Ineffable 𓇢𓆸 || Jakehoon

🌸 Chapter 16 🌸

After a quiet dinner filled with uneasy laughter, everyone retreated to their rooms for the night. We paired off for sleeping arrangements to maximize our sense of safety. Jungwon and Jay took one room, Heeseung and Eunhee another, Niki and Sunoo in the third, and Sunghoon and I shared the last room.

As I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, sleep eluded me. The weight of the day pressed down, and my mind raced with worries. I could hear Sunghoon shifting beside me, his presence comforting yet intense.

"Jake, are you alright?" he asked softly, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I think," I replied, trying to sound convincing but knowing my voice had a slight crack.

"Really?" he pressed, concern evident in his tone.

"Nah, actually, it's so different," I admitted, feeling vulnerable. "We've never been through something like this before. I know we're all together, but I'm still worried and scared."

Sunghoon shifted to face me, his expression serious. "It's normal to feel that way. This is a lot for anyone to handle."

"I just keep thinking about what's happening out there," I continued, the words tumbling out. "It feels so surreal. One moment we're living our lives, and the next, everything is chaos. I can't shake the fear that we might not be safe, even here."

He let out a deep sigh, clearly understanding the weight of my words. "I get it. I've been thinking the same things. But remember, we're all in this together. We have each other's backs."

"I know," I said, feeling a bit of relief from his reassurance. "But what if something happens and we can't protect everyone? What if... what if we lose someone?"

Sunghoon reached out, placing a comforting hand on my arm. "We'll do everything we can to keep everyone safe. You have to believe that. We've got each other, and that matters more than anything."

I nodded slowly, still feeling the fear gnawing at me. "It's just hard to imagine what could happen next. I wish I could just wake up and find this was all a nightmare."

"Me too," he admitted. "But we can't let that fear control us. We have to focus on the moment and take it one step at a time."

"What if we come up with some distractions?" I suggested. "Something to keep our minds off everything for a little while?"

"Like what?" Sunghoon asked, a hint of a smile forming on his lips.

"Maybe we can play card games or tell stories about the stupid things we did as kids," I proposed, feeling a little lighter. "Anything to keep our spirits up."

"I love that idea," he said, his smile widening. "I can make a list of all the dumb things Niki's done over the years."

"Exactly! That should keep us entertained," He laughed softly, feeling the tension ease just a bit.

Sunghoon leaned back against the headboard, his eyes thoughtful. "But seriously, Jake, it's okay to feel scared. We're facing something huge. Just promise me you'll talk to me if it gets too overwhelming."

"I promise," I said, grateful for his understanding. "Thanks for being here. It helps more than you know."

"Always," he replied, his tone steady and reassuring. "We're going to get through this. Together."

As the night wore on, I felt the weight of my worries begin to lift, even if just slightly. With Sunghoon by my side, I felt a sense of strength. We may be in uncertain times, but we had each other-and that was a powerful thing.