NOSEBLEED; heejake

04.

The day dragged on, each class blending into the next. By the time Heeseung stood in front of the class for his presentation, his earlier exhaustion had returned with a vengeance. Heeseung felt every pair of eyes in the room on him, and his hands trembled slightly as he clutched his notes.

"Fuck..." He muttered under his breath, taking a glance at his professor before settling his gaze onto the notes in his hand. If he wasn't so disoriented he'd be flying through this presentation with ease, but here he was, struggling to speak a simple sentence.

Professor Kim furrowed her brows and stepped toward him and placed her hand on his arm, "What's going on? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Heeseung winced. Professor Kim as well as everyone else could clearly see he was not fine. He shuts his eyes, gripping onto the pedestal for stability as a high pitched ring suddenly sounds through his ears.

"Do you need to sit down for a moment?" Professor Kim asked gently, her concern evident. Heeseung's vision blurred slightly, the edges of the room turning fuzzy.

He nodded, not trusting his voice, and allowed Professor Kim to guide him to a chair. The murmurs of his classmates grew louder, a symphony of confusion and concern.

Professor Kim addressed the class, her voice firm. "Let's take a short break. Everyone, please step outside for a few minutes." The students began to shuffle out of the room, some casting worried glances back at Heeseung.

Once the room was empty, Professor Kim knelt down beside Heeseung. "Take deep breaths, Heeseung. In through your nose, out through your mouth."

Heeseung followed her instructions, slowly feeling the ringing in his ears subside and the room come back into focus. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I don't know what happened."

"It's okay," Professor Kim reassured him. "You've been pushing yourself hard, haven't you?"

Heeseung nodded, "I just didn't want to mess up the presentation."

"You won't," she said with a smile. "Let's take a few more minutes, and then if you feel up to it, we can continue. If not, we can reschedule."

Heeseung took a deep breath, feeling a bit steadier. "I'll try again," he said determinedly, meeting her gaze. Professor Kim gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before standing up to let the other students back into the room.

As everyone filed back into the room and sat in their respective seats, Heeseung found himself in front of them once again. He adjusted his glasses; a gesture that often helped him regain focus. He took another deep breath, feeling a bit more centered now. The class fell silent, their eyes on him, some with a hint of empathy.

"Thank you for your patience," he began, his voice steadier than before. "I'll start again."

_

Heeseung collapsed onto his bed, his eyes closing instantly when his cheek hit the soft cushioning of his pillow. He missed the feeling of laying in his bed which had been neglected for too long amidst the whirlwind of his academic responsibilities.

Thoughts swirled in his head, but were overwhelmed by his fatigue, stored away for a later time. He drifted off not too long after, feeling his muscles relax against the mattress.

As much as Heeseung wanted to ignore it, he was working too hard. He didn't want to fall behind—the textbooks, assignments, and lectures anchored him in a place he was frightened to leave. Almost as if he was punishing himself for allowing things to spiral out of control years ago.

"Just one hit. It won't do anything to you." Jaemin held the burning cigarette out toward Heeseung, chuckling as their friends around them teased him for being scared.

"I'm not scared." Heeseung snapped back. Jaemin stared at Heeseung, his eyes growing cold, "Then smoke it."

Heeseung hesitated, glancing at the cigarette and then at his friends who were watching with eager anticipation. The laughter around him grew louder, fueling the pressure. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves, and reached out to grab the cigarette from Jaemin's hand.

"Alright, alright," Heeseung muttered, trying to sound confident. He brought the cigarette to his lips and took a slow drag, the smoke filling his lungs with an unexpected harshness. He coughed slightly, his eyes watering as he tried to suppress the urge to splutter.

Jaemin grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischievous satisfaction. "See? Not so bad, right?"

Heeseung passed it back to Jaemin, shaking his head. "It was terrible." He choked through his coughs. Jaemin frowned takes a long drag, savoring the smoke before exhaling it through his nose. "You think that's terrible? You haven't even experienced anything yet."

Heeseung awoke, feeling way better than he had in the last few days. He sat up and reached for his phone to check the time. It was only 7:12 pm. He was all caught up with his studies, and had nothing else to do.

Usually, Heeseung would be occupied with some assignments, but with all the cramming and exams behind him, he found himself with an unusual amount of free time. He sat on the edge of his bed, pondering how to make the most of this rare moment of relaxation.

His phone sat idly in his hands before he opened up his and Jaemin's messages. He was really doing this when every fiber in his body told him he shouldn't. However, he missed having fun. College was taxing, and Heeseung can't remember the last time he had fun.

Me:
Hey.

Call Heeseung dry, but he really didn't know how to text people. Even his parents. Heeseung felt his heart race when Jaemin's message popped up on the screen.

Jaemin:
Whoa u actually texted me?
What's gotten into you lol!

Me:
Nothing. Just bored ig.

Jaemin:
Bored? Mr goody two shoes is bored?

Heeseung didn't reply, unsure of what to say to that remark.

Jaemin:
Well Halloween is right
around the corner. If u wanna
unwind then come to the Manor
this weekend. Costumes,
games... all that. 😉

Halloween was in two days which gave Heeseung some time to think about attending a party Jaemin would be at.

Me:
I'll think abt it.

_
JAKE IN NEXT EPISODE‼️
AYEE