Ineffable 𓇢𓆸 || Jakehoon

🍂 Chapter 59🍂

Three sleepless nights. Three.

The words echoed in my mind, a constant reminder of the endless hours I had spent by Jake's side, waiting. Watching. Hoping. But still, he didn't wake up. Still, nothing had changed.

Others told me to rest. They said it in soft voices, their words meant to comfort, to make me feel like I wasn't alone in this. But I couldn't. How could I rest when my heart felt like it was burning inside my chest, a searing ache that wouldn't let up? How could I sleep when every time I closed my eyes, I saw his pale face, his still body, and felt the weight of his absence pressing down on me?

I knew they were worried, that they were just trying to help. But they didn't understand.

My heart was a fire that couldn't be extinguished, a flame that only grew hotter with each passing minute. How could I rest? How could I even think about anything other than Jake?

I had sat there for hours on end, staring at his face, searching for some sign, any sign that he was still fighting. But every time I checked, every time I reached out to touch him, it was like I was only met with more cold, more emptiness. Was this it? Was he really gone? I had no answers. Only questions. And pain. So much pain.

But tonight, something felt different. Something shifted.

It wasn't much at first. It started as a faint twitch. A small, barely noticeable movement of his hand, and my heart skipped in my chest. Was I imagining it? Had I been staring at him for so long that my eyes were playing tricks on me?

But then... it happened again.

His fingers twitched. His eyelids fluttered. And for the first time in days, I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"Jake..." I whispered his name, the sound barely audible, but it was enough to make his body respond just a little more. His hand moved again, and I leaned forward, my heart pounding.

He's waking up.

I reached out to him, gently brushing my fingers against his. His skin was still cold, too cold, and his body too weak. But his breathing... his breathing had changed. It was no longer shallow. It had deepened, and there was a slight rise and fall of his chest that made me believe-hope-that he was finally coming back to me.

"Jake... please... please, open your eyes..." I murmured, my voice thick with desperation, my chest tightening as I spoke. I couldn't let go. I couldn't lose him. Not like this.

Slowly, so slowly, his eyelids began to lift. It was a small, almost imperceptible movement at first, like he was trying to fight against some invisible force that was holding him down. And then-his eyes opened.

I gasped.

His eyes were glassy, unfocused at first, and there was confusion in them. They didn't look like the bright, familiar eyes I'd always known. They looked so fragile, so weak, like they were struggling to adjust to the world again. His lips parted slightly, but he didn't speak. His body trembled as if even the smallest effort to move was draining him. He was so weak. Too weak.

But he was awake.

"Jake..." I whispered again, my voice breaking. "You're awake..."

His gaze slowly shifted toward me, his expression still distant, as though he wasn't fully aware of where he was. His eyes wandered, barely focusing on my face, and for a moment, I thought he might slip away again. My heart clenched in fear.

"Sunghoon?" His voice was hoarse, barely audible, but it sent a shock of relief through me.

I nodded, my hand trembling as I brushed a few stray locks of hair away from his forehead. "Yeah... yeah, it's me. I'm here. You're safe. You're gonna be okay."