Episode 19: Distance in the Silence

The days blurred together in a quiet, disconnected rhythm.

Eunji found herself taking longer walks after class, ducking out of the cafe before Seojin could catch her eye, avoiding the study sessions with Hyeri and Rora that had once been her escape. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see them—it was more that she didn’t want them to see her. Not like this. Not with the quiet storm inside her that she couldn’t name yet.

She had pulled away from them all, as if stepping back would give her the clarity she needed. It was a strange kind of silence, one that weighed heavier than words ever could. She didn’t want to confront the growing tension between herself and Seojin—the way their conversations had begun to feel awkward, the way she felt guilty even when they hadn’t said much. And she didn’t want to deal with the thought of Hyeri and Jiho watching her change, trying to protect her from a distance.

She had become a puzzle even to herself, and the more she retreated, the more she realized how little she understood her own heart.

Her days were spent in solitude—sketching, reading, and walking the campus paths. The routine was comfortable in its quietness, but the emptiness beneath it gnawed at her. The weight of her thoughts pressed down on her with every step.

She hadn’t expected it to feel like this. The pull of distance.

One afternoon, as she sat in the corner of the library, a sketchbook in front of her and the pages open to a half-finished drawing, she caught sight of Seojin across the room. He was standing by the shelves, his posture rigid as he scanned the books. He hadn’t noticed her yet.

Her heart gave a small, painful twist. The desire to look away was overwhelming, but instead, she found herself frozen, watching him.

It was strange. The space between them felt both too big and too small at the same time. They hadn’t spoken in days, save for the brief exchange when she’d passed him on campus, her words hollow and polite. She hadn’t meant for it to be that way. She hadn’t meant for things to get distant.

But it happened.

And now she wasn’t sure how to bridge the gap.

Eunji picked up her pencil, the familiar motion grounding her, but it didn’t bring the comfort it usually did. She felt… disconnected from everything, even the art that had always been her refuge. She hadn’t wanted to admit it, but she was afraid. Afraid of losing herself in the quiet, afraid of pushing people away, and most of all, afraid of the inevitable distance that seemed to be pulling everyone out of her reach.

Seojin’s figure blurred into the background as her thoughts ran away with her. The sound of a book falling onto the table nearby startled her, and she glanced up to see Hyeri standing at the table, watching her carefully.

“You’ve been avoiding us,” Hyeri said softly, the weight of her words falling like a gentle question.

Eunji opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came. The answer was there, but it felt too much, too raw to say aloud. She couldn’t explain why she had been shutting everyone out, especially Hyeri and Rora, who had always been there for her without question. And she definitely couldn’t explain why she had started to distance herself from Seojin, who had quietly slipped into her life and filled spaces she hadn’t realized were empty.

“I just… need space,” Eunji said, her voice barely whispering, even to her own ears. “To think. To figure things out.”

Hyeri didn’t press her, but there was a softness in her gaze, like she already understood. “We’re here when you’re ready,” she said, her voice warm but tinged with concern.

Eunji nodded, feeling the sting of the words. She wasn’t sure when she would be ready. Or if she ever would be.

After Hyeri left, the silence in the library felt suffocating. Eunji shut her sketchbook, the weight of her decision to distance herself settling heavy on her chest. She stood, not sure where she was going, but knowing she couldn’t stay here any longer.

The campus had never felt more like a maze. She wandered through the open spaces, her footsteps echoing in the stillness. The world around her moved as it always had, but inside, she was standing still—caught between the past she couldn’t let go of and the future she couldn’t face.

Seojin hadn’t tried to follow her. She hadn’t expected him to.

But his absence was as loud as his presence had been.

When she finally returned to her dorm later that night, Eunji sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the wall. She thought about her friends, about Seojin, about the unspoken words that hung in the air between them all.

But mostly, she thought about herself.

And how she didn’t know who she was becoming anymore.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***