Breaking Point ➨ Sim Jaeyun

𝟖.

My eyes snapped open.

And there he was.

Jake. Sitting against the wall, one leg bent, earbuds dangling around his neck, eyes half on me like he'd been here for hours.

Of course he was here.

The universe really had a messed-up sense of humor.

"Didn't think you would either," I replied, voice calm, even though my pulse betrayed me.

He smirked, tilting his head slightly. "Guess we both needed a break."

I crossed my arms. "From what?"

He shrugged, eyes shifting to the sky. "Everything."

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Just the sound of the wind. His hair ruffled slightly, the light catching his features in a way I wish I didn't notice.

Because the longer I stood there, the harder it got to convince myself that I didn't want to know him.

He looked back up at me, "So you're just gonna stay there?"

I raised a brow, not moving an inch. "Why? You own the place now?"

He chuckled under his breath, that low tone that for some reason carried way too well in the wind. "Didn't say that. Just... figured you'd sit. You look like you need it."

The audacity.

Still, my legs moved before my brain could, and I found myself sitting a few inches away from him.

Silence again. But not uncomfortable—just... weirdly peaceful.

From the corner of my eye, I could see him leaning back, gaze somewhere far off. He wasn't wearing that cocky grin he always had. Just this calm, unreadable look.

"What are you doing up here anyway?" I asked after a while, needing something to break the tension.

"Same reason as you, I guess." He tilted his head slightly toward me. "Needed to get away from everything."

I nodded slowly, staring ahead. "Guess we're running from the same thing, huh?"

He glanced at me again, and this time, I felt it—his eyes lingering just a bit too long.

"Maybe," he said softly.

And I hated how that one word felt heavier than it should.

The air between us shifted. My heartbeat picked up again.

I forced myself to look away, to laugh it off. "You talk like you've got some deep tragic backstory."

He smirked faintly, the teasing tone back in his voice. "What if I do?"

"Then you're just like every other guy who thinks brooding makes them hot," I shot back, rolling my eyes.

He laughed—really laughed—and for the first time, it didn't sound arrogant. It sounded real.

"Touché, Stella Kim."

The way my name rolled off his tongue made something flip in my chest.

Damn fucking it.

I stood up quickly, brushing off my skirt. "Break's over," I muttered, more to myself than to him.

"Right," he said, pushing himself up too. "See you around, rooftop girl."

"Don't call me that."

"Can't promise that," he said with that infuriating grin.

And yet as I walked away, I couldn't fight the small smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

Jaeyun's pov:

I don't know what the fucking hell was that.

I came up here to clear my head, not to end up having a conversation with the one girl who's been haunting my mind for days.

But there she was—arms crossed, that stubborn look on her face, acting like the world owed her nothing.

And yet... I couldn't look away.

She didn't smile much. Didn't fake interest. Didn't even try to act polite.

Just her. Raw, guarded, real.

Most girls either giggle too much or try too hard. But Stella? She just...existed. And somehow, that was enough to mess me up.

"See you around, rooftop girl."

The words replayed in my head as I leaned against the railing, watching her disappear down the stairs.

God, that was the most shittiest move.

Is this wat it feels like to fall in love?

This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to matter.

She's the bet. The one I'm supposed to make fall for me. The one I'm supposed to break.

But every time I get close to her, it feels like I'm the one slipping instead.

Sunghoon's voice echoed in my head — "You sure you're not catching feelings?"

Yeah. Maybe I was starting to.

And that scared the straight hell out of me.

Because for the first time...

I wasn't sure if I could still tell the difference between playing a game —

and falling into it.