cw: age gap, jake is a minor. if you're uncomfortable about this topic, you can scroll away and ignore this, thank you.
jake kim, just like sinu, he loves women, not in a romantic way but in a way which he desired to protect even it costs his own life.
as a young boy, he disliked his dad, growing up believing that garpyong kim is being unfair to his mom and entertaining a lot of women behind their backs.
that's why he told himself that he won't do the same thing. he won't turn his back away from the love of his life, won't entertain another woman while he has someone waiting for him.
he's mere sixteen years old when sinu adopt him as part of a big deal, at then, he met you. a woman that is two years older than him, a woman who grew up with sinu.
he never thought of falling in love, primarily with the older woman but when you came, those changed. that thing he believe vanished as if it was never there.
unlike those vendors around the street, you're unwelcoming. when sinu arrived with jake, sameul, and the others. he saw a glare that dug holes onto sinu's head.
at first, he felt unwanted. it is as if you didn't want them to be there, which is true since the big deal isn't that big and the money is barely enough for the whole gang as daily expenses.
girls have been working their asses to gain then sinu arrived? with what? someone to feed, and someone who looks like someone who can bring trouble anytime they wanted.
after dealing with sinu, after he explained everything. you do nothing but to sighed and accept his begs since even you protest, there's no way that you'll beat a man named sinu han.
as time goes by, everything went pretty well. the men sinu brought somehow manage to gain enough money for all, and you? you're finally at ease, of course, who wouldn't? there's no more time where you gave your own food and let the others eat, there's no more time that you'll go to bed with an empty stomach.
spending time with jake is a mess and hassle for everyone around. one protesting and always furious and one with teasing and always annoying.
so when everyone is at the table? expect some noises that will bang your ears until it bleeds. some food flying and landing on one's face? it's normal, c'mon someone is playing around, better be patient.
add your temper that scared all the men around, even sinu? yes, even sinu han. your deep and frightening voice will send a shiver that makes them tremble.
it's an unbelievable sight that jake isn't dead yet.
whenever you're hanging out with yeonhui and jake is hanging around with the girls? your eyes will keep close to them, hands crossed beneath your breast. once jake notices it all, he'll walk away from them and approach you instead.
"didn't you ask me to be here?" when? the first thing that came to your mind every time he did something unbelievable like this.
"do i look like i want you to be here?"
"of course you want me to be here." and the hassle and ear banging bickering has begun, it's never-ending unless jake did something to shut you up.
man always pull something.
it's not long before you develop something you wished you didn't. you forgot the fact that he's a couple of years younger and it'll be a crime for an eighteen years old you to fall with him.
he supposed to be someone you loathe and not this feeling, the feeling that makes your stomach swirl around and the feeling that squeezes your heart whenever he's around.
it's not irritating but it's like a poison spreading around your body with no clue or antidote to being used to cure it.
whenever jake came and annoy you? instead of being mad, you'll be flustered. can't even make eye contact with your face burning red then when he noticed it all, he'll ask the stupidest things;
"are you okay? did you eat an ultra mega super uber duper spicy chicken without inviting me? do you really hate me that much? woah, i can't believe you." c'mon jake, we know you're lying. he isn't dumb as we thought. he knows and he takes the hint, he knows you like him and yes, the feeling is mutual.
after those questions, you just said things you wished you didn't. you revealed something that caused a crash in the whole world. you confessed in the wrong time, wrong place, and with sinu standing in front of yeonhui's store.
you know that all of this is wrong, falling in love with a teenager younger than you. all of this, everything is wrong. everything isn't right.
after that, you walked away. leaving jake who just sits on the ground. face red and man can past as tomato as this point, he knows and noticed it all but when you said it out of nowhere? jake's soul ascended, he's on cloud nine.
yes, even though sinu is annoying sometimes and looks like he knows nothing when it comes to love, he confronted you. is he mad? no, he's pissed. because for him, you're a little sister to look at and a sister to handle with care.
so, he's pissed knowing that even you already know that it's wrong, you keep on going on without looking at consequences.
you receive a massive scolding, not like before, a scold that should get in your head. he even bonks your head a lot of times just to remove that look on your face.
look that looks like you're about to cry, and the look that only sinu saw.
"what should i do...? it's wrong."
"do whatever you want but don't cross the boundaries." what boundaries is he discussing about? you already crossed the line.
after that day, you tried your best to avoid jake. at the table, you're with sinu not beside him, when he asked yeonhui where you at? you're there, hiding behind the table. at night, since he knows you love staring at the moon. he'll walk around the street, all by himself and where you at? on top of the roof watching every move he made.
days turn in weeks, jake can't even have time with you. all by himself, when you're walking out of yeonhui's store and you saw the glimpse of him waiting outside? you'll turn your back and ask yeonhui to do it instead, at lunch? when sinu isn't there and has some errands to attend? he'll sit on his post then wait for you, of course, you didn't arrive, you sit just behind him with jerry on your back to hide your whole existence which causes jake to think you aren't there and you came with sinu instead.
yeonhui is so done, she can't stand your stubbornness anymore. so, she set a date just for the two of you, just you and jake.
yeonhui is nowhere to be seen and you're standing in front of the man whom you tried to avoid these weeks. as when you try to turn away and walk back, his bigger and slender hand catch your wrist.
the contact makes you weak, it's been a long time since you felt his warmth against yours and you can't help but yearn for more.
"stop avoiding me..." he whined as you ease on his grasp, standing straight and staring at the concrete below.
the redness didn't fail to creep on both of your faces, pretty sure that jake also felt his heart beating twice, no... multiple times.
"i feel the same so you didn't have to worry anymore."
"it's not what i worry about..."
"then what is it?" you finally stared into his dark irises.
"this is wrong, everything is wrong. you're a child and... and" even if you tried your best to describe the word, you can't even put your tongue into but as all you know, it's illegal.
"yes, you are! sinu told me not to cross the line, so, stop looking out for me." jake placed both of his hands onto your shoulders as he slightly bent down to face you. his face is inches away from you and his hot breath hits your face.
"you won't cross the line. give me some time, I'll prove it. this isn't just a game you can reset, [ name ]. let me, please, just let me prove everything i feel."
you were caught under his sugar-coated words and you let him do whatever he wants. the man won a prize at that time, he sealed the deal with kisses.
after then, the bickering stop and changed into cringe and cliche sweet words from jake. at lunch? he'll cling to you and even feed you, man won't spend a second without you. whenever you are, there he is. and whenever he is, you were there. trapped in his arms.
he always steals kisses when no one's around, giving you flowers he got from working his ass together with sinu and samuel.
the man even practiced a song just for you just to end up being cast away with your shoe hitting his head. it's not that you hate the effort he made but it's embarrassing, customers are there, laughing at his out-of-the-tone voice with samuel, jerry, and alexander being forced to join him.
every effort he made, everything he did for you makes you fall in love more. you might not be in a relationship with him but you sealed everything for him. waiting for two more years isn't that big plus the time goes pretty fast.
rather than being the whole embarrassment, jake always has something for you. since he came from a wealthy family, fancy restaurants were his thing to take you out to, when you he saw you wearing the dress he bought himself? man will be poison in time, he even passed out since you're too much to handle.
when there's free time, he'll take you out to an amusement park. letting your youngster instinct burst in. using the matching headband, taking pictures everywhere, riding every ride.
when he decided to take the roller coaster them you refused? he'll force you. hands of his around your waist as he makes his way to the entrance whilst you protest and try your best to get out of his hold.
after the ride, jake will take a picture of you. every angle while you stood there. messy hair, with no emotions since on your face. jake is trying his best not to laugh but the way you look at him makes it funnier which causes him to guffaw, clutching his stomach.
after he laughs, he'll clear his throat. biting his bottom lips so he won't laugh again then he approaches you. fixing your hair then place a kiss on your forehead afterward.
the ocean is your thing, it gives you the comfort as much as jake did. the sound of the wave is almost similar to jake's laugh, it makes you happy. everything about the ocean screams his name. jake is too much to swim, a lot if secrets lie behind his face, and he's too wide to explore.
a year has passed, he's the happiest because in another more year he can call you his. he can claim you, and he can shout how much he loves you in the whole world.
and so he thought, currently staring at the wide water surface in front with his hand holding yours. the way you stared at the ocean isn't the same, the way you stared at jake isn't as it is before.
something changed and he knows what is it yet he wanted to hold you more, he want to feel your warmth like before, he wants to see your smile, and to be the reason behind those.
but he also knows that he can't bring it back. he can't bring back the time where you laugh at your own jokes, he can't bring back the time you smile at him like before, the time you gave him butterflies.
he can't bring back the time.
the hue of the sunset illuminating your face he adores, your face he loves the most. your face that is used to have the smile when he's around is now the face when he saw you for the first time.
he felt unwanted, for the second time and it came from you.
"the sunset... is beautiful, isn't it?" he take the hint as he did when you confessed, however, this isn't the same. he's not flustered as before but he's heart is beating rapidly, multiple times than normal.
he's the man that everyone wanted, he's the man that everyone wished for. to be told, you hit the jackpot and jake was the prize but he's not for you.
someone will come to get him, someone who'll love him much more than you did, someone who can scream to the whole world how much they love him, and someone who isn't you.
as then, without explanation. you let go of his hand.
you finally let go of the man you love the most.
and the man was named jake kim.
