Need Help? - {Jayhoon}

{𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 9}

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The next morning, Jay walked into school with a sense of cautious relief. The encounter with Sunghoon's girl had left an uneasy calm in its wake, but the tension he'd been carrying around for days had finally loosened. He couldn't help but glance around, half-expecting her to show up out of nowhere, but there was no sign of her.

By lunch, it seemed like things were starting to return to normal. Jay and Sunghoon sat together, the familiar rhythm of their friendship easing back into place. They didn't talk much about what had happened—both of them seemed content to let it fade into the background for now.

But as the afternoon wore on, Jay began to notice something strange. Whispers followed him in the hallways, subtle glances from classmates that lingered too long. At first, he chalked it up to paranoia, the aftershocks of the past week's drama, but by the time his final class rolled around, it was impossible to ignore.

People were talking. And it was about him.

He slid into his seat, feeling eyes on him from all directions. Sunghoon hadn't made it to class yet, and Jay found himself wishing his friend would hurry up. The last thing he needed right now was to deal with this alone.

Just as the teacher started taking attendance, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced down and saw a message from an unknown number.

*You're a joke.*

His stomach twisted as another message came through.

*Everyone knows what you did.*

Jay stared at the screen, his mind racing. What the hell was going on?

Sunghoon finally walked in, his usual calm demeanor intact, but Jay's nerves were shot. He barely registered the lesson as his thoughts churned with growing anxiety. When the bell rang, he practically bolted for the door, desperate for answers.

Sunghoon caught up to him in the hallway. "Hey, you alright? You seem off."

Jay didn't know how to explain what was going on, so he just shoved his phone at Sunghoon, showing him the messages.

Sunghoon's brow furrowed as he read them. "Who sent this?"

Jay shook his head. "No idea. But something's up. People have been staring at me all day. I think she's spreading rumors."

Sunghoon's expression darkened. "Shit."

They turned a corner, and there she was—leaning against a locker, her arms crossed, watching them approach with a cold smile.

"Hey, boys," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Heard any good gossip lately?"

Jay's blood ran cold. This was it. The fallout he'd been dreading.

Sunghoon stepped in front of Jay, his jaw clenched. "What the hell are you doing?"

She shrugged, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Just making sure everyone knows what kind of person your *friend* here is. Thought they deserved to know the truth."

Jay's heart pounded in his chest. "What truth?"

Her smile widened, predatory now. "That you're a snake. That you tried to steal him from me."

Jay's mouth went dry. "That's not—"

"You think anyone cares what you have to say?" she interrupted, her voice rising. "I've already told everyone what they need to know. You're a backstabber. You don't care about anyone but yourself."

The hallway was suddenly too quiet. People were watching, listening. The weight of their judgment pressed down on Jay, suffocating him.

Sunghoon moved closer to her, his voice low and dangerous. "You need to stop. Now."

She tilted her head, her smile never wavering. "Or what? You can't stop me, Sunghoon. You can't undo what's already been done."

For the first time, Sunghoon looked unsure, his usual confidence shaken. Jay could see the guilt in his eyes—the guilt that had kept him from dealing with this sooner.

"She's not going to stop," Jay realized, his voice barely a whisper. "Is she?"

Sunghoon didn't answer. He didn't have to.

Jay felt the weight of it settle in his chest. This wasn't over. It wasn't even close.
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To be Continued

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