✓ READY TO LOVE | JAKE

13 - Undress Me?

Soo Yun took the towel off Jake's forehead before she headed to the kitchen. And right after, she came back and put it back.

Sighing, her eyes softened as she stared at him. 

What was he doing with himself?

The place was silent, the only thing she could hear was his breathing. He was still shivering and she covered him with his blanket. But no matter what she did, his fever didn't come down.

"Jake..." She muttered. 

"How did you get here?" He asked with a low voice and she looked at him for a while, not speaking.

"I..." She started, fidgeting with her fingers. "Heeseung might have told me that you weren't taking care of yourself and I might have asked him to let me see you, so..."

"Why would you-"

"And I wanted to say sorry." She said in one go, and Jake slowly opened his eyes. "For the slap..."

"Don't worry," he slightly shook his head and sighed. "I deserved that."

"No, I was just... I-"

"I didn't mean what I said, Yunie." Whenever he called her by her nickname, her heart skipped a beat. "You're indeed an amazing and a strong woman, and anyone would have the honor to love you..."

"Oh." His words made her heart beat faster as her cheeks reddened.

"I'm sorry my words ended up hurting you, I wish that didn't happen. Whenever I'm sad or angry, I just let out everything that I bottle inside, and sometimes I end up hurting people without realizing it."

"Just like what happened with Heeseung?" She asked.

"Yes." He smiled back, but bitterly.

"I'm sorry about everything Sunghoon said," She spoke after a silence. "He can be mean sometimes, but he cares about you a lot. And I believe that he only wants to see you happy because you're like a brother to him."

"Oh..."

"So, don't take to heart what he said..." Soo Yun patted his shoulder. "It's okay to be scared, and it's okay to take your time and do things at your own pace. But Jake, love is not a tragedy or a failure, it's a gift. It's so beautiful to love and be loved."

"But love... it makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up."  He muttered.

"To love is to be vulnerable." Soo Yun smiled as Jake stared at her. The way he looks at her... as if her smile is the only thing that could possibly matter.

"You talk like a book..." He muttered and closed his eyes.

"What." She laughed. "How do you feel now? Is your fev-"

A gasp left Soo Yun's lips when she rested her hand on his forehead. Jake was still burning.

"What do we do?" She muttered as she stood up and tried to think of anything. "Oh, you have to take a shower!"

"Soo Yun... I don't think I can-"

"Come on." Without letting him speak furthermore, she took the blanket off him before she helped him sit up. "You'll feel so much better, trust me."

Helping him inside the bathroom, she was about to walk outside when he called her name. "I..."

"Hm?" She frowned.

"I can't take off my clothes..." He said and it came out as a whisper. Her eyes slightly widened as she stared at him for a while, trying to figure out what to do.

"Should I call one of the boys...?" She muttered and he shook his head while sitting down. 

"No, it's fine..." He said and proceeded to take off his shirt, but he was genuinely struggling. His eyes held pure distress and helplessness.

"Okay..." Breathe. "I'll help you. You're sick, helping you should be fine, even if it means undressing you." She said mostly to herself but it made Jake snort. "Don't l-laugh!"

"Okay..." He nodded, his eyes half-open.

"I'm c-closing my eyes." And as she did so, Jake slowly put her hands on his waist so that she could help him take it off. That made Soo Yun freeze and blush before she actually took his shirt off.

"Okay..." He said and she opened her eyes, only for her gaze to land on her abs.

Stay focused, Soo Yun. He's sick.

"I'm d-done..." She said and was about to walk out when she stopped and looked back at him. "Your pants."

And there she was, slowly taking off his pants while closing her eyes. Jake had legitimate distress in his features as his manly pride was slaughtered by his limp muscles. Panting from exertion, he leaned on the wall. Right then, even breathing seemed to be a difficult task.

"G-Get in the water!" She quickly said before she rushed out of the bathroom and closed the door. And with a sigh, she put a hand on her chest as she closed her eyes.

After a while, Soo Yun could hear Jake's voice as he called her name. So she quickly grabbed the clothes he showed her earlier and knocked on the bathroom door. "Do you need help?"

"No... I feel better now." She heard him say before she nodded and waited for him until he was done dressing. It was good that the medicine she gave him earlier began to kick in.

And when the door opened, she quickly turned to him as he stood at the door, embarrassed. She could see how red his ears were, and that made her eyes soften.

"Thank you..." He muttered and she slowly helped him sit down on his bed. 

"You're welcome, Jake. I'm glad you're alright." She smiled. "Wait, where is the hair dryer? Let me help you."

"The drawer right there." He pointed it out and she opened it, but there was no hair dryer. Just a bunch of letters that made her freeze in her place. Quickly closing it, she looked into the drawer below and that one had what she was looking for.

"Come here." She muttered as she helped him dry his hair, softly running her fingers through it. All the time, she had a smile on his lips, and Jake couldn't look away from her.

"Don't let me... fall." His words were out of the blue as he stared at her with sad eyes. And she just ruffled his hair.

"Why? Everyone falls. I might fall too." She smiled. "But if you ever do, I'll catch you. Okay?"

Jake didn't say anything but just smiled softly as she put the hair dryer away and helped him lay on his bed. "I... you should go back. Sunghoon will be mad-"

"I don't care about Sunghoon, now. I need to make sure you're alright." She shook her head. "You took care of me too, remember? I'm repaying your kindness."

"Thank you, Yunie." He closed his eyes and smiled before he looked away, embarrassed.

"Are you embarrassed?" She pointed out and his eyes widened. "I just helped you take off your clothes."

"What- I... you came here because you missed me."

"Well, that's because I saw you earlier standing across the street."

"You saw me?" He frowned as she nodded her head.

"That means you missed me first." Soo Yun smiled.

"Wait a minute... I need something more-"

"I-"

"You kissed me." Jake's words made her freeze. 

He remembered, after all.

"You kissed me back." She said, eyes staring right into his dark brown ones. 

And before they knew it, the two of them end up laughing.