Only You, Jaeyun | JAKEHOON

Chapter 13

— “You’re my favorite.”

It was raining again.

The kind of light drizzle that made the classroom windows blur at the edges and turned the hallway into a slow-moving river of squeaky sneakers and forgotten umbrellas.

Jake stood by the lockers, carefully rearranging his pencil case for the fifth time, trying to squeeze in the band-aid tin his aunt insisted he always carry.

Across the hallway, Heeseung watched him.

Not really meaning to.

Just… noticing.

Jake’s hair was still slightly damp from the walk to school. He wore that same light blue hoodie with the frayed sleeves. His shoelaces were uneven. There was a small ink stain on his thumb from highlighting too hard during morning review.

Heeseung blinked.

Okay, weird.

That was weird.

Jay thumped down beside him with the subtlety of a thunderclap. “Did you see that guy Minjae today? His face still looks bruised. Your brother really said ‘justice is served.’”

Heeseung didn’t respond.

Jay tilted his head. “Hello?”

“…Yeah. I saw.”

Jay paused, then narrowed his eyes. “Why are you staring at Jake like he’s a movie?”

“I’m not.”

“You so are.”

“I’m not,” Heeseung repeated, voice too casual.

Jay’s grin widened. “Dude. No.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Okay. So what is it like?”

Heeseung looked down at his hands. “I don’t know. He’s just—He’s cute. I mean… not like that cute. He’s like a… plush toy that says thank you too much and packs extra cookies for everyone.”

Jay stared. “You just described a crush.”

“No,” Heeseung said quickly. “No, it’s not like that. It’s just… I don’t know. He makes everything feel kind of softer when he’s around.”

Jay raised an eyebrow. “So… not a crush?”

Heeseung crossed his arms. “Shut up.”

At lunch, they stayed inside because of the rain. The usual rooftop hangout replaced by the window ledge in the far corner of the classroom.

Jake unpacked his lunch, then pulled a second container from his bag.

“Extra,” he said, holding it out to Sunghoon.

Sunghoon took it without hesitation. “Thanks.”

Jake smiled. “I thought you liked the egg rolls.”

Sunghoon nodded once, eating in silence.

Heeseung bit into his sandwich. Quiet. Watching.

The way Jake tilted his head when he talked. The way he laughed more now, like something heavy had been taken off his shoulders. The way he always ate his strawberries last.

He’d been like this for days now.

Watching.

Wondering.

And not liking how the wondering made his chest feel.

Jake offered him a cookie, cheerful as ever. “Try it. I used less sugar this time.”

Heeseung reached out. Their fingers brushed.

And for some reason, that stupid little touch made his heartbeat stutter.

What the hell.

After lunch, they were packing up when Jake tugged something out of his bag and held it out to Sunghoon.

A keychain.

Small, daisy, the middle yellow. White, almost the same shade as his hoodie.

“For your bag,” Jake said softly. “I saw it and thought of you.”

Sunghoon blinked. “You thought of me when you saw a daisy?”

Jake flushed. “It reminded me of your skating outfit. That one with the icy sleeves.”

Jay snorted. “Bro, just say you’re in love and where's ours too!?”

Sunghoon ignored him. He took the keychain, clipped it to his bag silently, and sat down like nothing happened.

But Heeseung noticed the way Jake smiled afterward. Like just that was enough.

Like it mattered.

Heeseung looked away.

Something in his chest ached.

After class, they walked home together—Jay, Jake, Heeseung, and Sunghoon trailing behind.

Jake talked the most, as always. About a book he liked. About a dog he saw outside the convenience store. About how his aunt once sewed his school pants wrong and he wore them backwards for a week.

Jay and Jake kept laughing.

Sunghoon said little but stayed close.

And Heeseung?

He watched the way Jake’s shoulders shook when he laughed. The way he threw his head back and clapped like a seal. The way he turned toward whoever spoke, really listened, eyes soft and open.

He didn’t mean to say it out loud.

But it slipped.

“You’re my favorite.”

Jake blinked. “What?”

Heeseung froze. “I said—uh—I meant—your cookies. Your cookies are my favorite.”

Jake grinned. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Heeseung muttered, kicking a rock. “You’re… really good at stuff like that.”

Jay snickered behind them. Sunghoon turned his head slightly with a small smile.

Jake just beamed.

“Thanks, Heeseung.”

And the worst part?

Heeseung meant it.

Not just the cookies.

All of it.

end of chapter 13.