Need Help? - {Jayhoon}

{𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 10}

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The days that followed felt like a blur to Jay. Everywhere he went, the whispers trailed behind him, sticking like shadows he couldn't shake. He'd never been one to care much about what others thought of him, but this was different. This was personal.

Sunghoon tried to reassure him, but even his friend couldn't hide how serious things were getting. The rumors had spread faster than either of them could have imagined. People weren't just gossiping—they were believing her. And the more Jay tried to ignore it, the worse it got.

By Friday, Jay had had enough. He caught up with Sunghoon after class, a storm brewing in his chest. "We have to do something."

Sunghoon looked at him, his expression conflicted. "I know. But what? She's relentless, Jay. And the more we push back, the more fuel she'll have to twist things around."

"Then we need to get ahead of it," Jay said, determination flaring. "We need to tell people what really happened."

Sunghoon paused, considering it. "You're right. But we need to be smart about it. If we don't handle this carefully, we'll just make things worse."

Jay knew Sunghoon was right, but the frustration gnawed at him. He wanted to confront her, to call her out in front of everyone and force her to admit the truth. But deep down, he knew that wouldn't work. She was too clever, too manipulative. She'd find a way to twist it all back on him.

"We'll figure it out," Sunghoon said, placing a hand on Jay's shoulder. "But don't do anything rash, alright?"

Jay nodded, but the fire in his gut refused to cool. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take this.

---

That night, Jay sat on his bed, scrolling through his phone, the latest round of rumors flashing across his feed. It was all over the school's private group chats, people sharing snippets of gossip like it was some kind of twisted game. He threw his phone down in frustration, running a hand through his hair.

A knock at his door startled him. His mom poked her head in. "Jay, you okay?"

He forced a smile. "Yeah, just...school stuff."

She looked at him for a long moment, clearly not buying it, but didn't push. "Well, if you need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks, Mom."

As soon as she left, Jay's phone buzzed again. For a second, he considered ignoring it. But something made him reach for it. Another message from the same unknown number.

*Meet me tomorrow. Same place.*

His heart skipped a beat. He knew exactly where she meant. The park behind the school, where this whole mess had started.

*Why?* he typed back, his hands shaking slightly as he hit send.

The response came almost immediately.

*You'll see.*

---

Jay stood at the edge of the park the next afternoon, his breath fogging in the crisp fall air. He hadn't told Sunghoon he was coming—part of him knew his friend would've tried to stop him. But Jay couldn't avoid this any longer.

He spotted her by the swings, her silhouette sharp against the fading daylight. As he approached, she looked up, her expression unreadable.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that," she said, crossing her arms as he stopped in front of her.

"I want to know why," Jay said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "Why are you doing this?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it obvious? You got too close. And I don't like sharing."

Jay's jaw clenched. "This isn't about Sunghoon, is it?"

A flicker of something crossed her face—something dark, hidden beneath the surface. "You think you're so clever. You think you know me?"

"I think you're scared," Jay said, surprising even himself with the calm in his voice. "I don't know why, but this isn't just about me or Sunghoon. There's something else."

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't respond. Instead, she took a step closer, her voice low. "You want the truth, Jay? You can't handle it."

Before he could respond, she turned and walked away, leaving Jay standing there, the weight of her words settling over him like a cold, heavy fog.

This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

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