the sky says | heejake ✓

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Jake sat cross-legged on his bed, staring at the posters on his wall. The red and blue letters of the Blink-182 poster seemed to dance in front of his eyes, taunting him with a sense of nostalgia. His room was empty, devoid of any warmth or comfort. It was as if someone had sucked all the air out of the room, leaving behind a hollow shell. He wondered if that was how he felt too: empty and lifeless.

His phone buzzed, breaking the silence. He glanced at the screen, hoping it would be Heeseung, but it was just another youtube notification. He let out a defeated sigh and continued to stare at the wall. The emptiness inside him ached, as if something vital had been ripped away. He wondered if he should call his friends, maybe they could help. But then again, what could they possibly do? 

It's been two weeks since he last saw Heeseung. He still hasn't finished his portfolio, and he couldn't concentrate on anything. His friends tried their best to help, but Jake refused it, not wanting to be a burden. He knew they had their own lives to lead, their own problems to deal with. He didn't want them to get involved in his problems. Not anymore.

A knock on the door caught his attention and he looked up. "Who is it?" he called glumly.

"Hi, Jake hyung, it's me, Riki. Are you okay? You haven't been answering my texts or calls. I'm starting to worry." Riki's voice sounded muffled through the door. Jake hesitated for a moment.

"Riki?" Jake called, a note of surprise in his voice. He hadn't seen Riki since he and Heeseung had fought the last time, and it felt like an eternity.

"Yeah. That's my name." the younger boy called through the door. "Are you good with letting me in?"

Jake hesitated for a moment longer before standing up and walking over to the door. He unlocked it, opening it slowly. Riki stood there with a worried expression on his face. He looked up at Jake and frowned. " Are you okay, dude? You've lost so much weight and you don't look like you've been taking care of yourself." 

Jake forced a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just been busy with school and stuff."

"Yeah, I get that," Riki said, stepping inside. "But you don't look fine. You don't even look like yourself. Is everything okay with you and Heeseung? I heard you two... were talking again."

Jake felt a pang in his chest at the mention of Heeseung's name. "Yeah, I guess we are." He hesitated for a moment, then sat down on his bed. "But that's all it is. Just... talking. We're friends again, I guess."

Riki sat down beside him, his expression concerned. "You don't seem very convinced. Is there something going on that you want to talk about?"

Jake shrugged, trying to play it off. "No, I'm fine. Really." He forced a laugh, but it came out hollow. "It's just... you know how it is. Guys and their feelings. We're always complicated."Riki nodded, but he didn't look convinced.

 "Well, if you ever want to talk about it, you know I'm here for you, right? I mean, I know we don't always see eye to eye, but I care about you, okay?"

"Why are you here, Riki?" Jake asked, his voice laced with weariness. "I thought I made it clear that I wanted to be left alone."

Riki shrugged. "I haven't seen you for a long time."

"That's not an excuse. You made it pretty clear the last time you saw me that you 'hated me' or whatever." Jake said, using air quotes. "So if that's not the reason, then what is?" He asked, finally looking up at Riki.

Riki shrugged. "I don't know, really. Maybe I just missed you. Or maybe I wanted to make sure you were okay. You know, we used to be close. And I just... I don't want anything bad to happen to you, okay?" He paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "I care about you, hyung. Maybe even more than you think. And I really did miss you."