ꜱᴋɪɴꜱʜɪᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪᴍ || ʜᴇᴇꜱᴜɴ 𝟏𝟖+||

Distance - Chapter 21

Sunoo woke up to the sound of Jungwon’s soft knocking on his door. His body felt heavy from the weight of yesterday’s revelations and the dull ache in his chest made him want to stay in bed forever.

But Jungwon’s persistent knocking dragged him out of his comfort zone. With a sigh, he pushed himself up his feet dragging it against the cold floor as he shuffled toward the door.

The door creaked open and there stood Jungwon looking uncertain with a worried expression plastered all over his face. Sunoo caught his gaze for a brief moment before turning his head away and it was a clear sign that he was still upset.

He didn’t say a word, the silent treatment weighing heavier than any verbal outburst. Jungwon hesitated before speaking quietly, his voice filled with regret.

“Sunoo, I know you’re upset with me...with all of us.” Jungwon started stepping closer as if the physical proximity would help bridge the emotional distance. His hands fidgeted at his sides, a nervous habit Sunoo noticed before averting his eyes again. “We didn’t want to stay quiet, I swear. We didn’t have a choice.”

Jungwon’s voice trailed off and he let out a small sigh, his frustration showing in the way his shoulders sagged. “We didn’t mean to hurt you. It was never intentional. Please, Sunoo forgive us.”

Sunoo’s scoff cut through the tension, his lips curling into a bitter smile. His eyes flicked back to Jungwon sharp with anger but also tinted with disappointment.

“Friends?” he repeated with mock amusement. “Can we not discuss this right now? I’ll talk to everyone together.”

He said codly, his tone dismissive and it stung. Jungwon visibly winced, his heart sinking as Sunoo’s words hit him like a punch. Sunoo walked past him, brushing off the conversation as though it held no weight. But to Jungwon every word cut deep. He swallowed hard with guilt bubbling up inside him as he followed Sunoo silently.

The ride to college was suffocating. Sunoo had taken a ride with Heeseung, and though Heeseung had tried to engage him in conversation, his cold responses made it clear that he wasn’t in the mood.

The tension between them increased by every minute but Heeseung seemed to understand, he give Sunoo the space he needed. Meanwhile, Jungwon rode with Jay, his mind racing and replaying Sunoo’s harsh words. He felt small—useless even—as though he had failed his friend in the worst way.

When they arrived at the college, Jake, Sunghoon and Niki were waiting at the entrance. Normally the group would have been filled with chatter, teasing one another like they always did.

But today, a heavy silence hung between them. Sunoo barely acknowledged the others, his eyes flicking over them briefly before he spoke.

“See you after a few hours.” he said, his voice cold, almost robotic with no emotion in them. He addressed the group but avoided making eye contact with Heeseung, who stood right next to him.

Heeseung tilted his head slightly
confused by the cold shoulder but didn’t press. He could sense something deeper was brewing and Sunoo’s attitude, though harsh was expected.

He might have already guessed what was happening. There was something planned for the afternoon, something Sunoo needed to discuss with the others without Heeseung's presence in their.

He knew it was serious and that it would be better for everyone to talk things through without his presence. A good conversation was necessary and though it stung to be excluded, he didn’t want to get in the way.

_____

It's afternoon already, the roof of the campus was quiet, the slight breeze was the only sound cutting through the tension that had built up. Everyone had gathered—Jungwon, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, and Niki—sitting in a line, their eyes avoiding one another, waiting for what they knew was going to be a difficult conversation.