THE BET 🦋

XIII.

"Who's this?" the girl asked, gesturing towards me.
Jae-eon hesitated for a moment and then said, "This is Nabi. A friend."
The girl raised an eyebrow and looked at Jae-eon. "Just a friend?"
Jae-eon didn't respond.
She turned her gaze back to me and looked straight into my eyes. It was quite unpleasant because I felt that the look was revealing something more to me at the same time. Something I should know, but at the same time I didn't want to know.
The girl continued, "I heard you won that bet Jea-eon, congratulations."
I looked confused and asked, "What bet?"
Jae-eon's expression turned cold and he snapped, "That's none of your business."
The girl smirked and said, "Oh, come on. It's not like she's your girlfriend or anything."
My heart sank at the girl's words, but I tried not to show it. Jae-eon's reaction was enough to tell me that there was something more to this bet than I knew.
Jae-eon walked over to the girl and said, "You need to leave now."
The girl shrugged and said, "Fine, I'll leave. But just remember, you owe me one."
With that, she turned and walked out of the apartment. Jae-eon slammed the door shut and leaned against it, taking a deep breath.
I could see the anger and frustration on his face and I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going on between Jae-eon and that girl. I turned to him, "Who was that girl? And what did she mean by that bet?"
Jae-eon shifted uncomfortably. "It's nothing, Nabi. Just a stupid bet I made with her a long time ago. It doesn't matter."
"It doesn't matter?" I repeated incredulously. "Then why did she just come here and mention it out of the blue?"
Jae-eon sighed, "Look, it's just a stupid thing from the past. Let's not make a big deal out of it."
But I was already feeling hurt and betrayed. "You know what, Jae-eon? I've had enough. You never tell me anything, you hide things from me, and now this? I can't keep living like this."
Jae-eon tried to reach out to me, but I pulled away. "No, Jae-eon. I need some time to think. I can't just keep pretending like everything is okay when it's clearly not."
And with that, I left the apartment, leaving Jae-eon standing alone.

I sat on my couch, staring blankly at the wall in front of me. My mind was still reeling from the even
I knew I had to talk to someone, someone who would understand what I was going through. I reached for my phone and dialed Bitna's number.
"Hey, Nabi, what's up?" Bitna answered cheerfully.
"Hey, Bitna. Can you talk for a bit?" I asked, my voice laced with sadness.
"Of course, is everything okay?" Bitna replied, sensing the worry in my voice.
I took a deep breath and recounted everything that had happened with Jae-eon that morning.
"I can't believe he would do something like that. And then to not even tell you about it? That's messed up," Bitna said, her voice filled with anger.
"I know. I just can't stop thinking about it. I feel so stupid," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Don't feel stupid, Nabi. You trusted him. You deserve so much better than that," Bitna said, trying to comfort me.
"I just don't know what to do. I don't even want to see him right now," I said, feeling defeated.
"That's totally understandable. Take some time for yourself, and when you're ready, you can decide what you want to do," Bitna said, offering some words of wisdom.
"Thanks, Bitna. You always know how to make me feel better," I said, feeling grateful for my friend's support.
"Anytime, Nabi. You know I'm always here for you," Bitna said, her voice filled with sincerity.
After ending the call, I sat in silence for a while, contemplating what to do next. I knew I needed to confront Jae-eon about what had happened, but I didn't know how to approach the situation.
As the day went on, my anger grew, and I couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. I had trusted Jae-eon, but now I wasn't sure if I could ever trust him again.
I felt hurt and confused by his behavior and was unsure of what to do next. As I walked around, I noticed that the apartment felt emptier than usual, even though I was the only one there.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I hesitated for a moment before opening it, unsure of who could be on the other side. When I did, I was relieved to see Bitna standing there, a sympathetic expression on her face.
"Nabi, I'm so sorry," Bitna said, giving her friend a hug. "I know how much you care about Jae-eon, but you deserve better than how he's treating you."
"I brought you a little surprise to cheer you up," Bitna said, pulling out a bag full of sweets and snacks that I loved from around the corner. But the best came after that. She brought out my favorite hazelnut latte, which was the only thing I always had at the coffee shop.
"Bitna, I officially love you," I said.
I tried to hold back my tears as I invited Bitna inside. We sat on the couch.
After talking for a while, Bitna suggested that we watch a movie together to take my mind off things. I agreed, grateful for the distraction. We picked out a romantic comedy and settled in on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.
As we watched the movie, I began to relax, feeling comforted by Bitna's presence. We laughed together at the silly jokes and romantic moments, and for a little while, I forgot about my problems.
I leaned into my friend's embrace and soon found myelf feeling drowsy. Bitna noticed and suggested we go to bed.
"You can sleep in my room if you want," I offered, feeling comforted by the thought of having Bitna close by.
Bitna smiled gratefully and followed me to my bedroom. We changed into our pajamas and climbed into bed, snuggling under the covers. Bitna wrapped her arms around me and we drifted off to sleep, both feeling safe and supported.