from the start | jake sim

7

Jake's POV

I stared at Seoyun while she's chatting with Jay.

I thought she didn't want to accept the roses.

"Hey, you're grinding the bread." I looked down at my bread, "Why are you so bothered by Seoyun anyways?" Niki gasped.

I glared at him, "It's not what you're thinking."

He shot me a teasing smile, "Tell me what I'm thinking. Say it Jake, I know you want to say it." I rolled my eyes as I shoved my bread into his mouth.

His eyes widened, as he blabbered some words but I can't hear it. "Hey!" He raised his voice.

"If you like her just admit it, god damn." He said, before tossing my bread back to me. "Angsty." He muttered while glaring at me.

"I don't like her. I just can't stand that princess attitude of hers." I said, "As if." He rolled his eyes.

I scoffed, "I'm serious, I saw how she changed."

Niki eyed me, "Saw how she changed? How? Were you her stalker? Did you follow her home? How's her home like? I heard it's big." I pursed my lips while staring at him blankly.

"Are you done?" He nodded.

I looked around, "Hey, you can't tell anyone this but we used to be know each other." He looked at me, before bursting into laughter.

He took a card out of his wallet, "While walking to school today, someone handed me this and I thought what the hell? but everything make sense now." I took the card.

I furrowed my brows, "It's an asylum."

"Why would they even give you the asylum card? What did you do?" He eyed me for a bit, "This is about you, not me. Let's not change the subject here."

Niki smiled as he looks over at me while cupping his face, "So tell me about this little dream of yours." I scoffed, "It's not a dream."

"Okay, little hallucination." He corrected, and I glared at him.

"Okay, fine, what? What is this story of yours?" I glanced over Seoyun, "We used to live together." Niki was visibly holding in his laughters

"Sorry, sorry." He said, as he buried his face in his hands. "Just continue, my ears are open."

"We were orphans." He burst into laughter.

He kicked my feet from under the table, "I'm sorry!" He cried as he continued laughing while holding his stomach.

"I'm serious!" He gathered himself together, "Okay Mr Serious Jake, if your story is true, how does it benefit me knowing that you guys are orphans?"

I eyed him, "So that you'll thinking the wrong way." He nodded, "So how did she change?"

"She was more humble back then. Now she's carrying all the luxurious items, flaunting it everywhere she goes." Niki turned around.

"If I were her, I would put up a billboard of me with a luxury bag, just to flex." He turned back with a satisfied smile.

"Hey imagine going from an orphan to a heiress in a wealthy family with an average net worth of a billion dollars. That is some kind only seen in korean drama plot." His smile faded when we made eye contact.

He cleared his throat, "Why did she act like she didn't know you though?" I sighed, "We weren't close, I just remember her because she's the only one that was adopted."

Niki eyed me, "So you're jealous?"

"I'm not jealous!" I said, "Okay, so you're envious?"

"I just have a good memory!" He nodded, not convinced. "Okay good memory Mr serious Jake, so remind me again, how does her changing bother you?"

He eyed me with a grin, "It's just a thought."

"Thought." He looked over at me again, "Good memory Mr Serious Jake with lots of thoughts." I sneered and he laughed before eating his food.

I looked back at Seoyun and Jay who were still chatting, "Don't you think Chaeyeon and Hana are just minions of Seoyun?"

Niki eyed me, "Just a thought." I said.

"You have many thoughts about Seoyun." He said, as he ate.

I sighed, as I continued eating my bread. "By the way, I bought a new robot cleaner." Niki said, "So?" I asked.

"I put it on downpayment." He said, "But I have no money so I need you to pay it first." I bit the insides of my mouth, preventing myself from screaming.

"Why did you buy it then?" He shoved the last piece of food into his mouth, "It's a necessity." He said while munching on his food.

"It's a want, not a need." I corrected him, "Do you spell necessity with a wa or an ne?" I face palmed myself before taking my tray and walking off.

When I got to class, there weren't anyone there yet so I walked to my seat and I laid my head on my desk.

I was about to doze off when I heard a familiar voice, "Did you see what Jay got Seoyun? It's the latest launch!"

"But Jake must be sad." I peeped, to see Chaeyeon and Hana looked over at me.

Why would I be sad?

Hana nodded, "To see the girl you like with someone else, anyone would be in pain." I furrowed my brows.

"I don't think speaking on her behalf would work anymore." Chaeyeon nodded.

I sat up, and they flinched. "Oh, you weren't asleep?" Hana asked, "So you guys spoke on her behalf because you assumed I like her?"

"Don't you? You passed all the tests though." Chaeyeon said and I squinted my eyes, "What tests?"

"You were stealing glances at her and your feet were pointing towards her." I furrowed my brows, "Where did you find all these tests from? Wikihow?" She pursed her lips.

I let out a sigh, as I ruffled my hair. "God, the three of you being together is like dumbest, dumbest, and dumbest."

"So you don't like her?" I shook my head.

Hana let out a sigh, "Thank god. We don't have to think of ways to reject you now." I eyed her.

Just then, Seoyun walked in with Jay. "Hey Seoyun, turns out Jake doesn't like you. The tests were wrong." Hana said.

Seoyun looked over at me with a shocked expression, "You thought I liked you because of some no scientific proven tests?"

"And also you treated her really badly for no reason, and that's what guys does when they like someone." Chaeyeon added on, "It wasn't for no reason."

"So what's the reason?" Seoyun asked.

My eyes darted between the four people standing before me, and I got slightly anxious.

"I-"

10 December 2023