s.jy || falling for the starboy.

chapter 4: unexpected attachments

third person pov.

the music finally began to fade as jake and harin made their way off the dance floor, their laughter mingling with the pulsing beat still echoing through the nightclub.

harin felt lightheaded—not just from the drinks, but from the rush of dancing with him. it was as if the entire club had disappeared, leaving just the two of them, moving to the rhythm, lost in each other’s company.

jake guided harin back to their seats by the bar, his hand lingering a moment longer on hers.

“how about another drink?” he asked, his voice slightly raspy from the excitement of the dance floor.

she nodded, still buzzing from the night. “sure. just one more.”

harin felt extra bold tonight.

as the bartender slid their drinks over, jake’s phone vibrated on the counter, the screen lighting up with ni-ki’s name.

a quick glance from jake told her this wasn’t just a casual text. he laughed awkwardly, excusing himself.

“one sec,” he muttered, stepping away from the bar to take the call.

harin sipped her drink, watching jake's expression shift as he listened to whatever ni-ki was saying on the other end of the line.

his usual relaxed demeanor faltered slightly, his lips pressing into a tight line. he glanced back at her briefly, his expression unreadable.

jake's eyes narrowed as ni-ki’s voice continued through the phone.

“wait, what picture?” he asked, worry creeping into his tone.

there was a pause, and then ni-ki sent him a link. when the photo appeared on jake’s screen, his stomach dropped.

it was a blurry image, but clear enough—jake and harin together, their faces barely visible under the dim lights of the club.

the caption beneath was worse than the photo.

'enhypen's jake spotted with a mystery girl? idol's ‘wild night’ shocks fans.'

jake scrolled down to the comments, his heart sinking.

'who does she think she is? doesn’t he know better? she’s probably just using him. she looks so out of place with him—he could do better.'

the more he read, the worse it got. the comments weren’t just attacking him—they were targeting harin.

he clenched his jaw, frustration surging within him. she didn’t deserve any of this; none of it was her fault. after all, he was the one who planned this night with her.

“thanks for letting me know, ni-ki. i’ll handle it,” jake said before ending the call.

he pocketed his phone and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension before returning to harin.

still blissfully unaware of the storm brewing online, she looked up at him with a curious gaze as he sat back down.

“you okay?” she asked, noticing the shift in his mood.

jake forced a smile.

“yeah. everything’s fine.” he took a breath, then added, “hey, do you have school tomorrow?”

she raised her eyebrows, caught off guard by the sudden change in conversation. “uh, yeah. i’ve got an afternoon class. why?”

jake ran a hand through his hair, glancing toward the club entrance.