disclaimer❗️❗️
-the personalities of characters that were mentioned in this chapter are not related to their real life.

-

Aera took a glance at Jake's seat and became anxious when he was absent today. After getting caught by his parents yesterday, she bet his parents would never let him go this time. What she was worried about the most was the promise that his mother told her. She didn't want to see him leave her and stay in his hometown for a long time. She can't bear the thought of losing him because she will miss Jake. She hoped that Jake would realize everything that she did on purpose. She hoped his parents didn't do anything to him, but the fact that his parents heard everything yesterday, she can feel that his parents would send him to his hometown in a short time.

Again, she blamed herself for this.

His mother was right.

Her classmates were right.

She brought him into trouble.
She gave bad luck to him.

Is it okay to move on?

Would it be okay if she wanted to stop everything although she knew it would hurt her the most?

If it's better for Jake, it's better to let him go. So, he will live happily.

" Aera, drink this to make you feel better."
Yebin handed the strawberry milk to her as a way to comfort her from crying.

Aera still mad at Yebin for everything she did, but this time, she didn't want to think of it anymore and just go on with life. She tried to accept Yebin as a friend again and forgot everything to make her feel better.

Sunghoon saw that and patted Aera on her shoulder making her look at him,
"Are you okay?"

Aera hummed as a response.

" Yebin, let's go to the cafeteria," Sunghoon said to Yebin. She nodded and followed Sunghoon to buy some food for themselves.

As soon as they left, Aera rested her head on the table and cried in sobbing. Jay put his PSP down when he saw her in that condition. He became worried and quickly ran towards her.
He gently patted her head to make her look at him, but she refused.

"Tell me, what's wrong?"

Aera sniffed her nose,

" Is it because of Jake?"

" You blamed yourself again, didn't you?"

" It's my fault. There's no need to" Jay suddenly held her hand and brought her to somewhere else.

Aera told him to let go of her, but he refused and still held her hand tightly. Jay ignored those glances that he got from other students and brought her to the hall to show something to her.

Their steps immediately stopped when they saw Jake was walking through the hallway.
Aera looked at him surprisingly and tried to hold her tears. Jake looked at her too, but he quickly broke it off when he noticed that Mr. Kang was there. He left her with Jay and went to the classroom without taking a glance at her. Aera saw that, and it made her feel more downhearted-

Jake stopped at the door and sighed heavily. He clenched his fist, badly wanted to destroy Mr. Kang for doing this to him. His parents asked Mr. Kang to take a look at Jake and Aera. His parents also asked Mr. Kang to make Aera and Jake not interact with each other until their last year of school ended.

It hurt Jake too, and he wanted to do something about this, but at the same time, he didn't want to stay in his hometown forever. He can't bear the thought of losing her. He still believed that Aera felt the same way as he did. Since Mr. Kang always took a look at them, he can't do anything and just followed what his parents told him to do.

He wanted to stay here and see Aera every day although they didn't interact anymore. It made him feel better.

-

Jay brought Aera to the hall, the place that was full of memories. Just by looking at the stage, she can't help but remember the moment when Jake lay on it with blood-stained on his clothes. The moment she cried until she lost her voice traumatized her – She shut her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.

" Look at the spotlight. The worker already replaced a new one." Jay pointed to the spotlight.

" The spotlight crashed down because it had already broken. It's not your fault. Did you control the gravity of the spotlight? Did you know when it would be crash down? Did you do something to that spotlight at the school festival?"

" No, right?"

Aera just listened to him in silence.

" It's not your fault. It crashed down because it had broken. It's never your fault and doesn't listen to others."

Aera burst into tears and kept blaming herself.

" Don't cry. Those bullies don't like you, that's why they tried to bring you down. The more you listened to their nonsense, the more it made you hurt. So, please stop listening to them.
I miss seeing you happy, Aera. I miss seeing your smile and hearing your laugh."

" This is not Aera that I used to know. Aera is the cutest and most protective girl that I've ever known. She always makes everyone laugh with her stupidity. She is not fake and always positive. I still remember when she stood up for the truth and took responsibility for her fault although someone already helped her. She looked cool that day, and I adore her
for that. It's Aera. It's Song Aera."

Jay fixed her hair and gently wiped her tears.
" But this girl in front of me is still Aera. She is still adorable with her crying face, but I don't like to see her in this way. It makes me sad too."

" So, don't cry. Do you want to hurt me?"

Aera shook her head and pouted her lips as a habit of hers when she forced herself to stop crying. Jay saw that and chuckled because she was adorable.

" I will make you happy again."

Jay held her arm and placed her on the floor.

He lay next to her and faced the ceiling.

" What are we going to do?" Aera is still confused.

Jay showed his hand to her
" Show me your hand." Aera just followed his words and showed her hand to him.

He chuckled when her hand was smaller than him.
" Your hand is so small."

"Your hand is bigger than Shrek."

Jay laughed at her words.
" Let's compare it by touching our fingers."

Aera hesitated to do it at first, but she knew this guy was trying to make her happy again. So, she agreed and placed her hand on him.

" How did you dig your nose with that small hand?"

Aera surprised and hit Jay,
" I hate you for saying this."

Jay faked pain and laughed,
" I used a cotton bud."

Aera laughed so hard causing her stomach to hurt.

" My hand is big. It didn't fit-"

" Jay, stop it." Aera laughed again as she imagined the cotton bud poking into the nose.

" I'm just kidding. I hate you for believing that." Jay said in a sulking way, making Aera laugh more.

" I have tips to make your hand bigger," Jay said.

" What is it?"

" Let's compare our hands again."

Aera put her hand on him, waited for him to continue.

Jay smiled and played with her fingers,
" What is that for?"

" A way to exercise your finger to be longer."

Aera fell on his lies and just let him play with her finger.

" Wait, I don't remember the step." Aera laughed again.

Jay interlocked his fingers with her,
" I think this is one of the steps."

Jay pouted his lips,
" Is this right?" He got confused again while Aera was just waiting for him to show the step.

Jay held her hand tightly,
" Or this?"

" I don't remember."

He interlocked his finger with her hand,
"Maybe this is the correct step." Jay chuckled.

" What is the next step?"

" Do exercise on your palm," Jay replied making Aera confused.

" How?"

Jay leaned his body closer to her and held her arm,

He reached his finger to her palm,
" Look at this carefully." Aera nodded.

Jay drew a circle on her palm and chuckled at his action while Aera was still dumbfounded as she didn't get what Jay was doing.

" What am I drawing?"

" A circle."

"What is the circular object?"

" CD"

" Wrong. Guess more."

" Frisbee."

" Wrong."

" Then what is it?"

"It's a ring," Jay replied and smiled at her.

" Which finger to wear a ring, Aera?" Jay asked her softly.

"Index finger?

"Yes, you're right."

"It's not related to making our hands bigger."

Jay just laughed as the dumb girl still didn't realize it.
" I forgot the step."

Aera laughed as a response.

" I'm going to take this ring," Jay spoke up again and wore it on her index finger.

" I wore it on your index finger." He said to her.

" Then?"

" Then, we are already married now," Jay replied causing Aera to chuckled.

" Nonsense, Jay."

Jay interlocked his finger with her again,
" I'm going to do some research to make your hand bigger again."

" It's sad that I forgot it."

Aera just smiled at him.

" Let's go back to the classroom."
Jay stood up and still didn't let go of her hand.

" Jay," Aera called him, making Jay look at her.

" Thank you for making me smile again."

" No need to thank me. Making you smile is a must in my life."

" You're a great guy."

"Of course, I was your husband a minute ago."

" What husband?"

" I was proposing to you before."

" Jay, you're so funny."

" I was proposing to you to be my wife instead of a girlfriend."

" It's sweet to be your wife," Aera replied as she thought it was a joke.

" Yeah, it's great to get married to you."

" I can't wait for it to happen in real life." Jay continued and left the hall as he felt embarrassed.

Aera still there,
And confused at his words.

" I can't believe I used to like you."

" I have loved you for a long time, and my feeling completely changed when I met Jake."

" I am wondering how I fall in love with him so fast."

" I miss being like this with Jake."

-

a/n🤩

hello everyone! I know this book is getting boring and slow day by day. I'm sorry if it disappoints you guys 😚
I will do better next time~~