Here the protagonist was, happily adjusting to a life without emotional manipulation and abuse, when suddenly a wild Hwayeon appeared and used the "pretend like nothing happened, so the target of your manipulation is too confused and bound by social convention to resist your demands" technique from the Gaslighting perk tree.
Yeah, Hwayeon definitely has a plan here and it's nothing good. Best case scenario, she's trying "start over" and get back with Jeognwon by being friends first...but it's far more likely she's being as manipulative as always.
She left suddenly and completely in order to make Jeongwon feel her loss more keenly (they've been living together for a while now). Then, she inserts herself back into Jeongwon's life and tempts her with those feelings of closeness and intimacy that she just took away.
And as a bonus here, she can try and disrupt Jeongwon's nascent relationship with Jisoo before it becomes stable enough to replace all those feelings Hwayeon has been using to control Jeongwon.
I just want to see some guilt-free Romance
with the protagonist and Jisoo...
Jisoo's flirting with Jeongwon was sooooo cute! I know it's not "dramatic", but I also just want to see them being super sweet together. They've got so much chemistry and genuinely enjoy being around each other, and it's great. Healthy relationships for the win!