"A Spark of Jealousy"

Jaekyung stormed out of the house, leaving Esther feeling more lost and uncertain than ever. She couldn't help but wonder what she had done to make him hate her so much. Was it the heart sticker, or was it something deeper? All she knew was that she had to keep trying, no matter how small the chances seemed. The days that followed were just as tense, with Jaekyung barely speaking to her and Esther continuing to try and break through his defenses. But one day, as she was cleaning the living room, she noticed a text message on Jaekyung's phone. It was from a number she didn't recognize, and the message made her heart skip a beat. "Hey, JK, what's up? Haven't seen you around in a while. Want to grab coffee later?" the message read. Esther felt a pang of jealousy, which surprised her. She had no right to feel this way, after all. Jaekyung was still her boyfriend, technically, and she had no claim to him. But as she read the message again, she couldn't help but wonder who this person was and what Jaekyung's response would be. As if on cue, Jaekyung walked into the room, his phone still in his hand. Esther tried to act nonchalant, but Jaekyung's eyes narrowed as he noticed her staring at his phone. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice low and suspicious. "Just, uh, looking for something," Esther stammered, quickly looking away. Jaekyung raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Instead, he walked over to the fridge and opened it, revealing a nearly empty shelf. "We need to go shopping," he said, his voice gruff. "Want to come with me?" Esther hesitated, unsure if she was ready to face him after what she had just seen. But something about his tone made her agree. "Yeah, sure," she said, trying to sound casual. Jaekyung snorted. "Why do you need to come with me? You think I need your help shopping?" Esther felt a surge of frustration, but she bit back her response. "I just thought it would be nice to spend some time together," she said, trying to sound innocent. Jaekyung raised an eyebrow. "You think we need to spend time together? We're not exactly... together, are we?" Esther felt a sting from his words, but she refused to back down. "I just thought it would be nice to go together, that's all," she repeated. Jaekyung sighed, but eventually agreed to let her come with him. As they drove to the store, the tension between them was palpable. Jaekyung barely spoke to her, and Esther couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. When they arrived at the store, Jaekyung reluctantly got out of the car, his eyes scanning the parking lot as if searching for someone. Esther followed him, feeling like a tag-along. As they walked through the aisles, Jaekyung continued to make snide comments about her presence. "You don't have to hold my hand, you know," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I can shop on my own." Esther tried to ignore him, focusing on grabbing the essentials. But as they turned a corner, she saw a familiar face - the girl from the text message, walking towards them with a bright smile on her face. Jaekyung's eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, Esther saw a flicker of something - a spark of jealousy that he quickly tried to extinguish. But it was too late, Esther had seen it, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Maybe, just maybe, she had a chance after all.