Chapter ten

⭐ ୧ I just need to find someone with a pretty smile. ও 😄

Aera had always been popular enough to receive her fair share of love letters, but this one was different. The mysterious note lacked a name, and its heartfelt tone had captivated her curiosity. Unable to resist the intrigue, she told her best friends Yun Hee and Ji Eun about it, and together, the three of them embarked on a mission to identify the sender.

During lunch, they roamed the school halls, scrutinizing every guy they came across. Aera clutched the letter in her hand, its neatly folded edges now slightly crinkled from the many times they had examined it.

"He's over 180 cm tall," Yun Hee said, eyeing a tall guy who passed them without sparing a glance.

"That narrows it down a bit," Aera replied, though her voice lacked conviction.

Ji Eun tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I've never seen handwriting like that before. Trust me, I've practically memorized every guy's writing in this school."

"How would you even know that?" Aera asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Because I pay attention to the important details," Ji Eun said, flashing a confident smirk. She clicked her tongue. "He has to be new to the school. It's the only explanation."

Aera tilted her head. "You figured that out just by looking at his handwriting?"

Ji Eun nodded with absolute certainty. "He must be smart, really popular, handsome, and tall. The perfect guy for our dear Aera," she added dramatically, resting her chin on her hand as if she were envisioning him.

Before Aera could respond, Yun Hee gestured toward another guy walking down the hall. "What about him? He's got the height and looks like he might fit the part."

The girls observed the guy closely. He wore glasses and had his nose buried in a thick book.

"He's in the Math Olympiad," Yun Hee commented, her brows raised as if this added an air of mystery to the candidate.

Ji Eun shook her head firmly. "No way. He doesn't look popular enough. He'd never write a letter like this."

Aera chuckled softly, amused by her friends' antics, but her attention was soon caught by a guy entering her class. He smiled briefly at her as he walked in, his expression warm and inviting. She quickly patted Yun Hee's shoulder. "Him. Doesn't he come by our class often these days?"

The three of them peeked through the window of Aera's classroom.

"He's dating Jae In," Ji Eun pointed out as they noticed the couple holding hands, their laughter clear even through the glass.

Aera's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Figures," she muttered, leaning back against the wall.

Just as she sighed, someone bumped her shoulder lightly. "Oh, I didn't see you there. Sorry," a guy said casually, his phone in one hand and a juice box in the other. His tone was polite but distracted. Then, he glanced at her drink. "You always drink strawberry milk," he added, as if it were an obvious fact, before walking away without waiting for a response.

Aera froze, staring after him. Her gaze dropped to the strawberry milk in her hand. "How does he know that I only drink strawberry milk?" she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

"How does he know?" Yun Hee echoed, her voice tinged with surprise.

"What class is he in?" Ji Eun asked, immediately tugging at Aera's and Yun Hee's hands to follow the mysterious boy.

"Class Four," Yun Hee answered as they reached the doorway to his classroom. They lingered outside, leaning against the wall in a bid to remain unnoticed.

"Should I ask him?" Aera whispered nervously, glancing at her friends for reassurance.

Ji Eun folded her arms, her expression both encouraging and teasing. "Do you have the guts?"

"Of course," Aera replied, steeling herself as she turned toward the door. But just as she prepared to walk in, the boy's voice drifted out into the hallway.

"Gosh, strawberry milk is always sold out," he complained to his friends. "I need that stuff to stay awake."

The three girls exchanged wide-eyed glances before quickly retreating from the door.

"What if I had asked him?" Aera groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"You'd never recover from the embarrassment," Ji Eun teased, patting her on the back.

As they walked away, another group of boys passed by. "You have to devote body and soul," one said to the other.

"Boldly," the other agreed with a laugh.

The three girls instinctively stopped, turned around, and began following them for a few paces, their curiosity piqued.

"Wait... they're talking about gaming," Yun Hee said flatly, the realization sinking in as they heard snippets of their conversation about investing in game funds.

The trio collectively sighed and turned back toward their original path.

"It's officially the unluckiest day," Aera muttered, her voice heavy with defeat. They had been roaming the school for nearly an hour, peeking into classrooms and scrutinizing every unfamiliar face, but there was still no sign of the sender.

"I can't believe no one comes to mind," Yun Hee said, shaking her head in frustration.

Aera exhaled sharply. "I just need to find someone with a pretty smile," she said, her tone wistful as they walked back to their class.

Ji Eun halted mid-step, turning to stare at her friend. "Seriously? Just a pretty smile? That's all it takes?"

"What's wrong with that?" Aera asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ji Eun gestured dramatically. "Aera, you're popular, beautiful, and clearly this guy put a lot of effort into the letter. 'Pretty smile' is the bare minimum!"

"Well, maybe I'm just easy to impress," Aera said with a small, mischievous smile, tucking the love letter into her pocket as they reentered their classroom.

The school day came to an end as usual, with Aera waving goodbye to her friends, Yun Hee and Ji Eun, before heading off with Joo-won and Dal. The pair were waiting for her outside her classroom, just as they always did. Together, the three of them strolled toward their favorite spot—a bench near the football field where they often spent time unwinding after a long day.

The crisp afternoon breeze rustled the trees surrounding the field. Joo-won dropped her bag unceremoniously onto the bench and leaned her head tiredly on Aera's shoulder.

Aera chuckled softly at her sister's exaggerated exhaustion. "Rough day?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to rest against Joo-won's.

"You could say that," Joo-won sighed.

Dal flopped down on Aera's other side, crossing her legs as she leaned forward with a small frown. "This whole thing feels like a game of 'Where's Waldo?'" she muttered, looking utterly defeated.

Aera smiled sympathetically. She knew Joo-won and Dal had spent their lunch break hunting for the sender of Joo-won's mysterious love letter, just as Aera and her friends had done with hers. Both searches had been fruitless.

"Judging by the fact that they didn't write their names, they must be introverts," Joo-won mused, sitting up and lightly patting Aera on the shoulder. "I guess we searched for them in vain."

"Maybe they're just shy," Aera suggested, shrugging. She leaned back on the bench, gazing up at the slowly darkening sky. "Still, it's kind of sweet that they went to the trouble of writing a letter."

Joo-won smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Let's give up," she declared. "Instead..." She pulled her love letter out of her backpack with a flourish, holding it up like a trophy. "Let's go brag about this to Kang Hae Jun!"

Aera raised an eyebrow, smiling. "You just want an excuse to rub it in his face, don't you?"

"Obviously," Joo-won replied with a playful grin. She stood up, carefully grabbing Aera's hand. Then, she turned to Dal with an inviting smile. "Do you want to come with us?"

Dal lit up instantly, her mood lifting. "Yes!" she exclaimed, jumping up from the bench.

"Then let's go," Joo-won said with a laugh, intertwining her arms with Aera and Dal. The three of them walked off together, their shared laughter filling the air as they headed toward the school gym.

When they arrived at the gym, only Hae Jun's teammates were there. The sound of their footsteps echoed faintly off the polished floor as they looked around.

Joo-won pulled out her phone and tried calling Hae Jun. She frowned when it went straight to voicemail. "What the heck? Where did he go without a word?" she muttered in disbelief, lowering her phone.

Aera hesitated, biting her lip. She remembered what Sanha had told her earlier—he and Hae Jun were visiting Hae Jun's aunt to ask about his mom and dad. Sanha had explicitly asked her not to tell Joo-won, knowing her sister's boundless curiosity.

"Maybe he just needed some air," Aera suggested, trying to sound casual.

Dal, meanwhile, pouted slightly, visibly disappointed that Hae Jun wasn't around. "Just tell him about it at home," she said, kicking at the gym floor lightly with the toe of her shoe.

Joo-won sighed dramatically, holding up her love letter again. "I need to tell him when Kim Sanha isn't around," she said, her tone exasperated. "That's why I couldn't do it this morning, either."

Aera chuckled at her sister's persistence. "You're really overthinking this. Why can't you just show him the letter, Sanha or no Sanha?"

Joo-won shot her a look. "It's different, okay? I need to see Hae Jun's reaction without Kim Sanha's constant commentary."

"Good luck with that," Aera replied teasingly.

Joo-won suddenly brightened, a new idea popping into her head. She turned to Dal with a wide grin. "Do you want to come over to our house tomorrow? Kim Sanha will probably stay in his room studying. The four of us can hang out!" She gestured at herself and Aera enthusiastically.

Dal's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Really? I'd love to!"

Aera raised an eyebrow at her sister. "You're so sure Sanha will just stay in his room?"

Joo-won waved her off. "Of course. He's been glued to his books all week. Besides, if he doesn't, we'll kick him out," she added with a wink.

Aera laughed, shaking her head at her sister's antics. "You're unbelievable."

"Thank you," Joo-won replied smugly. She threw an arm around Aera and Dal as they left the gym together, their chatter light and full of anticipation for tomorrow.

The night had fallen, and the sky over the apartment complex was blanketed with stars. On the terrace of their building, Aera and Joo-won sat at the outdoor table with cans of Coke in hand, the cool breeze brushing past them. Aera leaned back in the table, gazing at the stars with a peaceful expression, while Joo-won fidgeted beside her, visibly impatient.

Joo-won took another sip from her Coke can, only to realize it was empty. She groaned and slammed it lightly onto the table. "Where are they? I'm bored out of my mind."

Aera smirked at her sister's restlessness. "They'll be back soon, Joo-won. Just relax."

"Relax?" Joo-won gave her an incredulous look. "I'm not curious! I'm chill! I'm totally not obsessing over their affairs. Nope. Not at all," she said, more to herself than Aera. She sighed dramatically, slumping forward. "I'm curious..."

Aera suppressed a laugh, sipping her own Coke as she watched her sister struggle with her curiosity. Joo-won had been pestering her about Sanha and Hae Jun's whereabouts all day, but Aera had held firm, pretending not to know anything.

"Darn it..."

"Hey!"

Both sisters shot to their feet at the sound of Sanha's voice. They ran to the terrace railing, leaning over to look down at the street below.

"My goodness," Sanha was carrying Hae Jun on his back, struggling under his weight.

Without another word, the two girls bolted for the stairs, sprinting down to meet their brothers.

When they reached the street, they found Sanha looking thoroughly exhausted, while Hae Jun dragged his feet sluggishly, his arm slung limply around Sanha's neck.

"I feel weak. I feel so weak," Hae Jun muttered dramatically, though there was a playful lilt to his voice.

"What's with him?" Joo-won asked, eyeing Hae Jun suspiciously as she stepped closer.

Sanha groaned, rolling his shoulders as he shifted Hae Jun's weight. "Take him," he said, his tone flat as he unceremoniously let go of Hae Jun's arm.

Hae Jun stumbled slightly before regaining his balance. "Where's Dad?" he asked weakly, though he suddenly seemed more alert.

"At karaoke with the apartment ahjussis and ahjummas," Aera replied, crossing her arms over her chest as she observed him carefully.

At the mention of their father, Hae Jun straightened up completely and sprinted into the apartment building, his supposed weakness miraculously cured.

Aera raised an eyebrow, turning to Sanha. "Was he faking the whole time?" she asked, her tone half-amused, half-annoyed.

Sanha shrugged. "He's always dramatic."

"Where did you go?" Joo-won called after Hae Jun, though he was already out of sight. She turned to Sanha, her hands on her hips.

"We visited Hae Jun's aunt," Sanha replied, rubbing his neck tiredly. "That's all."

"He could've said he went to visit her. He didn't even pick up my call." Joo-won grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him. "Why did he go so discreetly?" She leaned in, her curiosity clearly piqued.

"I don't know," Sanha replied, avoiding her gaze. It wasn't entirely a lie—he hadn't uncovered much himself. But he also knew better than to give Joo-won any leads that might fuel her relentless curiosity.

Aera, meanwhile, smirked knowingly. "Dad's coming over tomorrow, by the way," she called after Hae Jun, though he was likely already inside their apartment.

Sanha glanced at her, then added, "Hae Jun and I are going out tomorrow again." He hesitated before looking back at Aera. "You should come, Aera. Someone needs to keep an eye on him."

Aera nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, I'll go," she said, her tone firm. She had a feeling Hae Jun's antics would require her intervention.

"What? Where to this time?" Joo-won interjected, her eyes darting between her siblings. Her tone was a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"Don't try to know everything," Sanha said with a tired sigh as he turned toward the building.

Joo-won huffed, clearly unsatisfied with his evasive answer. "Where are you guys going?" she asked, her voice rising as she chased after him. "Come on, just tell me!"

Aera chuckled softly, shaking her head as she followed them at a leisurely pace. "You're not going to get anything out of him, Joo-won," she teased.

Joo-won groaned in frustration, tugging at Aera's arm as if to coax the truth out of her instead. "But you know, don't you? You always know!"

"I might," Aera replied with a sly smile, "but I'm not telling you."

"Why not?" Joo-won whined, giving her sister a pleading look.

"Because," Aera said, tapping her sister lightly on the forehead, "some things are better left as surprises."

Joo-won let out another groan, throwing her hands up in defeat. "You're impossible!"

"Thank you," Aera replied with a grin, her tone playful as they made their way back into the building.

࿁ • 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘬 . . . 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝒚𝒐𝒖
ྀིྀི 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝒎𝒆 𐙚 ~ @ 𝑾𝒐𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 • ࿁

Hello! How are y'all doing? Here's an early update, hope you enjoy it, and expect more updates soon throughout this week!

Anyways, I just want to say thanks for all the support you're giving to this book, I didn't expect it to receive this much, so I'm really grateful for everything😭💗

I will see you all on the next chapter! ♥️