𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 - 𝘚. 𝘑𝘢𝘦𝘺𝘶𝘯

Lost in translation

Jake wandered through the bustling festival grounds, hands shoved deep into his pockets as he dodged clusters of students and parents alike. Brightly colored booths lined the courtyard, each one littered with handmade decorations and slightly lopsided banners promoting everything from food stalls to game stands. The scent of sizzling meat and sweet pastries tangled in the cool air, making his stomach grumble despite the irritation boiling beneath his skin.

He couldn't even enjoy the festival. Not when he had Soojin's voice still ringing in his ears from earlier, her whiny persistence making him consider jumping into one of the dunk tanks just to get away from her. To make matters worse, Jake couldn't stop glancing around, searching for a familiar face.

Or more specifically, a certain girl who'd been actively avoiding him all week.

His eyes roamed over the crowd until they finally landed on her. Yeri.

Except, of course, she wasn't alone.

Jake's eyes narrowed as he spotted her standing near one of the game booths, her cardigan slipping off one shoulder as she handed a toy hammer to some kid. But it wasn't the kid who caught Jake's attention. It was the guy beside her—the one who seemed to hover too close, like he had some sort of magnetic pull toward her.

The same guy Jake had seen at her house. The one who drove her to school that one morning and left him spiraling for days.

Jake's jaw clenched as he watched the guy—a little too tall, hair annoyingly perfect—hovering around Yeri with an easy smile. They were talking, and Yeri didn't look uncomfortable or nervous like she did around most people. She actually looked... relaxed.

Great. Of course, she was into older guys. What, high schoolers weren't good enough for her?

"Why is he following her around like some annoying little—" Jake muttered under his breath before biting his tongue.

He watched them longer than he'd like to admit, unable to peel his eyes away. And then, as if to make things worse, the guy reached out and swatted the back of Yeri's head in what was probably meant to be playful.

Jake saw red. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

His feet were moving before his brain had time to stop him. Jake cut through the crowd, gaze locked on the duo like a predator zeroing in on its prey.

The mystery guy noticed him approaching first, his brow lifting as he took Jake in with a look that bordered on disinterest.

Yeri, on the other hand, stiffened the moment she spotted him. Her eyes went wide, and she immediately looked like she wanted to melt into the ground. Jake faltered a bit, his confidence slipping under her startled gaze. But the annoyance brewing in his chest overpowered the nerves.

"Hey," Jake greeted, his voice a little too loud and awkward. He cleared his throat. "Uh, you... you've been hanging around Yeri a lot."

The guy looked him up and down, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. And?"

Jake's lips parted, words tumbling out without much grace. "I just—" He glanced at Yeri, who seemed frozen in place. "I just wanted to know... what your intentions are."

He cringed the second the words left his mouth. He sounded like some overprotective dad trying to scare off his daughter's date.

"My intentions?" The guy repeated, a half amused, half annoyed look on his face. "Kid, what are you even—"

"Look, I don't know what you're doing, but you're always around her, and it's... weird." Jake said, struggling to keep his voice steady. "I just want to know who you are."