s.jy || falling for the starboy.

chapter 20: a sudden surprise

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for months, jake and harin's relationship remained a well-guarded secret. calls, messages, and the occasional clandestine meeting once a month became their new normal. despite the weight of keeping their love hidden, they made it work.

hybe and belift had come to an understanding with jake—he was allowed to maintain his secret relationship with harin, as long as it didn’t affect his performance or the group.

but with each passing day, jake’s patience thinned. playing it lowkey was wearing on him, and the thought of finally bringing harin into his world burned brighter in his mind.

he decided it was time to take things to the next level, and he had a plan—a bold one.

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first person pov.

finals were finally over, and exhaustion clung to me like a heavy blanket. i felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest, but all i wanted to do was collapse into bed and sleep for days.

surprisingly, no one had been bugging me lately, no rumors or side comments from the girls on campus.

maybe everything was settling down.

tonight was supposed to be a celebration. jiah, jiyeon, haneul, and i were planning to hit up the ktv resto bar to unwind after our finals. i was looking forward to it, to the mindless singing, food, and just letting go of the academic stress.

as we were getting ready to leave, my phone buzzed with a notification. instinctively, i checked, and there it was—jake’s name flashing across the screen.

'hey babe, you out from class yet?' the message read.

before i could even process it, my friends’ heads hovered over my shoulder, peeking at the message.

"oh my god, is that jake again?" jiah whispered excitedly.

"what does he want this time?" jiyeon grinned, nudging me teasingly.

i bit my lip, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

i hadn’t told them much about jake recently, especially since things were still supposed to be on the down-low. but the way they giggled and exchanged knowing glances, they clearly had ideas of their own.

"he probably wants to see you, harin. you should go!" haneul urged, a playful smile on her lips.

"but what about the ktv—" i started to protest, but they waved it off.

"don’t worry about it. we can always reschedule. plus, it’s not every day your superstar boyfriend wants to spend time with you," jiah teased.

i laughed, shaking my head at their antics, but deep down, i was a little excited.

maybe jake had something planned.

my fingers quickly tapped out a reply.

'yeah, i’m done for the day. where are you?'

as soon as i sent it, jake replied almost instantly.

'i’m waiting outside.'

my heart skipped a beat, and i blinked in surprise.

"he’s here?!"

"oh my god!"

the girls practically squealed in unison, already pushing me towards the door.