Minho's
Yuri scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Fine. You got me."
Megan tensed beside me. "So it was you."
I frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Yuri tilted her head, lips curling into something that was almost a smirk. "Are you seriously that slow? Of course it was me. Who else would it be?"
My stomach dropped. I had expected a denial, maybe some fake outrage. But this? Was she admitting it? Just like that?
Hyejin's eyes darkened. "Why?"
Yuri exhaled through her nose like she was bored of the conversation already. "Because that girl tried to take my crown."
I stared at her. "What the hell does that even mean?"
She let out a short, humourless laugh. "Do you really not get it? KISS has always had a queen. And that queen is me. But then Dove showed up, acting like she belonged here. People started liking her, talking about her. Suddenly, she was the one everyone was paying attention to."
Megan shook her head in disbelief. "You're joking."
Yuri shot her a glare. "Oh, please. Don't act so shocked. This school runs on power, and I made sure she knew her place."
I felt my blood start to boil. "So you retaliated?"
Yuri shrugged. "Obviously. What did you expect me to do? Let some random girl take my place?"
Hyejin took a sharp step forward, fists clenched. "You almost got her killed."
For a second, something flickered across her face-annoyance, maybe even regret. But then she just shrugged again. "She should've known better."
I clenched my jaw. "You have no idea what you've done."
She raised an eyebrow, still playing it cool. "And what are you going to do about it, Minho?"
I didn't answer. Because I knew one thing for sure-this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
Hyejin took another step forward, her voice sharp and unwavering. "It's over, Yuri."
Yuri's smirk faltered for just a second.
"Oh, please." She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "What are you gonna do? Run and tattle to the principal? Do you really think anyone here is going to believe you over me?"
Megan crossed her arms. "Oh, we don't need to convince anyone. You already did that yourself."
Yuri's eyes flickered with something-uncertainty, maybe even fear-but she covered it up fast.
Hyejin didn't let up. "You have no idea what's coming. Do you think you're untouchable? You're gonna wish you never did what you did, Yuri."
Yuri scoffed again, but there was less confidence in it this time. She lifted her chin, trying to regain control. "Dove should've known better than to get in my way."
I clenched my fists, my blood boiling. But Hyejin just smiled, sharp and knowing. "And you should've known better than to mess with the wrong people."
For the first time, Yuri's mask cracked.
Yuri scoffed, arms crossing over her chest. "And why do you care so much, Minho?" Her gaze flicked to me, sharp and mocking. "Weren't you the one who dumped her? Now you're suddenly her knight in shining armour?"
I clenched my jaw.
Hyejin stepped forward, but I held up a hand, stopping her. My eyes stayed locked on Yuri's. "Yeah, I broke up with her. But that doesn't mean I wanted to see her hurt."
Yuri smirked, tilting her head. "Really? Because from what I heard, you didn't seem to mind when she was miserable over you."
Something in my chest twisted.
Megan narrowed her eyes. "Nice try, Yuri. You don't get to flip this on Minho. He might've broken up with her, but he didn't try to ruin her."
Yuri exhaled through her nose, still acting unbothered. "Whatever. You're all so dramatic."
Hyejin crossed her arms. "Dramatic? You sabotaged her. You put her in the hospital."
Yuri shrugged like it was nothing. "She should've known her place."
That was it. That was the moment I realized just how far gone she was.
I stepped closer, voice low and firm. "You're gonna regret this, Yuri."
For a second, just a second, I saw it-that flicker of doubt, of fear. But then she masked it with another scoff, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"We'll see about that. "
Minho's POV
I looked at Yuri one last time. She was trying so hard to look unbothered, but I knew better. The way her fingers clenched at her sleeves, the way her jaw tightened-it was starting to sink in.
Whether her father was the principal or not, she was in trouble. With the school. With the student body. And most of all, with her own dad.
And from the way Yuri had always carried herself, I knew that was what scared her the most.
So we didn't waste any more time on her. We left.
----------------
The hospital felt quieter than before.
Hyejin, Megan, and I stepped inside Dove's room, and the second she saw us, her brows pulled together. "Why do you guys look like you just came from a crime scene?"
Megan snorted. "Because we did."
Dove blinked. "...What?"
I exhaled, stepping closer to her bed. "It's over, Dove."
She searched my face, wary. "What's over?"
Hyejin sat on the edge of her bed. "Yuri. We confronted her. She admitted everything."
Dove's lips parted slightly. "She admitted it?"
Megan nodded. "Full confession. No shame, either. But don't worry, she's done for."
Dove looked between us, searching for any sign that this was some kind of cruel joke. But it wasn't. This was real.
"She's really getting punished for this?" she asked, voice quieter this time.
I nodded. "Even if her dad's the principal, she's still in trouble. And not just with the school-with him too."
Dove let out a breath, like she was finally allowing herself to believe it. Then she leaned back against her pillows, her lips curving into a small, tired smile.
"Good."
Before any of us could say anything else, the door swung open, and in came Dae, balancing a tray of food in his hands with the most pitiful expression on his face.
"Please," he groaned dramatically, "someone save me from this slavery."
Dove tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Slavery? I prefer to call it a dedicated service."
Dae let out a long, suffering sigh as he set the tray down on the table beside her bed. "The dedicated service you speak of just made me go all the way back to the cafeteria because apparently, the soup I got wasn't hot enough-like I control the temperature." He shot her a look. "And then I had to go back again because I 'forgot' your extra pudding. Even though I swear you never asked for it in the first place."
Megan smirked. "And let me guess, you got scolded in front of a bunch of kids?"
Dae threw his hands up. "Not just kids-elementary school kids. Do you know how humiliating it is to be publicly roasted by a cafeteria lady while six-year-olds watch?"
Hyejin burst out laughing while Dove just grinned up at him. "Aww, my personal butler is suffering."
Dae narrowed his eyes at her. "Personal butler? Oh no, don't get used to this."
Dove grabbed the pudding cup from the tray, popping the lid open with a satisfied smirk. "I don't know, this treatment is kinda nice."
Dae groaned and flopped into the chair beside her bed. "This hospital stay has made you way too spoiled."
Megan leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Oh please, as if you're not enjoying this just as much as she is."
Dae scoffed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "Yeah, sure."
Dove just smiled, quietly eating her pudding while Dae continued complaining-though we all knew he didn't actually mind.
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That's it for this one. I'm happy to see Minho and Dae a little more chill with each other now.