Make A Wish | Na Jaemin

35

The next day, Areum and Nari entered the arcade that they were meeting the rest of the boys in.
Nari worriedly looked over to her friend, her eyes taking in Areum's puffy eyes from all the crying she did last night. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"For the hundredth time, yes," she sighed. "I don't want to be a party pooper."

"Your mental health is more important than being a 'party pooper'," Nari replied.

"Whatever, let's just find the boys."

The two girls walked around before finding the Dreamies huddled together in a corner. As they got closer Areum saw how Jiyeon was clinging onto Jaemin's arm and she forced a smile.
"Areum, Nari! You guys finally made it," Mark said.

"Yah, Areum, did you cry? Your eyes are all puffed up," Chenle laughed.

Hearing this, Jaemin immediately looked at Areum, scanning her features. Indeed her eyes were puffy, her cheekbones tinted red as if she had repeatedly wiped away her tears. He noticed her forced happy expression, and this only made him frown.

Areum glanced at Jaemin for a second before faking a laugh. "Haha yeah, I watched Crash Landing on You last night before bed and I couldn't stop crying," she lied.
"Yo, that drama made me cry too!" Mark exclaimed.

"Are we gonna play games or keep talking?" Haechan whined.

"Let's go, Hyuck! I can't wait to beat your ass!" Nari exclaimed, grabbing onto his wrist and dragging him away.
"Jisung! Follow them! I need to see this," Chenle said, grabbing onto his wrist as well and dragging him to chase after Haechan and Nari.

The rest awkwardly looked at each other as they were the only ones left.
Jaemin's eyes shifted to Areum, and she looked at him back. "Hey-"
"Areum's with me!" Renjun shouted, interrupting Jaemin. "Jeno, Mark- you too. I'm sure Jaemin and Jiyeon want some alone time, right?" He said, looking at the two.

Jaemin frowned. "Actually-"

"You're so right, Renjun! Come on Jaemin, I want to try out the motorcycle game!" Jiyeon beamed.

"Well that settles it, see you around!" Renjun said, dragging the four of them towards the row of arcade games.
Jaemin sighed and looked at Jiyeon. "Let's go then, shall we?"

As the pair walked away, Areum looked at Renjun. "Why did you do that?"
"Would you rather be with them being all lovey-dovey together? I doubt it."
Areum chewed the inside of her cheek. "You're right. Thanks," she mumbled.

Renjun sat in the seat of a car racing game, inserting a coin. "You cried because of him, right?"
Areum sighed, sitting into the seat next to Renjun and inserted a coin as well. "Yeah."
"Why?" He put his hands on the steering wheel and watched as the countdown began.

"3...! 2...! 1...! GO!"

Areum and Renjun began playing, turning their steering wheels right and left as they raced each other for first place.
"I don't know. I guess," Areum stepped on the gas pedal and steered the wheel to the right. "Everything is such a mess. Renjun, I like him so much- it fucking hurts. But I have no idea where our relationship stands now."

Renjun's car zoomed passed Areum's. "You think he misunderstood that day when we made up to one another?"
"Get back here!" Areum shouted, driving up against Renjun's car. "Didn't you see his face? I know he did."

"Final Lap!" The game called.

For the final lap around the track, the two were quiet, giving their all to beat the other.
"Yes!" Renjun shouted, raising his hands up as he looked at the screen reading 1st place.
"Ugh! Second! I was so close!!" Areum sighed.

Renjun looked over at Areum. "Why don't you tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"That everything was a misunderstandment. And maybe... confess your feelings. Even if he rejects you, at least it's off your shoulders. Then you can move on. I mean, you did with me, right?" He chuckled.
Areum lightly laughed, "yeah you're right. But I doubt he would want to listen. He's been avoiding me."

"It didn't look like he was trying to avoid you earlier. Maybe now's your time to talk to him," Renjun suggested.

"Maybe you're right."

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

Jaemin sighed as he watched the rest of the group leave him with Jiyeon. He really wanted to talk with Areum in that moment, but Renjun was too quick to snatch her away.
Ever since he saw Renjun and Areum together that day when he was planning to confess, he had assumed that things between them worked out. And that broke his heart.

But what was hurting his heart more was avoiding her for so long. And when Jaemin saw her again today evident that she had cried, he wondered if he was the cause of it- making him feel worse than he already did.

"Jaemin, can we go play the game now?" Jiyeon asked.
He gave her a small smile, nodding.

The two headed over to the game, each getting onto the motorcycles that were stationed next to each other. Jaemin inserted two coins, and the two began racing each other.
He'll admit, he was having fun. Midway into the final lap he laughed and looked over to Jiyeon- and his eyes caught onto something.

Jaemin's laugh faded away as he saw a necklace fall out from Jiyeon's shirt and hung around her neck.
More specifically, the necklace he gave Areum. There was no doubt it was the same necklace, because the item was discontinued years ago and was now marked on many sites at high values. There was no way Jiyeon would have bought it recently, let alone buy it when it was first released.

"I win!!" Jiyeon exclaimed. Jaemin looked back to his screen and saw that he came dead last. He was too focused on the necklace.

"Where did you get that?" Jaemin asked when they both got off the motorcyles.
Jiyeon looked up at him, smiling. "Where did I get what?"

"That necklace," he said pointing at it.

"Oh," she looked down at it, tucking it away into her shirt again. "I bought it recently."

Jaemin tilted his head. "Why hide it then?"
She laughed, looking away from his gaze, "why not?"

He shook his head. "Jiyeon, stop lying. I know how you are when you lie. I know you didn't buy it."

Jiyeon snapped her head back to look at Jaemin as he narrowed his eyes at her. "You took it from Areum, didn't you? I know I gave her that specific necklace. Is that why she looked like she had just cried?"

"So what if I took it? It's not like you guys are on talking terms," she argued. "But us- don't you remember what we had? Jaemin, I still love you."
His breath hitched, looking deep into her eyes. "I'm sorry Jiyeon. What we had- it was great for that period of time. But my feelings changed."

Jiyeon's heart ached. "It's her, right? You fell in love with her."

Jaemin looked at her sympathetically and nodded.
Jiyeon's eyes burned into his as angry tears fell down het face. "You shouldn't had led me on then. Even if it was for a day."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough!"

He sighed. "Jiyeon, forget about me. I don't think we can ever go back to what we had. This is the hard truth."
Jiyeon's tears flowed down heavier as those words spoke from his mouth. She turned around and left the building, leaving Jaemin to stand there by himself.

"I can't believe I finally witnessed a girl crying in front of you in public."

Jaemin turned his head and saw Areum, standing there looking at him.
His eyes widened, "were you standing there the whole time?"

"No, I just got here right when she left," Areum answered.
Jaemin took a few steps and stood in front of her, his height looming over her. "Areum," he said.

"Yes?"

"We need to talk."