**Kael's POV**
The door opened.
And there she was.
Sunshine stood in the hallway, tears streaming down her face, looking at me like I was the most heartbreaking thing she'd ever seen.
I must have looked terrible. Three days without eating. Without sleeping. Hair a mess. Eyes red and swollen.
"Kael," she breathed.
And I broke.
I collapsed right there. Knees hitting the floor. Hands covering my face.
And I sobbed like I hadn't sobbed since I was fifteen years old.
She dropped to her knees in front of me.
"I'm sorry," I choked out. "I'm so sorry. I should have told you. I tried. I wanted to. But I was so scared of losing you, and now I've lost you anyway and—"
"Kael, stop." Her hands found my face. Gentle. Warm. "Look at me."
I couldn't.
"Kael. Please. Look at me."
I forced myself to meet her eyes.
She was crying, too. But there was no disgust in her face. No hatred. Just pain and worry and something that looked like—
"I'm here," she said softly. "I'm not going anywhere. But I need you to tell me. Everything. The truth. All of it."
I nodded.
She helped me stand. We went into the room and sat my bed.
Mrs. Choi appeared with water and food. Sunshine made me drink. Made me eat at least a few bites.
Then she took my hand.
"Tell me," she said. "From the beginning."
---
I took a shaky breath.
"My real name is Kim Jae-won," I started. "Kael Devereaux is a stage name. I started using it in my training days. After—after everything happened."
She squeezed my hand. Didn't let go.
"I was fifteen. A student at Seoul International Academy. Just a cold kid who rarely speaks to anyone. Good grades. Played the piano. Had almost no friends, all I knew was my books, my dad was never home as he was always travelling for work.
I paused. This was the hard part.
"There was a girl in my class. Park Soo-jin. She liked me. Everyone knew she liked me."
**Flashback - Nine Years Ago **
I can still see it like it was yesterday.
The cafeteria was packed. Hundreds of students eating lunch, talking, laughing.
I was sitting with my friends at our usual table, picking at my food, when someone tapped my shoulder.
I turned.
Park Soo-jin stood there, face bright red, hands clasped in front of her. Behind her, a group of her friends giggled and whispered.
"Kim Jae-won," she said, voice trembling. "I—I have something to tell you."
The cafeteria started to go quiet. People turning to look.
Oh no.
"I've liked you for a year now," Soo-jin continued, louder. "You're smart and talented and kind. And I—I want to ask you—will you be my boyfriend?"
The entire cafeteria went silent.
Everyone staring. Waiting for my answer.
I felt my face heat up. Felt panic rising in my chest.
I didn't like her. Not like that. She was nice but—
"I'm sorry," I said, trying to be gentle. "I don't feel the same way."
"But why?" She stepped closer. "Is it something I did? I can change—"
"No, it's not—" I was getting flustered now. Embarrassed. "You're just—you're too—"
"Too what?"
And I said the worst thing I could have said.
"You're too clingy. Too desperate. I could never like someone who—who pushes this hard."
Her face crumpled.
The cafeteria gasped.
Soo-jin's eyes filled with tears. "I—I just—"
"I'm sorry," I said, already regretting it. "But no. I'm not interested."
I stood up and walked away.
Left her there.
Crying in front of everyone.
---
I went to the rooftop.
Students weren't supposed to be up there, but I had a key. The music teacher had given it to me for guitar practice.
I sat on the ledge, legs dangling over the edge, guitar beside me, hating myself.
*Why did I say that?*
*She didn't deserve that.*
*I'm such an idiot.*
I sat there for ten minutes, wallowing in guilt.
Then the door to the rooftop slammed open
Park Min-ho stormed out.
Min-ho was in the same grade. Captain of the soccer team. Soo-jin's best friend since elementary school.
And he looked furious.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he yelled.
I stood up. "Min-ho, I—"
"She's been crying for twenty minutes! In front of everyone! Do you know how humiliating that was for her?"
"I didn't mean to—"
"You called her clingy! Desperate! Who says that to someone who just confessed their feelings?!"
Guilt churned in my stomach. "I panicked. I didn't know what to say—"
"So you decided to destroy her?!" He was in my face now. "You could've just said no! But you had to make her feel worthless!"
"I know! I know I messed up!" My voice rose. "But it's none of your business! This is between me and her!"
"She's my best friend! That makes it my business!"
"Then go comfort her instead of yelling at me!"
"Not until you apologize!"
"I will apologize! But not to you! Get out of my face!"
He shoved me.
I stumbled back, shocked.
"What the hell—"
He shoved me again. "You think you're so cool? So special? You're just a coward who can't even reject someone with basic decency!"
I shoved back. "Stop pushing me!"
"Make me!"
And then he punched me.
Pain exploded across my jaw. I reeled backward, tasted blood.
Anger surged through me.
I punched back.
Hit him in the stomach. He doubled over, gasping.
Then came at me again.
We fought like stupid, angry fifteen-year-olds. Throwing wild punches. Grappling. Both of us too furious to think straight.
My back hit the railing.
"Stop!" I yelled. "This is stupid! Stop!"
But he kept coming.
Swung at my face.
I ducked.
Moved sideways.
His momentum carried him forward—
Too far forward—
His hip hit the railing—
And his weight shifted—
"Wait—" His eyes went wide. His hands grasped at air.
I lunged forward. Reached for him.
My fingers brushed his sleeve—
And he fell.
**Present Day -
"Time slowed down," I whispered to Sunshine, tears streaming down my face. "I watched him fall backward. Watched him twist in the air. Watched him reach up like he could grab onto something. Anything."
My voice broke.
"Four stories. The courtyard below was full of students. They all looked up."
I closed my eyes but I could still see it.
"Min-ho hit the ground with a sound I'll hear in my nightmares for the rest of my life. A sickening thud. Then silence. Then screaming."
Sunshine's hand tightened on mine.
"I stood frozen at the railing, staring down at his body. Blood spreading across the concrete. Students running toward him. Teachers shouting."
"Someone looked up and saw me standing there. Alone on the rooftop."
"And started screaming."
"'He pushed him!'"
"'He killed him!'"
"'Murderer!'"
My voice broke. I couldn't continue.
Sunshine was crying silently beside me, hand still holding mine.
"I didn't push him," I whispered. "I swear to God, I didn't push him. He fell. I tried to catch him. But I was too late."
She nodded. Didn't speak.
"The police came. Arrested me. Took me to the station. Questioned me for hours. I kept saying it was an accident. Self-defense. We fought and he fell. But no one believed me."
I wiped my face.
"I was in a holding cell fo 24hrs . Fifteen years old. Terrified. Certain I was going to prison for the rest of my life."
"Then my father came back from the States after getting a call from my homeroom teacher. He had lawyers. Investigators. Money. He made it all go away. The charges. The investigation. He paid Min-ho's family. Paid the school. Paid everyone."
"They ruled it an accident. Self-defense. Case closed."
"But it didn't matter. Everyone at school knew. They saw Min-ho fall, and they saw me on that roof. And they all believed I killed him."
I went to Min-ho's memorial service," I said quietly. "Stood in the back. His parents were there. His little sister. Everyone crying."
"And I wanted to say sorry. Wanted to tell them it was an accident. That I didn't mean for any of it to happen."
"But I couldn't. Because when they looked at me—" My voice cracked. "They looked at me like I was a monster."
I took a shaky breath.
"My father moved me to a different house. Different school. I lived alone because he was always traveling. And I—I couldn't handle it. The guilt. The nightmares. The way people looked at me."
"I wore hoodies everywhere I went, scared someone might recognize me even in this new city."
"My only consolation was music. In one of my depressing states, I stepped out to a corner and started singing. That's where I encountered Director Han. I joined her company. Told her my name was Kael Devereaux. But after I had woken up several times from nightmares, crying and screaming—the manager at that time noticed and told Director Han."
"She questioned me. And eventually, I opened up to her about my past. That's how she registered me for therapy."
Silent tears streaming down sunshine face.
"I should have told you," I said. "I wanted to. So many times. But I was terrified of this. Of you looking at me the way they did. Like I was a monster."
"You're not a monster," she whispered.
"I killed someone—"
"It was an accident." Her voice was firm. "You were fifteen. Two stupid kids who got into a fight. And something terrible happened. But you didn't kill him, Kael. He fell."
"I should have caught him—"
"You tried." She cupped my face in her hands. "You tried to catch him. That's what you said. Your fingers brushed his sleeve. You tried."
Fresh tears spilled down my face.
"I've been carrying this for nine years," I choked out. "And it's destroying me. The guilt. The nightmares. The fear that everyone will find out and hate me."
"I don't hate you," she said softly. "I could never hate you."
"How can you not? After everything—"
"Because I know you." She pressed her forehead to mine. "I know who you are. I've seen your kindness. Your gentleness. The way you care about people. That boy who made a terrible mistake at fifteen? He's not who you are now."
"But the past—"
"The past happened. And it's awful and tragic and I'm so sorry you've been carrying this alone. But it doesn't define you. You're not a murderer, Kael. You're a survivor."
I pulled her close and buried my face in her shoulder.
And for the first time in nine years, I let someone see me cry.
Really cry.
All the guilt. All the pain. All the fear.
She held me through it all.
We stayed like that for a long time.
Finally, I pulled back. Wiped my face. Looked at her.
"What happens now?" I asked quietly.
"Now?" She smiled through her tears. "Now we deal with it. Together."
"The journalist—"
"We'll handle it."
"The media—"
"We'll face it."
"The public—"
"They'll either understand or they won't. But I'm not going anywhere, Kael. I'm staying right here."
I couldn't speak. Could only stare at her in disbelief.
She was staying.
After everything.
She was staying.
I pulled her close again. Kissed the top of her head.
"I love you," I whispered.
Before she could reply, my bedroom door burst open.
Director Han stood there, face pale, eyes wide with panic.
"Kael—" She was breathless, like she'd run up the stairs. "It's out. The article just went live."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
**END OF CHAPTER 14**