When We're Together [양정완]

04.

Just then, Jungwon spotted a familiar figure walking with another person down the hallway.

"I'll get going then, guys. See you later," He quickly waved goodbye to his older friends before swiftly making his way out the door just in time to spot Chae Aera waving her friend goodbye.

The girl turned around, almost walking straight into the boy standing in front of her.

"Ah! Sorry, Jungwon. I didn't see you," she said as she ran a hand through her long, black hair. "I was just about to go look for you."

The male rubbed the nape of his neck, a bit embarrassed that he had startled her. He bit his bottom lip as he pointed behind him with his thumb. "Do you want to head to the library?"

She nodded and the two started down the hall.

"Who's that?" Sunghoon and Jay had stopped their bickering when they noticed their younger friend talking to an unknown girl in the hall.

Jay shook his head in response to Sunghoon's question. "How would I know?"

~~~

A few hours later, Chae Aera finally made her way to her home after an intense math study session. She tapped the code in the keypad before entering.

"Aera," her mom called, seeing her daughter arrive. "Can you help me with this? Your father is being useless." The woman was holding a huge box full of random objects from the girl's childhood.

The girl slid off her shoes and dropped her bag on the couch before going to help her mother. "Where does this go?" The box was surprisingly heavy.

Her mom pointed to a storage closet in the hallway. "By the way," her mom called as Aera dropped the box on the floor in the closet. "Is your brother home yet?"

Chae Haru, Aera's younger brother who was in his last year of middle school, was probably out with his friends again, if the girl had to guess. "No, not yet, Mom," the girl called back.

Aera made her way back to the kitchen where her mom was preparing dinner.

"How come you haven't been walking home with Yuhan these days?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the food.

Aera paused, trying to think of an excuse. "I uh, started studying with a friend after school, so I told him to walk without me." That was partially true. The girl had started studying with somebody after school, but that wasn't the reason she and Yuhan had been avoiding each other.

"Oh, alright. Anyways, I invited him and his mom over for dinner so-"

"You what?" The girl felt her heart drop. The two hadn't exchanged more than a wave in the hallway since her failed confession. How was she meant to hold up a normal conversation with the boy for an entire meal?

"Why? Did something happen?" her mom confusedly looked at her daughter who was pursing her lips.

"No, no it's ok, it's ok," Aera said more to herself than to her mom. At that moment, they heard the door lock click open and Haru stepped inside. "I'm home."

"Daejung, can you set the table?" the girl's mom called to her dad. The man emerged from her parents' bedroom with messy, wet hair. He nodded to his wife and began setting the utensils on the dining table.

"Haru, put out drinks. Six of them."

"Six? Why?" the boy scratched his head as he reluctantly walked to the cabinet to grab the cups.

"Yuhan and his mom are joining us for dinner." The women explained again. "Aera can you- Aera?" She looked around to find her daughter was no where in sight. Aera had stuck off to go to her room on the second floor of their residence.

She plopped down on her bed, staring at her white ceiling. Of all people, her mom had to invite Min Yuhan? She hit her head with the heels of her hands in frustration and sighed, praying the boy would simply forget her entire confession.