✓ SOUR SWEETHEARTS | JAKE

23 - Quiet Games

Y/N sat in her apartment, holding her phone to her ear while she spoke to Sunghoon. "Did you know that Jake moved out?" She asked, her voice trembling with confusion and frustration.

"No, I had no idea," Sunghoon replied, sounding genuinely surprised. "I saw him a week ago, and he didn't mention anything about moving. And it's concerning because he doesn't really reply to any of my texts."

Y/N's worry deepened as she listened to Sunghoon's words. It was becoming increasingly clear that something was seriously wrong with Jake's sudden disappearance. "I don't understand. We were supposed to talk things out, and now he's just gone."

"I'll talk to Heran and see if she knows anything. I mean the two of them are close so if anyone has any information, it might be her." His words made her sigh in frustration but she still thanked him and asked him to let her know about anything if he discovered something. She also got Jake's number and tried calling him over and over, but there was still no response. The silence on the other end of the line gnawed at her, leaving her feeling helpless and anxious.

The days turned into weeks, and still, there was no sign of Jake. Y/N had a part time job at a library and it was perfect since she could read books and write during her shifts. The multiple texts sent to Jake were left unanswered and she wondered if the two would ever cross paths again. Even Sunghoon had no idea where he was and Heran refused to talk about him. 

The letters she tapped on her keyboard turned into words about Jake and she found herself writing about him, about how he made her feel and how she wished she could have another chance to tell him.

And one evening, while she working on her writing in the library, a familiar face passed by the glass windows and her heart dropped as she rushed out of the library to find Jake standing there, looking disheveled and weary. His face was etched with exhaustion, and he seemed lost in thought. She quickly took out her phone and called him, only for him to stare at his phone for a second and ignore the call. Y/N's heart sank as she watched him dismiss her call.

"Jake?" Her voice made him freeze in his tracks, and slowly he turned to face her.

"Y/N..." He started, but his voice faltered. Then he took a step back as if he wanted to put some distance between them. "Uhm, hi."

"Hi?" Y/N was taken aback by his response. She had expected more of an explanation or at least an attempt to explain his sudden moving. "Jake, we've all been worried sick. You disappeared without a word, and we didn't know if you were okay or not. I was really-"

"I don't need you to worry about me, Y/N," Jake sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping as he looked away. "And I don't think I owe anyone an explanation. If I want to move out, I'll just do it. And if I want to disappear, that's my choice too. Why the fuck are you even so concerned about me? It's not like we're dating or anything. Just because we kissed once or twice doesn't mean I owe you my life story." His words came out more harshly than he had intended but it didn't matter. He didn't care.

"Oh," She scoffed, pressing her tongue to the inside of her cheek. "Is this how it is, Jake? Just some casual kisses and then you can treat people however you want? You know what? I get it. I was a convenient distraction for you, and now that you're done, you can just toss me aside. That's good to know, at least I won't keep holding onto false hopes."

"Stop making me out to be some heartless jerk," He chuckled lowly, looking down at his feet. "I just don't need anyone in my life, Y/N. No one. What Heran said is a tiny bit of my pathetic life. It's a living hell and I'm just trying to survive it alone. I don't need you. Don't fall in love with me because we won't end well." And he turned around , leaving her standing there while he walked away. 

She couldn't go after him or force him to stay. And maybe it was better that way, or maybe it was worse. Y/N stood there, watching Jake's retreating figure until he disappeared from view. The harsh reality of his words sank in, and it felt like a sharp stab to her heart. She had no choice but to let him go, and even if she was going to regret it later on, she knew deep down that it was the right thing to do.

"Don't fall in love with you?" She whispered to herself and let out a mock gasp. "I guess it's a little late for that now, isn't it?" With a heavy heart, Y/N returned to the library and sat there, feeling frustrated, sad, and confused. She couldn't deny the pain of Jake's rejection and his sudden disappearance had left her with so many unanswered questions. 

What had happened in his life that made him so closed off and distant? Why was he so afraid of letting someone in, even if it was just for a moment? These questions swirled in her mind as she stared blankly at her computer screen, unable to concentrate on her writing. No words seemed to flow from her fingertips as they once had and the world outside the library seemed dull and colorless.

A message from Seojin appeared on the screen and she tapped on it to find him asking about how she was. The timing was ironic but she still appreciated the fact that her brother was thinking of her even though he did what he did back in Jeju.

That's what brothers do. They're overprotective and they mess up sometimes. His words replayed in her mind and she knew that it was his first time having a sister and he was still trying to figure it out. Y/N decided to reply to Seojin's message, typing out a simple "I'm okay." If he knew that she met Jake again, he'd end up worried or mad and she really didn't want to burden him further.

However, just a few minutes later, her phone started ringing and an unknown number flashed on the screen. Hesitant but curious, Y/N answered the call. "Hello?" She said, her voice cautious.

"Good afternoon. Is this Miss Lee Y/N?" 

Y/N furrowed her brow in confusion at the formal tone of the caller. "Yes, this is Y/N Lee. Who's calling?"

The voice on the other end of the line belonged to a man, and he sounded professional, almost official. "Miss Lee, my name is Detective Park. I'm calling from the local police department. I would like to inform you that the case involving your parents' death was requested to be reopened for further investigation."

Y/N's heart pounded in her chest as the detective's words washed over her. The mention of her parents' death sent a shiver down her spine, reopening old wounds she had tried so hard to heal. The case had been ruled as a tragic accident and almost a decade had passed since that fateful day. She had learned to cope with the pain, accept the loss, and move forward with her life, or at least she thought she had.

"I... I don't understand," Y/N stammered, her voice trembling. "What do you mean, reopening the case? Who requested this, and why now?"

Detective Park's voice remained calm and composed on the other end of the line. "I understand this may come as a shock, Miss Lee. The request to reopen the case came from an anonymous source who thinks that the incident wasn't just an accident and may have involved foul play. It appears that the fire that occurred that day was intentionally set."

Y/N's whole world seemed to be spinning. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea that her parents' death might have been a deliberate act. Memories of that tragic day flashed before her eyes— the smoke, the flames, the chaos. The idea that it might have been deliberate arson was almost too much to bear.

But most of all, the anonymous source haunted her thoughts. Who could it be? Why had they waited so long to come forward? The questions swirled in her mind like a storm.