IZ*ONE University [THE REWRITE]

Chapter 16: If I go a little farther

Kim Chaewon's POV

I kept running, my feet moving almost on autopilot, leading me to a place I thought would feel like home. But when I arrived, the lights were off, and an unsettling silence engulfed me, broken only by the violent sound of glass shattering against the floor and the echo of a man's screams piercing through the dark.

I stood there, frozen, overwhelmed by the chaos around me. My heart raced as I felt an inner conflict tearing at me. Part of me urged me to dive in, help, and rescue her from whatever nightmare unfolded. But another part—darker and almost seductive—whispered that it might be better to let the chaos continue, to allow her to experience pain that played out unchecked.

I sighed, a heavy weight settling in my chest, and knocked on the door. The sounds inside seemed to waver as if they could sense my hesitation.

"Who's there?" the man called out, his voice a mix of anger and fear, pulling me deeper into the uncertainty.

"Kim Chaewon," I replied.

The door opened, and I saw Hyewon standing there with her eyes wide open, while her father towered over me.

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to close the door quickly.

"I want both of our problems to be solved, sir."

Hyewon looked at me, but I focused on her father. He seemed intrigued and scratched his head, pondering my words.

"Well, what is it?" he asked, opening the door wider and gesturing for me to enter.

I looked around the cramped space, my disbelief washing over me like a cold wave. Shards of broken alcohol bottles and dirty laundry lay strewn across the floor. At the same time, piles of unwashed dishes towered grotesquely in the sink. How could Hyewon live here? The thought made my heart ache. I had always thought she led a charmed life, but this was unthinkable. As I walked toward what I assumed was the living room, a hand suddenly grabbed my arm.

"What are you doing here?" Hyewon's voice wavered, her gaze fixed stubbornly downward as if it were too painful to meet my eyes.

I withdrew my arm forcefully, trying to assert control over the chaos seeping into my mind, and chose to sit on their couch instead.

"Chae—"

"I'd like to discuss where Hyewon will be living until she graduates college, sir," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

Hyewon and her dad looked shocked at my words, a familiar ache gnawing at me as I noticed the glimmer of fear in Hyewon's eyes. After a few pregnant moments, her father laughed, his when-I-don't-know-what-I'm-talking-about smirk sending a chill down my spine.

"And how do you plan to take her away from here? With money? Bribery? Is that how low you think we are?"

I felt embarrassment flush my cheeks, flustered by how impulsively I'd come here. What was I doing?

"You see, Chaewon, I know something that you don't, and that information is—"

"That Mrs. Kang shot my mother?" I said in a voice stripped of emotion, forcing myself to maintain eye contact.

I caught a glimpse of Hyewon tearing up, looking away, and a weight settled in my chest. She looked guilty as she turned away, and it struck me then—maybe that was why she decided to break us up. She had her reasons, shrouded in layers of pain and secrecy.

Her dad's shock faded quickly, replaced by a smug expression that made my stomach twist. He had so many tricks up his sleeve, that I could feel his gears turning.