lollipop ➹ jaywon

SUMMERTIME. 005

"Jake!!" Both Sunghoon and Jay exclaim with big smiles plastered on their faces. Summer flew by in a blur. High-school is drawing near. In front of them is a laptop with Jake's face in it, his background being his room in Australia. The video call is stable, but Jake's voice coincides with computer audio.

"Hey, guys!" Jake glitches a bit. Every day, they would call each other whenever they had time. The laptop is placed at Sunghoon's bed as he and Jay sit on bean bags in Sunghoon's room.

Jay hasn't heard of Jungwon throughout the months. The latter would sometimes appear in Jake's frame but would immediately leave, and Jay doesn't fail to catch how his gaze would harden all the time. Sunghoon asks Jake, "When are you coming back here? High-school is starting in a week, you know."

Jake softly sighs, jutting his lower lip into a pout. Whenever he does that, they know some sad news is bound to be shared, so Sunghoon shares a glance with Jay, the smile on his face faltering. "Guys, I don't think we're returning," Jake mutters, "I'll spend high school here."

"What?" Jay frowns. He's not gonna be seeing Jungwon. He's not going to see his dimpled smile, he's not going to see his cute, round cheeks, his hair that sometimes turns back to its natural curls. He's not going to hear the loud creaking of the swing at The Tree. And for some reason unknown to him, he's upset by that. A feeling grows in him and he's so confused; why does he feel so pathetic and horrible?

"Yeah. Dad got promoted here and we won't be returning yet."

"So, when are you guys going to come back?" Sunghoon says, trying to mask the sadness in his voice, but Jay sees how his Adam's apple wavers— gulping with his eyelids fluttering to stop the thin coat of tears to well up. Jay sighs sadly and reaches to pat Sunghoon in the shoulder. Jay's quite aware about how Jake never skips Sunghoon's figure skating competitions. About how Sunghoon would always bring in arm wrestling just to hold Jake's hand, and how the two stare at each other and giggle. One time, while the three were at the EN- Café, Jay saw how Jake would put his palm on Sunghoon's knee. They were both mutually fond of each other, but neither of them had the courage to admit it out loud, standing on the risky line between friendship and something more.

Jake gives Sunghoon a reassuring smile, the desire to hug him through the screen overflowing. "Sorry."

"What do you mean?" At this point, Sunghoon doesn't try to hide the fact that he's somber about the news.

"We'll be staying here three years at most."

By that mere sentence, the sixteen-year-old Sunghoon cries. The first tear rolls down his cheek and the second after that, he covers his face as he softly sobs. Jay holds him, his head hung low. "Hoon..." Jake says through the screen. "Don't be like this. Makes me wanna book a flight," the lighthearted tone and slight smile Jake kept made Sunghoon chuckle a bit. Deep down, Jake just wants to hug Sunghoon tightly and kiss the moles on his face. But he can't. His fingers caress his laptop as if it were Sunghoon's skin. "I'll miss you. You too, Jay."

"We'll still call each other, right?" Sunghoon sniffles.

"Of course. I'll always text and call. Don't you worry too much, I'll be back during the holidays and such.. I'll spend every summer here."

"And Jungwon?" Jay asks without much thought. He didn't even realize what he said.

"Why'd you ask?"

"Just.. curious," says Jay.

"I don't think he's interested in coming back, Mister Curiosity. His best friend, Sunoo, fled off to Japan, too. So he has no reason to come back here."

"Oh."

Jay remains silent after that. Two hours later, when Jay leaves Sunghoon's house and bikes off to his neighborhood, he finds himself pedaling to Deomi Park after dropping off to his house. He parks his bicycle and digs through his fanny pack, fishing out a small pocket knife he got at home. When he reaches the tree, he lets its blade run through its branch in forms of letters.