11. ➷

                                    

                                          
A/N: I went MIA for like 2 days and suddenly there's 500 reads!!! AHHHH 
Don't be a silent reader 🔪 

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          

¸ .　　★　°:.　 . • ° 　 .　 *　:.　☆
DERYA POV
Derya took the first steps into her dingy apartment. The floorboards were a tawny brown, their couch a navy blue that contrasted and their carpet rug still had stains from her childhood. 
On her way in, she almost tripped over the bucket which caught the leakages coming from upstairs. She would have turned the lights on, but their bulb had broken and she'd forgotten to fix it.
Coming back home was a slap to the face after being in the fancy hospital.
Thank God Mark didn't have to come with me.
They only had to spend 20 hours together now, and they gave her a strict 1hr limit to pack all her belongings. Mark's mum had insisted on hiring a moving crew and the workers waited outside her door for her to bring boxes of her belongings 
As she walked to her room, she saw the letter she'd taken a quick look at before she had her argument with Ji. The words ' UNPAID RENT' stared at her.
Derya's dad had always been reasonable. They'd agreed to split the rent 70/30 since Derya earned less and she always submitted hers on time. On the sofa, her father slept, still in his work clothes, and she grabbed a cover and laid it over him.
At least I'll get to put the money from this soulmate deal to good use.
Somewhere in her heart, she was angry that she had to pick up the pieces of her father's depression, but she still loved him and knew he was trying his best. There was a time when she thought he was finally making progress, but it seemed he'd regressed.
She began folding her clothes but stayed deep in thought.
I miss Ji. I wish I could have someone to talk to right now.
When Jiyeon was going through a tough time, Derya used to go to her house and talk to her while she helped her out with laundry. It became their thing. Derya didn't even like laundry, she just loved spending time with her friend.
Derya's life was extremely private, her only friends were Jiyeon and Zion, and she liked it that way.  They were good to her ( most of the time) and were moral people like herself, which was nice because in the South it was easy for your own best friend to backstab you.
However, they had their flaws...
Jiyeon, because of her troubled home life, was hot and cold. Disappearing for days and constantly switching jobs was the norm. And Zion had the emotional regulation of a 5-year-old, earning him the nickname of, " Manchild," from her.
But she still loved them.
Gently, teardrops fell from her face, but they fell with a smile.
My mum would be so proud. I fucking moved to the country 5 years ago and now I can speak the language well. I made friends with my broken Korean. I fucking found my soulmate and I've been decently nice to him.
Mark isn't a bad guy. Knowing Mum, she definitely would have loved him. 
Turning her head towards her open door, she could see her dad's peaceful sleeping figure. 
But I've seen what soulmate bonds can do to the strongest of people.
﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋﹋
Derya was sitting in the fancy car Mark's mum had sent for her. Looking outside of the window, she saw hills upon hills of lavish Mansions the size of museums.
I should have asked for way more money. This guy is loaded.
Huge gates opened, and she saw the Lee household in all of its glory. Excited, she left the car before the chauffeur could open the door for her. 
At the entrance, there was a grey path leading to the door of the house. It went over a mini bridge that passed over an adorable pond filled with koi fish. Petals from their Cherry blossom trees adorned the floor and cute lamps hung up, adding warmth to the harshness of dusk.
Standing on the bridge was Mark himself. His forearms rested on the railing and he seemed to be deep in thought, but she still approached him her legs feeling weak. 
For the first time in her life, Derya felt butterflies.
Violent, fluttering butterflies.
¸ .　　★　°:.　 . • ° 　 .　 *　:.　

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          

A/N: SPOILER ⚠️ Next chapter gets a lil fluffy 🤭
Predictions for the next chapter??? 🤨
Please Comment and Vote as it encourages me! ( I die a little bit inside every time I ask this 🙏)
Happy reading🤍