✓ SOUR SWEETHEARTS | JAKE

22 - If You Moved On

Two weeks had passed since Seojin and Y/N came back from Jeju and now it was time for her to go back to Seoul. He silently drove her to the train station and she still, after all these years, stared out the window rather than talk to him. The weight of unspoken words hung heavily in the car, but Seojin couldn't bring himself to break the silence. He knew that the moment he spoke, he risked revealing secrets that could shatter Y/N's world.

When they reached the train station, Seojin helped Y/N with her luggage and they stood on the platform, waiting for her train to arrive. "You should go back home. I'll be fine. I'll call you when I get back to Seoul," Y/N said, her eyes meeting his briefly before she turned her gaze back to the approaching train.

Seojin sighed, struggling to find the right words. And so he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Y/N.You're my sister and I care about you."

"I know. It's fine." The train came to a halt, and Y/N reluctantly pulled away from her brother's embrace. With one last lingering look, she boarded the train, and Seojin watched as it pulled away from the platform, taking her back to Seoul. He knew that he had made a difficult choice in keeping the secrets from her, but he believed it was for the best, at least for now.

Y/N couldn't help but feel some kind of unease as the train carried her away from her hometown and her brother. She knew Seojin cared about her deeply, but his recent behavior had left her puzzled and hurt. She didn't know how she was going to face Jake but she knew he must have been mad and hurt. Just when she thought things would get better. Sighing, she let her thoughts drift as the train continued its way to Seoul.

"Y/N!" Areum was waiting for her on the platform as Y/N's train pulled into the station in Seoul. She waved enthusiastically, her face lighting up with a warm smile. Her ankle was no longer hurt and she was jumping around like a bundle of energy, clearly excited to see Y/N again. It was exactly what she needed to lift her spirits. "Girl, took you long enough."

"It was only two weeks, Areum." Y/N playfully rolled her eyes and Areum just scoffed.

"Yeah, two weeks of endless boredom without you," Areum replied with a dramatic sigh. "I'm glad you're back. It looks like you've brought a lot of baggage with you and I have a feeling it's mostly books and clothes. Please don't tell me you're planning to lock yourself in your room and write a novel or something."

"I can't promise that," She gasped, nudging her shoulder while the two walked side by side out of the train station. "It's just nice to have some familiar things around, you know. You look good walking again."

Areum smiled and did a little twirl. "You have no idea how good it feels to be able to walk without crutches or a cast. It was literal torture to stay home, unable to move properly. But now you're here, and we're going to try all these restaurants and cafés that I've been craving for the past two weeks. Seoul has missed you, Y/N."

"Seoul has missed me?" Her eyes softened and she wrapped her arms around her, pulling Areum into a warm hug. "I missed you too, idiot. It's good to be back."

"Okay, okay," Areum chuckled, returning the hug. "But Y/N, do you feel better? How's things with Seojin?"

"I don't know, he feels a little distant. I mean even when we weren't on good terms, he used to talk to me, you know? Now he's hardly ever home and he always avoids eye contact. I know he doesn't like Jake and Heran but I can't help but wonder if it's more than just disapproval. It's a little bit unsettling." She sighed, putting her luggage inside the cab they had hailed. "I'm just worried about how meeting Jake would go. I'm not sure if he'd be open to talking or if it'll just end up in an argument."

"No offense, but Seojin sometimes acts weird, too," Areum admitted as they got into the cab. "I mean why would he care so much about who you're friends with or who you might potentially date? I know he's your brother but it's not like it's any of his business."

"Maybe he's just overprotective," Y/N responded, her brows furrowing with concern. "But it feels different this time. I don't know, Areum. Something just doesn't add up."

"Okay, look, stop thinking about Seojin. Whatever reason he did what he did, now you need to think about Jake and Heran. Also, I've been talking to Sunghoon for a while now." She glanced over at Y/N and cleared her throat. "I didn't want to tell you about him because I thought the two of you had something going on, but he said you're just friends and now I can tell you like Jake so yeah. We're in a situationship."

"A situationship? That's a new one." That made her laugh. "I mean, Sunghoon is indeed a nice guy but I didn't see him that way. I like him, but not romantically. When I saw him ice skating that day, I was genuinely impressed by his talent. It was more like an admiration than anything else."

"That's good because I'm planning to date him." Areum nodded knowingly. "You didn't deny that you like Jake. That's a new one." 

"Well, yeah, maybe I do like Jake," Y/N blushed, her cheeks turning a shade of pink as she glanced out the window. "But now I don't know where we stand anymore."

"My dear friend, you need to talk things out with him. Maybe apologize for Seojin's strange behavior and make it clear where you both stand. If Jake likes you, which I'm pretty sure of, he deserves to know your feelings too," Areum encouraged and Y/N just sighed, realizing that her friend was right. She indeed needed to push her doubt aside and have a heart-to-heart conversation with Jake.

After dropping her at her apartment, Areum left in the cab while Y/N carried her luggage home. Her apartment needed a deep cleaning and some organization after her absence, making her feel like she was finally settling back into her familiar surroundings. Y/N spent the evening unpacking her bags, settling back into her apartment, and trying to clear her mind.

"And there you go," She placed the last book on her bookshelf and stepped back, staring at her tidy and well-organized apartment. It was a small victory in a world filled that suddenly seemed so uncertain. 

With her belongings in place, she decided to meet Jake. She had no idea if he was home or not, but she still stepped in front of his apartment and took a deep breath, hesitantly knocking on the door. She knocked and knocked, but there was no response. She knocked again, and yet, there was still no answer. Y/N's heart sank as she wondered if Jake was purposely avoiding her or if he was simply not home. She contemplated leaving a note or sending him a message, but just then, the security guard from the building walked by, noticing her standing there.

"Is everything okay, miss?" He asked, concern in his eyes.

"I'm just trying to reach my friend, Jake, who lives here, but he's not answering the door. I'm not sure if he's home or not." 

"Oh, the young man? He moved last week. Didn't he tell you?" The security guard furrowed his brows, genuinely puzzled by the situation, and Y/N's heart sank even further as she processed the unexpected information. 

It felt like the world had turned upside down in a matter of moments. She had so many questions swirling in her mind, and she needed answers, but all she did was thank the security guard and walk away from Jake's now-empty apartment.