21 - the confrontation

"We need to leave, now!" Jieun said as she approached Jake, giving him a tap on his shoulder. Her voice was stern, emphasizing the word now. It was almost like a command.

Jake immediately turned around hearing her voice, "What happened? Is something wrong?" He asked,

"More like someone," Jieun croaked, her voice fighting back her tears. Jake looked at her, but her eyes looked over his shoulders. She was looking elsewhere.

Jake took the hint, his eyes followed Jieun's direction. Only to see Mark standing by the stairs with a worried expression. He looks like he was hesitating to walk over.

Nodding his head, Jake immediately understood the situation. And seeing her best friend in such a distraught shape, he had to do something.

"Alright, let's go. I'll tell the others that we're leaving first" He said softly grabbing Jieun's shoulder, leading her out of the party.

-

The car ride was hell. Jake kept quiet the whole time, while Jieun cried her way home.

She didn't know why she was crying so hard. Probably overwhelmed by the things Mark had said. It confused her. Her emotions are now all tangled up.

One moment he looks like he's in love with Byeol, and the next moment he comes telling her that he needed her.

Maybe Jieun was right, he was drunk. His face says it all.

The two reach Jieun's apartment in no time. Jake offered to walk Jieun up to her place, seeing how shattered she was, that's the least he could do.

In return, Jieun offered him tea to sober up from all the hardcore partying.

"Sorry if I ruined your night Jake" Jieun said as she placed the cup of tea in front of him.

She sat across him on the sofa, her face still as upset as ever. Her cheeks were wet from crying on her way home while she was in the car.

Her body feeling hot from the tension and dehydration. Just another one of those phases..

"Don't worry about it Eun, the party sucks not gonna lie" He joked trying to make her feel better, and it did Jieun broke out a small chuckle.

"Besides we're best friends! it's the least I could do!" He smiled at her and Jieun gave him a little nod, a sign of appreciation.

Seeing her smile Jake decided to add another, "Remember when one of those Senior bullied me during football qualifications? You came right immediately and kick him in the balls!" He said, recalling one of their memories from freshmen years.

Hearing that story every time makes her smile. "Now we're even!" He grinned.

Then the atmosphere went calm again.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked, breaking the silence. He didn't want to flip her off, and he knows how scary it can be if Jieun is mad, but all in all, he was worried for his friend.

Jieun kept quiet again.

Taking it as a sign, "it's okay if you don't wanna talk about it-"

"I think I like him, like I like like him... what do I do Jake?" She looked over to him with a stoic expression but Jake could only chuckle.

"so you finally admit it huh? took you long enough!" He continues to laugh. "Hey, it's not funny ... I was literally crying a few minutes ago..." Jieun hit him on the shoulder.

Bestfriends just can't seem to take anything serious huh?

"God, you're literally the dumbest person ever Park Jieun... it's so obvious that Mark likes you too" Jake commented.

"Oh, how would you know? he likes Byeol!" Jieun rolled her eyes sarcastically, sniffling a little as she continued to weep.

"have you seen the way he looks at her?" she voiced out, now half pissed and half sad. "If two people are genuinely happy together why would I be a bitch and split them up?!"

"First of all, you're NOT a bitch! and who said anything about splitting them up?" Jake responded, "They aren't even dating!!"

"That's not the point!.... why would he want a whore like me? Someone who goes out partying every weekend, who drinks and get wasted, ends up in some stranger's bed..." Jieun ranted out, her cheeks and her neck were all red, veins bulging out on her neck. All the pent up emotions finally came out.

"FOR FUCK SAKE EUN, YOU'RE NOT A WHORE" Jake half screamed, not wanting to get a complaint from the neighbours. "why would you even call yourself that?"

"oh come on! don't act like you don't know people call me these all over campus!" She sighed wiping her tears, but they kept on flowing down her cheeks.

"For the record, I known you since like what forever?" Jake asked, "freshmen-" "shut up!" he cut her off,

"and for the last few months, you haven't been out and about, sleeping and partying with random people! HECK, today was literally like your first-party ever???!!" Jake scolded her friend. Pissed at how distraught she was.

Where did that confident bad bitch that he knew go?

"SO WHAT?? I don't deserve someone like him" She bawled, feeling her cheeks heat up again. Tears flowing uncontrollably.

"Look at Byeol she's such an angel. She's smart, pretty, cute and .... she's amazing" Jieun sighed, "He called her amazing... how could I beat that?"

"Eun..." Jake said softly but Jieun kept on sobbing.

Feeling a heat choked up her neck and it was hard to speak.

Why did it have to hurt that much?

"Isn't it ironic?" Jake smiled... "What?" Jieun blurted out among her cries.

"You've always stuck with that stupid rules of yours, saying how you'll never date someone and how you will never fall in love." Jake commented,

"I'm not in love-" She was about to say but Jake cut her off

"NO, you listen!! You've always hated the idea of spending time getting to know someone because you say it's such a waste of time and energy, but here you are going out on dates, spending time talking and getting to know Mark" Jake spit nothing but facts, and it doesn't matter if it wounded Jieun's ego. All she needed right now was to know how stupid and stubborn she was acting. Someone needed to slap her with reality and Jake had to do it.

"you guys texts each other like every day, telling each other what you do and how your day went. Saying how you don't do dates but ended up going out with him instead." Jake shot her a look

"OH, did I mention how you even adopted a cat with him? let alone him agreeing with you and having the cat stay over at his place? how you went out 3 am in the morning with him for some stupid ramen that you don't even like??" he said mocking her.

"How you stop going to parties, saying you'd rather be at Mark's. Yet all he does is study while you sit on the couch and watch TV!! You always hated it, but isn't it ironic how you did everything when it was Mark"

Jieun kept quiet.

"You keep saying how you don't do relationships Eun, but that's what your head tells you, and not what the heart wants." He continued,

"I've seen the way he looks at you Eun, you can't deny it... while you're busy being friends with benefits with him, you're slowly building a relationship too..."

He sighed, "Don't lie to yourself Eun. You can't do these shits if you aren't in love..."

"He likes Byeol" Jieun muttered, her eyes still bawling.

"GOD! FOR FUCKS SAKE! JIEUN! Did you not listen to what I had just said?" Jake rolled his eyes, pissed at how stubborn his best friend is.

Jieun continued to bawl but a burst of laughter came out seeing how pissed Jake was.

Jake looked at her in disbelief, "what the fuck dude- You know you're lucky I'm your friend, if people saw you like this they would have thought you're crazy! all crying and laughing and shit!" he spat.

Jieun cried but her lips formed a smile. She let out a small giggle at his comment.

"You know what?" Jake grinned, fishing out his phone. "what?" Jieun muttered, her voice hoarse from all the crying.

"Mark is here"

-

a/n: here's a short chapter....

also, the story is about to end soon :) in like 2 or 3 chapters.

I've already thought of the ending, there's a sad and a happy one but I'm not sure which to go with 😂😂 maybe I might upload both but we'll see!

do tell me if you guys want it to be longer, reply what you wanna see !! I'll try to include it <3