled by Jeongyeon. By the time they reach the truck, more and more people are already in front of their building. Press people, bystanders, and some students. Momo saw some of her professors breaking out of the crowd.

Momo pulled up the windows and sank on her seat. How.. how did they know?

Jeongyeon pulled up her phone and gave it to Momo to read. “That has been posted in all bulletin boards on the campus and my team is currently taking them all down. But the link for that online tabloid had been shared to all group chats and are already been feasted by all students all over the campus.”

Hands trembling, Momo tried to read the article and her eyes widened when she saw her semi- picture below the article. She looked at Jeong who is gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“Jeong, I can explain.”

“Oh, you will. because I need to know how I was duped by my own girlfriend. “

“I didn’t dupe you, I—“

“I cannot believe you kept something this big from me, Momo! Or should I even call you Momo? Who are you really?” Jeongyeon laughed sarcastically.

“This is me! Momo is the real me! Yumi is just my source of living!”

“And maybe you are  laughing at my face when I met you in your show, like ‘how stupid Yoo can be, not even recognizing me’ kind of thing.”

“I am not like that, Jeong...”

“Who am I to know? I didn’t even know you. At all. I have been so stupid!”

Jeongyeon drove faster Momo suddenly felt scared, not for her life, but at her girlfriend’s expression. It was a mixture of anger, hurt, betrayed. She wanted to touch her hand which is on the clutch but Jeong withdrew her hand quickly.

Momo could understand Jeong’s reaction but nevertheless, she still feels hurt by the outright rejection. She looked outside the window and clenched her hand tightly on her lap. She could feel Jeong is drifting farther and farther away from her and she felt helpless inside that she cannot even do anything about it. 

A call on Momo’s cellphone broke the silence in the car. It was Tzuyu.

“Hello?”

“Unnie! I saw the article.. are you alright? Where are you??”

“I—I’m with Jeong…”

“So she knows now…”

“Yes.”

“How’s she taking it?”

“Not really good.”

Tzuyu inhaled sharply. “Do you want me to fetch you?”

“No, it’s alright Tzu. Can you do me a favor though...”

“What is it unnie?”

“Can you take down that site? And trace whoever uploaded it?”

“I can try unnie, if the security of that site is not that tight. I’ll text you later when I have done it.”

“Thanks Tzu.. I owe you a lot.”

“Anything for my favorite unnie.’

Momo’s eyes glistened and she swallowed a sob. “Thank you.” and she disconnected the call.

Jeongyeon looked at her sharply, probably hearing how she answered the call and the girl looked more fuming, with anger or jealousy, she didn’t know. Jeong took her to The Crib and as soon as she parked, she went out, slammed the door hard, and went inside without waiting for her. Momo sighed and went out.

Well, better get this over with.

She found Jeong seated with her legs apart, arms crossed across her chest. Momo sat down on the sofa across Jeong, she’s too afraid to sit beside her. Jeongyeon didn’t say anything, but Momo felt the heat that was emanating from Jeong’s body like she wants to explode.

Momo looked at Jeong pleadingly. “Jeong, please say anything.”

When Jeong did, her voice shook. “Why did you do this to me?”

“I tried to keep it because I don’t want to mess it with my life! When my classmates in high school saw me modeling, they bullied me and ually harassed me. I thought I—I just want to live normally, with no one has to know.”

“But Sana knows. And you didn’t even trust me!”

“Sana blackmailed me! She followed me one time to my work and she found out and I cannot do anything!”

“You trusted my friend but not me as your girlfriend? Do you know how this hurts me Momo? I opened up to you! I thought we could be someone special! I thought everything is real! Now this morning, it seems like everything I know about you is a lie! “

“Jeong, please..I—This is the real me!”

“All this time that we are together, you were also flirting with Nayeonie! She… she always tells me stories about you two! How she felt for you…How you signed up to be their company’s model… She.. she says how she loves you! So does this mean you are two-timing me?”

“Of course not! I—I do get along with Nayeonie well, and that’s a business proposal, not a—“

“Oh, really? Or are you really that naïve that she’s just doing it for business?!”

“She didn’t mention any feelings, Jeong, how was I to know? I thought---“

“—that everything in life is free? That she was not expecting anything in return? Grow up Momo, the world is not rainbows and butterflies!”

Momo stood up and pointed a finger at Jeong’s face. “Who are you to tell me what life is, Jeong, huh? I’ve been in a hellhole, you didn’t know the things I experienced in Japan! Do you think I’ve loved it, huh? To grow up in a room full of men, photographing me without my clothes?! Do you think I wanted that?? You’re right, you don’t me at all!”

“Thank you for stressing that I am naïve, or stupid. But I didn’t sign up for Nayeonie’s proposal just because there were feelings involved! but maybe I am really stupid because I fell hard for you! I didn’t even know why you asked me to be your girlfriend when in the first place, I was not your type! You haven’t even said you liked me nor love me. And I am so stupid to think that you will choose me when I am just ugly Momo!”

“I chose you because I thought you were different when all along you’re such a ---“

Jeongyeon was not able to finish her words because Momo’s palm had already slapped her on her face.

“I.AM.NOT.A.!” Momo’s chest is heaving in anger. “ I am maybe a liar, but I never let anybody touch my body, and my manager made sure of that!”

Momo tearfully shook her head. “You know what Yoo Jeongyeon, let’s just end this since you had already thought the worst of me, this relationship is going nowhere!”

Jeongyeon laughed sardonically. “So now you have the gall to break up with me when you are the one is clearly in the wrong here! Is this your plan all along, huh? To take revenge?” Jeongyeon tried to laugh sarcastically but tears are falling from her eyes. “All along, you were thinking how you can settle the scores on all the things I have done to you, is that it? Was this your plan, to make me look stupid in the whole university?!”

Momo cannot believe her ears. First, she was insulted to the core of her being and now she is being accused of something she didn’t even do! She looked at the person in front of her---whom she thought she could love with all her heart but now she felt numb.

She laughed. She cannot help it but she laughed. She laughed as tears streamed from her face. “You know what, maybe you are right, Yoo Jeongyeon. It’s my revenge for every single thing you have done for me. You’re right, I planned this. My brilliant mind planned that the number one jock will fall for someone looking as ugly as me! I planned this, and it worked didn’t it? So how does it feel to have a taste of your own medicine? Karma is a b*tch, and that b*itch is Hirai Momo!” Momo laughed mockingly and Jeong’s face became redder by the minute. To infuriate her more, she shrugged and smirked at her.  Momo got her bag and patted Jeong on the shoulder and went out the door. As soon as she is outside the door, she ran, before she loses her resolve and begs for Jeongyeon to forgive her and take her back.

Momo was gone for a few minutes before Jeongyeon snapped back and with an angry brutal cry began to throw break things around The Crib’s living room. When all the vases and ornaments are all broken, that is the only time Jeongyeon broke down.

“Why? Why did all the girls I love leave me like this?!”

As if the universe answered her, she heard a phone rang.

Most likely Momo’s based on the ringtone and she found it under the throw pillow on the sofa. She quickly swiped the password and saw her girlfriend’s---no, ex-girlfriend’s wallpaper: a picture of them together, smiling, taken on one of their dates at their favorite overlooking spot. It felt so long ago. Jeong tried to ignore the pain that was spreading in her chest and focused on the task at hand. She checked the message, it was from Tzuyu.

‘Wait, why did she call Tzuyu..isn’t Tzuyu her co-model?’ she wondered. But maybe Momo lied too, she’s very good at lying anyways.

She scanned the message and she almost dropped the phone. No it can’t be. What—

Tzuyu: Unnie, I was able to take down the article and the online tabloid. They would not be able to post anything for a long time. I also traced the IP address of the person who uploaded the article. Attached is the pic of the map.

Jeongyeon opened the attachment and there, in front of her is a map of a neighborhood that she knows very well.

***

"Momo?" Momo stopped in her tracks as she saw who was in her living room.

'What are you doing here?"

"I saw the article...so I want to check on you."

"You see that I am not fine, so you could go now!"

"I don't have anything to do with that, please, believe me, I swear!"

"You're the only one who knew my secret, Sana. And you were quoted in the article. You sold me out! You sold my secret out!"

"I would never do that, I could never do that to you!"

"Why would I believe you?"

"Because I like you!"

Momo stopped on her tracks again and faced Sana.

"You what?"

"I...l like you! I pretended to blackmail you so I could spend time with you! And I didn't have any intention of telling anybody! Mina didn't even know it! Please believe me! "Please. go, Sana-yah. What's the use of keeping my secret when Jeong just hates me as much?"

It was a mistake, getting close to all of you! I had a peaceful life as a normal student until I met all of you! Please go. I'm tired." Momo went to her room and locked the door. Dahyun, who heard everything, went to comfort Sana.

"Do not worry, unnie will come around. Just give her time."

Sana smiled sadly at Dahyun and looked at the closed door. From the bottom of her heart, she hopes so too.

***

"Jeong, what happened here?" Nayeon and Mina worriedly asked as they found Jeongyeon kneeling in the middle of the living room, surrounded by broken vases. Nayeon pulled her on her feet and carefully sat her on the sofa. Jeong's face is wet with tears and she was hiccuping.

"Momo...she...we had a fight. Apparently, she was just taking revenge on me that's why she agreed to date me. And I was such a fool to believe that she loves me..." Mina looked at Nayeon and then at her crying unnie. "Unnie, you must be mistaken, Momo is not like that---"

"She's a great actress, a true-blood liar--"

"I know her--"

"Did she deceived you too, Minari? Momo's disguised.. did you know she was Yumi?"

"Will you please listen to me, unnie!" Jeongyeon looked down but stayed silent. Mina sighed.

"I didn't know. No, we didn't know until this morning. And I was shocked as you are. We.. we are friends unnie. Since the time you bullied her, we had been spending time here, at The Crib--because of the Socio project and her Fashion Design project. She comes here for game night, we hang out. I may not know her model side, but I know Hirai Momo. "

"Looks can be deceiving Minari. And she deceived us all. Especially Nayeonie!"

Nayeon sighed. "It was an honest mistake, Jeong. I didn't recognize her."

"And she took advantage of that! Of your feelings! She must be laughing at all of us now."

Mina shook her head. "Unnie, she must have a reason why she kept her identity from all of us."

"Not all of us, Sana knew. And she didn't tell us."

"Sana has her reasons, I know. We had fought about her bullying Momo. But I don't believe it was Sana's fault. The fact that she was able to keep this secret from me for a long time..."

"She broke up with me, Minari.."

"What are you saying unnie? Momo loves you! Only a fool wouldn't see how she looks at you! Nayeonie and I, we had been talking when she found out that Momo was Yumi... You see all our events were incidentally at the same time...So when Yumi disappeared from Nayeonie's fundraising, Momo had been going to and fro from Sana's play to my recital to your game and back to Nayeonie's! Poor girl had to run across the university just to keep her promises to us...but in the end, she gave up going to our events and just go to your game. If she doesn't love you, it's very easy for her to abandon your game, like what she did to ours, but she didn't! She chose you because she loves you!"

Jeongyeon put her face in her hands. "Not anymore, Mina. Not after all the things I've said...Momo hates me now."

Nayeon groaned. "What did you do now, Jeong? I swear, you really are so, argh! Let's talk to her, maybe we can still fix this!"

"I don't think so unnie. I said a lot of pretty mean things, even called her a ..."

"You what?! Jeong! Why did you do that!"

"I was hurt about her lying, okay? And I never imagined her to be like that then turns out she--"

"Unnie, as her girlfriend, you should have given her a benefit of the doubt.."

"It was chaos in school right now..everybody's been talking about her. If you don't believe in her, who will?"

Jeongyeon's heart lurched. Momo must have been feeling afraid and ashamed and there she was, being a jerk, thinking the worst of her. How could she have screwed this?

Minayeon had managed to calm Jeongyeon down and was clearing the broken things in the living room when someone came to the room.

"Jeong, what happened?" She slowly opened her eyes and turned to the newcomer.

"Oh, Ji Hyo. Have you checked your website?"

"What? What do you mean?"

Jeongyeon coldly shows them the IP adress and the map Tzuyu sent, a map of Ji Hyo's neighborhood.

"Tell me you didn't out Yumi Kisaki, huh, Ji Hyo?"

"Of course I did not! Why would I do such thing---I---"

"It was traced back to your home IP Address. Do you want me to call the authorities to investigate this? This is clearly beyond what you should do as a journalist! Why Hyo? You're my friend. Why did you have to do that to Momo?" "

Because you are my friend! I have to protect you from people like her! I noticed that when I met her in Nayeonie's fundraising and then saw her at Sana's play...She may have a disguise but I clearly recognize her! That girl is certainly not trustworthy enough!"

Jeong pinched the bridge of her nose. She felt the onset of an incoming headache.

"So she broke up with me, Hyo, are you happy now?" Ji Hyo shakily laughed. "Really? That's great! I mean--you always deserve someone better than her anyway---" "Who? Someone like you? Who would stoop this low to ruin someone else?"

Jeongyeon looked angry and stepped menacingly at Ji Hyo. "What happened to you Hyo? It's like I don't know you at all! I don't recognize what you had become!"

Ji Hyo ran and hugged Jeongyeon. "I'm still Jisoo, your childhood friend--who loves you very much!

Jeongyeon removed JiHyo's arms around her. "You don't hurt the people you love. You don't break them just because they don't feel the same! Tonight, I not only lose Momo, but I also lost Park Ji Soo!" "No, Jeong, please! I will not leave anymore! I'll stay here with you! Just don't push me away!"

Jeongyeon removed Ji Hyo's arms again, this time, with a little forceful than before. "I'm sorry. Not that I am siding with Momo, but you sunk so low uploading her old pics. Not only you ruin her reputation, but you also ruined her career, you ruined us! If you don't leave, I'll personally call the police and file a case against you. Yes, you, my best friend. Because whatever angle I look at it, it was all so wrong. So please, leave. and not show yourself again."

"Jeong--"

"Leave."

"I'm sorry."

"Tell that to Momo, not to me."

Ji Hyo looked back, one last time at Jeong who was crying at Nayeon's shoulder. Her unnie looked coldly at her and continued to pat Jeong's back. It was not meant to get this far, but it did. She just wanted them to break up. And they did.

Jisoo doesn't do regrets, but now she did.