chapter seventeen

“What do you think you’re doing, Krystal?” Sehun yelled as soon as he climbed into his car. he knew from the start that there was something going on, but he acted that he didn't know for Naeun’s sake as she was still affected from the last meeting.

“Calm down, will you? Aera isn’t in danger or anything! Kai is your friend,” Krystal tried to reason to him despite her nervousness.

Out of frustration, Sehun just grunted and grabbed the steering wheel tightly.

“Is this Aera’s doing?” he asked between his gritted teeth.

“No, she didn't know about any of this,” Krystal replied truthfully. She swore she heard him growl, what was he getting mad about? It wasn't that dangerous, and they were just parked meters away from the wrecked house. Still, Krystal felt weird as she knew Sehun was protective of Aera, but not to this extent.

“You know about Aera’s nightmare, how could you do this to her?” he sneered as if she was the biggest fool in the world. Krystal was about to say that it was supposed to be him with Aera in the wrecked house. But, she knew him too well, and so she kept quiet. It was her fault anyway. “I’ll break down that damn house,” Sehun whispered before getting out of his car.

Meanwhile, Aera was hitting herself and even biting her tongue to fight the sleepiness when a loud noise came towards the door. She screamed, and Kai instantly woke up and wrapped his arm around her. “Who’s that?” Aera asked with a shaky voice.

Just then, the door flew open, and she instantly recognized Sehun’s build from the flashlight that he was holding. “Sehun?” Aera asked.

Sehun stared at them. His lips thinned, and his eyes traveled to Kai’s hand that on her back. Sehun then grabbed Aera’s hand and walked out with her, not even bothering to talk to Kai.

“Sehun, how-”

“For once Aera, please don’t talk,” he growled while tugging her along.
 

It was silent when Sehun pushed her into his car, and no one spoke even when Sehun dropped Krystal off at her house.

He continued to drive, eyes staring straight at the road. “Sehun…” Aera spoke as her hand clutched on the seat belt.

“What was that, Aera,” he whispered. He was fuming from the frustration that he was feeling, and he didn't know why. “That was dangerous, you know that.”

But Aera was stubborn, and she didn't get him. “I have no idea that was happening, stop blaming me for once,” she replied. She was tired of Sehun being a jerk to her. He was never like that before.

“Aera, how many times did I tell you that you should take care of yourself, I’m not always right-”

“Shut up. I don't want to hear any of that. I just want to rest,” she retorted. She didn’t need Sehun to repeat it, Kai was reminding her of that all the time. “I love you and I can’t change that, Sehun. I know I was being a , but please don’t hate me.” Tears started to form as his car approached her house, so she quickly got out of his car and ran away. Sehun was left frustrated. He knew that he was wrong and he messed up, but he didn’t want Aera to become violent. He just wanted her to be safe.

I could never hate you Aera.

*****

Aera whimpered as she felt the need to throw up. Whenever she tried to get up, her back stiffened. When the door to her room flung open after someone kicked it from the other side, her heart was about to burst.

“I can’t believe you are this lazy,” the voice said before violently tugging Aera’s arms. She groaned louder and bit her lips as her body as pulled up.

“Today is the meeting, Aera. Get up and get ready,” Aera’s mother announced like a manager.

“Mom…” Aera muttered, eyes still shut.

“It's time for you to meet your future fiancé. That’s if he will like you...”

Aera sighed deeply and stared at her mother, who was busy on her phone. Aera hoped for a birthday wish from her, but she only received a shout and push towards the bathroom.

**

Aera continued to massage the bruise that was forming from her mother’s hard grip. They were walking towards the gate when she saw Kai walking from his house.

 

Kai was on his way to Sehun’s place when he saw a familiar sophisticated woman dragging a pale-looking Aera towards a car. He tried to ask if she was alright, but Aera looked away. She then freed herself from the woman's grip and got in the car.

The car then sped away, and Kai was confused. He didn't know that Aera had a family.

****

Clammy palms, cold sweat, and shaking knees were what Aera experienced, yet her mom coldly dismissed them and took them as an excuse. Aera couldn’t blame her, as she had ditched this kind of meeting many times with these reasons. As they sat at a restaurant, Dahae, her mother was busy talking on her phone. “The Lee’s are very well known in the hotel industry. You should behave well, Aera. This time you can prove to your father-”

“Stop,” Aera interrupted. Her hands shook from her mother’s mentioning of her father.

Dahae sighed and glared at her daughter. “For once, Aera, don’t be a worthless ,” she muttered with so much hate on her eyes which Aera replied with a bored expression.

“Whatevs.”

*

Aera could not escape from the meeting, but that didn't mean her mother succeeded in throwing her out like a piece of garbage. Aera acted rude, spilled her food, and voiced unpleasant words. The Lee’s ended up disliking her, as there was annoyed looks on their faces. Dahae on the other hand dismissed her with grace, and nearly pushed Aera away. In that sense, she succeeded in escaping. She knew she will get what she deserved once her mother returned home, but it was Aera’s birthday and she didn’t want it to spend with people she didn't like.

She knew she wouldn’t go home tonight. She wouldn’t dare unless she wanted to die in her mother’s hands. It seemed that Krystal was busy and unable to get her calls, and Aera didn’t want to see Sehun despite missing him, needing him at the moment, and being annoyed to the fullest extent.

Aera found herself near her backyard with a plastic bag full of beer and a piece of cake. It was not that she was a fan of fabulous birthday parties, but birthday was still a birthday. It only happened once in a year and today was her day. Upon checking her bank account, she received a few million dollars from her dad, so she might as well celebrate that too.

“Happy birthday Aera,” she whispered and took a bite of cake before putting it on the grass. Mosquitos bit her, but she didn’t mind. She sipped her second beer when a silhouette then appeared in front of her, but in her state of near drunkenness she didn’t care if it was Satan that was fetching her or a burglar roaming around the house. Her eyes looked up to see the equivalent of Satan’s child, Kai.

Her lips quivered an arrogant smirk and wave at him nonchalantly. “Hi, stalker,” she greeted and folded her arm