❗ CHAPTER 05 :: ❗

Sunoo didn't go back to practice after that.

Instead, he found himself in the rooftop garden behind the building. It was a small space, barely used, with a few benches, a single vending machine, and some potted plants wilting under the weight of late summer rain.

He stood there, the cold air brushing against his cheeks, eyes focused on nothing.

His fingers were cold.His heart was tired.And his mind was completely loud.

Why did it feel like no matter what he did, someone would end up breaking?Why was his heart so confused?

He liked Sunghoon. He really did. That smile, that spark, the way he made Sunoo feel alive and challenged and seen. But he also liked the other one. The boy who stood in silence and still made him feel understood. The one who offered peace instead of chaos.

He had two versions of love in his hands.

And neither of them deserved to be a second choice.

Sunoo sat down on the wet bench, letting the drizzle soak into his sleeves. He didn't care anymore. He just needed to breathe. Just for a second. A minute. Anything.

His phone vibrated again.

Sunghoon: Are you still mad at me?

He stared at the message.

Then, another one.

Sunghoon: Or are you still with him?

Sunoo didn't answer. He couldn't. Not because he didn't want to. But because he didn't know what to say anymore.

Later that night, he fell asleep with his hoodie still on, the sound of rain playing softly in the background. He didn't even remember closing his eyes.

But he dreamt.

He dreamt of a small moment.

A moment where he was laughing.A soft kind of laugh, the one that slips out without permission.

And beside him stood someone. Not Sunghoon.

Jake.

The name floated in the air, so clear it almost hurt.

In the dream, Jake was handing him a drink, their fingers brushing. Sunoo smiled, leaning against his shoulder without saying a word.

It was calm. Soft. The world around them blurred.

And in that moment, Sunoo didn't feel pulled.He didn't feel confused.

He felt... okay.

When Sunoo woke up, his eyes opened slowly. He didn't know what time it was. The room was quiet. Too quiet. Everyone was probably still asleep.

But he remembered the dream vividly.

Not the details.

Just the name.

Jake.

That was the name that slipped from his lips while sleeping.And it terrified him.

Because no matter how badly he wanted to protect Jake from being hurt...His heart just spoke without permission.

And now he couldn't take it back.

He sat up, running a hand through his messy hair. His chest was tight.

Suddenly, the door creaked open.

Sunghoon.

He peeked inside. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept either.

"You're awake," he said softly.

Sunoo nodded.

"I... I heard you say something. In your sleep."

Sunoo's heart stopped.

He didn't answer.

Sunghoon stepped inside fully now, closing the door behind him.

"You said Jake's name."

There it was.

Out in the open.

Sunoo didn't deny it.

"I didn't mean to," he whispered.

"I know," Sunghoon said, voice tight. "But you did."

There was a silence that swallowed the room.

And then, without warning, Sunghoon's eyes turned glassy.

"Just tell me the truth, Sunoo. Do you love him?"

Sunoo looked down.

"I don't know."

Sunghoon laughed under his breath. Not because it was funny. Because it hurt too much not to.

"I wish you could just break my heart all at once instead of slowly like this."

Sunoo stood up, reaching for his hand, but Sunghoon stepped back.

"I can't do this right now," he said, his voice shaking. "I can't compete with someone you dream about."

He left.

And Sunoo stood there, completely still, his hand half-raised in the air, heart now even more torn than before.

Because dreams don't lie.

But they also don't always mean you're ready to choose.