SERENADE | JAKE

three : Unspoken Words⭑.ᐟ

     The weekend came around faster than Yeri expected, but her nerves hadn’t caught up with the excitement buzzing through the school. Everyone was talking about the live band performance—Jake Sim’s band, to be specific. It was the first school event of the semester, and from what Yeri overheard, it was going to be the highlight of the year.

Yeri sat at her usual desk near the window, sketching absentmindedly in her notebook during lunch break. She wasn’t an art student, but drawing always helped her calm down. She was midway through sketching the outline of a guitar when a familiar voice broke her focus.

“Hey, Yeri.”

She looked up to see Sunghoon Park, one of Jake’s closest friends, leaning against the desk next to hers. With his sharp features and confident grin, Sunghoon carried himself like he owned the room wherever he went.

“Hi,” Yeri said softly, putting down her pencil.

Sunghoon tilted his head, inspecting the guitar sketch in her notebook. “Is that Jake’s guitar? Looks like the one he uses for practice.”

Yeri quickly shut her notebook, her cheeks burning. “It’s just a random drawing. I wasn’t thinking about anyone.”

“Sure,” Sunghoon said, smirking as he crossed his arms.

“You’ve been quiet about it, but you’re coming to the performance, right?”

“Why is everyone asking me that?” Yeri muttered under her breath.

Before Sunghoon could respond, the door to the classroom swung open, and Jake strolled in with two other band members—Jay and Heeseung. The three of them looked effortlessly cool, their presence drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

“Sunghoon, we’ve got practice. Stop slacking,” Jake teased as he walked over.

“I’m not slacking,” Sunghoon shot back, motioning toward Yeri. “I’m doing you a favor.”

Jake’s eyes flicked to Yeri, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “A favor, huh? What did you say to her this time?”

“Just making sure she knows about the performance,” Sunghoon replied casually.

Jake shook his head, chuckling. “Sorry about him. He thinks he’s my manager or something.”

Yeri looked down at her notebook, unable to meet Jake’s gaze. “It’s fine. Everyone’s been talking about the performance anyway.”

Jake shifted on his feet, suddenly looking a little unsure of himself. “So, are you coming?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Yeri replied honestly.

Jay nudged Jake’s shoulder. “Let’s go. Heeseung’s already annoyed we’re late for practice.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jake said, rolling his eyes. He glanced back at Yeri, his tone softening. “I hope you come. It would mean a lot.”

Before she could respond, he turned and followed his friends out of the room, leaving her with Sunghoon’s teasing smirk.

-

The Night of the Performance

     Yeri sat in the packed auditorium, her heart pounding as the crowd buzzed with anticipation. She didn’t know why she’d decided to come, but something about Jake’s hopeful smile earlier had stuck with her.

The stage lights dimmed, and the crowd erupted into cheers as the band took their places. Jake stood at the center with his guitar, looking every bit the star as he adjusted the strap on his shoulder. Jay grabbed the microphone, flashing a confident grin.