Edge of the Rink: Where Pride Meets Passion | jakehoon

28

Third Person Pov

Jake woke up the next morning, his face sticky from the tears, his head pounding a bit. He sat up and rubbed his eyes softly before he noticed the soft breathing from next to him, confused he pulled down the covers and smiled as he saw his sister sleeping soundly next to him, the two of them most likely fell asleep after the rough events of yesterday.

Jake felt a swell of gratitude. No matter how rough things got, his sister was always there for him. He gently brushed a strand of hair from her face and smiled softly. Not wanting to wake her up, he quietly got out of his bed, letting her sleep a little longer.

He went to his bathroom, and starting brushing his teeth, scrolling on his phone at the same time.

His phone buzzed with a message from Ni-Ki.

Hey, Jake! Sunoo and I were thinking of grabbing lunch and hitting up the arcade later. Wanna join?

A small smile tugged at Jake's lips. It had been a while since he hung out with Ni-Ki and Sunoo, and the idea of a carefree day with them sounded perfect.

Definitely! Count me in, Jake replied.

A couple of hours later, Jake met up with Ni-Ki and Sunoo at their favorite burger joint. He saw the two of them at a table towards the front of the restaurant, playfully arguing about something, both of them sporting wide smiles.

"There he is!" Ni-Ki exclaimed as Jake approached the table. "We were starting to think you'd ditched us."

Jake chuckled, shaking his head. "Not a chance. I need this day more than you know."

They dug into their food, the three of them conversing easily about random topics, most of which ended up in Ni-ki and Sunoo disgreeing. For the first time in a while, Jake felt at ease.

After lunch, they headed to the arcade, where Ni-Ki and Sunoo's competitive sides came out in full force. Jake couldn't help but laugh as Ni-Ki tried to outscore Sunoo in every game, while Sunoo responded with playful teasing.

Jake joined in, his worries slipping away with each round. It felt good to be in the moment, surrounded by friends who cared about him.

As the day wore on, they found themselves in a photo booth, cramming together to take silly pictures. The strip of photos that printed out showed their wide grins, and the unspoken bond they shared.

Jake looked at the photos, feeling a warmth in his chest. Despite everything, he knew he wasn't alone.

Later, as they walked out of the arcade, Sunoo turned to Jake. "Hey, we should do this more often. I've missed hanging out like this."

"Me too," Jake admitted. "I've been so caught up in everything that I forgot how much I needed this."

Ni-Ki slung an arm around Jake's shoulders. "We've got your back, Jake. Always."

Jake smiled, feeling lighter than he had in days. "Thanks, guys. I really needed today."

As Jake and the couple parted ways, his face broke out into a small smile. Today was a reminder to him, that no matter how tough things got, his friends would be there to lift him up.