When We're Together [양정완]

38.

Because of the cold weather, the 602'z (Eseo had created the name for their five person group) decided they could participate in calmer activities for the day.

Chae Aera slipped her hands into her sleeves to keep warm as she made her way to the recreational room of the hotel where her friends were waiting for her to watch a movie together.

The female looked up from the hotel's map on her phone to find herself completely lost. Why did this hotel have to have so many different buildings?

She looked around. She was in some sort of open building with a lot of paintings and doors. As the girl pulled out her phone to text her friends for help, a voice called out. "Ra?"

The nickname caught her off guard, it being the first time she had ever heard it. Yang Jungwon's face came into view from behind the sweatshirt's hood, smiling.

"Where're you going?" the male inquired while stuffing his hands into his sweat-pant pockets.

"To be honest, I'm very lost."

"Yeah, me too." The boy's remark earned a quick side-glance from Aera.

"My friends asked me to meet them in the recreational room but they didn't tell me how I was meant to get there." the female pouted as she checked the map on her phone a second time.

After at least a 10 minute journey in the snowy the pair found themselves in front of a glass door, reading: Hotel Recreation Center.

"Finally..." Aera sighed as she pulled the door open.

Inside, they found almost the same group that had been playing truth or dare in the boys' room the previous night. On one side of the room were ping-pong tables, one of which was being played on intensely by Jake and Sunghoon.

On the other side was a pool table, a round table, many board games, and finally a large couch facing a TV screen.

"Woah, this place is huge," Aera glanced around wide-eyed. The male nodded and chuckled at the girl's reaction before walking towards the ping pong table to challenge his friends.

However, only half an hour later, the boys decided it was time to take a break after somehow breaking 3 ping pong balls. (Most of them were from Jake being uber competitive.)

"What are you guys doing?" Jake hopped onto the couch beside Yoona as she and the other 602'z searched for a movie to watch.

The female suddenly remembered what had happened during their game the previous night and found herself unable to form words. "I- uh, I mean we-"

Aera giggled at her friend's flustered face as she took over for her. "We're just looking for something to watch."

Jake nodded and popped a chocolate from the bowl in Yoona's lap into his mouth before waving over the other boys.

Eventually, the group decided on a scary movie, despite Yoona's protests, and the girls shifted on the couch to allow the boys who wished to join space.

Yang Jungwon sat to her left with a bowl of hot popcorn in his lap. Aera watched the male's eyes as they locked onto the television screen and sensing a chance, she quickly reached out and grabbed a few pieces of the snack.

The male pursed his lips, trying to keep himself from laughing as the female tried to discreetly munch on the popcorn, not knowing he had seen her. He wordlessly shifted the bowl to rest in between his right leg and her left and watched from his peripheral vision as the girl's smile widened.

Only a few minutes into the movie, another figure appeared behind the couch, Baek Junhyun. The room's lights were off to allow for better ambiance (Sunghoon's idea), so it was difficult for the male to decipher who was who.

However, eventually he snuck his way onto the couch, just in between Aera and Haneul.

The group sat in silence with the occasional squeal as the movie jump-scared them, focused on the TV screen.

Aera had always been good with horror movies. Usually, instead of being scared, she tended to just be fascinated with the concepts and intrigued with the characters. But even so, sometimes she still jumped a bit.

Just as the movie was about to close, the television suddenly played a loud noise and the female sharply inhaled, retracting her arms in front of herself.

The two males on either side of her immediately locked eyes, glancing between each other and Chae Aera. Suddenly, Jungwon reached for the girl's hand before Junhyun could, and squeezed it.

Aera's eyes widened as she stared at the cat eyed male who shyly pursed his lips with his dimples on display and averted his gaze to the screen showing the movie's credits.

Aera found herself staring at the boy's dimples once again as he tried his best not to look embarrassed. The corners of her lips lifted into a small smile, then a quiet giggle as both males looked at her, puzzled.

"What?" Jungwon quickly pouted at her and rubbed his cheek, thinking a crumb had landed there or something of the sort.

"Nothing, you're just cute."

Aera's words completely shattered the male's tough facade as he felt his face turning bright red. Thank god the lights were off, he thought to himself as he tried to process Aera's comment.

Meanwhile, Junhyun suddenly felt like he had become invisible to the female. He leaned forwards, trying to catch her attention, but it seemed like she only saw Yang Jungwon.

But, Baek Junhyun wouldn't give up that easily.

a/n: thoughts?