Misunderstood || Park Sunghoon

10

Hae-won:

Hanni helped me into the taxi and climbed in after me. I glanced back at Sunghoon's house, half-expecting him to have already gone inside, but there he was, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. My heart fluttered unexpectedly, so I quickly looked away. The taxi started moving, and I turned to the window, letting my eyes close as exhaustion took over.

A gentle nudge brought me back to consciousness. "We're here. Are you sure you want to stay here?" Hanni asked softly. I gave a small nod, still feeling groggy. As much as I didn't want to see Jake right now , I need to be back in my own space, around the comfort of my things.

Just then I caught my reflection in the window, and the bruises scattered across my skin. I looked down at my clothes, realizing they were soaked in blood stains. The dark patches spread across the fabric, a harsh reminder of what I’d just been through. A wave of unease hit me as I stared at the stains, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself.

Self-consciousness rushed in, and I pulled at the collar of my shirt, wishing I could hide it all. “Um… Hanni, could I borrow your hoodie?” I murmured, feeling embarrassed but desperate to cover up. She didn’t hesitate, slipping it off and handing it to me. “Of course. Here, put it on.” I slid it over my head, flipping the hood up to make my face less visible.

"How are you going to get inside?” she asked, watching me adjust the hoodie.

Right. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. “What if I just tell Jake you fell asleep and ask him to come get you?” Hanni suggested. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. I unlocked my phone and handed it over. She called Jake and put it on speaker.

There was silence on the other end until Hanni broke it. “Hey, Jake. It’s Hanni.”

Finally, his voice came through, casual yet guarded. “Why are you calling me from Hae-won’s phone? Where is she?” His sleepy voice sent shivers down my spine, a soft rasp that lingered in the silence. It left a strange flutter in my chest that I tried to ignore.

“She’s okay… just asleep. Can you come out and get her?”

A pause. I could hear him exhale, though he tried to sound indifferent. “Yeah. I’m on my way.” and he hung up soon after.

Hanni winked at me. “Mission accomplished. Now, close your eyes and look as asleep as possible.”

The sound of footsteps grew closer, and I squeezed my eyes shut. “Here she is,” Hanni said as Jake bent down, gently sliding his hands under me and lifting me up. Although I kept my eyes closed, I could feel him tense as he carried me, carefully bringing me to my room.

He laid me down, pulling the blanket over me, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he lingered, and through half-closed eyes, I watched him look at me with an expression that was hard to see in the dark.

He let out a quiet sigh, his voice barely a murmur. “I thought I didn’t want to talk to you after that post… it hurt, you know? But seeing you like this, getting that call…” He hesitated for a moment, “It made me realize maybe I feel something more.”

With that, he brushed a stray hair from my face and turned to leave, leaving my heart pounding in the darkness.

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