Love Contract / Mark Lee

Chapter 17

"Areum I know you're not asleep anym- Oh wow" a deep voice said. He walked over to Areum, tapping her shoulder. She mumbled something, which caused Mark to wake up.

"Good morning, Areum." Mark said. Areum smiled.

"Good morning, Mark," she mumbled. The voice decided to speak up.

"Hello, you two." He said, causing both of them to turn around in surprise. She gasped.

"J-Jeno?" She said, sleepily. Mark got up.

"What's going on here?" Jeno asked.

"Nothing" Areum defended. Jeno furrowed his eyebrows.

"Are those my sweats?" He asked. Mark looked at Areum.

"I thought you said they're your brothers." He asked. Areum put her head in her hands.

"Um I think I should go." Mark said, standing up. She shook her head.

"N-no just wait in the living room while I talk to Jeno" She pleaded. He nodded and walked out of her room. Jeno closed the door and looked up at his friend.

"Areum... What the hell?" He asked. She chuckled.

"He l-likes me, Jeno." She said. He looked to where Mark was just sleeping and back up at her.

"Clearly, I can see that. B-but you guys were cuddled up and... Oh my god." He put his hands over his mouth.

"Did you guys have-" Areum gasped. 

"NO JENO!" She yelled, shaking her head. He looked up at her.

"Then what happened? No one goes from not speaking to each other to spooning!" He yelled. She smacked his shoulder, signalling him to lower his voice.

"Things just happened. We got ice cream, and talked. Oh! We just talked. And it was one of the best talks I have ever had. Jeno, do you know what my favorite ice cream flavor is?" She asked. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Isn't it cake batter?"

"Oh. I didn't expect you to get that," She said, surprised. "But the point is, I learned so much about him, and I want to know more. H-he said he wants me. A-and no guy has said that since, well, Aiden." She said. He sighed and shook his head.

"You're giving me the look," She said. He furrowed his eyebrows

"What look?" He asked. She placed her hands on her hips.

" The 'You're about to get yourself into some deep shit, Areum' look." She said. He sat on the bed.

"Areum, you told yourself that you wouldn't fall in love. But now that you have, you can't refrain yourself from it."

"Ok one, I haven't fallen in love. You know how I feel about that. I'm not going to. And two, Mark and I are just starting slow, no labels. Well besides the fiance label."

"And then after that?" He asked. She shrugged. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I don't want you getting your hopes up, and then after a year he leaves you for the girl he really wanted to be with." He said. Areum felt her shoulders slump. She almost forgot how Mark left his girlfriend of two years to be with her as "newlyweds."

"Y-you think he would?" She asked. He shrugged. "I don't know Mark that well. But I know you. You get carried away with your emotions and feelings. Sometimes you forget to stop and make sure that it's realistic." He said. She scoffed.

"How much more realistic can it get? I-I mean we're getting married!" She claimed. He chuckled.

"I know. But it's an arranged marriage. Just remember that. You didn't choose this. And after one year, he may leave. And I would hate to see you go through that the second time." He said. She sighed.