Your Eyes Tell ⚝ Jakehoon

19. rose gold

A couple of weeks had passed since their sleepover, and Jake was getting used to his life back at home. But how things had changed; He had friends now, great ones, and heck, even a boyfriend. He hadn't come out to his mother yet; he was too afraid. He had to do it someday, though. He couldn't just show up with a guy at his house out of nowhere and have his mother find him cuddling the said guy in the morning, or even worse, find remnants of maybe a late-night — innocent, though — escapade. Because it was just so fucking scary not knowing how she'd react. And of course, every Gen Z teen's motto played in his head: "When in doubt, assume the worst."

Jake and his mother had only each other, and frankly, Mrs Shim (I don't have a name lmao sorry) wasn't ready to accept the fact that Jake had grown and was making decisions on his own. Even up until they moved to Seoul, Jake was a very clingy and dependent child. But boarding school changed him — lots. A shy introvert was now a bubbling ball of joy. Would his mother understand that he'd changed?

These thoughts swam around in Jake's bed as he lay awake in his bed, staring at his dog, Layla on the floor, who stared back at him. He patted the space next to him on the bed, and Layla bounded upon it, smothering Jake with licks.

"Today is a potentially big day for me," Jake cooed in English to nobody, really, aside from Layla who wouldn't get it. Scratching the pooch's ears, Jake sighed in contentment. He lifted himself off the bed and shuffled into his slippers before freshening up for the day.

"Hi, Mom!" Jake giggled, hugging his mother who was sitting at her laptop; probably doing some last-minute work.

"Good morning, Jaeyun," she smiled, pecking Jake's forehead. Jake's mom always called him Jaeyun; very rarely used 'Jake' even when she spoke English. "Slept well?"

"Yeah, did you?"

"Yes. What plans for today?"

"Breakfast first, then laze around for a bit, study, and... Oh, yeah. Is it okay if I might have a friend over tonight? I haven't asked yet, but..." Jake waited for a response.

"Of course, that's cool. Go ask your friend. Do I know him, by the way?"

"I think you do. Sunghoon? The guy who we met the first time I went to school?" Jake tried his best not to blush thinking of Sunghoon. Not to smile, not to smirk. And frankly, he wasn't good at poker faces, so his lips curled into a distorted squiggle as he talked.

"Oh! He's handsome, I have to say. He probably has a girlfriend with that face." Jake snorted and then inwardly said, "Yeah, mom! I'm the girlfriend, except I'm a guy!"

"I have no idea," Jake lied before sitting in front of a meal of cheese toast and orange juice and wolfing the whole thing down in seconds.

A couple of hours later, Jake flipped his phone out and texted Sunghoon saying 'hoonie, come over tonight? Urgent. Call when you can and I'll tell you <3'

Not surprisingly, Jake received a call just a few minutes later.

"Hello? Is everything alright, Jakey?"

"Yes and no. You have time right now?" Jake asked before explaining.

"Always free for you~" Sunghoon's musical laughter echoed through the phone line. "But seriously, what's the matter?"

"I was thinking of coming out to my mom...?" Jake whispered, careful to not let his mother hear.

"Oh, that's good news!"