before & after ‣ 엔하이픈

032 ; present

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AERI

Aeri ended up in a nearby park, playing chess with a woman she had only just met who didn't even think about asking her why she wasn't at school during such early hour.

She learned to play chess back when she was twelve years old and her brother found a chess board in the attic. Her brother had taken the liberty of teaching her, which in turn, she passed on to Sunghoon who would occasionally play with her but eventually give up when he couldn't win as much as he wanted to against her.

However, things must have changed because now she keeps losing to the woman in front of her. Aeri could only guess that she had played more matches than the younger ever did.

"If I win this game again, you tell me what you're doing here. This mundanity is boring me." The woman proposed as she makes her tower in a position that endangers Aeri's predicament. "Someone who gives up their queen so easily must have an interesting story."

"I believe my reason is just as mundane as this game." She says. "I think you got me."

"At least you're smart enough to know." The woman smirked and they had no choice but to reset the whole board. "So what's your story, pretty girl?"

Aeri chuckled at the nickname. The two of them had chosen anonymity throughout the entire game because it kept the sense of mystery between them. "I cut classes because people in my school hates me and is relishing at my demise." She answers, moving the pawn in response to her opponent's first move.

"That's old news. People either worships or hates you if they looked as pretty you do." The woman scoffed. "There's no in between that, pretty girl. So, you must be accustomed to being loved and hated."

"Oh, believe me, I am accustomed to being hated. Today was just different. It became unbearable to be surrounded by people who only means to take things away from you and never the other way around." Aeri answered, looking over at the board only to find another opportunity to give her queen up.

"Silly girl. Why do you keep giving away your queen?" The woman scoffs, grabbing her queen almost immediately which gave Aeri some breathing space because she saw a glimmer of hope of actually winning this match. "I supposed you don't have someone in your life?"

"Bingo." Aeri answers, moving her rook forward. "Check."

The woman smiled. "Nice try." She says, moving her king to a safer spot. "No one wants to be with a pretty girl that's smart?"

"You flatter me with your compliments. It's all rather complicated. I used to be with a guy and now I'm not, that's the only thing I have to tell you." Aeri simplifies, leaving out some of the truths such as how the guy she used to be with would much rather be with his ex girlfriend rather than continue to try it out with the woman he so claimed to have been his first love.

"Since I now got you stumped and playing with you has become a little bit boring, I have a few things to tell you, pretty girl." The woman says, which had Aeri checking every piece, moving them in her mind in such a way that she would see what exactly constituted her position in the chess board as stumped. "As self-centered as I am going to sound in a few moments, it is the truth. I used to be the pretty popular girl before in my youth. I had everyone fighting for my attention and it always made my life feel superficial. When a guy and I broke up, everyone realized that I wasn't all that and turned their backs against me. And you know what I did right after? Hint, I did not end up playing chess in a park with a woman I barely knew."

Aeri could not help the chuckle that escaped her lips at the last sentence. "What?"

"I didn't care. I had a real friend and that was all that mattered to me." She answers, making one last move that had Aeri cursing. "Checkmate. Everything may seem hazy to you, but this fall from the top may just bring you some of the truest friends you'll ever find in your life. In my case, I found myself a husband." The woman winks as she stands up and leaves Aeri at the table.