Suzy texted Jieun back, telling her to meet her at the front of the school building.

I hope this isn't the end of our friendship.

When Jieun saw Suzy, Suzy swallowed with guilt, waiting for Jieun to blow up in her face. Instead, Suzy was shocked to find herself enveloped in Jieun's arms.

"What have I done? Oh, my God, I'm a monster!!" she wailed. Confused, Suzy began to sooth her by patting her back.

"What's going on?" Suzy asked, patiently.

"I.. Wooyoung.. Kissed... We... ARGH!!" Jieun stuttered, hyperventilating.

"Wait.. slow down." Suzy stated, a picture slowly forming in her mind.

"Wooyoung.. KISSED ME!" Jieun finally managed to spit out. Suzy's jaw dropped open. Jieun cheated on Samdong the same day that Samdong cheated on her?

"I don't even know what to do with myself. If I tell Samdong, he'll only get mad and we might break up! I don't know what Wooyoung was thinking!" she angrily said.

"Well, it's no secret that Wooyoung has a crush on you." Suzy explained. Jieun's eyes widened.

"What?! Since when?" Jieun asked, surprised.

"You never knew? I've suspected it since we all started hanging out." Suzy answered, shocked that Jieun never thought of this. 

"Wooyoung is nice, and we've been best friends forever... but that's so unfair! He knows that I have Samdong right now. Suzy, what should I do?" Jieun pleaded. 

Yesterday, Suzy would have immediately told Jieun to do the right thing, and that was to fully explain the situation to Samdong since it really wasn't Jieun's fault. But now.. if she told Jieun to do that, and the two broke up, would that make her the bad one? Would that make Suzy the evil one who broke up the perfect couple?

"Well.. that's a really tough situation you got yourself in. I don't know if I can help you. Maybe.. you should talk to Wooyoung? Ask what's going on?" Suzy suggested weakly. Jieun sighed heavily. 

"I might as well. Maybe tomorrow. Let's leave, Samdong's waiting in the parking lot." Suzy offered a meek smile before following Jieun there. Her guilty conscience weighed her down. 

When the two got in the car, both stepped in with guilty faces. "Er.. hi." Jieun said. Samdong simply nodded. "I... uh... couldn't find you after.. you, er went to the, umm.. bathroom." 

"It's fine." Samdong said, unusally stiffly. He briefly caught eyes with Suzy in the rearview mirror and  looked away. Samdong drove to Jieun's house first. Normally, the two kissed before they parted but Jieun just awkwardly shuffled out of the passenger seat.

The silence in the car was uncomfortable as Samdong pulled into Suzy's driveway. Normally, he got out and opened the door for her like the gentleman he was, but this time, he got out and sat next to her in the backseat. 

"What the hell, Suzy?" he asked quietly and gently.

"I'm so sorry, I-" Suzy began to plead. Samdong reached to cover her hand, signaling her to stop stuttering. Instead of getting her to shut up, both of them felt the sparks shoot up their arms. Tentatively, Samdong pulled back.

"I won't deny it." Samdong began.

"Deny what?' Suzy asked. 

"You know what." Samdong answered, looking at her meaningfully. He made a move to get out of the car and open her door. Suzy stepped out and thanked him for the ride. 

"Hope your dress isn't permanently red." He called after her with his usual hint of humor. Suzy mustered a smile before entering her house. Maybe we can just forget about what happened. But since when did the cheated become the cheater?

* * *

It was Saturday morning in mid-October, the day after Shinhwa Academy's legendary Fall Ball. Suzy woke up to the normal darkness of her room with the one ray of sunlight streaming in from the tiny, circular window above her bed. Her miniscule attic was unusually bright, a great contrast to how she was feeling. Grumbling, she got up and made her bed. She changed out of her pajamas before descending downstairs from the ladder on the floor of her room. When she got to the second floor, she folded the ladder back up and pushed it shut into the ceiling.

Suzy made her way to the kitchen by descending the short flight of stairs. "Good morning." she said to Timmy and Jimmy, who were busy playing some sort of electronic board game. They looked up and smiled at her. How could such innocent children be Paul's?

She sat down at the table across from Eunjung, who was leafing through a magazine. "I heard that Wooyoung kissed Jieun." 

Suzy's head snapped up and she spilled some cereal that she was pouring.

"What? How'd you hear that?" Eunjung scoffed.

"It's all over the school. And I mean, all over. Your friends are all idiots, I swear." Eunjung tossed the magazine aside. "But you know what's more interesting?"

"What?" Suzy asked, hesitantly.

"There's another rumor going around that Samdong cheated on Jieun with some tramp." 

"Uh... who'd you hear this from?" Suzy asked nervously.

"It's all over everywhere. Anyone's who's anyone knows this stuff." Eunjung got up and left. Oh no... I hope Jieun doesn't hear.

* * *

Suzy's entire Saturday consisted of working at The Mug, a coffee shop in the downtown. She busied herself by serving pastries and drinks all day. She was working the cash register when the chime at the door rang and she looked up. Wooyoung entered the cafe and sat down at a table. Suzy looked for her two coworkers but they were busy with other customers.

Suzy walked over to Wooyoung. "Hey. What's up?"

"Oh, hey! I forgot you worked here on Saturdays." Wooyoung answered, smiling.

"What can I get you?" 

"Uhm... an iced frappe would be nice." Suzy went back to the counter and began to make the drink. When she returned, she sat down across from him. There wasn't much business anyway.

"So, did you have fun at the Fall Ball last night?" Suzy asked in an attempt to make conversation.

"Yeah... but I'm sure you've heard what happened." Wooyoung said, sipping his frappe.

"Right. You kissed Jieun. What's with that? Does Samdong know?" Suzy asked.

"No.. look I'm gonna tell you the truth because you're my good friend, but I'm going to have to trust you not to tell either of them." Wooyoung said, leaning forward. Instinctively, Suzy leaned forward as well.

"I saw Samdong kissing another girl. Look, I'm his bro and all, but that's just not cool. And.. well, I'm sure you know how I feel about Jieun. Everyone except those blind love birds knows."

Suzy nodded, more guilt washing over her. So, not only did Jieun not cheat on Samdong, but Wooyoung only did it to protect her. In the end, it was all her fault.