THIN WHITE LIES | Jake Sim

007 | see you later

↪J I H Y E
The woman, who's name is Chaewon, said some last words to us before the meeting was done. I don't really know what type of expectations I had before coming here, but whatever it was is it better than what I expected.

I have been walking around all alone with this secret as my shadow, not being able to talk to anyone about this. You often think it's better to talk about your problems with someone who's close to you, but talking about your problems with strangers it's not a bad thing.

I stood up from my seat, ready to walk out from the church when someone suddenly grabbed my wrist. I looked behind me and saw Jake holding my wrist. He didn't say anything, instead he dragged me out to the backside of the church. He kept holding my wrist until we sat down behind a bush.

"I guess I owe you this" Jake said with a chuckle as he took out a cigarette box from his jacket.

I smiled as I accepted the cigarette from him. Jake lit my cigarette first and then his own before he put back the lighter in his pocket along with the cigarette box. I blew out the smoke from my mouth while I closed my eyes, feeling much more calm.

There have been times at school these past days when I had thought about sneaking out during school time to smoke, but I have never had the guts to do so. After my parents found out about my stealing addiction have I been very careful about my smoking addiction.

I don't want to be burden more than I'm already am right now.

"We have more in common than I thought" I said to break the silence between us.

"I know right, feels like we are going to be good friends" Jake replied.

"Friends?" I asked surprised.

"Yes? Or are you too cool for me or what?" Jake responded, pretending to be sulky.

"I would say it's the opposite, you are the one who is too cool for me" I said. 

"For long have you been in this support group?" I asked.

"Only a few months so not that long if you ask me. I'm not here every week either, I'm coming when I have the time to" Jake answered.

I nodded while I took another bloss. I felt a vibration from my phone and took it out from my pocket to see what it was. It was a message from my personal driver asking where I was. I let out a sign while I put my phone in my pocket.

I took a last bloss before I threw it on the ground and scratched my shoe on it.

"I need to go" I said as I stood up.

"See you in school tomorrow" Jake replied with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, see you in school tomorrow" I said, feeling a bit confused.

I put my hood back on my head while I walked away. Is this how my life is going to look like now? Are Jake and I slowly going to build a small friendship between us because of all of this. I guess we kind of it did already from when Jake caught me smoking, but now when he knows I'm stealing as well do I have no other choice but to keep him close to me.

🌥️

Coming back to school after everything that happened this weekend feels weird. This whole thing with my parents but also with Jake. Even though the weekend only consists of 2,5 day, it felt much longer this time.

I normally don't do that much during weekends either, it just felt longer. But now when I'm back at school, it feels weird for some reason. I guess it's because I have to get used to things I'm not used to. And one example is that I basically have curfew all week long except for school and the support group.

But the biggest problem of mine is how to explain everything to Sena without saying the truth. Maybe I should tell her the truth by now but I have no idea how I'm supposed to do it. It's only be a benefit for me to tell the truth but it for some reason feels better to keep quiet instead.

My parents and Jake already knows about it and it was already enough with my parents knowing it.

"Are you sure you can't come over to my place after school to study? What about your house then? I really need help with the math test tomorrow Jihye" Sena said while we sat down around an empty table in the canteen.

"I'm not allowed to go anywhere and my parents want me to only focus on my own studies" I replied.

"Has something happened? They don't normally act like this.." Sena asked confused.

"Did your rank drop?!" Sena whispered, shocked.

"No! Nothing like that happend.. I guess my parents just want to make sure I stay focused so my rank doesn't drop" I answered.

Sena nodded while she took a bite of the food. Her attention quickly drifted away, her focus went somewhere else. I looked at her a bit confused while she kept staring beside me.

"What are you looking at?" I asked her.

She didn't answer me, just kept staring. Sena's face suddenly lit up and she looked at me with a surprised but happy facial expression. I swear I could almost see a lightbulb light up above her head when her facial expression changed.

"I think I know what's going on.." Sena said with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"You parents have set up an arranged marriage with Jake!" Sena whispered full of excitement.

"Are you crazy? No!" I immediately responded.

"So why did Jake ask for your name when you bumped into each other at the library? He did it because his parents had told him about the marriage between you two. And when we were at the soccer field, you and Jake couldn't stop staring at each other because you two had "just bumped into each other the other day"" Sena said proudly.

Even though she's wrong, does her point make sense. When she's saying it like that does it sound like we are set up in an arranged marriage.

"Stop living in a fictional world" I said while I lightly kicked her leg.

"I'm not living in a fictional world, I'm just saying a conspiracy theory" Sena replied.

"A conspiracy theory where me and Jake are in an arranged marriage?" I responded while I let out a soft laugh.

"Is that so?" Jake's voice suddenly appeared.

I looked up, seeing Jake standing beside me with a smirk on his face. Jake's appearance attracted all the attention from the students in the canteen. All eyes were on us.

"No.. No, no, no! It's not like that! It's Sena who.. She just, Sena was-" I tried to defend myself in panic, but the words in my vocabulary aren't enough.

"Don't stress so much, it's not good for you" Jake said while he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I looked at him like a question mark while Jake kept that smirk on his face. He let go of my shoulder and started to walk over to the table where his friends sat. Whispering started to fill the silence in the canteen while Jake walked away, while I started to question what just happened.

I feel so embarrassed right now. It was already enough with Jake accidentally hearing the conversation between me and Sena, but did the whole canteen have to listen as well? I looked at Sena who is enjoying this situation a little too much meanwhile all I want is to escape right now.