Falling For The Park Brothers' Sister ⚊ Nishimura Riki

Chapter Thirty

Jay’s point of view

I was finally winding down for the night, thinking the sleepover would eventually settle into peaceful rest.

Everyone seemed to have found their spots: Jiyoo and Sunoo in her room, Ni-ki and Jungwon in the guest room, and Sunghoon and I in the other. But as I lay there, I heard the subtle creak of a door and saw Sunghoon slip out of our shared bedroom.

Curiosity and concern tugged at me.

I knew things had been tense between us lately, and I couldn’t stand the thought of him sulking while I lay idly by. I slipped out of bed and quietly followed him down the hallway, making sure not to make a sound.

Sunghoon trudged down the stairs and headed toward the kitchen. I hesitated at the doorway for a moment before stepping inside, where I saw him standing by the counter, arms crossed and a scowl etched on his face.

“Hey, Hoon,” I said softly, trying to keep my tone light. “What’s up? Couldn’t sleep?”

Sunghoon shot me a glance that clearly said he was still upset. “Nothing. Just needed a drink.”

I could sense his frustration and knew I had to make amends. “Listen, I’m sorry about today. I didn’t mean to ignore you. I’ve just been trying to figure things out with Jungwon and everything.”

Sunghoon muttered something under his breath, his body language still closed off. “Whatever.”

Determined to make it right, I tried a different approach. “How about I cook us something? I know you like late-night snacks. Maybe I can make it up to you with some of your favorites.”

He looked at me with a mixture of surprise and skepticism but didn’t argue. “Fine. Do what you want.”

I moved to the kitchen, rummaging through the pantry and fridge to find ingredients.

As I worked, I could hear Sunghoon’s occasional grumbles and the clinking of a glass as he took a sip of his drink. I tried to focus on the task at hand, hoping the distraction of cooking would help both of us clear the air.

Suddenly, I heard muffled voices coming from the porch. I turned my head, recognizing Jiyoo’s voice and another voice that I soon realized was Jungwon’s.

Curiosity piqued, I glanced over at Sunghoon, who had also noticed the voices. We exchanged looks, and without a word, we quietly moved closer to the kitchen door leading to the porch.

As we edged closer, the voices grew clearer. Jiyoo and Jungwon were deep in conversation, their words drifting in through the partially open door.

Jiyoo’s voice carried a hint of vulnerability. “You know, it’s funny. I was just thinking about how similar our situations are. My dad disappeared a while ago, and I’ve never really gotten over it.”

Jungwon’s voice was soft and contemplative. “I get that. I’ve had a similar experience. My friend… he was someone I was really close to, and then one day, he was just gone. It’s like he became a distant star, something I could see but never reach.”

Sunghoon and I exchanged another glance, both of us caught up in the unexpected revelation.

We held our breath, trying to catch every word of the conversation.

Jiyoo continued, her voice tinged with sadness. “It’s strange, isn’t it? How people can just vanish from our lives and leave us wondering if there was something we could have done differently.”

Jungwon’s response was gentle. “Yeah, it makes you feel like you’re missing a part of yourself. It’s tough to accept that sometimes things are beyond our control.”