eclipsed | sim jaeyun

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The night felt endless, filled with bursts of laughter and the crackling of the bonfire. The karaoke session was in full swing, Yunjin and Niki belting out a slightly off-key rendition of a pop song. Even Sunghoon, who rarely participated in anything remotely embarrassing, was laughing too hard to object when they shoved the microphone toward him.

But my mind wasn't entirely there. Jake's words from earlier looped in my head, making it impossible to fully enjoy the moment.

"You okay?" Giselle's voice pulled me back to reality. She settled next to me, handing over a bottle of water.

"Yeah, just tired," I said, the excuse slipping out before I could think of something better.

Giselle eyed me knowingly. "You've been tired all day girly. Something's up."

I hesitated. Giselle wasn't as pushy as Yunjin, but she was just as perceptive. And sometimes, talking to her felt easier—less overwhelming.

"It's nothing, really," I said, though my voice lacked conviction.

"Is this about Jake?" she asked bluntly, her eyes narrowing.

"What? No!" I said quickly, too quickly.

"Haeri." Her tone was patient but firm, like she was coaxing the truth out of me.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Fine. Maybe it's about Jake."

"I knew it."

"It's not like that," I said hurriedly. "It's just—he's been acting weird, and I don't know what his deal is."

"Weird how?"

I struggled to find the right words. "He's... I don't know. He's been teasing me, but not in a mean way. And then sometimes, he just says things that make me—"

"Make you what?" Giselle prompted, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"Forget it," I muttered, shaking my head.

"Haeri," she said, leaning closer. "You like him, don't you?"

The question hit like a ton of bricks, and I froze. Giselle's gaze was steady, waiting for my answer.

"I don't," I said finally, though even I didn't sound convinced.

"Uh-huh," she said, clearly unimpressed. "You're terrible at lying, you know."

Before I could respond, Yunjin bounded over, dragging me to my feet.

"Come on, it's your turn to sing!" she announced, ignoring my protests.

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The impromptu karaoke session lasted well past midnight, and by the time we packed up and headed back to the vacation house, everyone was too exhausted to do much more than collapse onto the couches or their beds.

I lingered in the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of water. The house was quiet now, the only sound the faint rustle of the ocean breeze through the open windows.

"You're still awake?"

I turned to see Jake leaning against the doorway, his hair slightly messy and his shirt wrinkled from the long day.

"Couldn't sleep," I said, taking a sip of water.

"Me neither." He stepped into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the counter.

We stood in silence for a moment, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken words.

"Earlier," Jake said, breaking the silence, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You didn't," I said quickly, setting my glass down.

He studied me for a moment, his gaze unreadable. "Good. Because that wasn't my intention."

"Then what was your intention?" The question slipped out before I could stop myself.

Jake hesitated, as if debating whether to answer. "Sometimes I feel like you try so hard to keep people at arm's length. Like you're afraid to let anyone get too close."

His words caught me off guard, and I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing," he continued, his tone softer now. "I just think it's okay to let people see the real you."

"The real me?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

Jake smiled, but there was something serious in his expression. "Yeah. The Haeri who doesn't have to be perfect all the time."

My chest tightened, and I looked away, unable to hold his gaze.

"Anyway," he said, his voice lighter now, "I'll leave you to your water. Goodnight, Haeri."

"Goodnight," I said softly, watching as he left the kitchen.

I stood there for a long time after he was gone, my thoughts a tangled mess. Jake had a way of cutting through all the noise, of seeing things about me that I didn't even realize I was hiding. And for the first time, I wasn't sure if that scared me or comforted me.

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