Following on from your meeting with Junho, you hadn't heard from him this week. Not that you'd expected to, either.

You knew he wouldn't text you, that it wouldn't be normal for him to contact you instantly like your mom so clearly desire and it was a good thing for you.

She knew all that, and yet, it was still disheartening for her when you told her everyday that there was nothing between you and her new favorite guy.

She was getting far too ahead of herself.

Junho was living his life and busy even though he still hadn't been called by Woolim and you were living your own life in Bighit Academy.

There was a knock on the door in your dorm, drawing you out from your thoughts. With a sigh from your mouth, you rose to your feet and took your time getting it and whoever was on the door hadn't knocked again, so you almost doubted someone was still there.

With a slow hand, you reached for the doorknob, preparing to turn it and only to hesitate. How were you going to know who was on the other side? What if it was someone from the triple stress?

You hesitated for a moment longer, preparing to call through the door to ask who it was.

"Baby, it's me", It's Jake. His sudden appearance was so surprising after a week of not talking to each other that your hand almost fell away from the knob.

He rapped gently on the door then, his voice lowered as he murmured against it, "People were already starting a rumors about us and they're including Sunghoon along Jay. I want to talk"

"Juts a second", you called back, unlocking the door and stepping away, so he could walk in.

He shuffled inside the living room and you sucked in a deep breath, your nose assaulted by the scent of him. It hadn't changed in any way, it's still warm and sweet and familiar that you could picture yourself once more walking hand-in-hand in Brisbane with him.

It's ironic that all of it was gone in just one night.

"Close the door behind you", you reminded him.

Jake made a sound of agreement behind you and you waited until you heard him shut the door. The anticipation is real about this talk he asked for.

"What brings you here?", you called over your shoulder, walking straight into the couches.

"Who else but you?", he said, trailing after you. His footsteps stopped for a moment, before they started up again, "I didn't expect for you to keep that"

"I don't know why I still have it", you admitted as your eyes went into contact at the keychain of Australia hanging from the zipper of your bag, "It's not like the person will stay -"

"Don't remove it", Jake said, knowing what you were going to say.

When he spoke next, his voice came from beside you as he slowly eased down at the couch, "You must've put it there for a reason"

Because I'd needed some way of making the memories from that getaway to at least stay, that's what your heart want to say, but your brain is still winning over.

"Be warned, Jake", you started, deflecting the subject, "Or else, I might hurt you again with my words. I don't want that"

"I'll keep that in mind", he smiled and the very sight of it feels like home.

There was a silence that you filled by drumming your fingers against your knees. The foam beneath you shifted as Jake scooted closer, the solid length of his thigh pressed agaisnt yours.

If only you were not brain first before heart, you wanted nothing more than to turn into his side and to ask him for his forgiveness.

You were so stupidly naive back then, at Australia, to think that you could be safe in his arms in those short but still memorable days in his company. Especially now, you needed him more than ever.

Jake reached out for your hand, holding it steady in both of his. He began to speak tentatively, "I didn't reach out to you for the past few days because I'm doing some thinking"

" A few days?", you couldn't help but snort incredelously, "You didn't talk to me in a week, Jake"

"Okay", you could hear the sarcasm in his voice, "Just hear me out, would you?"

"Sorry I'll listen, I swear", you promised, turning to him and waited for him to speak.

"I know in my heart that I could not stay upset with you for long", he honestly sounded so genuine that you didn't tease him for it, "I watched you interact with both Jay and Sunghoon and knew that I couldn't allow them to steal you away"

"Believe me", you started slowly, not able to look him in the eyes as you said it, "The kiss is nothing. You didn't have to fight for it"

"But Sunghoon does like you for real", his sentence lingered and knowing you were going to protest, he covered your mouth with his hand, "Come on, I know no girls would not resist his face and the kiss you have with him in the party has some tension"

He still covered your mouth and you knew that he was doing it, so you couldn't verbalise any disagreement. In spite of it, you shook your head when Jake stared down at you softly.

The old him, at least the ex-boyfriend you had for a time seems to return.

When he spoke again, it was a plea against your temple, "Next time, I will let you explain first. I knew it's still me, right?"

No words were needed as you simply give him a nod.

His hands went around you then, drawing you into his chest and it took everything in you not to curl up in him.

You remained firm until he called your name again, and you finally give in and let yourself seek comfort from the shield of his arms.

You very much doubted resisting him would be any of use, anyway.

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It had been over an hour now since Jake left to study in their dorm following your advice and you still have to tidy up your closet.

So far you had resorted out in not folding your clothes properly because you had run yourself ragged with work and the issues with the boys. There was simply no time to fix the other things in your dorm room.

Heeseung, who had dropped by to rest from his P.E classes, had been horrified after finding you among the clothes in the bed. He insisted that he would help since the room looks as untidy as well.

"God", he sighed, looking at you from his perch next to the closet, "You really didn't even bother, don't you? You're just as untidy as Jay"

"You call it untidy, I say it's organized in a way that it's different from yours", you retorted while folding up clothes after clothes.

"Fine", he rolled his eyes, "Just don't make me fold your undies or I'll sell it outside the door"

"Be ready for me to burn all your clothes in the back of the school"

You were refolding a pair of jeans when Heeseung let out a gasp. In his hand, you lookes up to see he was holding a familiar bracelet in his hand. Your eyes widened and you cast a glance at the box that he decided to open for himself.

It was the one from Sunghoon, the one you should have thrown out a long time ago.

Heeseung raised an eyebrow, looking between you and the bracelet. Settling the bracelet back in the box, he crossed the bedroom and shut the door.

"You've still got the bracelet from him?", he asked, looking at you with a knowing eyes.

"It doesn't mean anything", you insisted as you placed that you refolded in the drawer, "It's a pretty piece of jewelry. Maybe I can sell it?"

"Don't you dare do it", Heeseung said gently, "But we both know it means to him more than that - it just sucks you wanted his bestfriend instead"

"Whenever I look at it, I remember what I caused between him and Jake", you said quietly, returning to your clothes.

It was easier to talk to him without looking him in the eyes

"We both know he didn't mean it that way", Heeseung says as he started helping you with folding clothes, "He was just led on by his feelings. You know what boys was like -"

"But he doesn't have to hurt Jake in the process as well", you cleared your throat and changed the subject, not commenting on the way Heeseung frowned at you like a parent, "Anyway, how's your tutoring classes? I heard Niki is attached to you like a giant baby of yours"

Heeseung answered your question and you tried to listen to him as he spoke fondly of the kid, you really did. But you couldn't - not when your attention was focus on an entirely too annoying person, onto the boy with an amazing accent.

What really just happened between the two of you earlier?

Following your silent break up with him, you hadn't wanted to do anything with him. You had convinced yourself not to make him a big part of your life but he keeps on making it hard to do so. Especially when you were seeing him every single day.

And now he was back, determined to make you only keep your eyes at him.

"Heeseung", you called quietly, knowing that he is a friend and he was the first to go for in advises.

He looked over at you, taken by surprise of how serious you sounded, "Yes?"

"He visited me today"

Heeseung furrowed his eyebrows before asking, "Who among the three?"

"Jake"

He frozed before moving all at once as he sat down on the bed and made you sit down beside him, "Tell me everything"

And so you did. You told him how you were minding your business when someone knocked on the door. How you had sat down with Jake and spoke to him, and let him take you in his arms, despite of your mind screaming to be careful of your heart.

"Jake is really serious about a dumb selfish girl", Heeseung shook his head, and raised his eyes to yours, "So what are you going to do? Are you going to see him again?"

You bit down on the bottom of your lip, "I don't know"

"Do you want to date him again?", he asked gently.

"I don't know", you repeated, but you know deep inside, to the bottom of your butt, that you did.

You should've told Jake that you'd been hurt too many times and you were running away from a heartache. He was different though, and his actions tells you that there's nothing to fear.

But why do you keep running away from him? You know you will keep running until he came.

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