Dear "J" | Sim Jake

Chapter 6

We ended up sitting outside a nearby convenience store. Jake handed me a cold water bottle, and I took it gratefully. The chill of the water was refreshing against my heated skin as I took a few sips, trying to calm my nerves.

The silence between us was thick and uncomfortable. Jake sat beside me, his gaze shifting to the street occasionally, while I focused on the bottle in my hands. The awkwardness hung between us like a tangible thing, neither of us quite sure how to bridge the gap that had formed.

Jake cleared his throat after a few moments. “So… did you need to be in the broadcasting room for something specific?” he asked, his tone attempting to sound casual but betraying a hint of unease.

I looked over at him, trying to find the right words. “I just forgot some papers. It’s my fault for not double-checking before leaving.”

Jake nodded slowly, looking unsure of how to respond. “Right. I guess it’s a good thing I was around then. I wasn’t really sure what to do when I heard you.”

I managed a small, grateful smile. “Thanks for helping me out. I was starting to get pretty anxious in there.”

Jake rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the lingering silence. “Yeah, no problem. I’m just glad I found you before it got dark.”

The conversation drifted back into awkward silence as we sat there, the convenience store’s lights casting a neon glow around us. The air was filled with the sounds of distant traffic and the occasional passerby, but our words seemed to get lost in the space between us.

Jake took a deep breath and sighed, his gaze still wandering. “Well, I guess we should head home soon.”

I nodded in agreement, feeling the weight of the awkwardness between us. “Yeah, probably. Thanks again for everything.”

With that, we both stood up, the tension of the situation still hanging in the air. Jake offered a brief, slightly awkward smile before we began to walk in separate directions, the unspoken words and the residual awkwardness lingering as we parted ways.

The next day, Jake walked through the hallways with Jay, the events of the previous evening still on his mind. As they approached their next class, Jake turned to Jay with a look of concern.“Hey, Jay, you won’t believe what happened yesterday,” Jake started, his tone carrying a mix of frustration and relief.Jay raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What happened?”“So, after I finished studying in the library,” Jake explained, “I was heading out to grab my bag from class when I heard this faint voice. It was coming from the broadcasting room, so I went to check it out.”Jay’s eyes widened. “Seriously? What did you find?”Jake nodded. “Yeah. When I got there, the door was stuck, and I found someone from our class trapped inside. She was sitting on the floor, looking really anxious.”Jay’s curiosity was piqued. “Did you find out who it was?”Jake shook his head. “Not really. She didn’t introduce herself, and I didn’t catch her name. She was pretty stressed, and I was just focused on getting her out. We ended up sitting outside a convenience store for a bit until she calmed down.”Jay looked thoughtful. “That sounds intense. Did she say what she was doing in there?”Jake shrugged. “She just mentioned that she’d left some papers behind and got stuck when the door wouldn’t open. She seemed pretty shaken up.”Jay nodded sympathetically. “Well, at least you were there to help. I bet she was really grateful.”Jake nodded, still processing the situation. “Yeah, I hope she’s doing okay today. It was a pretty awkward situation, but I’m glad I could help.”As they continued down the hallway, Jake and Jay chatted about the unexpected incident, their conversation adding a bit of intrigue to their usual school day.

I was sitting in my usual seat, diligently noting down a few things from Eugene’s notebook. The classroom buzzed with the typical morning chatter, everyone engaged in their usual conversations. I had my earphones in, the music providing a soothing distraction as I worked, oblivious to the world around me. There was still plenty of time before the first period, so I felt no rush.As the door opened, Jay walked in with Jake by his side. Jake’s gaze lingered on me as he entered, but I remained unfazed, focused on copying notes. He hesitated for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before deciding to walk to his seat.

But instead of continuing, he stopped right in front of mine.I continued to work, completely absorbed in the music and the task at hand. Jake stood there, staring at me, perhaps trying to decide what to say. His eyes caught on the name badge pinned to my uniform, and after a brief pause, he spoke up.

“Yoon Jiwon?”I didn’t respond. The music drowned out his voice, and I remained unaware of his presence. A few heads turned in our direction, especially the girls, curious as to why Jake, who rarely interacted with others, had approached me.Seeing that I hadn’t noticed him, Jake hesitated for a moment longer. Then, in a last effort to get my attention, he waved his hand in front of my eyes. The sudden movement snapped me out of my focused state, and I looked up, startled, to see Jake standing in front of me.

I looked up at him, blinking in confusion. My gaze shifted around the classroom, wondering if he had the right person. "Yoon Jiwon?" he repeated, his voice steady.

Slowly, I nodded, still trying to process why he was talking to me. Jake paused, almost as if he was considering his next words carefully, before asking, "How are you?"

My eyes widened slightly in surprise. A few whispers broke out around the room, and I could hear a few soft gasps from nearby classmates. This wasn’t something anyone expected, least of all me.

"I... I'm fine," I stammered, unsure of where this was coming from. "Why?"

"You didn’t seem well, that’s why," Jake responded, his tone nonchalant as he turned and walked to his seat, as if the brief exchange had been nothing out of the ordinary.

I stared at the now-empty space in front of me, my mind racing. Did he really just ask me how I was? The words echoed in my mind, the shock of the moment still settling in as the classroom buzzed back to life around me.

I removed my earphones, sitting up more properly in my seat. My eyes met Eugene’s across the table, her expression curious.

“You’re close with Sim Jaeyun?” she asked, her tone light but clearly probing.

I shook my head quickly, feeling a need to clarify. “No, not really. He just helped me yesterday, that’s all.”

Eugene nodded slowly, still studying me. “That’s odd of him... He’s nice, but I don’t see him getting involved much.”

Her words lingered in the air as I glanced back in Jake’s direction, accidentally locking eyes with him. My breath caught for a moment before I quickly looked away, trying to cover my embarrassment with a small cough. The room suddenly felt a bit warmer, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

Eugene didn’t say anything further, but her knowing look made it clear she’d noticed the brief exchange. I busied myself with my notebook, but my thoughts kept drifting back to the unexpected interaction with Jake.

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"He ached to be prettier and I ached to be his"