Only You, Jaeyun | JAKEHOON

Chapter 2

—And somehow, everyone noticed.

The next morning, Sim Jaeyun walked into class five minutes early, clutching a milk carton like it was a peace offering.

“Morning,” he said, voice still a little groggy.

Jay leaned back in his chair and whistled. “Early bird, huh?”

Jake smiled, all shy teeth and dimples. “Jet lag.”

Heeseung, leaning his head against the window, peeked open one eye. “Still? That was yesterday.”

“I slept at 8 p.m.,” Jake replied. “Woke up at 4 a.m. and made eggs.”

Jay stared at him. “You can cook?”

“I mean. A little,” Jake shrugged.

Jay turned dramatically toward Sunghoon, who had just slid into his seat and dropped his bag with his usual quiet grace. “Hoon. New plan. We keep him.”

Sunghoon didn’t blink. “We just met him.”

Jay pointed his pen like a sword. “Exactly. We claim him before someone else does.”

Jake laughed softly, cheeks pink. “You guys are... really something.”

“You have no idea,” Heeseung muttered, scribbling something in the corner of Jake’s notebook. “What’s this?”

Jake peeked. “Oh. I was doodling my aunt’s dog.”

Jay squinted. “That’s a dog?”

“It’s not finished!”

Sunghoon didn’t join the teasing. But his eyes flicked over, just briefly, just enough to catch the curve of Jake’s ear turning red.

And maybe, maybe—if anyone looked close enough—they would’ve seen the faintest twitch of a dimple.

The first time Jake sneezed that day, it was during homeroom.

It was soft. High-pitched. A tiny choo! like a sound effect from a cartoon. Everyone turned around.

“Bless you,” Heeseung said, completely unfazed.

Jay, on the other hand, clutched his chest. “Oh my god. Was that real?”

Jake sniffled, embarrassed. “I can’t help it…”

“Do it again,” Jay begged. “It sounded like a baby animal.”

“I’m not a toy,” Jake mumbled.

“Noted. Still adorable,” Jay said, grinning.

Jake didn’t respond—he just buried his face in his scarf.

Sunghoon watched him for a second longer than necessary. Then turned away like he didn’t.

At lunch, they ended up in their usual spot on the rooftop again, the sun warming the concrete, the city stretching out in shades of gray and blue.

Jake sat cross-legged again, this time with a sandwich Heeseung had quietly handed him.

“Did your aunt pack you lunch?” Heeseung asked.

Jake nodded. “She worries too much.”

“She should,” Sunghoon said.

It was so casual—so smooth—that everyone paused.

Jay blinked. “Whoa. Hoon spoke.”

Sunghoon didn’t react. He just kept picking at his rice, like he hadn’t just revealed he was listening. Like he hadn’t just admitted, with four words, that he noticed things about Jake.

Jake didn’t say anything in return. He just looked at him for a moment.

Then—another sneeze.

Jay yelped. “There it is again!”

“You really do sneeze like a kitten,” Heeseung said, impressed.

Sunghoon stood up and took off his school blazer.

Jake blinked. “What—”

“Your cardigan’s too thin,” Sunghoon said, dropping the blazer over Jake’s shoulders like it was nothing. “And you sound sick.”

Jay opened his mouth. Closed it.

Heeseung choked on his drink.

Sunghoon sat back down like he hadn’t just committed the most romantic gesture anyone had ever seen in high school history.

Jake blinked again, eyes wide. He looked down at the blazer, then back up.

“Um... thanks?”

Sunghoon didn’t look at him. “Stop saying that.”

Jake tilted his head. “Saying what?”

“Thanks.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause it’s nothing.”

Jay and Heeseung exchanged a look so fast and so full of screaming emotion that they nearly burst. Jay kicked Heeseung under the table.

Heeseung grinned like a fox. “So what you’re saying is…Jake’s officially your favorite?”

Sunghoon finally looked up, deadpan. “Don’t test me.”

Jay gasped, scandalized. “He has a favorite. He said it. I heard it.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Heeseung leaned into Jake’s side. “Don’t worry. We’ll protect you.”

Jake, caught in the middle of this ridiculous storm, just laughed.

And for a second, just a second, Park Sunghoon looked at him.

Really looked at him.

And there was something quiet there. Soft. Strange.

Something that made Heeseung nudge Jay and whisper:

“He’s so gone already.”

Jay nodded, dazed. “He’s done for.”

Jake sneezed again.

Sunghoon looked like he was about to hand over his entire closet.

end of chapter