Left Out Friend

28

The ride back was filled with laughter, playful teasing, and shared reflections on the night's events. But Sunoo remained at the far corner, his head resting against the cool glass window. The night sky stretched endlessly beyond his gaze, its serenity a cruel contrast to the storm inside him. His face was stoic, betraying none of the turmoil in his mind. Fear gnawed at him, growing stronger with every mile closer to home.

When they arrived, the members dispersed to their rooms, their tired faces glowing with satisfaction from the night's victory. Sunoo lingered behind, keeping his distance, waiting for the others to disappear into their respective rooms. He couldn’t risk being followed... not tonight.

The house settled into silence, save for the faint creak of floorboards under his cautious steps. For a fleeting moment, Sunoo felt a sliver of relief. They seemed happy, content. Maybe tonight would pass quietly.

He had enjoyed the arena. How could he not? It reminded him of the person he used to be before everything changed. But the joy he once knew felt like a distant memory, buried beneath layers of fear and unease.

Once the coast was clear, he slipped into his room, carefully closing the door behind him. The soft click of the lock was a small comfort. Finally, he was alone.

Without bothering to shower, he changed into his pajamas and collapsed onto his bed. The frustration of the night still clung to him like a second skin, but he ignored it. Instead, he picked up his phone, scrolling aimlessly through the trending topics to distract himself.

His heart stopped when he saw it: SunJay trending.

Panic gripped him as he stared at the words on the screen. His breathing quickened, and his fingers trembled. Why was this affecting him so much? It wasn’t the first time he’d been part of a ship the fans adored. Sunghoon, Ni-ki, even Heeseung. He had learned to brush it off, even laugh at it sometimes. But this? This felt different.

His chest tightened, and a chill ran down his spine. He couldn’t understand it, couldn’t place why this particular pairing unsettled him so deeply.

Shutting his eyes, he tried to calm his racing heart, clutching his phone as though it could anchor him. The cold sweat on his palms made it difficult to think clearly. Just as he was about to set the phone aside and force himself to sleep, a knock echoed through his room.

Soft. Almost hesitant.

Sunoo froze. His eyes snapped to the door, the blood draining from his face. His mind flashed back to earlier that night, the hallway, the way Jungwon’s gaze lingered on him a second too long.

Who could it be?

His heartbeat thundered in his ears as he sat up slowly, moving toward the door with careful, silent steps. The air felt heavy, suffocating. His shaky hand hovered over the doorknob when the knock came again. Louder this time, more insistent.

Sunoo’s body trembled. Every instinct screamed at him not to open the door, but his fingers betrayed him, brushing against the lock. Before he could stop himself, the door swung open violently, the edge smacking his forehead as he stumbled back in shock.

Standing in the doorway was Jungwon, a box in his hands, his smile too wide to be genuine.

"Sunoo-yah~," Jungwon greeted, his tone light, almost cheerful. But there was a sharpness in his eyes that made Sunoo’s stomach twist.

Sunoo stepped back instinctively, his chest rising and falling in shallow, rapid breaths.

Jungwon entered the room without invitation, closing the door behind him with a decisive click. The sound of the lock turning sent a fresh wave of dread through Sunoo’s body.