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.
It had been radio silence from In-ho, and as soon as the thought arises in her mind, she folds into a dark corner of her mind, letting it be a later problem. Instead, she watches as Sun-oh looks through an accessory rack and lets herself take him in.
She had been lucky. She proposed the friendship and it was a gift that he had accepted; this was more than enough. She could live with just this.
He turns to face her and strikes a pose as he models the too-large sunglasses that were now displayed onto his face. She offers him a grin, her laugh bubbling up inside of her gently, her heart growing fuller with each passing moment they spent together.
Yes, she had been lucky indeed.
***
"You should talk to him," Sun-oh gently encourages as they sit in his bedroom, finalizing the details of their outfits. She frowns and looks at him standing in his closet as he chooses which shoes to wear with the cream-colored suit he would be sporting.
She would be wearing a white gown and nude pumps to match her family and as Sun-oh was wearing a white button-up along with a beige suit—they had accidentally matched, something she knew would send In-ho up a wall.
"He got a girl to distract himself so I think he'll be fine."
"How do you feel about that?" he glances at her, trying to act the role of a supportive friend but being unable to suppress the rising dread at knowing she maybe felt jealous about In-ho and the girl.
She snorts as she plays with the tassels of a pillow on his couch, "I feel indifferent and I think it's hilarious he thinks I'd be jealous. He should know I meant it when I said I did not love him."
His heart lightens and his shoulders relax and yet he feels the uncertainty like a bitter taste on his tongue.
We are repairing our errs, I can ask the question he silently thinks to himself. He could ask it, he didn't have to hold back, they had always been good at being vulnerable.
He takes a grounding breath before quietly asking after a moment's pause, "Do you love me?"
Ae-ri doesn't bother analyzing the question and instead is fully honest.
"Yes," she admits softly to herself before turning to him and watching as he huffs a breath of relief. She snorts and laughs, "Simp."
He scoffs, "Dork."
***
"Okay, so, I think that's everything," Ae-ri's mom smiles widely at everyone at the table. Ae-ri sighs and slumps against her chair.
They had just finished reviewing all the leftover details of the banquet and finally, they could all relax. In-ho was sitting across from her and she could feel his gaze on her the entire time, unsettling her. She was bored with the uncertainty of their situation and decided then and there that she would fix it before the banquet to prevent awkwardness.
Their parents get up to start parting ways and Ae-ri takes it as her chance, Sun-oh's advice echoing in her head. In-ho's eyes meet hers and she huffs a breath before asking, "Can we talk for a second?"
***
"What?" he asked in a bored tone as he gives her a once over, trying to slow his breathing so his heartbeat didn't give away his infatuation with the girl before him.
"We should clear the air before the banquet," she says bluntly. She didn't have to sugarcoat with In-ho, she never had to.
"You went MIA after I confessed my love for you."
"You got a human distraction as a result."
"She's nothing compared to you."
"I didn't inquire about that."
"You don't inquire about a lot of things."
"Say what you actually want to."
"You were my friend yet you haven't even so much as reached out."
"I'm someone you are romantically or lustfully attracted to. Why would I go out of my way to reach out when I made it clear I have no intention of being with you?"
"You're such a bitch, Ae-ri," he spits.
She snorts, "Bold of you to assume I could give a fuck."
"We are done here," he seethes.
"Fine."
***
"So how did it go?" Sun-oh asks over the phone, as he fiddles with a pen on his desk. He was banging out some homework when Ae-ri called, the silent greeting a signal that she was pissed and/or irritated.
"I wanted to clear the air and he called me a bitch."
"A bitch?"
"A bitch."
"What a bitch," he muses, trying to lighten her mood. From the small puff of laughter that leaves her, he can see the smile on her face.
"Am I currently one? I know I was before but I'm a better person now so why would he even say that?"
"He's just hurt that you don't reciprocate his feelings."
"Boohoo, he can cry about it. He should've known better."
"He should've. But he didn't."
"The banquet should be fun," she says a bit absentmindedly.
He gives a gentle laugh, "Can't wait."