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☆ when sim jake, a bright freshman, transfers to a new college, he meets park sunghoon, the mysterious and cold senior. what starts as a prank dare turns into genuine feelings, leading to a rollercoaster of love...
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jake's life became a cycle of avoidance. he threw himself into his studies, spent hours at the library, and kept his head down in class. jungwon continued to give him space, only occasionally checking in with a gentle 'you good?' to which jake always responded with a half-hearted 'yeah.'
but in truth, jake wasn't okay. every night, he lay in bed, thinking about sunghoon's text and the bet. he knew he couldn't avoid him forever, but the thought of seeing him again made his stomach twist with both anger and longing. jake missed sunghoon, despite everything. he hated that he did.
days passed, and one afternoon, as jake was heading back to his dorm, his phone buzzed. another message from sunghoon.
hoonie: i get that you need space. i just wanted to say i'm here when you're ready to talk. no rush.
jake sighed, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. he wasn't ready to forgive sunghoon. but the longer he ignored the situation, the heavier it felt. he knew he'd have to face him eventually.
later that evening, jake found himself wandering around campus. the sun was setting, casting a warm glow over everything. his feet led him to the park where he had first confessed his feelings to sunghoon. the memory felt bittersweet now.
as he sat on the same bench, lost in thought, a familiar voice pulled him out of his reverie.
"jake?"
jake's heart skipped a beat as he looked up to see sunghoon standing a few feet away, looking hesitant, unsure of whether he should come closer.
"sunghoon," jake mumbled, his voice barely audible.
sunghoon took a few cautious steps forward, stopping just short of the bench. "i... i didn't know you'd be here. do you mind if i sit?"
jake hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. sunghoon sat down, leaving a noticeable gap between them. they sat in silence for a while, the tension thick in the air. jake could feel his heart racing, a mix of anger and sadness swirling inside him.
"i meant what i said in my text," sunghoon finally spoke, his voice soft. "i don't want to push you, but i miss you. and i'm sorry. for everything."
jake clenched his fists, staring at the ground. "i don't know if i can ever forgive you, sunghoon. you made me feel like an idiot."
"i know," sunghoon replied, his voice strained. "and i hate myself for it. but jake, the way i feel about you... it's real. it wasn't just about the bet. it never was."
jake shook his head, feeling the familiar sting of betrayal. "how do i know that? how can i believe anything you say after what you did?"
sunghoon didn't have an answer to that. he simply sat there, the weight of his guilt hanging between them.
after what felt like an eternity, jake sighed, his voice quieter now. "i don't know what to do, sunghoon. i miss you too, but... i'm scared. i don't want to get hurt again."
sunghoon's eyes softened, and he shifted a little closer to jake, though he didn't reach out. "i know i don't deserve your trust right now. and i'm not asking for you to forgive me right away. i just... i want to make things right. even if it takes time."
jake bit his lip, his emotions a tangled mess. he wanted to believe sunghoon. he wanted to go back to the way things were before the bet, before everything got so complicated. but things weren't that simple.
"i don't know if we can ever go back to how it was," jake admitted, his voice shaky.
sunghoon nodded slowly, his expression somber. "maybe not. but maybe we can start over. take it slow. i'll wait as long as you need."
jake looked over at sunghoon, really looking at him for the first time in days. jake suddenly felt his emotions rising, the weight of everything crashing down all at once.
the betrayal, the hurt, the confusion. he had been holding it in for so long, and now, sitting here with sunghoon, it was all too much. his vision blurred, and before he could stop himself, tears welled up in his eyes.
"jake..." sunghoon whispered, his voice full of concern, but before he could say anything else, jake moved.
without thinking, jake leaned forward, closing the gap between them, and pressed his lips to sunghoon's in a sudden, desperate kiss. it was messy, filled with all the emotions jake couldn't put into words. his tears mixed with the kiss, and for a moment, nothing else existed but the warmth of sunghoon's lips against his.
sunghoon froze for a second, shocked by jake's sudden move, but then he kissed him back, gently, as if afraid to push too far. he cupped jake's face softly, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb as they pulled apart, breathless and confused.
"i..." jake stammered, his face flushed, as he quickly wiped his eyes. "i don't know why i did that..."
sunghoon shook his head, his voice soft. "it's okay, jake. you don't have to explain. i... i missed you so much."
jake didn't know what to say. his heart was racing, and his mind was spinning. everything felt so complicated, yet that kiss had felt so right. but it also terrified him, the vulnerability of it all.
"i... i need time," jake whispered, his voice shaky. "i'm not ready to forgive you yet, but... i don't want to lose you either."
sunghoon nodded, his gaze tender. "i'll wait, jake. for as long as you need."
jake left sunghoon with his face flushed, still confused what happened. sunghoon smiled a bit at jake before he left..
