The Boy From The Bridge - Jakehoon

Chapter 122: Reserved Gallantry 3/5

Sunghoon ran, his hand clutched tightly around the key. His footsteps slapped into the rain soaked pavement, splattering puddles of water up his legs. It was cold and heavy but he didn't care. 

He had left his bags and books with Jay and the others - he would have to pick those up later, right now - all he needed was speed. 

He ran for so many reasons - least of all, the rain. He wanted to cry and allowed himself those tears now he was away from his peers. Jake was going and he was sealing their end  with this very run. 

Despite knowing full well that the power to screw this for Jake was now within his hands, Sunghoon couldn't countenance the thought. 

Jake had taught him so much about life and about himself. If their relationship had been worth anything then he had to do this - for both of them. It would prove to Sunghoon that he was now a much greater man than he thought he was capable of being. 

When he had chased Jake before it had ultimately being for selfish reasons. He had yearned and needed Jake's companionship. While it was true he was going to lose something today when he lost Jake it would be his decision, he was in control. 

He entered the apartment building and leaped past the elevators and up the stairs. 

In September, if faced with his current dilemma he would have hid from it. He would have taken the elevator and prayed that it would break down - he would have done everything to try and avoid the responsibility of anything going wrong. 

Now however he was in the thick of the actions. His decisions affected not just his life now but the lives of those around him. 

He owed making the right decision to those people.

Jungkook had saved his life on the rooftop of this building and that favour had to be returned. 

And Jake,

 "Oh Jake" Sunghoon called to the air as he reached to top flight of stairs. "I am going to miss the hell out of you."

Sunghoon didn't stop to catch his breath at the top of the stairs and instead bundled himself towards Jungkook's front door. A piece of police tape was stuck across the doorway. He took a moment to place his ear on the door in the case there was anyone within - upon do so he satisfied himself that he couldn't hear them if there was. 

Placing Jake's key in the lock he turned it. For a moment he thought that the key wasn't turning or that the door was jammed. Parts of him, those shameful and lustful parts, let out small cheers at the potential at being unable to deliver Jake his passport and he might stay in his life for a little while longer. 

Those parts were forgotten as the key turned and the door opened. 

The apartment was how he remembered it. Jungkook and Jake's belongings were strewn around the place. Socks and dog hair below every chair and half-drunk cups of tea were situated on every flat surface that wasn't the floor. 

He was about to creep inside when he turned and saw the wet footprints that he had brought with his shoes on the hallway floor. 'They might figure out it was me' he told himself, and kicked his shoes at his own front door across the hallway. 

The two thumps of the shoes hitting the wooden door sounded no louder than the beat heart inside of him. 

After taking a half breath, Sunghoon ducked beneath the police tape and entered. On his tip-toes he made his way as quickly as he could to Jake's bedroom. 

He tried to hold his breath, as if the air he exhaled from his longs would be traceable on this potential crime scene. 

Despite his attempts to the country, inevitably his requirement to breathe caught up with him and he was forced to gulp for air.