bad desire | sim jaeyun

nineteen🦇

"Oh, and you do now, huh?" Siyeon snapped, her eyes flashing in defiance.

"Look," Sunghoon said, softening just slightly. His expression still carried that same intensity, but his tone lowered. "I just want to protect you, Siyeon. You're a good friend. And I don't need you getting hurt because of him."

"Just a friend, huh..." she muttered under her breath, the sting in her chest sharper than she expected.

Sunghoon didn't catch it. 

Before Siyeon could fire back, footsteps came pounding down the hall. A younger boy came skidding to a stop in front of them, doubled over and panting.

"Siyeon!" he gasped, clutching his side. "I need your help!"

Both she and Sunghoon blinked at him.

"Sungho?" Siyeon tilted her head. He was the energetic head of the drama club, though she'd never spoken to him much.

"Miyong called in sick-" he wheezed, trying to catch his breath, "-and we need a replacement for rehearsal. No one else in the club has the right build, and if it isn't you, it's gonna throw Haemin off completely. Please, Siyeon, you're my only option right now!"

"What?" she blinked, baffled. "But I'm not even in the drama club."

"I know, I know!" Sungho clasped his hands together in exaggerated pleading. "But you're perfect for the stand-in, just for today please. If you don't, it's going to be a disaster."

Siyeon hesitated, glancing sideways at Sunghoon, who still looked deadly serious, waiting for an answer about Jake. Her stomach twisted.

"...Ugh, fine," she muttered.

Sungho's entire face lit up. "Yes! You're a lifesaver!"

Before Sunghoon could stop her, Sungho grabbed Siyeon's hand and tugged her down the hall. "Come on, the others are waiting in the drama room!"

Siyeon let herself be dragged away, not bothering to look back. 'Better to deal with stage scripts than Sunghoon right now.'

Sunghoon stood rooted in place, jaw tight as he watched her disappear around the corner with the younger boy.

An hour later, Jake wandered the halls in a haze. His legs felt heavy, his vision blurred at the edges. Hunger gnawed at him like claws dragging down his insides, but he clenched his jaw, refusing to acknowledge it. The last thing he wanted was to admit just how badly he needed to feed.

More than hunger, though, was the constant tension of Sunghoon. Jake could feel him somewhere nearby, like the prickle of static in the air. If Sunghoon caught him in this state, he would be exorcised, no doubt about it. And Heeseung... Jake pushed that thought aside. The annoying demon wasn't his problem right now.

He turned a corner and nearly collided with Eunji and Miji.

"Jake?" Eunji blinked. "What are you still doing here? Staying for self-study?"

Jake shook his head. "No. Where's Siyeon?"

"Oh," Miji piped up, rolling her eyes. "She's in the hall. Drama club president dragged her into helping with their play."

"Bless her heart," Eunji sighed. "Everyone knows how much of a pain Sungho is. He takes it so seriously."

"Thanks," Jake muttered, then broke into a half-run toward the hall.

When he pushed open the door, the club was already packing up. Costumes hung half-folded, props were being shoved into boxes, and chatter filled the room.