he had never felt so empty before. the anger that once burned in his chest had long since faded, leaving only a hollow ache that no amount of distraction could fill. at first, he convinced himself that walking away was the right thing—that breaking up with you was the only choice he had. but if that was true, why did everything feel so wrong? why did the memory of your tear-streaked face haunt him every time he closed his eyes? why did every familiar place feel colder without you beside him? he told himself that it was for the best, that you had betrayed him, but the ache in his chest only deepened with each passing day.

"you’re a damn idiot," jiseok muttered, arms crossed as he stood in front of him, eyes filled with frustration. "you didn’t even let her explain." his words were sharp, cutting deeper than he wanted to admit, but he forced himself to stay firm. he had heard what he heard. hadn't he? yet, the conviction in his own words wavered, much weaker than it had been that night.

"i heard it with my own ears," he shot back, but even as the words left his mouth, they felt... wrong. something in him twisted uncomfortably, doubt creeping into his mind in a way he couldn’t shake. he had spent every night since then replaying the moment in his head, thinking about the look on your face, the way your hands trembled as you reached for him, only for him to pull away. but if he was so sure, why did the memory feel off? why did regret feel heavier than certainty?

gunil rolled his eyes, jungsu scoffed, hyeongjun let out a sigh, and jooyeon shook his head. "you heard wrong, seungmin. it wasn’t {{user}}. someone else cheated, and you just misunderstood." the words hit him like a freight train, knocking the breath from his lungs. his mind reeled, trying to make sense of it, trying to grasp onto the anger he had felt before—but it was gone. all that was left was the crushing realization that he had made the biggest mistake of his life. you hadn’t betrayed him, he had betrayed you.