CHAPTER 2:
The notification from Ja Jan caught North's attention the moment it
appeared on the sleek new phone screen.
[JA JAN]: (120 NEW MESSAGES)
He sighed deeply, already bracing himself for what awaited. He wasn't
surprised to hear from her—not after the incident with her new boyfriend,
Temp, last night. But the sheer volume of messages was unprecedented.
Hundreds? That was new.
With a resigned expression, North tapped on the notification. Whatever she had to say, he might as well hear it now. Even if her words stung or she threw accusations at him, they couldn't possibly weigh more heavily on his mind than his mounting debt.
The messages began:
[JA JAN]: North...Why didn't you answer? Last night, you were still
reading my messages. Where did you go?
North scrolled further.
[JA JAN]: Temp told me everything. I know you're still impatient and
haven't changed. Temp said he was just protecting himself.
[JA JAN]: You suddenly came to him looking for trouble. I'm in between
believing and disbelieving. I want to hear it from you. What happened?
Even if you're impulsive, I know you wouldn't act without a reason. Please
tell me.
He paused, exhaling sharply. Did she really want an explanation, or was this just her way of prolonging unnecessary drama?
[JA JAN]: Oh, and the person who came to pick you up last night—who
told him? Temp said he was a senior in the faculty. Temp didn't dare pursue the matter because he was scared of him.
[JA JAN]: I'm waiting for your answer. Look, we're friends no matter what.
Don't ignore me. Please answer my chat.
North skimmed the rest. Stickers. So many stickers. He couldn't help but
feel irritated. They'd broken up long ago—why was she still messaging him like this? And why use the same old pronouns they'd once shared when they were a couple? It was irritating, almost as if she wanted to pretend nothing had changed.
His thumb hovered over the keyboard. He typed, deleted, typed again, then deleted. What was the point? Whatever he said would just complicate things further. Instead, he walked to the edge of the room, as far as possible from the router, subconsciously worried that he might overhear. Then another notification came.
[JA JAN]: Yay, you answered! How are you?
North sighed and reluctantly typed back.
[NORTH]: I'm okay.
[JA JAN]: Good. Can you tell me about last night?
[NORTH]: Didn't Temp tell you already?
Explaining would take too much energy, and in truth, it wouldn't matter what he said. If he told her Temp had been cozying up to someone else, she wouldn't believe him. She'd always seen Temp as the good guy.
[JA JAN]: That's not true. He said you just came out of nowhere and
caused a scene. Is it true? Was Temp with another girl?
[NORTH]: You know that?
[JA JAN]: No, I was just guessing. Is it true?
North hesitated, then typed.
[NORTH]: If I tell you, will you believe me?
[JA JAN]: I don't know. I'm scared. I just agreed to start dating Temp. If
what you say is true, I don't think I can handle it.
North rubbed his temple. This was exactly why he didn't want to get into it.
[NORTH]: Maybe I just misunderstood. I was really drunk at the time.
Her reaction came quickly:
[JA JAN]: OK!
[NORTH]: How's Temp doing?
[JA JAN]: He got a pretty bad cut. He said you were really aggressive.
Luckily, the senior who came for you calmed things down. Temp said that
guy was intimidating—someone influential. Who is he?
North hesitated again.
[NORTH]: Just... an acquaintance.
[JA JAN]: A senior in medical school, right? Temp said he wouldn't dare
go back to the club anytime soon because of him. How do you know him?
[NORTH]: He's a friend of a friend's boyfriend. That's all.
[JA JAN]: Okay. I'll check on Temp. Will you still talk to me? As a friend? I
feel comfortable talking to you .
[NORTH]: I don't know. Maybe.
[JA JAN]: Okay. Bye.
Before North could set the phone down, a voice cut through the air behind him. "North!"
He flinched, nearly dropping the phone. Turning around, he found Easter standing there, arms crossed, his expression equal parts amused and disapproving.
"How long were you standing there?" North asked, trying to sound casual
as he quickly locked his phone.
"I saw it," Easter said flatly.
North frowned. "Saw what?"
"That was your ex, wasn't it?"
"Shit..." North muttered, pursing his lips.
"Why are you still talking to her?" Easter's tone wasn't angry, but it carried a sharp edge of concern.
"She just wanted to talk about last night," North replied, avoiding eye
contact.
"Oh, yeah? You were drunk and crying over her, weren't you? So what's the plan? Get drunk again and start another fight?"
North didn't respond.
"You promised me you'd stop going back to her, remember?" Easter said,
sitting down beside him. "One day, you'll be strong enough to cut her off
completely. Until then, stop letting her string you along."
North nodded. "Krap, Pho. I'll try."
"Good." Easter softened, leaning back against the bed. "And for the record, you're not alone in this mess. You have people who care about you. So don't act like you have to handle everything yourself."
"Thanks," North murmured, surprised by how much those words meant.
"Don't mention it," Easter said with a grin. "Now, call Kyu before he gets
worried."
North hesitated for a moment before dialing the number Easter had told him to call. His fingers hovered over the screen, lingering just long enough to consider whether this was a good idea. With an irritated sigh, he pressed the call button.
"Damn it, Ter," North muttered, his voice low but laced with frustration. His mind brimmed with unspoken words—resentment, regret—but he knew none of it would make a difference. Easter would just brush it off, as he always did.
As the line connected, North launched into a quick summary before the voice on the other end could get a word in. "Yeah. Not bad. My lips and eyebrows are torn, I'm bruised all over. It hurts like hell, but I'll live."
Kyu's chuckle came through the line, nonchalant as ever.
North could practically see Kyu shrugging. "I'm bruised too. My lip's a little chapped."
"Chapped? Are you serious? How is it not that bad?" North rolled his eyes, his voice incredulous.
Kyu laughed again, a slight edge to his tone. "It's fine. Sorry, but the
punches weren't all that hard."
"Oh, really? Would you like me to throw another one just to make sure?"
North's sarcasm hit the mark, and Kyu let out a snort of amusement.
The conversation drifted to last night's chaos. North pieced together what little he could remember while Kyu filled in the blanks. Temp, liquor
bottles, flying fists—it was a blur of adrenaline and poor choices.
Kyu's voice turned serious for a moment. "You're lucky that guy showed up. It could've been way worse. At first, I thought he was just some bystander,but he was... something else."
North stiffened. "What guy?"
"You don't remember?" Kyu sounded surprised. "He walked into the store,
grabbed you like a sack of rice, and slammed Temp to the floor like it was
nothing. I swear, it was like watching an action movie."
North frowned. "You're exaggerating. No one's that impressive."
"Oh, he was. Temp went pale the second the guy looked at him. The fight was over before anyone realized it." Kyu paused, then added, "He even paid off the shopkeeper—compensation, medical bills, everything."
"How much?" North's stomach churned at the thought of the debt piling higher.
"Tens of thousands," Kyu replied casually, as if it were pocket change.
North groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Just great."
By the time North hung up, his mood was as black as the night outside. He
decided to message Johan—his enigmatic savior.
[JOHAN]: Who?
[NORTH]: It's me. North. T^T
The response was immediate and curt.
[JOHAN]: Don't you have a face?
North winced. Changing his profile picture was suddenly top priority.
What followed was a tense negotiation that left North more flustered than
relieved. Johan's 5% monthly interest was a heavy blow, but North knew he
was in no position to argue further.
When the conversation ended, North flopped onto his bed, staring at the
ceiling. "Ter," he groaned. "This guy is impossible. He's like a blood-
Sucking crab."
Easter didn't even look up from his game. "What now?"
"He charges five percent interest!"
"Could've been worse. He was going to ask for twenty."
North shot upright. "TWENTY?!"
"Yeah. You should be thanking me. I talked him down."
North let out a string of complaints, but Easter was unfazed. North's
headache had returned, and his stress had doubled.~~~~
Later that night, North's phone buzzed again.
[JOHAN]: ....
[JOHAN]: Okay, you don't have to pay interest.
[JOHAN]: But do you agree to do everything I tell you to do?