eclipsed | sim jaeyun

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Monday morning felt like it came too soon. I barely slept after Jake's text the night before, the words replaying in my mind until they were etched into my brain. 

"from me."

What was that supposed to mean? 

As I trudged into the school courtyard, Yunjin and Giselle were already waiting for me by the benches. They immediately picked up on my mood. 

"Let me guess," Yunjin said, studying my face. "It's Jake." 

I groaned, dropping my bag onto the bench. "Can we not talk about him?" 

Giselle raised an eyebrow. "Sure, we can talk about the fact that you've barely spoken to us since the game. Or how you've been living in your own world all weekend." 

"I wasn't—" 

"Haeri," Yunjin cut in, her voice soft but firm. "We're your friends. You can talk to us about whatever's going on." 

I hesitated, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. "Fine," I muttered. "Jake said something weird." 

"Weird how?" Giselle asked, leaning closer. 

I took a deep breath. "He said he's pretending there's nothing between us. And last night, he texted me, saying he's trying to 'protect me' from him." 

Yunjin's jaw dropped. "Protect you from him? What is he, some kind of tragic hero?" 

"Maybe he's worried about Jungwon," Giselle suggested. "I mean, you know how protective he is of you." 

"Yeah, but this feels... different." 

Yunjin nodded thoughtfully. "It sounds like Jake has feelings for you, but he's too chicken to act on them." 

"Or he doesn't want to ruin his friendship with Jungwon," Giselle added. 

I slumped against the bench, feeling more confused than ever. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?" 

"Because boys are dumb," Yunjin said matter-of-factly. "But don't worry. We'll figure this out." 

---

By lunchtime, I was starting to regret telling them anything. 

Yunjin was determined to "spy" on Jake, which mostly meant scrolling through his Instagram to analyze every post he'd ever made. Giselle, on the other hand, had decided to play the devil's advocate, reminding me of all the ways this could backfire. 

"He's Jungwon's best friend," she said as we sat in the cafeteria. "If things go south, it's not just your relationship with Jake that could get awkward. It's your family dynamic, too." 

"Thanks for the reminder," I muttered, poking at my lunch. 

"But," she added, "if he's willing to risk all that, maybe it's because he thinks you're worth it." 

Yunjin let out a dreamy sigh. "That's actually kind of romantic." 

I rolled my eyes. "You're both insane." 

"Maybe," Yunjin said, grinning. "But you love us anyway." 

---

That evening, I was halfway through my homework when my phone buzzed. 

jake🧍

jake🧍
can we talk? 

My heart skipped a beat. 

haeriii
rn? 

jake🧍
im outside

I froze.

Peeking through my curtains, I spotted him standing by the front gate, hands shoved in his pockets. 

---

"Jake," I hissed, stepping outside. "What are you doing here?" 

He glanced up, his expression unreadable. "I needed to see you." 

"Are you crazy? What if Jungwon sees you?" 

"He's not home," Jake said calmly. "I checked." 

"Of course you did," I muttered, crossing my arms. "So? What's so important that you had to show up unannounced?" 

Jake hesitated, running a hand through his hair. "I just... I wanted to explain. About what I said last night." 

"You mean the part where you implied you're some kind of danger to me?" 

His lips twitched, like he wanted to smile but couldn't quite manage it. "It's not like that." 

"Then what is it like?" 

He took a step closer, and for a moment, I thought he might reach for my hand. But he stopped short, his gaze steady. 

"I care about you, Haeri," he said quietly. "More than I should. But if I let this go any further, it's going to hurt you. And I can't let that happen." 

My breath caught in my throat. "You think it doesn't already hurt? Watching you act like nothing's going on?" 

Jake flinched, like my words had hit a nerve. "I'm trying to do the right thing." 

"And what's the 'right thing,' Jake? Pretending we don't exist?" 

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might argue. But then he sighed, looking away. "I don't know." 

We stood there in silence, the weight of his words hanging between us. 

Finally, I shook my head. "You don't get to decide what's best for me, Jake. If you care about me, then stop pushing me away." 

He looked at me then, his eyes filled with something I couldn't quite name. 

"I wish it were that simple," he said softly. 

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing in the driveway, my heart in pieces.

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sorry for the lack of updates😣
i've literally been so busy and had no motivation at all soooo😍
but trust i'm gonna lock tf in and get these chapters done
baiii