emotions | love alarm

20 ~

Chapter Twenty

A few days had passed since Ae-ri's meltdown and he could tell she was still feeling the effects. She was less patient, more irritated, and she was quieter. He would see her drift off frequently—her eyes glazed and her mind elsewhere.

In class, she participated less and the teachers took note. The kids questioned her behavior, some even asking him if she was okay, but he didn't know the answer so he would just lie and say she was just stressed.

It hurt that he didn't know anything; she barely spoke and when she did it felt like she was annoyed with him for not knowing the answer.

He felt useless.

He hears his name being called out and focuses back in on his book and notebook that laid before him. Ae-ri tilts her head and furrows her eyebrows, "Are you okay?"

Sun-oh nods, a gentle smile playing at his lips, "Yeah, sorry, got lost in thought. What's up?"

"I'm gonna go look for a book, my mind is going numb."

"Okay."

***

Ae-ri huffs and feels tears burn at her eyes. She had fucked up, that much she knew. She had overwhelmed him with her mind, she was too much, her thoughts were too many, and her feelings too complex. She wanted to apologize but even being her old self was taking a toll on her.

She couldn't work through her emotions and it all arose because she didn't know how to make Sun-oh feel loved. She had close read it too much, she had dissected it to the point where it wasn't even a thing anymore.

Her heart tugs till it falls into her stomach and she sucks in a breath, her anxiety welling up in her throat. She hated this. She takes deep breaths, trying to keep everything collected, to make sure she didn't spill anything.

She wipes her tears away furiously, checking her pulse to figure out where her breathing was at and when she is calmer, she closes her eyes, takes a breath, and continues trying to find a book that could quell her thoughts for at least a few hours.

Her fingers slip past the titles of some of her most loved books until she finally stops on one of her all-time favorites and exhales quietly. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.

"I love that book," a voice next to her says.

She jumps a bit and the guy meets her eyes in amusement. They both stay still for a second and she feels confused. He was relaxed, had an air of authority that felt familiar and his face didn't give way to much expression. He doesn't move his gaze and the way he was looking at her--she stills.

Oh.

She opens her mouth and then closes it before asking, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you love it?"

His lips turn upwards and he gifts her a smile that makes her furrow her eyebrows.

"Because it demonstrates so much about the human condition and the characters are so complex. They are smart and the way they work through-"

"-through emotion is-," she cuts him off.

"-is mesmerizing," they say together.

She lets a quiet breath escape her in mild fascination as she analyzes him the way her mind wants to. His eyes were sincere, and his smile was genuine, but every now and then his gaze would shift elsewhere on her body and then would look back up with a dark glint that made her ears warm. She liked the way he analyzed her because that's the way she analyzed everyone else.

He was cautious with his words and his manner of speaking was calculated just like her. He stood with impeccable posture and his manners were so rehearsed no one would know otherwise, just like her. In-ho was a mirror image of what she stood for and the thought made her both excited and a bit terrified.

She lets her eyes glance over him. He was breathtakingly handsome. He was tall and lean with hazel eyes, fluffy brown hair, and a tender smile. His dimples were subtle and she glances at him a second longer before asking the only question lingering in her mind.

The air stills around her as she leans forward, "Who are you?"

"Seo In-ho. I've been looking forward to meeting you Nam Ae-ri."

Chills slip down her spine and she finds herself being focused and curious about something for the first time in days.

"Why?"

"Our parents are business partners."

"Oh."

"I just moved here and your mom suggested this school."

"I see."

"I saw you crying."

She feels her shoulders relax and her heartbeat slow, her usual demeanor sliding back into place.

"I had a meltdown a few days ago. I am recovering. I got overwhelmed by my analysis of other people's emotions. It usually happens at least twice a year but this one was unexpected and unplanned."

"Those are the worst."

"I agree."

In-ho takes a step closer and she takes a step back. He takes a breath and smiles, his amber eyes twinkling at the challenge.

She extends her hand at what felt like the boy version of herself and he takes it before bringing it up to his lips and pressing a kiss to the top of her hand. He looks at her through his absurdly long lashes as he does so and she slips her hand away.

Ae-ri lingers for a second before turning to leave.

"See you around," he calls after her.

"Sure."

***

Sun-oh watches as Ae-ri slips back into her chair and he becomes alert immediately. Something had shifted. "What's wrong?"

She shakes her head but he can see the light in her eyes now and he feels his heart tug for some reason. "Nothing," she replies.

"Ae-ri."

"I met a guy, his name is Seo In-ho and his parents are business partners with mine."

Sun-oh could feel his breath get stuck in his throat.

She takes a breath before looking into Sun-oh's eyes and he could see the fascination in them. He felt weird. It felt like she was coming back to him, but for all the wrong reasons.

She looks away deep in thought before saying, "He's like me." Her eyes meet his and in them, he can pick apart all the emotions she is feeling: excitement, concern, confusion, but most of all intrigue. He opens his mouth to speak but she cuts him off, "I have never met anyone so fascinating."

His throat tightens and his eyes begin to burn. He has to clear his throat before saying, "That's awesome. Really exciting stuff. I think I am going to leave. My mom wants to run some things by me."

"Okay."

"Okay."

_____