✓ SOUR SWEETHEARTS | JAKE

25 - Rain-Soaked Secrets

"I met Jake." Y/N's words made Areum sit up, her eyes wide open. 

"When? I mean just now, today?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowed. He didn't answer anyone's calls, not Y/N's nor Sunghoon's, and Heran refused to tell them anything about him because she didn't want to give Y/N a chance to see him again. 

"A few hours ago, before the Detective called me." Her shoulders slumped when she sighed. "But he acted like he didn't care at all, as if we had never been close. He even said, 'Don't fall in love with me because we won't end well.' It was... harsh."

Areum's eyes widened in shock. "Wow, that's... mean."

"It's like he's a different person now. I don't understand any of it. It felt like he was pushing me away deliberately like he wanted to make sure I wouldn't try to find him or get involved in whatever is going on with him." The encounter replayed in Y/N's mind, and each time she thought about it, it left her feeling more confused and hurt.

It was clear that Jake was going through something tough but he didn't want anyone to be a part of it. Humans are complex beings, and sometimes they respond to pain and confusion in ways that can be hurtful to others. She knew it, yet couldn't help but hate him for his harsh words. 

"I know this is hard for you, Y/N," Areum said softly. "But sometimes, people lash out when they're hurting the most. It doesn't excuse his behavior, but it might be his way of coping with whatever he's going through. Maybe he'll come around when he's ready to talk about it."

"No," She said, her gaze fixed on the floor. "I guess this way is better. Seojin doesn't want him around me anyway. Maybe he was right. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved with him in the first place." And yet, even after trying to convince herself that there was no point in getting involved in his mess, her heart ached. 

There was no way she could forget about him. Y/N's love wasn't like that; if she loved someone, which she couldn't control, she couldn't just erase those feelings and pretend they never existed. And so, when Areum left and she was alone in her dimly lit apartment, Y/N found herself sitting on her couch, lost in thought. Everything was eating her alive and she just wanted the world to stop so she could take a deep breath and sort out her feelings. 

She knew that distancing herself from Jake might be the most rational choice, but her heart and her memories were stubbornly clinging to the moments they spent together. The sky got darker and she decided to visit her old house.

Y/N grabbed her coat and keys, locked her apartment door behind her, and made her way to the place where her childhood memories were etched into the walls. The walk to her old house felt surreal. The neighborhood hadn't changed much and when she stood in front of the house, Y/N's heart ached. The scars of the past were still visible on the charred remains of the building. The memories of that fateful night came rushing back—the flames, the smoke, and the feeling of loss that had never truly faded.

"I miss you, Mom and Dad." She whispered to the empty space, crouching down against the backdrop of her old home. She was back to being the little girl who watched her house burn down, feeling lost and helpless. Back to the child who had to spend nights and nights in an orphanage with other kids who, like her, had lost their families in various tragic ways. Those memories of being alone in a cold and unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers who were also grappling with their own pain, were etched into her soul.

She wrote pages about all these feelings in her books, and perhaps that's why people said her stories felt real, beautifully tragic, and almost painfully authentic. And that's what she wanted them to feel because the world hated raw and unfiltered emotions. It was easier for people to look away from pain, to shield themselves from the vulnerability that came with confronting their own wounds. 

But someone had to be the voice for those who couldn't speak, for those who had their stories buried under layers of silence and suffering. Y/N chose to be that voice, to use her words to give meaning to the pain and turn it into art.

Droplets of water started to fall from the sky and she extended her hand to feel the cool raindrops on her skin. Oh, how much she pleaded and begged the heavens for rain when her house was on fire, but that night, the rain had refused to come. 

Y/N closed her eyes, allowing the rain to wash over her face when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her. Startled, she opened her eyes and turned to see a figure approaching through the rain. He paused, staring at her with furrowed eyebrows. 

"Jake...?" Her voice came out as a soft, uncertain whisper. She stood up, slowly walking towards him while the rain kept pouring down, soaking both of them. "What are you doing here?"

"No... what are you doing here?" His frown only deepened and he let out a mock gasp. "Did you follow me?"

Y/N's heart pounded in her chest as she looked at Jake, rainwater dripping from her hair and clothes. "I didn't follow you. Why would I when you clearly pushed me away?"

"Then why are you here? It doesn't make sense. Why would you-"

"Why is it any of your business?" When she raised her voice, it echoed in the rain-soaked silence around them. "I can go wherever I want, why does it matter to you?"

Jake shook his head and ran his fingers through his wet hair before sighing heavily. "Y/N, please leave me alone. You don't want to be involved in this."

"I'm not following you for fuck's sake! This is my home!" She threw her hands in the air out of frustration and watched while his eyes widened. "If you don't want me in your life, fine. But don't act like I'm going to be following after you like a lost puppy! I'm not here for you-"

"Your home?" Jake's voice was barely above a whisper, and his eyes were locked onto hers with both shock and realization. The rain continued to pour, but for a moment, it felt like time had frozen between them. "What do you..."

"It's my home, Jake. It got burned and destroyed when I was a child and I ended up losing my parents!" Y/N said, her voice now filled with a raw vulnerability that cut through the rain-soaked air. "Are you happy now? Do you understand why I came here? It has nothing to do with you so just leave me alone!"

Jake couldn't even pay attention to her words anymore. He stood there, frozen, his heart sinking and sinking to the deepest depths. Realization hit him and he took a step back, almost stumbling, while he stared at her with horrified eyes. His father was the one who set the fire that night, leading to Y/N's parents' tragic death. 

Life was very cruel to make them cross paths, the victim's daughter and the murderer's son. It was ironic and so incredibly painful. Jake took another step back, turning his back on Y/N before he ran through the rain-soaked streets. He had hoped that he could go back to her after clearing up everything about the case, yet now, their story could never end well. 

But what horrified him the most was the fact that he had fallen in love with her, and if she knew that his father was the monster who had taken away her parents and destroyed her home, she would never look at him the same way again. Oh God, she would never forgive him.