The second day continued off well enough with you ignoring the fact Sunghoon left you in the chicken fight. What even is his reasons to go running all the way back to the villa?

You don't even want to know.

Jay, as he walked at your side, spoke softly of the matter about what you should expect in the welcoming party of your dad in the next month.

For a moment, you regretted asking him because you were faced with an onslaught of details that you weren't ready to face. Of course, you didn't want to be naive to the truth of their world but you don't want not to be prepared, either.

Sighing, you tried to come up with some sort of response when you turn to the corner of the resort as both of you were heading for the souvenir shop and that's when you hear it.

The exact spot before the stores is bursting with echoing jeers from Kai and hooping from Leo. That sound, one that you became familiar from the boys in your neighborhood had your pace quickening.

That cacophony of sound only ever followed a fight taking place between boys and more often than not, it was because of a girl.

As you and Jay got closer into the fight, you heard Jake is calling out Sunghoon to stop and you tried not to sigh. They do need someone to rein him in with a leash.

Pushing through the crowd, you struggled to the front and Jay almost lost you among the people behind you, accepting the hand you extended towards him and he followed you through the mass.

When you finally made it to the front after recoiling from the elbows keeping you back, you panted slightly with the exertion of getting a clear view, then your eyes instantly went to Sunghoon.

He had an American guy, the curly haired one, hauled before him by his shirt. His knuckles turning white from the force, refused to ease and it made you wonder what had set him off. What had caused such a violent reaction?

You had never seen such anger twist his features so horrifically.

"That guy commented how our group was actually bedding you one at a time, so that's why he got pissed off", Jake said when he stepped by in your side.

"And so they said the introvert ones was always the scariest when they're mad", Jay commented, making you look at him, to stop saying that.

You watched then, terrified that Sunghoon was going to do something stupid, as he spoke in lowered voice to the poor guy. Whatever he said, spoken with a smile of all things, had the blood draining out of the curly haired guy's face.

He nodded abruptly and whatever he had responded had Sunghoon dropping him with a satisfied smile.

Jay, watching you silently from beside him, startled you when he shook your arm. Not realizing that you had been so drawn into Sunghoon's drama, you turned curiously towards him.

As if the crowd was going to pay attention to him from over watching Sunghoon as he stepped closer to the smaller guy once more and dusted his shirt for him, Jay spoke softly.

"How fucking scary is it that he's smiling while threatening him?", Jay pointed out as Jake silently nodded as they started to converse.

Unable to join them, you watched as Sunghoon said something again that no one else heard but the American guy.

Finally stepping away from him, with him dusting his hand off, he walked over to Kai and Leo who looks to be supporting his case. They were preparing to leave for the shops, stopping only when Sunghoon's eyes settled on you.

Without a word, he approach and take your hand and made you follow after him.

You struggled for a moment, turning to look over your shoulder in order to apologise to his two friends and both the J's nodded in understanding.

This wouldn't be the first time he will drag you away from them.

Turning back towards Sunghoon, you waited until you were far enough before you roughly pulled your hand away from him. He looked curiously towards you, you made a face and complained about his manhandling.

He didn't seem too bothered, given how he was smiling, "I just did it for you, you see. Why aren't you happy?"

You scoffed, pinning him into place with your eyes, "But you don't have to get into a fist fight!"

"Maybe not", Sunghoon said with a shrug, "But who's the one to let me see her kicking someone in the balls?"

Knowing that you wouldn't be able to reason with him anymore, you shook your head and remained silent beside him.

Part of you wanted to ask what he was after but instead, followed and found yourself being dropped into the villa.

Or rather, that was what you thought, only to have Sunghoon corralling you back outside to take a walk once he saw the other is coming.

He said for you to spend time together without worrying about people who can't mind their own damn businesses.

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When the final activity for the day drew to a close, with it ending in a dinner of large crab leg and a lobster with a lovely sauce, you prepared to make your way back inside your room in the dark of the night.

With slow, tired steps, you waved goodbye to the boys who plans to watch movie in the seating room and because you were the only one not interested in action movies, you walked alone to your room.

Once you were at the door, you almost had a heart attack after turning the lights on and saw a person waiting at your bed. With your heart jumping in your chest, you breathed out sharply with a warning glance to a grinning Jake.

The adorable bastard was looking far too pleased at what he just did.

"Why are you here?", you demanded when he approached you and placed an arm in your shoulder.

"Follow me", he explained shortly as he walked you out the sliding door, for everyone not to see.

The two of you walked in silence down one of the lines of coconut trees, past the pool which was lit from inside the water, slowly changing colors from red to orange to yellow to blue.

You kept walking around the pool until you reached a swing far from the villa and Jake lay on it, gesturing for you to do the same.

He pointed up at the sky and said, "So the light pollution is terrible from the city, but you see from here, the sky looks different"

"You brought me out to talk about that?", you asked curiously, your shoulders touching his.

"Well, I don't know what else to talk about", he said, and you felt him fumbling for his phone and then glanced down.

Only for you to realize he was trying to hold your hand and you took it. The two of you went quiet beneath the old sky above and you were thinking how all of this seems unreal.

How can you imagine a year ago that you will learn to love someone other than your mom?

You felt Jake turn his head and could feel him looking at you. It makes you wonder how you wanted him to kiss you and how to know why you want to be with that someone, though you were thinking about how to disentangle yourself from the messy knots of wanting.

And you wondered why you were scared to turn your head toward him as well.

Jake started talking about the stars again - as the night got darker, you could see more and more of them, so clear compared to the city and he was telling you about the light pollution and how some Greek philosopher thought the starts were pinpricks in a comic shroud.

He wasn't aware of how he was showing you of how broad his knowledge is and it's kind of admirable, like he's almost close to the mind of Namjoon.

Then after Jake fell quiet for a moment, he said, "You don't talk much today, Y/N"

"I'm not sure what to say about that big brain of yours", you explained with a small smile.

"Then tell me about how you got done in College too early", he said, encouraging you to tell your story.

"I guess I just don't like to spend too many time with our peers?", you began, looking back to your life before, "In my opinion, they're wasting too many times going out in parties and whatever the hell they're doing to enjoy life", then your face forms in a sad expression, "In fact, because of that, I'm just enjoying my teenage life now"

"I can't tell that you're a person aspiring to become big one day, but it will not help you in the long run if you don't get to enjoy your youth", Jake said it in a very mature sound.

And in your eyes, that's just the way you like it.

"Yes, I know that"

After you said it, the two of you were quiet for a long time, until finally he said, "Do you really want to look back on this time and all you will feel is nothing but regret?"

"Thanks for telling me that", you said and turned to him and was looking at his face in profile.

Sometimes, Jake looked like every boy that had come from another country with pale skin and his cheek bones. But now he looked handsome.

The silence grew between the two of you until you asked the stupidest question, because you actually wanted to know the answer, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking it's too good to be true", Jake says, tightening the hold in your hand.

"What is?", you asked.

"You"

And then after a second, you added, "I've never really thought of that about myself"

"You don't know that", he said before kissing your knuckles gently, "But how can you ever not move on from whatever build up that bricks around you? How will you ever know what it feels like to love yourself if you can't see your own worth?"

Right then, Jake didn't know that it struck you inside deeply because only god knows how you hated yourself for being like this, for being too bitter about life and to be honest, you kind of envy them.

The boys for how they have it easier. Not because of their wealth but of their gender itself. For the reason all the women know, because even in modern times, being a female is still your disadvantage.

That's why you have a dream to be a superior ranking at the Bighit Academy.

"I don't want to be so unguarded", you just answered, but you didn't even know if you meant it.

"It's not too weak of you to get vulnerable at times", Jake reminded you, referring to the time you once cried to him.

In the time you and him ends the relationship. And at this moment, he could still see you begging for him to be mad at you. It just shows how you just wanted for people to hate you for some reason.

"I don't know what to say, Y/N", he told you after placing your head on top of his chest, "I could see the pain in your face when you confronted your dad and I want to take it from you"

And without a pause, did you realized in your moment, that you hated hurting Jake. You hated making him feel helpless about you.

He was running his fingers through your hair now, "You're going to be alright", he started, "You're going to get through whatever hate you have inside you. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere"

You felt yourself stiffen a little at the single tear flowing out of your eyes as he kept playing with your hair. And even if Sunghoon and Jay had becoming so close to strike it, Jake was here, not knowing he just said what you needed to hear all your life.

All your life, what you were scared the most is for the people to leave since you got a trauma from your dad doing it himself.

And you know deep inside, all you wanted is for someone to stay, long enough for you to love them in return.

"I will be fine", you said at last - the same lie you'd fed to your mother all this time after hearing her syndrome.

"I love you, you have to remember that", Jake simply said as he turns to hug you by the waist.

Something in his voice reminded you that he is the first boy you cried about, and you thought how everyone always seemed slightly uncomfortable when discussing their impression of you.

And there was your mother, who always seemed worried to remind you of your dad before, as if you could somehow forget.

But at least Jake is here now, ready to be frank, for you to remember not to stay too much in your head when it's not a good a place.

It could be a dark place sometimes and of that, you're aware.

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The last scene should be for Jay but when I think about, it is more accurate to be for Jake.

Since he is the most thoughtful for me so far in Enhypen or you know, the sweetest.

Don't forget to vote!