Misunderstood || Park Sunghoon

4

Sunghoon

“I’ll see you later,” I said, flashing Jake a quick smile as I turned to leave.

“Aren’t you hungry? Come inside and eat first,” he offered, gesturing towards the house.

I was about to decline, thinking of heading home, when something by the window caught my eye. A girl stood there, just for a second, and then disappeared. My brow furrowed in curiosity. Huh? Who was that?

“You’ve got someone over?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

Jake’s eyes widened slightly, as if he’d forgotten. “Oh, yeah. Hae-won’s staying with us tonight.”

“Hae-won?” I repeated, unfamiliar with the name.

Jake ran a hand through his hair, shrugging. “Yeah, she’s my mom’s best friend’s daughter. She showed up today, staying with us for a bit.” He paused, his expression turning a little more serious. “Mom told me to be careful around her. Something about trauma. I don’t know the whole story, but she asked me to look out for her.”

I nodded thoughtfully, filing the information away. Trauma, huh? That explained the nervous energy I sensed. But it only deepened my curiosity. Who was this girl, and what exactly had happened to her?

We headed inside, the warmth of the house a welcome contrast to the cool night air. Jake handed me a drink, and we sat down. I took a sip, my thoughts drifting back to the girl by the window.

“So, have you met her yet?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.

Jake shook his head. “Nope, not yet. I’ll probably meet her tomorrow. She’s been traveling all day, so she’s gotta be asleep by now.”

I nodded, though I was still thinking about the figure I'd seen. If she was asleep, why had I spotted someone moving near the window? My curiosity only grew stronger the more I thought about it.

Just then, Mrs. Sim entered the room, her presence immediately making the space feel warmer. “Oh, Jake, you’re back.” She smiled before noticing me. “Hello, Sunghoon.”

I nodded politely. “Hello, Mrs. Sim.”

She turned to Jake with a soft smile. “Would you like to meet her now?”

Jake hesitated. “Isn’t she tired?”

Mrs. Sim thought for a moment. “She might be. But I’ll check if she’s awake.” With that, she headed upstairs, leaving us in the quiet room.

I glanced at the clock. It was already 10:00 PM. “I should get going. It’s getting late,” I said, standing up and stretching.

Jake nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty late. See you on Monday, Sunghoon. Get home safely.” "Yeah, will do."

I was just about to head to the door when I saw her. The girl from the window. Hae-won. She stood at the foot of the stairs, hesitant, her eyes flickering nervously between me and the ground.

She was stunning, in a quiet, understated way that made you look twice. But there was something about her; an air of fragility, of caution, that made her stand out even more. Her eyes locked onto mine for a brief moment before she quickly looked away, biting her lip.