[✔] lightbulb » lee taeyong & na jaemin

ch. 28

mangata: the reflection of the moon on the water

» author's pov »

ara looked at her mom, who was frowning with confusion. she tilited her head.

"any idea who it is?" ara asked. "did you invite anybody else? or did you buy something?"

her mom shook her head and rolled her eyes with a teasing smile. "life is not those wattpad stories you read, ara."

"h-hey!" ara shouted. "i don't read wattpad stories...sometimes. but hey, maybe i'm the female lead in a wattpad story with two guys chasing after me!" she curtsied. "oh, prince number one, i love you, but i can't have you! prince number two, you love me but we're born to be enemies because of our kingdoms." she fake-swooned. "oh, my broken heart! and i end up falling for the merchant who sells me apples, until one day he poisons me like in snow white! but prince number one comes to the rescue."

jaemin laughed. "your story would not be that cliché."

she shrugged. "true. you have to admit that was good, though."

her mom sighed dramatically. "it could just be some old lady who wants to give cookies, or maybe a girls scout member or something. let's not keep them waiting." she looked at jamin, then ara. "ara, you can check it out. i'll do the dishes. jaemin, help me out."

jaemin and ara nodded simultaneously. "yes, ma'am." jaemin grabbed the utensils and bowls, walking back and forth from the kitchen and dining room.

ara walked out of sight, turning the corner to get to the front door. peering through the door's peephole, she saw that it was-

she gasped.

cho miyeon.

she quickly opened the door and grinned. "miyeon!" she exclaimed happily. "you're back! why didn't you call or text? i left so many messages and voicemails." ara wrapped her arms around her best friend—from the past—and held on tight, rocking from left to right.

miyeon squeezed just as hard. pulling out of the embrace, she smiled and patted ara's back. "i lost my phone and decided to have a fresh start with a new phone number. i just arrived in seoul last week, but i couldn't figure out where you lived." she glanced behind ara. "can i come in? i bought some stuff for your mom, mostly food." she showed the plastic bag in her hand. "i didn't realize you were visiting, though. i would've bought something for us to share. but i'm sure your mom won't mind sharing!"

ara smiled sheepishly. "er, we just finished eating dinner. but we can have a dinner date someday!"

miyeon shrugged. "it's fine. it's not hot food, anyways. it's just some health items and snacks."

"then come on in," ara said, with a sweep with her hand. miyeon came inside first, then waited and followed behind ara. ara stopped at the dining room's entrance, seeing her mom and jaemin wash the dishes in the kitchen. ara's mom was washing, while jaemin dried the plates with a towel.

their muffled conversation sounded serious, but ara couldn't bother to be curious. it was obviously private, with their inaudible whispers filling the house. as ara came closer to the kitchen, she made sure to make a lot of noise to warn them that she was coming and may have been an unwanted eavesdropper, accident or not. miyeon followed obediently, a few steps behind to admire the house and look at old, embarrassing pictures of when ara was going through puberty.

"mom, it's miyeon!"

her mom continued to wash the dishes, simply smiling and waving a soapy plate, but jaemin quickly turned around and took a sharp breath. his eyes widened, and he dropped the plate that he was drying. it shattered, and glass flew everywhere.

ara's mom snapped, "jaemin!" it had been her favorite plate, treasured, and saved for special occasions like these.

"i-i'm sorry, mom-" jaemin rushed to say.

"jaemin." everybody's head whipped towards miyeon in shock. her voice was extremely cold, dripping with an anger nobody had ever seen before. hate and disgust radiated from every word, and the warm expression she had on seconds ago had disappeared. she noticed that miyeon was clenching her hands, making a tight fist.

"y-you guys? let's take this upstairs..." ara suggested fervently, looking back and forth between them. "cone along, guys..."

her mom nodded. "go into ara's old room. i left it just for her, so nothing's changed." ara shot her mom a quick look of gratefulness.

miyeon set down the plastic bag on the marble counter. "no, thank you."

"miyeon-"

"really, it's fine. i'll be leaving now. i'll probably visit another time, since i didn't realize you would have guests at this time-"

ara's mom cut her off. "you just came back. stay, miyeon." it was a command, not an offer.

miyeon sighed, knowing that she couldn't argue. "alright, ma'am."

ara was confused as to what was happening, but she grabbed jaemin's hand with her right and miyeon's hand with her left. jaemin's hand was still slightly wet from the dishes, but she didn't mind. dragging them to her room, she forced them to sit down on her bed beside each other. they quickly scooted apart.

"i'll leave now," ara said, quickly exiting and shutting the door. she went downstairs to give them their privacy. she sensed that she didn't have the right to overhear what they would be talking about. she joined her mom in the kitchen to help out.

jaemin and miyeon sat on the bed, as far apart as possible. silence enveloped them, and the tensity was making it hard to breathe. miyeon was still clenching her hands. she glared at the floor, burning a hole with her eyes. jaemin didn't dare look at her.

"i'm sorry," jaemin whispered. "i miss you."

"well, i sure don't," miyeon replied coldly. "don't talk to me ever again."

jaemin blanched and nodded weakly. but by then, miyeon had already left the room, leaving him to stare after her. he leaned backwards and laid on his back.

groaning with frustration and regret, he rubbed his face with two hands. miyeon, miyeon, miyeon.

"i never forgave myself, miyeon. i never did."

but the only response was the light pit-a-pat of rain beginning to fall.