Only You, Jaeyun | JAKEHOON

Epilogue

“Your apartment looks like a real estate scam.”

Jake stood in the doorway with a grocery bag in each arm, eyes wide as he stepped into the massive shared apartment Heeseung, Jay, and Sunghoon had just moved into.

Sunghoon immediately stepped forward, taking the bags. “It’s just an apartment.”

Jake turned slowly. “It has a chandelier.”

Jay popped his head out of the kitchen. “It had a chandelier. Then Heeseung broke it trying to hang upside down.”

“That was one time,” Heeseung called from the hallway. “And I was testing gravity.”

“You’re an idiot,” Sunghoon muttered, setting the groceries down.

Jake looked around, still a little in awe. Floor-to-ceiling windows. A huge shared living room. Wide couches, soft rugs, glass doors leading to a balcony with plants already wilting in the corner.

“It’s like a rich person drama set,” Jake whispered.

Jay smirked. “Welcome to Apartment of Chaotic Bachelors, starring one grumpy penguin, one himbo jock, and me—your favorite icon.”

Jake blinked. “So… who got the biggest room you've been fighting over?”

There was silence.

Then Jay grumbled, “Him. And please let's not talk about that. I'm still sensitive about that.”

Heeseung sighed. “Of course, it was him.”

Jake turned to Sunghoon. “You got the biggest room?”

Sunghoon shrugged. “It’s downstairs.”

Jake blinked. “So?”

“So you won’t have to take the stairs when you visit.”

Jay threw a cushion across the room. “THIS IS THE PROBLEM.”

“HE SAID ‘when Jake visits’ and we all just—” Heeseung made a defeated gesture. “—we all backed off like whipped puppies. It's pathetic!”

Sunghoon opened the fridge, unfazed. “He gets tired fast. It makes sense.”

Jay slumped onto the couch. “I was gonna argue but then he said ‘Jake’ and my brain went, ‘Yes sir. Take the master bedroom. Would you like the balcony too?’”

Jake giggled, cheeks warm. “You guys are dramatic.”

“You’re our collective weak spot,” Heeseung said, walking over and stealing one of Jake’s apple slices.

Jay flopped sideways, arm over his face. “It’s humiliating.”

Later that night, they all lounged in the living room — legs tangled, popcorn bowl resting on Jay’s chest, Jake curled under Sunghoon’s arm on the couch. The TV played something no one was watching.

Jake hummed, tracing stars into Sunghoon’s hoodie sleeve. “I missed this.”

“You were literally here two days ago,” Jay muttered.

“I still missed it.”

Sunghoon said nothing. Just tucked a blanket tighter around Jake’s legs and handed him a juice box without looking.

Jay watched this. Narrowed his eyes.

Then sat up. “Oh my god. That reminds me. I met the weirdest trio today.”

Heeseung perked up. “Story time?”

Jake tilted his head. “What happened?”

Jay pointed dramatically. “I was walking past the convenience store, and these three high school kids were outside fighting about a cactus.”

"You're a high school kid 2 months ago." Heeseung grumble. Jay shushed him.

“A… cactus?” Jake blinked.

“Yes.” Jay’s eyes went wide. “One of them was crying like he murdered someone. The other one was poking it with a stick. And the third one was patting the crying one’s back and saying, ‘It’s okay, Wonnie. Maybe it’s just sleeping.’”

Heeseung choked. “What.”

“I swear to god,” Jay said. “The crying one—tiny, fluffy hair, suspiciously pretty. Like too pretty to be real, very intense—kept saying “I forgot to water him for three days, I killed him, I should go to jail.””

Jake giggled. “Poor kid.”

“And the one poking it?” Jay continued. “He just shrugged and went, ‘Should’ve bought a fake one.’”

Jake laughed harder. “And the third?”

“He said, ‘Let’s name the new one Sunflower.’ And I nearly screamed.”

Heeseung leaned back, shaking his head. “So… chaos, nihilism, and glitter?”

Jay nodded solemnly. “I’ve never been more scared in my life.”

Jake giggled until he couldn’t breathe.

Sunghoon, softly: “You sound like you’re describing us in middle school years ago.”

Jay pointed. “Exactly. It’s a warning from the universe.”

Heeseung grinned. “You’re gonna adopt them, aren’t you.”

“I’m not a mentor,” Jay said firmly.

“You’re already in too deep,” Jake teased.

Sunghoon murmured, “You called one of them ‘Wonnie.’”

Jay blinked. “....Really?”

The night wound down with mugs of hot cocoa, reruns of old movies, and Jake slowly falling asleep on Sunghoon’s shoulder.

Heeseung turned the volume down.

Jay quietly took a photo.

Sunghoon adjusted the blanket around Jake’s shoulders again.

“…He’s snoring,” Jay whispered.

Sunghoon deadpanned, “That’s breathing.”

Jake stirred a little.

And Sunghoon—quietly, carefully—tucked a plush keychain into Jake’s bag before he forgot again. A small white dog. A tiny silver star. The one he won on the festival and later named ‘Hoon Hoon’.

“Soft,” Heeseung said softly, watching him.

Sunghoon just looked down at Jake. Brushed a strand of hair away from his face.

“…He’s always been.”

end of epilogue.