ONLY YOO

chapter 30: putting an end to it all

"I know that it hurts for you, but it pains me as well!"

Seungyeon finally turned around and Yoojung gasped when she realised that Seungyeon was crying. Her eyes were awfully red and tears were streaming down the sides of her cheeks uncontrollably. Yoojung had an awfully weak heart for people who cry.

"Alright, now. Stop crying first and we'll talk this over." Yoojung stepped forward, placing her hand on Seungyeon's shoulder.

Seungyeon wept, putting her hand over Yoojung's. "I'm sorry... I'm really sorry... I don't know why I did what I did when I was young but... I am so awfully remorseful... I just wish I was dead."

Yoojung gasped. "Those kind of things shouldn't be said so casually!" Yoojung grabbed Seungyeon by the shoulders and shook her hard. "Don't ever say such things, Seungyeon-ah!"

"But... the remorse kills me everyday... I've even contemplated taking my life a couple of times, whenever I see you from afar around the campus." She looked down at Yoojung's knee and sobbed. "Look! Even the scar I gave you... it's still there..."

Yoojung frowned.

"Really... Yoojung-ah, I'm so terribly sorry... I don't even know how to apologise anymore, but every time I think about what I did to you... I just feel like I would be better off dead..."

"No... please don't say that..."

Yoojung's heart was softening little by little with every word Seungyeon said. Yoojung was upset just a while ago, but hearing Seungyeon say all this... it seemed like she didn't mean to do all that at all. Furthermore, it was so many years ago, when they were still young. Maybe Seungyeon had really changed? What would happen if Yoojung didn't give her a chance to change and make amends for whatever she did in the past?

Seungyeon continued sobbing. "And I heard from Taemin-oppa and Jongin-oppa that this time I caused you to be hospitalised again too... Because of the cookies I gave Jimin sunbaenim... But I didn't even know that you were going to eat it!" She looked up at Yoojung with teary eyes. "You trust me... right, Yoojung? I would never do such a thing to you!"

Yoojung nodded slowly.

"I'm one of the few people who knows what chickpeas can do to you... why would I even do that? I was simply a fan of Jimin sunbaenim... and that was the only thing I knew how to bake... I'm so sorry... Ah, I'm such a fool... I deserve to die..."

Yoojung frowned. "No, can you please just stop saying that, please?"

"But..." Seungyeon sobbed. "But... I did so many bad things to you, don't you want me to disappear?" She looked at Yoojung and sobbed even harder. "Even since high school, when I did so many bad things to you... why didn't you report me?"

Yoojung didn't answer at once. She remained quiet, silently looking into Seungyeon's big round eyes, now puffy from all the crying. Finally, she nodded, looking like she had just made a big decision. She leaned forward, wrapped her arms around Seungyeon and gave her a tight squeeze. She closed her eyes and smiled sadly.

"Because I cherish you. And I believe in you. So now, I'll forgive you."