The Traitor Returns

Eventually, the elegant marble table in the living room became a chaotic spread of delivery food boxes and empty beer cans — a sight that clashed violently with the room's refined decor.

Gang-bin kept the mood light with relentless jokes, and Teo, uncharacteristically talkative for once, occasionally snickered and chimed in. The initial awkwardness had vanished completely. Before she knew it, Yusom found herself sipping a highball and getting swept up in their conversation.

The cold, sweet liquid sliding down her throat loosened the tension and fatigue she'd accumulated throughout the day.

"Ugh, there's nothing like a post-workout drink! Hey! Baek Eun-geon, come out and eat pizza!"

Gang-bin bellowed, chewing through a slice of pizza bigger than his own palm, but Eun-geon didn't respond. When there was no answer, Teo didn't bother calling him either — probably figuring, like most guys, that he'd come out when he felt like eating.

"You always make everything about working out. You complain that weekends are boring if you don't drink."

Teo chided Gang-bin, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He didn't seem to dislike the atmosphere at all.

Yusom, too, couldn't help but laugh at the comfort she hadn't felt in so long. The four-year gap felt like it had never existed — the three of them were exactly as they'd always been. They traded stupid jokes, laughed at nothing, and as childhood friends who'd been inseparable since they were kids, they could waste hours just reminiscing.

"...It feels like nothing's changed at all, being here like this."

After downing about three highballs, Yusom was already tipsy and her spirits were lifting. She didn't want to admit it, but maybe she'd missed her oppas after all.

"Yusom, you completely cut off contact with us after you went to college. Why did you do that?"

Teo asked, taking a sip of soju from his crystal glass.

"Yusom-ah, actually, the three of us went to see you on the day of your high school graduation. Eun-geon even ordered a bouquet of flowers."

At Gang-bin's words, Yusom felt a pang and looked away. She'd had her reasons, but now it hardly mattered.

"We waited so long to congratulate you. We wanted to take at least one photo together."

Gang-bin's voice was thick with hurt. His slumped shoulders looked pitiful somehow — like an abandoned big dog.

But explaining herself now, or apologizing, felt impossible, so Yusom stayed silent.

"Alright, alright. You're killing the mood. At least we get to see each other now. Cheers, cheers!"

Gang-bin salvaged the atmosphere and raised his glass again. Reluctantly, they all clinked glasses together.

The cheerful clink of glass against glass rang out. The awkward tension seemed to ease once more.

That was when it happened.

Boom.

Eun-geon's door flew open with a violent crash.

His face twisted in a scowl, he strode into the living room with heavy steps.

"It's too loud. You woke me up."

Something clearly annoyed him — he glared at Teo, then scowled at Gang-bin.

Then he strode over and snatched Teo's glass. The round ice cubes still floating inside, he poured soju straight into it and downed the whole thing in one gulp.

"...Hey, Baek Eun-geon. Drink slower."

Teo tried to stop him, but it was useless. Eun-geon slammed the empty glass onto the table with a loud thud.

"What's so fun about being with a traitor?"

"......"

The words struck Yusom like a knife to the gut. She froze.

The warm, cheerful air in the room turned icy cold in an instant.

"You scratched my car, and now you're crawling back here shamefully for money."

Yusom was wounded again by Eun-geon's words. His blunt, unfiltered way of speaking was something she'd never been able to adapt to.

He'd been like this ever since she was seven. The hurt she'd received meant nothing to him, but it felt like old wounds were reopening, and she couldn't bear it.

"Hey, Baek Eun-geon. That's too harsh. It's been a long time since she's seen us."

"Han Teo. You're out of this."

Sparks flew between Teo and Eun-geon. They'd thrown punches at each other when they were kids, but Teo's relatively slim frame no longer matched Eun-geon's monstrous build — they weren't even in the same weight class anymore.

They're not actually going to fight, are they?

Yusom wondered if she'd been nostalgic for too long, staying here too long. At the same time, a rebellious streak rose up against Eun-geon's constant prickliness.

"I'm sorry I scratched your car, but that's partly your fault too."

"What?"

"I moved your car because you made me run an errand for Yoon-chan oppa, and it was parked illegally in front of the convenience store. I was worried about getting a ticket."

The more she thought about it, the more unfair it felt. She'd even offered to work off the debt properly. Yusom couldn't hold back from saying one thing to Eun-geon.

"You're the one who told Yoon-chan oppa to buy cigarettes, that's why!"

The story of the cigarette errand for Yoon-chan came flooding back, fueling her anger.

Yusom was certain Eun-geon was behind it.

After her counseling session with Ji-hae, she'd been heading to the company and would have been on the phone with Eun-geon — naturally, he'd told her to buy cigarettes.

How old was Yoon-chan, anyway? There was a limit to how much unreasonable bullying was acceptable.

"I made my hyung run a cigarette errand for me."

"Yeah. The fact that Yoon-chan oppa wouldn't say anything to the end proves it."

Eun-geon slammed his soju glass down and scowled, as if his appetite had vanished. He glared at Yusom and asked:

"Have you ever seen me smoke?"

"...No, but—"

It would be weirder if someone who looked like him didn't smoke.

Yusom barely managed to swallow that response. With Eun-geon's physique, he looked like the kind of guy who'd have a cigarette or vape in his mouth all day long.

Just looking at the older male students in general, most of them smoked. When he'd learned to smoke was beyond Yusom's knowledge.

They say good-looking people get away with things. It had been over four years since she'd been in contact with Eun-geon, so a lot of her information was outdated — but the rumors about him frequenting clubs in Apgujeong and Cheongdam were well-known on social media.

So... at first, Yusom had been quite shocked. There were no such rumors about Gang-bin or Teo, which made it worse.

And eventually, she'd given up on being disappointed in Eun-geon. He'd always been the most unruly and self-indulgent of the three since they were kids.

Yusom had been disappointed in Eun-geon ever since those messy rumors started circulating.

"Yusom-ah."

Teo's voice was calm but firm. At the serious tone in which he called her name, Yusom paused.

"Eun-geon doesn't smoke."

"What?"

"He's a swimmer. Even a slight drop in lung capacity would immediately affect his records. So he drinks, but he doesn't even touch cigarettes. He's so strict about self-care that he calls them poison. Not just us, but the coaches know it too."

"Yeah, yeah."

Gang-bin nodded eagerly, as if he'd been waiting for his turn to jump in.

"Eun-geon really can't stand the smell of cigarettes. The person who made Yoon-chan hyung run the errand was probably... someone else. Or maybe someone higher up at the company."

Yusom felt as if a hammer had struck her head. She was dazed.

Eun-geon oppa doesn't smoke? Really?

Then who made Yoon-chan oppa run the errand?

But the rumors about him going to clubs and partying — those are real, right? Or are those rumors too?

Her mind went completely blank.

"Then, who...?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

Eun-geon shot back in a voice cold as ice. His eyes held only contempt and anger directed at Yusom.

Yusom stood frozen, unable to bring herself to say she was sorry.

"You don't know anything about me."

"......"

"You two drink without me. This tastes like shit."