ROAD RAGE | Jaywon

Chapter 25: message

JUNGWON

The second day of the school fair started off smoothly. When I pulled into the parking lot earlier, I couldn't help but notice that Jay's motorcycle wasn't in its usual spot. A wave of relief washed over me, but something unsettling lingered beneath the surface. The absence of his usual antics left a strange void. No stolen parking spot, no looming presence meant no trouble. Yet, I couldn't shake off a nagging worry.

I kept replaying the dream I had last night, especially the kiss. It was confusing and left me feeling unsettled. His absence only made things worse. Part of me felt relieved that I wouldn't have to deal with his presence, but another part of me felt... worried.

"Why do I even care?" I muttered to myself, trying to focus on the tasks ahead. I busied myself with the booth setup, immersing myself in the activities to distract from the uneasy feeling.

Lunchtime rolled around, and I spotted Sunghoon making his way towards our booth. A part of me hesitated, wanting to ask about Jay, but I pushed the thought aside. Sunghoon joined in, helping with the booth, his presence a welcome distraction.

"Hey, Sunghoon," I finally said, trying to sound casual. "Have you seen Jay today?"

Sunghoon shook his head, looking genuinely puzzled. "No, I haven't. It's strange, he usually shows up by now."

Hours passed, and Jay remained absent. Instead of the usual chaos, the day was uneventful, almost too quiet. My mind kept drifting back to Jay, wondering where he could be. I hated feeling this way, worried about someone who was supposed to be my enemy.

As the afternoon end, I found myself glancing at Sunghoon's phone, an idea forming in my mind. If anyone had Angry bird's number, it would be Sunghoon. When he got busy helping a group of students at the booth, I seized the opportunity.

I grabbed Sunghoon's phone, heart pounding as I hoped there was no passcode. The lock screen showed an orange cat, making me smile for a brief moment. I swiped the screen and then when the passcode prompt appeared. Taking a deep breath, I tried the most cliché combination I could think of, 01234. To my surprise, it worked, and the phone unlocked.

Suppressing a grin, I quickly navigated to the contacts, searching for Jay's name. It popped up almost instantly. Glancing back to make sure Sunghoon was still preoccupied, I quickly copied Jay's number into my own phone.

Sunghoon returned just as I locked his phone and put it back in its original spot. "Everything okay?" he asked, oblivious to my little mission.

"Yeah, just making sure everything's running smoothly," I replied, forcing a smile.

Later, as the fair started to wind down for the day, I found a quiet spot and took out my phone. Staring at Jay's number, I hesitated.

What was I even going to say? I took a deep breath and composed a message.

As I stood there, staring at his number, my finger hovered over the send button. Reaching out felt strange, but something in me needed to know. Taking a deep breath, I composed a message.

Jungwo: Hey, you weren't at the fair today. Everything okay?"

I didn't type my name, figuring Jay might be more inclined to respond if he didn't know it was me right away. After sending the message, I pocketed my phone and went back to helping at the booth, trying to push the worry out of my mind.

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed. Heart racing, I checked the message.

Unknown: ???

I rolled my eyes. Typical Jay, always blunt. I decided to play it cool, hoping to get a straight answer from him.