The Boy From The Bridge - Jakehoon

Chapter 69: Fallout 1/3

Sunghoon raced down the stairs, jumping down four or five steps at a time. Caution, in this instance was lost. He had ran down this staircase several thousand times before but never with as much as urgency as he had now. 

In his right hand he gripped the envelope, he hadn't not considered stopping to read it - he didn't have time. 'If Jake's going, he's going to the airport' Sunghoon thought and had his eyes set on intercepting him before he got to the local metro-station or, failing that, he would have to stop him at the airport.

Reaching the bottom floor he burst through the apartment building's front doors and flew off down the street. Dodging and weaving any passing pedestrians, he ran without fear of the cold, he hadn't had time to put on another layer and so his body was protected from the winter air by only a loose t-shirt. 

Without fear for his own wellbeing he ran across a main road, only sparing enough of a glance to narrowly avoid a passing heavy goods vehicle that would have flattened him in an instant. Sunghoon didn't care for his safety as he jumped another red light, he only cared about reaching Jake, even if only to say goodbye. 

Looking ahead he saw the illuminated sign of the metro station. Between him and the station there was no one - more importantly there was no Jake. Sunghoon put aside any immediate disappointment and kept running until he got to the station. 

It was all but deserted save a few staff as was typical on a Sunday evening. 'To the airport I guess,' Sunghoon thought to himself, reaching for his wallet to pick out his card. Alarm  and shock spread within Sunghoon - his pockets were empty. 

_________

Jake breathed in a sigh as he stepped onto the train. It had been delayed several minutes but with any luck he'd still make his flight. Sitting in a vacant seat he glanced through the cabin's glass to look at the station's signage. He was going to miss it here. 

Delicately he began to massage his fingers. 'I wonder if they know I'm gone yet?' Jake asked himself. He checked the time on his old phone that had somehow withstood the elements on the bridge for all that time. It was weird holding it again. He had gotten so used to the quirks of Jungkook's old device with its cracked screen and dirt in its bezels. He'd left that back in his room, he wouldn't need it any more. 

The train began to move and Jake's heart sunk as he pictured Jungkook and Sunghoon discovering he had left. It had been difficult to leave without a goodbye. He wanted with all the world to thank them for everything but he knew farewells would make it more difficult. Jungkook would no doubt ask sensible questions, such as 'where do you plan to go? Where will you stay? What will you do for money? etc.' - Jake couldn't afford to rationalise his action, he knew, as much as he hated it, he had to see his family.

As much as he felt nothing but contempt for his parents he couldn't spend the rest of his days trying to build a new life only to have it wrecked anew by them. 

Despite the resolve in Jake's mind it had being difficult to leave, he was thankful that those he left back at the apartment hadn't tried to stop him. As nice as it would be to have closure, Jake was grateful that Sunghoon hated goodbyes.

_________

Sunghoon cursed himself and his luck. It would have only taken twenty seconds to grab his wallet as he had chased Jake but, as was typical of him, he screwed up and it cost himself big.

He sat on a bench nearby to the station - he had pleaded with the staff to let him through but they were strict and he had to be resigned to his defeat. Feeling the winter cold sweep over him as he sat, shaking, Sunghoon opened the envelope in his hand and begun to read: