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Seungyoun POV
Aera and I weren't dating. She hung out with me, but I honestly felt like it was out of pity. Aera had always been nice to me and now I kind of felt like I was taking advantage of her. But she never complained. In fact, she was always smiling and patting my head and buying me foods.
"How are you doing?" I asked kindly. We were at a little café, drinking green tea lattes.
"Fine. You know. Facing life's challenges. Working. How about you?" She took a sip of her tea.
"Pretty good. Working, too. The new dance choreography's really hard. Hangyul and Seungwoo have had to help me with it." I shrugged. "How's your husband?" I asked carefully, stirring my tea and purposely not looking at her.
"Ah...he's fine. I guess?" Aera answered reluctantly. I glanced up, concerned.
"What's wrong?" I demanded. "Did he do something to you?"
"No. He's just..." She looked at me for a long moment. "Maybe, he's dating someone else."
"Oh." I felt the air leave my lungs, but couldn't seem to take another breath. "Great. Good for him."
I pretended not to notice as tears plopped into her tea.
"Wanna go and watch movie at my dorm?" I offered, patting her hand. "Everyone will be there. You can invite Seul, too." I added.
"We're finally divorced." She mumbled, sitting up and wiping away her tears.
We fell in an awkward silence for a while.
"Don't cry." I muttered. "Just stop crying."
"Why can't I just cry?" She mumbled. "It's not hurting you. It's not affecting you at all so just let me cry."
"It is affecting me!" I yelled, stopping suddenly. Everyone in the café turns to us. I ran a hand through my hair and grabbed her wrist out of the café. She stumbled to a stop next to me.
"What are you doing? Let me go." Aera pushed me a little bit. I stumbled for a second.
"What is wrong with you?" I shouted, pissed.
"You're being an asshole!" She cried, fresh tears springing to her eyes. "Why do you keep getting mad at me? Why do you keep yelling at me? What have I done to make you so unhappy?"
"Well, you're asking for it!" I shouted back. "You ran away from home, you don't even tell me anything, and you called me an asshole! And I didn't even hear a thank you for helping you out back there."
"I didn't ask you to punch that guy for me." She said sullenly.
"You wanna see what happens when I'm not there to punch that guy for you?" I asked, grabbing her wrist. "You wanna see what happens when we're not there to help you out? You wanna get beat up by a crazy guy?"
"Of course, I don't." She yanked her wrist back from me. "Don't be stupid."
I stepped closer to her, an injured expression in my eyes.
"Stay away from me." She whispered, backing up. I didn't listen instead reached out a hand to cup her face.
"We were so happy together when we first met." I said softly, stroking her cheek. "And now we're like this. Why can't you ever be honest with me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." She said harshly, stepping away from me. My hand slipped from her face and by the look in her eyes, I knew I was losing her.
She started to walk off without me. I didn't want to have this conversation. I fell silent for a long while, following her. I didn't walk next to her, just trailed behind. I let out a tired, defeated sigh. The sound felt like a knife to my heart.
"I'm sorry for calling you an asshole." She said eventually, breaking the silence with her quiet, serious voice.
"I am one." I murmured, pulling my beanie farther down on my hair.
"You're not." She disagreed, taking my hand. "You're right. I'm such an idiot. Fucking impulsive and reckless, too."
I tried to tug my hand away, but she only held it tighter.
"You're my friend, Seungyoun." She said quietly, peeking over at me. "At least let me hold your hand if you're going to leave me by the end of the night."
"At midnight I turn into a pumpkin." I tried not to think about the way I felt her pulse race through her palm.
"Like Cinderella." She let out a ghost of a laugh.
"No. I'm not good enough to be Cinderella." I turned my face away, looking aimlessly at some shop decorations. "I'm too masculine."
"You're a prince. No matter what." She whispered, squeezing my hand. "Don't worry. You'll soon find some other girl to reign over your heart."
I didn't say anything, just interlaced our fingers.
"You're really stupid, you know." I said after a moment. "Letting go of a guy like me."
"I'm doing girls around the world a favour. Letting go the most eligible bachelor back on the market." She teased. "You'll meet a nicer girl, Seungyoun. One who will cook you a nice meal and tell you she loves you all of the time. One who won't bring her past relationships into her new ones. Preferably one who's not a single mother."
I just want you. I thought to myself, my heart broke along with it.
