06

I walked down the hallway with silent tears streaming down my face.

Jake's words kept replaying in my head, every sentence cutting deeper the more I remembered.

My chest ached from holding everything in.

Then my phone rang.

Seeing Heeseung's name on the screen, I immediately wiped my tears and answered.

"Are you okay?"

His voice was calm but filled with concern.

Hearing him made everything harder to hold in. I blinked fast, but the tears came anyway.

"I'm near Gangnam Hotel,"

I said quietly.

"I'll come get you."

⸻

I waited on a bench near the curb, hugging myself for warmth.

Within minutes, Heeseung pulled up.

He stepped out without saying anything, walked over, and pulled me gently into his arms.

"It's alright. I'm here,"

he said, resting his hand on my head.

His embrace was warm, comforting. It caught me off guard, but I didn't resist.

I stayed still in his arms, allowing myself to feel safe for a moment. A part of me wished time would stop right there.

"Let's get you home. It's too cold to stay out here,"

he said, opening the car door.

⸻

When we arrived, I turned to him.

"Thank you for fetching me,"

I said, voice steadier now, though the cold still lingered in my bones.

Before I could open the gate, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.

"Wait,"

he said.

"There's something I need to tell you."

I looked up at him. He seemed nervous, like he was debating whether to say it at all.

"Go on," I said, giving him space to speak.

He hesitated.

"This might be sudden, but, Han Jina..."

Just then, my phone rang again. I checked the screen and answered out of habit.

"My parents want to meet us tomorrow to talk about the wedding. Don't mention today to my father. I'm not in the mood for drama."

I paused. "What do you mean, the wedding?"

"They're rushing it. They want it done this weekend. That's all. I'm done talking."

The line went dead.

I lowered the phone and turned back to Heeseung, who was watching me quietly.

His expression had changed. His hands were slightly shaking, his jaw tight.

"Are you really getting married?" he asked.

I nodded, not trusting myself to say much more.

"So it's true. You and him," he said.

I looked away, my throat tightening.

"I didn't plan to tell anyone yet,"

I said, trying to stay calm.

"But since you asked, I thought you deserved to hear it from me."

There was a pause. Neither of us said anything. I kept my gaze on the ground.

"Congratulations, Jina," he said after a moment, forcing a smile. "I hope it works out."

He turned to walk away. I took a step forward.

"Wait."

He stopped and looked back.

"What were you going to tell me earlier?"

Heeseung looked at me for a second, then gave a small smile, soft, but sad.

"It doesn't matter now. I'll see you tomorrow."

He got into his car and drove off.

I stood there alone in front of my door, the jacket still wrapped around my shoulders.

Then I sat down on the steps and buried my face in my hands. The silence around me felt heavier than ever.

I didn't know how things ended up like this. I didn't know how I became the problem in someone else's story.

But one thing was clear.

Jake Shim had changed my life and not for the better.