The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 387 A Broken Ties with Friends, Kim Ji-soo's Collapse, Where Are You, You Little Rascal?

The alcohol slowly fermented in her veins. Kim Jisoo lay sprawled on the soft mattress, breathing evenly yet reluctantly. She gripped her diary tightly with both hands, propping it up in mid-air, and curiously and nervously turned to the first page, her eyes occasionally glancing at the movements outside the bedroom door.

Afraid of being seen, she rudely peeked at other people's diaries. She felt like a rat hiding in the dark sewers, crawling out of the sewage pipe, its eyes darting around, guiltyly spying on other people's happiness.

Poor little mouse...

Kim Ji-soo's clear and intelligent eyes were now misty with the smell of alcohol, and her gaze was unfocused, causing her to see double and her eyes blurry when she looked at Zhao Meiyan's delicate handwriting on the notebook.

She raised her hand to brush a few strands of hair that clung to her cheek and tucked them behind her ear. Holding her notebook, she got out of bed, changed her position, leaned against the headboard, and rubbed her eyes hard. Only then could she piece together the doubled words in the diary and make them appear much clearer.

"March 7, 2015, sunny."

“Practice life is tiring. I ate tteokbokki with Jisoo unnie… Debuting seems increasingly out of reach… But, Kenchana, Jisoo unnie said we’ll debut together…”

The diary entry, containing over a hundred words, outlined the day's routines and summarized the author's feelings at the end. The pages also had a lot of blank space around the edges, which Zhao Meiyan skillfully filled with cut-out stickers of Doraemon, Hello Kitty, and other childlike elements.

A slightly naive and relaxed smile gradually appeared on Kim Ji-soo's lips, and her cheeks were flushed with a healthy rosy glow from the alcohol. When she saw the record of her friend's elementary school-like behavior, her heart, which had just been immersed in missing and hating a certain "newborn angel," seemed to be healed by the gentle, spring-like "friendship."

The smile at the corner of her eye seemed to have traveled back to the spring of 15, along with Zhao Meiyan's diary.

Debuting is really... difficult. BLACKPINK's predecessor, Pinkpunk, initially planned to have 9 to 10 members, aiming to compete with the then-popular Girls' Generation. They had been building hype since 2012, but in 2013, the company suddenly announced that the plan would be postponed.

In 2014, two more members withdrew due to academic and health reasons. As more and more members left, the debut group was reduced to only five members. Pab, who wrote the diary, also left in the summer of 2015, as recorded in the diary.

Swish—the page turns.

"On April 1, 2015, the weather was as sunny as my mood."

"I was in the company cafeteria with Jisoo unnie when we overheard people discussing who was the prettiest trainee—oh dear, I lost miserably… But unnie really is beautiful; she filmed commercials even before her debut and was known as YG's prettiest trainee… I'll just be the second prettiest~"

Upon seeing these words, Kim Jisoo's earlobes turned as red as ripe cherries, a warm current flowing through her heart. Her eyes, flushed a light pink from intoxication, couldn't help but shed a few tears of emotion.

This is what true friendship is all about! What kind of fake besties are these "Jiangdong women"?
Even the regret I had just felt for giving Gong Cheng to Zhao Meiyan wasn't so bad anymore... Meiyan, that Pabu, really doesn't think about herself at all. She deserves it.

"How could you possibly like Miyako more than me? Remember, I like Miyako, Miyako, Miyako—not Tarot."

In the living room, Zhao Meiyan and Minatozaki Sana, who had initially been at odds, were now drunkenly pouring out their grievances and comparing their own. She patted her chest, her face flushed with drunkenness and grievance: "Let me tell you what happened next..."

Zhao Meiyan's consciousness was hazy, her eyelids heavy. Her white silk nightgown, smooth as silk, had slipped down her neckline, revealing a section of her pale shoulder. She pointed at Minatozaki Sana with a choked voice, "In K-pop, you were my seniors, but now... I'm your senior..."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, and she pouted, "You have no idea what I did for him... I was stabbed three times and stabbed six times."

Zhao Meiyan's words sounded quite nonsensical. Minatozaki Sana was also quite drunk and had a charming look in her bright eyes. She raised her eyelids, leaned back on the sofa, and raised her wine glass to her: "Come on, senior—I'll toast you."

"Drink!" Zhao Meiyan proudly raised her fair face.

Sana Minatozaki raised her pink neck and downed the drink in one gulp. She raised the back of her hand to wipe the corner of her mouth and said indistinctly, "Senpai, you're lucky to have met such a heartless playboy. I'm so unlucky... I've met such a playboy."

"I even lost my dignity because of him..." she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "Now, in the group, I don't even have anyone to talk to—he's so cold, so heartless, he makes me feel no love, senior!!!"

Zhao Meiyan was incredibly empathetic. With a smile and tears in her eyes, she stepped forward and patted Minatozaki Sana on the back: "I understand you~ So, Sana unnie, forget about him, there will be someone better waiting for you."

"I—no!" Sana Minato jumped out of her arms as if in a fit of pique, shouting defiantly, "I'm going to fight him to the death!"

"Senior, I advise you not to get involved in this mess. You can't beat TWICE..." She kindly spoke up again, reminding them that TWICE's monster room was no joke, otherwise she wouldn't have come here to drink alone with her enemies.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Meiyan showed no displeasure. Instead, she glanced at Minatozaki Sana with a sigh and pointed to the wine glass on the table: "Young, aren't you? Inexperienced, aren't you? Shallow-minded, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Sana Minato looked at her drunkenly, her eyes full of confusion. When she saw her point to the wine on the table and remain silent, the little dog Minato picked up her glass and drank it all in one gulp. "Please enlighten me, senior."

Zhao Meiyan then withdrew her hand with satisfaction, and patted Minatozaki Sana on the shoulder with the wisdom of someone who had been there: "Since you call me senior, then let me tell you, no matter how powerful your TWICE monster room is, it's nothing to be afraid of, you little brat."

"Moragu?" Sana Minatozaki's eyes widened. "You're acting like you're something special."

Looking at you today, "Pang Yan" is actually quite ordinary, not as cunning and scheming as "Zhuge Zhixiu"...

Zhao Meiyan drank a glass of wine alone, frowned, swallowed the wine, and then looked at the young man, Minatozaki Sana, with a gloomy expression: "Naive, ridiculous, foolish. I think you're all talk and no action."

"The real mastermind is the person you're thinking of right now, you know?"

……

"On April 10, 2015, I was in a super great mood."

"At a coffee shop in Seodaemun District, I met a super handsome boy... Even Jisoo unnie was attracted to him and stole several glances. She thought I didn't notice, hehe, and she was still being stubborn. It's a pity that the handsome boy didn't pay attention to us and we just passed by. I should have known better than to chat with unnie and instead took the initiative to exchange contact information."

Kim Jisoo's face flushed as she recalled the first time she met Gong Cheng in Seodaemun District with Zhao Meiyan. He was really handsome and outstanding, but that bastard had a cold face and an expression that said he was the boss of the world, and he didn't even glance at them.

Actually, when I officially met Gong Cheng later, I learned that he was a student at Yanshi University, and this prestigious university, one of the top universities in the world, is located in Seodaemun District.

"On April 12, 2015, my heart was like the torrential rain today, thunder and lightning. P.S. It wasn't that I was in a really bad mood, but rather that the feeling of being moved was so intense."

"I twisted my ankle during afternoon practice and needed to go to the clinic, but I ran into the boy I bumped into at the coffee shop in Seodaemun a couple of days ago. He seemed to have a lot of injuries. I wanted to get to know him, but I didn't know how to start the conversation, so I asked Jisoo unnie, who was still practicing. She really is a genius with ideas!"

"What does this have to do with me?" Kim Jisoo's somewhat confused mind stared at the words in the diary, trying to recall, but she couldn't remember. Actually, the chance encounter in Seodaemun District didn't really count as her formal acquaintance with Gong Cheng, because that bastard didn't even notice that she and Zhao Meiyan were such beautiful trainees; instead, he was in a hurry...

But thinking back to the time when that brat was in a difficult situation, he really didn't have the time or inclination to observe which girl was pretty enough. Besides, someone as handsome as him must have met many pretty girls since he was young.

Diary: "After leaving the clinic, the boy openly smoked under the eaves at the entrance without even an umbrella. Maybe he was waiting for the rain to stop? Jisoo unnie told me on Kakao that if I wanted to strike up a conversation, I could give him an umbrella. Also, when unnie found out that he was smoking in the street, she couldn't help but despise his manners, but she hilariously came up with a much better idea."

"Wow???" Kim Jisoo's pupils contracted as she stared at the words in the diary. She suddenly remembered the terrible idea she had given Zhao Meiyan. This Pab hadn't told her that the boy she wanted to flirt with was Gong Cheng, whom she had bumped into at Seodaemun. After suggesting the old-fashioned way of giving him an umbrella, she had also vaguely told Zhao Meiyan to stay by the boy who was smoking...

What if the boy asks her why she's following him?
The reply was: "Because this is a no-smoking area, I'm keeping watch for you."

"Diary entries documenting practical experience:..."

"...And so, we exchanged contact information. His name was Gong Cheng. He was very tall and had a bright smile."

What did I do?

Kim Ji-soo bit her trembling lips as she stared at Zhao Mei-yeon's practical notes. That Pab not only used the second "sentinel" method to get closer to Gong Cheng, but also incorporated her first idea, giving away umbrellas. Before leaving, she took her own umbrella to the convenience store and bought a new one to give to Gong Cheng.

There was no waste of any method.

The sound of Kim Jisoo's teeth grinding together was deafening, and her lower lip was almost bleeding from being bitten. The alcohol that had been swirling in her mind just moments before vanished instantly, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head, leaving only a belated chill that crept up her spine.

"Our first meeting... I was the one who arranged it?" She murmured, repeating the sentence over and over, her gaze unfocused on her notebook, as if she wanted to stare a hole through the pages. She couldn't believe it, she really couldn't believe it—back then, she just thought Zhao Meiyan had a crush on Gong Cheng, so she kindly offered a few little ideas to "get closer," and what was so clever about that "keeping watch" idea?
She was just talking nonsense, it was really funny, how did it become the opportunity for the two of them to meet?

Doesn't that mean... she not only brought Bae Joo-hyun and Gong Sung, Lim Na-yeon and Gong Sung together in the past two years, but also personally arranged the relationship between Jo Mi-yeon and Gong Sung?
Thinking this through, Kim Jisoo suddenly felt as if something was gripping her heart tightly, making it difficult to even breathe. Her bloodshot eyes were filled with nothing but confusion and despair.

Oh, God of Love—are you playing me too?
She clenched her fists, took a deep breath of fresh air, and tried to calm herself down.

She continued reading, trying to reassure herself... It's all in the past, it's all in the past.

You can't blame anyone but yourself.

"July 2015, 4, sunny."

"I went out with Gong Cheng Oppa and Jisoo Unnie to get to know each other... At the dinner table, Unnie asked Oppa curiously, 'Didn't you notice us when we were in Seodaemun District?'"

"Oppa thought about it seriously for a long time and shook his head. This answer was a little hurtful~ But we found that this oppa is just as fond of saying bad things as unnie. He actually tried to make amends by saying: Maybe you guys are too short? Didn't you see it?"

"...It's even more hurtful... *crying*"

As Kim Jisoo gazed at the diary entries gradually materializing in her mind, she couldn't help but secretly curl the corners of her lips into a smile.

It really was true—that bastard's answer back then was exactly like that: simple, direct, and merciless...

"On the 18th, I seemed to get closer to oppa. I think I might really like him, but I'm not sure."

"After practice that night, I went to a bar with Jisoo unnie to watch him fight... Why would someone so handsome do such a dangerous job? When I asked him, he wouldn't say... And, after finding out he's a student at Yonsei University, it was such a contrast... Unnie's eyes lit up~"

"Are my eyes lighting up?" Kim Jisoo thought to herself. "I was obviously pretending very well, wasn't I?"
However, the job that the dog-son was doing back then was indeed very dangerous, especially when I first secretly watched him go into the ring. It's hard to imagine that there are two people on and off the stage. It's like seeing him in the octagon, his body fighting desperately and savagely, just for the paycheck after the fight. And then you think about how he sat in a Yonsei University classroom during the day, his body covered in bruises under his coat...

"On the 19th, oppa came to YG to pick me and Jisoo unnie up from get off work, and we had dinner together... I haven't known oppa for very long, so I'm not really sure if he likes me, or if I really like him?"

"But when I saw Jisoo unnie, who has never been interested in boys, smiling while chatting with oppa, and when she lagged behind and deliberately sat next to oppa during the meal, I felt very sad, depressed, and uncomfortable. I realized that I liked him."

"Perhaps Jisoo unnie also likes him? But who does he really like?"

Upon seeing this, Kim Jisoo's flushed cheeks instantly turned pale. She had been so good at pretending... how come the diary suggests that Miyeon had noticed from the very beginning?

For a moment, her expression froze. She tilted her head and listened to the drunken, competitive voices of Zhao Meiyan and Minatozaki Sana coming from the living room outside the bedroom door.

"Oppa would give his life for me, and we went on our honeymoon and study abroad together!"

"Tch, I'd die for you!"

Haji Cheng: ? ? ?

"..." Kim Ji-soo listened to the absurd conversation between the two in the living room and felt extremely uncomfortable. But right now, she wanted to confirm whether Zhao Meiyan knew all along that she liked Gong Cheng. If so, wouldn't she have been like a clown who had been pretending all these years?

In reality, Zhao Meiyan is a woman who covets other people's boyfriends, betrays friendships, and is immoral.

The more she thought about it, the paler and more terrified Kim Ji-soo became.

"The 23rd is a holiday."

"I made plans with oppa and Jisoo unnie to go to the amusement park and ride the Ferris wheel... The Ferris wheel at night looked like a colorful kite, dazzling and beautiful in the Seoul sky. Oppa sat between me and unnie. When the Ferris wheel reached its highest point, he suddenly grabbed my hand. My heart raced. I can't describe the feeling, I just felt hot all over... He likes me."

"I was tilting my head, looking out the window shyly and smiling happily, but the reflection in the Ferris wheel's glass made me see that oppa's left hand was holding Jisoo unnie's hand... Jisoo unnie's pretty face was very red, she bit her lip, obedient and shy, her smile was just like mine, an uncontrollable smile, and her hand was just like mine, tightly clenched with his hand."

"My heart, however, suddenly turned painful... He and she thought everything was perfect, and I remained calm, watching them with a silly grin like a pascal."

"Unnie, Oppa, how could you do this?"

"I really wanted to ask, but I couldn't bring myself to say it... I just felt like something was about to be taken away from me."

The sky is falling!
As Kim Jisoo read this, her heart pounded even harder. Her once straight back slumped instantly, and she trembled as she looked at the words in the diary.

That Pabu, they actually discovered it a long time ago?

But...why didn't she say anything? Could it be...that she's been pretending not to see it all this time for the sake of "friendship"? Is she trying to save face? Is she tolerating this until now because she doesn't want the "friendship" to break down?
These suspicions pierced her heart like needles, instantly overwhelming Kim Ji-soo with shame. She suddenly felt like a thief, having an affair with her friend's "husband," thinking she had done it flawlessly, only to be seen through the peephole at the door.

That feeling is even more humiliating than being exposed to someone's face...

A feeling of suffocation welled up in her throat, and Kim Jisoo instinctively raised her hand to her chest, but couldn't stop her heart from pounding wildly. She couldn't imagine how much pain Cho Miyeon must have been in when she wrote those words…

The handwriting in the diary was clear and neat, but every stroke seemed to accuse her of selfishness and shamelessness.

"How am I supposed to face her?" Kim Jisoo's gaze drifted unconsciously toward the living room. A suffocating feeling welled up inside her, mixed with guilt, embarrassment, and panic... Complex emotions overwhelmed her like a tidal wave. She suddenly felt utterly despicable...

Utterly despicable...

Utterly despicable!!!

Fortunately, after Miyuki and Miyako got together, she wisely kept her distance.

Suppressing her guilt, Kim Ji-soo silently shed tears, somewhat afraid to look at her diary any further. But her thoughts drifted to something even more important: why did Jo Mi-yeon and Gong Sung break up? It was a mystery, known only to the two of them.

Could it be because of me?
Driven by this reason, her fingers trembled as she flipped through the diary again.

"On the 24th... Jisoo unnie actually went to Yonsei University alone to find Oppa. My heart felt like the smog in the sky..."

The handwriting in the diary seemed to still hold the lingering resentment of Zhao Meiyan at that time, yet it pierced Kim Jisoo's eyes like an ice pick. Her eyes widened in shock, her lips instantly drained of color, and even her breath caught in her throat…

Even the fact that she went to see Gong Cheng alone, this Pabu knows?

Jisoo's fingers flipped down the page uncontrollably, but the words on the next page made her blood almost freeze:
"This can't go on. Jisoo unnie and I really have fallen for the same boy. I won't give up... I have to confess... I have to confess in front of unnie, so she can see me and Gong Cheng together. That way she'll give up, right? But I can't tell unnie about this beforehand. I'm afraid she'll beat me to it. I also can't tell Oppa. I want him to have to choose one."

"???" Kim Jisoo's mind went blank, as if it had been hit by a heavy hammer. The guilt and shame that had been lingering in her heart just moments before were instantly swept away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of disbelief.

Her delicate face was fixed on the sentence, "I'm afraid that if she finds out, she'll beat me to it." Her pupils were unfocused, and her fingers gripped the edge of the diary so tightly that the pages crumbled...

Zhao Meiyan—Is this how you think of me?
Actually, at the beginning, she didn't know that this Pabu liked Gong Cheng very much, but she gradually found out. She hesitated and struggled in her heart, but she couldn't deny that, just like Zhao Meiyan's diary recorded, she also liked Gong Cheng very much. But that [Chusheng Dongxi] was really shameless.

On the day she went to Yonsei University, Kim Ji-soo wanted to make things clear to Gong Cheng that if he liked Jo Mi-yeon, he should treat that Pab well.

Instead of being fickle and trying to seduce me...

Another page of the diary is turned: "Great~ Plan worked - Oppa and I are together now. In front of Jisoo unnie, her face looked terrible and her eyes were dim. The male lead was a little afraid to look at her. I won~ Mia unnie, there's nothing I can do about it."

"Qing, I made an appointment with Jisoo unnie and her boyfriend to go out together. I was afraid that Jisoo unnie was still not giving up, so I dragged her along to be a third wheel. Unnie doesn't know that I already know about her past entanglement with her boyfriend. I pretended to be nonchalant, but she was extremely uncomfortable."

"A third wheel?" Kim Jisoo stared at those words, and silent tears welled up and spilled over her face. Her heart had never ached so much.

I really can't breathe...

A sense of absurdity overwhelmed Kim Ji-soo. She suddenly remembered seeing Jo Mi-yeon break down and cry, remembered feeling guilty for "hurting her friend," and remembered feeling helpless about how to face her... Now it seemed that all that guilt and helplessness was just a joke she had been indulging in!

I felt like a complete clown—being thoroughly manipulated by this self-proclaimed "Pab"...

Zhao Meiyan didn't need her guilt at all. The other party had long regarded her as an opponent that had to be defeated, and even the confession was designed to be a scene that would make her give up.

It turns out, things weren't as she thought... Zhao Meiyan's "calmness" wasn't for friendship, nor to save face for her, but rather a scheme in the dark, a hidden plot! She even planned to "confess to her in front of her," to make her watch her "fail," and she even meticulously planned to prevent her from getting there first!

Afraid she'd beat me to it—heh?
For a moment, Kim Ji-soo trembled with tears in her eyes, remembering that day when Jo Mi-yeon looked so happy and suddenly confessed to Gong Sung. That night, she cried hysterically at home, but the next day she had to act like nothing had happened when facing Jo Mi-yeon.

Only she knows these things.

"My boyfriend is so shameless, acting like nothing ever happened between him and Jisoo unnie... But it seems like nothing really did happen, because I cut it off in time~"

"However, Jisoo unnie's relationship with her boyfriend seems to have become irreconcilable, and the two of them argue every time they meet..."

Kim Ji-soo recalled how, after witnessing Gong Cheng and Zhao Meiyan dating, she secretly arranged to meet Gong Cheng and, presumptuously pretending to be magnanimous, told him not to contact her anymore. She decided to witness their happiness and quietly let go, treating "Gong Cheng" like an object and giving it to her best friend.

Gong Cheng refused and flew into a rage. She looked at him in confusion. He had clearly chosen Zhao Meiyan, yet he was still pestering her. She immediately realized his scumbag nature—wanting everything. She reached out to slap him, but he stopped her…

Then, like the slap that never landed, their relationship ended without any follow-up.

At the time, she foolishly blessed the two of them. After returning home, she immediately blocked all of Gong Cheng's contact methods. Even when they met, she only contacted him through Zhao Meiyan to keep her distance. This is why the two of them were irreconcilable enemies when they met later.

Diary: "30th, I had a fight with my boyfriend today... I called Jisoo unnie and asked her for advice. Unnie comforted me and helped me think of a solution. She was really kind. Oppa and I are back together~ But unnie must be secretly sad. Even though it was a plan to kill two birds with one stone, unnie, oppa is always secretly watching you. I had no choice."

"If I don't do this, how will you give up?"

"She actually... was plotting against me all along?" Kim Jisoo murmured, her voice hoarse as if it had been sanded, trembling with disbelief. A suffocating feeling welled up in her chest again, filled with anger and heartbreak at being deceived and manipulated. She stared at the neat handwriting in the diary; every word seemed to mock her naivety—you big idiot!
The "friend" she thought she knew was actually secretly plotting to make her give up on him, and the "shared victim" she thought she knew was actually a rival in love who was ruthlessly targeting her.

"...oppa is always secretly watching you..." Kim Jisoo's eyes, blurry with tears, glanced at this line of words, finding a little comfort in her heart.

Looking at Zhao Meiyan now, and comparing her to that "Emerging Dawn," at least he genuinely liked her, wasn't he? And the "friendship" between Zhao Meiyan and her was all fake...

Haji Cheng: Have I cleared my name?
The diary slipped limply from Kim Jisoo's fingers, landing with a "thud" on the carpet. The disbelief in her eyes slowly turned into cold disappointment, and a hint of anger at being betrayed...

Her gaze drifted unconsciously toward the living room. The thought that Zhao Meiyan might still be playing the role of "Pabu" made Kim Jisoo feel as if she were being pricked by needles, and as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water, chilling her to the bone.

She suddenly felt ridiculous for handing over her "white moonlight" to someone else and being smug about it, thinking she had done so much for her friend, but the other person didn't appreciate what she had done in silence because they thought it was originally theirs.

But that's clearly mine!!!

mine! ! !

Kim Jisoo screamed in despair, realizing she had mistaken scheming for friendship and true love for trash...

At least from the diary, Kim Ji-soo learned that Gong Cheng was unaware of this matter back then. Thinking about it carefully, if he really knew... when she presumptuously went to find him, he wouldn't have been so angry, nor would he have been so heartless as to act like a stranger, even after they both debuted.

Thinking about it this way, it turns out that the victims back then were not "herself" or "Zhao Meiyan" as she thought they were—but rather Kim Ji-soo and Gong Cheng.

He... must have been kept in the dark just like me, right?

"Miah, Gong Cheng..." Kim Jisoo leaned against the headboard, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. She covered her face with her hands and burst into tears.

It was a complete scam—Zhao Meiyan deceived herself and Gong Cheng, and she foolishly went to Gong Cheng to accuse him of being fickle and backing out. No wonder Gong Cheng angrily told her that he liked Bae Joo-hyun more than she had liked herself back then.

"What did I miss...?"

These words were like a tattered rag soaked by rain, even the voice conveyed a heavy despair... Kim Jisoo curled up at the head of the bed, her diary still scattered at her feet, the words on the pages now like countless fine needles, pricking her so much that she didn't even have the strength to lift her head.

"Waaah...why..." she choked back tears...

Kim Ji-soo's emotions surged like a tsunami, carrying regret, numbness, despair, and the chill of betrayal. Anger, like a torrential downpour outside the window, fell from the sky without warning, hitting her heart and leaving it riddled with holes.

A green hat falls from the sky—angry and ferocious...

"..." When Kim Jisoo raised her face again, her delicate features were no longer as refined as before. Her eyes were swollen and bulging, with bloodshot veins covering the whites of her eyes, and even the corners of her eyes were sickly red and swollen. Yet, Jisoo's tears continued to flow, dripping down her jawline and into her collar...

She stopped wiping away the tears that wouldn't dry, and got out of bed shakily, her whole body trembling.

Her fair, delicate arches buckled the moment they touched the carpet, causing her to collapse completely to the ground. With a cold expression, Kim Jisoo gritted her teeth and forced out a name: "Cho Mi-yeon..."

She couldn't understand why things had turned out this way... For the first time, she had someone she liked. Someone she could be friends with for life. Two happy things overlapped, and these two joys brought her even more happiness. What she had received should have been a dreamlike, blissful time... But, but, why did it turn out like this?

With a fierce and stubborn expression, Kim Jisoo picked up the diary from the bed and walked towards the living room. Her trembling steps and body filled with anger made her seem to radiate a raging "flame"...

The unbalanced mindset also changed accordingly.

If it weren't for Zhao Meiyan's scheme back then, who would Gong Cheng have dated? It's really hard to say. It might very well have been me!

I'm not going to be a mouse spying on other people's happiness in the sewers anymore; that's the life that was meant for me all along...

……

"Jisu-unnie?"

...Minatozaki Sana, who was drinking with Zhao Meiyan, was sitting at an angle that faced the bedroom door. After seeing her, she called out, thinking of inviting her to sit down and have a drink together and confide in each other.

Hearing the voice, Zhao Meiyan turned around, smiling as she looked up at Kim Jisoo: "Unnie, are you feeling any better...?"

Her drunken tone carried a hint of coquetry, but before she could finish speaking, she saw that unnie... disheveled, haggard... beautiful face filled with sadness and anger, clutching... a diary??

Her gentle, slightly intoxicated smile and pupils instantly contracted involuntarily. The warm, sluggish feeling that had just enveloped her body was suddenly doused with cold water, leaving her stunned and staring intently at the diary in her hand.

"Unnie, why are you holding my diary?" Zhao Meiyan hurriedly got up from the carpet, trying to go over and snatch the diary from Kim Jisoo's hand.

Sana Minatozaki sat in the corner of the sofa, a half-finished glass of wine still between her fingers. She was yawning halfway through when her gaze was drawn to a hurried figure...

Kim Jisoo walked faster and faster until she reached Jo Mi-yeon. Seeing the shocked expression on her face, she swiftly grabbed a wine glass from the table and splashed it onto Jo Mi-yeon's pale face as she staggered to her feet.

"So flustered? Miyeon..."

A hoarse voice, coldly mocking.

Zhao Meiyan's pale face was flushed with the effects of alcohol. She opened her mouth, her whole body trembling as she looked at Kim Jisoo in front of her. Ignoring the alcohol that was dripping down her forehead and through her hair, she asked in a trembling voice, "You read my diary?"

"..." Sana Minatozaki was a little confused by Jisoo Kim's sudden attack!
Thinking back, Zhao Meiyan had splashed a glass of wine on me earlier. Could it be that she came to get revenge for me?
For a moment, although I didn't understand what was going on between Zhao Meiyan and Kim Jisoo, these two "fake besties"... Minatozaki Sana couldn't help but steal a glance at Kim Jisoo. This girl was indeed as I expected, scheming and ambitious...

Very ruthless.

"Your diary?" Kim Jisoo's lips trembled coldly as she stared at the frozen Zhao Meiyan before her. The anger in her eyes finally found an outlet: "If this diary is yours..."

As she spoke, her arm trembled violently as she raised the diary. Kim Jisoo suddenly raised her hand, and with a "smack," the diary slammed heavily onto Jo Miyeon: "So what else did you steal from me?!"

She roared angrily, her face contorted horribly beneath her hair.

The hard cover of the diary slammed against Zhao Meiyan's arm with a dull thud, and the pages flipped open with a clatter, revealing densely packed handwriting inside...

"You've read it?" Zhao Meiyan glanced down at the diary on the carpet, ignoring the throbbing pain in her arm, and asked in a muffled, trembling voice.

Jisoo's beautiful eyes gleamed, and she tried to force a cold laugh, but tears still welled up in her eyes: "Of course I've seen it! I even wrote a review!!!"

She pointed to her throbbing heart, then grabbed Zhao Meiyan's shoulders, shook her, and screamed in a trembling, broken voice, "Are you watching me make a fool of myself, jumping around like a clown? Is that ridiculous, Zhao Meiyan?!"

"Friends..." Kim Jisoo paused, her voice trembling with sobs, and looked at Jo Miyeon with disappointment. "That's not how friends are, Paboo, I was wrong. I'm the biggest fool in the world, haha..."

She laughed and cried at the same time, making fun of herself.

Jisoo's questions were like whips, lashing at Miyeon's heart again and again. With tears streaming down her face, Miyeon looked at Jisoo, who knew the whole truth, and cried out, "What about unnie? What did unnie do... couldn't you see back then? I liked oppa from the first moment I saw him. Did you do any of those things that were written in the diary?"

"Back then, I asked you if you liked Gong Cheng?" She brought up the past: "What was your answer? You said you didn't like him! But then you went to Yonsei University to see him behind my back..."

Sana Minatozaki was completely dumbfounded at this moment, unsure whether to stand or sit, and looked at the two of them.

"Back then... I went to Yonsei University to cut ties with him—Pab!" Kim Jisoo screamed, trying to explain her grievances. She grabbed Jo Miyeon's shoulders and shoved her hard, knocking her onto the carpet. "Later, because of what you did, at least before my debut, I never contacted him again..."

Who would believe that?

Seeing that things had come to a head, Zhao Meiyan sat on the ground and looked up at her with a bitter smile: "So now, unnie, before you went into that bedroom, who was standing here yelling—that's the one who likes Gong Cheng? Wasn't it you?"

Upon hearing this, Kim Jisoo's heart shattered into pieces. Looking at Jo Miyeon's bitter smile, tears streamed down her face. This time, she would no longer echo her laughter: "But that should have been mine, Jo Miyeon, you shouldn't have lied to me... for four years!"

"For four whole years, do you know how I spent those four years?"

You—you are despicable!

I've spent four years, four seasons... practicing on a single Joker...

Cho Mi-yeon's betrayal was even harder for Kim Ji-soo to accept than Bae Joo-hyun's or Lim Na-yeon's. Kim Ji-soo felt that the past four years had been a joke, yet she was still complacent, thinking herself so noble and selfless.

He acted like a complete idiot, lecturing that brat...

"Am I despicable?" Zhao Meiyan suddenly tilted her head, roughly wiping the alcohol from her face with her palm. The alcohol mixed with tears left messy marks on her pale cheeks. She slowly stood up, her body, which had been trembling, now taut. "Unnie and him in America, isn't that despicable? You held hands on the Ferris wheel, kissed under the maple tree, isn't that despicable?"

These words were like a knife, piercing deep into Kim Jisoo's heart. She clenched her fists, her nails almost digging into her palms, and was about to retort when Jo Mi-yeon interrupted her…

"Don't tell me all this filth happened before I even started dating him!" Zhao Meiyan took a step closer, her voice suddenly rising in a hysterical accusation. "You think I really don't know? You think you can hide your 'secrets' with him forever?"

"But holding hands and kissing happened before you two were dating!" Kim Jisoo's lips trembled violently, her voice filled with anger and grievance at being wrongly accused. She suddenly raised her wrist, wanting to slap Cho Miyeon across the face: "But how could you?!"

She screamed, her eyes bloodshot as if they were about to burst, "How could you confess to him in front of me on purpose? How could you pretend to comfort me and lie to me for advice every time you argued with him... What do you take me for... A tool to chase after men? You big idiot!"

The slap never landed; instead, a forceful shove followed… Kim Jisoo placed both hands on Jo Miyeon's shoulders and shoved her forward with a thud—with a muffled "thud," Jo Miyeon lost her balance and fell heavily onto the wine-stained carpet, her back aching from the impact…

She toyed with me for four years... and yet I'm still such a spineless coward, I can't even bring myself to slap her! Aaaaaah!!!

Ouch!!!

Now Kim Ji-soo understands everything. It turns out that it wasn't Gong Cheng who was manipulating her all along, but the "friend" right in front of her...

Haji Cheng: Have I gotten even paler? You desperately need a strong arm to lean on.

"..."

Sana Minatozaki sat to the side, watching the tense scene unfold, unsure of what to do, but she vaguely understood some of the cause and effect.

It seems that Zhao Meiyan set up Kim Jisoo?
Otherwise... Xiao Baicai's ex-girlfriend might have been Kim Jisoo?
But looking at it this way—isn't Zhuge Zhixiu a bit stupid? It's not quite what I predicted... Minatozaki Sana lay dazedly on the table, propping her cheek with one hand, tilting her head to look at the two people with low spirits.

You're really something, little cabbage...

"So every time Unnie advises me to break up with Gong Cheng, isn't it just because she wants to take over his burden?" Zhao Meiyan asked, tears streaming down her face and her eyes red.

"Shut up!" Kim Jisoo suddenly looked up, her vulnerability completely replaced by anger. "Even if I'm just waiting to be dumped, it's better than you scheming against me!!!"

"See? You still want to take over. You finally told me the truth, unnie?" Zhao Miyeon sat on the ground, watching Kim Jisoo's broken state. She raised her hand to support herself on the ground, slowly got up, and cried, "Mi-ah unnie, I'm sorry. But perhaps, if time could turn back... I would still do it."

She sniffled, her voice trembling with tears, but a hint of stubbornness lingered in her eyes.

Hearing this, Kim Jisoo gave a pale smile, walked up to Jo Miyeon, her eyes full of regret, and said in a cold yet trembling voice, "Then let me tell you, Jo Miyeon, if it happens again, I will never be like a clown, giving you my whole heart, and I will never give him to you!"

"Give it to me?"

Zhao Meiyan suddenly raised her head, her tear-streaked face instantly turning red. Her previous vulnerability was replaced by a defiant attitude, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Unnie, you're always so self-righteous and think too highly of yourself."

As she spoke, her body slumped weakly onto the sofa, tears still streaming down her face. But her defiant spirit had weakened; a void seemed to have been ripped from her heart. Her friend… was gone… she couldn't defend herself anymore…

"Not counting Mo?" Kim Jisoo stared at her face upon hearing this. "Zhao Meiyan, you overestimate yourself. Now, we're—broken up!"

"Then let's do it again!" Her resolute tone was light and quick, announcing the complete breakdown of their friendship.

Today, I sever all ties with you!

From this day forward—we will meet again without dismounting, and each of us will now seize the opportunity to mourn!

The smell of alcohol mixed with the salty taste of tears in the air made the atmosphere even more oppressive, while the torrential rain outside the window continued to pound against the glass.

"...Unnie..."

Zhao Meiyan raised her face and called out.

"Don't call me unnie!!!" Kim Jisoo, who was about to leave, suddenly turned back, her eyes filled with heartbreak and disappointment: "You chose me, Cho Miyeon!!!"

After saying that, she didn't look at Zhao Meiyan again, turned around and walked towards the door without the slightest hesitation. Her previously hunched back was now straight... But only she knew that her heart felt like a piece had been ripped out, and the pain was so intense that she could hardly breathe.

Four years of heartfelt sincerity ultimately resulted in scheming and a complete break. The chilling feeling is beyond words...

As she passed by Zhao Meiyan's bedroom, Kim Jisoo went in and picked up her coat. Her eyes, filled with turbulent emotions, suddenly caught a glimpse of a pink box and a strawberry-scented burlap sack in the bedside table drawer. She reached out and stuffed one hand into her pocket. These things, including Gong Cheng, should have been hers!
"..."

When she came out of the bedroom again, Sana Minatozaki was holding Miyeon Cho and gently comforting her.

Kim Jisoo didn't even glance at them, opened the door, and walked out of Jo Miyeon's house...

Zhao Meiyan stared at her departing figure, then choked back sobs and burst into tears. She buried her face in her hands, uttering incoherent words, and knelt on the carpet, crying out, "Jisoo unnie~ unnie~ unnie~… Waaaaah…"

Miyeon Crying Show – Meaning:
With sobs and tears streaming down her face, she seemed to genuinely feel that she had done something wrong; the unnie who had once been so devoted to her would never return… and so she began to feel remorse and burst into tears…

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

……

"Woooooooo..."

As Kim Ji-soo walked out of Cho Mi-yeon's house, the tears she thought she had long since cried out burst forth. She raised her hand to cover her mouth, and suppressed sobs escaped through her fingers. She didn't know what she was feeling as she left that house, and now she stood trembling in front of the apartment building.

I watched the storm raging in the night with a heavy, mournful gaze. The rain poured down relentlessly.

"Miyeon~ Miyeon... Waaah."

Jisoo's Crying Face - Meaning:
She didn't regret it, but she knew very well that the silly, sweet-smiling friend, Pabu, would never come back...

"Woooooo~"

The scattered raindrops fell on Kim Jisoo's cheeks, tears mingling with the rain. She hadn't brought an umbrella and felt utterly pathetic and miserable.

There seemed to be nowhere to go, especially when she thought of Zhao Meiyan's betrayal. Her heart ached as she stood in the rain. The torrential rain instantly soaked her to the bone. Her small, disheveled, desperate, and helpless body looked frail and swaying precariously in the night...

Zhuge Zhixiu felt the torrential rain... The scheming of her friends, the misunderstanding of her beloved... all seemed to be washing away in this rain, leaving her heart ashen, her despair beyond words... Her hair, soaked by the rain, clung to her cheeks and brows. She couldn't help but tilt her head back, letting the cold rain pound on her face. A sorrowful cry broke through her throat, echoing in the rain: "Zhuge Zhixiu, there are traitors all around."

"Oh, heavens, how cruel you are to me..."

Her voice cracked and trembled, filled with resentment and despair... Kim Jisoo stood motionless in the rain like a lost puppet, looking as pathetic as if abandoned by the whole world.

The rain continued to fall, and the tears continued to stream down her face, but she could no longer distinguish between rain and tears; she only felt a deep ache in her heart…

It hurts—it hurts so much!

The raindrops grew heavier, stinging her face. Kim Jisoo's soaked clothes clung tightly to her body, and a gust of cold wind sent shivers down her spine. She shivered uncontrollably, her teeth chattering slightly, and she staggered toward the nearest stairwell...

"..."

Kim Jisoo carefully took her phone out of her pocket, wiped the rain off it, opened her contacts, and saw the pinned contact with the note: "First Dawn of the East".

Her fingers trembled as she pressed the call button... until the call connected and a warm, gentle voice spoke up: "Hello?"

Warm tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably, along with the anger and resentment she had been holding back, all of which transformed into a deep sense of grievance...

The motion-activated lights in the hallway were awakened by Kim Jisoo's cries. She stood alone in the dim light, her shoulders trembling violently, her soaked hair sticking to her face. She stamped her feet pitifully and cried out:

"Where are you—you little bastard... Waaah..."

(End of this chapter)