Edge of the Rink: Where Pride Meets Passion | jakehoon

21

Third Person Pov

The rink was unusually quiet, the air filled with a strong sense of anticipation. It was the final practice before the competition, and both Sunghoon and Jake could feel the weight of the upcoming event pressing down on them. Sunghoon, though nervous, tried to keep a calm demeanor. Jake, on the other hand, was visibly anxious. It had been a while since he had competed, and the fact that this was his first competition in Korea only added to his nerves.

But before they knew it, their practice had finished, and Chan, being supportive as always, gave them a quick talk at the end. "You two have worked incredibly hard. Just believe in yourself and each other and you'll do great tomorrow."

Sunghoon noticed Jake's lingering nervousness as they packed up and got out of their skates. He approached Jake with a smile. "Hey, want to hang out for the rest of the day? Maybe it'll help you relax."

Jake looked at Sunghoon, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Yeah, that sounds good."

They got into Sunghoon's car, and drove to a nearby dog café. The moment they walked in, the atmosphere shifted. The café was filled with playful dogs of different breeds and sizes, the sight brought an instant smile to both their faces.

They found a table and ordered some drinks, talking casually as they waited. "Do you have a dog" Sunghoon asked looking at Jake.

Jake's eyes lit up almost instantly at his dog being brought up. "Yeah i have a Border Collie, her name's Layla, do you?"

Sunghoon nodded with a smile, his eyes softening. "Yeah i do, her name is Gaeul".

"Thats so cool, we should have them meet up!" Jake says with an excited smile.

"We should" Sunghoon replied, the smile not leaving his face.

To Jake, watching Sunghoon playing with the dogs was a beautiful sight. He looked so carefree, so genuinely happy, and that made Jake's heart swell. He realized he had never seen Sunghoon like this before, and it was a side of him he definitely wanted to see more often.

After the dog café, they decided to head to the mall. They walked into a clothing store, and the lady at the counter immediately recognized Sunghoon. Her eyes widened in shock, but she quickly regained her composure. "Feel free to browse and let me know if you need any help."

They spent some time trying out different outfits, teasing eachother for their polar opposite tastes, when sunghoon picked out something for jake to try on.

Jake came out of the dressing room after a while, rocking a white button up, the first couple buttons not done, with that he wore a simple pair of black dress pants.

Sunghoon's breath hitched. Jake looked stunning. It was crazy to him how wearing something as simple as that, made Jake look so good. He felt a warmth spread through him, a realization of how deeply he was falling for the latter. "You look beautiful," Sunghoon said, his voice sincere.

 "So I don't always look beautiful?" Jake teased.

Sunghoon's expression softened, and he replied, "You always look beautiful, Jake."

Jake was taken aback by the genuine tone in Sunghoon's voice. He looked down, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. Before the moment could get any more intense, the lady returned and asked if they were ready to pay. Sunghoon insisted on paying for Jake's clothes, much to Jake's initial protest. Eventually, Jake relented, feeling grateful for Sunghoon's kindness.

Sunghoon drove Jake to his house after spending the entire day together. They arrived at Jake's home, Sunghoon offered to help him with his shopping bags.

They walked up to the front door, and Jake opened it, stepping inside. "Mom, Dad, I'm home!" he called out.

Jake's parents appeared from the living room, their faces lighting up with curiosity as they saw Sunghoon standing beside their son.

"Hi Jake! Who's this?" his mom asked with a warm smile.

"Mom, Dad, this is Sunghoon. He's my skating partner." Jake said awkwardly

Sunghoon extended his hand with a polite smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Sim."

Jake's dad shook Sunghoon's hand firmly. "Nice to meet you too, Sunghoon. We've heard a lot about you."

Before Jake could respond, his mom's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Are you two dating?" she asked, half-teasing, half-serious.

Jake's face turned crimson. "Mom, no, it's not like that," he stammered, shooting an apologetic glance at Sunghoon.

Sunghoon chuckled softly, waving off Jake's embarrassment. "It's okay, Mrs. Sim. We're just friends and skating partners."

Jake's mom gave a knowing smile but let the topic drop. "Well, it's nice to meet you.

"You too Mrs. Sim" Sunghoon replied warmly.

Just then, Sunghoon glanced at his watch and realized he was late. "I should get going though. My parents are probably waiting for me," he said, his tone suddenly a bit anxious.

"Alright, I'll walk you out," Jake offered.

They stepped back outside, the evening air cool against their skin. "Thanks again for today, Sunghoon," Jake said sincerely, and then pulling him into a hug, his head resting on Sunghoon's chest.

Sunghoon smiled and wrapped his arms around Jake's waist. "Anytime, Jake. See you tomorrow." He looked at the other one last time before getting into his car and driving off.

Jake turned around only to see his sister leaning on the door with a smirk displayed on her face. "So much for just being 'friends,'" she teased.

"Oh, shut up, Dani," Jake muttered, embarrassed.

Sunghoon arrived home to find his parents waiting in their living room, their expressions stern. "Where have you been, Sunghoon?" his father asked in a demanding tone.

"I was with Jake," Sunghoon replied quietly.

"Jake? Really Sunghoon? You made a deal to us, that if you're going to skate with Jake, this partnership would be strictly for skating, and now look at you, spending time with him outside of practice hours doing god knows what. I knew this boy was nothing but a distraction to you." His mother replied in an irritated tone.

Sunghoon's heart sank, but he nodded. "I know mom, I'm sorry, i promise you he means nothing to me okay"

"Go to your room and get some rest." his mother said while sighing "You still have the competition tommorow."

Sunghoon obeyed, heading upstairs with hid head hanging low. As he laid in bed, he thought about today's events. He was having a great time with Jake before his parents had to spoil the fun, as always, and he wasn't about to let them ruin his day this time.

With that, Sunghoon closed his eyes, hoping for a peaceful sleep before tommorow.

A/N

That was like twice the length of my normal chapters, so i apologize if it takes me some time to write the next chapter xx