Vernon had now become the hot topic, not just in the university but across the nation. Heejin had been having a hard time getting recognized for being the girl behind that horrid case, which now resurfaced with the murderer being found and the victim still in the process of recovery, legally changed her name.
The kidnapping was initially thought to be a group work but all those deleted camera footages, hidden trails were behind a single 20 year old. It only showed how much experience he had, even before his life started.
After that day, everyone seemed to be taking a break thinking about everything that had been happening. Yuri knew who'd been having it the hardest, Heejin. For the first time in her life, Yuri didn't feel the need to check up on her. She wasn't sure if it was because of her ugly yet unintentional actions or because she knew it was something Heejin had to recover from alone.
Lisa was in chaotic peace, finally getting sleep, finally being able to roam around freely without a fear of being harassed. Moreover she couldn't believe she was the reason to someone's dearest one's death and being forgiven for it at the first time being aware of it was anything but underwhelming.
And Yuri finally, couldn't get a lot of things out of her head. Everything Taehyung had been hiding, his job, under Jimin's father. Jimin helped Taehyung after his accident which meant they knew each other for so long. She couldn't believe everyone had so much behind the side of them they portrayed.
She and Taehyung were incredibly close now. Taehyung had one simple reason for picking on her. He envied her, for having such a- what seemed like free life. Friends who loved her, a beautiful family, she was good at studies too. But with assumptions came realization. He wasn't training as an agent for nothing. He noticed Yuri's progressive change in behavior and he knew something was wrong.
It started when Heejin sent him that half-asleep pic of Yuri in her pajamas.
How did she get that in the first place? Something Yuri recollects too. Heejin was in her room, at night, while Yuri was asleep. She couldn't believe she missed such a big hint right infront of her from the start.
Then during the school trip, the unknown behind that message who exposed Taehyungs secret- Heejin, was there, listening to them. The man made pile of sticks Yuri picked up were initially collected by her, which Yuri happened to take back with her. Heejin seemed to always separate Taehyung from Yuri because she hated the attention Yuri got all the time. She believed Yuri had a dark unveiled side no one knew about and that she didn't deserve the hype her name itself brought.
All those misunderstanding seemed to be cleared but not forgotten. Yuri couldn't stand being in the same room as Heejin without getting the urge to look away. She couldn't unsee the side of her she witnessed for the past months. Even if it wasn't intended, there was no going back now. She recollects all the pain she had to go through, her life changed so quick like a coin flip and it was all because of Heejin and that one incident she couldn't clear out.
Lisa noticed the state of everyone, even though they hadn't met face to face since Vernon was taken away. Lisa convinced the girls they had to go shopping for the party which was just the next day. If it weren't for her, Yuri and Heejin would've forgotten about it already.
"Should we go backless?" Lisa asked surfing through hangers and hangers of dresses.
"No, it's going to be cold and you have short hair." Yuri replied.
"Right."
Yuri looked through the clothes, her mind being lifted after getting a sniff of the outside world. Heejin didn't talk a lot, the air was awkward. Yuri owed Lisa a ton for keeping everything in place.
"How about this?" Yuri picked up a a grey layered frock.
"I'm sure we'll look like kids infront of Jennie and Airee's group, wearing such simples dresses.
"Speaking of which Airee and Mark are dating right?"
Heejin asked without looking at us, searching through the hangers in the section next to us.
"Yea Airee finally moved on from Hoseok and found her love." Lisa added.
"When is it my turn?" Yuri chuckled.
They took turns wearing the clothes they brought. It would've been like a stereotypical warm occasion of friends hyping up each other like highschool students before prom but this didn't move so smoothly. They each tried complimenting each other without seeming too immersed yet not too blunt. The whole situation seemed to be killing them from the inside.
Yuri couldn't forgive Heejin even if she wanted to.
There was always this thought she had- no matter who it was behind that cimmerian presence, who kept stalking her, hurting her, leaving her in that endless misery for months, she would never show any sort of sympathy for them. She remembers thinking she'd never forgive them and that she'd never talk or interact with them again.
Little did she expect it to be the girl closest to her, who always supported and loved her. Heejin had been aiming for Yuri since the start. No wonder she approached her out of everyone. At that time she was still introverted, unable to talk to people so Yuri was the one she always stuck with and also the person she betrayed the most without realizing the truth.
Sometimes things don't really change, you just never noticed them in their raw form.
♤
"My daughter has finally become a grown up woman."
Her mother said in a soft, unintentionally dramatic tone making Yuri sigh.
"Eomma please don't cr-"
"She looks so beautiful, definately the paternal genetics."
Her dad exclaimed proudly causing her mom to look at him in disbelief. The doorbell rung, hitting Yuri with a wave of relief not wanting to engage in their upcoming argument.
She opened the door and saw Taehyung, dressed in a loose, dark grayish black shirt with patterns and well fit black jeans beneath it. On his fingers were a couple of rings making him seem ever more ethereal. He offered to drop her since she didn't know how to drive and she didn't want to go with Heejin. He then smirked at her, earning an unclear look from her.
"Omo Taehyung looks so handsome."
Her mom said from afar rushing towards him, telling him to come in.
"Yuri's boyfriend is here?"
"APPA HES NOT M-"
"Damn son looking fire."
Yuri rolled her eyes seeing Taehyung chuckling and nodding at her father's remarks. Yuri remembered the real reason he picked on her- he was envious of her family.
"Taehyung ah, could you take a pic of us three?"
'Wrong question mom' Yuri thought then looking at Taehyung who had a geniune smile on as if he didn't mind. It'd been 3 years. He was no longer affected by it all. Moreover he felt at home at Yuri's house with her family.
"Yuri where are your teeth?"
Yuri widened her eyes with a "leave me alone" look and flashed a smile showing all of her teeth. Taehyung took the pic and her dad chuckled finding him funny.
"Yuri go stand near Taehyung quick."
"Mom were getting la-"
"Quick quick!"
Yuri sighed standing near Taehyung who seemed happier than usual, enjoying it all. They both did a "V" sign pose before heading into the car. Her parents yelled stuff like "have fun" "be safe" before he drove away.
"Damn Yuri you finally don't look homeless huh."
"All I know is I'm the hottest woman you'll ever meet so respect me."
"Yea whatever, ponytail girl."
She knew that nickname would go around for decades.
"Have you spoken to Heejin or Lisa after that?"
"No... I couldn't."
He hummed followed by a comfortable silence in the air. She looked outside with a peaceful feeling in her heart. She wasn't exactly looking forward to the party and convinced herself she'd stick to Taehyung the whole time. Yuri was outgoing but definately not a party person unlike some others.
"Jimin higher, what the fuck are you doing!?"
Jimin groaned raising the mobile he held, more up into the air, infront of the stunning girl who posed like a supermodel. Her smile then vanished as she came forward, checking the pic Jimin took. Heejin was first to see Yuri and Taehyung so she gestured them to come towards the trio.
"Oh my god we're so slay honestly."
Lisa pulled both the girls towards her, forcing them to pose for a pic. Taehyung walked towards Jimin, who didn't seem too pleased until a voice called him.
"Ace."
He turned around and saw Yoongi and Hoseok. He looked back and knew the girls and Jimin would be busy for a while so he walked towards them.
"Aye my bro how you been doing?"
Hoseok said warmly giving him a pat on his shoulder. Hoseok had always been neutral ever since the fight unlike Yoongi, Yugyeom and Mark- the last two not seen anywhere.
"Well."
Hoseok gave Yoongi, a look, indicating him to speak, who pursed his lips and looked up with a poker face.
"You seem better without us."
"Maybe I am?"
Taehyung replied back in a monotonous way. He could tell Yoongi had no intention of starting anything which was the only reason he was still a part of this conversation.
"Yoongi." Hoseok demanded earning a sigh from him.
"I know what happened, it wasn't your fault, I was wrong to believe them."
Taehyung looked at him, widening his eyes in a what looked like- mocking way, even though he was just trying to figure out if Yoongi was telling the truth.
"He's right. I explained everything to him. I knew my Yoongie boongie would understand. We didn't approach you though, you seem happy with your new group, so be it."
Hoseok spoke with a smile as Yoongi loathed at the nickname. Taehyung looked at Hoseok, registering his last few words. Hoseok spoke as if he were geniuenly happy for Taehyung, being one of the people who knew everything about him. Taehyung himself knew Yoongi would realize sooner or later but he didn't expect Hoseok to approve of his new friends so quick.
"Hoseok."
"Hmm?"
"Do you not like Yuri anymore?"
Hoseok's breath hitched for a few seconds, before he chuckled, a real one while looking at her in the distance- loathing while speaking with Jimin. The world seemed to pause as he gazed at her in adoration but he knew he had to get over her. He had a light smile before he turned back at Taehyung.
"Honestly, I just realized we aren't for each other. I gave her many hints, if she had the slightest interest in me, in a romantic way she'd understand."
Taehyung didn't like his sappy words and where this was going. He himself never pictured her and him together. Even though they were both outgoing, social and friendly they'd seem like the couple who'd force themselves into the relationship, thinking they're meant for each other and then end on bad terms.
Hoseok made the right choice once again.
"And anyways, I think you're more fit for Yuri."
"Yea, boy got overprotective over her."
Yoongi chuckled making Taehyung scoff and shake his head.
"I don't look at her that way."
"You can't differentiate because it's been the same ever since college started." Yoongi said with a sly grin, approaching Taehyung, giving him a light bump on his chest.
"I know you very well Taehyung, you need to realize it soon."
"Yall. It's not like that I-"
"Kim Taehyung are you coming or not?"
Yuri's voice caused him to turn his head back looking at her. His old friend's words confused him more than he thought they would. He looked back at them, giving them one last smile, earning an assuring nod from Hoseok as he walked off to his group, trying to clear his mind from the sudden flood of thoughts.
Never in his life he thought he'd get along so well with the girl he dissed.
"Yall, get in quick we're half an hour late anyways." Jimin finally said eyeing the entrance.
They entered, with the guard letting them in before they could even show their college id's. They exchanged few looks, finding it weird and the door opened sending insanely loud vibrations of music into their bodies. Yuri stood there in shock, not believing this was a private VIP lounge.
They could barely see air with the amount of people stuffed into one room, especially on the dance floor. With flashing lights, unknown people,- some drunk they knew this was another failed planning.
"Why the fuck are there outsiders!?"
Heejin yelled at the top of her voice, barely heard by others. Jennie's group promised there'd be minimal alcohol yet there seemed nothing "minimal" about this. The bartenders seemed exhausted, with a tub of emptied wine and vodka bottles in a corner.
Unlike Jennie's words, the club definately wasn't limited to their batch. There were more outsiders than college students and there were way too many "extra pets" in the form of humans. It was a mess, the fact that there weren't naked strippers pole dancing yet was a big factor to be thankful of.
Yuri turned around and saw her group heading to somewhere which seemed like a flight of stairs. She lifted up her dress uncomfortably and was finally met with the end of the climb. She saw them looking at her since she was the last one. They then entered an elevator making her follow and the noise finally seemed to settle.
"We're going to the rooftop, it was my idea thank me later."
Lisa rolled her eyes at Jimin's words as the lift opened, a chilly breeze coming in contact with their skin. The view from the highest place in the luxury building was mesmerizing. They walked to the railing, looking down at the tiny figures in the distance. There weren't many people in the restaurant apart from them.
So for a few hours they decided to screw the rules of "staying in the club and not exploring rest of the building", by have their own little dinner party. It wasn't like they'd be the only ones getting into trouble.
They weren't even in the sights of their professors.