---
"what did you say?" jake asked, feeling his heart beat faster and faster.
heeseung locked eyes with him and stared at jake for a whole minute. then, to jake's surprise he started laughing.
"that was a joke! you should've seen your face." he said, trying to catch his breath. jake hit his shoulder.
"you scared me so much! I thought I was losing my mind!" he covered his face and took a deep breath in, trying to calm himself down.
"well, to be fair, do you know how much you've scared me when I thought you literally died in a plane crash?" heeseung pressed his hand on jake's forehead. "you have a fever, jake."
jake looked back at him, "that explains all the weird stuff I was seeing earlier."
after a moment of silence, heeseung cleared his throat. "i'm sorry for not listening to you. I should've known you didn't do any of that to hurt me."
jake smiled, "I forgive you only if you forgive me."
heeseung nodded. "of course I do."
heeseung got closer to jake until his lips touched the other's forehead softly. jake closed his eyes when he felt the warm contact.
---
the bright sun made it harder for jake to open his eyes. he squinted and tossed in his bed until he finally gave up.
he blinked slowly and looked out of the window. it was already noon. how long did he sleep for?
he got up from his bed feeling much better than he did last night. looking around, he noticed a note on his nightstand. before he had the chance to grab it and unfold it he heard the door open.
jake spun around and saw heeseung with a glass of water.
"feeling any better?" heeseung asked. "I was starting getting worried."
jake approached him and took the glass from heeseung, their fingers slightly touching.
"i'm good now. thanks." he smiled and drank the water. "did you leave me that note?" he asked, pointing at the small piece of paper.
heeseung frowned. "no. I didn't even notice it."
"oh."
jake walked towards the nightstand and grabbed it. he started unfolding it slowly. he heard heeseung sit on his bed.
'
it is really hard not telling these words to you directly, but it seems like I have no other choice.
I remember well the first day I met you at the airport. you were gasping for air from running, trying to be on time on that cursed flight. I was next to you crying out loud because I missed my last chance of getting a normal life. we both had matching bruises on our faces from our dads. and we knew we had to help each other to get away from them.
all these six years with you felt like heaven on earth, and I thank you for that.
until you decided to abandon me.
i did everything you asked me to. but you were still not looking at me. you were constantly looking at him.
i can't believe i sacrificed so much for you and got nothing but ignorance in return.
my days being desperate for you are over.
i hope you live a sad fucking life, sim jaeyun.
ps: don't trust niki too much. you don't know what he's pouring in your drinks.
'
jake tore the paper and threw it in the bin. so he has been drugged.
by niki?
it didn’t make any sense. he reread the last sentence again in his mind. it couldn't be anything else than a sick lie.
he will eventually find out what happened.
jake sighed and turned towards heeseung. "it was nothing."
"so... did she talk to you?" jake asked, walking a step closer to heeseung.
"yes..." heeseung sighed. "i can't believe i trusted her."
jake nodded "me too. even though i feel like this is also my fault."
heeseung shook his head. "last night, when she talked to me, i couldn't shake this weird feeling off. I've never thought I'd meet such a pure evil person. there is something so insanely malicious about the way she acts and talks." heeseung paused. "and then when she started telling me the truth... i mean... even then it felt like she tried... actually nevermind." he stopped "it doesn't matter anymore."
jake put his hand on heeseung's cheek. "heeseung, please tell me everything."
"i am not sure, jake. it was like she was happy to admit that she was wrong. i may be paranoid, but it felt like she was playing with me. she was talking so calmly and with such a soft smile on her face. it just made me want to hug her and tell her that everything would be fine even when i knew that the only way it could be fine was if she was away."
jake smiled. "yeah, she does that." he wrapped his arms around heeseung, pulling him into a comforting embrace.
heeseung leaned into jake’s warmth, allowing himself a moment of vulnerability. "i just can’t understand how someone can twist the truth so effortlessly. she talked about her mistakes as if they were just casual little hiccups in her otherwise perfect life. it’s infuriating."
jake tightened his grip slightly, sensing the tension in heeseung’s shoulders. "it's okay... it's only you and me now."
the air around them thickened with unspoken words, with feelings that had simmered below the surface for far too long. their foreheads touched, the world around them fading into a blur, leaving just the two of them.
and then, as if drawn by an invisible force, their lips found each other—soft and tentative at first, a lingering promise of warmth and understanding. the moment ignited something within, a spark that shattered the remnants of doubt; the kiss deepened, the world spinning once again as they melted into each other, finding solace in the embrace they had long craved.
---
