Three and half hours later, they drove all the way to the nearest destination called Olympic Park. The clouds began to darken and Bryan and Valerie had not spoken any word at all. He then received a phone call from one of their friends. They all came to an agreement to come and gather. Valerie got out of the car, whereas Bryan followed after slamming the door.
"Hold on... Just where do you think you're going?" He questioned dubiously.
"I'm not going anywhere. I needed some fresh air..." she responded faintly, avoiding eye contact with him and crossed her arms.
"Yeah, because you can't accept the fact that you're an agitator. Face it, we failed," Bryan nodded acrimoniously.
Valerie closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in just when the van appeared from their distance. She reopened them and saw each seven of them getting out slowly. Their expressions became impassive and frigid at the same time.
Bryan glanced at them and forged a smile, saying. "You're here! A lovely surprise. Hey, Val. Look! Your precious friends are here to see you."
Valerie glared in his direction, then gazed back at them as she approached them. Her eyes were glistening back and forth with her voice starting to shake. "Guys, I can explain. I know you saw the video that circulated on the internet, but I promise you I have nothing to do-"
"Liar," Jiyoo said in disdain.
"But Jiyoo-" Valerie was taken aback and continued on. "I never said those words directly about you guys. Although, they were all true-"
"You were laughing with your friend, which wasn't even Bryan. How is it you were not speaking about us?" Jiyoo narrowed his eyes at her heatedly. "You also took a picture of that dumb couple in the alleyway and didn't even know I would get beaten up by them."
"Wait, they were actually the ones who attacked you?!" Valerie repeatedly in shock.
"Oh, gosh! You're so dense," Joon-wo snorted derisively.
"Your fingerprints were left in my music studio room and snatched my recording to give it to our former rival group," Jaesang seethed and shrugged off. "I thought you were just more than an ordinary person and I was very interested in you."
"And vandalism, along with the death threats to your friend and my girlfriend, Sally?" Min-Jun mentioned and scoffed. "She lost her career because of you."
"I thought it was Ryung, but it turns out it was you who posted my photos," Hwan pointed out, giving her a revolting look.
"You went into the security room and edited the footage to make it look like I was trying to assault Jiyoo's fiancé, Chia. Who does that to break someone's friendship?" Taeyun stated rhetorically.
"It wasn't me!" Valerie retorted back defensively, exhaling her breath out. "You would truly believe what was shown in the video and not inspect carefully?"
"The results have proven the person's identification on where and what time she went to the places, and how she interacted with a bunch of people," Min-Jun said as he handed in the document to her.
Valerie gently took it from him and scanned from top to bottom. She was shaking her head in disapproval and lowered the paper down briskly. "An absurdity and a complete sham!"
"You can stop denying it, Valerie," Min-Jun said monotonously.
"We've seen enough of what you are, fraud..." Joon-wo stated coldly.
"You're the true definition of the movie that portrays a character who lies and you know who lies...? Good girls," Jaesang remarked as he looked at her in disbelief with a nod.
Valerie stared at him and asked softly. "You're not going to believe what I want to say?"
"Why should that matter? You've done a lot of damage and fancy you coming here all the way from New York to Seoul..." Jaesang huffed.
Jiyoo stepped forward close to her for a moment. He held the Jeju Island group polaroid in front of her face, whereas Valerie was watching him intently.
Without warning, he flings them across her face swiftly, stunning her on the spot. The pictures began to cascade on her boots as she winced a little.
Her teary eyes were flickering alternatingly, then hovered back into his dark pupils when she pleaded with her arm reaching out to her. "Jiyoo..."
He stepped back and signaled his finger, saying infuriatingly. "The segments depicted in the video have been justified. You've created too many problems between me and my friends these past four months."
Bryan was glaring at her sideways, including Min-Jun and the others.
Jiyoo went on further with his hardened eyes piercing through hers. "Whatever plan you had to reunite us as a sappy group is an utter preposterous. Don't ever come near to me again, nor even dare to speak a word to me because I've had enough of your lies..."
Valerie hitched her breath in as her mouth was slightly trembling, holding her tears back as much as she could. She then watches him turn around, facing his back on her, especially Joon-wo, Jaesang, and Min-Jun.
Bryan continued to stare bitterly in the corner of his eyes, saying. "I never even wanted to be here in the first place."
Taeyun uncrossed his arms and turned around to face his back on her as well. He remained quiet for the duration and gave her a disgruntled look.
"Our date is canceled," Hwan said nonchalantly and whipped his head.
Shortly, they were walking away from her as they headed back inside the van. Bryan went into the car and slammed the door closed.
Ryung, on the other hand, approached her gently. "It's no use, Val. However-"
"Joon! Let's go!" Joon-wo called out sharply.
He sighed and stared at Valerie, who mumbled in a whisper. "Go..."
"I'm sorry," Ryung said apologetically and instantly backed away. He glanced back at his friends as he went inside the van.
Both of the vehicles were revving up their engines as they began to drive.
Valerie was frozen on her spot, not knowing that a sudden water drop had fallen onto the ground before it became rain. Her head was tilted for ten minutes, gazing down the polaroids being soaked in a puddle that was forming below her boots.
She decided to walk through sideways with cars moving across the streets. Sauntering somberly, she did not care about others peering at her ongoing demeanor and ignored their hearsays.
She later passed by the Han River until she stumbled upon the commonplace she wanted to take a rest, which was the Hangang Park. She forgot to bring her stuff, then recalled the moment where Bryan took off.
She was shivering from the chill air surfacing around her and noticed an empty bench from afar. From there, Valerie was making her way but halted when puddles splashed her by a motorcycle. Blinking her eyelids, she gasped and exhaled out, still continuing to stomp one step at a time.
"Great... Talk about his excitement," she made a slight sound of bilabial trill and brushed the strands of her hair over her ears.
Once she sat down underneath the trees, she curled herself up into a ball and wrapped her arms consolingly.
She had it coming and she wasn't ready at all.
Nevertheless, there was a part of her knowing a catastrophe would reach its peak and creep up her existence.
She was living, but deep inside...
She felt as if she wasn't.