- What did you get high on? Give me some. - Ara eyed her friend suspiciously as they sat in the café, eating cake and sipping lattes. They had decided to spend Saturday afternoon in each other's company, finally being able to chatter for all time.
The gray-haired woman looked offended by her words.
- I'm serious. That witch showed up at my place at night. It may have been a daydream, but I'll give a hoot that it was real and brought back my memories of that day.
The redhead still wasn't going to digest the story she had just heard from her friend's mouth. It seemed absurd to her, yet she could forgive her, since she had recently started working for a top company and her boss was someone she had slept with in Thailand. These events may have messed with her head a bit.
- All it took was a few days when I wasn't by your side, and you went completely crazy," Ara commented in one sentence.
Solbin sighed loudly and combed her fingers through her long hair.
- Since you think I'm telling tales, in that case, explain to me how you are legally married to Seokjin? - Her wide-open eyes, please let Ara know that she intended to torment her until she believed her.
The girl crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back more comfortably in her chair. She shifted her gaze to the window, pondering her friend's words for a moment.
- Damn knows. - That's all she was able to answer, but she added rather quickly. - If it's true what you say, then why did this woman come to you? Why were you the only one to recover the memories of that day?
- Maybe because I was the one who freed her from that tree?
Ara looked at her with dull eyes.
- This is reality. There are no witches, Edward or Harry Potter in the real world. They are characters invented by writers, and you also invented it in your head while you were sleeping.
- I am not a writer. I don't have a lush imagination," Solbin stated in an offended voice. - It was too real for me to call it a dream. The strange thing is that I remember every detail. I, as soon as I wake up, forget dreams.
The redhead didn't know what to think about it. She kept watching her best friend the whole time, as if that would help her believe her words. They trusted each other and talked about everything, but fantasy? Apparently there was a magical event in her life when she found out she was married, and she didn't sign any documents; however, she was the type of person who didn't even believe in ghosts.
- So you insist that fifteen years ago we, Jin and Jungkook met as children? That's when your boss was kidnapped by a chauffeur who was killed by a witch-possessed shaman? And is Jin related to these shamans? Is she his aunt?
- I know this sounds like a children's fantasy movie, but I'm serious. There is something strange going on with our lives. That would explain why you are married to Jin. She is writing our future. We are her puppets.
- The only puppet will be me in a while if I get brain evaporated by your stories.
It wasn't because of Solbin that her brain evaporated, but at the sight of the handsome guy who appeared in the café. Ara nodded to him, letting him know to come up.
- Do you know him?
- Yes. He's my neighbor. He helped me when Seokjin threw me out into the hallway in my underpants.
- And after such a situation you are not ashamed of him at all, and yet you call him to the table.... All you," muttered the girl under her breath.
The redhead's lips stretched in a wide smile as the young man came up to greet her.
- What a nice meeting. I often come here for coffee," he turned to Ara.
- In that case, join us. This is my friend Solbin - she introduced her to her neighbor. - And this is Yoongi, who helped me a lot when I was in a rather uncomfortable situation.
They shook hands.
- Ara loves to cause trouble, so I'm not at all surprised that her husband finally had enough of her and threw her out of the apartment.
The redhead sent her friend a warning glance.
- Solbin likes to joke around. Eighty percent of the time he doesn't mean it," Ara defended herself.
Yoongi looked amused.
- Let me order coffee and join you shortly.
- We are waiting," the redhead replied, smiling playfully at him. The boy got up from his chair and walked off in the direction of the cash register to place his order.
The gray-haired woman measured him with her eyes for a long moment, then looked at her friend.
- You have a hankering for him. He's your type. Dark clothes, tattoos.... - Ara merely shrugged her shoulders, fully agreeing with Solbin. She wasn't going to hide the fact that Yoongi was very much to her liking. - Didn't you intend to make your husband fall in love with you?
- Yes, but only to rub his nose in it, since he plays with women. - She discreetly pointed her finger at the blond man. - This gentleman I intend to fall in love with seriously. Until the divorce, he will be mine.
She could not be stopped. As she decided something, so it had to be.
*
After Ara said goodbye to Solbin in front of the café and decided to return in a black SUV with a handsome neighbor, joy filled her from the inside. Yoongi offered to drive her friend home as well, but Solbin thanked him politely, saying she had to meet someone else.
The redhead then measured her with a suspicious eye, guessing that she was referring to Jungkook. Just why did Solbin want to meet with her boss while she had the day off?
Never mind. Ara's head was more disturbed by thoughts about the man sitting next to her. Occasionally, she would glance at him, and her gaze would find the beautiful hand with which he held the steering wheel.
During a conversation at the café, she noticed that Solbin liked him. They immediately found a common language, so her friend had no worries about Yoongi driving her home, since they were neighbors. In doing so, she let Ara know that she should act because at first glance he seemed like a cool guy, and she shouldn't lose the chance if she actually liked him.
- Your husband won't be angry if he finds out that I drove you home?
Ara looked surprised when Yoongi asked her this question.
- Why would he be angry? First: we have been living with each other like a dog and a cat since our wedding day. Second: he has no right to restrict me.
- But still, he is your husband.... If I were him, I would be jealous if I had such a beautiful wife.
A strange feeling of warmth arose in Ara's heart when she heard these words from the mouth of her handsome neighbor.
- There is no chance that he would be jealous. We are planning to get a divorce.
The man looked at her surprised as he stopped the car at a red light.
- There are quarrels in every marriage, but I would never say in my life that you are planning to get a divorce.
- Why not? - Ara smiled half-heartedly.
- Because the other day, when I let you wait at my apartment, he almost killed me with his eyes. That man was jealous.
Ara looked confused, and yet she snorted with laughter.
- Jealous? No way. He hates me. He can't look at me.
- If you think so, maybe I got the wrong impression," he replied, tilting his head. - I'm sorry to ask this so openly, even though it's not appropriate, but how long are you two married?
- Not even a month.
Yoongi opened his eyes wide, as if he didn't believe her words.
- Are you serious?
- I don't know how this happened, but I want to end it as soon as possible. This man is the biggest mistake of my life.
She looked at the window, and then a faint smile appeared on the handsome neighbor's face.
- I am a year ago was supposed to get married, but my fiancée left me exactly one day before the ceremony. She stated that she still loved her first love. He appeared out of nowhere and messed with her head. A month later, she stated that it was her biggest mistake and wanted to come back to me, but then I was the one who told her that she was my mistake. It was the best decision of my life. I am the type of person who does not forgive. If someone breaks my heart, I won't trust that person a second time. Even though Miyeon and I were together for five years.
The girl sent him a sympathetic look.
- It must have been really painful for you. I'm not surprised that you didn't trust her a second time.
- Fortunately, she did not suffer at all. A few weeks later she already had another guy.
Ara pouted her lips and nodded. They had just entered the underground parking lot, which was located in a building with apartments. After finding a vacant space, the girl unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. She smiled at Yoongi, and they were both walking toward the elevator when someone unexpectedly grabbed her hand. With wide-open eyes, she looked at her husband.
- Where have you been! - His raised voice signaled that he was furious.
- What do you mean? After all, we were not supposed to interfere in each other's private affairs, so why are you questioning me now?
He ignored her words and turned his hateful gaze toward his neighbor.
- Don't you know how men who pick up married women are perceived? - Yoongi remained silent, staring at him with calmness in his eyes. - Shams.
Holding his wife's hand tightly, he pulled her toward the elevator, not reacting to her resisting. The neighbor put his hands in his pants pockets, no longer having any doubt that her husband was jealous of her. Still, he wasn't going to give up his acquaintance with the woman, especially since she wanted to divorce her husband. That meant she didn't love him and he had a chance. He wasn't doing anything wrong.
- Are you crazy? Let me go!
He only did so when they got into the elevator.
- At the police station you played games with me, declaring to everyone that I was your husband. You slandered me, so now I will take advantage of the fact that you are legally my wife. I won't let you flirt with another man.
This man looked like he was possessed by the devil.
- You are also dating women! What is your problem? We are married only on paper, nothing else connects us!
- As long as you are legally my wife, I will watch over you every step of the way!
Ara was terrified as he grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed her against the elevator wall. His hands went higher and captured the girl's face. He kissed her intently, and she was stuck motionless, staring at one point with wide-open eyes.
He cringed because Ara had no other explanation for his behavior. After all, he couldn't be jealous of her. He had no feelings for her, he didn't show it. Unless... he was the kind of guy who hid under a mask, and when another man appeared on the horizon, only then did he show his real face?
There was another explanation for his strange behavior. If Solbin was telling the truth and in fact the four of them were puppets of the witch who was creating their own story. Then it would come out that the crazy woman suddenly decided to change the course of events and speed up the action. Or she was a fan of "Fifty Faces of Grey" because Jin was acting, similar to Christian Gray, in the elevator.
- I'm the kind of guy who hates to see his woman in the company of another. I don't have to love her for it to drive me crazy. I just don't like it when someone tries to get something that already is mine," he declared as he moved his face away from her face.
Paranoia.