𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙡𝙮 | the trickster × female reader

chapter thirteen ; upclose

(a/n: long chapter ahead! this is to make up for my delayed uploading. you're welcome!)

your pov
"i know what you and ji-woon did, y/n."

it was like your entire world has stopped spinning: your eyes widened with fear as the one thing that you feared, your friend knowing what you have been doing with someone she totally despises, came true.

the way that her emotionless expression stared down at your trembling little soul caused an uproar in your head. you began to overthink the possibilities and what would be happening next.

you fell onto your knees, your head on the ground as tears clouded your eyes. "yun-jin i'm sorry!" you breathe shakily, "i-i didn't know how to break it to you!" a tone of panic ran through your voice, "i-i can explain-"

"y/n why are you on your knees? i'm not mad, i'm just here to talk about it with you."

you couldn't understand: why wasn't she angry at you?

for all you knew, you went from understanding that ji-woon was portrayed as an enemy in yun-jin's life and yet, you went on and became all so lovey-dovey with the man. to think that she was furious was frightening in itself, but being calm and collected about it? seems even worse.

confused - and hesitant to even ask - you slowly looked up to meet with her somewhat soft gaze. it still did not change the fact that it made you even more guilty.

"b-but i know how much you hate him, yun-jin. and i've known that but somehow," you chuckled bitterly, "he's been strumming at my heartstrings,"you mumbled. out of the shame that held yourself down to the ground, you closed your eyes: you were too ashamed to cry your eyes out. you just could not bare that thought: to see her face, to know that she had q sense of betrayal from your actions, and for everybody else to eventually find out what you have done.

however, your thoughts were put to a stop as soon as you felt a pair of hands take yours, and help you sit back down again. with hesitance, you opened your eyes as they met with yun-jin's gentle look. you still couldn't understand why she was doing all this to you.

you could still see how her facial muscles relaxed themselves, which made you think otherwise about her suddenly changing up her attitude, but she still looked at you with the same look, but it seemed to have softened up a little.

"look," she sighed quietly, "i am.. not angry at you. i am just feeling a little bit taken aback because i am scared for you! scared that he would-"

"would hurt me, right?" you interrupted as she slowly nodded - her glance changing from gazing towards you to the earthy ground below. your answer was correct, and you nodded quietly in return. this was somehow unrealistic of her: to be this way despite seeing her as someone who could - and would - carry an entire team. why is she this way, and why only now?

"exactly that.. it's only considered a miracle if he doesn't actually hurt you in and out of trials. he's hurt everybody he found pleasing before, that's why i'm scared for you," she explained as you repeated your gesture: nodding slowly to her explanation."but, if you were in that same place he was in when the incident happened and before the fog came in.. how did you survive it then?" you inquired from her, observing as her possibly tired body leaned against a tree trunk that stood behind you both.

"i don't know, really. after the gas disappeared, I woke up with my head spinning around, like i was tossed around," she described, "it was only for a while i tried focusing on bringing myself back up to my feet but.. then i noticed.."

"noticed what?"

"t-the executives.. they were all dead, right in front of me. their blood, splattered everywhere," a noticeable chill ran down her spine, "like something rampant came in those halls."