eclipsed | sim jaeyun

-

After that conversation with Jake, he didn't press me for more, and I didn't offer. We continued on like nothing had happened—like that fragile truth between us hadn't been spoken. 

On Thursday, I sat in the library, scrolling through my notes for an upcoming exam. The words on the page barely registered as my mind wandered back to Jake. 

The way he'd looked at me in the park, as though he was trying to solve a puzzle neither of us fully understood, stayed with me. 

"Still pretending to study?" 

I glanced up to find Niki smirking at me, a basketball tucked under his arm. 

"Still pretending you can read?" I shot back, grinning. 

Niki laughed, plopping into the chair across from me. "I can read just fine. I just don't waste my time with boring textbooks like you." 

"Right, because your vast knowledge of sports trivia will really help you in life." 

"It's a skill," he said with mock seriousness. "Anyway, what's up? You've been kind of quiet lately." 

I hesitated, unsure how much to share. Niki wasn't one to pry, but he had a knack for picking up on things most people missed. 

"Just busy," I said finally. 

"Hmm." He spun the basketball on his finger, watching me with a curious expression. "What's up with Jake?" 

My stomach flipped. "Huh?" 

He shrugged. "You two have been...weird since Jeju." 

"Weird how?" 

"Dunno. Just different," Niki said, leaning back in his chair. "Like, you're both trying not to be obvious about something, which makes it really obvious." 

I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. "You're imagining things." 

"Sure I am," he said, smirking again. "But if I'm right, just...be careful, okay? Jungwon doesn't miss much." 

His words lingered long after he left, a warning I couldn't ignore. 

---

On Saturday, Minjeong's birthday dinner was in full swing by the time I arrived. The private room at the restaurant was buzzing with chatter and laughter as our group settled in. 

"Haeri!" Yunjin waved me over to the seat beside her. "You're late." 

"Barely," I said, sliding into the chair. 

As the night went on, I found myself relaxing. Minjeong was radiant, basking in the attention as we sang an overly enthusiastic rendition of "Happy Birthday." Even Giselle, who usually avoided the spotlight, joined in, her voice carrying above the rest of ours. 

By the time we reached the karaoke bar, I was feeling lighter than I had in days. 

"Alright, who's up first?" Yunjin asked, scrolling through the song list. 

"Not me," Giselle said quickly. 

"Minjeong should go first—it's her birthday," I suggested. 

Minjeong groaned but relented, choosing an upbeat pop song. We cheered her on, clapping along to the beat as she danced around with the mic. 

As the night wore on, I found myself caught up in the energy of the group. Yunjin and I performed a painfully off-key duet, and even Giselle eventually got up to sing. 

For a while, I almost forgot about everything else. Almost.

---

Later that night, I found myself scrolling through old photos from Jeju. Most of them were group shots—us laughing on the beach, hiking up the cliffs, posing at the night market. But there was one photo that made me pause.

It was a candid someone had taken of Jake and me, standing at the edge of the water. He was looking at me, his expression soft and unguarded, while I was mid-laugh.

I stared at the photo for a long time, my chest tightening.

-