The Boy From The Bridge - Jakehoon

Chapter 90: Traces 5/8

Sunghoon felt the weight of his eye lids strain the muscles that held them open. He was tired, exhausted and forlorn. They had arrived at the hospital four hours ago, in that time he had only caught one glimpse of his grandmother but it had beed enough. She was dying, he knew as much, he could feel it all in that moment. 

His mother had spent all the time there talking to various nurses and hospital staff whilst his father had tried to keep her composed. It hurt Sunghoon to watch his mother struggle in vain not to give up hope, this was only exacerbated given that he already had. 

Sadness sunk his heart as he waited in an empty lobby room with Yeji. It was almost two in the morning and his parents had been off somewhere in the hospital for half an hour. His sister lay asleep, lying uncomfortably prone over three seats, using her hands as a poor substitute for a pillow. This was how life ended, miserably and silently. 

Allowing his eyes to close for a moment, Sunghoon allowed his mind to wonder. He wondered about what was going through his grandmother's head, what her last streams of consciousness might be. He thought about what her last thoughts about him might be and if he should be sad he'd never be able to tell her about Jake. The boy who changed his life. 

Sunghoon sighed to himself, just like that he felt his mind pivot, his eyes were now totally shut and he suddenly founded himself comforted by the thought of his neighbour. In his hour of need Jake was present. 

________

Jake woke three minutes before his phone alarm was due to go off. Yawning into his pillow he felt warmth next to him. Moving slightly he felt the frame of Artemis lying asleep next to him. In an effort to not wake the sleeping dog he reached out and switched the alarm off. Picking up the phone he saw he'd received a long message from Sunghoon. 

Opening the message his eyes widened. Sunghoon had sent it from hospital and detailed an excuse for his absence from the first classes of the morning that Jake was to give their teachers - it had been sent around four am. 

Feeling his heart drop at the news, Jake instinctively begun to pen a response - asking if Sunghoon was alright and affirming that he was there if he needed anything or just someone to talk to.

 What surprised Jake was that he signed his reply off with an X. An act he only realised after he'd hit send.

"Shiii..." Jake said to himself as he reread the message and caught the kiss he'd left. He hadn't meant to do that and the thought of it plagued him all morning, so much so that when he came go to the breakfast table he did so baring a sheepish grin. 

"What's up with you?" Jungkook asked, skipping the formalities of 'good morning' or 'sleep well?'

"Hoonie" Jake said through a yawn, "His grandmothers gone to hospital..."

"And that's got you smiling?" Jungkook was confused.

"No" Jake let out another, greater yawn, which caused his eyes to water a little, "it's just, I signed my message off with a kiss"

The admission produced a chuckle from Jungkook, "aww baby's in love"

Jake gave him a stern look as has began pouring a bowl of cereal for himself, "Let's not call it that just yet" 

"Do you have a better word for it?" Jungkook Asked, sticking his tongue out at Jake to ridicule him further. 

 "It's too early for this - call it what you want..." Jake begun to say with a roll of his eyes. 

"I will!" Jungkook remarked, "And I'm going to call if love" 

Jake couldn't help but laugh at Jungook's ridiculing humour and instinctively rubbed his neck in response before suddenly remembering the tooth marks that were imprinted in his skin. "Are they still here?"