[ sunghoon is a nepo baby ]

sunoo:
has anyone here seen jay?
he's not answering any of my calls

heeseung:
why? is he not home with you?
it's already 2 am

sunoo:
no he's not
idk where he is

heeseung:
wait i'll call him
he's not answering
where did you last see him?

sunoo:
at the headquarters earlier
he was with us
but i think he went to talk to jake
where are you @jay pls answer 😭

sunghoon:
ayo i'm here
what's going awn
👀
jay's gone? omfg

sunoo:
is he with you?

sunghoon:
nah he's not here
he's probably out there trying to figure out his decisions in life
or he's gone to a temple to meditate 🧘🏻🧘🏻🧘🏻

heeseung:
when are you going to get serious
find jay
or else i'll do smth you definitely won't like

sunghoon:
LMFAOOO Y U THREATHENING ME NOW
fine i'll look for him
istg hee u and ur temper 😒

------------

hoon 📰 @parkwrites tweeted.

looking for: @cornjay ‼️ if someone has spotted this guy, kindly contact me immediately 🫶 (or don't, let him wander the streets for all i care /j love u jayboo 😘)

2949 likes | 738 retweets

replies:

@cyberlee seriously?
↪@parkwrites seriously 😳🤪🤩
@sunscripts what the hell is this and why did u make jay look like he's been missing for days
↪@parkwrites this is how it's supposed to be done ✋
@yeonjuned jay's MIA? oh good heavens was it bc of how awful the soccer team is
@chenleave think i saw him at the club a while ago 🤔
↪@cyberlee where? what club?

---------

[ park (the shitty one) ]

heeseung:
chenle knows where jay is
can you ask him?
he's not replying to me

park (the shitty one):
dude
i know where jay is
and he wants to be alone for now

heeseung:
are you sure he's safe?

park (the shitty one):
yeah he is dw
he just needs some time alone to think ig
y'all stressed him out lol

heeseung:
???
i'm stressing him out?

park (the shitty one):
nah i was just joking
he's probably got some problems with jake lately

heeseung:
why are you acting like you don't know about it?
i'm sure as hell you're updated when it comes to things like this

park (the shitty one):
oh pls
not really lmfao but i do know smth
btw
are you okay with jay going to milan for a few years?

heeseung:
ofc
as long as he wants it too
who am i to stop him?

park (the shitty one):
but what if he doesn't come back?

heeseung:
i don't fucking know
stop doing your mind games on me

park (the shitty one):
LMFAO chill papi 😘🫶

-----------

jay didn't want this.

he didn't wish for things to be this complicated.

is loving someone supposed to be like this? why do i have to be in this position?

he takes another shot of the martini, ignoring the blinding lights and the loud music around him. jay chose to stay in a bar rather than go back to their apartment, as he didn't want to worry sunoo anymore. at least this bar isn't that crowded today, maybe because it's a weekday.

"jiho, can you make me more tequila?" he asked the bartender for the fourth time now.

"alright sir, coming up." jiho smiled at him before mixing the drinks. "you don't have company? where's sir sunghoon?"

"i don't know where your sir is, but i can assure you that i'm alone tonight." because i broke my best friend's heart, and now i'm going to spend the rest of my life alone.

he closed his eyes as he remembered how jake pushed him away.

"you... you can't even answer me. just— just please leave, i don't want to talk to you. not now, jay."

after that, jake closed the door in front of him, leaving jay standing outside of his apartment. he could still hear jake's sobs echoing his mind. how could i do that to him?

and heeseung... i was thinking of talking to him to explain some things, but where do i even start? he stared at his glass and sighed.

"sir, are you driving tonight? or should i call a cab for you later?" jiho asked after serving drinks to other people.

jay puts his head on top of the island counter. "no, no. i'm staying here until the morning."

the bartender looks at him, "are you sure sir? it's going to get more crowded here later, i think you'd prefer to be alone."

he shakes his head. "no, i like it here. the louder the noise, the more i won't hear my own thoughts. it keeps me calm."

"alright, sir. if you say so."

jiho left him to entertain another bunch of people, and jay just sat alone— silently wishing that after this night ends, all that had happened is just a nightmare.

"two margaritas, please." he hears the girl two seats away from him, say.

"miss jimin, i can only offer you non-alchoholic dr—"

"jiho i swear to freaking buddha i will not leave until i get my alcohol. get me my margarita." the girl insisted while the bartender followed her order.

wait a fucking second, i know her. jay eyed the person beside him until she glanced at him too, her eyebrow raised while looking at him.

"what?"

"i know you. aren't you that girl who paints?" and the girl who got into a catfight before, jay wanted to add but stopped himself.

she has this disgusting look on her face. "girl who paints? the fuck is that description. it's called fine arts, learn your language."

rude. why the hell is she so rude to a guy she doesn't even know?

"you're mean," jay can't help but mumble since he's a bit tipsy already. "we've met a couple of times but you're really mean. what have i done to you?"

jimin looks at him with a blank face. "you're a man. that's enough reason why i should hate you."

"oh, okay. fair enough. i guess the whole world hates me now."

"boo-hoo, go cry about it in the corner. stop trying to rant about your life to me, i just wanted a drink." she takes the glass of margarita and downs it in a second.

jay almost cursed at her. he's a bit drunk now, and the alcohol's starting to affect his body.

"no, really. i feel like the world's punishing me." he moves closer to sit on the chair beside her now, while jimin just straight up ignores him.

"the world's not punishing you, you're just too dumb to make the right decisions." jimin rolled her eyes.

"i'm not dumb, take that back." he finishes up his tequila before talking again. "want to make a bet? the person whose life sucks more gets $10."

she smirks, "you sure you want to bet on that?"

"of course. i got caught by my best friend, who supposedly likes me, kissing his ex-crush— who also happens to be my friend. now he doesn't want to talk to me and i have no freaking idea what i'm supposed to do."

wow, that felt good. i guess ranting to a person you don't know really helps.

jimin clicks her tongue. "sounds like a classic miscommunication trope. what are you, a teenager?"

"not funny. so, i win the bet right?" jay proudly said before drinking his scotch.

"you wanna know how awful my life is?" she leans in closer to whisper in his ear.

"i'm pregnant."

jay chokes halfway through his drink after hearing what she just said. he coughed, wiping his mouth with tissue. what the actual—

"nice joke, i almost believed you." he eyed her. she doesn't seem pregnant, what the hell is she talking about?

jimin chuckled but didn't say a word. he stared at her again, this time his eyes widened.

"no shit? you're really— fuck," he snatched the drink out of her hand. "then why the hell are you drinking this?! you're carrying a tiny human!"

she glared at him. "are we close? stop meddling with what i do."

"but this is bad for the baby. unless you're lying to me so you could get $10?" jay suspiciously points at her, but jimin shoves his hand off her face.

"i'm three weeks pregnant, and i've only found out two days ago right before the dean offered me an internship to milan." she spats out. "see? i still win."

oh, that's... fucked up. hearing her problem made jay forgot how awful his situation is.

"are you okay?" he suddenly asked. he remembered how he'd seen her with scratches from the catfight.

"aside from the morning sickness and the random cravings? yeah, i'm good." jimin lets out a laugh. "fuck, it's been a long time since i've heard someone ask me that."

jay smiled. she looks tough, but she's definitely suffering inside too. to think that i've judged her before...

they shared a quiet minute as the music got louder and the place got more crowded. for them, this place is the most peaceful they've ever been— considering all that has happened to them.

"jay, right?" jimin speaks up after a while. " i heard you got the internship too. so, wanna go to milan with me?"

he looks at her, his mind getting a bit dizzy from all the drinks earlier. all i want is to run away from my problems.

"sure, count me in."

----------

jake decided to come to practice this morning, as he tried his best to conceal his puffy eyes. although him and jay aren't exactly on talking terms, he still didn't want to skip the practice and let it affect the whole team.

plus, jay's the team captain. i have to at least act civil in front of others.

"really? that's cool though. how long will the internship take?" jake hears his teammates talk to each other while he changes his clothes.

"dunno." serim shrugs. "but i bet mark's thrilled to be the new captain."

jake stops putting his things inside his locker to face them. "what did you say? what new captain?"

the others looked at each other. serim stared at him, "uh... you didn't know? mark's the new captain as of today. jay didn't tell you?"

he sees jeongin nudging serim to shut up, while jake remains confused. what's going on? jay didn't tell me what?

"oh shit..." serim chuckled nervously. "i need to do some stretches now, bye!" but before he could leave, jake stops him.

"where's jay? why isn't he the team captain anymore?"

did he quit...?

"jake, you really don't have any idea?" mark steps in, looking concerned. "jay... he's been offered to do an internship to milan, and he's leaving today."

what?

jake felt his heart drop to the ground.

his best friend ran away from him. am i that unlovable?

jay chose to leave without even telling me? we haven't even fixed whatever's left to our friendship... is that it? is this how it's going to end?

---------

heeseung stops his work when his phone won't stop vibrating. he picks it up and answers the call.

"dude, jay— he left."

hearing what sunghoon said made him froze a bit, his hand remained on top of the keyboard— not moving at all.

"he's gone? he didn't bother to tell us?"

"i think that was his plan. he just said goodbye to sun—" sunghoon's words get cut off as heeseung ends the call.

so this is what jay chose in the end, as expected of him. leaving us both— so he won't have to choose one.

heeseung chuckled bitterly, he's still as selfless as ever.

----------

to: [email protected]
from: [email protected]

hi, jake.

if you're reading this, then i'm guessing you're mad at me right now. i apologize. for hurting you, for hurting my best friend.

i'm sorry if i didn't get the chance to tell you about my internship. i'm sorry for leaving you. i know apologies won't undo the pain that i've put you through, but i want to let you know that i'm still here.

i'm still your best friend.

whatever happens, i still love you.

see you soon,
- jay.

----------

to: [email protected]
from: [email protected]

hello :)

i'm going to keep this short. i don't have any idea what i'm feeling for you, and i'm still figuring things out. but for now, i wish you all the best. please take care of sunoo and sunghoon for me, and don't stay up too late at night.

the nightmares won't come again. i promised you that.

have a good dream,
- jay.

--------

and that's it for the first half of OLYB! thank you for making it this far 🥹 honestly i'm really grateful to y'all for being so patient in waiting for the updates, ilysm 🫶

anyways, the 2nd half (consider it the second season lmao) of this book will be more ... serious? i'm not really sure lol but we still have around 15 chapters left, hopefully i can fit all the remaining plot in those chapters 😭