Chapter 5:: Glass and Silence
The morning after the party was unusually quiet.
Yeri sat on the edge of the bed, still in her sleep shirt, her fingers tracing the faint yellow bruise on her wrist. The room was dim, with the curtains half drawn. Outside, birds chirped as if nothing had changed.
But something had.
She felt it in the silence. The air seemed to hesitate around her.
Downstairs, the house felt tense, as if it were holding its breath.
Yunjun hadn't come to see her. She hadn't really expected him to.
She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. Memories from the night before replayed in fragments—Daeho's hand on her, Yunjun's fist, the way his voice trembled when he said, "I'm sorry."
And she didn't know how to react to that.
She wasn't used to people being sincere.
Soojin was watching.
From the top of the staircase, she had seen Yeri slip into Yunjun's study the night before, looking like she belonged there.
Barefoot. Hair down.
Intimate.
She watched the door close behind her.
Soojin had stood still for almost an hour.
That was when the plan formed—not rushed or chaotic. No, Soojin didn't do chaos. She waited. Thought it through.
Now, she felt calm. Almost peaceful.
This was just… correction.
A quiet rebalancing.
Yeri made her way to the kitchen. Her stomach grumbled with hunger, but nothing looked appetizing. A half-eaten fruit tray sat on the marble island, untouched since last night. The leftover wine glasses felt like ghosts.
She turned to make tea.
That's when Soojin walked in.
"Morning," Soojin said, her tone too cheerful.
Yeri stiffened. "Morning."
Soojin stepped closer, wearing silk. Immaculate. No one could look that perfect so early without trying.
"I didn't see you come down for breakfast."
"I wasn't hungry."
Soojin smiled, but her eyes were cold. "That's not healthy."
Yeri turned back to the kettle. "I'm fine."
"You're not."
Something in Soojin's voice made her freeze.
Then—
"I saw you last night."
Yeri turned slowly. "Excuse me?"
Soojin tilted her head. "In my brother's study. You went to him."
Yeri felt a chill. "I didn't— It wasn't like that."
Soojin moved closer. "But he looked at you like it was."
Yeri's throat tightened. "Nothing happened."
"Oh, sweetheart," Soojin said sharply, her voice cold beneath a soft tone. "You think I don't know how girls like you operate?"
"I'm not—"
"Don't interrupt me."
The words cut like ice.
Yeri looked down.
"I've watched you," Soojin said, circling her like a predator. "You're quiet, sweet. The kind that makes men want to protect you. Makes them forget to think."
She leaned in.
"You made him weak."
Yeri swallowed hard. "I didn't mean—"
"That's the problem, isn't it?" Soojin hissed. "You never mean to. But suddenly, you're in his thoughts, his decisions, and now my brother is punching guests in front of investors."
Yeri stepped back, heart racing. "I didn't ask him to do that."
"No. You just stood there like a damsel and let him play the hero."
Soojin's hand shot out quickly.
Yeri barely ducked.
The mug in her hand crashed to the floor, shards scattering across the tile.
She backed against the counter. "Please—"
Soojin advanced, her breath quick and uneven.
"You think this house is your safe place?" she whispered. "It's not. It's a business. And you're a threat."
"I don't want anything from him."
"Liar."
Yeri tried to get past her, but Soojin blocked the way.
"Don't walk away from me."
She shoved Yeri hard.
Yeri stumbled, her foot slipping on the broken mug.
Time folded in on itself.
She hit the floor hard.
Her head struck the corner of the counter with a sickening crack.
Everything blurred.
Her vision swam with stars and static.
She heard someone gasp, maybe herself.
Then—a rush of silence.
Yunjun heard the crash from his office.
At first, he ignored it.
Then, something felt off.
Too quiet.
Too long.
He left his desk and hurried down the hallway.
The kitchen door was half open.
He pushed it wider—
And froze.
Yeri lay on the floor, blood pooling under her temple. Her legs were twisted. One hand lay limply open.
Soojin stood above her, wide-eyed.
"I didn't mean to—" she began.
Yunjun didn't hear the rest.
He dropped to his knees.
"Yeri. Yeri, hey—"
Her eyes fluttered but didn't focus.
He touched her face. "No, no—stay with me. Don't move. Just breathe, okay?"
Her lips barely moved. "Cold…"
"Ambulance," he shouted at the maid who had come running. "Now."
He looked up at his sister.
"What the hell did you do?"
Soojin's hands shook. "She slipped. I didn't—"
"You put her on the floor."
"She tried to leave, and—"
"You hurt her."
His voice broke on the last word.
He held Yeri's hand against his chest.
"I've got you," he whispered. "Just hold on."
The hospital lights were too bright.
Yunjun sat in the waiting room, blood still on his shirt.
His hands locked together as if in prayer.
The doctor came out after what felt like hours.
"She's stable," he said. "But she has a concussion and a fractured collarbone. We'll keep her overnight for observation."
Yunjun stood slowly. "Can I see her?"
The doctor nodded. "Just a minute. She's still disoriented."
When he entered the room, Yeri looked so small. Pale against the hospital sheets.
She turned her head slightly and winced.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hi," she whispered.
Her voice was hoarse.
He sat beside her but didn't reach for her hand—just let her see him.
"You're safe," he said.
"I fell."
"You were pushed."
Silence.
Yeri blinked slowly. "I knew she hated me."
"She won't come near you again. I promise."
Yeri's lips trembled. "Why is everything always a battle?"
Yunjun swallowed. "Because people see something soft and want to crush it."
She looked at him. "Are you going to?"
"No," he said. "I think I'd rather protect it this time."
Her eyes filled again.
But this time, the tears didn't fall from fear.
Back at the house, Soojin stood alone in the kitchen.
A single shard of porcelain sat in her hand, stained with blood.
She stared at it, hoping it might explain something.
It didn't.
She dropped it in the sink.
Her voice echoed, low and bitter.
"She made him weak."
But deep down, something else whispered:
You lost him.
To be continued...
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