Ineffable 𓇢𓆸 || Jakehoon

🍂 Chapter 57 🍂

The hours passed slowly, and the night deepened around us, thick with the weight of silence. Jay and I sat together, both of us wrapped in the stillness that seemed to fill the air. We barely spoke. There was nothing to say. What could we say? Our minds were consumed with the same thought, the same desperate worry that gnawed at us.

Jake.

I couldn't stop thinking about him, about his quiet face, the blood on his clothes, his body so still. I kept telling myself he would wake up, but every time I looked at him, every time I heard the faint sounds of the camp around us, that little voice in the back of my head whispered the worst possibility.

But I couldn't say it. Not to Jay. Not to myself.

Jay had been a little quieter than usual since we sat down. His eyes kept flickering to where Jungwon lay, still unconscious, and I knew he was torn-torn between wanting to stay by his side and needing to hold onto hope for Jake. I understood that pain. I felt it in my bones.

I was barely aware of the time passing when suddenly, Sunoo appeared at the edge of the small clearing. His silhouette was barely visible against the moonlit background, but the moment I saw him, my heart leaped into my throat.

"Sunoo..." Jay started, his voice tinged with a mix of hope and exhaustion. "What's going on? How's Jungwon?"

Sunoo's expression was soft, but there was something else there-something lighter in his eyes, a glimmer of relief that I hadn't seen in hours. For the briefest moment, he hesitated before answering, but then his lips curved into a small, almost hesitant smile.

"Jungwon... he woke up."

Jay's face lit up immediately, the weight on his shoulders lifting just a little. "He's awake?" He stood quickly, his feet almost stumbling as he moved toward Sunoo, eager to go to Jungwon.

I stayed where I was, my heart tightening as I watched Jay hurry toward Jungwon. For a second, I couldn't help the flash of envy-envy that Jay was able to go to Jungwon, that someone in this godforsaken camp was waking up and asking for the person they loved. I wanted that. I wanted Jake to open his eyes, to be okay.

But Jake... he wasn't.

I turned my head toward Sunoo, who was standing just a few feet away, and despite the relief on his face, the sadness was still there. His eyes met mine, and I felt that pang in my chest again.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. "Sunoo, what about Jake?" My voice cracked on the words, and I hated how weak I sounded, how desperate. "When is he going to wake up? Is there any news?"

Sunoo hesitated, his gaze flickering toward the tent where Jake still lay, unmoving. I saw the bittersweet smile form on his face, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Jake hyung still hasn't woken up, Sunghoon." His voice was gentle, almost like a whisper, and it felt like a cold slap. "But don't worry. He'll be alright. He's just... not ready yet."

The words felt hollow. Not ready yet.

I swallowed hard, trying to push the rising lump in my throat back down. My hands were trembling, but I couldn't stop them.

"How can you be sure?" I asked, the frustration lacing my voice despite the attempt to hold it together. "How can you say that when he hasn't even moved? What if-what if he doesn't wake up at all, Sunoo? What if we're just waiting for nothing?"

Sunoo took a small step toward me, his expression softening, but I could see the quiet sorrow behind it. He crouched down next to me, his voice low but firm.

"You have to believe he will, Sunghoon hyung." His eyes were steady, though the strain in them made my chest tighten. "Jake hyung is strong. He's been through worse. He'll pull through. You just have to hold on a little longer. We all have to."

I looked at Sunoo, his words sinking deep into my chest, but no matter how hard I tried to hold onto that belief, a part of me couldn't. Not yet. Not until I saw it with my own eyes.

I felt the tears burning behind my eyelids, and I squeezed them shut, desperate to push them back. I couldn't break down. Not here. Not in front of him. I had to stay strong. Jake needed me to stay strong.

But it was hard.

It was so hard.

Sunoo stood up, giving me one last glance before he turned to leave. "I'll go check on Jungwon." He hesitated for a second, then added softly, "We'll all make it through this, Sunghoon. We'll keep fighting for them."

As he walked away, I looked toward the tent where Jake still lay. The darkness of the night felt suffocating around me. Every time I breathed, the air seemed too thick, too tight in my lungs. My heart was aching, and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't make it stop.

I closed my eyes, leaning back against the cold ground. I couldn't keep doing this, this endless waiting, this constant ache. I couldn't keep pretending that everything would be alright when every minute felt like it was pulling me farther from Jake, farther from the hope I clung to.

When is he going to wake up?