The Boy From The Bridge - Jakehoon

Chapter 123: This is Goodbye 4/5

The sky had grown substantially darker each time it cared to be noticed. It was a deep, almost black shade of purple that hung over the city streets. The cold wind and rain it delivered felt winterly and completely juxtaposed the flirtations of spring they had experienced in Busan.

Sunghoon shrugged, "I thought you'd want to say goodbye to this good girl?" He tried passing the dog lead to Jake but he instead  knelt down to give Artemis a hug. She licked his face and whimpered.

"Will you look after her, until Jungkook gets back?"

"Of course"

"Promise"

"I promise"

Sunghoon smiled at the sight of Jake communing with the dog. He was then burdened as Jay offered up his rucksack to take. Sunghoon collected and slung it over his shoulders. Jay was standing now, his own backpack in place on his back. 

"You going with him?" Sunghoon asked his friend with a nod towards Jungwon. 

"Uh huh. He's going to let me provide him company at the police station. Which... should be fun" Jay quipped, earning a slap from Jungwon who was standing besides him. 

"You better get going Jake" Jungwon said, interrupting the petting of the dog. 

Jake gave Artemis one last scratch behind her ears and stood up. He turned to Jay and Jungwon. "I guess this is goodbye guys."

"I suppose it is" Jay agreed and put his hand out to Jake. 

Sunghoon watched as Jake ignored it and pulled it into a hug. He watched Jake whisper something to his childhood friend which earned him a nod of agreement from Jay. 

Jake then pulled back to look at Jungwon. "You've got to be careful too okay?"

"I know"

"No more violence"

Jungwon laughed, "I don't make promises I can't keep"

"Promise me that" Jake insisted.

Jungwon rolled his eyes before pulling Jake in for a hug. "I promise Jakey" he said. 

When they pulled back from each other they each mimed pulling a zip closed across their mouths. They laughed before Jake wished them "Good luck." 

"Same to you" they said back before heading out away from them in the rain.

They watched their friends leave together. Sunghoon felt a sense of pride watching Jay and Jungwon walk off down the street. He smiled. "It's good that they're going together - I think it's good for Jay."

"Why do you say that?" Jake asked, putting on the coat Sunghoon had brought him. 

"It allows him to mature by putting someone else first."

"You think?"

"Yeah" Sunghoon agreed. The conversation felt peculiar and half arsed given it was going to be their final conversation. Neither knew exactly what to say now and so was trying to make do with small talk. 

"Here" Sunghoon said, presenting Jake's Australian passport to him. Their eyes met as Jake took it from him.

"Thanks" was all he said.

 Both of them must have looked as if they wanted to say something but in the end they joined one another with a pained smile. 

"May I go with you?" Sunghoon finally plucked up the courage to ask. 

"What and make this even harder?" Jake replied, zipping his passport into the safe pocket of his coat. Sunghoon watched as Jake's hand paused as it neared the top of the zip. Noticing it he then realised Jake was about to say something.