Chapter 04

The next morning, they decided to visit the park. The soft breeze rustled through the trees as Mateo, Sandra, and little Olivia led the way, while the three girls followed behind, heading for a bench to sit.

Gabriella walked alongside Elena and Sara, with the others enjoying the atmosphere ahead.

The park was lively, with families, and children running about. The sound of birds chirping blended with the distant hum of conversations, creating a peaceful backdrop.

Elena nudged Gabriella playfully.

" So, did your friend text you good morning yet? "

Gabriella sighed, giving her a side-eye.

" Elena, do you ever let things go?"

Sara laughed.

" She has a point, though. What if he's waiting for you to message him first? You wouldn't want him to think you've forgotten about him, would you?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes, but as she did, her phone buzzed repeatedly, more than five times. It was from Mike, she knew.

She quickly started walking faster, but not fast enough to avoid Elena and Sara, who caught up with her.

" Ahaa... what was that? " Sara teased, her voice dripping with mock curiosity.

" Are these texts from your JUST-A-FRIEND ? " She said emphasizing the words.

Elena leaned over, trying to grab the phone.

" Come on, Gabby. What did he say? Don't make us beg."

" If he is just a friend texting you why do you look like a deer caught in headlights? " Sara sarcastically raised her eyebrows.

Gabriella groaned, clutching her phone

" It's nothing! You are just assuming things."

" Sure! " Elena smirked.

" I wish to have just a friend like him" Elena continued

" You know Nice and polite not obvious at all " side eyeing her making both Gabriella and Sara laugh.

" Because asking how you're doing more than three times a day is totally normal polite behavior."

Sara crossed her arms and grinned.

" Read it, Gabriella. Let us see how 'nice' a friend could get."

Gabriella hesitated, but finally gave in, unlocking her phone and opening the messages.

Elena and Sara crowded around her, trying to peek at the screen, now successfully peeking on the screen.

Mike: Good morning, Mariya. How are you? Everyone's been asking about you here. Take care of yourself and don't overwork. Okay?

Mike: The group feels empty and It's strange how quiet things feel without you here.

Mike: The group's not the same, but we're all waiting for you to return.

Mike: I'm jealous, Do the people in Madrid have any idea, how lucky they are to have you there?

Mike: I can't help wondering how you're doing every day.

Mike: No rush, but come back soon, okay?

Mike: It's not the same without you and don't forget, we're all waiting for you.

Her expression faltered slightly at the last message, and Sara and Elena exchanged shocked yet knowing glances.

" Oh my God! Gabby!!!

Is he for real? Look at these, girl!

He's definitely missing more than the others,"

Sara teased her recovering from her shock, nudging Gabriella.

" If that's JUST a polite gesture, then I'm the Queen of England."

Elena pretended to be fine.

" So thoughtful, so caring! If I didn't know better that he is JUST A FRIEND then I'd say he's completely... what's the word... ?Whipped."

" Or maybe Simp " Sara added dramatically, clutching her chest.

Gabriella shook her head, cheeks heating up.

" You two are impossible. He's just... a concerned friend."

Elena smirked.

" Concerned friend? Please, Gabby. He basically said he misses you without actually saying it. That's not just a concern, that's pining."

Sara nodded in agreement.

"And don't think we didn't catch the empty without you. Literally you guys are seven in total but now he completely forgot the rest five.

And seriously he calls you Mariya too not Gabriella, only grandma calls you that. "

Sara grinned.

" Oh well, then! That's practically a sign, you know... He's trying to be the only one you can get comfortable around. And guess what? It's working."

" It's just easier for him to say,"

Gabriella argued weakly, knowing fully well how much the name meant to her.

Elena raised an eyebrow, teasing her.

" Uh-huh, sure. Easier for him... or maybe he just wants to be the only one who calls you that? "

Gabriella shook her head, trying to hide her smile.

" Stop it, you guys. You're reading too much into it."

" You keep telling yourself that," Elena said with a grin.

" But just so you know, if he texts you again today, we're hijacking your phone. For research purposes, of course."

Gabriella laughed at their behaviour, deciding not to dignify their teasing with a response.

Instead, she turned her attention to Olivia, who was toddling between her parents, Mateo and Sandra.

" Look! " Gabriella said proudly.

As the girls moved towards the other three. Mateo, who had been watching them from a distance, stood up, smiling at the sight of three girls moving towards them. He glanced at Gabriella's face and then at the girls beside her.

" Come on, everyone let's make room for Reina Mariya" Mateo said teasing her.

But was surprised when she didn't said anything but just got shy in return, moving towards Olivia to play with her.

Mateo, glancing at the other two girls curiously, raised an eyebrow.

Before he could say anything, Elena piped up.

" Oh, it's nothing serious. Just her friend in Seoul, who sends her sweet messages and calls her Mariya casually not Gabriella, No big deal. "

Mateo raised an eyebrow flashing a teasing smirk

" Mariya? That's new information "

Gabriella groaned, covering her face with her hands.

" You're all unbelievable. "

Mateo laughed, clapping her on the shoulder.

" Relax, Gabby. We're just messing with you. But honestly, if he's this invested, maybe he's worth considering. Don't you think? "

Gabriella stayed quiet playing with Olivia and said nothing.

Elena glanced towards Mateo, then signalled towards her phone, when new messages from Mike.

Mike: Can I call you?

Mike: Are you free?

Mike: Just tell me whenever you are free. Okay?

Gabriella's heart gave a soft pang as she read the messages, but she tried not to show it. Elena, however, didn't let her hide it for long.

" Don't try to hide it," Elena teased, nudging her side.

" I see these texts, and I'm pretty sure it's not just 'a friend' checking up on you."

Sandra, intrigued but not quite catching on, looked between the messages and Gabriella. she said with a playful grin.

" Come on, Gabby, spill it."

Gabriella felt her face heat up slightly. She quickly looked down at her phone again, pretending not to care about the teasing.

" It's nothing, guys " she mumbled, her fingers nervously tapping on the screen.

Mateo, who had been trying to piece things together, exchanged a knowing glance with his cousin

" You know, it's pretty obvious he's been thinking about you quite a lot."

Gabriella, now caught off guard, shifted uncomfortably.

" It's just.... He's checking on me and updating me " she said, her voice faltering as she quickly shut off the phone.

Sara grinned.

" Just checking and updating, huh? We totally believe. Sure "

Mateo glared at Sara asking her to stop now then Sara turned saying

" Oh, we get it. No need to be shy."

Elena, still teasing, added,

" If that helps you sleep at night. Keep telling yourself that, Gabby. But we all know Mike's not just 'checking on you.' The guy's been head over heels for you."

Gabriella felt a mix of emotions, but mostly, she just felt her heart ache. She didn't know what to say anymore.

Deep down, she knew Elena was right. Mike had been more than just a friend to her, but her own feelings were still uncertain.

She had tried to push those thoughts away for so long, but now, with the teasing and the messages in front of her, she couldn't avoid it any longer.

Sandra, sensing the shift in the conversation, smiled softly at Gabriella.

" It's okay, Gabby. Take your time," she said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Elena winked.

" Don't worry, Gab. We're just messing with you. Just... don't take too long. It's obvious Mike's waiting for you."

After that they didn't mention Mike which Gabriella was relieved about, they continued talking about their touring and visiting places and making plans for next few days.

Her phone dinged again before she could do something again, Elena pulled the phone from her reach and she and Mateo start reading messages

Mateo and Elena both asked casually, though their tone was teasing.

" Clearly, someone feeling a bit more lonely without her." He teasingly added.

Sandra laughed softly

" I can't help but think someone's missing you a lot more than 'just a friend' should."

Elena playfully said

" Look at that! He's even asking if you're eating well. "

" Is he your personal dietician now, Gabby? " Elena inquired.

Gabriella feeling her cheeks heat up, reading the message

" Ugh, really? He's just checking in."

Mike: I know you're busy, but just wanted to make sure you're eating well. Don't skip meals.

Mike: You know you've got people here who miss you, I hope you're taking care of yourself.

Mike: Madrid must be nice, but Seoul isn't the same without you.

Mike: I hope you're doing great but Don't forget about us.

Mike: Don't stress too much over anything, just take it easy. We really miss talking to you.

Gabriella laughs awkwardly before saying

" Okay? Enough now. Let's get back"

Gabriella quickly took her phone from them putting it inside her pocket before they could read more messages.

Mateo: raising an eyebrow

" That's what they all say before it turns into something else."

Sara grinning

" Yeah, just friends. But I'd say this 'friend' is starting to look a little more... like a 'boyfriend,' don't you think? "

Elena: smirking

" If it's just ' friendship,' then why are your cheeks all red, Gabby? That's not what friends do."

Gabriella's cheeks flushed but she managed to say that

" I-I'm not red! You guys are ridiculous."

Mateo laughing softly

" It's clear as day. But hey, if you two are just friends, I'm sure Mike doesn't think same."

Gabriella sighed in defeat

Elena said winking at her

" We all know the truth."

Gabriella said laughing

" You guys are making it weird now"

Mateo chuckled, crossing his arms.

" Gabby, if there's something, you can tell us. We're not that scary."

Gabriella just chuckled in response as they kept leading towards home still passing remarks.

Mateo chuckled.

" You know, I thought you all were just joking about Mike. But looking at these messages and Gabby's flustered expression, I guess he's been a little more serious than I thought."

He teased Gabriella with a grin.

Gabriella laughed softly, trying to hide the warmth spreading through her chest.

She wasn't sure what the future held, but one thing was for sure Mike was on her mind more than she was willing to admit.

They kept moving towards the home while chit chatting about studies, jobs, their daily lives and life in seoul vs madrid.

They were leaving for arcade tonight suggested by Gabriella as it has become her habit from Seoul, all of them agreed.

Days blurred into weeks, and weeks into months Gabriella found herself settling into a routine she hadn't anticipated.

The ache of her parents' strained relationship still lingered, but the news of them deciding against divorce brought a fragile sense of relief. They weren't the same, and she knew they might never be, but at least they were trying. She was hoping for everything to be well.

Her lifeline during this time became the friends she had left behind in Seoul and her family she was living with now. She found herself talking to them almost daily, their laughter and updates filling the void she often felt.

And then there was Mike. He always seemed to be the first to reach out, his texts lighting up her phone like clockwork.

What started as casual

" How are you? " messages turned into long conversations about everything and nothing. Daily gossips, jokes, drama from back home.

Before she knew it, they were video calling. Seeing his face on the screen, hearing his laugh as if he were in the same room, felt strange at first. But slowly, it became something she looked forward to on daily basis.

Mike had a way of making her feel at ease, even through a screen. He'd tease her about the chaos of her art station, and she'd fire back with jokes about his junk food addiction. Their banter was light, effortless, and before she realized it, a part of her daily life.

Meanwhile, Sophia and Isabella kept her looped in on everything happening back home.

The four boys had started university but the girls hadn't started yet and insisted that Gabriella to wait so they could all begin together.

The idea of returning to Seoul popped up more and more in her mind. She had tentatively agreed, but she kept her plans vague, unsure of when or if she'd feel ready to go back.

To keep herself grounded, she poured everything into her art. Sketching, drawing, painting, it became her escape. It worked better than she thought it would.

One afternoon, while rummaging through her old drawings, she found the sketch she'd made of their group during the high school tour.

Each face stared back at her from the page, alive with the joy she had captured in that moment.

Sophia's playful grin, Ethan with his usual self, Isabella's carefree laugh, Eugene and Chris standing their laughing at something that figured out, Mike leaning back with his usual air of quiet confidence and next to him was she standing their smiling, they were all there.

Her fingers brushed over the lines, her lips curving into a soft smile.

She hadn't realized how much she missed them until that moment. The laughter, the teasing, the way they all felt like a family, it was all there in the drawing, frozen in time.

A part of her ached to step back into that life, to hear their voices and feel their presence again.

But she wasn't ready to say it out loud, not yet. For now, she held onto the sketch, letting it remind her of everything she'd left behind and everything she wasn't quite ready to return to.