aeri sat down on the cafeteria, alone with jiyeon. she only has jiyeon in her life now. when jaemin left her life, she felt the emptiness around her heart grow nothing but heavier. she was upset. for days.
but thats okay. it's young love anyway, she kept thinking to herself. although it wasnt seven years but only seven months, she moved on pretty fast, because she doesnt want to hold onto something that didnt exist anymore.
there was still time for her to find someone else, she's only sixteen. she knows that she's still young. so young. plus, did we forget about jiyeon's little crush on jaehyun? it still exists. and aeri never told jiyeon about the 8th of july.
she knew that if she did tell jiyeon about that night, she would overreact. jiyeon's a little bit possessive. when aeri first saw jaehyun in the cafe, jiyeon thought that aeri had a crush on him too. but turns out, aeri was just crushing on jaemin instead.
and ever since the 8th of july happened, aeri stopped going to the cafe. that's because cafe dates with jaemin stopped happening. aeri thought she gained a new friend, jaehyun. but since she stopped going to the cafe, she stopped herself from gaining a friend too.
—
[19th october, 2016, 12:38pm]
mark lee stopped aeri from exiting out of the cafe. the cafe that aeri and jaemin used to go to, used to be a daily routine. great memories were made there. but then it stopped.
"what do you want, mark?" aeri whined, softly stomping her feet because she wanted to leave as soon as possible. why? because she knew what was going to come out of mark's mouth. and she didnt want to respond to an —
"i like you, aeri,"
there. mark lee finally said it. aeri stopped in her tracks. she couldnt even be bothered to pretend like as if she didnt see it coming. she saw it coming as soon as jaemin called it quits three months ago.
three months ago, when jaemin called it quits, mark swooped in and became closer to aeri. closer than jaemin has ever did. sure, there were some things that mark still didnt know about her, only jaemin did, but he got closer to her in the span of three months.
aeri wasnt fond of opening up her heart to someone else. especially after losing jaemin, a very close one. and also, she felt wrong, if she did, open her heart to jaemin's best friend. but then again, whenever aeri and mark ever hung out, jaemin didnt seem to give a damn about it.
aeri concluded that jaemin has moved on, and she should too. when mark lee confessed to kang aeri on the 19th of october, jung jaehyun saw everything. behind the counter of that cafe.
"mark– you're jaemin's best friend, i cant possibly say—" aeri was just about to finish her sentence when mark interrupted her. "— do you feel the same?" he asked. aeri kept her mouth shut.
that was a question she has been avoiding for days. of course, there was connection between the two of them. and she knew it was crazy to think it was love, especially only after three months of allegedly "losing the love of her life"
so there was no denying that mark and aeri were close. and had something special. but she wasnt so quick to think that it was love. plus, after thinking that it was love with jaemin, she didnt want to conclude anything.
but aeri did have feelings for mark. because mark had something jaemin never had — honesty. mark has always been honest with aeri, from the very first time they met. but jaemin hasnt.
and aeri always liked guys who are honest. the time spent with mark lee are as special as the time spent with na jaemin. there was no denying that. but mark has put aeri on the spot, she didnt know what to say.
"i feel happy with you, mark, but—" she got cut off, again. "do you feel the same?" mark asked, for the secondth time. aeri took a deep breath in and out. she looked at mark in the eye, and the words took over her — "yes,"
"then what's stopping you?" he questioned, looking at her with such great passion. he likes kang aeri. so much. aeri just kept quiet for a really long time. the answer was too obvious. "is it jaemin?"
aeri nodded her head. at this point, jaehyun behind the counter has already fit the puzzles together. that aeri and jaemin had a thing, and that mark is best friends with jaemin.
"if you like me, and i like you, why dont we just try it out?" mark says. aeri raised her eyebrow, confused. "let's try it out. for a week. if we dont feel the same again after a week, how about we just end it there and never speak of it again?" he continued
aeri effortlessly laughed, faintly smiling. she knew it was a bad idea, to catch feelings for a past lover's best friend. but she had no control over her feelings. it's not like as if she asked to catch feelings for mark lee.
she just did. kang aeri woke up one day and realized that her heart stopped beating fast for na jaemin but for mark lee instead. it's just a coincidence that the boy that her heart beats fast for now is the best friend of a past one.
aeri finally gave in. "let's try this out," she exclaimed, showing the boy infront of her a wide smile. mark jumps up and down in excitement. aeri expected a hug, or a handshake, even. but mark lee pulled her in for a kiss instead.
she kissed mark lee, something she never did with jaemin. and she kind of liked it. for the first time, she actually felt "sparks fly". it felt like she was living in a movie, and she was the main character.
on the 19th of october, 2016, kang aeri agreed to be something with mark lee. they arent official official — yet. but they will be. and it'll be a long, hard, but still somehow beautiful road for the both of them.
