Love Contract / Mark Lee

Chapter 20

Areum dragged Jeno's by the hand into the room.

"Hello Areum. And Jeno, what a nice surprise!" She said.

"Hello mrs. *insert random therapist name here* I'm just as surprised as you are. I was promised that we were going to get ice cream." He said, looking at Areum.

"We will get ice cream after. But I was told that for my next session I should bring you!" She said.

" So you told your therapist about your relationship with Haechan?" He asked. She sighed.

"Yes. And I told her that you have been ignoring me since I told you about it. So she offered to help fix whatever is going on between us." She said. Her therapist cleared her throat.

"I'm not going to fix anything. You have to do that on your own. But I get to ask questions. Like this one; Jeno, how did you feel when you heard Areum tell you that she wanted to have a relationship with Haechan?" She asked. He sighed.

"Shocked. A bit confused. I knew Haechan had, or has feelings for her, but I didn't think that she would do anything about it. A-and it's weird. An-and. God! What are you doing Areum? Because not long ago I found you cuddled up on your bed with Mark. I don't know if it's the pressure of the wedding or the Aiden thing, but something is wrong with you."  He said. She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Nothing is wrong with me. I am just trying to experience what normal people do!" She said. Jeno scoffed.

"Normal people like who?"

"Like Mina! S-she slept with this one guy, and then forgot about him the next day. And then the day after that she slept with-"

"No offense, it's kind of slutty." He said. She scoffed.

"What, so you're saying I'm a slut?" She asked. He opened his eyes wide.

"No, no! I mean that's what you'll turn into if you're reckless."

"It's not reckless when Haechan wants to be with me and Mark doesn't. A-and I'm not sleeping around like her. Or sleeping with anyone." She said. He furrowed his eyebrows.

" Y-you and Haechan haven't had sex yet?" He asked. She rolled her eyes.

" No. Because I'm scared. Because everytime his hand goes below the belt, my mind takes over and I just see... I see Aiden, instead of Haechan." She said. He sighed.

"A-and you might think I'm a slut because I was basically in a relationship with Mark a-and we were trying something new. B-but then he humiliated me and made me look like a slut and made me feel like I wanted him for more. B-but I didn't... I dont. Haechan makes me feel like... like I'm special or different. or whatever. And sometimes the perfect guy is in front of you and you don't even realize it!" She said. Jeno sighed.

"It makes me a little pathetic but not a slut. It makes me broken, and it's all Aiden's fault." She said. He looked up at her.

"I think we have just established that slut is the word of the day." her therapist said. Jeno chuckled.

"Perfect guy? I thought that you didn't believe in that crap. I thought that you didn't want the perfect guy or love. And then you met Mark, and now you won't stop talking about how there is a perfect guy out there. So I don't think you're broken. I think your already healing." He said, grabbing her hand. She smiled.

"So you brought me here, to- to what? Get my approval?" He asked. Her therapist closed her notebook.

"No. She needs you to be there for her. She barely has a support system out there. A support system she can fully trust. Except for you, you have been there for her. And you need to continue being there for her when she doesn't need me anymore." Her therapist lectured. Jeno nodded.