HOPE [빛] Season 1 - COMPLETED!!

13화

Koeun stood there, frozen and confused as ever. Everyone stood in silence while Jeesu continued to just stare at Mark who had just revealed that he liked Koeun.

Winny: "Mark... are you being serious right now?" she asked him, still hiding behind Jeesu.
Hina: "What are you, deaf? Of course he's serious. Has Mark-oppa ever said anything he didn't mean?" she smiled while focusing on Koeun, who was still in shock.

Mark: "I like Koeun. We've known each other for a long time. It's hard not to like anyone who you're with every single day" he explained. "She's like a little sister to me... so how can I not like her?"

This broke Koeun's heart. Hearing that he only saw her as a little sister, she felt the biggest pain in her heart... something she has never felt before.

Jeesu: "You say you like her as a sister... then what about me? I've been here for a while now. I don't see you treat me as well as you treat Koeun"
Mark: "You're my friend too. Yeah, I admit- you're clingy at times but that doesn't mean I wouldn't do the same things I do for Koeun for you as well" he explained.
Winny: "Jeesu-yah, maybe you're overthinking it. Maybe he does only think of her as a friend... Let's stop now, shall we?" she whispered to Jeesu from behind.
Jeesu: "No, I don't believe him. If he didn't like her or see her more than a friend, he would not be this way" she responded loudly. "I've never seen you this protective before, Mark" she said to him.

Manager: "Yah, yah, yah... What's going on here? Why are you guys fighting?" he asked as he rushed into the room. "I can hear you guys from down the hall. Go back to practice!" he ordered them.
Jeesu: "Wait, manager-nim" she refused to follow his orders. "I'm waiting for Mark's response" she continued to stare at Mark and Koeun.
Mark: "I already explained it to you. You can believe whatever it is you need to. I'm not going to say any more"
Manager: "C'mon guys, stop this once and for all" he tried to separate them.
Jeesu: "Never mind..." she finally said. "I already know my answer" she wiped her tears as she looked at Mark's hand still holding onto Koeun's forearm.

Jeesu sniffled as she stomped her way over to her belongings and started grabbing her items. Winny followed her and tried to grab her things too.

Manager: "Where are you going, Jeesu? Practice isn't over yet"
Jeesu: "I'm going home" as she headed towards the door.
Manager: "Well, you can't leave without my permission if you still want to be with SM"
Jeesu: "Well then... count me out! Because I quit!" she started for the door again but not before she turned around to say one last thing, "It's not over Koeun. You will regret it". And with that, Jeesu stomped out of the practice room with all of her belongings.
Manager: "Anyone else?!" he scolded the room as everyone stood still and in shock for what Jeesu just did.

Their manager told them to keep practicing and left the room to go report Jeesu's leave. Winny, all alone now, stood in the corner as she didn't feel like practicing with Koeun and the other girls. Without Jeesu, she felt completely alone.

** (( After Practice | SM Entertainment | Practice Room )) **

Hina: "Koeun-unnie, aren't you coming yet?" she asked as they were all headed out home.
Koeun: "It's only 9pm so I think I'll practice some more. I'll be home soon" she assured Hina before they parted ways.

While practicing some more, Koeun couldn't help but think about what Mark had said earlier- about seeing her as a little sister to him. Koeun didn't like Jeesu very much but that didn't mean she was happy to see Jeesu gone as well. Just as she was about to practice, her phone started to ring. 

Koeun: "Hello?"
Mr. Ko: "Eun-ah, why did you just leave this morning without saying bye?"
Koeun: "You know why..."
Mr. Ko: "Please don't blame her. She didn't know I was coming to see you"
Koeun: "What does it matter anyway..." she decided to switch subjects. "Are you feeling better?" she asked her dad.
Mr. Ko: "I'm just fine. Don't worry about me. You've gotten a lot thinner. Have you been eating well?"
Koeun: "Eoh, I am. Don't worry about me, apa. You just take care of yourself... and next time, call me or have your students help you move the equipment around"
Mr. Ko: "Araso, araso..." he reassured her. "Eun-ah..." he began to say.

Koeun had a feeling he was going to talk about the ahjumma again but not being in the mood after all that's happened today, she decided to hurry and end the call.

Koeun: "Apa, call me when you're released from the hospital tomorrow, okay? I've gotta get back to practicing. Talk to you later?"
Mr. Ko: "Eoh? Eoh... araso, good night kiddo" he bid as they hung up on each line.

Mark: "Your dad?" he asked her out of nowhere and from behind. She was busy talking to her dad, she didn't even hear him come in.
Koeun: "Is sneaking up behind people becoming a hobby now?" she asked him as she continued to stretch.
Mark: "He's probably worried about you since you left without telling him earlier?"
Koeun: "Ha, no- I'm sure he wanted to talk about something else instead" she responded while packing her stuff together. "Where should I start?" she asked him.
Mark: "What do you mean, start?"
Koeun: "I told you. I'm going to help you clean every evening"
Mark: "Nah, I told you--"
Koeun: "Stop. I'm a woman of my words. You can't talk me out of something I've already decided on. Now... where do you want me to start?"

And with that, the two started cleaning from the practice room to the staff office, to the bathrooms, and taking turns mopping the long corridors.

** (( After cleaning )) **

Mark: "Yo, wait up" he ran up to catch up with Koeun as they walked back to their dorms. She felt somewhat nervous but didn't want to show him that she felt uncomfortable with him being around.

Koeun: "You know, you didn't have to defend me earlier. I would prefer you not butting into my problems. Because now that Jeesu left, I'm sure tomorrow- the others are going to start talking about us even though... even though there's nothing going on between us"
Mark: "Who cares, let them. As long as you and I know how we feel about one another. We're good friends and there's nothing anyone or anything can change us" he assured her.

But Koeun knew in her heart that she liked Mark. A sharp pain struck her every time he mentioned them just being 'friends'.

** (( Later that night . . . )) **

Herin: "Unnie?" she peaked her head through Koeun's bedroom door.
Koeun: "What are you doing up so early?" she asked Hina who was ruining her sleep.
Herin: "Unnie, it's 1:34am but I can't sleep. Tomorrow is weight day and I'm so nervous" she told her.
Koeun: "I'm sure you don't even weight half as much as me and other girls do. Don't worry about it and just go to sleep, okay?"
Herin: "Unnie, can I have some of Hina-unnie's slimming tea?"
Koeun: "Why aren't you asking her instead?"
Herin: "Because Hina-unnie said she left them in your room"

Koeun assisted Herin who drank the slimming tea. As Koeun pulled up her covers to go back to sleep, Herin awoke her again with her soft voice.

Herin: "Unnie" she spoke softly.
Koeun: "What is it, Herin-ah?" she responded with her eyes still shut and in her sleep position.
Herin: "I'm... ah, it's nevermind" she attempted to walk out of the room. "Night"
Koeun: "What is it?" she got up this time and sat on her bed as she hand signaled Herin to take a seat in her computer chair.

Herin: "I was just curious..." she started to say, "Did you already sense that Mark-oppa likes you or was his reveal today new to you?" she slowly batted her lashes.
Koeun: "He doesn't like me" she clarified.
Herin: "But I could kind of tell he does. He won't admit it, but I think he does like you" she smiled at her. "What about you, unnie? Do you like him?"

Koeun wasn't the type to lie but she didn't want to just say YES to Herin's question of curiosity either. As she tried to stall Herin's question by looking away and thinking of another answer or subject to talk about- Herin smiled at her and stood up.

Herin: "I understand now" she stated as she held the slimming tea in her hand and stood up from the chair. "Good night, Koeun-unnie. Thanks for the tea" and she left the room.

Koeun scratched her head, wondering what it was exactly that Herin meant when she said "I understand now". She shook her head and laid down in her covers again but this time, she couldn't go to sleep. She kept wondering about Mark... about what he was doing... and if he was thinking about her the same way she was thinking about him...