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Chapter 23

Hate

Opening her eyes was Gayoung. A bright light shone down on her as a figure could be seen in her peripheral vision. She squinted and used her hand to cover the light that was burning her eyes as she just woke up. She sat upright, completely confused. The figure that she saw no longer looked unfamiliar. Instead, it was Yeona's.

"Where am I?"

Gayoung asked, looking around in confusion.

"You're home, Gayoung,"

Yeona replied coldly and soullessly. Gayoung slowly realised she was in her room and felt less tense.

"What happened?"

"You fainted. I happened to be nearby and both me and Hoseok brought you home,"

Gayoung flinched as she remembered everything that happened. Her eyes welled up in tears as she started sobbing. However, Yeona still had her back facing her, not even bothering to turn around. Yeona just let Gayoung sob quietly before asking,

"Why did you go there again?"

The room grew quiet as Gayoung stopped sobbing. Yeona's voice was soft and quiet yet filled with rage, confusion and disappointment. Gayoung felt almost embarrassed to tell her the reason. She looked at the purple bracelet on both their hands, feeling as if she had been slapped.
Why did she go there again? Because Hoseok wanted to? Why did she allow herself to be in pain of the memories when she could have simply rejected him? Was she too afraid to say no or did she take away her own consent just because she liked him?

She liked him?

She liked him.

Gayoung slowly descended into insanity as she realised what was happening. She stayed behind to wait for Hoseok, her heart raced when she talk to him and she allowed herself to be stripped away of her own consent because she liked him. She was too scared to reject him because she liked him. Was it her fault she went back to the alleyway or was it his?

"Tell me why!"

Yeona roared, turning around with tears streaming down her face as she stared at Gayoung with disappointment.

"Why would you put yourself in the same situation? Because you like Hoseok? Why did you leave me to wait at the vet clinic for you? Because you liked him? Why would you do this to either of us!?"

Yeona exclaimed, pulling her hair as she slowly collapsed on the ground. Gayoung stared at her in fear as tears fell. She hated herself more than she already did. She hated herself for letting the sexual assault happen. She hated herself for stripping away her own consent just because of her love towards Hoseok.

She hated herself.