eclipsed | sim jaeyun

08.

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The tension between Jake and me was unspoken but impossible to ignore. I could feel it every time we were in the same room, like a magnetic force pulling me closer despite the warning sirens in my head. 

Jungwon, oblivious as always, made plans for us to visit a nearby market the next morning. He was determined to pick up some souvenirs, and the rest of us tagged along, glad for an excuse to explore. 

The market was bustling with life—bright stalls overflowing with handmade trinkets, the smell of street food wafting through the air, and vendors calling out in melodic voices to attract customers. I stuck close to Yunjin and Giselle, hoping their chatter would distract me. 

But Jake was never far. 

---

"Haeri, look at this!" Yunjin grabbed my hand, pulling me toward a stall selling delicate silver jewelry. 

"It's pretty," I said, running my fingers over a bracelet engraved with tiny flowers. 

"You should get it," she urged, nudging me. "It suits you." 

I hesitated, then shook my head. "Maybe later. Let's keep looking." 

As we walked away, I felt someone fall into step beside me. 

"Not your style?" Jake asked, nodding toward the bracelet. 

I glanced at him, my pulse quickening. "It's nice, but I don't need it." 

He hummed in response, and we fell into an awkward silence. It didn't help that Jungwon was just a few feet ahead, chatting animatedly with Sunwoo. 

"Haeri," Jake said suddenly, his voice low. 

I looked up at him, startled. "What?" 

"Last night—" he started, but then stopped himself, glancing over his shoulder. "Never mind." 

I frowned, frustration bubbling to the surface. "You can't keep doing that, Jake. Saying half of something and then dropping it." 

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know. I just—" 

"Jake! Haeri! Hurry up!" Jungwon's voice cut through the moment, and we both turned to see him waving us over. 

Jake clenched his jaw, then muttered, "Later." 

---

"Later" didn't come until that evening, after the market, when everyone else had retreated to their rooms. I was sitting on the porch, staring out at the stars, when Jake appeared, his hands shoved into his pockets. 

"Hey," he said, his voice soft. 

"Hey," I replied, tensing immediately. 

He hesitated, then sat down beside me, leaving a few inches of space between us. 

"About earlier," he said, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "I wasn't trying to avoid you. I just—" 

"You don't have to explain," I said quickly, though I wasn't sure I meant it. 

"Yes, I do," he said, turning to look at me. "Because I know I've been sending mixed signals, and that's not fair to you." 

I stared at him, caught off guard by his honesty. 

"I meant what I said yesterday," he continued. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to act on it. I can't, Haeri. Not with Jungwon in the picture." 

My heart sank, even though I'd been expecting it. "I get it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "He's your best friend." 

"And you're his sister," Jake added, his tone heavy. 

We sat in silence for a while, the weight of his words pressing down on both of us. 

"You know," I said finally, trying to lighten the mood, "this would be a lot easier if you were just a jerk." 

He laughed, the sound soft and bittersweet. "Trust me, it'd be easier for me too." 

---

The next few days passed in a blur. We spent our mornings exploring the island and our evenings lounging around the vacation house, playing card games or watching movies. Jake and I kept our distance, but it didn't help. Every glance, every accidental brush of our hands, felt like a spark waiting to ignite. 

Yunjin, of course, noticed everything. 

"Are you seriously going to ignore this forever?" she asked one night, as we got ready for bed. 

"I'm not ignoring it," I protested. 

"You're avoiding it, which is worse," she said, crossing her arms. "Haeri, this isn't just going to go away. You like him, and he likes you. What's the point of pretending otherwise?" 

"The point," I said, exasperated, "is that he's Jungwon's best friend. And Jungwon would freak out if he found out." 

"So what?" Yunjin said, throwing her hands up. "Eventually, you're going to have to decide whether you want to make yourself happy or keep worrying about what other people think." 

Her words stayed with me long after she fell asleep. 

---

On our last night in Jeju, Jungwon suggested a bonfire on the beach. We gathered driftwood, roasted marshmallows, and told embarrassing stories about each other, laughing until our sides hurt. 

But as the night wore on, the group began to thin out. Giselle, Sunghoon, Jay and Sunoo were the first to leave, followed by Niki, Heeseung and Yunjin. Eventually, it was just Jake, Jungwon, and me sitting by the fire. 

Jungwon yawned, stretching his arms. "I think I'm gonna call it a night. You two okay to put out the fire?" 

Jake nodded. "We got it." 

As soon as Jungwon disappeared up the path, the air between us shifted. 

"Guess this is it," I said, poking at the embers with a stick. 

"For the trip, maybe," Jake said. "But not... this." 

I froze, my grip tightening on the stick. "What do you mean?" 

"You know what I mean, Haeri," he said, his voice steady. "This thing between us—it's not going away." 

I looked up at him, my chest tightening. "So what are we supposed to do?" 

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I'm done pretending it doesn't exist." 

His words felt like a challenge, daring me to face what I'd been running from. 

And for the first time, I wasn't sure I wanted to run anymore. 

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