Only You, Jaeyun | JAKEHOON

Chapter 7

— It Was Just a Note

Jake came back to school on Thursday with a cough drop in his mouth and a new scarf around his neck.

Jay immediately pointed. “Is that a different scarf?”

Jake blinked. “What?”

“You wore the blue one last week, I remember because you forgot it. This one’s brown. I also  remember this because I almost stole it years ago.”

Heeseung narrowed his eyes. “Wait. Is that—?”

Jake tugged the fabric higher around his neck. “My aunt gave it to me?”

Sunghoon, across the room, blinked very slowly. Then went back to fixing the blade guard on his skate keychain, like he hadn’t just been caught staring.

“Bet she didn’t write 'Park' in the corner,” Jay muttered, grinning.

Jake flushed.

Heeseung smirked. “How’s the plague, by the way?”

“I wasn’t dying,” Jake said. “Just a little cold. I’m fine now.”

Jay threw an arm over his shoulder, immediately leaning all his body weight. “Great. That means I can start bullying you again.”

Jake stumbled. “You never stopped!”

Sunghoon was still watching. Quiet. Sharp.

But this time, he didn’t hide it when Jake looked back.

At lunch, chaos resumed as usual.

Jay spilled tteokbokki sauce on Heeseung’s sleeve, Heeseung threatened to bite him, and Jake quietly offered one of his extra napkins while chewing through half a kimbap roll.

Sunghoon, as always, sat beside him. Close enough to lean into if Jake tilted just slightly.

“I brought you something,” Jake said halfway through lunch, cheeks pink.

He dug into his bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper — an envelope, actually.

Sunghoon stared. “What’s that?”

“A thank-you card.”

Sunghoon blinked. “Why?”

Jake fidgeted. “For taking care of me. You didn’t have to.”

“I told you to stop—”

“—thanking you, I know.” Jake smiled. “But I wanted to.”

Sunghoon took the envelope slowly, careful not to crease it. It had little blue stars doodled along the edge.

He didn’t open it right away. Just stared at the handwriting on the front:
To Hoonie❄️♡

Jay squinted. “What’s that?”

“Nothing,” Sunghoon said, immediately tucking it into his pocket.

Heeseung raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never taken anything from us with that much care. I gave you a birthday card once and you used it as a coaster.”

Jake coughed, trying to hide his smile.

Jay lunged. “Show me the letter!”

Sunghoon leaned back, shielding his jacket like it held state secrets.

“Touch it and you die.”

“I KNEW IT’S A LOVE LETTER.”

Jake spluttered. “It’s not a love letter!”

Heeseung held up a hand. “Let’s be real. If Jake ever wrote one, it’d have sparkles and cat stickers.”

Jake narrowed his eyes. “You’re not wrong.”

Sunghoon stood, casually brushing his pants. “I’m going to the vending machine.”

Jay leapt up too. “I’ll come!”

“No.”

Jay froze. “...Okay.”

Heeseung chuckled. “He’s guarding it with his life.”

Jake watched Sunghoon disappear down the stairs. He tried not to think about how his heart was beating a little faster than usual.

Sunghoon opened the note behind the gym building, where no one would see.

It was short. Neat. Written in Jake’s looping handwriting.

> Hoonie,

I know you don’t like when I say thank you, but I really mean it.

You’re… nice. Even if you pretend you’re not.

Thanks for taking care of me.

— Jake ☀️

Sunghoon stared at the paper for a long time.

Then folded it up carefully and slid it back into his jacket pocket like it was made of glass.

That evening, the boys stayed after school to hang around the practice rink.

Jay wanted to show off his “Olympic-level” long jump (which ended with him skidding on the floor), and Heeseung was busy trying to balance a milk carton on Jake’s head.

Sunghoon sat on the bench, skates beside him, eyes drifting.

Jake looked up from his spot on the floor. “Are you going to skate today?”

Sunghoon nodded.

Heeseung grinned. “Don’t blink. You might miss him turning into a god.”

Jay added, “His spins make people fall in love.”

Jake rolled his eyes, but quietly, in the corner of his mind… he believed them.

He watched as Sunghoon stepped onto the ice. Watched how the quiet boy who never spoke unless needed suddenly transformed into something else entirely — all clean lines and effortless speed, like he belonged in that cold world more than anywhere else.

And then, as if pulled by some invisible string, Sunghoon skated to the far end of the rink, paused, and looked toward Jake.

Their eyes met.

Just for a second.

Jake’s breath hitched.

Jay and Heeseung were still fighting over the vending machine in the background.

But Jake didn’t hear them anymore.

Only the sound of his own heart, ticking like a timer.

And the way Sunghoon, suddenly, smiled — just a little.

Then took off, fast and sharp and beautiful.

end of chapter