𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 ━━━ 𝖏𝖆𝖐𝖊𝖍𝖔𝖔𝖓

32. hide it with a smile

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Jake's POV

Entering the classroom, I noticed that most of the chairs were empty. Probably because it was storming all of a sudden early morning. The sky was deep blue and it was almost night to anyone's eyes. "Ahh this weather." Jay whined lightly slamming his head on the table as Aera looked at the window still not seeing me. Sunghoon was also present. Why did everyone have to be present on the day there were less students to begin with?

I quietly walked towards my table and sat beside Sunghoon taking out my books to study since I had nothing else to do. "Hey Jake." Sunghoon said out as I nodded continuing to do what I wanted to do. I avoided the feeling of being stared at I could feel eyes looking at me from behind. "Ayy Sim Jake it is." One of the students who I didn't have an okay friendship with said out walking towards me.

"Aigo this cursed weather." He abruptly pointed out the stormy weather clearly not liking it and then back at me. "Reminds me of you." I wasn't in the mood to fight with him but my anger issues had gotten worse as days passed by. "Cursed." He continued as Sunghoon stood up. "Don't cross your limits dude." He said out but the guy just laughed it out. What was his name again? I didn't even know it.

"Ayy Sunghoon-ah, calm down, will you?" He continued and tapped on my table. "Heard you were similar to being cursed too? Always lonely? Or should I say you're not good enough to be someone's first choice?" He chuckled out and I knew what exactly what he was trying to say.

Aera's POV

I felt Jake stand up immediately and punch the guy in front making us all gasp. No.. I didn't want this. He was getting instigated. "The fuck man? You got affected by just this? What about the girls who left you?" Jake got extremely angry and started throwing stronger hits as I saw the situation get out of control. "J-jay, Sunghoon!" I panicked as the two boys tried stopped them. By this time the guy who Jake beat up was bleeding badly.

"What's going on?" The sound of the homeroom teacher made its way as everyone went back to their sits. "Jake man stop it." Sunghoon whispered pulling him but Jake kept on hitting him. My eyes teared up seeing the guy get so emotionless and cold within a few days and I couldn't help but think it was my fault. My faint he turned his pain into anger.

"Sim Jake, Jung Haejun. Stop it right now." The principal along with the homeroom teacher entered the classroom as they pulled apart the two guys who were bleeding now. "Jake Sim stop it right now!" The sound of the old man stopped the soccer player as he backed away with his bleeding mouth. "Both of you, at my office. Right now!" With that they both left.

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Sunghoon's POV

The door opened as we noticed Jake enter furiously. The guy came closer to us and grabbed his bag. He was about to leave when I saw Aera hold him back. "Jake.." she said out as I stared at her hand holding onto his arm as Jake gritted his teeth and pushed her hand away. With that he walked away. I saw the girl's painful eyes as she stared at Jake's back slowly disappearing. This feels wrong.. so wrong.

Since it was a free period I quickly followed Jake outside. "Jake stop. Stop!" The guy frustratedly stopped and looked at me. "What do you even need Sunghoon? I have detention the entire week and I'm already late for it." He angrily said out as I stared at him for a while. "Stop hurting yourself like this. Stop hurting Aera like this." He scoffed looking back at me. "I'm hurting her? You're seeing it all wrong Hoon. I'm just trying to mind my goddamn business by staying away from you both because of your relationship but you just keep on pretending like it's all okay and nothing ever happened? I never liked Aera? Is this how you all want to play? Then fine just leave me alone for your own sake."

The guy lashed out on me and walked away angrily not looking back at me even once. I shouldn't have been surprised but the truth hurt. He liked her. Jake likes Aera who was my girlfriend right now. But it felt wrong. As if the puzzles were put in the wrong places. As if I shouldn't have had the role I have right now.

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Aera's POV

I stared at the lake deeply as my mind had it's endless thoughts. I was thinking of too many stuffs at one go. But everything was related to one person. Jake. Was he okay? Did he hurt himself while fighting? Well yeah obviously the blood wasn't fake. "Here you go." Sunghoon sat down beside me as he gave the ice cream cone. We both sat on the mat and stared at the lake as the sun finally showed up after a long time.

"It looks beautiful, doesn't it?" He said out. Indeed the sun shining under the cold weather of the October month felt amazing. But I forgot to reply to him. "Are you listening to me?" He asked again as I looked at him. "Huh? Uhh yes yes." I gave him a small smile and looked straight at the greenery in front of again but I felt him staring back at me.

Sunghoon POV

"Aera." I called out the girl as my smile vanished. "Hmm?" She looked at me with a soft smile but I knew.. it wasn't real. Not completely. The girl had a lot of thoughts in her mind. And I was afraid I knew what she was thinking of. "What is it in your mind?" I said out as she raised her eyebrows questioning me. "What do you mean?" Looking in front I licked my ice cream and breathed heavily. "Who are you thinking of all the time?"

"I don't understand Hoon-" but I cut her off looking at her seriously. "Aera can you promise me that I'm the only one you like?" Her face. It gave me half of the answer. But I needed to hear it all from her. "Sunghoon.." She wasn't sure. She was hesitating to answer. But I got my answer. I chuckled nodding my head and smiled at her widely. Even though it felt painful to smile now of all time. "You know you acting like you only like me and no one else will hurt me more."

Aera looked down. She couldn't say anything because whatever I was saying. It was true. It was the cruel truth that I wanted to avoid the most. But I couldn't. It'd be wrong if I did. "It's Jake, isn't it?" "Huh?"

"The one you really like. More than me. It's him." Yes saying it out did hurt me a lot. It broke me apart. And once again Aera didn't reply. "Are you afraid you'll hurt me if you say yes? If yes, then don't worry you saying nothing hurt me more." I painfully smiled trying to hide my broken self. But I knew its way better for her and me both to accept the truth than to be in this relationship. Aera's eyes started tearing up as I cupped her cheeks. "Get up Aera. If you like him. Then go to him. I'll be fine. I can get another hottie."

"Sunghoon..." The girl started crying as I wiped her tears and pulled her into a tight hug. Which we could also say was the last hug I was giving to Aera as my girlfriend. "I'm so sorry Hoon." She cried out looking down not knowing what to do as I chuckled. I knew we were nothing the moment she failed to answer my first question. "You should be. You broke my heart." She felt guilty and sorry for me but that wasn't the important thing now. If love didn't work out for me, then I should at least be the cupid for my best friend's love life.

"But let's not break any more hearts. He's at school doing his detention. Go get him girl." Aera nodded and stood up and so did I. The girl smiled through her tears and hugged me one last time before she turned around running towards the school campus. My heart broke as I hid the pain through a smile and saw her running towards her true love.

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Sunghoon 🥺🥺🥺🥺