Scarlet(Red 3) JC [Revised]

15: Keeho's Proposal

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Keeho was on his knees with a bouquet of roses in front of Ruby, everyone in the room looking at them in anticipation. Ruby's eyes were shining, and she was grinning ear to ear while her cheeks were already red. It was Aerin's 25th birthday party, with mostly her very close family and her mother present.

"Yes."

Ruby finally answered, taking the bouquet from Keeho's hands. Keeho smiled and immediately hugged her, and the whole room cheered. Aerin sighed, feeling frustrated. She didn't expect Keeho to be so desperate to make her jealous that he would propose to Ruby in front of so many people.

"Ms. Park, I thought Keeho likes you?" Chaeyeon whispered in Aerin's ear, noticing her gritted teeth.

"Aerin, WTF is this?" Jimin looked at her with confusion.

"We all know Keeho likes you. Then why did he just propose to Stewart?"

"Because she looks like your sister. And this dumb fuck thinks your sister will get jealous by this." Yoongi casually sipped his whiskey as he explained to Jimin.

"This is becoming worse!" Chaeyeon mumbled. Aerin's eyes were stuck on Ruby and Keeho, who were smiling at each other and talking.

"Fuck it!" Aerin growled, gulping down the remaining wine from her glass and slamming it on the table. Before anyone could stop her, she walked towards Keeho and Ruby and dragged Keeho out to the stairs, holding his arm. All of them eyed the scene suspiciously.

"Is she jealous?" Jimin raised an eyebrow.

"Hell yeah!" Yoongi said with a chuckle.

"If she doesn't like Keeho, then why is she jealous of him and Ruby?" Chaeyeon asked out of curiosity.

"Feelings are complicated stuff; people take ages to figure them out."

Meanwhile, Aerin stopped as they both reached the terrace, both trying to catch their breath after practically running up the stairs.

"Keeho, are you being fucking serious?" Aerin barked.

"What do you mean by serious?" Keeho said nonchalantly, still breathing faster than usual.

"This proposal and all? Are you seriously doing this just because she looks like me?" Aerin demanded.

Keeho raised an eyebrow at Aerin. "I know you're going to break her heart because you don't love her. A few months back, you said you liked me, and now you're proposing to her? Are you out of your mind or something, Yoon Keeho?"

Keeho didn't say anything, but Aerin went on. "You keep making reckless decisions! I saved you so that you could take your revenge, and she is practically ill. You are making Ruby even more ill; you know she's trying so hard to be me. Her illness is getting worse; she's becoming something she shouldn't. You know everything, so why are you doing it?"

"Nicole, do you love me?" Keeho asked suddenly, his eyes boring into hers.

Aerin looked at Keeho, wide-eyed. "I asked you something, Nicole! DO YOU LOVE ME?"

Aerin remained silent. Of course, she wasn't feeling good about Ruby and Keeho's new relationship, but it wasn't jealousy. It was worry and anxiety because she knew Ruby's condition would get worse this way. Since meeting Aerin in the asylum, they had been friends, and even though Ruby got discharged from the hospital, her condition didn't improve. Ruby now kept imagining herself as Aerin, which Aerin hated. She hated the idea of someone trying to be her because, for her, she was the worst person living on earth, and she would never want someone to become a pathetic monster like her. But she couldn't do anything; Ruby kept copying her. She tried to possess everything Aerin had, even though she was the one seeking revenge from Jeonghan. Even though she helped Aerin in every way, Aerin didn't like the fact that Ruby's illness was getting bigger and more severe day by day.