Chapter 15 Mint Cho Appears
Oom Eisaya had officially lost control of her life.
There was no other way to put it.
She stood in front of her mirror that morning, staring at her reflection with the kind of quiet disbelief usually reserved for people who had made a series of very questionable decisions and were now being forced to live with the consequences.
"...I kissed her," she muttered.
Not once.
Not accidental.
Not half-aware.
It had been real.
Slow.
Intentional.
Emotional.
Oom pressed her hands against her face, dragging them down slowly as if she could physically wipe away the memory.
It didn't work.
It only made it worse.
Because now she could still feel it.
The warmth.
The closeness.
The way Bam had held onto her like she was something important—something needed.
"...this is not a crush anymore," Oom whispered.
This was a full-blown situation.
A dangerous one.
A life-altering one.
Because she wasn't just dealing with feelings.
She was dealing with two versions of the same person who were both slowly, quietly pulling her deeper in.
Day Bam: distant, controlled, careful.
Night Bam: vulnerable, needy, emotionally devastating.
And Oom—
Liked both.
Equally.
Hopelessly.
"...I'm doomed."
---
"You look like you've accepted your fate."
Oom didn't even react this time. She simply continued walking beside Yada across campus, her expression blank in the way of someone who had already gone through the five stages of grief and landed firmly in acceptance.
"I have," she replied calmly.
Yada raised an eyebrow. "That fast?"
"I skipped denial."
"You lived in denial."
"I upgraded."
"To what?"
"Delusion."
Yada burst out laughing.
"I knew it. You're gone."
"I am very gone," Oom agreed. "I am emotionally compromised."
"That's a fancy way of saying you're in love."
Oom stopped walking.
"...don't say it like that in public."
"Why not?"
"Because if I hear it out loud, I might pass away."
Yada smirked. "So it's true."
Oom resumed walking.
"...it's true."
Yada blinked, clearly not expecting that level of honesty.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Oh."
Oom glanced at her. "Why are you reacting like that?"
"I didn't expect you to admit it so easily."
"I'm tired."
"That's fair."
They walked in silence for a moment before Yada nudged her slightly.
"So... which version?"
Oom didn't hesitate.
"Both."
Yada stopped.
"...you're insane."
"I know."
"No, like—genuinely. That's not normal."
"I didn't say it was."
"You're in love with two personalities of the same person."
"Yes."
"That fight each other."
"Yes."
"That don't even acknowledge each other."
"Yes."
Yada stared at her.
"...this is the messiest romance I've ever witnessed."
"Thank you."
"That was not a compliment."
"I'll take it anyway."
---
The Psychology Wellness Club room felt different that afternoon.
Or maybe Oom just felt different.
Either way, the moment she stepped inside, she felt it—that subtle shift in the atmosphere, like something was about to happen.
And then she saw her.
A beautiful unfamiliar woman.
Oom paused.
"...who's that?"
Yada followed her gaze and hummed.
"Oh. That's new."
The woman stood near the window, her posture relaxed but her presence sharp, like she didn't need to try to command attention. She was talking to Bam, her expression calm, her tone low, but there was something about the way she carried herself—something protective, something deliberate.
Oom felt it immediately.
That quiet tension.
That instinctive discomfort.
"...I don't like this," she murmured.
"You don't even know her yet."
"I don't need to."
"That's judgmental."
"I am allowed to be judgmental."
Yada snorted. "Fair."
Oom's gaze lingered.
Because Bam—
Was different.
Not distant.
Not cold.
But not soft either.
She was... familiar.
Comfortable.
The kind of comfortable Oom had never seen before.
"...they know each other," Oom said.
"Obviously," Yada replied. "That's not a casual conversation."
Oom's chest tightened slightly.
And she didn't like that feeling.
Not one bit.
---
The introduction happened sooner than she expected.
Mint noticed her.
Of course she did.
Her gaze shifted from Bam to Oom with quiet precision, sharp and observant in a way that made Oom feel like she was being analyzed on the spot.
"...you must be Oom Eisaya."
Oom blinked.
"Yes? And you are?"
Mint stepped closer. "Mint... Mint Cho."
Up close, she was even more intimidating—not in a loud or aggressive way, but in a calm, controlled manner that made every word feel deliberate.
"I've heard about you."
Oom froze. "...from who?"
Mint's eyes flicked briefly to Bam.
Then back to her.
"...from observation."
Oom did not like that answer.
Not even a little.
Yada leaned in slightly, whispering, "Oh, she's scary. I like her."
Oom ignored her.
"...nice to meet you," Oom said carefully.
Mint nodded once.
"You too."
A pause.
Then—
"You should stay away from her."
Oom's brain stopped.
"...what?"
The words were calm.
Simple.
But they hit like a brick.
Mint didn't raise her voice.
Didn't change her tone.
She just repeated it.
"You should stay away from Bam."
Silence fell.
Yada straightened.
"Oh, we're doing this now?"
Oom stared at Mint, her heart suddenly racing.
"...why?"
Mint didn't hesitate.
"Because you don't understand her."
Oom's hands clenched slightly at her sides.
"...I don't need to understand everything."
"You do," Mint replied. "If you're going to stay."
Oom froze.
Stay.
"...what do you mean?" she asked quietly.
Mint's gaze sharpened.
"You've been coming here at night."
Oom's stomach dropped.
"I—"
"Don't deny it," Mint said calmly. "I've seen the patterns."
Oom felt exposed.
Again.
Everyone was observing her.
Everyone was noticing.
And she hated it.
"...what do you want?" Oom asked.
Mint's expression didn't change.
"I want you to be careful."
"That's not what you said earlier."
Mint tilted her head slightly.
"No. It isn't."
Silence.
Then—
"She's not stable."
The words were quiet.
Measured.
But heavy.
Oom's chest tightened.
"...you don't get to say that like that."
Mint didn't flinch.
"I'm saying it because I know her."
Oom swallowed.
"...and I don't?"
Mint held her gaze.
"You know a version of her."
Oom's heart pounded.
Because—
That was true.
Painfully true.
But—
"...I know enough," Oom said, her voice steadier now.
Mint studied her for a moment.
Long.
Careful.
Then—
"She wasn't always like this."
Oom stilled.
"What do you mean?"
Mint's gaze softened—just slightly.
"Bam used to feel things more openly," she said. "She used to trust people more easily."
Oom listened.
Because this—
This mattered.
"But something happened," Mint continued. "And after that... she changed."
Oom's chest tightened.
"What happened?"
Mint shook her head.
"That's not my story to tell."
Oom exhaled sharply.
"Then why tell me anything at all?"
Mint's expression shifted again—something more serious this time.
"Because if you're going to be part of her life, you need to understand what you're walking into."
Oom's hands clenched.
"I'm not afraid."
Mint's gaze didn't waver.
"You should be."
Silence settled between them again.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Real.
Then—
"...I'm not leaving," Oom said quietly.
Mint blinked.
Not surprised.
But acknowledging.
"I figured."
Oom lifted her chin slightly.
"Then don't tell me to stay away."
Mint studied her one last time.
Then—
"Fine."
She stepped back.
But her voice lingered.
"Just don't say I didn't warn you."
---
Oom stood there long after Mint walked away.
Her thoughts spinning.
Her chest tight.
Because now—
This wasn't just confusing.
It wasn't just emotional.
It wasn't just romantic.
There was something deeper.
Something heavier.
Something she didn't fully understand yet.
"...this just got worse," Yada said beside her.
Oom exhaled slowly.
"...yeah."
Because now—
She wasn't just falling in love.
She was walking into something she didn't fully understand.
And for the first time—
She realized—
Love might not be the most dangerous part of all this.