sky lights | jakehoon

025

five days have passed. five days since the first message.

no sign of sunghoon.

at all.

"sunghoon called me, jake." jay says as we walk down the road. we were walking home from another tiring day of school. i'm being filmed as i'm talking, thinking, and processing my reasons to live. it's hard to stay sane when i'm not even sane.

"h-he called you? when?" i stop walking and pull jay back.

"during lunch." jay answers.

"why didn't you tell me?" i blurt out.

"the thing is..." jay begins. "he was saying something weird."

"well, isn't sunghoon already weird to begin with?"

"you're right." a pause. "he told me to tell you..." he closes the wide gap between us, his lips near my ear. "stay away from me."

i chuckle. autocorrect. i chuckle nervously.

"that's just a joke, right?"

"you think i'm joking?" i look at jay. he was more than dead serious. he was intimidating. he could pass as my brother if he didn't have an obsession for pineapples that live under the sea.

"was that all he said?" i'm genuinely scared now.

"he sent a text message right after the call ended and never answered my messages after. they were left unread." i take his phone.

g'day mate
nearby
us not, it's we
sunoo, jungwon, you
mother
acrostic acrobatics
sim jake
help @^
[delete]

jay: i don't speak boomer.
sent 12:33

jay: where are you, loser?
sent 12:34

jay: did sunoo tell you about the filming?
sent 12:35

jay: sunghoon?
sent 12:36

"i think sunghoon wants me, you, jungwon, and sunoo to meet up. i don't understand anything at all but we should go to my house."

"but don't you have security cameras?"

i lean into his ear. "my mom? she's going to prison as soon as i see her. you're helping me take over her shares of the company. i think i have a plan just for her."

there was another box sitting in front of my door when the two of us arrived. "this is for you, jay...?" i hand him the odd box and we both head in. i still haven't touched the package that was for me. how long has it been? two weeks? i don't keep track of time. "let's open them together."

we plop our bags on the floor and sit by the table with knives, ready to attack the boxes. for a moment, we stare at each other in silence before giving ourselves a sign to proceed.

"three, two, one, go." carefully, with good precision and angles, the two of us unbox the packages.

jay drops his knife, the cooking weapon hitting the table with a dull thud. his hand covers his mouth, his facial expression full of shock.

"what happened?" being curious, i put down my box and walk over. my eyes widen and i place my hand over my mouth, shocked as well.

there were pictures of sunghoon. "why is he so handsome?" the words slip out of my mouth.

"how can you think of that? someone wants to k-word him!"

there were a couple of pictures of sunghoon sleeping peacefully, but his arms were bruised in several places. there were dark markings over his wrists like permanent bracelets, and his hair was a beautiful mess. the room the picture was taken in was quite bright, with one wall entirely with windows overlooking a neighborhood. it was awfully familiar.

"i see australia." i mutter and continue to look through the other photos. the last picture was a crumbled polaroid with a splatter of red dots appearing over a busy road. "are these red dots, uh, kangaroos from a distance?" it looks reasonable.

the doorbell chimes, signalling jungwon's and sunoo's arrival. "get that for me, jay." i shove him over to the door as i head back to the box, opening it. i'm concerned. more concerned than ever.

inside the box was a single envelope. i carefully open the mail, and take out a thin sheet of paper.

my son.

"jake hyung!"

are you enjoying your time in seoul?

"why do you have a whole collection of cacti in the corner of your apartment?"

i have came to a conclusion.

"you should see my cacti collection, sunoo."

i want you to live freely, away from the house.

"jake hyung?"

i realized how much you've gone through.

"jake, why are you crying?"

it's my fault.

"oh my gosh, you have macarons."

please live freely with your new friends.

"jay hyung! why are there photos of sunghoon hyung bruised?"

love them and forget about inheriting the business.

"jungwon, don't touch them!"

i would gladly give you the company if you wanted.

"ew, these macarons taste like expired eggs."

but, on one condition.

"jake, what's going on?"

find yourself a girlfriend.

"a letter?"

nobody else, but a female to inherit the company with you.

"jake hyung?"

with love, mom.

"no way..." i whisper.

"what way, hyung?" jungwon asks.

if i had read the letter earlier, nothing would have happened. i drop the letter and jay picks it up, reading it quickly. i almost collapse, but jungwon catches me. if i had not ignored the box, everything could have been avoided.

"jake, this is no good." jay exclaims.

"it's already too late, jay." i mutter.

"what's too late, hyung?" jungwon gently speaks.

"i need to save sunghoon. i have to s-start planning."

"what do you mean save sunghoon hyung, jake?"

"do you guys want some expired macarons?"

"shut up, sunoo, you BEE."

"how does one shut up? there's always time for food and-"

"sunghoon is in danger!"

another message popped up in my notifications from the same unknown phone umber.

twenty-five hours 🤡

.

A/N: oop, only a few chapters left 🤡