---
' a lighthouse can only show you the way. it can't sail the boat for you. you have to choose what's best for you on your own. i just hope you'll choose the right thing.'
heeseung had read the message multiple times, trying to understand what sooha meant by that.
he had called her countless times, but she never picked up. he had left her messages, but she never replied. he had waited for her, but she never showed up.
deep inside he knew he won't see her again.
'choose the right thing. '
what was the right thing?
heeseung couldn't deny that leaving jake alone felt like the right thing.
---
heeseung felt a series of pops in his spine as he twisted his torso, trying to relieve the tension from hours of sitting. his fingers were barely moving anymore from typing too much, and his legs went numb from sitting for too long on his chair.
the day felt very familiar to him, as he was again sitting alone in the dark. except this time jake left earlier and he was actually alone.
his face got closer to the screen while checking some of the data he's written.
"food delivery!"
heeseung jumped from his seat, hearing the loud scream in the darkness.
"i'm going to kill you if you scare me like that again," heeseung said in a low tone.
"i'm already dead, honey. how can you forget that?" jake said sarcastically. heeseung heard a click next to him, and the small lamp came on. the light wasn't too strong, but it was enough for heeseung to see around him.
jake was holding two plastic bags in each hand.
"let's go eat," he suggested.
heeseung eyed him up and down. "why?"
"because it's late, and i know you haven't eaten anything yet."
"no, i mean... why are you doing this?"
jake laughed it off. "stop thinking too much. let's go!"
he unlocked the door to his office and entered it, being followed by heeseung. jake sat at his table, moving all the files away, and invited heeseung to sit at the other side. heeseung hesitated, but eventually sat down, still watching jake.
as they sat facing each other, heeseung couldn't deny noticing the way jake behaved differently. maybe it was the way jake's eyes seemed to linger just a little too long on his, or the way his voice seemed to lower just a little too much when he spoke.
heeseung tried to focus on the food in front of him, but he couldn't help stealing glances at jake.
as they ate, their legs kept bumping under the small table. heeseung couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, but each time their knees touched, he could feel a jolt of electricity shoot through his body.
jake stared at heeseung's dishevelled look. some of his hair strands were falling on his face, his shirt was slightly wrinkled, and his tie loosened.
"so where do you live now?" heeseung asked all of a sudden.
"why? wanna visit me?" jake asked smirking.
"visit and annoy you every day. yes." heeseung replied, referencing one of their older conversations, when one of his only problems was the fact that jake was his neighbour and he had to spend the summer with the latter.
they both smiled at each other, none of them saying anything.
"i can show you my home one day. it's pretty nice."
heeseung nodded. "can't wait to meet your wife."
jake rolled his eyes. "yeah, sure."
they hadn't spoken anything else while finishing their food. jake just kept admiring heeseung.
heeseung thanked for the meal and stood up.
"i have to finish with those files you gave me," he added.
"no need." jake replied shortly.
"what?"
"i've already done everything." jake explained nonchalantly.
heeseung's mouth slightly parted, unable to form any words.
"while you were working on the first half of the files, i started working on the second half. so... therefore, all of them are completed." he said with an easy coolness of manner. "congrats, you can go home now."
"you're unbelievable..." heeseung sighed.
jake stood up as well, walking towards heeseung. when he got in front of the latter, he touched his hair, fixing the messy strands.
there was something in jake's gaze, like he wasn't satisfied enough with something. he lowered his eyes from heeseung's hair to his eyes.
heeseung waited for jake to say something, because he knew the other wanted to say something.
jake took a shaky breath in. "you promised me we would get a drink, hm?"
heeseung didn't say anything. instead, he observed each of jake's facial features.
"let's go to my car, heeseung..."
the way he said that, so softly and with a pleading tone, melted heeseung's heart. it was low and smooth, like a melody. heeseung felt his heart rate increase as goosebumps formed on his skin. jake's voice had a hypnotic effect on him, causing him to become weak in the knees.
jake's voice wavered, his words coming out in a soft whisper. "i just need to get away for a bit. please, heeseung."
heeseung nodded without being completely sure of what he was agreeing to. was it just a drink or more than it?
---
