unsend ; jake

seventy nine: graduation

"Gosh, you look prettier than I had imagined," Yunhyo exclaimed, admiring Suyoung in awe. Suyoung blushed in response, hugging the younger girl. "Congratulations on your graduation, eonnie. I'm so proud of you." 

"Whoa! Who's this handsome guy?" She giggled, moving on to Jay, and hugging him as well. "You really went with the buttons down, rolled up sleeves huh?" 

He smiled sheepishly, "Does it look good?"

"Oh hell yes, it does! I believe the one you're trying to impress is actually impressed." She raised her eyebrows suggestively and he quickly hushed her with red cheeks. 

"Everyone, gather here! Let's take some group photos!" Jay's mother called all of them together. They huddled closer, holding on to the congratulatory flower bouquets- there were just too many of those. 

With Suyoung and Jay standing in the middle with their robes and graduation hats on, the others stood on the sides, smiling wide for the pictures. Of course, after the group photos, they all started posing weirdly on purpose, laughing their hearts out in the process. 

"Won't you congratulate me too?" 

Yunhyo froze on the spot hearing the all too familiar voice, the one that always used to give her butterflies. 

Sunghoon stood behind her with a charming smile and a bouquet of colourful tulips in one hand, balancing his graduation cap on his head with the other. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked him with a frown, her friends instantly falling silent. 

He chuckled. "It's my graduation as well, you know?"

"Yeah right... it's just... unexpected to see you here... after so long." 

"I know... I was trying my best not to show up in front of you all this while. But I realised, I might see you rarely after today so... I thought why not just talk to you?"

"What's going on here?" Jake's voice interrupted Sunghoon's words, who stood right beside Yunhyo, his hand instinctively reaching out to hold hers.

"He's here too?" Sunghoon asked her, his smile faltering. 

"Meet my boyfriend, Sunghoon. His name is Jake. He's graduating today too." It was her turn to smile at him and she did it confidentally. 

"Oh..." his eyes fell to their intertwined hands, his smile completely wiped out by now. "He was there all along, I just never saw him." He took a step closer to her, the eye contact intact. "Was I too late, Yunhyo? Because I'm damn sure you liked me back."

"Okay listen here, Park," Jake took a step in front of Yunhyo, putting a distance between Sunghoon and her, his expression stern, something Yunhyo had never seen before. "It doesn't matter if she liked you or not, it's in the past now. Can't you see she is happy with me? You're making her uncomfortable." he squeezed her hand in reassurance. 

Sunghoon stepped back, his eyes widening in embarrassment. "I'm- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disrespect you." he bowed slightly.

"It's okay... well then, I'll just say farewells to you." Yunhyo let go of Jake's grip on her hands and walked away from the group as Sunghoon followed her closely. 

"Did he have to ruin my graduation day?" Jake frowned as he watched them leave, Suyoung squeezing his shoulder in assurance. 

Sunghoon pulled out a yellow tulip from his bouquet that matched Yunhyo's dress and offered it to her as they came to a halt on the school field. 

"Oh, thanks. Congratulations on your graduation, sunbae." she smiled, accepting the flower. 

"You're being formal with me again."

"I have to. It wouldn't be appropriate to be so friendly with you anymore. It's changed now, isn't it? Our relationship?" 

"It has... certainly. By the time I gathered the courage to come talk to you again, you've already moved way past me." he chuckled sadly. "Though I hope we will still be close."

"It's right that you were late, sunbae."

"Huh?"

"Yes. I used to like you, for a long time. But you see, I got tired of waiting, and you never took a hint. I'm happy now. Jake, he's a really nice guy." she smiled sheepishly, toying with the flower in her hand. "I'm just saying this so that everything is clear between us."

"Yeah- yeah um of course. I won't misunderstand anything." a sigh left his lips, and his heart hammered in his chest which was heavy with disappointment.

With one last polite bow, she took his leave, looking around for her friend group. To her dismay, she only spotted Jungwon and Sunoo, a worried look plastered on their faces. 

"What happened? Where's everyone?" she inquired. 

"Yun-ah... there was a fight-" Sunoo spoke up, to which she interrupted with a gasp. "Jake was really annoyed with Sunghoon, maybe jealous."

"Jay hyung took your side, to which Jake snapped asking him to not meddle, and Suyoung noona got mad at Jake for snapping at hyung." Jungwon filled in. 

"And you know how hyung is, he snapped at Suyoung noona as well. So now basically Jake is upset. And noona just won't talk to Jay hyung. All of them... just left."

Yunhyo stood there with a hand over her mouth as the situation sunk in, feeling terrible about their ruined day.