Edge of the Rink: Where Pride Meets Passion | jakehoon

33

Third Person Pov

The sun filtered through the high windows of the lecture hall, casting soft shadows on the desks. Jake sat at the far end, his notebook open but barely touched. He rested his chin on his hand, eyes glazed as the professor went on about social media's impact on businesses, His mind, however, was elsewhere.

The dinner last night had left him feeling heavy. Sitting just a seat away from Sunghoon, pretending everything was fine, pretending the silence between them wasn't suffocating—it had taken everything out of him. And now, here he was, trying to focus on university life like nothing was wrong.

He scribbled absently in the corner of his notes, the pen barely forming words, when a nudge came from his left. Felix, ever the burst of energy, shot him a sideways grin.

"You alive there, mate?"

Jake blinked, looking up at him. "Yeah, just... zoning out."

Felix snickered softly, leaning closer so the professor wouldn't notice. "Well, we've got ten more minutes of this, then lunch. Try not to drift off before that."

Jake forced a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Felix noticed. He always noticed, but being Felix, he didn't pry too much. Instead, he tapped his pen lightly against Jake's notes, pointing out a line of completely illegible scribbles.

"Is that a new language, or...?"

Jake chuckled this time, shaking his head. "I have no idea what I was even writing."

"Good thing I'm here to save you." Felix winked. "I'll share my notes later. Let's get out of here as soon as this lecture ends."

As the professor wrapped up his talk, Felix wasted no time gathering his stuff and waving Jake toward the exit. They both filed out with the rest of the students, heading toward the campus courtyard. Felix stretched his arms above his head, the sunlight catching the faint freckles across his face. His easygoing nature was exactly what Jake needed.

"Let's grab lunch," Felix said, tossing his bag over his shoulder. "There's this new place near the library that's supposed to have killer sandwiches."

Jake followed, feeling the cool breeze hit his face as they made their way across campus. It was refreshing, but not enough to fully clear his mind. They found a small spot by the library, as Felix had suggested, and grabbed a table outside.

As they sat with their food, Felix chatted away about random topics—classwork, some hilarious thing he saw on TikTok, the latest episode of some show Jake hadn't caught up on yet. It was nice, listening to Felix's rambling, a distraction from everything else weighing on him.

But even as Felix kept the conversation light, he eventually paused, his eyes settling on Jake for a moment. "You've been quiet today. More than usual, I mean."

Jake shrugged, picking at his sandwich. "Just tired, I guess."

Felix raised an eyebrow but didn't push. "Well, whatever it is, I'm here if you need to unload."

Jake appreciated that about Felix. He wasn't the type to demand answers or poke at things you weren't ready to talk about. Instead, he offered his presence, his support, without asking for much in return.

"Chan told me about and winter training together, hows that been"

Jake sighed "Well it's only been one session so far, and it went good i think, it's just so different you know, she seems nice though"

"Yeah i get that, but hey sometimes that kind of change is good" Felix looked at him thoughfully.

Jake nodded and tried his best to give Felix a small smile.

They finished their food, and Felix leaned back in his chair, squinting up at the sky. "You know, sometimes when things feel... off, it helps to just get it out there. Even if it's messy."

Jake glanced at him, feeling the weight of his words hang between them. He hadn't told Felix much about the situation with Sunghoon, and Felix hadn't asked. But the quiet understanding between them was enough. Felix wasn't trying to fix anything; he was just reminding Jake that talking could help—when he was ready.

"Yeah," Jake muttered, his gaze falling to the ground. "I guess so."

They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around campus, heading to the library for a study session that was more talking than actual studying. Felix kept up his playful energy, cracking jokes, showing Jake dumb memes on his phone, and even throwing in a few ridiculous dance moves to lighten the mood.

At one point, as Felix was attempting to moonwalk between the bookshelves, Jake found himself genuinely laughing. It was the first time he'd felt something other than the constant weight of his thoughts about Sunghoon.

"Okay, okay, I think that's enough," Jake said, trying to catch his breath from laughing. "You're going to get us kicked out of here."

Felix shrugged, not the least bit concerned. "Worth it."

As the day wound down and the sun began to set, they parted ways at the campus gates. Jake felt a little lighter, the tension that had been knotting in his chest loosening just a bit. Felix clapped him on the back before heading off.

"Hey" Felix called over his shoulder. "I'm always around if you need to talk. Or, you know, if you need some more sick dance moves."

Jake smiled to himself as Felix disappeared into the crowd. It wasn't much, but today had been a small reminder that life could still feel normal—even if just for a few hours.