game changer

part 15

when you wake up, the room is dimly lit, the soft glow of the evening filtering through the curtains. you blink a few times, disoriented, before realizing that you're dressed in an oversized hockey jersey and a pair of shorts that don't belong to you. the jersey smells faintly of sunghoon, and you can't help but smile at the thought of him dressing you while you were asleep.

you get out of bed, stretching a little before heading out to the living room. as you step into the room, you're greeted by the sight of heeseung and sunghoon sitting on the couch, a bowl of cereal in each of their hands. they're watching a movie, the light from the screen casting a soft glow over their faces, and you're struck by how at ease they seem with each other.

heeseung is the first to notice you, his face lighting up with a smile. "hey, sleepyhead," he says, patting the spot next to him on the couch. "come sit with us."

you walk over, still trying to wrap your head around the sight in front of you. it's almost surreal, seeing the two of them together like this, so relaxed and comfortable in each other's company. it's a far cry from the tension and anger that had been simmering between them just a short while ago.

"what are you guys watching?" you ask as you settle between them, your legs tucked under you.

"our favorite movie from high school," sunghoon explains, his eyes still glued to the screen. "we used to watch it all the time."

heeseung grins, nudging your shoulder playfully. "yeah, we probably watched it a hundred times back then."

you can't help but smile at them. it makes you feel lighter, the weight of the past few weeks slowly lifting from your shoulders.

as the movie plays, heeseung holds out his bowl of cereal, offering you a bite. you take it, savoring the simple gesture of sharing, and it feels like everything is falling into place.

there's a sudden knock on your door, startling you out of your thoughts. sunghoon, who had been lounging next to you, looks up and asks, "who is it?"

you shrug, getting up to answer the door. "i don't know, i'm not expecting anyone."

when you open the door, you're surprised to see jake standing there, holding a box of green tea. "oh, hi jake. what are you doing here?"

jake gives a small, awkward smile. "well, i know you might've been feeling down about writing the story on heeseung and sunghoon since you've been close to them recently. so, i brought you some green tea to make you feel better."

you smile, touched by the gesture, and start to close the door, but then heeseung and sunghoon come up behind you. their eyes widen when they see jake.

heeseung, his voice edged with confusion, asks, "jake? why'd you come here?"

jake stammers, looking caught off guard. "hh, I just... wanted to check in on y/n. make sure everything's okay since the anonymous tip."

"right," heeseung nods, you can tell he's suspicious about something, "you saw her article right? i mean, you were there with us in highschool when it all happened."

suddenly it clicks in your head about what heeseung is trying to figure out. jake only nods slowly, a small smile on his face.

"yeah and i mean, if me and heeseung didn't tell anyone about what happened in high school, then who do you think would have given y/n an anonymous tip, jake?"

jake gulps, "i- i don't know, guys."

"how'd you know i got an anonymous tip anyways? the only ones who knew about it were heeseung and sunghoon."

at that, jake suddenly sighs, his shoulders sinking down, "fine, it was me who tipped you off."

heeseung's face darkens, his voice filled with hurt and confusion, "you tipped her off? why, jake?"

jake takes a deep breath, trying to explain. "because I admire you, heeseung. you're like a brother to me. and sunghoon, he used to be my best friend too. i thought maybe if the truth came out, you two could finally move on."

you, heeseung and sunghoon try to process jake's admission.

jake lowers his gaze, the weight of his actions sinking in, "i'm sorry. i didn't mean to hurt anyone. i just wanted to help fix things."

as the room settles into an uneasy silence after jake's apology, heeseung finally breaks it with a soft, reassuring tone. "it's okay, jake. we all needed to hear the truth."

sunghoon nods in agreement, a hint of a smile returning to his face. "yeah, you were my best friend too. i've missed hanging out with you and heeseung."

heeseung's expression softens as he adds, "let's start fresh, guys. this has gone on way too long."

jake looks up, relieved to see their smiles, "yeah, well, it wouldn't have been fixed without y/n. she's the one who wrote the great report."

you blush slightly, feeling a mix of pride and relief. "it's no problem, guys. it's all i ever wanted."

with the mood lifting, you look at jake, sunghoon, and heeseung and suggest, "why don't we all hang out? you're here now, so let's drink some green tea together and watch the movie."

they all nod and you all sit down together, sipping tea and enjoying the movie they all used to watch together.

the end of your investigation was one that you didn't expect, but it was a happy one to say the least. you think that this is the end of your sports journalism career– you're ready to write more thrilling reports once you graduate.

but still, there was still one more question that you had to answer: who would you pick out of lee heeseung and park sunghoon?