Jake didn't remember how he got to Sunghoon's house.
He remembered running.
He remembered crying.
He remembered Heeseung's voice.
Run.
Everything after that felt like a blur.
The living room was silent.
Jake sat on the floor, staring at nothing.
Sunghoon sat beside him.
He hadn't asked any questions.
He hadn't said, "It'll be okay."
Because they both knew...
It wasn't.
The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Jake hated it.
Every second that passed meant Heeseung was farther away.
A knock echoed through the house.
Sunghoon stood and quietly answered the door.
Jay stepped inside first.
He looked around.
"...Where's Jake?"
Sunghoon pointed toward the living room.
Jay walked in slowly.
The moment he saw Jake...
His expression fell.
Jake looked exhausted.
His eyes were red and swollen.
He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
Even though it had only been an hour.
Jay quietly sat down across from him.
Neither of them spoke.
Another knock.
Sunoo.
The smile he'd forced onto his face disappeared the second he stepped into the room.
He looked around instinctively.
"...Where's Heeseung?"
Nobody answered.
Sunoo looked from one face to another.
Then at Jake.
His voice became smaller.
"...Jake?"
Jake lowered his head.
He couldn't say it.
Not yet.
The front door opened one last time.
Ni-ki rushed inside without even taking off his shoes.
"We made it!"
He stopped.
The room felt...
Wrong.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
He looked around.
"...Wait."
His smile slowly faded.
"Where is he?"
Silence.
Ni-ki laughed once.
Not because anything was funny.
