Bring It On! - Chapter 19

Chapter 19. 

Seeing that he was unharmed, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Before I realized it, I yelled out loud. I was the one who told him to leave, so why was I now yelling at him for being late? I even found myself ridiculous. But Jay didn’t seem to care about such trivial things.

“I found something amazing.”

“What?”

“I mean… no, just come with me. Actually, no, I’ll carry you.”

Jay’s voice was full of excitement. It was hard to believe we’d had a heated argument earlier that morning. He acted like nothing had happened. 

After being gone all day, Jay suddenly reappeared at night and started acting strangely, leaving me bewildered. What’s with him? While I was still trying to make sense of things, he snatched the flashlight from me and lifted me onto his shoulder. Then he started running.

“Wait, where are we going?!”

Even when I shouted, Jay didn’t answer. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he just kept running like mad with the flashlight pointed in one direction. We crossed thick forest, even the stream where we usually bathed, and went far deeper in. I hung from his shoulder for what felt like an eternity. So long that my initial confusion and concern gave way to boredom.

All I could hear were the sounds of Jay crashing through the underbrush and his heavy breathing. I had nearly given up thinking altogether and just let myself go limp when Jay finally came to a stop.

“Haa… ha… Sun Woo-ri, don’t freak out, okay?”

He gave a warning, half-laughing, before setting me down. Rustle. I heard grass being crushed beneath my feet. When I looked up, Jay adjusted the flashlight, changing it from a narrow beam to a wide angle.

The focused light that had illuminated one spot now spread out softly in all directions, revealing a vast clearing in the middle of the forest. My previously uninterested eyes widened in shock. A chill of awe ran up my spine.

“They’re all pumpkins. I tasted one already.”

Pumpkins were everywhere. Thick vines, heavy with fruit, sprawled all around. I couldn’t even count how many pumpkins were lying about. My hands trembled at the unexpected sight. A surge of emotion rose from deep in my stomach. 

The fear that we might starve to death, which had weighed heavily on me, was suddenly gone. I turned to Jay with an expression that was close to tears.

Jay smiled back, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“I knew you’d like it.”

“How did you even find this?”

“Just wandering around. Total coincidence.”

Ah.

I’d momentarily forgotten our earlier fight, mesmerized by the pumpkins. But now it came back to me. Calling it a fight wasn’t even accurate. It was more like me just blowing up on him.

Given the current mood, I could’ve just let it slide and moved on with a smile, using the pumpkins as an excuse. But I wasn’t the type to do that. As my expression began to stiffen, Jay raised his eyebrows. 

Then, out of nowhere, he pressed his fingers to the corners of my mouth and tried to force a smile onto my face.

“What are you doing?”

“If you’re happy, just smile.”

I swatted his hand away with one arm. Then I walked past him to the middle of the pumpkin patch. Two big, ripe pumpkins were lying side by side. I sat down on one like it was a chair, and Jay followed without hesitation, sitting beside me.

The excitement quickly faded, replaced by an awkward silence between us. Above, countless stars blanketed the sky like they might fall at any moment. The scent of dewy grass filled the air, and the faint chirps of unknown insects rang softly in the background.

Jay scratched the back of his head roughly, perhaps uncomfortable with the silence.

“Ah, fine! I admit it, I was wrong!”

He suddenly shouted so loudly that startled birds flew off in a flurry, shaking the leaves as they went.

“What the—are you picking a fight?”

“I’m apologizing, okay?”

“What kind of apology is that, yelling like a maniac?”

“I’m yelling because I am sorry! Seriously!”

Jay seemed so unaccustomed to saying “sorry” that he was trying to power through the discomfort with sheer force. Still, the fact that he was trying made me chuckle despite myself.

“You’ve never apologized before, have you?”

“I have! Lots.”

“How can you be so sure if you don’t even remember?”

“Pretty sure I have?”

He changed his answer so casually, like flipping his palm over, it was almost impressive. I couldn’t help but laugh dryly at his attitude. As I stared off meaninglessly into the dark forest, Jay tilted his head to look at me.

“So… are you still mad? Do you forgive me?”

He asked with a cheeky grin.

“There’s nothing really to forgive. It’s not like it was all your fault. I was way too emotional too.”

“…”

Jay didn’t respond. When I looked at him questioningly, he straightened his back and rubbed the back of his neck with his palm.

“Why are you apologizing? That feels weird.”

“There’s a lot that feels weird. I wasn’t the only one building the new shelter, but I still told you to get lost. None of what I said then was true.”

“I get why you were upset. That kid’s basically family to you.”

Ah. Does he not know?

“…Suho is not actually my sibling.”

He inhaled sharply in surprise. After a moment of contemplation, he asked very cautiously.

“He’s your son?”

“Are you seriously trying to start something right now?”

“You said he wasn’t your real brother.”

“How old do you think I am that I already have a son that age?”

“Ninety-seven.”

“….”

He still remembered the exaggerated lie I told during a pride match. Jay asked seriously, “Was that a joke?” and I punched him in the arm. I hit him pretty hard, but Jay just chuckled without even flinching. I tried to hide my stinging hand so he wouldn’t notice.

“Remember I told you why we got stranded?”

“You said it was because you were delivering a yacht to some psycho and got shipwrecked.”

“Well, the driver of that boat was Suho’s real older brother. He went missing in the accident, and Suho survived.”

“So, you two aren’t blood-related at all.”

I nodded.

“Since you were so protective of him, I thought he was just your much-younger little brother.”

“Suho’s in pretty bad shape, physically.”

“Yeah, he looked weak and sickly.”

“I don’t know the details either, but apparently he was born with heart problems. He gets fevers and collapses a lot because of complications. As you know, out here we can’t even properly treat a simple cut.”

The playful look faded from Jay’s face. His eyes stared blankly into space for a moment before he roughly ruffled his own hair, muttering, “Goddamn it.”

“You should’ve told me that sooner.”

He seemed to regret not being more firm about stopping Suho from going out even in the rain.

“…Sorry. I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t explain it, so it’s on me too. Still, it feels good to finally clear the air.”

I leaned back on my hands and took a deep breath in and out.

“I was never mad at you, really. I just backed off because everything you said hit too close to home.”

“I told you I didn’t mean any of it.”

“Your eyes said otherwise.”

Jay tapped his own eyes with his fingers. The confidence in his expression was absurd.

“How would you even know that just from looking at my eyes?”

“I can tell just by looking. Easy.”

“What are you, psychic? Cut the crap.”

“I’m serious! I could tell you exactly what you’re thinking right now.”

I laughed lightly at Jay’s insistence on his supernatural intuition. When I didn’t take him seriously, he grabbed my hand and shook it enthusiastically.

“Alright, fine. Fine. Then guess what I’m thinking right now. If you get it right, I’ll admit it.”

“If I get it right, don’t just deny it to be petty.”

“What do you take me for, a con artist?”

I leaned toward Jay, bringing my face close. Jay tilted his head to look into my eyes in the dark. His large hands cupped my cheeks, and his body heat spread across my face.

His serious expression filled my vision. He really did have a striking face. We were close. So close that our breath brushed past each other’s lips. 

Closer than I expected. But it was too late to pull back now. Still, how long did he plan to hold me like this? Even after some time passed, Jay showed no signs of letting go.

My eyes started to sting from keeping them open so long. I could feel tears welling up from the strain. Eventually, I couldn’t hold it anymore and blinked, causing a single tear to slip down from my lashes.

When I opened my eyes again, Jay’s expression had changed. It was subtle, but strange.

He looked both startled and… maybe a little angry? Or serious, at least. That’s when I felt his thumb slowly wipe beneath my eye.

“Hey.”

When I spoke, Jay’s slightly softened eyes snapped wide like a startled deer.

“Uh, yeah?”

“How long are you gonna stare? My eyes hurt, and so does my neck.”

“Oh. Sorry, sorry.”

He quickly let go of my face. While I rolled my neck from side to side, Jay suddenly stood up.

“Should we head back?”

“No, wait. Just stay here a sec.”

“Where are you going? If you’re going, I’m coming too. We only have one flashlight.”

“I’ll be right back!”

He mumbled vaguely and disappeared into the deep, dark forest. I watched his retreating back with a puzzled expression.

“…He’s probably just gotta poop.”