A Drunken Mistake | Lee Jeno

Chapter 16

TW: violence and abuse

Sitting on the grassy field and taking advantage of the sunny weather, Solji's mood wasn't as bright as everyone else's around her.

Aside from the fact that the final exam was just around the corner, she had not seen Jeno, not even his shadow. Not seeing him was a good thing, she didn't want to see him in the first place. On the other hand, she wanted to know how he was after the stunt she pulled that night.

Her left hand felt empty. The emerald ring that used to sit on her ring finger was gone. It didn't help that she was constantly nervous. That ring gave her comfort when she's anxious and now whenever she's touching her hand, she couldn't feel the gem against her skin.

"That's probably the hundredth time you sighed," Mark said.

Oh, yes. She almost forgot that Mark was sitting beside her right now. She was grateful for his presence. It somehow gave her comfort. Thankfully, he wasn't teasing her as usual. But he was always looking at her, checking if she was still okay.

Mark was a good friend.

"Sorry. I'm still nervous," Solji lied and glanced at Mark then gave him a forced smile.

"What for? I thought you said the perfumers liked the samples you created?"

"Yeah, they did. But you can't stop me from being nervous, alright?"

Solji rolled her eyes and Mark raised his hands in surrender. She lied on her back and closed her eyes. Mark stared at her troubled face. Despite being an expert in pretending, she couldn't hide the deep wrinkles of her furrowed brows.

"What happened that night?" Mark asked.

"What are you talking about?" Solji feigned innocence.

"We both know what I mean."

That's it. There's no turning back.

Solji got up into a sitting position and pulled the grasses from the soil. Mark waited for her to say something.

"What happened to him?" Solji asked, her breath shaky.

"Jeno went home crying. I didn't ask him what happened. He was... he was sobbing uncontrollably and I was too afraid to approach him.

"He didn't speak to us. I doubt he ever even slept. I volunteered to look after Heejin so he can rest but then the next morning, I found him still sitting in the same position where I left him. He was staring blankly outside the glass walls of his house. I thought he lost his mind."

A lump formed in Solji's throat as she tried to imagine Jeno, exhausted and sleepless, staring at the void with blank eyes. She did that to him. But she was just as miserable.

When Mark didn't receive any answer from Solji, he let out a sigh and casted his eyes downwards only to find the missing ring on Solji's hand.

Solji saw Mark looking at her hand and she clenched it into a fist.

"No... you did not..."

Solji nodded sullenly. "I did."

"So that's why..."

Mark was surprised when he saw Solji's shoulders shaking. He slowly lifted her chin to see her face.

Even when she was crying, she was still beautiful. But those tears weren't for him. And even if it made his heart ache, he pulled her into a hug as he rubbed her back comfortingly.

"I'm... stupid... I like him a lot. I like Jeno so much. But... but why..."

Solji couldn't finish her sentence as she let out a heartbreaking sob. Mark closed his eyes. He was in pain, too. The girl he liked just confessed her feelings for his cousin. She didn't know. She wasn't aware. So whatever he was feeling right now, she wasn't responsible for it.