Uchinaga Aeri

Aeri was the popular, mean girl in your school. Her and her clique of friends were the ‘IT’ girls. The ones that only went out with the jocks and shoved past other students instead of walking around you. The kinds of girls who pretended to be your friend just to spread rumors about you throughout the school. And Aeri was the worst of them all. She was the type to play nice and then put you down in front of all her friends so they have something to laugh about during lunch.

Somehow you had managed to avoid her taunting throughout the school year, until you found yourself out in the library together. She was there picking up a book for a test coming up and you were there doing the same. You ended up reaching for the same book, and after much disagreement and arguing you just decided to study for the test together. You sat at a table near the corner, (which Aeri insisted on because she couldn't be seen with a ‘dork’), and you guys talked. Like actually talked. It was like you got to see a side of Aeri that many people did. She seemed more like a person and less like a mean girl after that.

You found yourself seeing her more and more, and she started secretly hanging out with you when she was away from the rest of the girls. One night you found yourself in her dorm while Minjeong was away. One thing ended up leading to another and you became her little secret that night. And every night after that… Aeri swore it would only happen once and then she would never talk to you again, even threatening you into not speaking to her the next day in class, but she found herself calling you about two days later. And then again. Then again.

You found yourself in her dorm often, every time Minjeong wasn't home specifically. But there were rules to being Aeri's secret. Some of them were spoken, some were not. She was mean to you when you weren't in her bed. Like purposely knocking things out of your hand when she walks by you in the halls, making unnecessary comments about your appearance. But she was strangely possessive, like she cared. Just last weekend she saw you laughing with a girl during lunch and the very next day there was a rumor that the girl has chlamydia going around.

Despite your better judgement, you didn't leave her. Didn't tell her to knock it off, didn't even ask her to stop her behavior. You put up with it all because, for some reason, the way Aeri looks at you when you're both alone makes it all worth it. Every shove to the ground, every mocking critique, every nasty rumor, felt worth it when those brown eyes met yours and you heard that laugh you couldn't get enough of. You're convinced that there is more to her, more than the mean persona and the sharp glares. You know there's more than that to her, you've seen it.

—

You lie in bed next to her, bodies tangled in the sheets and squished together to fit on the twin bed. A light sheen of sweat coats your skin, only adding to its afterglow. Your mind is elsewhere, making it impossible for you to relax. It's plagued with thoughts of your relationship with Aeri, how it had grown so much and felt like much more than just ‘casual’ now.

So you decided to be brave and ask. You looked up at Aeri as she stared at her phone and quickly worked up the courage to ask your question. “Aeri… What are we? I mean, are we still just friends or…?” You asked your question, your heart thudding in your chest as if it wanted to burst through your rib cage and leap out at her. She just turned her head to look at you, her pink bangs clinging to her forehead. “What do you mean? It's casual.” She answers with a shrug of her shoulders before smirking almost devilishly. “Why? You want more or something? Greedy.” She murmurs, reaching out to poke your nose.