AAA, Diary Three, Aera

Tuesday, 20 August, 2013

Dear Diary,

I wake to find myself back in my sofa, the covers pulled up all the way to my shoulders. I sit up groggily. How on earth did I end up here? I remember I was sitting on Se Hun’s bed, talking about our miserable lives, and he had cried-in a manly way, though-and had fallen asleep before me…The remaining is a blank. I guess I’d also fallen asleep unknowingly.

“You’re up? Just in time.” The door to the bathroom adjoined to Se Hun’s room opens and Se Hun himself saunters out, tossing his sleepwear into the laundry basket on his way. He is already dressed in his wrinkle-free uniform. School. “Did you have a nice night sleeping on my bed?”

“What?” I widen my eyes, startled. His bed? I slept on his… Do not tell me…

“I guess you fell asleep, too, after we had our midnight chat. I carried you back to the sofa when I woke up.” Se Hun smirks at me as I feel my cheeks heating up. H-he carried me back? Oh gawd, that’s kinda embarrassing. I bring my arms up in front of me, shielding my chest, and stares wide-eyed at him accusingly.

“Wh-Did you do anything…uh hum…to me?” I stammer. I know he didn’t, but still, it’ll be fun to . Se Hun’s face went awesomely and cutely-what?-red, and he glowers at me.

“What the hell? You erted mind! I. Did. Not.” He flings my head to one side, nearly breaking my neck in process-that idiot-as he nearly stomps dents in his tiled floor while marching matter-of-factly back to the door. I clutch my sides and laugh as I roll over the edge and kiss the ground hard, facedown. My laughing ceased, only to be replaced by Se Hun’s own barking laughter. , ouch, my poor pretty face.

“HA! Serves you right for laughing at me.” Se Hun points at me as he hits his thighs hard, nearly bent for life from that big ol’ laughter of truimph of his. I scowl, partially hidden by my curtain of bird nest-like hair. “You know what,” Se Hun says, bending down low over me, “I think you’re the one who’s been dreaming about…that all night long…Did you?”

“Oh my gawd, who would?!” I gag as I rub my nose and rise painfully from the cold, heartless floor to give him a shove. That coming out of a mouth who claims just seconds ago that I had a erted mind and not him? What a hypocrite.

“You don’t have to deny, I’m hot enough.” Se Hun inclines his head in the see-who’s-boss? kind of way. I aim a kick his way, missing his calf by just a few inches.

“In your surreal dreams, you conceited ert! If you’re hotter than me, then I’m cooler than you.” I smirk as I manage to tame my hair back to a presentable state as Se Hun stares at me, then rolls his whites. Jerk. “Anyway, about the bringing me back to my bed thing…Thanks. And, I’ll bring you your mother back.” I promise. Se Hun shoots me a strange look, and then turns his back to me.

“There’s no need. There’s nothing you can do. Just forget everything,” he mutters, all amusement gone as he heads for the door.

“But you miss her, don’t you?” I insist, throwing the fallen covers back onto the sofa and following after him. “I can do it, and I will. Somehow. I’ll find a way-”

“There’s nothing you can do! Fate has decided for her to leave me, you can’t change it.” Se Hun whirls around all of a sudden, nearly knocking me down, his eyes ablaze. I hold his gaze bravely, refusing to be intimidated.

“You’re wrong. Sure, I can’t change what has been done, but I can change the future. I will bring her back to you. I swear,” I answer his sudden outburst. He says nothing, ignoring me, probably thinking I’m just saying a whole load of , and continuing on his way to the dining table, where breakfast is ready.

Se Hun remains quiet all through breakfast, only opening his mouth to answer his dad’s random questions. His dad doesn’t ask much, probably sensing his mood. I scrutinize his deep-in-thoughts dad. Affected by his mate’s loss, too, I can tell. It all seems so obvious now, the business of his dad, the lifeless look…

We don’t talk as we shuffle down the rather quiet streets of the neighborhood to school. Me trying to figure out how to get his mum back while he…I don’t know. Cheyenne lets me think in peace while Kai entertains his BFF. Hae Ri waves enthusiastically in front of the school gates at my ward as he quickens his footsteps a little to exchange a kiss as usual. And again, the rest of us looks away and rolls our eyes.

“The lovey dovey lovebirds. Lucky I didn’t have a girlfriend.” Kai sticks out his tongue at them while they are currently ‘occupied’. We smirk.

“You will, someday.” I giggle, reassuring him. He merely waves a dismissal hand my way as he runs forward to say hello to their group of friends. I know I’ve never talked about them. They are BFFs plus soccer friends, always together as a bunch of twelve and attracting even the butterflies. Which means that that group is hawt. All angel faces, all girl magnets. But somehow, I find Se Hun one of the best of the whole lot. And there is that blonde haired cutie pie, Se Hun’s closest hyung, who seems like the youngest but is in truth one of the oldest.

Se Hun and Hae Ri walk hand in hand to class, amidst girls either swooning at the magnetic group or glaring hard at Hae Ri, the lucky girl to be able to hold one Se Hun’s hand. Hae Ri ignores them, babbling to the tallest guy of the group instead. The bell rings, and Cheyenne and I stand outside the classroom till all of the boys have disappeared completely into. I’ll skip describing what happens in class. Basically, the teacher teaches and Se Hun and his girlfriend throw love letters to each other. Full stop.

~~~

“I’m trying to convince him to dance in front of a crowd. He still refuses to do so, though.” Cheyenne sighs in frustration as she taps the heels of her three-inch long high heels against the floor at the back of our wards’ classroom. School is ending soon. Just a few more minutes or so, according to the clock on the wall.

“What about asking him to dance in front of a teacher who is in charge of the dance club instead?” I suggest. I’m sure the teacher would be highly impressed.

“I’ve tried. That guy is just too afraid of criticism! He’s asking things like ‘what if the teacher rejected me’ or something along that line.” Cheyenne grumbles.

“Hide his identity first, then…” I blurt out absentmindedly, my own mind busy with finding out where someone’s mother is. Se Hun’s mom must have left him for…wow, eleven years. That’s long. Eleven years of depression? That’s utter bad news.

“Yes, or course!” I nearly jump out of my skin as Cheyenne lets loose a yell beside me. My eyes snap to the class of students instinctively to determine if anyone heard her. “Why didn’t I think of that? Aera, gawd, saranghae! You’re one awesome genius!” I widen my eyes and my brows shoot up as she lunges for me, hugging me and spinning me around so vigorously, my head begins to spin.

“Whoa, whoa, take a chill pill, C. Why am I a genius?” How did she know I always got an ‘A’ for my studies?

“He could wear a mask or something. By that standard of his, he’ll become famous someday!” Cheyenne isn’t really listening to me as she starts her futuristic thinking. Oh…well, glad she worked her way around her first obstacle. I still have a huge wall no kangaroo can jump over in front of me, blocking my path to my mortal body. Now, I’m just like a solid spirit with wings wandering on Earth.

“I’m going out for lunch with the rest and Hae Ri. It may take a while. You can return home first without me.” Se Hun informs me as he casts a glance at his friends to make sure they aren’t watching. Maybe except for Kai. No use hiding from him.

“Oh sure, I’ll do some planning, anyway.” I shrug nonchalantly. Se Hun meets and holds my gaze for a second, before he nods and turns back to his friends. “Anything you want. I’ll be back by dinner. See you later, then.” Se Hun tosses me his keys. I catch it easily midair and nod.

“Gawd, where do I even start searching for his mum, who can be all the way in England?” I ask nobody in particular, while Cheyenne sits beside me on the stone fountain in the nearby park. I’ve told her everything about my newfound problem. I fiddle with my thumbs as Cheyenne and I fall into silence with only the sound of rushing water. I adore the fountain in this park. The sound of rushing water soothes my nerves.

“OH! I know!” The angel beside me shrieks like as if she’s a scientist who’s just discovered the way for humans to breathe underwater. She snaps her fingers in agitation.

“What? What? What?” Her excitement is getting to me. Has she found out a way to help me?

“Call her! Modern people nowadays have phones, don’t they?” My mouth drops open slightly.

“That’s your great idea? When I don’t even know how to get her phone number?” I gawk. Cheyenne’s shoulders slump for a nanosecond before she perks up again.

“Get it from somebody, then! Like, Se Hun, or something.” She gestures wildly.

“Se Hun…? Why would he even have a number he never wants to call? I don’t know…That might actually work, y’know.” I muse. Springing up from my seat, I give my new BFF a kiss on the cheek in gratitude and hopped off, a plan forming in my head once again. I fumble with the keys and the lock before I swing the door open and head for the living room, where the telephone stand stands. Grabbing the black phone book from the drawer underneath the phone, I thumb through it quickly, scanning the names. Numbers and letters swim in my head as I search for a needle in a haystack. I have no clue what her name is, much less the starting of her number. And who knows, she might have changed it after eleven years so as to avoid contact. All I know about her is her looks from the picture I had accidently come across. Roughly.

I dump the book back on the small, round table and lean back into the warm leather of the sofa, thinking about my fruitless search. How else can I find out her number…?

“Aera? I’m home! Open the door!” Se Hun yells through the bars as he raps his knuckles on the wooden door. I lift myself up from the sofa and bring a finger to my lips.

“Shh. You’ll wake the neighbors up. I’m not deaf, okay?” I utter as I unlock the gate to let him in. He slips out of his canvas shoes as he furrows his brow at me.

“It’s only…” He checks the clock on the wall. “Seven. Who would be asleep?”

“Their baby will.” I roll my eyes as I stalk after him to his room. He tosses his bag onto his swivel chair and heads for his closet. Ah, his usual shower. My eyes follow him as he chooses his clothes and glide into the bathroom. He stops just before the doorway and shoots me a suspicious glance.

“What?”

“What?” I repeat. He narrows his eyes.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Don’t tell me you’re falling for me? I already have a girlfriend, you know.” Se Hun smirks that arrogant smirk of his. I choke on my saliva as he grins innocently. Shockingly, by heart leaps. This is most likely the first time he ever smiled at me.

“W-who would fall for you, pabo? You egoistic jerk,” I mumble.

“Jerk? That’s how you think of me? Aw, how ‘sweet’ of you, Aera.” He gives me those eyes, those puppy dog eyes like as if he is the victim, before he smirks again and shuts the door after him. I blink rapidly. What is wrong with my heart? It’s beating way too fast…Oh nonono, not that. Don’t even go there.

I look frantically around for a distraction. That’s when I notice his phone on his study table. A light bulb lights up in my head. Without thinking much, I lunge for it, careful not to let Se Hun suspect anything that is going on right now.

“Password! Damn! What’s his password?” I tap away at the screen with lightning speed fingers. IloveHaeRi. Wrong. Ilovemum. Wrong! 1234.

Gawd, what is it? I type furiously, and jump when the door rattles. . I switch off the phone and place it back to its original place before trying to act innocent. Se Hun pads over to the table and grabs the hairdryer. I just sit and stare at him as he seems to feel my gaze and turn to stare back at me. We have a mini stare down contest before he finally relents.

“I seriously think you have a crush on me now,” he comments, raising a brow. I scoff. That proud guy. I shrug in response as he skewers me with his brown orbs. I freeze and lose myself in those somewhat alluring depths as he half rolls his eyes and focus on drying his hair. My put a hand over my heart. It is once again hammering like crazy…Why?

“Se Hun! I’m home!” Mr Oh calls from outside. Se Hun turns off the dryer and returns an “okay!”. He tilts his head towards the door.

“Dinner?”

~~~

I cannot believe I am actually doing this. I draw in a deep breath as I pause outside the master bedroom trying to stop feeling so guilty-like. Slowly, gently, I twist the doorknob to the room and enter on tiptoes. The door closes with a soft ‘click’ behind me as my night vision is put to good use. This is what came along in the ‘angel package’. Sharper senses and all that. I can see my surroundings as clearly as a human can during the day.

I snoop around, searching for the last hope I have left to finding Se Hun’s long-lost mother: Mr Oh’s phone. I believe it still contains her number, despite the divorce…Or whatever. After all, I know he still do love her.

“Yes!” I hiss under my breath as I steal a look back at the queen-sized bed. No movements at all. Perfect. I unlock the phone. No passwords. Even better! God sure is helping me form above. I thank him silently in my head as I scroll hastily through his contacts.

Hon. That word jumps out at me.

It must be her, right? Who would call others ‘honey’? Hope renewed, I scribble the number down on my hand with a pen. I’ll erase it later before anyone finds out. It’ll be bad if Se Hun discovers I’ve been secretly creeping about and looking through people’s contacts.

Placing the phone quietly back on the night stand, I steal back out again. The door creaks a little as I pull it open, and I still, my heart thumping, as Mr Oh groans. No wait, he can’t see me, right? Gee, I’ve forgotten. No one can see me unless I allow them to. But still, it would be eerie if there were banging noises and you wake up to find nothing in the room at all. Ugh… I make it out of the dark room safely and grin at my number-filled palm in victory. First step, done. I’m getting closer to my goal.

One long lost and yearned mother, coming up.

Yours truly,

AeRa~ ;)