You Belong With Me | Jeongcheol Fanfic

Chapter 52

One day, as Seungcheol sat at his desk, the sunlight streaming through his window, he realized that he hadn't received a response from Jeonghan. It wasn't like him to go quiet for so long, especially during their usual messaging times. Seungcheol glanced at his phone, a small knot forming in his stomach as he saw the messages he had sent go unanswered.

"Hey, how's your day going?"
"Can't wait to hear about your classes today!"
"Just finished a new chapter of the app—can't wait to show you!"
"Miss you lots, hope you're doing okay!"

Each notification he checked only revealed the silence, and Seungcheol's worry began to grow. He paced around his room, trying to distract himself with coding or music, but nothing seemed to work. He found himself scrolling through their shared playlist, each song reminding him of Jeonghan's laughter and the warmth of their late-night calls.

After hours of waiting, anxiety gnawed at him. Seungcheol knew that Jeonghan had a busy schedule, but the lack of communication felt different this time. He sent another text, trying to mask his concern with a light-hearted tone.

Seungcheol: Hey, just checking in! Did you get lost in a pile of fabric again? 😂

He hit send and watched the screen for a moment, hoping to see the familiar three dots indicating Jeonghan was typing a reply. But they never appeared.

As night fell, Seungcheol couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. He tried calling again, but it went straight to voicemail. He hesitated, the call weighing heavily in his mind. He finally left a message, his voice laced with concern.

"Hey, Jeonghan, it's me. Just wanted to hear your voice. I'm getting a little worried since I haven't heard from you all day. If you're busy, that's totally fine, but I just want to know you're okay. Call me when you can. I miss you."

The night dragged on, and Seungcheol found himself unable to sleep. He tossed and turned, replaying their last conversation in his mind, desperately trying to decipher if he had missed something. Had he said something that upset him? Had Jeonghan been feeling overwhelmed with his new life in New York?

Unable to bear the silence any longer, he decided to call Jihoon, hoping his friend might have some insight. Jihoon answered groggily, but his voice shifted to concern as Seungcheol explained the situation.

"Seungcheol, I'm sure everything is fine," Jihoon reassured him. "Jeonghan can get really busy with his classes, and sometimes he just zones out. But I'll try to check in with him. Don't stress too much."

Seungcheol nodded, even though Jihoon couldn't see him. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just... I don't like not hearing from him."

"I get it. Just give him some time. I'll text him now and see if he replies," Jihoon promised.

After hanging up, Seungcheol paced his room, trying to find distractions. He worked on his coding project, but the words blurred together, and the characters on the screen felt meaningless without Jeonghan's encouragement. He missed their shared moments, the way Jeonghan would cheer him on, making even the most mundane tasks feel exciting.

Hours passed, and just when Seungcheol thought he might finally get some rest, his phone buzzed with a new message. Heart racing, he grabbed it, hoping for Jeonghan's name to flash on the screen. Instead, it was Jihoon.

Jihoon: Hey, I texted Jeonghan, but I haven't heard back yet. I'll keep trying. Just hang in there, okay?

Seungcheol let out a sigh, his heart sinking again. He tried to push aside the worry, convincing himself that Jeonghan was probably just caught up in his classes or overwhelmed by the new environment. But as the night wore on and sleep continued to evade him, a growing sense of dread settled in.