赤い糸 - Red String of Fate | JeongSa - MiChaeng

Chapter 28 - Please don't

Jeongyeon texted Mina to have her own breakfast.

Mina knows that the breakfast together will vanish in the future, not only because of Tzuyu but also because of the couple. Mina wouldn't want to interfere with their relationship, even though she really wants to have breakfast together with her friends rather than having it alone in her room.

.

.

[ In Class ]

The seat beside Sana was empty.

Not because Tzuyu wasn't in class—she was. But she had chosen to sit all the way at the back, alone.

Mina watched Sana quietly, seeing how her shoulders sank a little lower, how her hands fidgeted with her pen but never wrote anything.

[ Later — between classes ] 

Mina notice the unsual behavior of Jeongyeon, "Did you cry?"

"Did you cry?" Mina asked.

Jeongyeon looked up from her phone, checking her reflection in the front camera. "My eyes aren't red"

"I can still tell," Mina replied.

Jeongyeon gave a weak smile. "What are you, psychic?"

"I'm not," Mina chuckled gently, but her eyes didn't smile. "I just know."

Jeongyeon sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Anyway... they're sitting apart now"

"Tzuyu and Sana?" Mina asked, though she already knew.

Jeongyeon nodded slowly, her expression tight. "Yeah" She cried so hard yesterday, she must be compressing her eyes all night, Tzuyu...

Mina's eyes widened. "What...? Leaving? Where?"

"She's transferring. Moving to her brother's university. I don't know all the details. Just... she's made up her mind."

"B-but... why?" Mina whispered, voice trembling just enough to reveal her shock.

Jeongyeon looked away. "Let's respect her decision"

—

[ After Class ] 

The bell rang.

Sana gathered her things as quickly as she could, heart pounding, feet already moving before her thoughts caught up.

She found Tzuyu still at her desk, slowly packing her books into her bag. Alone. Quiet.

Sana approached cautiously. "Tzuyu..."

Tzuyu didn't look at her. She stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked straight toward the door.

No words.
No glance.
Just distance.

Sana stood there, frozen. Watching her go.

Tzuyu, please...
please don't leave me like this
why are you pretending I don't exist?

—

It's Saturday night, Jeongyeon and Mina had spent the evening together—catching a movie, sharing dinner, doing small things to keep themselves distracted from the heaviness of everything.

Mina helped carry Jeongyeon's shopping bag as they approached 230.

When they stepped inside, Jeongyeon paused immediately.

Sana was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, her back slouched against it, a half-empty bottle beside her.

Jeongyeon's chest tightened instantly. "Sana...?"

"Are you okay?" Mina asked, concern written across her face as she set the bag on the kitchen table.

Jeongyeon knelt beside her. "Did you drink?"

Sana's eyes fluttered open, unfocused. "Hello, hello... come drink with me," she mumbled with a broken smile.

—

[ Several hours earlier ]

Sana: "Tzuyu-ah... I'm really sorry. For lying. For everything"

Tzuyu: "...I'm sorry too. For being burdensome"

Sana: "Are you angry at me?"

Tzuyu: "No"

Sana: "What are you doing this weekend?"

Tzuyu: "I'm... not sure."

Sana: "Want to hang out? Go to your favorite cafe?"

"I'm tired, I'm just going to rest at home"

Sana: "...Oh. Okay."

Tzuyu: "My mom is calling. Bye."

Click.

The call ended.

No warmth. No hope.

Why did we fall apart without a fight?
Do we really need to end like this?
She's my only best friend..

[ Back at 230 ]

Tears welled in Sana's eyes again.

Jeongyeon reached for a blanket and draped it gently over Sana's shoulders, not saying a word.

Mina sat on the couch nearby, watching the way Sana curled into herself like something fragile that was about to break.

The clueless tears kept falling.

No one had the answers.