Boyfriends-In-Law | Jayhoon

Sunghoon's heart pounded in his chest as the silence dragged on. The cool night breeze didn't help; if anything, it made the air feel thicker, heavier. He gripped his phone tightly, his eyes narrowing as suspicion began to cloud his thoughts.

"Jay?" he said again, this time with more urgency, his voice rising just a bit.

Still no response.

Sunghoon's mind started to spin, his thoughts racing in a direction he didn't want them to. What if Jay was involved in this? What if Min Ryung had gotten to him? Maybe all this time, Jay had been pretending to help him, but he was actually plotting something else. The idea made his stomach churn.

The longer Jay stayed silent, the more the panic set in. Sunghoon swallowed hard, his throat dry. He hated himself for even thinking this, but the circumstances, the silence, the weirdness of the whole situation-it was all too much.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke again, his voice quieter, more vulnerable. "Jay, please... don't tell me you've been messing with me. Please don't tell me you've been working with her-lying to me-" His voice cracked, the words spilling out before he could stop them. "Giving me false hope this whole time. I swear I-"

Suddenly, there was a thud on the other side of the line, followed by a muffled curse.

"Ow, shit, hold on! My phone fell," Jay's voice came rushing back into Sunghoon's ears, slightly out of breath. "Jesus, hang on, I'm here, I'm here! I dropped my phone and I can't reach it!"

Sunghoon blinked, caught off guard. "W-What?"

"Yeah, sorry! I got startled when you said that, and it slipped out of my hand. Hold up." There was a shuffling noise as Jay presumably picked up his phone. "Okay, I'm back."

Sunghoon let out a long, shaky breath, his chest heaving. He could barely form the words, his hands shaking slightly as he held his phone. "You scared the hell out of me, Jay!" he exclaimed, his voice strained, almost breaking. "I thought- I thought you were against me for a second! That you were in on this with Min Ryung, plotting behind my back!"

Jay's tone immediately softened, sensing the fear and hurt in Sunghoon's voice. "Hey, hey, no. No way. I'd never do something like that. Never." His voice was sincere, firm, but gentle. "Sunghoon, I swear on everything- I'm not working with her. I'm not giving you fake hope. I'd never hurt you like that."

Sunghoon closed his eyes, swallowing back the lump in his throat. "You're sure? Because, honestly... I've been feeling like everything's just falling apart, and-"

"I know," Jay cut in softly. "I know you've been feeling that way. But trust me, I'm on your side. I wouldn't be doing all this if I wasn't. I can't stand seeing you go through this, Sunghoon. I get what you're feeling. I wouldn't hurt you like that."

Sunghoon sniffled, rubbing his face with his hand, trying to pull himself together. "Okay... okay." He exhaled deeply. "I just... I didn't know what to think. Everything's been so messed up, and the fact that she hasn't gone after you at all, it's-"

"Suspicious?" Jay finished for him, a light chuckle escaping. "Yeah, I figured you'd think that."

Sunghoon nodded, even though Jay couldn't see it. "Yeah, exactly. Why is it just me? Why isn't she targeting you?"

Jay hesitated for a split second before clearing his throat. "Well... there's actually a reason for that."

Sunghoon immediately felt his tension rise again. "What do you mean there's a reason?"

Jay's voice turned teasingly evasive. "I'll tell you tomorrow, okay? Face to face. It's kind of hard to explain over the phone."

Sunghoon's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "What? No, just tell me now! Why are you being cryptic?"