“People like to say that the conflict is between good and evil.
The real conflict is between truth and lies.” - Don Miguel Ruiz

When Ah-in awoke that Sunday morning with a twitch in his right eye and a chill down his spine, he knew, with a certainty that rung deep down into his bones, that today was the day he was to face the consequence of the dreadful mistake he made in his youth.

It was with an odd sense of peace, akin a prisoner on death row that was about meet his executioner, that Ah-in got up from bed and went about his day. And when the doorbell rang precisely at 4:42pm (as shown on his digital clock), Ah-in merely stilled from where he stood in his kitchen, knowing exactly who it was at the door. After all, Yoona and Chaerin had prepared him for this moment.

Instinctively, Ah-in gaze went to a particular spot in his living room, seeing his past self kneel before Im Yoona on the carpeted floor, tears and snot running down his face as he begged for her forgiveness; as he promised to atone for his sins in whichever way the girl deemed fit.

Indeed, the time has now come for him to pay and as per Yoona’s demand; to allow for the truth to be set free.

Jiyong scanned the interior of Ah-in’s humble abode with a critical eye as he made his way into the apartment with Youngbae trailing behind him, noting the numerous photographs of Ah-in with a younger girl (a sister perhaps) littered all over the living room. They looked happy, he thought.

Jiyong held back his restless energy as he watched Ah-in prepare the hot tea for them (the man didn’t want to waste time on the social niceties, he just wanted answers fast before leaving this place) while Youngbae was distractedly pulling on a loose thread of the aquamarine throw pillow he was holding onto.

Setting down the steaming tea before his guest, Ah-in settled onto his favorite one seater couch as he faced the company he had.

“I’m surprised that it took you this long to find me, Jiyong.”

Jiyong frowned, it almost felt like the man had been expecting him all these while.

“I don’t have time to waste on bull Ah-in, tell me what I want to know.”

Ah-in merely gave a small smirk at that, “You really didn’t change much did you?”

Jiyong gritted his teeth in annoyance while Youngbae immediately intervened, knowing that his friend was barely restraining himself at the sight of his supposed arch enemy; the person who took Yoona away from him.

“Ah-in, please just stop beating about the bush, you know what we’re here for... So many years had already passed; so much time wasted. Just tell us the truth about what went down that night with Yoona. We need to know. We got to know.”

Time wasted. Ah-in sobered up at the phrase that rang deep into his conscience, a sense of desolation filling him at the thought of how his one simple mistake had resulted in the destruction of epic proportions. God forgive me, he begged.

“Before we start,” stated Ah-in, his throat tight with emotions, “Just know that I’m sorry, so so sorry. Never in a million years did I expect things to have happened the way it did.”

Jiyong felt a deep sense of foreboding at Ah-in’s words, the guilt in the other man’s eyes speaking volumes and it was then did Jiyong questioned his version of the truth, if he was really prepared to hear what Ah-in was about to say.

And it was with a harsh exhale of breath and a brief clenching of fist did Ah-in began his confession; detailing about the deal he made with Kiko Mizuhara, how they had tricked Im Yoona into consuming the drugged herbal soup and how Kiko Mizuhara had taken advantage of Jiyong’s opportune appearance on the school campus that night to stage things up to have the man believe the worst in the one person who had done him no wrong.

Jiyong felt the blood leave his face at the truth that was staring back at him, the blood in his veins running colder with every bit of Ah-in’s confession.

“No,” he choked in denial, “No.”

If what Ah-in had said was the truth, it meant that Yoona was innocent, that she too had been a victim just like him, but only worse because he hadn’t believed her, that he was just like the others who had done her wrong, who had hurt her beyond any pain imaginable, that he who was supposed to protect her was the one who drove a blade into her beating heart.

Jiyong’s heart was booming loudly in his ears, his eyes blinking profusely as he tried to process the information that was being delivered point blank to him, his vision tunneling to the one individual that was directly responsible for the mess he was in.

Youngbae fell back at Ah-in’s confession with a shocked gasp with only the back of the couch supporting him upright as he absorbed the weight of things. He had suspected that there was more than it meets the eye in regards to the truth of what went down that night, but never in his wildest dream did he expect this. Youngbae averted his gaze over to his best friend immediately, knowing what a blow this would have been to the man; to think that Jiyong had allowed Kiko Mizuhara to linger alongside him all these years when it was she who had... Oh God, how was Jiyong going to survive this?

Ah-in stared tearfully at Jiyong, his stance apologetic as he swallowed hard at the guilt and sorrow dancing over the usually stoic face of his old school mate.

“I’m sorry.” whispered Ah-in, knowing that there was really no words that could possibly salvage this current situation.

It was as though Ah-in’s voice had snapped the last of the restraints Jiyong had on himself. With a roar of a pained beast, Jiyong propelled himself over to where Ah-in sat, the momentum of which causing the two men to tumble onto the floor as they continued tussling.

Cups and glass ornaments crashed onto the floor, causing mess everywhere. The sound of glass breaking and flesh meeting flesh echoing within the apartment.

Jiyong was seeing red, his vision tinted with blinding rage. All he could see was nothing but the tears and heartbreak in his Yoona’s eyes as he hurt her repeatedly. All he heard was nothing but the pleas and her pained cries as she begged him to return back to her side.

Whack! Jiyong swung his fist down, hitting the side of Ah-in’s face, again and again and again as his other hand wrapped itself securely at the collar of the other man’s shirt, holding Ah-in in place as he delivered his beatings. So far gone in his wrath, Jiyong barely registered the pain of his skin of his knuckles splitting nor the spray of blood that splattered across his face. All Jiyong wanted was to continue pounding the man until his anger abated, until he was able to claim the punishment equivalent of the injustice Yoona had suffered.