I'm sorry
"You like Jangmi?" Another voice asked, interrupting the older boy. Both Sunghoon and Heeseung turned around to see none other than the girl's brother, Park Jay, walking towards them.
The eldest was the first one to speak up. "How much did you hear?" His eyes widened at how angered the younger boy was. He gulped, already expecting the worst. "The start of your explanation, hyung," Jay replied, voice dripped of a threatening tone.
"Jay—"
"I think I've heard enough. We can talk about your feelings towards my sister later," he put up a hand to dismiss Sunghoon's topic before turning back to Heeseung and pointing a finger at him. "And you, what did you do?"
Heeseung felt more nervous to come clean to the girl's older brother. He knew that what he did was wrong, and it had been weighing him down ever since. There was nothing he wanted more than to apologize to Jangmi for his actions before having the two younger boys find out as he thought it was the best way to avoid such a mess.
"Hyung, did you do something to my sister or not?" Jay asked impatiently. He could see the older boy holding himself back and decided to push the truth out of him. "If you're the reason why she's being this distant then—"
"I confessed."
Both the boys in front of him didn't even attempt to hide their anger and disappointment in their hyung. "Is that what you did on the rooftop?" Sunghoon asked him while Jay huffed angrily. "After the number of times I told you not to?"
As the other two boys started to talk to each other, Sunghoon stared at the eldest and started to observe his actions: lips pressed into a tight line, hands fumbling while unable to look at the other. If he were really being truthful, he would still be able to make eye contact and explain well and calmly. Now, he was just being quiet and accepted the scolding.
"That's not all that happened, was it?" he lifted his head to try and make eye contact with the older boy. "Why do you want the details?" Jay looked at him in disbelief. At this point, the guilt was eating away at Heeseung's conscience. There was no point in hiding it anymore.
"I tried to kiss Jangmi."
"The confession behind my back wasn't enough?" Jay scoffed. He wanted to roll his eyes at the boy but couldn't risk being disrespectful. Heeseung was still older than him after all.
Sunghoon piped up as the two boys stood in silence. "Hyung, first and foremost, you really need to apologize to her," he told Heeseung, who was nodding in agreement. "I don't know how to approach her because she's been so distant from all of us."
"That's your fault."
Although it was something that Jay mumbled under his breath, the other two were still able to hear it. The eldest gulped at what he heard, knowing full well that his confession was out of line. He already knew he shouldn't have done it, but hearing that Sunghoon liked her too triggered something inside of him; and the only way he was able to snap out of it when he saw the tears streaming down her face that day.
Jay sighed as he watched the older boy's head lower in shame. He knew that if he decided on things while he was mad, it would just make the situation worse. "Look, hyung," he called, running his hand through his hair in an attempt to collect his thoughts. "I don't want to hate you, okay? But, if Jangmi still does, then I will too."
"You need to apologize to her," was the last thing he said, with a jab of a finger, before the bell rang.
Even if he was quiet almost the entire time, Sunghoon couldn't help but feel more nervous. His best friend already overheard that he liked his little sister, so the thought went straight to that after the whole Jangmi and Heeseung dilemma. With the way Jay reacted to the older boy's confession, he was now unsure of how he would react to his news. Would he be mad, or would he just be confused and concerned?
The ringing of the bell intensified as the students were now flooding out of the cafeteria. Heeseung walked back to his classroom silently while Sunghoon and Jay walked together to theirs. They walked in silence for a few seconds until one of them chose to spoke up.
"Sunghoon," his attention was called this time, snapping him out of his train of thought. He gulped as he faced the his best friend. "Since when did you like her?" He scratched the back of his neck as he tried to remember when the feelings started to surface.
"I don't know."
"I'm not mad at you, by the way" Jay told him. Sunghoon couldn't believe his ears and was taken aback. Didn't he have the whole 'no falling in love with my sister' rule? What made him change his mind so suddenly?
"In fact, I'm happy that it's you."
"What do you mean?"
Their conversation was cut short when they had to separate and go to their respective seats once they reached the classroom.
When classes started, Sunghoon found himself losing focus on the subject. Although he was writing down notes and trying to pay attention to the board, the conversation with Jay was still echoed in his ears. He just wanted classes to end so he could ask what his best friend meant. So, as soon as the bell rang to signify dismissal, he got up from his seat, packed his things, and approached the boy.
"Jay," he called his best friend, who instantly looked up at the sound of his name. "What did you mean by what you said earlier?" he asked.
His best friend chuckled slightly. Jay could see the nervousness in his best friend's eyes and stood up to pat his shoulder reassuringly. "I mean, I'm happy it's you." The confusion clouded the other boy all the more.
"But, you said that you didn't want any of us to date your sister?" His tone came out questioning.
"I never said I was okay with you dating her though," Jay replied as he slung the backpack on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around Sunghoon's shoulders. They walked out the classroom side-by-side, to the lockers. "I never liked the idea of Jangmi dating anyone, especially any of my friends. She's too young to know about love and all that," he explained to his best friend.
The other boy completely understood since he wouldn't let any of his friends date his younger sister either. He would do his best to protect Yeji as well—no hesitation. But, he wanted to protect Jangmi too. Initially, he just wanted to protect her in a brotherly way; but the more they got to know each other, he found himself falling for everything about her: personality, passion, and talent combined. To him, she was very admirable, fierce, strong, but still graceful.
Jay sighed. "Seeing you with Jangmi, protecting her and helping her adjust, I know you won't hurt her. I really do. It's just that I think it's too early for her to date," he continued. He was still doubting the idea; but if his little sister also liked his best friend, in the off chance, there was nothing he could do. All he wanted to see was his little sister happy.
Sunghoon nodded at what he heard. Again, completely understanding where his best friend was coming from.
They arrived at the lockers to see the Jangmi talking to Sunoo. She was smiling and laughing—a sight that the both of them missed seeing. Jay was happy she had her best friend through the entire ordeal. Before Sunghoon, he's always trusted him with her since their friendship had always been supportive and caring from the very start. He was very thankful for the younger boy.
Sunghoon tapped Jangmi's shoulder to get her attention. "Shall we go?" He asked gently. She nodded and gave him a slight smile. They waved at the other boys before walking towards the gate and to their respective training areas.
Jay called the younger boy as soon as the two were out of sight. "Did you know anything about Sunghoon's crush on Jangmi?" he asked, taking Sunoo by surprise. Was his hyung suspicious? How much was he supposed to say without jeopardizing the situation?
The older boy saw his face instantly turn pale in fear and chuckled to reassure him. "He just told me, by the way," he said as he patted the other's shoulder.
"So, it is real," Sunoo thought out loud. All this time, he only assumed that he had a crush on his best friend because of the way he often looked at her. "What do you mean?" Jay snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Sunghoon hyung had this way of looking at her. I can't explain it well, but it's the kind of looks they give in romance movies." Her brother blinked in confusion at what he heard. At that point, he wondered if he was just blind or if his best friend was just that good at hiding that only Sunoo noticed.
---
When training ended, Jangmi patiently waited for her brother to pick her up. She still didn't tell him what happened between her and his eldest friend. Although the situation between her and Sunghoon was getting better, the situation between her and her brother was the opposite. She was still distant from him—and she was aware that Jay felt it too.
Aera left right after training ended since her mom rushed to pick her up for a family dinner; so Jangmi stood alone, far from the other athletes, in front of the cheerleading gym. The familiar car drove up to the front, and her older brother quickly rolled the window down. "I needed to go to the grocery for dinner. I'm so sorry," he apologized for his late arrival.
She nodded and gave him a sad smile. "No worries, oppa," she reassured him as she climbed into the car, closed the door, and fastened her seatbelt. Her brother locked the car doors and drove right away.
To say that the ride home was awkward was an understatement. For Jangmi, there was thick tension in the air that could be easily cut with a knife. But luckily, Jay spoke before she could—with an awkward tone though.
"How was training?"
"It was good. Polishing a few things and upgrading some stunts."
After that, another thick silence. Jangmi chose to look out the window to avoid looking at her brother—and he noticed it quickly. He was not frustrated at his sister; he just hated the distance in between the both of them. Jay called her name to break the silence; but, for some reason, it was just emitting more tension.
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?" As innocent as she tried to sound, she failed. She had been hiding the entire situation, and the guilt was starting to eat up her that it easily cracked through the surface. Every day, Sunoo would encourage her to tell her older brother, but she would always dismiss it because she just felt like she wasn't ready yet. Her heart started racing in her chest as soon as the words came out of her older brother's mouth. Did he find out through someone else? Was he mad at her?
Even if the older boy could already connect two and two together, he still wanted to hear her side of the situation. "You're suddenly so distant from all of us," he told her gently, trying not to sound upset in fear that it would distance her more from him.
Jangmi could feel her body shaking in fear at what she heard. She was never the confrontational type of person, so telling people stuff like this took way more effort compared to her brother. Deeply sighing, she tried to get the right words out. Jay glanced at her direction and could tell how nervous she was and decided to park in the convenience store on the way home so that they could talk properly.
As the car came to a full stop, he looked back to his younger sister to see her tears welling up. "Jangmi?" He asked softly, trying his best to mask the panic setting in. Placing his hands on her face, he swiped under her eyes softly as the tears started to stream down her face. He felt her breathe deeply amidst the tears. "Heeseung oppa confessed and then tried to kiss me," she said in between sobs.
"It was different from how he usually acts so I got scared and ran. I wanted to avoid him, but I ended up avoiding you as well." She added. Jay could feel his heart break at how hard his little sister was sobbing so he pulled her closer to him and continued to wipe her tears away.
"I'm sorry."
The words made him pull his little sister into his chest for a hug, moving one of his hands to her upper back while the other one caressed her hair. Even if the center console of the car made their positions a little awkward, he still did his best to console Jangmi in the position. He could feel his hoodie becoming wet, but he didn't mind at all.
The feelings of guilt and fear all came crashing down on his little sister as her sobs grew louder. "I'm so sorry, oppa," her statement muffled by his hoodie. In reassurance from the older boy, he kissed the crown of her head. "It's okay," he repeated until the hiccups from her sobbing was starting to cease.
When they pulled away, he brushed the loose strands away from her face and smiled. "I don't blame you, okay?" She only nodded in response.
"But, I think you need to talk to Heeseung hyung," Jay told her hesitantly. He was so sure that she didn't want to hear it, but it was something she absolutely needed to. As much as it was the last thing Jangmi wanted to hear, her brother did have a point. She breathed heavily before speaking. "He's scary."
The older boy frowned at what he heard. He, out of all people, knew that eldest was rarely ever like that. "He's only scary when he's mad. Trust me," he told her, shaking his head. His little sister nodded again, slower this time. "Do you think he's mad at me?" She asked concernedly. Her older brother shook his head once more as a reply, a smile of reassurance on his lips.
"He's not mad at you, Jangmi. Don't worry."
Jangmi knew her brother had a point. Even if her mind was clouded with that image of him from that day, she didn't want to lose a good friend like Heeseung. She wasn't sure if he was planning to approach her, but she knew that she had to pick up the courage to do so.
It was the only way to set things straight between them.
Hello! The twenty-fourth chapter's up!
GUYS DID YOU SEE FEVER TEASER 1 LAST NIGHT BECAUSE I CAN'T STOP WATCHING IT 🤯🤯🤯 THEY ALL LOOK SO GOOD I DON'T UNDERSTAND??? UGH SO EXCITED HJDKSLDJ
ANYWAYS HELLO!! So good to be back to my updating schedule (for now 😅 hehe I'm not so sure since my classes end on June 8 + papers!!) But, just so everyone knows, we're almost at the end of "Gold" 😭 IT'S SO WEIRD GOING THROUGH MY OUTLINE OF CHAPTERS TO SEE THAT THERE ARE A FEW CHAPTERS LEFT!! I will post a message when it ends, don't worry. I don't want to cry now HAHAHAHA! And everyone, HAVE A GOOD DAY / NIGHT!! 🥰💗
Hope you guys like the chapter! Don't forget to vote and comment if you're enjoying so far! 💛
See you in the next chapter!
- Lia
The most random TMI: I was actually doing a reading when the FEVER teaser came out and I couldn't focus after 😅