Dive // Jaeyi x Seulgi

Chapter 5

Time had a cruel way of folding in on itself—blurring the edges until the past crept in, uninvited, like a shadow at dawn.

The parking lot was empty, save for the flickering glow of a distant streetlight. The air smelled of rain, the pavement still damp from an earlier downpour. Jaeyi stood with her hands in her pockets, her posture relaxed, but there was an edge to her stillness—like a blade waiting to be drawn.

Jaeyi tilted her head, eyes gleaming under the dim glow of the streetlight. "You're sweating," she noted, her voice soft but taunting. "Coming down already?"

Haneul wiped at her face with shaky hands, her breathing uneven. The world around her felt off-kilter—shadows stretched unnaturally long, and Jaeyi's silhouette seemed to flicker like a bad signal. "I—I don't know his motives. I swear."

Jaeyi said nothing, just watching. That silence—heavy, suffocating—made Haneul's pulse stutter. Her mind was a whirlwind of static and half-formed thoughts, paranoia creeping in like smoke under a locked door. Had Jaeyi been watching her all along? Had she imagined that night at the pier? Or had she been too far gone to realize what she'd actually done?

"I'm sorry, Jaeyi—" Haneul's voice cracked.

Jaeyi crouched in front of her, close enough that Haneul could see the amusement flicker into something darker. "Sorry?" she echoed, tasting the word like it was something foreign. "You think that's enough?"

She pulled out her phone, tapped the screen, and turned it toward Haneul. The dim light reflected off her face, washing her pale. On the screen, a video played—a shaky recording of Haneul in the depths of intoxication, pupils blown wide as she snorted a line off a table. Her laughter was erratic, unhinged.

Jaeyi stifled a laugh. "Damn. You really went all in, huh?" She tilted the phone, giving Haneul a better view. "Haneul, you know how some people get canceled online for the dumbest reasons? Imagine getting canceled in real life—by your own boss. Wild, right?"

Haneul's face drained of color. "Turn that off!"

Jaeyi ignored her, smirking. "Actually, this has real meme potential. I can already see the edits—someone slaps a dramatic filter over this, throws in a ridiculous caption, and boom, you're everyone's new favorite reaction pic." She tapped her chin, feigning deep thought. "Should I tag you, or do you prefer the surprise drop?"

Haneul's breath hitched, her chest rising and falling in quick, panicked gasps. "No Jaeyi, stop!"

Jaeyi lowered the phone, her amusement cooling into something sharper. "Why would I?"

That was all it took. Haneul collapsed to her knees, gripping Jaeyi's wrist like it was the only thing keeping her from drowning. "Please," she whispered, voice cracking. "I—I'll do anything. Just don't post it."

Jaeyi clicked her tongue, watching her grovel. The way Haneul clung to her, the desperation in her eyes—it was almost sad.

Almost.

With a sigh, Jaeyi pried Haneul's fingers off her wrist and slipped the phone into her pocket. Then, without warning, she grabbed a fistful of Haneul's hair and yanked her head back, forcing her to meet her gaze.

"See? That wasn't so hard," she murmured, her smirk widening. "Now, don't make this harder than it needs to be. Listen carefully."

Haneul's sharp intake of breath barely registered before the memory unraveled.

The grip on her wrist, the tension coiled in her shoulders—it all dissolved into stillness. The air was softer here, carrying the steady rhythm of Seulgi's breathing.