eclipsed | sim jaeyun

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I didn't sleep much that night. Jake's words replayed in my head, each syllable weaving its way into my thoughts no matter how much I tried to shake them off. 

He wasn't pretending anymore. 

But what did that mean for me? For us? 

I rolled over in bed, staring at the ceiling as Yunjin's soft snores filled the room. Tomorrow, we'd be heading back to Seoul. The comfort of routine and distance from this perfect little bubble of Jeju would help me push it all down again. Or so I hoped. 

---

The morning was chaotic in the way only a large group packing up could be. Bags were zipped, last-minute items were stuffed into suitcases, and Jungwon yelled over everyone to make sure no one left anything behind. 

"Who's missing their phone charger?" he called, holding up a tangled cord. 

"Not me," I mumbled, triple-checking my bag. 

Jake was quieter than usual. He helped Heeseung load the van, answered Jungwon's questions with one-word responses, and avoided looking in my direction for most of the morning. 

It was almost a relief—like he was giving me the space I needed. 

But as we boarded the van for the drive back to the airport, I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. 

---

The flight back to Seoul was uneventful, save for the constant teasing from Niki about who snored the loudest during the trip. 

"It's definitely Jungwon," Yunjin said with a grin. 

"Excuse me?" Jungwon scoffed. "You literally sounded like a chainsaw last night." 

The group dissolved into laughter, and I tried to join in, though my mind was elsewhere. 

I was painfully aware of Jake sitting two rows behind me, his head resting against the window. He hadn't said more than a few words to me all day, and it was driving me insane. 

When we landed, everyone exchanged quick goodbyes, promising to meet up soon. Jake gave Jungwon a casual clap on the back and a lopsided smile that made my stomach flip, but he didn't say anything to me. 

As I watched him walk away, something inside me tightened. 

Maybe I'd wanted him to. 

---

The transition back to normal life wasn't as seamless as I'd hoped. 

School started up again, bringing with it the usual chaos of exams, group projects, and gossip in the hallways. I threw myself into it all, trying to convince myself that Jeju was just a dream—a beautiful, complicated dream that had no place in my real life. 

Yunjin, of course, wasn't letting it go. 

"You're being ridiculous," she said one afternoon, flopping onto my bed. "You can't just pretend Jake doesn't exist." 

"I'm not pretending," I insisted, flipping through my history textbook. 

"You're avoiding," she shot back. "Which is worse." 

I groaned, tossing the book aside. "What do you want me to do, Yunjin? Call him up and say, 'Hey, I know you're my brother's best friend, but can we talk about how weird things are between us?'" 

"Yes!" she said, sitting up. "That's exactly what I want you to do!" 

I stared at her, and she sighed, softening. 

"Look, Haeri," she said gently. "I just don't want you to let this eat you up. If you don't talk to him, it's going to keep bothering you. And if you do... well, at least you'll know where you stand." 

I hated that she was right. 

---

The opportunity came sooner than I expected. 

It was late on a Saturday night, and I was at Jungwon's house for a casual hangout. His friends had come over too, filling the living room with laughter and loud video game commentary. 

Jake was there, of course. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, a controller in hand, completely engrossed in a racing game. 

"Haeri!" Jungwon called from the kitchen. "Can you grab more snacks from the pantry?" 

"Sure," I said, standing up. 

The pantry was at the far end of the hallway, and as I rummaged through the shelves for chips, I heard footsteps behind me. 

Turning around, I found Jake leaning against the doorframe, his hands shoved into his pockets. 

"Hey," he said, his voice casual. 

"Hey," I replied, trying to keep my tone even. 

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The weight of everything unsaid hung in the air between us. 

"Look," he said finally, stepping closer. "About Jeju—" 

"Jake," I interrupted, shaking my head. "It's fine. We don't have to talk about it." 

"Yes, we do," he said firmly. "Because I meant what I said." 

His words sent my heart racing, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Jake, this isn't just about us. Jungwon—" 

"I know," he said, cutting me off. "But this... whatever this is... it's not something I can ignore. And I don't think you can either." 

I stared at him, my mind racing. 

"We'll figure it out," he said, his voice softer now. "I just need to know if you're willing to try." 

I didn't know what to say. Every logical part of me screamed that this was a bad idea, that it would only lead to trouble. 

But the look in his eyes made it hard to breathe, let alone think. 

"I don't know," I admitted finally. "I don't know if I can." 

Jake nodded, as if he'd expected that answer. "Okay," he said quietly. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere." 

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the pantry with my thoughts. 

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