moonbyul gets back to her dorm way later than what she had planned in a rush. she was on cloud nine, her heart fluttering every time she remembers his confession, the sound of his voice, the look in his eyes.
sunoo had been right there entire time.

although when she swings open the door of her room, the sight renders her speechless.
the air was thick with the intoxicating scent of alcohol, sharp and overwhelming.
empty bottles were strewn across the small, dimly lit room, reflecting the glow of the campus lights outside. the place looked like a battlefield after an evening of heavy drinking— disheveled blankets, a half eaten pizza forgotten on the desk and discarded cups all over the place.

moonbyul's nerves were frayed as she stepped inside, finding yuna slumped on the floor near the window, her long raven hair falling messily on her face, flushed from the alcohol. her usual cold and aloof demeanor was gone, replaced by a dazed, vulnerable expression, she looked like she had been crying for hours. her hand clutches a nearly empty bottle, her eyes unfocused as she takes another swig.

moonbyul had never seen yuna like this. it was unsettling.
the yuna she knew was always in control.
the yuna she knew never let her guard down, especially around her.
something was different, and moonbyul could feel it in the pit of her stomach, a sense of foreboding creeping up her spine, all the excitement she had felt earlier quickly forgotten.

"yuna. . .?" moonbyul's voice was tentative, cautious. she wasn't sure of how to approach her—not sure of how to handle the raw, broken version of yuna in front of her.

yuna looked up, her glassy eyes red and tired. the sight made moonbyul's heart twist in confusion and concern. yuna's lips curl into a drunken bitter smile as she tosses the bottle aside, the sound of the latter clattering against the floor echoing through the room.

"you're finally here" yuna slurred, struggling to stand, swaying on her feet before steading herself against the wall.
"took you long enough" she clicked her tongue.
moonbyul raises her eyebrows. finally? had she been waiting for her?

moonbyul frowned, taking a step closer, but yuna's sudden movement made her pause. she stumbled forward, her hand reaching out as if to grab moonbyul, but her fingers only brushed against the fabric of moonbyul's hoodie. "what are you doing yuna? you're drunk, let's get you to bed—"

"no!" yuna's voice rose, sharp and desperate as she cut moonbyul off. her hands suddenly shot out, grabbing moonbyul by the shoulders and slamming her against the wall with a force that took her by surprise.

moonbyul hisses in pain, her head hitting the wall from the abruptness of the movement, she shock of yuna's agression leaving her momentarily speechless. "yuna what—?"
yuna's breath was hot and ragged against moonbyul's neck as she leaned in close, her eyes wild with a mix of anger, pain, and something moonbyul couldn't quite place. the alcohol had stripped away all of yuna's usual defenses, leaving her exposed and teetering on the edge of something dangerous.

"tell me pretty" she murmurs, placing a finger under moonbyul's chin and tilting her head towards her, her intoxicated gaze flickering back and forth between her eyes and her plush lips. "what does he have that i don't?" yuna's voice cracked as she spat out her words, her other hand tightening on byul's shoulder, as if she were trying to anchor herself, to hold onto something so she doesn't fall apart completely.

moonbyul's mind reeled, her pulse quickening as she tried to process what was happening. yuna's question hit her like a punch in the gut, the sheer vulnerability in yuna's eyes making her heart ache. "Yuna i—"

"tell me!" she raises her voice, the latter breaking, tears begin streaming down her face as she presses moonbyul harder against the wall, her body trembling with the effort of keeping herself together. "why him? what does he have that i don't huh? why can't it be me?"

moonbyul was stunned into silence, her thoughts racing as she looks at yuna's tear-streaked face. she looked beautiful, even in her chaos. she had always thought yuna hated her— the icy glares, the snide remarks, the distance she kept between them.
but now in this moment, it all made sense.

shin yuna didn't hate her. she never had.

"yuna. . ." moonbyul's voice was soft, almost a whisper as she reached to touch her tear soaked cheeks. "i'm so sorry—" yuna shakes her head violently, fresh tears spilling over as she choked on a sob "of course you're fucking sorry" she cried out.

moonbyul's heart clenches painfully. "y-yuna i thought you hated me" she confesses, her voice trembling. she could feel yuna's grip on her shoulders loosening, the anger and desperation giving way to heartbreak and exhaustion. her knees buckle as she collapses against moonbyul, her body shaking with sobs as she clung to her.

"i don't want to hate you byul. . .i don't want to. . .but it doesn't matter because all i can ever be is your fucking friend" she spat, her breathing ragged, her body exhausted from crying. moonbyul wraps her arms around her, holding her close, not knowing what to say, not knowing how to fix the mess they were in, but one thing's for certain — this is far from over.

she stared out into the room, at the bottles littering the floor, the remnants of a night gone wrong. her heart aches with the weight of the truth she had just uncovered, the truth that was now sitting heavy between them.

"Nishimura Riki is a fucking asshole, do you hear me? He's a piece of shit," Yuna spat, her voice cracking under the weight of her rage. She was breathless, desperate, each word laced with a venom that Moonbyul had never seen in her before.

Moonbyul's breath hitched in her throat as Yuna's words pierced through the thick tension hanging in the room. Yuna's voice was raw, trembling with fury and something darker—something that cut deeper than just anger. Moonbyul could see the fire burning in her eyes, could feel the heat of Yuna's frustration radiating off her in waves.

Moonbyul watched Yuna carefully, her own emotions tightly controlled, despite the chaos unraveling before her. She could sense the jealousy, the heartache, woven into Yuna's every syllable. It was like watching a storm build, dark clouds gathering in Yuna's eyes, ready to unleash the torrential downpour that had been brewing for so long.

"Why are you looking at me like that, huh?" Yuna demanded, her voice rising, sharp and accusatory. She took a step closer, her fists clenched at her sides, the rage rolling off her in uncontrollable waves. "Can't you see he's just using you?"

Moonbyul felt her chest tighten, a flicker of doubt igniting in the back of her mind. Yuna's words struck a nerve, stirring something inside her that she had been trying so hard to ignore. But she forced herself to remain calm, to not let Yuna's anger pull her into the same dark place.

"Yuna..." Moonbyul started, her voice measured, careful not to let the tremor she felt inside seep into her words. She kept her gaze steady, meeting Yuna's wild, tear-filled eyes with as much composure as she could muster. "You're drunk. This isn't you talking—it's the alcohol and whatever else you're feeling right now."

But even as she spoke, the seed of doubt began to take root in her mind, spreading like wildfire. Could it be true? Could Riki really be using her?

Yuna's expression twisted, her face contorting with pain and frustration as she took another step closer, her breath ragged and uneven. "No, Byul, you're not listening!"

Moonbyul flinched at the force behind Yuna's words, her calm facade beginning to crack. She wanted to believe that Yuna was just drunk, that her jealousy was clouding her judgment, but the certainty in Yuna's voice was undeniable, and it gnawed at Moonbyul's heart.

"Yuna, stop," Moonbyul whispered, her voice breaking under the pressure of the emotions she was trying to contain. She could feel her control slipping, the walls she had built around herself starting to crumble. "You don't know what you're saying."

But Yuna shook her head violently, her eyes wide and desperate, as if trying to will Moonbyul to see what she couldn't. "I do know, Byul! I know! all he's trying to do is get back at JJ"

Moonbyul's heart pounded in her chest, a cold, sinking feeling settling in her stomach. The doubt that had been a small, nagging thought in the back of her mind was now roaring to life, impossible to ignore. She could feel the walls closing in around her, the reality of Yuna's words starting to suffocate her.

She wanted to deny it, to tell Yuna that she was wrong, but the fear that she might be right left her paralyzed, her voice caught in her throat. All she could do was stare at Yuna, the tears welling up in her own eyes, as the truth—or what might be the truth—began to unravel before her.