The atmosphere grew increasingly tense after Jay's ill-timed outburst. Everyone's eyes were on Haein, silently pleading for an explanation. 

Jay tried to diffuse the situation, laughing nervously as he said, "Uh, you know, I have this bad habit. When I get too excited, I just call anyone a sister-in-law—man or woman, no discrimination!" 

His attempt at humor fell flat, and Taerae, clearly unimpressed, rolled his eyes before turning to Haein.

"Look, you're going to tell us the truth—no lies. Why is this mechanic guy always hanging around us? Why did you get into that beat-up truck, and what were you doing in that neighborhood?"

Haein bit her lip hard, the pressure nearly drawing blood. She was cornered, unsure of what to say or do. Her eyes darted to Jake, silently begging for a way out. But when she met his gaze, she saw a resolve that sent a chill down her spine. 

His eyes, normally so kind, were unyielding as he spoke, his voice steady. "We have to tell them," Jake said, the weight of his words hanging in the air. "We can't hide it anymore."

Just as Haein was about to speak, Jake interrupted her, his voice cutting through the tension.

 "Me and Haein, we..." 

His words hung in the air, and a pregnant silence followed, every eye in the room fixed on them. Jake hesitated for a moment, then turned to face Haein, his gaze shifting to lock onto hers. With a steady voice that grew louder, he declared.

"I have fallen madly in love with her since I first saw her."

Haein's jaw dropped, and she stared at him in disbelief, her mind racing to catch up with his words. The room erupted into stunned silence as everyone processed what they had just heard. Eyes widened, breaths were held, and even the smallest movements seemed to freeze in time.

She didn't know what to think. Was this a desperate cover-up, or was Jake seriously in love with her? No, it had to be a lie,

Jake continued with unwavering conviction, "That's why I can't stay away from her, not even for a second. I want to see her face at all times. If I don't, my head starts shaking, and my heart aches. She's like a shot of espresso—she wakes me up, keeps me going, and I can't imagine a day without her."

Haein searched his face for any sign of the usual mischief or sarcasm, but all she saw was sincerity. It terrified her because, deep down, a part of her wanted to believe him. But the rational side of her screamed that this had to be a ruse, a desperate attempt to salvage their situation.

Jia scoffed, disbelief etched across her face. "What the hell is he talking about?" she muttered under her breath. 

Giselle,  turned to Haein with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, did you know about this? And you didn't tell us?"

Haein's mind raced, heart pounding in her chest. The walls felt like they were closing in as the weight of everyone's stares pressed down on her. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She had no idea what to say or how to explain any of this—if there even was an explanation.

"I... uh... I gotta go," she stammered, the panic taking over as she bolted from the room, her footsteps echoing in the silence she left behind.

After everything that had happened, Her friends gathered in the garden, launching into a gossip session about the recent events. Meanwhile, Jake was frantically searching everywhere for her.

 He spotted Yuna walking by and quickly stopped her, asking, "Oh, have you seen Haein?"

"No, I didn't, but you clearly saw her. CLEARLY." Her jealousy was evident, but Jake, completely oblivious, responded, "Eh? If I had seen her, why would I ask you?"

Frustrated, Yuna's eyes welled up with tears as she ran off, muttering, "I hate men!" 

Jake, utterly confused, shook his head and continued his search for Haein.

Then a hand yanked him into the storage room, slamming the door behind them. Haein's eyes were blazing with fury as she rounded on him. 

"What the hell were you thinking out there?" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down but failing to hide the anger.

"What did I do?"

"You embarrassed me in front of everyone! Did you really think that ridiculous confession would make me fall head over heels for you?" 

Jake shrugged, leaning back against the shelves with a casual air that only made her angrier. "Okay, then I have a better idea. Let's go back out there and tell them the truth—that we've been lying and we're actually married."

Panic flashed across Haein's face, and she quickly slapped her hand over his mouth, glancing toward the door as if someone might be listening. 

"Shh! What if they hear you?" she whispered urgently.

He pushed her hand away, his expression turning serious. "The only way to fix one scandal," he said, his voice low and steady, "is by creating another one."

Jake's expression turned serious as he added, "I saved you twice, and I regret it."

Haein couldn't help but smile mischievously, leaning in slightly. "You saved me because it works in your favor," she teased.

"What do you mean?" Jake looked at her, genuinely puzzled.

Her smile widened, and she tilted her head playfully. "You said all that because you actually fell for me. I mean, how could you not?"

His confident demeanor faltered, his smile dropping as he looked at her with a hint of shyness. "Was it really that obvious? I thought I—"

He inched closer, closing the space between them. Haein's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding, but just as she braced herself for what he might say next, Jake leaned in, his voice low and teasing. 

"If you thought I was gonna say that, you'll have to wait a million years."

Her breath came out in a huff as she realized he was messing with her. 

As if the heavens themselves were playing games with them, the muffled voices of Haein's friends grew louder just outside the storage room. Her eyes widened in panic.

Without a second thought, she grabbed Jake's hand and pulled him towards a nearby closet.

They hurried inside, the small space barely fitting them both. Haein shut the door behind them, the darkness inside the closet pressing in on them as they huddled close. The only light came from a tiny crack above the door, casting a faint glow on their faces.

Inside the cramped, dimly lit closet, Haein and Jake were pressed tightly against each other. The small space felt even smaller with their bodies so close. Her heart raced as she struggled to stay silent, her hand still clutching Jake's in a vice-like grip. 

Jake tried to adjust his position, but the lack of space made it difficult. He could feel Haein's breath against his cheek, and the warmth of her body was almost overwhelming. 

"I didn't realize this was part of the plan," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

 "This isn't a plan. This is a mess. And if you hadn't been so loud, we wouldn't be hiding."

 "Loud? I was trying to help. You're the one who dragged me in here."

 "You're not helping now. Just be quiet. They're getting closer."

The voices outside the closet grew louder, their conversations increasingly distinct. Haein could hear her friends calling her name, their footsteps echoing down the hallway. She pressed her back against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible.

Jake shifted uncomfortably, his arm brushing against Haein's. "This is... close," he said, attempting to make light of the situation. "You sure you're okay with this?"

Haein shot him a sharp look, her face flushed with both embarrassment and irritation. "Now is not the time to talk about comfort levels. Just keep quiet."

They both fell silent, their breathing the only sound in the dark closet. The voices outside were almost directly outside the door now, their laughter and chatter mixing with the sounds of their footsteps. 

Haein's grip on Jake's hand tightened, her heart pounding in her chest.

Jake could feel the tension in her hand, and he couldn't help but notice how close they were. The proximity made him acutely aware of her presence, and he shifted slightly, trying to avoid making any unnecessary contact. 

Haein leaned in, her face close to Jake's ear. "They're right outside. Please, don't make any noise."

Jake nodded, his breath mingling with hers as he tried to steady his own nerves.

Suddenly, the footsteps and voices began to move away, growing fainter. Haein let out a silent sigh of relief, her grip on Jake's hand loosening just slightly. She peeked through the crack in the closet door, her eyes scanning the hallway for any signs of her friends.

Jake's voice was barely a whisper. "Looks like they're moving on."

Haein nodded, her face still close to his. "Yeah. We should stay put a little longer, just to be sure."

They remained in the closet for a few more minutes, the tension slowly dissipating as the sounds from the hallway grew more distant. The closeness of their bodies began to feel less like an invasion of personal space and more like a shared refuge from their predicament.

When the hallway was finally silent, Haein slowly opened the closet door, peeking out to ensure the coast was clear. She and Jake stepped out into the hallway, their faces flushed and their clothes slightly disheveled, but relieved to have escaped the close quarters of the closet.

━━━━⊱❀

another boring chp im sorrrry but im running out of ideas