Blooming red | s.jy

9. A concealed verity

Aera's pov

I woke up due to the sun rays  stinging my eyes . I look around as i sit up on the bed just to notice that i slept at sunghoons last night. I sigh knowing mrs.sim would be worried about me but i already know that mrs.park must've told her that im staying for the night. I didnt realize that i slept while talking to sunghoon.

But talking to him indeed took the weight of all the buried feelings off my heart. No matter what i do to repay his kindness , i know that i'll be forever grateful to him.

I walk downstairs to their living room , only to find him cooking breakfast .

"Good morning"he looks at me passing me a sweet smile "good morning rose , have a seat breakfasts ready".

I sit down on the table as he puts the food infront of me "where's aunty? Its off today so she wouldn't be working obviously" i ask him looking around "oh she went outside for a walk near the fields , but i know its not just a walk when all the ladies gather around , they would end up gossiping for HOURS" he emphasizes the last word earning a chuckle form me.

"Mum wanted to take you too but you were sleeping and also im glad you were , you would end up being bored and come back home whining like a toddler of how bored you were and you would eat up my brain with your tantrums" Sunghoon says almost imitating me while i just give him a blank stare making him shut up instantly.

"Dont you think you're having too much fun with this park Sunghoon" i glare at him who just avoids my gaze and awkwardly chuckles.

As we are eating I finally blurt out a "thank you" he raises his head to look at me , the food still in his mouth as he slowly chews . I put down my spoon " for last night" i say fiddling with my fingers. He puts his spoon down as well resting his back on the chair as he slightly tilts his head and gives me a small smile. Hearing no response i furrow my eyebrows in confusion as he keeps staring at me.

"What?" I ask him as he just shakes his head " nothing , im just glad you finally started to open up more about your feelings , i had the idea that you had kept them bottled up for long and i was the only one with you since last year as jake and the others left for college, you got more lonely and spent your days just roaming alone in the fields , reading books and working and i had to drag you with me forcing you to at least have a little fun and that i look back , my efforts bore fruit as we got closer and you trusted me enough to tell me how you felt" he tells smiling and i dont realize a smile creeps on my face as he says those words.

"Im glad you saw me as me and wanted to share with me , i know im not as close as jake is to you but i assure you that i'll be here whenever you need a shoulder to lean on , i have been and always will be , so thank you aera" his gaze fixed on me as he says the last words of gratitude.

"I should be the one saying thank you again and again but seeing you this happy im grateful that i shared with you and happy that we are such good friends now" i reply.

Minutes pass and none of us realize how long we kept staring at each other. I wont lie sunghoon makes me comfortable every time im around him , no wonder why i'm so happy with him.

Suddenly a thought of jake passes my mind. Sunghoon said he was too drowned in guilt he couldnt even face me . How is he right now? Has he eaten? Is he okay? What is he doing ? All these questions pop in my head as the smile falls of my face and is etched with worry.

Sunghoon notices the change in my demeanor and asks " what happened?" I quickly come out of that small trance and shake my head smiling at him "nothing".

He hesitates to ask but just nods his head. "Lets clean up and then i'll go back home mom must be worrying since last night why i didnt come back until now" i pick up the plates putting them back in the sink as sunghoon does the same. After cleaning up Sunghoon insists to walk me home but i politely reject his offer and bid him a good bye before walking home.