Ineffable 𓇢𓆸 || Jakehoon

🍂 Chapter 58 🍂

The camp had grown quiet by midnight, the soft murmurs of the others fading into a hushed stillness. The only sounds were the distant crackling of a fire, the soft rustle of leaves, and the occasional shift of someone turning in their sleep.

I couldn't sleep. Not yet.

I glanced over at Jay and Jungwon, both of them now resting peacefully, their faces relaxed in the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the trees. Thank god Jungwon woke up. Seeing them together, their hands entwined, a small smile on Jay's lips as he slept beside Jungwon, brought a fleeting warmth to my chest. It was a brief, precious moment of happiness in a world that had been shattered by war. At least one of us has something to hold onto.

But then my gaze shifted back to Jake, still lying motionless in the tent. Nothing had changed. His eyes were still closed, his body unmoving, his skin pale against the makeshift sheets. My heart twisted again, a familiar ache gnawing at me.

I sat down next to him, watching him as I had for the last several hours, my hope clinging to him like a lifeline. I kept telling myself that he would wake up. He had to.

The air felt too heavy. Too cold. Everyone else was asleep, but I couldn't close my eyes. Not yet. Not until I know he's okay.

As I sat there, lost in my thoughts, I heard the soft crunch of footsteps behind me. I turned, expecting to see Sunoo or maybe Eunhee, but instead, it was Niki.

He approached quietly, his expression unreadable for a moment, and then, after a beat, he spoke.

"I know sometimes I'm an idiot, Sunghoon hyung," Niki started, his voice unusually soft, "but truly, Jake hyung will wake up. And do you know why?"

I looked at him, confused. "Why?" My voice was hoarse, still thick with emotion.

Niki smiled, a little shy, but there was something comforting in the way his eyes softened. "Because of the necklace you gave him."

My breath caught, and I stared at him, my mind racing. "How do you know about that, Niki?"

He sat down beside me, pulling his knees up to his chest. "Jake hyung tells me everything," he said, his voice light, but there was a sincerity to it that I couldn't ignore. "He talks about you all the time. He talks about the necklace, about how much it means to him, about how much you mean to him."

I looked back at Jake, my heart tightening as I thought about the small pendant, the one I'd given him. The one that always seemed to shine brighter when he wore it.

That necklace was more than just a piece of jewelry-it was a gift. A connection. It was my way of telling him that no matter what happened, I would always be there for him. No matter how dark it got, no matter how far apart we were, I would always find him.

But now... Now, it felt like I was the one who was lost.

I took a shaky breath, swallowing the lump in my throat. "He never told me he spoke about me like that," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.

Niki chuckled softly. "Well, sometimes he's a little shy about it. But he says it all the time-how much he loves you, how much he cares. How much he believes in you."

The words hung in the air between us, and for a moment, I felt something warm spread through me, something I hadn't felt in hours. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep me grounded. Jake believed in me. And somehow, that belief was enough to hold on to, even in the darkest moments.

"Thank you, Niki," I said, my voice trembling a little, but I smiled-genuinely this time. "I really needed to hear that."

Niki smiled back, his usual mischief in his eyes, but there was something softer, kinder in his expression now. "Hey, no problem. You've been through a lot, Sunghoon hyung. I know Jake hyung will wake up. He's strong. You're both strong, and the best part is, you have me!."

I nodded, feeling a little bit of that weight lift off my chest, if only for a moment. Maybe Niki was right. Maybe we were both strong enough to get through this.

Then I glanced over at him. "Niki, don't you want to sleep? You should rest."

"Nah," he grinned, settling down next to me. "I'm staying with you two tonight. Because Niki loves you both."

My heart swelled with a surprising warmth. "Thank you."

He gave me one of his trademark, carefree smiles, the kind that always seemed to make everything feel a little lighter. "Don't mention it. I'm not going anywhere. We'll wait together."

And for the first time in hours, I felt like maybe, just maybe, it would be okay. Even if it was just a small comfort, it was something to hold onto. With Niki there beside me, offering his quiet support, I knew I wasn't alone in this. We were all in this together, waiting for the same thing.

For Jake to wake up.