Hyorin’s POV

I sigh as she walks out. “It’s the truth.” I mumble under my breath. “I don’t get it.” I hear someone in the back and I jolt at the sudden voice. I look back and see L.Joe, interested in the story. “Of course you wouldn’t.” I say coldly. I have to keep my cold image on. “Tell me then.” He says bluntly. “You’re insane. It’s not my story to tell.” I say icy, but my icy and hers are different.

 My ice can break, whereas hers never will. He sends me a dagger stare and we stare at each other for quite a while. “Her brother.” I say after reading his eyes. He isn’t going to use it for blackmail. He’s not gonna hurt her.. He’s just.. curious. He’s confused. He’s been hurt too.. But.. Are his eyes honest?

Lee Eunji.. Please don’t kill me. “What brother?” he breaks his cold image and looks at me in confused eyes. I look at the door to check if she’s coming in.

“Lee Sungjong. Her older brother.” I sigh. “He’s two years older than her.” I lean back in the chair and look at him. There’s an awkward silence and he starts to feel uncomfortable for the first time.

“Want me to be honest? Eunji’s really pretty. She’s very pretty. I just wanted to talk to her.” he slips out. Then, he immediately coughs a bunch after that. I burst out laughing. “I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING!” he roars. “Mhmm.” I laugh. He groan and put his embarrassed face in his arms.

After a while, I start again. “She used to have a family. A happy family. Not rich, not poor, just average. Once her father started building a company. Everything changed. They were flowing in with money..” I inhale a sharp breath.

“but it wasn’t a happy family anymore. Her parents argued constantly everyday at them and at each other. They argued about who to hire and who to add in and merge and stuff...” my voice trails off. I see him nod eager to know more and I sigh. “They scolded Eunji and her brother Sungjong for not being the best though. They were stripped of everything. Their computer, their phones, their music, their friends, their freedom. Everything. You might think that’s nothing right? It was barely the start.” I shift in my chair and take a deep breath.

“They had to study all day and if they were caught taking a break from studying, they were whipped. Their parents wanted them to be the best since the company was really popular by then. They constantly were compared to others and yelled at...” I make eye contact at L.Joe and continue the story. “Then, it all happened on her birthday..” I quietly say.