Archive of Our Own

"Ugh, I just can't do this anymore," Jake groaned, dramatically throwing himself onto Heeseung’s worn-out couch like a man who had faced a lifetime of suffering.

The living room was dimly lit by the late afternoon sun leaking through the curtains, the faint buzz of a video game left paused on the TV in front of him. Heeseung’s apartment had basically turned into their group's official hangout spot ever since his parents moved out so that he has his own space as he starts college. Even if Heeseung himself wasn’t home — which he currently wasn’t, buried in music theory classes — his friends took full advantage of the cozy place like it was their own.

Gathered inside were Jake, Sunoo perched cross-legged on the carpet, and Sunghoon sprawled in an armchair with his phone. If anyone asked, the three of them were totally productive with their gap year. Which, in reality, mostly meant "productive" at video games and existential crises.

And you know what it is that Jake couldn’t do anymore?

Being single.

"Everyone has someone!" Jake whined, flinging a throw pillow across the room for emphasis. "I'm rotting in singleness!"

Technically, he wasn’t wrong. Sunoo and Sunghoon had been together since last winter, disgustingly cute in a way that somehow no one even minded anymore. Heeseung, Jungwon, and Ni-ki — or as everyone called them, the chaotic trio known as Heewonki — had also somehow ended up dating, the kind of relationship that made no sense and yet worked terrifyingly well.

Jay, on the other hand, had never shown much concern about relationships. He was famously single and famously indifferent about it. Jake, however, was a little bit more dramatic.

"You’re being so extra," Sunghoon said without looking up from his phone.

"You’re being so unhelpful," Jake shot back.

Sunoo giggled. "You know," he said, tone sneaky, "I saw something on TikTok last night that might help."

Jake perked up immediately, suspicion written all over his face. "I'm listening… but also suspicious."

"It's a manifestation thing," Sunoo said, wiggling his fingers like he was casting a spell. "You write down all the traits you want in your ideal guy, super specific, and then sleep with the paper under your pillow."

Jake blinked at him, the skepticism practically radiating off his body. "That sounds like the setup for a horror movie."

"No, it's real!" Sunoo insisted, laughing. "You’re supposed to trust the universe. Or whatever."

"Trust the universe," Jake repeated, deadpan.
And yet... he was desperate enough to think about it.

Before Sunoo could reply they heard the door swinging open with a loud bang, and in strolled Jay, kicking off his sneakers in the doorway like he owned the place.

Jay glanced around, taking stock of who was there, then casually walked over to Sunghoon and slapped his hand in some complicated handshake they clearly had practiced at some point — all claps, snaps, and elbows that made Jake roll his eyes so hard he almost strained something.

Without missing a beat, Jay made a beeline for the couch, where Jake was still dramatically sprawled out, and, instead of sitting next to him like a normal person, he straddled Jake’s legs and plopped down heavily on top of him.

"Jesus Christ, Jay!" Jake squawked, trying to shove him off. "Get your heavy ass off me!"

Jay, completely unbothered, just adjusted himself to get more comfortable, practically draping himself over Jake. "Nah, you're good. You're comfy," he said, grinning.

Jake huffed but didn't actually make a real effort to push him away again.

"So," Jay said, reaching for the half-eaten bag of chips on the table, "what were you guys talking about?"

Jake hesitated, giving Sunoo a look.
"Nothing. You’re gonna laugh," Jake muttered, crossing his arms moodily under Jay’s weight.

"I promise I won't," Jay said, tossing a chip into his mouth.

Sunoo, who clearly didn’t care for secrecy, leaned forward conspiratorially. "Jake’s gonna try manifesting his future boyfriend."

Jake turned to glare at him, looking utterly betrayed. "Sunoo!"

Jay blinked at them.
Once.
Twice.

And then he made a face, biting down hard on his bottom lip to physically hold back the laugh that wanted to escape.
"You guys are so stupid," he said finally, still snickering.

"Shut up for a second!" Jake snapped, face burning.

Jay just shrugged like whatever, grabbing a handful of chips and settling in even deeper against Jake’s legs, ready to watch whatever mess this was about to become.

Jake sighed, slumping further down the couch under Jay’s weight like he was preparing for the worst.
"I mean... sure. What do I have to lose?" he muttered. "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work."

"Exactly," Sunoo said brightly, already fishing around the coffee table for a notepad and a pen. He tossed them to Jake, who caught them one-handed with a little grunt of effort.

Not that it helped much, considering Jay was still sitting squarely across his thighs, eating chips like this was a movie.

"You're not gonna move, huh," Jake grumbled, adjusting the notepad awkwardly against his chest to write.

"Nope," Jay said around a mouthful of sour cream and onion.

Jake muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like lazy bastard before clicking the pen and staring at the blank page.

"Okay," Sunoo said, sitting cross-legged, his chin resting in his hands. "Start with the traits you want."

Jake tapped the pen against his lips thoughtfully. "Alright... I want someone funny. Like, actually funny, not fake funny."

He scribbled it down.

"Someone whose laugh is contagious," he added, scribbling again. "Like, the type that makes you laugh even if you don’t know what’s funny."

Sunoo smiled, watching him. Jay, meanwhile, just stole another chip from the bag without comment.

"I want someone who likes bickering with me. Playful fighting, you know?" Jake continued, writing faster now. "Someone who doesn’t just let me win every time."

Jay snorted under his breath but said nothing.

"And—someone who looks like a cat," Jake said with complete seriousness, glancing up like that was the most important trait of all.

Jay actually turned to stare at him for that one, raising an eyebrow. "A cat?"

"Shut up, it's a thing," Jake said, shoving his elbow lightly into Jay’s side. Jay grunted but didn't move.

Sunoo was starting to get a certain look in his eye now.
A suspicious, knowing look.

Jake tapped the pen again, thinking. "Someone who looks kinda intimidating at first. Like, someone you’d think is cold or aloof. But actually... they’re a total softie."

He wrote that down too.

"And..." Jake trailed off, twirling the pen. "Someone easy to tease. Someone who reacts when I poke at them, like... fun reactions."

Sunoo blinked at him, realization dawning so hard it might as well have hit him with a baseball bat.
Because, oh, it was so obvious.

Jake was describing some imaginary dream guy. But the truth is he was describing someone not imaginary at all.

He was literally describing Jay.
Sitting.
Right there.
Obliviously eating chips off Jake's stomach like a human trash gremlin.

Sunoo darted a glance at Jay, who just crunched on another chip and wiped his hand casually on Jake’s hoodie sleeve.

Absolutely no awareness.

Oh, I’m gonna have so much fun with this Sunoo thinks to himself.

Jay tilted his head, finally breaking his crunchy silence. "Okay, but like—how are you even gonna know if the manifestation worked?"

Jake looked at him suspiciously over the top of the notepad.
"Why do you even care?"

Jay threw his hands up dramatically. "Oh my god, can't a man be a little curious?!"

"You were literally making fun of me five minutes ago," Jake accused.

"I’ll gladly make fun of you again," Jay said, reaching out to tug lightly at Jake’s hoodie strings in pure menace.

Before Jake could retaliate, Sunoo clapped his hands once, cutting them both off.
"Alright, children. Let me explain."

Both Jake and Jay grumbled but shut up, settling into the couch like scolded puppies.

"Other than the obvious sign," Sunoo said, looking very proud of himself, "which is that there’s going to be, like, insane attraction between you and your person—there’s this thing with a song."

"A song?" Jake repeated skeptically.

Sunoo nodded seriously. "Apparently, if the manifestation really aligns, both you and the person you're meant to meet will have the same song stuck in your heads. Constantly. Like, for the first couple weeks."

Jay squinted at him like Sunoo was speaking another language. "So let me get this straight. There’s a chance you meet your soulmate or whatever and completely miss them because you didn’t happen to ask some random person on the street what song they were thinking about?"

Sunoo shrugged. "Well... yeah."

Jake tossed his head back dramatically against the couch, groaning. "God, that's so stupid."

Jay laughed under his breath. "Told you."

"But," Jake added quickly, sitting up again, "I'm still gonna try. Whatever, man. I have nothing to lose."

Jay snickered, ruffling Jake’s hair hard enough to make him swat his hand away.

"You’re such a loser," Jay said fondly.

"And you’re crushing my legs," Jake shot back.

Jay didn’t move.

Sunoo just smiled to himself, biting his lip to keep from laughing.
Because if Jake thought this was the stupidest part of his day... oh, he had no idea what was coming.

ꨄ

The next morning, Jake shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, earbuds snug in his ears as he half-jogged down the street toward the café.
Some random playlist was on shuffle. A familiar beat picked up through his headphones—Espresso—and Jake nodded a little along with it. It wasn't his favorite song ever, but it was catchy, and by the time he reached the café, it had rooted itself deep into his brain like an annoying little worm.

He spotted Sunghoon already inside, seated by the window, nursing a cold brew like he hadn’t just gotten there five minutes ago. Jake tugged out his headphones and made his way over.

"Hey," he greeted, sliding into the seat across from him.

"Jay’s on his way," Sunghoon said, waving a hand lazily before sipping his drink.

Jake just nodded, stretching his legs out under the table and letting his mind wander. His thoughts kept circling back to Espresso without permission, the lyrics looping over and over. He drummed his fingers against the tabletop to the beat, staring aimlessly out the window.

He didn't even notice Jay’s arrival until the bell over the door chimed and Jay marched in, tossing a casual grin their way.
He bumped fists with Sunghoon—some stupid complicated handshake they’d perfected years ago—and Jake rolled his eyes so hard it hurt.

"Losers," Jake muttered.

Jay flopped into the chair next to him, bumping Jake’s shoulder unnecessarily hard, and the three of them fell into easy conversation about Sunghoon’s college plans. Apparently, Sunghoon had finally decided on studying something in design, and Jay was grilling him about it like a nosy older brother.

Jake was halfway through teasing Sunghoon about designing ugly furniture for a living when the waiter came by with their orders. They each mumbled a "thanks," settling into the brief, comfortable silence that came with food.

Jake reached for his coffee—and then froze.

Jay, next to him, had started absentmindedly humming.

And not just any hum.

It was Espresso.

Jake blinked at him, heart stuttering weirdly in his chest.

Jay caught the look and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Jake shook his head, trying to play it off, but Jay went on, grumbling,
"This stupid song’s been stuck in my head all morning. I don’t even like it. It’s just—" he snapped his fingers a few times, like trying to catch the beat. "Since I left my house it’s been, like, right there. Won't leave me alone."

Jake stared at him for a second too long before forcing himself to look away, taking an aggressive sip of his coffee to hide his expression.

No. No, calm down.
Espresso was literally the most popular song right now.
Everyone was probably walking around humming it.
It didn’t mean anything.

It was just a stupid coincidence.

Right?

He glanced up at Jay again—at the way he was still casually drumming his fingers against his cup, half-humming the chorus under his breath— yeah, this was totally a coincidence.

Jake went home that night and flopped dramatically onto his bed, hands over his face.

"It’s not him," he muttered to no one.

Sure, Jay kinda looked like a cat. And fine, he was ridiculously easy to tease.
But funny?
No.
Jake refused.

Jay wasn’t funny.
He was annoying.

He made Jake roll his eyes more than he made him laugh—
and that was different.

Feeling a little more assured after lying to himself for a solid hour, Jake drifted to sleep.

The next day, they all gathered at Heeseung’s apartment like planned, the smell of smoke and sizzling food already hanging heavy in the air by the time Jake arrived.

Heeseung and Jungwon were manning the grill, Sunoo and Sunghoon were setting up the table with sodas and snacks, Ni-ki was stealing sausages when he thought no one was looking. (He was very bad at being sneaky.)

Jake dumped his backpack near the door and made his way over, taking in the familiar chaos—
and then his eyes inevitably landed on Jay.

Jay, standing behind the grill, focused intently on flipping patties.
His brows furrowed in concentration, his lips pushing out into the tiniest pout.

Jake blinked.

There it was again.

That stupid, natural pout Jay always made when he was focused.

Something in his chest twitched.

Weird.

Normally, he’d walk right past and call Jay a "Mr. Krabs" or something equally stupid just to get a rise out of him.
But today… he didn’t really feel like teasing.

Today, he just felt—

Soft?

He can’t believe he used to be intimidated by Jay.
He remembered how they'd met, back in middle school.
How Jay had looked so cold and unapproachable at first, like the kind of guy who’d shove your books out of your hands just for fun.
But when Jake had awkwardly introduced himself, bracing for a cold shoulder, Jay had smiled.

A bright, warm, sunbeam of a smile.

Jake shook his head quickly, almost like he could physically shake the memory out of his brain. He scowled a little at himself, stuffing his hands in his pockets and wandering closer.

“You need any help?” he asked, voice a little rough like he wasn’t used to offering things without sarcasm.

Jay blinked, actually startled.
He turned to look at Jake like he’d just grown a second head.

“…You?”
He sounded skeptical. Fair.

Jake rolled his eyes, shoving his shoulder lightly against Jay's.
“Yeah, me. I can cook, you know.”

Jay snorted under his breath, but the corner of his mouth tilted up in a tiny smile anyway.
“Sure, Sim. You’re on veggie duty.”

Jake grinned automatically, grabbing the basket of skewered vegetables without another word.

And when their hands brushed for a second over the basket handle—
it was stupid, so stupid—
but Jake’s heart did something really embarrassing, like a soft, uneven skip.

He ignored it.
Shoved it down.

Probably just heatstroke or something.
Yeah. Totally.

ꨄ

The barbecue was a success, everyone stuffed and laughing too hard at the mess Sunghoon had made trying to roast marshmallows directly over the grill ("It's not the same as a campfire, you idiot!" Heeseung had yelled).

And now, with the night settling into a comfortable buzz, the boys had migrated inside, surrounding the little karaoke machine Heeseung had set up in the living room.

Sunghoon had just butchered a Chappell Roan song so badly it made Sunoo physically curl into the couch like he could escape secondhand embarrassment.

"Alright, alright," Jay said, standing up and cracking his knuckles dramatically. "Let me show you how it’s done."

Jake, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a soda can balanced between his knees, smirked.
He already knew what song he was going to pick. Some classic Justin Bieber — probably "Hold On" — it was foolproof.
Predictable? Maybe.
But he loved that song, okay? Everyone already teased him for it. Nothing new.

He watched casually as Jay scrolled through the machine, muttering under his breath about the bad selection.
And then—

Jake froze.
No way.

Jay had selected "Hold On" by Justin Bieber.

The exact same song Jake had been planning to sing.

Around the room, several heads turned, eyebrows lifting.
Sunoo's jaw actually dropped.

Jay didn’t seem to notice the stunned silence. He grabbed the mic and cleared his throat.

"I don't even like Bieber that much," Jay shrugged, fiddling with the mic settings. "But this stupid song kept coming up on my Spotify today, like three times in a row, so I figured, I don't know. Maybe it’s a sign from the universe that I'm about to eat you losers alive with my vocals."

He grinned cheekily, completely oblivious.

Meanwhile, Jake sat there, eyes wide as saucers.
His heart was pounding like he'd just run a marathon.
He couldn't even move.

From the corner of his eye, he caught Sunoo staring at him.
Very knowingly.
Way too knowingly.

Jake turned his head sharply and locked eyes with him.

Sunoo smirked.

"Don’t even think whatever you’re thinking," Jake hissed under his breath.

Sunoo tilted his head innocently. "I don’t know what I’m thinking."

"Stop thinking," Jake said, pointing at him accusingly. "You're wrong."

Sunoo just laughed.
The kind of laugh that said: you’re so doomed, it's adorable.

Jake followed Sunoo back inside, the distant sound of laughter and chatter leaking from the living room like sunlight through a cracked door.

He sat down on the couch, trying to shake the heavy, weird feeling clinging to him like a second skin. Jay plopped down next to him a second later, close enough that their knees brushed.

"You good?" Jay asked, nudging him lightly with his elbow. His voice was casual, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes.

Jake blinked, forcing himself to nod. "Yeah. Just tired."
Not a complete lie. Just... not the whole truth.

Jay studied him for a second, then grinned — that stupid, cat-like grin that Jake knew too well — and suddenly did something so dumb Jake couldn’t even predict it: he crossed his eyes and puffed out his cheeks like a pufferfish.

Jake stared at him for a full beat. Then another.

And then he burst out laughing, loud and unwilling, the sound punching out of him before he could even think to stop it.

Jay sat back, smug, like he'd won a prize. "There he is," he said, ruffling Jake’s hair affectionately.

Jake swatted his hand away, still laughing, and Jay just chuckled, shifting to grab a drink off the coffee table like nothing had happened.

Jake forced himself to relax after that, to enjoy the night. They grilled more food, someone spilled coke all over the floor (Sunghoon blamed Ni-ki, Ni-ki blamed Jungwon, Jungwon blamed Sunoo), and they played chaotic board games until Heeseung finally kicked them out around midnight.

By the time Jake got home, his cheeks still ached from smiling.

But when he laid down on his bed, in the dark quiet of his room, the laughter faded — and the thoughts rushed back in.

Jay.

It’s Jay.

Jake stared up at the ceiling, his heart doing weird, uncomfortable things in his chest.

Wasn’t it crazy?
Out of everyone in the world... it was Jay.

Jay, who could be a little gross sometimes (he once ate a whole pickle out of the jar with his hands like a caveman).
Jay, who laughed too loud at his own jokes.
Jay, who made Jake smile even on his worst days without even asking what was wrong.
Jay, who once showed up at Jake’s door with homemade soup when he was sick, grumbling the whole time but refusing to leave until Jake had eaten every bite.
Jay, who resembles a fucking cat a little too much.

Jake buried his face in his pillow with a groan.

"You're so annoying," he muttered to no one, knowing full well who he meant.

ꨄ

The next morning, Jake met up with Jay again. Nothing unusual — just another day spent hanging out, wasting time during their aimless gap year.

They were sprawled out on the grass at the park, tossing crumpled napkins into an empty soda cup they had scavenged from their lunch.

Jake had just missed an easy shot when Jay, laughing, reached over and flicked the tip of Jake’s nose.

Jake startled, his cheeks heating up instantly. "Dude—"
Jay just smirked at him. "You’re so bad at this. It's kinda cute, honestly."

Jake blinked. His brain short-circuited for a second.
"...Are you flirting with me?"

Jay grinned wider, lazy and a little wicked. "Maybe."
Jake's heart slammed against his ribs.

Then Jay leaned back on his elbows and added casually, "Just kidding, man."

Jake stared at him for a second longer, feeling like he was going insane. Maybe it was the leftover effects of the manifestation thing messing with his head.

He pulled at a blade of grass, twirling it between his fingers. "Actually," he said, trying to sound offhanded, "remember that manifestation thing?"

Jay hummed. "Yeah, the magic soulmate spell," he teased.

Jake shot him a look but continued, voice a little quieter. "I think... it might’ve worked."

Jay’s head turned sharply toward him. For a split second, his whole face hardened — like he'd been hit with something he wasn't ready for — before smoothing back into something more casual.
"Oh yeah?" Jay said, carefully neutral. "Who is it?"

Jake hesitated, staring down at the grass.
"I’m not sure if I should tell you," he admitted. "Or if I should even... act on it."

Jay watched him, unreadable. "You’re the one who said it, remember?" he said lightly. "What do you have to lose?"

Jake let out a small, dry laugh. "Yeah, but it’s not that simple."

Jay cocked his head. "Why not?"

Jake chewed on his bottom lip for a second. Then, very quietly, he said,
"Because it’s someone I think... I’ve had feelings for all along. I just—" Jake shrugged helplessly. "I never let myself think about it before now."

Jay didn’t say anything right away.

For a second, it felt like the world held its breath — like even the wind around them paused, waiting.

Jake finally dared to glance up — and found Jay already looking at him, something raw and open flickering across his face before he looked away again, busying himself with tossing another napkin into the cup.

He missed on purpose.

After that, Jay grew quieter. Not in an obvious way — he still tossed jokes here and there, still made casual comments about how bad Jake’s napkin toss aim was — but something was different. His words felt lighter. Like they didn’t weigh anything at all.

After a short while, Jay pushed himself up, brushing grass off his jeans.
"Maybe we should head back," he said, not quite meeting Jake’s eyes.

Jake blinked, feeling a small pang in his chest.
He opened his mouth to say something — what? We just got here? Why don’t you want to stay? — but nothing came out.
Instead, he nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

They gathered their things wordlessly. The walk back wasn’t long — Jay’s apartment was closer, a convenient halfway point whenever they hung out — but today, the short distance felt like forever.

Jake kept stealing glances at him. Jay kept his gaze ahead, hands shoved deep in his pockets.

When they finally reached Jay’s building, Jay slowed, then stopped just before the stairs. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking... unsettled. Like there was something stuck in his throat he couldn’t get out.

Finally, still not looking at Jake, he said, voice soft,
"You should do something about that guy."

Jake’s heart thudded painfully.
He stared at Jay’s profile, trying to read him, but Jay wouldn’t look at him.

"You know," Jay added, forcing a half-smile, "the guy you manifested or whatever. If it’s really him. You shouldn’t just... sit on it."

Jake’s throat felt dry.
"Yeah," he said eventually, voice low. "I’ll think about it."

Jay just nodded once — sharp and small — before stepping back toward his door, waving vaguely over his shoulder.
"See you later, man."

Jake watched him go, a hollow feeling blooming in his chest.

He wondered why it suddenly felt like Jay didn’t want to be around him anymore.

And he wondered why that hurt so much.

The next day, Jake didn’t hear from Jay at all.
No stupid memes. No voice notes filled with bad singing. No “wyd” text even though they’d seen each other just hours before.

He stared at his phone more times than he cared to admit, each time seeing no new notifications.
Eventually, he caved and texted first.

jake:
yo you good? why didn't you show up at heeseung's today?

The message sat there.
Delivered. Not read.

It was a stupid thing to be hurt over, Jake knew that.
But still — it hurt.

Later, when everyone gathered again at Heeseung’s place, Jake learned the reason.
Sunghoon plopped down beside him on the couch, arms full of snacks.
"Jay said he’s not feeling too well tonight," Sunghoon said, ripping open a bag of chips.

Jake blinked.
"Jay... told you that?"

Sunghoon nodded, too busy stuffing his face to notice Jake's expression.

So — Jay was answering texts.
Just... not Jake’s.

The realization hit him like a punch in the gut.
He sat there for a moment, his chest tightening, the noise of his friends around him fading into a dull buzz.

Suddenly, Jake stood up, too fast, making the couch creak.
Ni-ki, sitting cross-legged on the floor, looked up at him.
"Where are you going?" he asked through a mouthful of gummies.

Jake grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair.
"I just remembered," he said quickly, "I have to do something for my parents."

He didn’t wait for a response.
Just tugged his jacket on and headed for the door.

Ni-ki turned to Sunoo, eyebrows scrunched in confusion.
"He's being so weird tonight," he said.

Sunoo, still sitting by the table, only watched the now closed door, his expression unreadable.
He let out a quiet breath and whispered, almost to himself,
"I hope they finally figure it out."

ꨄ

Jake didn’t even remember how he got to Jay’s house.
One moment he was pushing open Heeseung’s door, and the next he was standing in front of Jay’s, his heart thudding in his ears.

He rang the doorbell.
For a second, he wondered if Jay would even answer.
But then the door swung open — and Jay stood there, looking surprised for just a fraction of a second before his face settled into something calmer, something more... resigned.

"Hey," Jay said, stepping aside.
"Come in."

Jake offered a quick greeting to Jay’s parents, exchanging a polite smile, before following Jay up the stairs to his room.
The door clicked shut behind them, and for a moment, there was only silence.

Jake sat on the edge of Jay’s bed.
Jay dropped into the desk chair across the room, spinning it slightly with his foot.

The silence stretched until Jake couldn't take it anymore.
"You mad at me or something?" he asked bluntly.
Jay’s head snapped up.

"No," he said immediately.
Too immediately.

Jake leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
"You sure? ‘Cause it kinda feels like you are. You’ve been weird since yesterday."

Jay sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"It’s nothing, Jake. Seriously. I just... wasn’t feeling great. Didn't wanna worry you."

Jake stared at him.
Jay stared back.

Something itched under Jake’s skin.
Something that told him he wasn’t getting the full story.

Another beat of silence.
And then, Jay shifted in his chair, looking anywhere but at Jake.

"So," he said, too casually, "Did you... do anything about that guy?"

Jake blinked, thrown off.
It took him a second to even register what Jay was talking about.

"The... manifestation thing?" Jake asked carefully.

Jay nodded, eyes still lowered.

Jake hesitated.
"Do you really think I should?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

Jay gave a soft, almost bitter laugh.
"Yeah. Sure. Why not?" he said, and finally — finally — he looked up at Jake, a sad, small smile pulling at his lips.

Something clicked into place in Jake’s chest.
Something terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

Jake licked his lips, heart hammering.
"The thing is..." he started slowly, "this person... he’s my friend."
He watched Jay carefully for a reaction.

Jay just nodded, though his throat bobbed with a tight swallow.
"So?" he said. "That’s not a bad thing."

Jake tilted his head.
"What if it ruins our friendship?"

Jay leaned back in the chair, resting his head against the wall.
His eyes closed for a brief second.
Then he said, voice soft but firm,
"Chances are, if he's your soulmate, he likes you too. Isn’t that the whole point?"
He opened his eyes and smiled at Jake — and this time it was a little brighter, but still tinged with sadness.

Jake stared at him.
Thought about the words.
Thought about him.

And for the first time, he wondered if maybe — just maybe — Jay really did like him back.

Jake swallowed.
Gave a small, almost breathless laugh.
"Yeah," he said. "That makes sense."

Jay grinned at him.
"So," he asked, voice in a fake teasing and light tone, "what are you gonna do about it, loverboy?"

Jake smiled back — nervous, excited, scared — but smiled nonetheless.

Jake still hadn't figured out exactly what he was going to do when he opened his mouth and said,
"Maybe I’ll just... act on it."

Jay raised an eyebrow, leaning back slightly.
"Oh yeah? And how are you gonna do tha—"

Jake didn’t let him finish.

He moved quickly, almost recklessly, swinging his leg over and settling himself down on Jay’s lap.
Jay froze, his hands hovering awkwardly in the air like he had no idea what he was supposed to do with them.

Jake leaned in, heart pounding in his throat, and pressed a quick, soft kiss to Jay’s lips.

Jay's eyes widened comically when Jake pulled back.
He looked shell-shocked.
Like Jake had just dropped an actual bomb in his bedroom.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Neither of them moved.

And just as Jake’s stomach sank — just as he started sliding off Jay’s lap, embarrassment already clawing at him —
Jay’s hands found his hips.

Firm, grounding.

Jake froze in turn.

And before he could even react, Jay was leaning forward, capturing his lips again —
But this time in a real kiss.
Slower, deeper, more sure.
Jay’s fingers tightened against Jake’s waist like he was afraid he’d slip away otherwise.

Jake’s mind raced.
His heart raced.
His whole body raced — and somewhere between the kisses, he felt a laugh bubble up in his chest.

When they finally parted, Jake was grinning so wide his cheeks hurt.
"You’re so stupid," he said breathlessly, forehead resting against Jay’s.

Jay huffed out a small laugh, brushing a thumb against Jake's side.
"At least I don’t believe in stupid manifestation crap," he said, trying for smugness — but his smile was too fond to pull it off.

Jake nudged their noses together.
"If it wasn’t for my stupid manifestation," he pointed out, "we wouldn't be here right now making out on your stupid chair."

Jay smirked.
"Yeah, whatever, man."

Jake laughed again, feeling lighter than he had in weeks, maybe months.

Because somehow, against all odds —
this ridiculous, crazy, stupid thing he’d tried had actually led him to Jay.
Exactly where he was supposed to be all along.

The two of them, tangled up in Jay’s bed, a mess of limbs and smiles, finally found a quiet moment.
Jay pulled Jake closer, his arm slipping around Jake's waist, pulling him into a soft cuddle. There was a comfortable silence between them, the kind that only comes after a confession, after all the tension finally breaks.

Jake, half-awake, his head resting on Jay’s chest, let out a small, tired laugh.
Jay, half-smiling, asked quietly,
"Hey... am I the reason your mind’s been full of back songs lately?"

Jake lifted his head just enough to hit his shoulder playfully.
"Shut up," he muttered, burying his face into Jay's neck.

Jay chuckled, pressing his lips to Jake’s hair, content.
Jake grabbed his phone, a small frown tugging at his lips when he saw a text notification from Sunoo. He opened it without thinking.
“Hope y’all are kissing rn.”

Jay, curious, peeked over his shoulder and read the message aloud,
“Well, Sunoo said it.”

Before Jake could say anything else, Jay was already leaning in, kissing him again — slow at first, teasing, just enough to make Jake roll his eyes.
“Yeah, as if we needed Sunoo to tell us," Jake murmured, but before he could finish the sentence, Jay kissed him harder, making him forget everything but the feeling of Jay’s lips against his.

And that was it.
No more words. Just the softness of each other, the warmth, the rightness of being in the moment.
No need to question it anymore. It was just them.