Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A/N: first of all i'd like to apologise. people who read this chapter when it was released yesterday probably noticed it was the same chapter as last one. My dumbass copied the same chapter into wattled from notes (where I right all my stories) and posted it without reading it through, as I didn't have time to do so. Once again Sorry. This is the next chapter.
Aera
The sun was setting on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the deck as the group made their way to the dining hall. Aera, who had spent the rest of the day trying to cool off after her argument with Heeseung, was doing her best to keep her composure. She'd promised herself she wasn't going to make a scene, but the way things had been going, she wasn't sure she could keep that promise.
As they entered the VIP section of the dining hall, everyone seemed in high spirits. Jake and Jay were already cracking jokes, and Sunghoon was busy teasing Minju about something. Jungwon, Sunoo, and Ni-Ki were chatting animatedly about a prank they'd pulled earlier that day.
Aera, on the other hand, felt like she was on the edge of losing it. Especially when she saw Heeseung walk in behind her, once again with Bitna glued to his side. The two of them were laughing at something, and Aera felt that now-familiar twist of jealousy hit her stomach.
Get it together, she told herself. It's just dinner. You can survive one dinner.
They all took their seats around the large, round table. Aera was between Minju and Sunoo, with Heeseung and Bitna seated directly across from her. She tried her best not to look at them, but it was impossible to ignore how close they were sitting. Bitna's hand brushed against Heeseung's arm, and Aera could feel her blood pressure rise.
As the waiter came by to take their orders, the group fell into conversation. Jungwon was the first to speak up, clearly amused about something.
"Ni-Ki, you still owe me for that bet you lost yesterday," Jungwon smirked, pointing a finger at the youngest member of the group. "I'm not letting you get away with it."
Ni-Ki rolled his eyes dramatically. "Yeah, yeah, I'll get you your stupid ice cream. I swear, you're like a child, Jungwon."
"Hey! It's not my fault you can't win a bet," Jungwon shot back, crossing his arms.
"You're both children," Sunoo chimed in with a playful grin. "But Jungwon's right. A bet's a bet. Pay up, Ni-Ki."
Everyone laughed at that, except for Aera. Her mind was too focused on the way Heeseung kept whispering to Bitna. What could they possibly have to talk about that was so interesting?
"So, what's everyone ordering?" Sunghoon asked, looking around the table as the waiter began handing out menus. "I'm thinking steak."
"I'm going for the seafood platter," Jake chimed in, leaning back in his chair with a smug look. "You can't beat fresh seafood on a cruise."
"Sunoo's just gonna order his usual," Jay teased, nudging Sunoo in the ribs.
"Leave me alone," Sunoo groaned, throwing a piece of bread at Jay. "I like my routine."
Aera could barely focus on the banter. Her eyes kept flicking to Heeseung and Bitna. Bitna said something, and Heeseung laughed—like really laughed, the kind of laugh that made Aera's heart clench in her chest. It was the laugh she used to get from him, not some girl who had shown up out of nowhere.
"Are you okay?" Minju whispered next to her, noticing how tense Aera had become.
Aera forced a smile, even though her insides were twisting into knots. "Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, her voice tight.
But she wasn't fine. Not even close.
Across the table, Heeseung was talking to Bitna about something that sounded like a shared memory from their childhood, and Aera felt like she was going to explode. How could he act like everything was normal after the argument they had this morning?
How could he be so fucking oblivious to how much this was hurting me?
Jungwon, meanwhile, was still giving Ni-Ki shit about the bet. "So when are you paying up?" he asked with a grin.
"I'll buy it tomorrow," Ni-Ki muttered, clearly annoyed. "You're like a damn broken record."
"Can we all agree that Jungwon's ice cream obsession is getting a little out of hand?" Jay cut in, earning a laugh from Jake.
"You'd think the kid's never had dessert before," Jake added, his grin wide.
Jungwon rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up in mock frustration. "Hey, don't judge me. A bet is a bet. Right, Sunghoon?"
Sunghoon nodded seriously. "Absolutely. Rules are rules."
Aera couldn't even pretend to care about the conversation. Her whole body was vibrating with pent-up frustration. Every glance Heeseung gave Bitna, every smile, every shared laugh—it felt like a slap in the face.
Finally, the food arrived, and everyone was distracted by their meals. Aera stabbed at her pasta, barely tasting it. She could hear Heeseung's voice across the table, still talking to Bitna. Of course he's talking to her. Why wouldn't he be? It's not like she fucking mattered anymore.
"So, Aera," Sunghoon's voice suddenly cut through her spiral of negative thoughts, and she blinked, realizing he was addressing her. "You've been pretty quiet tonight. Everything okay?"
Everyone turned to look at her, and she felt her face heat up under the attention. Even Heeseung glanced at her, though his expression was unreadable.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Aera said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just... tired."
"Tired? Or tired of someone?" Jay smirked, wiggling his eyebrows in Heeseung's direction.
Aera felt her stomach drop. Did Jay fucking know?
Heeseung frowned, clearly confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Jay just shrugged. "Nothing. Just saying, maybe Aera's tired of the third-wheeling."
Aera shot Jay a warning look, and he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I'll shut up."
The table fell into an awkward silence after that, and Aera could feel the tension in the air. She hated this. She hated feeling so out of place, so invisible. Her mind kept racing, her thoughts spiraling into anger and hurt.
Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore. She stood up from the table, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise.
"I need some air," Aera muttered, not meeting anyone's eyes. Before anyone could say anything, she turned and stormed out of the dining hall, her heart pounding in her chest.
As soon as she was outside, the cool evening breeze hit her, but it did nothing to calm her down. She leaned against the railing, staring out at the endless expanse of ocean in front of her, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
Her head was spinning. The jealousy, the anger, the sadness—it was all crashing down on her at once, and she didn't know how much longer she could hold it together.
