|JAKEHOON| Unique in All the World

9

(*just a disclaimer - underage drinking should not be condoned or recommended)

When Sunghoon arrived home after he ran out on Jake, he was shaken. Literally, his hand was shaking as he poured himself a glass of cold water and drank it in hurried gulps. 

Sunghoon knew he was overreacting, but he couldn't help it. He slammed the glass down on the table as he shuddered. 

'Why am I like this?' he thought to himself, 'It's just one test... I can make it up.'

 But he knew it was more than just one test. It wasn't about the actual results more than it was about the possibility - the possibility that someone might beat him in the long run. His life was carefully planned out, mostly by his father, and being second-best was definitely not part of that plan. 

Sunghoon took deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down. He was on the verge of succeeding when he felt a vibration in his pocket. It was his phone and even before he looked, he knew the exact cause of the vibration.

True to his expectations, his phone told him he had just received a text from his father.

"Test today."

That was it. Two words were all his own father had to say to him. No "hello"s, no pleasantries, no "How was your day"s - just two words. Not that Sunghoon expected anything else. He knew his father and his father was always concise and strived to be efficient even when it came to conversing with his own son.

Sunghoon knew what those words meant. Somehow, his father had known that there was a test today and was asking for the results. Of course, Sunghoon could lie but he knew that that would only delay the inevitable. 

He sighed as he started typing.

"29/30."

His finger hovered above the screen before he closed his eyes and pressed 'send'.

Almost immediately, his phone began buzzing again. This time it asked him if he wanted to accept or decline an incoming call. He prepared himself mentally before pressing 'accept'.

"Hello?"

"You got one wrong?" 

Sunghoon almost smiled. Again, it was just what he had expected but it was just so like his father to get straight to the point.

"Yes, father."

"At least tell me no one beat you."

Sunghoon hesitated before murmuring, "Actually, one did."

He didn't like talking like this - especially calling Jake 'one', but he knew his father wouldn't like it if he talked like a regular person.

The phone went silent and Sunghoon hoped it was because the connection had cut off but he heard his father breathing heavily and he knew he was trying to stay calm.