countdown... | Ateez Yunho

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"Yunho!" Nari yelled as she ran into his arms after class. I went back to looking over them as I felt like it was the only way I could see him. The two have been inseparable since they've made up and I was both happy and pained to know that.

"What should we do with the rest of the day?" he asked before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Let's go shopping. I want to get a new pair of shoes." She smiled before grabbing his hand. I stood on the other side, trying to get a feel of the sensation of his touch as well. Was I desperate? Yes. But, who was there to see me act so strangely?

The three of us all walked to the bus station where we waited for the bus to take us to the mall. As soon as we got there, the two rushed to the nearest store to try on shoes. After hours of looking, Nari finally found a pair that suited her.

"Let me buy them for you," Yunho offered.

"No, it's okay!" She smiled. He pulled out his card without hesitation and paid despite her refusal.

"Thank you," Nari shyly said. Yunho nodded as the cashier looked at them with awe.

"You guys are the cutest couple I've ever seen," she boasted as she printed out their receipt. That meant that everyone could see how perfect they were together. My jealousy was taking over me and I wanted to rip the shoes out of Nari's hands and put them on myself. But, they wouldn't fit. Just like how I wouldn't fit in her position in their picture perfect relationship.

The two made their way out and started window shopping, pointing at random things they thought each other would like. Suddenly, Yunho stopped in his tracks and pointed at a watch. Correction: the exact same watch that I was wearing that I wanted to give to him.

"My friend had the same watch." Nari's mood suddenly became disheartened.

"But, I think it would look great on you too." She smiled as she dragged him inside. Without thinking, Yunho immediately bought it and put it on as soon as he got out of the store. I couldn't help but smile knowing that we had couple watches on now.

Afterward, their little shopping trip had finally came to an end and we were all waiting on the bus to get back home now.

"Could we make a quick stop? There's someone I'd like you to meet," Yunho said as he looked over to Nari. I already knew who he was talking about.

The bus had stopped at the graveyard in which my body and his mom's were buried. He held her hand as they made their way to her tombstone.

I followed them as they walked and when they got there, Yunho gestured to the spot with his hands, as if he was revealing a surprise.

"I'd like you to meet my mom," he said. Nari stood stiffly and smiled awkwardly back to him.

"Hello," she said, not knowing what to do with this situation.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I just thought it'd be nice if I could introduce my girlfriend to my mom." Yunho scratched the back of his neck.

"My friend was buried around here too," Nari commented. Although I wanted her to mention me, I was confused on why she had to bring me up at the moment instead of comforting him.

"Aera?" he questioned. Nari sadly nodded.

"Sorry, I know you brought me to see your mother but I just can't stop thinking about Aera."

"She must've been a really close friend."

Nari was silent for a while.

"Yunho, do you really think we're soulmates?" She suddenly brought up.

Yunho didn't respond.

"We should go somewhere more appropriate to talk," she suggested. The two started walking to the park to sit on one of the benches.

"I thought I could go through with this, but I don't know if I want to live with such a lie." Nari didn't even look at Yunho while she spoke.

"Can't we just pretend?" Yunho asked, tears forming in his eyes. It seemed as though he already knew what Nari was implying.

"I always thought that love without a soulmate is useless. But a soulmate without love is just as painful."

"Nari, I knew for a while we weren't soulmates. I just wanted to know what it was like to have a girlfriend. Because when I first saw you, I thought you were so beautiful. I guess it was selfish of me to waste your time."

"It was wrong for me to be with you too. Especially because I know my heart is not set on you."

"You're in love with Aera, aren't you?" Yunho questioned. My eyes widened at the conversation.

Nari didn't respond. Instead, she looked down at the ground as her tears dripped down.

"How did you know?" she asked after a while. I was taken aback by the sudden confession. How could Nari be in love with me? Why didn't she tell me?

"I know love when I see it."

"I thought I could save her. I thought if I loved her hard enough, life would show mercy. But, now I must be hurting her even more. I dated the guy who she wanted to be with. Maybe I should've been the one born without a soulmate."

"You deserve love just as much as everyone else does."

"You and Aera deserve each other. You would've loved her if you met her."

"Can I see her?"

My heart was racing at everything that was being said. How could everything change just like that? Just this morning they were in love. We're all relationships just a facade then? I guess that's what happens when life forces people together. It ruins the naturalness that love should have.

"Keep it," Nari said while handing Yunho the pictures of me from the photo booth. "And I'm sorry again." She slowly got up from the bench and walked away.

When Yunho finally looked at the photos, I saw his eyes widen. I didn't know if that was a good thing, but I couldn't stay long to find out. I ran after Nari before I lost complete sight of her. She was making her way back to the graveyard.

"Nari!" I yelled out. There was no reason for me to, she couldn't hear me. But, I wanted to speak to her. I wanted to tell her that I was sorry too. I was sorry that life had to be cruel to everyone. Now I knew that I wasn't the only victim who was susceptible to heartbreak. Nari was in love with a dead girl. Yunho was in love with a girl who was in love with a dead girl. And I was in love with a boy who was in love with a girl who was in love with a dead girl. It didn't matter how you looked at it, all our love was going to be wasted. It was an endless cycle that we had to go through against our will.

Why couldn't love spare at least one of us?