emotions | love alarm

31 ~

Chapter Thirty-One

"Oh, wow, that's embarrassing."

"Sun-oh."

"I wish I could say I feel bad, but," a snort, "I mean he had it coming."

"Sun-oh."

He laughs as he takes a sip of his smoothie, Ae-ri having forgotten hers amidst her debrief with Sun-oh.

It had been approximately three days since the luncheon, and in those three days, Ae-ri and Sun-oh had agreed that returning to the friendship they had strongly formed prior to their getting together, was most beneficial for them to heal. And so that's what they did. They hung out on the rooftop together, their hearts yearning for something different, but their minds determined, and it did not take long for them to fall back into their familiar habits.

Ae-ri had been wondering whether or not to tell Sun-oh about the whole love alarm mishap but she needed a second opinion and her parents were too busy; Sun-oh was her only option before the banquet in four days.

"What do I do?"

He sighs and looks at the river before them, pushing away his jealousy for a moment and getting an honest opinion from his mind.

"I think you should do what you feel. If you think you'd like to give a relationship with him a go, do it," he pauses to release his jaw at the idea of her being with someone else, "But if you think it wouldn't be in your best interest, protect your peace."

She pauses and watches as Sun-oh clenches then unclenches his jaw at the mention of her getting into a relationship with In-ho and can't stop the knowing smile from spreading across her face. She leans closer to him and he eyes her warily.

"Sun-oh?"

"Hm?"

"Are you jealous?"

He hesitates before sighing, "Of course I am."

"You shouldn't be."

"Why do you say that?"

She pauses, her eyes slipping away from his before meeting them again, "Why do you think I can't get into a relationship with him?"

***

His mind turns over her words as he sits on his bed, trying to fall asleep.

The rhetorical question had sent him spiraling and by the warmth in her eyes, he knew she could only mean one thing: She couldn't get into a relationship, because she still loved him.

She loves me.

Sun-oh can't help the shit-eating grin that slaps onto his face as he closes his eyes and ponders what their children would look like.

***

"Why do you look so happy?"

"I can't be happy?"

"You're annoying."

"I learned from the best," Sun-oh winks.

Ae-ri snorts and shoves him away from her gently, her eyes returning to the clothing rack in front of her. She and Sun-oh were shopping for some of the accessories that would go with their outfits for the banquet that was now two days away.

He had proposed it as their Friday afternoon planning, since Ae-ri would be busy for the next day or so finalizing and prepping with her family for the banquet. She was more than happy to oblige.

It was only when they had stepped foot into the mall that she realized her error when Sun-oh's fingers slipped into the palm of her hand carefully as if to remind her of their rules when they had been friends. Her entire body had warmed, and she had been more than happy to give in.