Chapter 5

"Aera Park! You look like hell, honestly you need some sleep." I told my best friend sitting opposite me, seriously concerned for her health.

Completely ignoring my advice, she continued scribbling notes on her notepad. "I have a bunch of exams coming up and you know my motto, Sleep is for the weak." She jabbered, dramatically putting a hand over her heart while saying the last part.

I rolled my eyes, fighting the urge to smile. I wasn't lying; she really needed sleep. You could see the shadow in her blood-shot eyes from miles away, and her habit of continuously chugging down cups of coffee wasn't much help either.

"Hey, excuse me? Can I have another cup of cof-" She asked the waitress of the café before I cut her off.

"No more coffee. Order something healthy or don't order at all." I commanded, putting on the sternest look I could muster.

"But coffee is healthy, a-and I'm the one who's paying anyway." She complained while my glare deepened.

"Fine. Can I get some Chamomile tea and a blueberry muffin?" She huffed, the strands of her dark hair falling on her face.

"Could you make that two blueberry muffins, please?" I asked the waitress, shooting her a smile.

After the waitress left with our orders, I deliberately shut Aera's laptop, trying to get her full attention.

"Hey." She whined, trying to open it again before I moved it out of her reach.

"What's with the exams? Classes in NYU literally started like a week ago." I asked. Summer had recently just ended, wasn't this a little too early?

"Yeah but since 'I was acting too smart'," She gestured with her hands. "I'm having my exams earlier. If only he wasn't so hot." She lamented, a frown twisting the fine feline features of her oval Asiatic face.

As soon as she finished that sentence, I couldn't help the laughter bubbling inside of me. As the sound of my laughter echoed around the room, she rolled her eyes and started to notice the attention we were getting from everyone.

"Would you stop! Everyone's looking at us." She whispered harshly, ducking her view from the people behind me.

Just when I was about calm down, I burst into another fit of laughter and doubled over. "You...you...Oh my God...I can't stop imagining...your face..." I managed to say. After taking some deep breaths, I finally calmed down.

When I looked up, I couldn't help but gulp nervously at the sight in front of me; Elena's deep inky eyes held total furiousness, as if she'd obliterate me any second now. Flaring her nostrils, her fists tightened around her pen.

Aera didn't get angry much- but when she did, trust me, it wasn't a pleasant sight. I could still remember the time when she broke her ex-boyfriend's arm for looking at another girl in the wrong way. I quickly looked down at my hands, avoiding the fury of her gaze.

"I would've left ages ago but then you would've gotten both of the muffins and I can't let that happen." She said in all seriousness.

I looked up at her the moment I heard her signature snort resonate.

"Oh my god, you should've seen your face." She laughed.

I gave her a dry look. "You scared me, I thought I was going to die- and what's that about your professor being hot?"

"Absolutely nothing." She grinned. "And stop being over dramatic. You're my best friend and I would never do anything to hurt you."

"But what about Ben- you broke the guy's arm." I argued, reminding her of the poor guy who was scared to even look at her again.

"Well he deserved it. He was checking another girl out while I was right next to him- like literally next to him. Besides, I never really liked him, I was just using him for that assignment." She shrugged.

I sighed and smiled weakly as our muffins and tea arrived.

As soon as I reached for my muffin, she slapped my hand away.

"Nuh-uh. These are mine. I deserve them for putting up with a best friend like you."

As soon as I was about to jump on top of the table and snatch my muffin back, a notification popped up on my phone.

"Ew. Apple." She said, scowling at my iPhone.

"Android gets a lot of bugs" I replied, grimacing at her Samsung.

"This is the newest limited edition BTS-Samsung phone!"

"And mine's the latest iPhone." I deadpanned.

I opened and read the message from Mama.

Hola Bonita , would you come to the office? I have an important matter to discuss with you. She'd written

Sure. I'll be there in 30 mins. I replied.

"Hey Aera, I have to go but you wanna meet tomorrow?" I asked getting up from my chair.

"Yeah sure. I have three classes tomorrow. Maybe after that?"

"Sounds good. See you then- and remember to apply that anti-rash cream on your butt!" I shouted before leaving, stifling a laugh at all the people giving her weird looks.

******

As I walked into the grand building, I could tell today was a busy day at the office. All the workers were scattered around the room, each one of them either busy with a phone call or with carrying large files up and down the elevator.

Since everyone was using the elevator, I decided to take the stairs again, but this time I was going to go slower. My phone vibrated in my pocket the moment I climbed the first couple of steps.

Aera:

I will make you regret even being born.

Me:

Oh? nice.

Aera:

I'm serious. I'll fuck your face up. Just wait.

Me:

With your 5ft3 height? ಠ_ಠ sure.

Aera:

I WILL JUMP ON YOU AND EAT YOU ALIVE YOU WHORE.

Me:

Damn chill. *hug* ༼ つ ಥ_ಥ ༽つ

As you've probably guessed, Aera was the sister I never had in the form of a best friend. We learnt to grow through hardships together, hands clasped, supporting and tending to each other wounds. Without her, I wouldn't have become who I was today. We were both each others strengths when we lost our fathers; the only difference was that my father didn't leave willingly.

Though Sung-ho Park owned the great OilManage company and had the all the luxuries of the world in the palm of his hand, he failed to recognise the greatest luxury of all. The luxury of love and family.

And Aera had to pay for his foolish mistakes. She'd suffered through all her life alongside with her mother, both of which were oppressed by the vicious man she was forced to call father. The abominable man had loathed her as much as to try and sell her off to the highest bidder that would profit him and his company in marriage- not caring if the man himself was thrice her age. She was only sixteen. Sixteen.

When she'd refused, the pitiable creature kicked both his wife and two daughters out, completely forgetting their existence. He was pitiable, for he didn't know he'd lost the greatest of treasures.

After living with us for a few days, all three of the Park women had moved to Brooklyn. Aera was barely of age when she'd started working at a café along with her fifteen year old sister, Jang-mi. Now, at our second year of college, those hardships had passed and there we were, alive, despite it all.

My chain of thinking was interrupted with the collision of my head slamming into something hard.

"Watch where you're-" I stopped as my eyes settled on my perpetrator. "Zachary? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." He mused.

"It's my mom's office building" I deadpanned.

"Point taken. Don't you have college?" He queried.

"I only had two classes this morning. You haven't answered my question yet." I stated.

"You don't look like someone who'd skip class anyway." He uttered, completely ignoring what I said.

"How would you know?"

"You're too rule-abiding. You wouldn't do anything that would possibly anger your mom." He guessed.

I rolled my eyes at his speculation. "Dude, you barely even know me. For all you know I could be a cereal killer."

"But your not though."

"Again, How would you know?"

"I just know." He chuckled.

I climbed a few steps, my patience wearing thin, as I stood in eye level with him.

"If we're done here, I'm getting late. Why are you here?"

"Why? Am I not welcome here?" He quickly held his hands up in retreat as I cocked my head to the side. "Alright chill. I had a meeting with your mom about this new project we're working on."

My eyes widened. "A project? With your company?"

His brows furrowed. "Yeah, I thought she told you."

"Yeah she probably called me upstairs to talk about this." I breathed out, attempting to control my fury.

"I have to go." I said through gritted teeth. Not waiting for an answer from him, I quickly climbed the stairs to mama's private office chambers.