SOOBIN | 10 Things I Hate About You ✓

eighteen

aera looked at him in shock and turned her body sideways as well.

"for what reason exactly?" aera raised a brow as soobin let out a dry laugh.

"it's your penalty idiot," soobin said jokingly.

aera stared blankly at soobin, observing how close their faces were. she noticed how cute his nose is and how his lips were naturally pouty. his soft mono-lid eyes showed innocence.

soobin, mutually, was observing her too. the pair both fell into a comfortable silence as they admired each other.

one admired dreamily while the other desperately searched for a flaw so that it would be easier to hurt her.

soobin couldn't find any flaw— at least for now. he shook away his thoughts about her for the nth time and went back to his so-called "mission".

"anyways, i'll answer. i felt bad for the whispers i heard circulating around about you. how you were called the 'forbidden fruit' who was desperately coming onto a guy like me," soobin admitted after breaking the silence.

"oh," aera uttered as she bit her bottom lip nervously.

"why do they call you the 'forbidden fruit' ?" soobin asked, continuing the game they were playing.

aera presses her lips onto a thin line and sighed hesitantly, fearing that she was going to get judged.

"it's because i'm still a virgin. practically everyone at school lost their virginity except me," aera mumbled.

soobin looked at the girl with wide eyes and laughed out awkwardly.

"in that case, we're part of the forbidden tree," soobin admitted causing aera to be taken aback.

"you're a virgin?"

"yes, i'm still a virgin and there's really nothing wrong with that," soobin responded bluntly and smiled softly at aera.

"what happened between you and mark?" soobin asked.

aera stiffened up and fluttered her eyes shut for a moment. she knew that question was bound to be asked and she didn't want to admit her wrongdoings.

no doubt was she feeling guilty every time she passed by mark or when she saw the scars on his wrist.

"well, i cheated on him," aera admitted in a low voice and felt the protective walls around her come tumbling down.

"oh,"

"you must think i'm a bitch now huh?" aera asked as she abruptly sat up.

"why did you cheat on him?" soobin asked timidly, afraid he might trigger the girl.

however, she only looked at him sadly and laid back down beside the tall boy.

"because his older brother, seokmin, forced me to. he hated mark's gut for dating me. apparently, seokmin had his eyes on me at the same time mark and i started getting close. he practically threatened me that he would hurt mark physically,"

"but how exactly did you cheat on mark?"

"i kissed one of his friends in front of him," aera mumbled, her tears on the brink of spilling out.

"seokmin told me he wouldn't hurt mark but he did. when mark was sleeping, he carved out some word on his own brother's wrist. mark was literally bleeding out and was rushed to the hospital," aera continued as soobin listened intently.

"i tried, i visited mark but he looked so fragile. his parents thought he had depression because they thought he self-harmed. seokmin just stood there triumphantly, it made me sick," aera choked back on her tears.

"did you try explaining to mark?" soobin asked as he gently pulled the girl into his chest, allowing her tears to stain his sweater.

"seokmin explained it to him. however, he twisted the truth and told mark i begged him to hurt him like that,"

"that's pretty fucked up of seokmin, he's sick in the head," soobin spat out as he stroked aera's brown locks.

"mark expected an apology but i didn't give him one. he had no intent of hearing me out. no one did, even jaemin and jeno," aera said bitterly as her crying dialled down.

soobin felt his heartstrings tug again, this time he felt for her. he couldn't believe he doubted her.

"soobin, i hope this stays between us. you're the first person i've truthfully opened up to," aera looked up at soobin with her puffy eyes; soobin who had her embraced in his arms.

soobin nodded in response and softly pecked her forehead. the pair fell back into comfortable silence again as they lay under the blooming cherry blossom tree in each other's embrace.