CHAPTER 73: CHAPTER 73

~Woo min~

I wasn’t planning on talking.

I wasn’t planning on thinking this loudly either, because honestly my internal monologue already felt like an unpaid intern scrambling with a stack of paperwork.

But the minute Hana pointed at Park Min like she was choosing a target to destroy, I knew today was going to be hell, and somehow I was going to get dragged straight into it even though I wasn’t doing anything but standing there breathing.

"YOU LIED!" Hana yelled, and her voice went straight through my ears like I deserved that volume. "You only said he’s your brother because you wanted to hurt me!"

Park Min snapped his head at her so fast I thought he pulled something. "WHY would I lie about being related to him?!"

Anning, from the corner, already yelling because he breathes sarcasm:

"OH I DON’T KNOW, maybe because you’re PETTY, Park Min, the Crown Prince of Pissing People Off?"

"I am NOT petty!" Park Min shouted. He still even had issues standing properly.

And Anning clapped once, loud. "Yes you are! You literally breathe pettiness. Your cells divide out of spite."

I watched the whole thing unfold like someone left me in charge of a daycare full of adults with undiagnosed issues. Anning stepped forward, eyes blazing like she was seconds away from throwing her shoe at someone.

"You ARE petty!" she yelled at Park Min. "And the fact you’re pretending you’re not just proves you’re ten times worse!"

Hana nodded aggressively beside her. "Exactly. You lied just because you wanted to piss me off!"

"I didn’t lie!" Park Min exhaled like his lungs were tired. "I didn’t even know he was my brother! Why would I lie for FUN?"

Yu Jin snorted. "Since when do you need a reason?"

I swear, I felt my soul step out for a cigarette.

Because guess what.... deep down, I did know why it sounded like a lie.

Because I wouldn’t have believed it either.

Who the hell wakes up one morning and finds out they’re related to Park Min? That’s not a blessing. That’s a....curse?.

But I didn’t say any of that.

Why?

Because I had already opened my mouth ONCE today and that was already too much.

Hana threw her hands up. "You are such a liar, Park Min! You literally stood there and told me with your whole chest that he’s your brother just because I told you I slept with him!"

And Yu Jin’s jaw dropped like he wasn’t there when she said it earlier..

"You slept with WOO MIN?! Girl.... I leave the group chat for FIVE MINUTES and suddenly this is a telenovela."

Hana pointed at him. "Don’t start!"

Yu Jin lifted both hands. "I’m not starting anything! I’m just observing the chaos like the unpaid therapist I never agreed to be!"

Anning stepped in again. "Park Min, you just wanted to embarrass her because she slept with someone you didn’t want her near!"

Park Min looked offended. "I didn’t even KNOW they slept together!"

Yu Jin muttered, loudly, "Wow, he’s shocked. Didn’t know he had the capacity to process information."

"Yah!" Park Min barked at him.

I stayed quiet...

Because the truth was... if I said even one more thing, my whole internal mess was going to fall out.

And then Hana turned her full rage toward me.

"And YOU," she snapped, "why didn’t you tell him?!"

"What the fuck? Why will I even do that? What the hell girl."

Yu Jin said it louder, mocking me: "HE DIDN’T THINK IT MATTERED!"

"Yu Jin," I warned.

"NO, LET ME REPEAT IT BECAUSE THIS MAN SAID IT SO CASUALLY," Yu Jin barked, putting his hand to his chest like he was offended on my behalf. "’I didn’t think it mattered.’ Sir, you literally...."

I looked at him and he shut his mouth, but barely.

Hana wasn’t done. "Why would it not matter?! You ghosted me! You disappeared like I hallucinated the whole thing!"

And there it was.

The sentence that made my stomach drop like I swallowed a brick.

I felt all three of them looking at me Hana with anger, Anning with suspicion, Park Min with that stupid "I told you something would blow up" expression, Yu Jin with the "Say it, you coward" stare.

"I ghosted you because..." I started, and then immediately regretted starting.

Yu Jin leaned forward like a gremlin. "Yes? Because WHAT?"

Hana crossed her arms. "Say it."

Park Min narrowed his eyes. "Let’s hear your reason."

And in my brain, the truth was loud.

It was ugly.

It was pathetic.

Because I wanted what Park Min had. Because every time I saw Yu Jin with him, I wondered what the hell made him so special. Because you touched him first and my stupid brain decided that meant something. Because I’m disgusting like that. Because I didn’t want to want anything that belonged to him, but I did anyway.

But obviously I couldn’t SAY any of that.

I wasn’t suicidal.

So I went with the second truth.

The softer one.

"I ghosted you because I had feelings for someone else," I said.

Hana froze.

Anning blinked.

Yu Jin whispered, "Oh shit."

Park Min looked absolutely delighted by drama he didn’t have to participate in. "Who?"

"I’m not answering that," I said.

Yu Jin threw his hands up. We all knew it was him, the only people who didn’t know were Anning and Hana.

Hana’s voice cracked ... not loud, not angry this time, just... hurt. "So you used me?"

"No," I said fast. "I didn’t use you. I didn’t think we were going anywhere, and I didn’t want to pretend."

Yu Jin muttered, "That was surprisingly mature for someone who emotionally lives under a rock."

"Yu Jin," I snapped.

"WHAT?!" he yelled back. "I’m helping you process your trauma!"

Park Min rubbed his forehead. "Okay, okay, enough yelling...."

"No," Hana cut him off sharply. "YOU don’t get to stop us."

Yu Jin clapped. "YES. King Min, sit down."

I almost laughed.

Almost.

Anning, of course, jumped in. "Why are you even supporting Park Min?" she barked at me. "He’s petty and rude and he literally ruined everything today."

I shrugged. "He’s not wrong."

Everyone stared at me like I grew new heads.

Yu Jin gasped dramatically. "Oh my GOD, so now you’re on HIS side? Ouuuuu"

"Yes," I said.

Hana pointed at me with betrayal all over her face. "Why?!"

"Because he didn’t lie," I said. "And you’re yelling at him like he did."

Park Min smirked like the petty brat he was. "Told you."

Yu Jin groaned. "Look at him. He’s glowing from validation."

Park Min actually fixed his hair.

That man had no shame.

Anning snapped, "So now it’s two against two?"

Yu Jin yelled, "What am I, chopped liver?!"

"You’re chaotic neutral," Park Min said.

Yu Jin gasped. "HOW DARE YOU."

I wanted to evaporate.

I wanted someone to unplug the universe.

Instead, Park Min lifted his hand like a dictator announcing a festival.

"OKAY. Since everyone is losing their minds, we’re having a dinner tomorrow. A ’clear the air’ dinner."

Yu Jin burst out laughing. "CLEAR THE AIR?! There is no air left to clear. We are inhaling pure trauma."

Hana glared. "Why would we sit at the same table after all this?"

"Because I said so," Park Min said, which was exactly the kind of answer I expected from him.

Anning rolled her eyes, but clearly wanted more drama, so she nodded. "Fine. Whatever. I’ll bring outfits."

"No," Park Min said, "you’ll bring Fan Xiao."

Anning’s whole FACE jerked. "Wait what? Why?!"

"Because if we’re fixing chaos, we’re fixing ALL of it," Park Min said smugly.

Yu Jin leaned forward. "YES. Bring the hacker. I need entertainment."

I almost choked.

Because I knew.

I knew something she didn’t.

I knew the part of her story that was about to explode all over this damn dinner table.

And I hated knowing it.

Anning slowly shook her head. "He’s busy."

"No, he’s coming," Park Min said. "I’ll make sure of it."

"What do you mean you’ll make sure?" she snapped.

Park Min smirked. "I know people."

Yu Jin flicked his forehead. "You know NO ONE."

But the damage was done.

And I?

I just stood there.

Quiet.

Because I knew the truth Anning didn’t.

And for the first time all day...

I felt something twist in my stomach.

Guilt.

Sympathy.

Something gross for both Anning and Hana.

Yu Jin yelled across the room, "WOO MIN, STOP LOOKING LIKE YOU KNOW SOMETHING!"

I blinked. "I don’t."

"LIAR!" he yelled.

Hana looked at me again, eyes searching like she was trying to find the man who ghosted her somewhere inside me.

But I wasn’t that version of myself anymore.

Not exactly.

Park Min clapped loudly. "TOMORROW. Six PM. Everyone better show up."

Yu Jin groaned. "I swear if I survive this dinner, someone owes me money."

Hana huffed.

Anning stormed out.

Park Min smirked.

Yu Jin rolled his eyes.

And me?

I stood there with the truth burning in my throat again.

If Anning’s heart broke tomorrow...

It wouldn’t be Park Min’s fault.

It wouldn’t be Hana’s.

It wouldn’t be Yu Jin’s.

It would be the universe being cruel.