Chapter 2: Chapter 2 ONSRA
"Hey sunshine, you good?"
Shaking her head internally, Eunae nudged him in the stomach and spun on her heel. It was not even a second in when she threw the ball above his head abruptly.
"Always," she smirked, watching how it went in the ring smoothly, making his eyes roll. "Shall I help you shoot?"
"Depends."
"On?"
Jaehyun shrugged, swiftly getting a hand on the free ball before eliminating the distance between them and taking her breath away, like always. "What kind of shooting will you teach me, sunshine?"
"Shut up!" Eunae yelled abashedly, running after him with deep rosy cheeks and a throbbing forehead that previously met his plump soft lips.
The funny weird feeling just kept on blazing and blossoming right within her uncontrollably and it just would not go away.
It just would not.
Or maybe she just could not.
But no matter what it was between the two, there was one thing Eunae was sure of: that there was nothing probably more painful than falling in love with a best friend.
"You good?"
"Yup," Eunae lied, trying to mask the lonely tone dripping from her voice.
It was her birthday, probably one of the happiest days she had always looked forward to. But with the unprecedented change of how her world had turned upside down, the most awaited day that was usually filled with glitters and rainbows and a hundred more memories of laughter was nothing, but a dull normal day. It seemed unimportant enough not to be even remembered. Everything was running business as usual just like how the recent years had been. She was at home right after school, while her mother was busy building their company to provide her a better future.
Eunae was more than happy that her mother had already bounced back. It took a series of counselling, years of living apart, and daily yearning to be in Eunha's arms, but they were all worth it. There was nothing she could ask for to see her mother feel much better—to see her well, alive, and kicking.
But at the same time, there were days when she could not seem to push down the loneliness that would creep into her bones once in a while. Sure, she had Jaehyun and his loving parents to always turn to, to shower her with affection and care, and she was very thankful for that. But then, if she had to be truthful, it still felt a way lot different to have her mother by her side—it just felt different.
Heaving a deep sigh, Eunae closed her eyes and plopped on her bed lazily. She was not in the mood to talk to anyone, and all she ever wanted was for slumber to finally take her in—to help her escape from all the melancholy swathing her whole.
"Jung Jaehyun!" A piercing shriek rumbled from her throat as soon as she felt being lifted and found herself on Jaehyun's shoulder like a sack of rice. "Put me down!"
"I said put me down!"
"No."
"What are you even up to? Just put me down!"
"No."
"Hell, yes!"
"No."
Struggling from his hold, she tried to reach for his shirt from the back, "Jaehyun, I'm not kidding, you better put me dow—ah! What the hell!"
A striking pang of pain suddenly made her backside throb. Her cheeks turning into a deep shade of red at the thought of what he did.
"Shut up," Jaehyun muttered nonchalantly after lightly spanking her behind. "We're going to have fun."
"What do you mean?" Eunae nervously exclaimed, her imaginations going wild.
"We're going to have fun," he repeated, cryptically this time around. Her heart hammering against her chest.
"Jaehyun, I'm not in the mood. What are you planning—aw! Hey! Stop that!" She yelled bashfully as his hand met her bottom for the second time.
"Stop asking me questions, then. Trust me, you'll enjoy this," Jaehyun chuckled darkly, tapping her bums.
Nibbling her bottom lip, clearly abashed, Eunae slumped on his shoulder and stopped struggling. Her eyes rooted on the dull rough pavements before the lush green grasses filled her view. Getting a glimpse of what was right in front of her, Eunae could not hide the whirlwind of emotions coming through and sweeping her off her feet.
"Oh god! This is so fun!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, her hands raised in the air, feeling ecstatic as the wind slapped her face.
"Is it?"
"We're moving higher!" She screeched excitedly, not really minding what he asked.
Holding onto the barrel as their seats went higher, Jaehyun intertwined their hands together before giving her a swift look, "I'm glad you're having fun."
"Jaehyun, look! Isn't that the ice cream parlor we always go to!"
After the whole fiasco from a while ago, she did not expect that they would be at the amusement park, enjoying every ride there was.
Jaehyun was true to his words when he told her they were going to have fun, because she surely did. It had been long since she stepped in such place. The glitz and glamour the park used to have had surely faded before her eyes like a fairy that had lost its wings. The moments that were once filled with blossoming flowers had turned into sharp dangerous knives that pierced her body from within. Through the years, she still didn't have the courage nor willingness to have a trip down memory lane when all she could see was the face of her father happily strolling with her—a picture she had long gone forsaken out of her mind.
Eunae used to love amusement parks—it was her safe haven. With daily busy schedules of her parents, the time they allot for visiting amusement parks was the core of their family bonding. It held a myriad of memories from the years she could barely stand to the days she could run around on her own. It was a subtle symbol of a loving and complete family she used to have and which she had already buried six feet under—something she would not opt to remember if only she had a choice.
"Stop thinking of him," he demanded, startling her when she felt his thumbs on her cheeks.
"What, again?"
Jaehyun reached for her face and wiped away the unknown streaks of tears that ran down her cheek, "You won't be balling your eyes out if it weren't for him."
With her mouth agape, Eunae nodded her head bashfully and stifled her whimpers. She really could not hide anything from him. Jaehyun could always manage to see through her and she did not know if it were something, she should be thankful for. The mere fact that he could easily see through her most likely meant he knew her utmost adoration towards him—something she did not know if she should be happy about or terrified to the bones.
She could not bring herself to ask because she could not afford to risk anything she had. She could not risk losing someone whom she held very dear when she could barely count them with her fingers. She could not lose anyone. She could not lose her best friend. She could not afford to lose Jaehyun, too.
"You'll always have me, I'll never leave you," he sworn, cupping her cheeks. He looked at her ever so gently before placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. "I'm not like him."
And as always, Jaehyun was true to his words.
When he said he would never leave her, he never really left.
Through the years, he had never left her side, and now that they were just a month away from celebrating their second wedding anniversary, Eunae could only smile bitterly hearing how the people envy what they have. Everyone seemed to love how they radiate like perfect lovers with the most unwavering relationship every couple could only wish for.
It was probably the glitz, the glamour, the grandeur of how their marriage swept the people around them to believe the never-ending façade they had been putting up with. Everyone loved to have the kind of marriage and fairy tale love story they have not really knowing what had been happening behind the curtain.
Because little did Eunae know, that walking down the aisle and meeting him in front of the alter was a door to the beginning of the end.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone