HIM IN MY BED [Jakehoon Or Is It....?]

CHAPTER 8

After a series of back n forth messages, I agree to go on a 'night time stroll' with him.

I scan myself up n down in the mirror pulling my denim jacket over my shoulder n dusting it off. My eyes glaze over my outfit before looking at the clock: 10:30 PM. I'm usually half way through a Netflix series by now. What the actual fuck is happening?

My phone buzzes on my desk, stealing my attention away from my vanity. I glance over in the mirror one last time before picking up my phone.

Unknown number (10:29):

Hey. I'm here.

Fuck. How is this even happening.

I scan myself one more time then make my way down the staircase. I pause before the front door - letting my hand rest in the handle. I twist it slowly n the door swing opens, revealing Sunghoon perched on the front door step: his dark brown eyes still shining through the darkness, tainted by a gloss of red - he's been crying. He wipes away all evidence of sadness n plasters a smile on his face, radiating his familiar glow.

"Uh, hey...." He starts, his breath silhouetting as fog in the night time air.

"Um hey.....so um what do u want to do....at...10:30 pm at night?" I ask as I close the door shut behind me. I'd expect Jay to be going out this time of night, not me - unless it's a midnight trip to Mc Donald's; but other then that, prolly not.

"Um well I have two tickets to IT 2....I was supposed to go with my girlfrie...yep I'm I have 2 tickets...u wanna go? It starts at midnight. U don't have to go. U don't have to go to the movies, u don't have to got with me. In fact u don't have to go! U don't even have to go any-" I grab his hand, pausing his sputtering mid-sentence, the same urgency from his texts present in his fidgety manner - his calm, cool, collected demeanor shaken slightly.

"Relax loser. I'll come." I reply jokingly. He slowly traces his fingers over mine as our fingers intertwine; our eyes locking together. We walk silently, footsteps in sync, fingers locked.

"I'm sorry - I - I - I just....um..." He stutters, starting n finishing an incoherent sentence before we drift back into a comfy silence. The moonlight illuminates his face, a purple bruise laying above his sharp, defined cheekbone. He restarts n stops his attempt at another sentence as silence falls upon us. The only sound being out footsteps against the pavement. His eyes drift off into the distance, his body here but his mind evaporates somewhere else.

Minutes pass by as we make our way towards town.

"No offense. But why did u message me? I mean I'd assume you'd rather hang out with one of ur mates...or even...um... girlfriend." I ask while breaking the silence, my fingers slipping out the hold at the mention of the last part of the sentence, his eyes drawing downwards to his now lonely hand - he retracts it back to his side.

"Wonyoung cheated on me....n it was with Johnny - he's on the football team. Yep. So that's fun. super fun night." The silence falls heavier then before, the once comfy vibe replaced with an awkward tension - my gulp shattering the silence. "N like the other day when we had that low-key deep chat in ur bedroom, idk, It just made sense. Idek why I told u - like the only other person who knows bout my brother's suicide is Wonyoung. Idk why I trust u. I barely know u. But I do. Isn't it strange? U know my darkest secret n I only know ur name. Fuck. Crazy. Fuck. I just - everyone else betrayed me n they all laugh bout it n the only one who I knew wouldn't laugh was u and-" I grab his arm, pausing his stuttering again - a desperation in his eyes.

Without thinking I pull him into me, my arms wrapping around his muscular shoulders n clasping around his neck. I feel him tense before he exhales, relaxing into my arms n placing his head on my shoulder. "Why does everybody want to leave me? Why does no one want to stay with me?" He cries into my shoulder, his body quivering as I feel him start weeping onto me. I won't leave u I think silently to myself, letting my arms absorb away all his heart ache.

He sniffles, pulling away slightly to wipe his eyes. "Well fuck. Now u think I'm an emotional sissy." He laughs to himself, once again plastering his grin over his sobs, while simultaeniously placing his hands into his pockets. I scan over him, his eyes avoiding my gaze, giving me time to observe his face. The purple bruise on his cheek complemented by another developing one on his right temple.

"What the fuck happened to ur face? It's usually so pret- um I mean so...not bruised." Smooth one Jake, smooth.

"Well if u caught it amongst my rambles, Johnny happened to my face...end of story." He says with a harsh tone at the end. "sorry didn't mean to snap. Ik you'd rather be at home studying or whatever."

"Nah don't worry. I hate studying. I wouldn't study even my life depended on it. Im planning on passing college with the most minimal amount of effort possible." He chuckles at my response as small talk takes over our walk into town.

10 mins later n we reach the town square, the majority of shops closed except the theatre n few scattered fast food joints. We decided to go into Burger Fuel n grab a bite before our movie.

The hour flies by as we fill it with small talk + 30$ burger combo. Ofc he payed. Conversations bout nothing following as we get our tickets, order popcorn n makes our way to our seats.

"By the way," Sunghoon whispers as the theatre descends into darkness, "I hope u ain't scared of horror movies. If u r just let me know." I'm not scared of horrors, they r actually my fave genre of movie.

"Um yea - I'm shit scared of horrors to be honest. N I hate clowns." I whisper back. I look down trying to hide my grin.

"Don't worry - I'll protect u" he says as he wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me tightly with his muscular arm - his grasp similar to the first night we shared a bed. The movie starts n I feign multiple scares to shift closer to Sunghoon, eventually leaning against his shoulder with his arm wrapped tightly around me. (Jake couldn't be more obvi 🙄)
His familiar scent of deodorant distracting me from the zombie hands reaching out of the metal door - nothing can scare me as long as I'm with him.

The movie finishes as we make our way out the cinema, his arm still around my shoulder as I fake a post-movie fearful demeanor. As we make our way into the main lobby, a late night cleaner looks at us. He retracts his arm back n he places it inside his pocket.

"Hey Jake I have to tell u something outside." He says as we walk out the doors, his voice sending shutters into my chest. He pauses. "Um I just want to thank u for being such a great friend. I never thought I'd meet u n make a friend as quickly n easily as I have with u. So I just want u to know bro, u r easily already one of my closest mates lol." My illusion shatters, as the fairytale night hits it's speed bump n the cupid bows start to fall away. He just friend-zoned me. Well.....bro-zoned.

Ofc we just friends. He literally told me that the only reason he even messaged me was cuz I was at the end of the list of everyone else. He notices my face change as my comforting happiness fades into a cold dullness. "Hey u alright?" He flashes his grin at me, his brown orbs shining with their natural charm.

"Um yea. I've gotta go. I'm tired. That's all." I look down, avoiding his gaze as clouds of disappointment flood my eyes.

"Oh algoods. I'll walk u home then."

"No. I've gotta go. Bye." I hear him protest slightly as I blur into the crowd n speed off. I walk further n further away from the town. I'm such an idiot.

The paced shuffling of my feet matches my hitched breathing as I storm through the leaves, on route to my house. I reach my front door as my phone vibrates in my pocket

Unknown number (3:13 AM):

Hey bro. Just wanna thank u for a gt8 night n 4 being there 4 me. Luv ya loads, catch u st school maybe lol.

I enter my house n slide slowly down my front door - my heart n mind alike blazing at the power of a billions fires.

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