Chapter 11

An hour ago, Lia, Dan, In Ha and Donghoon were still in the café discussing on how helping Lia to find the culprit who exposed her.

"Don't you think we really should find the culprit? It's getting pretty annoying." Said In Ha

"Yeah, is there anyone suspicious around you?" asked Donghoon as he drink his coke.

Lia shook her head. The only people that she's been hanging out to are them, and also Liyli. No one else. So Lia has no idea at all. But the only one who knows that she writes a novel are Dan and Liyli. But Dan never knows her laptop password, nor even does he touch her laptop. Plus, Dan was with her that night so there's no way he would go through her laptop. But then, one person came across her mind.

*no way. It can't be her* thought Lia and shook her head not wanting to know that Liyli is the one behind all of this.

"Who else can it be? I'm guessing Liyli." Said In Ha and everyone was surprised at the mention of that name.

"I thought she was her best friend?" asked Donghoon as he raised his eyebrows, thinking.

"It can be her too… I mean, she knows everything about you, right" asked Dan while looking at Lia.

"Yeah… but I don't think she would do that…" said Lia trying to deny that Liyli would be the culprit.

"But," said In Ha as he clasped her hands together and rested her chin on it. "We won't know till we test her." Added In Ha and snickered. She has a plan.

***

"Liyli, what are you doing with my laptop?" asked Lia as she went near her and noticed Liyli was holding her phone and looked so surprised after she called her. Suddenly, In Ha, Dan and Donghoon came out after hiding themselves at the aisle of the book shelves In Ha went near Liyli and snatched her phone from her hands.

"Hey, give it back!" said Liyli but too late, In Ha had gone through her phone and found photos, and a conversation between Liyli and a junior from computer science department.

"Caught red handed." Said In Ha and smirked while showing Dan the evidence on her phone. Then, Lia realised that all of them are in the library and not wanting to make any noises, she took Liyli's hand.

"Let's talk outside." Said Lia but everyone knows from her voice, she was trying to hold her tears from falling down.

"Lia-" called Dan but Lia has left them and talk to Lia outside of the library. Lia did not know where she was heading to, but she drags both of them at the end of the hallway from the library. "Lia, I-I can explain…." Said Liyli and noticed that Lia hasn't released her hand yet.

"Lia…" called Liyli.

"Why would you do that?" asked Lia while looking down, still not letting go of Liyli's hand. Her voice was crooked as she tries to hold her tears. "Why?" asked Lia again.

"I TRUST YOU!" yelled Lia. She can't hold her tears anymore and she cried. "You're my best friend. How could you do this to me…" cried Lia. She was crying so hard and couldn't believe that Liyli was the one who did this to her. "I really hope that it wasn't you. I really hope. But it's you. JUST WHY?!" shouted Lia and cried. It just hurt so much. Her own best friend just betrayed her.

"BECAUSE I LIKE DAN!" answered Liyli shamelessly.

"What?" asked Lia in disbelief, and let go of her hand.

"You humiliated me, letting people called me a stalker, calling me a freak, throw water at me, just because of that?" asked Lia and tears were running down her cheeks.

"Didn't I told you before not to trust anyone easily?" said Liyli.

"I met him first. I know him first. On the day you told me you had a crush on him, I hate you so much. I pretend to be happy for you. In fact, I know every place that you went with him because you told me. I followed you both, and I got jealous seeing how he treated you. WHY CAN'T HE NOTICE ME WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU?!" said Liyli in furious.

It's true, Liyli met Dan first. It was during their orientation day, and Liyli got lost trying to look for her team. Then, she met Dan and asked him about her team whereabout and turns out Dan was on her team too. That's how they first met. But however, to Dan, Liyli was just someone that he met during orientation day. But to Liyli, she had fallen for him for real. On the day when Lia told her that Dan has helped her during the rainy day when she forgot her umbrella and Dan let her use the umbrella, Lia told her she had a crush on him too. Ever since that day, she would do anything just to get Dan by her side. She doesn't even care if Lia is her best friend or not.

"Liyli, I trust you. That's why I told you everything about me." Cried Lia. While both of them were arguing, the other three which are In Ha, Dan and Donghoon was there too listening to them.

"The stalker one is you." Said In Ha. "Dan was nice to everyone. Not just you." Added In Ha.

"Liyli, I was there when you need my help, I was there when both of your parents got divorced. I was there with you all the time." said Lia. "Don't you ever talk to me again. Our friendship, is over!" yelled Lia and squatted down while crying. Dan noticed that she was crying so hard. Her eyes, and her face has turned red. Without thinking, Dan straight away went near her and pulled her in his embrace.

He help her to stands up, and the four of them leave Liyli alone.

'Don't you ever talk to me again!' those sentences were lingering in Liyli's ears. She suddenly felt so scared, afraid she won't have any friend to talk with. "Lia-ah!" called Liyli and found that she had left her alone.

"I'm sorry…" muttered Liyli alone finally realizing what she did was wrong.

Right after Lia had calmed down, both she and Dan were at the Han River together. They were sitting on the grass till the sky has turned dark. Ever since they left the campus, Lia hasn't said anything. The weather was getting colder and Dan gave her his jacket.

"Lia," called Dan

"Yes?" answered Lia and she finally turned to look at Dan.

"Are you alright?" asked Dan in worried. But the only answer that Lia gave him was just her dry smiles. For the first time ever Dan saw she was crying like that. It hurts him to see her cry.

"I'm okay now…" answered Lia "I just can't believe that Liyli was the one…" added Lia and Dan knows that she was about to cry again. "She was my best friend… we're always together…" said Lia and without she knows, a tear running down her face. Dan, who saw it, turned her face towards him and he wiped her tears using his thumb.

"That's okay…" said Dan softly trying to calm her down. "Just forget about her… she doesn't deserve to be called as your best friend from now on…" said Dan. "She doesn't appreciate you so you don't have to trust in her anymore." Added Dan. "You have us~ Donghoon, In Ha and me, will always be there for you. I swear, if any of us betrayed you like how Liyli did, I'm gonna kill them." said them.

And finally, Lia laughed. "Kill them? So are you gonna kill yourself too?" asked Lia while smiling.

"Of course." Answered Dan as he tucked a strand of Lia's hair behind her ears.

"I would never make you cry, I promise." Said Dan with a smile.

*I would make you the happiest girl on earth once you're mine.* thought Dan as he brought Lia near him.

"Dan," called Lia

"Hmm?" said Dan as he caressed her arms gently.

"Thank you." Said Lia.

*I was so grateful to have you by my side* thought Lia.

"No worries." Said Dan.

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A few days later, both Lia and Liyli hasn't talk towards each other anymore. The news about Lia has calmed down, and now people are throwing their hate on Liyli. People won't stop commenting bad things towards her and asked her to leave the campus, do not let her graduate on time and so on. Those who used to be her friends had cut ties with her to be her friend. She's all alone now. Usually, Lia would be the one she would go if she has a problem. But now, she doesn't have anyone to talk to.

Right after she ended her part time job, as soon as she got home, she heard her mom was screaming and yelling and Liyli saw it was her father. After many years of not seeing her father, he finally came back arguing with her mom.

"Dad, let her go!" shouted Liyli as she was trying to pry her dad's arms from pulling her mom's hair.

"Just why did you come here again?! Just go to that women!" yelled Liyli.

"Didn't your mom tell you I got divorce with that women? She doesn't want me because I have no money. So that's why I'm asking your mom to give me money because I have nowhere to go!" shouted her dad.

"We hate you! Now get out!" shouted Liyli as she pushed her dad out from their house. "If you step your feet in this house again, I'll call the police and report on your abuse towards us. Now get lost!" shouted Liyli as she closed the door hardly. Right after she closed the door, she noticed that her mom was crying in the living room and she sat on the floor right in front of the front door, crying. She can hear how her dad was shouting and yelling at them asking to open the door. But Liyli keep on crying.

She was crying because of her dad.

She was crying because she has no one else aside from Lia to share what had happened to her.

She had ruined their friendship.

She felt so regret.