𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 ━━━ 엔하이픈

47. lonely

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Aera's POV

"No." Jake said out as the nervous smile that was planted on my face disappeared hearing him. "What?" I asked him with fear in my eyes as he looked up at me. His eyes showed a different emotion. As if he knew what he was going to say would hurt me now. "I can't be your boyfriend now Aera." And it did. I felt my world stop for a moment hearing him. It was hard to believe what he was saying.

More like I didn't want to believe it.

"I'm really sorry Aera but I really need to focus on myself right now. All of these has had its impacts on me and I need to get my confidence in myself back." He said holding my shoulders lightly hoping for me to understand him. I did but it broke my heart. I forgot I was the reason why he is going through all these. It was all because of me. "Jake.." the guy looked at me with hopeful eyes and I could say nothing.

"I need some time alone, Aera. I need to take care of myself. Can you please wait for me?" But this wasn't what I thought he meant. What did he mean by wait? "I'll leave this place for some time." My heart pained hearing him. He had decided to leave the country and nothing could make me feel worse. Just why was I like this? I lowered my head not looking at his eyes anymore and kept blinking hoping the tears wouldn't fall now.

"Hey angel. I'll come back. I promise you I'll come back. Just let me leave for some time?" Jake came closer caressing my cheeks as the salty water finally started pouring down from my eyes. The guy in front panicked as he wiped my tears and hugged me. "You're going to make it hard for me Aera-" but I shook my head pulling away from the hug and wiped my tears. Sniffling I looked at him in the eyes again.
"Jake I understand. You need a break and I'm ready to give you time." Saying it out with all my courage, I forced a sad smile as he returned it to me.

Holding his hands, I sighed heavily knowing how much he needed a leave from everything. "Promise me, you'll come back." That was the only thing I was scared of. What if he didn't come later on? I didn't want to lose him.

"I promise." Jake said out assuring me as he gave me a refreshing smile trying to soothe me. I closed my eyes hugging him again as we stayed like that for a while.

-

A couple weeks passed by since Jake left. Nobody knew where he went except his parents but they didn't tell me anything. He just vanished one day while no one had no clue. Everyone knew he was going to go away but it was still a shock. Waking up one day and figuring out Sim Jake wasn't here with me anymore.

"Wake up dear." The sound of my mom reached my ears as I opened my eyes. The sunlight attacked my swollen eyes as I struggled to look properly. My mom sighed as she gave me ice pack for my eyes. "Thanks." I said out trying to sound normal but the voice break ruined it all. The woman stared at me for a while as I felt her feel sorry for me. Then she left.

I sighed looking at my phone as I saw 0 replies or notifications from the guy. "I miss you Jake." I stared at my wallpaper which was a picture of us together. Biting my lips, I held the urge to cry again. Shutting my eyes tightly, I breathed heavily before finally getting up.

"Hey Aera." Jungwon said out as I looked up at him. The guy sighed sitting beside me. "Your eyes look horrible." He said out slowly as I breathed heavily before keeping my head down again. University was still the same. Painfully stressful. Except it was just a lot more lonelier this time. It was lonely without Jake.

-

2 months later

"Here's your coffee." The staff handed me the coffee as I bowed paying for it. Sitting on the chosen chair, I stared at my laptop looking at the pile of assignments that I needed to get done with. "He would have helped me with these." And once again, unknowingly the thought of Sim Jake reached my mind. Two months passed by and still no clue about him.

Are you okay Jake?

I looked at my phone as the familiar face made me smile sadly and painfully. Biting my lips, I figured out Jake wouldn't like it if he knew he was basically distracting me from doing my assignments and decided to work on it.

"Aera is that you?" I looked up and saw Arin as she stared at me with curiousity. I stood up nodding as she approached me with a smile. "Omg what a pleasure to see you here." She said out as her friend tagged along. "Same. You wanna sit?" I smiled offering them a sit as they accepted it. We randomly talked and did our work too. "You look familiar." Arin's friend said out eyeing as I raised my eyebrows.

"Wait, you were Sim Jake's girlfriend, right?" She said out as I awkwardly looked at her and then at Arin. The girl herself was speechless about her friend.

"Heard you and Jake broke up? And then he vanished?" She continued as I looked down not knowing what to say. Arin hit her friend slightly making her confused. "Gosh why would you say that?" She whispered and awkwardly chuckled in front of me as I played with my fingers biting the inside of my mouth. "Uhm I don't know if break up is the right term for this or not." Awkwardly smiling, I went silent once again.

"What?" Arin's friend said out as I kept quiet this time. Arin stood up pulling her friend. "We will go now Aera." She said out. I nodded to them. Before she completely left, the girl mouthed a sorry to which I shook my head forcing a fake smile again.

After they left, I bit my lips and balled fists tightly not knowing what to do. I felt angry and I didn't know why I was feeling that.

4 months later

Exams were starting real soon. And here I was, struggling with my studies again. My mind was all over the place. Looking at the clock, I noticed it was way past midnight and I should have been done with studying by now. But I just couldn't do it. It was too hard for me. Like always physics was never my thing.

Getting another wrong answer, I threw the pen harshly and threw my head on the table hitting it slightly. The sounds of the thunder from outside made me feel worse. It was too overwhelming.

I sat up straight, emotionlessly staring at the physics question paper that I was trying to solve as a random person made his way to my mind once again. The memory of Jake staying up till late just to make me understand physics reached my mind. "You would have made physics so much easier for me if you were here now." I chuckled sadly thinking about him.

The chuckle slowly turned into a silence that was torturing. And soon it changed to little sniffles. I grabbed my phone and played the recording.

"I love you Aera. Please take care of yourself."

This was the voice message, Jake had sent me the night before he vanished. Didn't know it'd hurt me this bad to hear it now. "When will you come back.." I sobbed hiding my face as I felt myself break apart one more night. I was scared.

Was he even going to come back?

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Eid Mubarak 🌙 to all the Muslim readers out here !!

And sorry for being so inactive :((