Make A Wish | Na Jaemin

27

Upon seeing the couple, Areum's heart beat quickened. Despite the house being abnormally hot, she felt cold and her stomach twisted into a not.

She hated this feeling.

Suddenly she felt an arm snake around her waist and she looked up to Jaemin, who was right next to her.
His face was painted with worry. "Hey Princess, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." She faked a smile.

Jaemin looked up from behind her, seeing the couple, and then looked back to Areum. "Is it because of them?" Jaemin comfortly rubbed his thumb against Areum's waist. At the action, she seemed to relax a bit.

"Yeah, it's just-" Areum paused. "I don't think I should be feeling this way... I guess feeling jealous? He's happy and I should be happy for him. But I still get this sickening feeling in my gut."

Jaemin shook his head. "Areum, you have every right to feel that way- your feelings are important as well. It's not easy to let go of someone you love."

"Hey guys!"

Areum and Jaemin looked up to see Renjun and his girlfriend walking hand in hand towards them.
Renjun's smile slightly faded as his eyes landed on Jaemin's arm that was around Areum's waist. He felt an uneasy feeling but quickly brushed it away, forcing a smile in front of the two.
This didn't go unnoticed by Jaemin, and he pulled Areum slightly closer to him.

"Areum! That's such a cute dress," Hyunjin gushed.

"Thanks." Areum smiled. "Jaemin picked it."

Renjun raised a brow and looked at Jaemin, who was already looking at him. The two boys stared at each other, holding eye contact.
Areum noticed the rising tension and was about to say something when Hyunjin spoke.

"Are you two dating?"

Jaemin snapped his head. "What?"

"You and Areum seem pretty close."

Areum shook her head and laughed. "No, we're just good friends."

Jaemin frowned but quickly smiled and nodded.

"I see. Well sorry I assumed wrong." She looked at Renjun. "Let's go?"

Renjun nodded. "We'll see you guys around." He smiled at Areum before giving Jaemin a slight glare and walked away with Hyunjin.

When the couple left, Areum quickly turned to Jaemin. "Okay, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"Between you and Renjun."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I don't know, ask your boyfriend that."

"He's not my boyfriend."

Jaemin took his arm off of Areum and sighed.

"You guys are friends!" She exclaimed.

"Then why does he hate me around you? It's fucking obvious but you're too damn oblivious."

Areum furrowed her brows. "Jaemin-"

"I'm sorry, but I need a breather. I'll see you around." He said, walking away and leaving Areum to stand there by herself.

Areum pursed her lips and looked around, catching eyes of people looking at her. She quickly looked away and walked out of the room.
She roamed the party, looking for Nari since Jaemin had left her. Areum didn't want to be by herself.
She squeezed through the bodies of students until a hand grabbed her wrist and spun her around.

"Renjun?"

"Areum, I was looking for you."

She furrowed her brows. "Me? Where's Hyunjin?"

"She's talking with a few friends, I told her I'd be back." His grip on Areum's wrist tightened. "Can we talk? Please?"

Areum's formed a straight line and she let out a sigh. "Okay."

"Let's go somewhere a little more private."

Renjun let go of her wrist before grabbing her hand and leading the way. Areum's cheeks flushed and her heartbeat quickened. She hated how he still had an effect on her.
Renjun led her through a hallway and into a room, closing the door behind them. Areum looked around and figured that it was a study room seeing the desk and bookshelves along the wall.

She turned around and faced Renjun. "Well? What did you want to talk about?"

Renjun took a deep breathe and sighed. "What's with you and Jaemin?"

Areum stiffled a laugh. "What do you mean? Like I said to Hyunjin, we're good friends."

"Yeah? Well maybe a little too good. Friends don't casually have their arm wrapped around the other's waist."

She scoffed. "Yes they do- and they can if they want to."

Renjun pinched the bridge if his nose. "Since when did you and Jaemin get so close?"

At this point, Areum didn't understand why he was asking questions like these and started to get a bit annoyed. "Since you stopped hanging out with me."

"Oh, so you just decided to replace me?"

"What, no! Renjun, what the hell? You're the one who never had time! Just because we don't hang out anymore that means I can't hang out with anyone else? That doesn't make sense."

Renjun narrowed his eyes. "And yet you decided to hang out with Jaemin of all people."

She looked at him in disbelief. "Why are you so against me and Jaemin hanging out and being close? You guys are best friends!"

"Do you have feelings for him?"

Areum was taken aback, her silence giving Renjun his answer. "So you do then."

"No! You didn't even give me a chance to answer!" She blinked back the tears that were suddenly forming in her eyes. She hated arguing, especially with someone who meant a lot to her.

"You shouldn't be hanging out with someone like him, let alone having feelings! He's just going to break your heart in the end."

"I don't get why you're so fucking protective of me all of a sudden- especially now that I'm friends with Jaemin."

"It's just-" Renjun groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. "I get fucking jealous when you're with him. Areum-"

Areum's throat went dry and she looked at him, anticipating his next words.

"I think I like you," he breathed.

Her breathe hitched and she took a step back.

"Areum?"

She shook her head. "No."

"What?" Renjun took a step forward in which she took another step back.

Areum kept shaking her head. "No, no, no, no, no." She looked up at Renjun. "You don't get to confess your feelings to me just because you saw me and Jaemin getting along. You don't get to confess after rejecting me in front of the whole damn school."

He reached out to her. "Areum- I'm so fucking sorry about that. I never meant to embarrass you."

She sighed. "Do you truly have feelings for me?" The tears that Areum tried so hard to contain were now pouring down her cheeks. "Or do you hate the fact that I'm something that's no longer in your reach? Is that why you hate Jaemin all of a sudden? Because he has me instead of you?"

Renjun stood there, unable to respond to her series of questions.

Areum wiped her tears, nodding. "I figured. I'm not an object. I have feelings too, you know."

She walked past Renjun, heading towards the door. Areum turned the doorknob and the sounds of music pulsed through their ears. "And also," she looked back at him. "Don't go confessing your feelings to people when you have a girlfriend."

And with that she closed the door, leaving Renjun to stand alone in the empty room.