A/N: Why are my readers the sweetest people on the planet? Thank you so much for your comments, and I'm so happy you're all looking forward to this story ^_^

2. A Kind of Friend

Mark wasn't expecting to see Jinyoung again the next day. Even though they'd managed to run into each other three times the day before, he had to assume most of that was just coincidence. The university's campus was a fairly big one, and besides, Sign Language was a Monday, Wednesday, Friday class, so they had no reason to encounter each other there, either. He wouldn't even be going to the cafeteria since he'd made plans to meet up with his friend Youngjae for lunch, so chances of running into each other seemed slim. He wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing yet. He'd work out more of what he felt when he saw Jinyoung on Wednesday.

Still, he was in a much more optimistic mood about attending university to begin with thanks to how well yesterday had gone, which was something. The school's orchestra was very good, and most of the students in the strings section knew of his father's instrument making business and were friendly to him by association.

There were still challenges, of course. The students in his general classes were much less interested in attempting to speak to him, and there were still awkward moments where he was stopped and asked for directions on campus and he had to either silently point out the way or explain it using his phone, which inevitably confused the other person. Still, he was handling things much better than he assumed he would previously, which was heartening in its own way.

Mark was just about to leave campus to meet up with Youngjae, when a loud “Hey, Mark!” came from behind him. He immediately recognized the voice as Jinyoung's, so was a little awkward when he turned around, wondering if he should look happy at the prospect of speaking again or annoyed. His resulting look was probably somewhere in between, but Jinyoung approached him as bright and sunny as ever, accompanied by two guys about their age and injured-toes girl Eunmi, who was trailing after them at a distance.

“How's the leg?” Jinyoung asked once he'd caught up.

Mark lifted up the leg of his jeans to show the ugly bluish-purple spot on his leg where the board had hit him. “Oh no,” Jinyoung said, clapping his hand over his mouth. “Um, are you sure there isn't anything else I can do for you?”

Mark shook his head. One of the guys next to Jinyoung, a shorter guy wearing a backards snapback, whistled. “See, I told you it hit him hard. What you did to Eunmi-ssi was nothing in comparison.”

“I won't deny it,” Eunmi said, wincing. “And I can't even wear open toed shoes today because of how ugly they look.”

“And what is life without open toed shoes?” the other guy, dark haired and sporting several piercing, glanced back at Mark. “I'm Im Jaebum, by the way, and that's Jackson Wang. Jinyoung ah already told me about you. Jackson and I were the ones who informed him about the fact that he put that lovely bruise on you yesterday morning. I'm impressed he actually swallowed his dignity about it so quickly.”

“Jaebum!” Jinyoung protested.

“And even spent his free food coupon for the Yugyeom family restaurant on taking you out as an apology," Jackson said an overdramatic voice. "Impressive.”

“He did? Yugyeom's family restaurant?” Eunmi looked at Mark with newfound envy. “Well, in that case you can stop apologizing, Jinyoung ah”

“You should come eat lunch with us, though,” Jinyoung said, ignoring Jackson who was continually elbowing him in the ribs.

“Sorry, but I already have plans,” Mark said, using his phone. He felt almost sorry about it when Jinyoung's face fell at this response. “I'm meeting one of my old school friends.”

“Oh... okay. Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow, at least. I've been practicing my Sign Language, see?” He lifted up his hands. I'm so happy I met you yesterday, he signed.

Mark lifted an eyebrow. Does he have to say it like that?, he wondered. Or did he say the exact same thing to Eunmi, too?

Instead of wondering too much about it, he signed back Thank You and went on his way to the buffet restaurant where he was meeting Youngjae. Youngjae had already grabbed them a table, and waved eagerly when Mark popped in. “G-grab your p-plate and let's eat!” he said in his soft and whispery voice that was fairly difficult to hear unless you were used to it. He tended to stammer more when he spoke at higher volumes, so he tried to murmur a lot to offset it, or else rely on Sign Language. He and Mark had bonded almost immediately when they'd met in high school, and even joined the same local youth orchestra together since they both played piano and were excellent at dueting. In spite of his quiet way of speaking, Youngjae also had an incredibly rambunctious personality, which made for a nice contranst to Mark's reserved tendencies.

Once they'd piled up their plates and headed back to their table, they didn't immediately dig in, giving themselves time to talk before they started. How was your first day at university?, Youngjae signed. He'd foregone getting his higher education, since he'd already been accepted into an orchestra without any additional training, which hadn't surprised Mark considering how naturally gifted Youngjae was. Meet anyone cool?

Maybe. There was this one guy who wiped out on his ripboard and nailed me in the shin with it...

Sounds like a great guy.

A complete idiot. Mark made a grim face. But he wound up being in the Sign Language class I'm assisting, and he seems alright. He can a sign a little, too, and he doesn't seem bothered with communicating with me through text-to-voice.

Is he attractive?

Mildly.

How mildly?

Oh, come off it. You're so desperate for me to find love that you do this whenever I meet anyone. In this guy's case, he's already made a groupie out of the girl he hit after he hit me. Anyways, what's important is that I'm making friends. Or a friend. Since it will get my mom off my case.

True. How's the orchestra?

Pretty good. I'll send you tickets to our first show, whenever that happens.

Is the mildly attractive guy in orchestra with you?

No, he does vocal. And his name is Jinyoung. Mark paused. We actually kind of went out after class yesterday. He took me out to eat as an apology for destroying my leg.

Youngjae's eyes widened. Wait, what? You got taken out? You?

Stop making it sound like I'm desperate. It was just a casual thing.

Is taking someone out to eat that quickly after meeting them normal?

Look. He made the effort to talk to me normally and isn't a jerk. That's enough for me.

That's already a few steps above most people, give him some credit.

Mark cut the conversation off by starting to eat, so Youngjae shrugged and gave up for the time being. Still, he knew the conversation was hardly over. For some reason, Youngjae had decided it was his life's mission to see Mark happily settled, and had tried to set him up with pretty much anyone Mark had ever said anything remotely kind about. Maybe it was because Mark had only ever had a crush on one person, one of his high school upperclassmen who he was pretty sure had no idea he existed, which added to the fact that he was completely terrified by kissing hadn't given him an incredibly exciting love life.  It was a fear that went way back, something that it was in its own way deeply personal, though he'd confessed a little bit of it to Youngjae once. What if my mouth is like a black hole? I mean, I haven't spoken in about thirteen years, what if it's all empty and miserable inside?

Youngjae had, at first, said that it was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard, and that Mark should just go ahead and kiss someone to get over himself since he was already a teenager and his stubbornness over the matter was getting embarrassing.

Mark wondered if, theoretically, he would be able to kiss someone like Jinyoung. Jinyoung was friendly and better than mildly attractive if Mark was being honest with himself. But as he said, he barely knew him. He could wind up being a jerk, secretly. Or, more likely, he could wind up to be dating Eunmi. Mark would put his money on that one, given how closely she'd been following after Jinyoung and his friends that afternoon.

You need to send me a picture of this guy, Youngjae insisted.

I told you, it's nothing.

Maybe so, but I don't get to be at school with you. I need to live the university life vicariously through you. I want to know about all the people you're meeting. And eventually hooking up with.

Choi Youngjae, how many times do I have to tell you?

What? Your life is more exciting than mine right now. No romantic intrigue for me at the orchestra.

I'm not having a romantic intrigue!

But isn't the possibility of one after so long exciting?

Mark smiled unwittingly. The chances of having one with Jinyoung, especially since he wasn't even sure if he wanted to, seemed fairly slim, but Youngjae was right: there was something exciting about thinking that he had it in him, even if it was buried deep within him, half forgotten.

0o0

Jinyoung was practically jumping up and down in his seat when Mark saw him on Wednesday for Sign Language. “I learned more, want to see?” he pestered Mark before class started. Today, you should eat lunch with me, he signed, looking ridiculously proud of himself as he did.

“That's what you learned, of all things?” Mark typed into his phone. “Not very practical.”

“It is, because you should eat lunch with me.”

“I already ate lunch after my piano lessons.”

Jinyoung bit his lips. “Well, then, want to hang out again after class at least?”

“You'd stand up Jaebum, Jackson, and Eunmi-ssi?”

“I actually wasn't planning on eating with any of them today. That's why I'm asking you.”

Is he trying to say I'm a last resort, or that he didn't ask them because he wanted to eat with me?, Mark wondered. The answer seemed important, but it wasn't something he could just ask. Luckily, he didn't have to, since Joohyun called him back to her desk to start the lesson before he could say anything more.

This time they covered signing the names for common items, which Jinyoung also seemed fairly advanced in, probably because it was something he needed to know to be a housekeeper for his grandfather. Mark felt badly about teaching things he already knew since it wouldn't help them communicate better any faster before remembering there were actually fourteen other students in the class and why did he want to communicate better with Jinyoung that much anyways? If Jinyoung wanted to learn more, he could just skip ahead in the text book.

After class, Jinyoung stopped him again. “So-- hanging out or not?”

“Don't you need to eat?”

“I will.” He snapped his fingers. “Actually, I was wondering if you could help me study more sign language? You could come over to my place-- Gramps' place, I mean-- since it's not too far away from your house?”

Mark thought about it. “Don't you have work to do?”

“Honestly, Gramps doesn't give me all that much to do. Plus, he'd be thrilled if I learned more signing.”

Going over to his house felt like a big deal, but it really wasn't, Mark tried to remind himself. Friends did that kind of stuff every day. Heck, he'd been over to Youngjae's more times than he could count. It wasn't a big deal at all. He could just about manage it.

“Only until dinner,” Mark finally responded. “I have work, too.”

“You do?”

“My father has an instrument workshop. I help him with the crafting.”

“That's awesome! I'd like to see it sometime.”

Mark shrugged noncommittally. To be honest, he didn't want to know how hyped up his parents would get if he invited a non-Youngjae friend to the house, but he had to assume it would reach embarrassing level.

Jinyoung's house wound up being only a few blocks away from Mark's, and was a nice looking place to boot. Most of the houses in the city looked the same to Mark's eyes, but this one had special touches that made it nicer. Flower pots lined the steps up to the door, and the door itself was painted a bright robin's egg blue with a golden door knocker where two hands were reaching out for a single heart at the base of the ring. “He made it himself,” Jinyoung explained, unlocking the door. “He used to do metalwork... now that he's retired, he does a lot of writing... calligraphy and stuff.”

The inside of the house was also beautiful, and very old fashioned. The walls were wood paneling, and were buried in hung tapestries, framed calligraphy of famous teachings, and brush paintings of birds. On the floor were several of what Mark assumed were his old metalworks-- a lean hatstand, a small tree with its branches blown left, as if by an unseen wind.

They found Jinyoung's grandfather in the sitting room-- which was more like a library with its series of towering bookcases-- resting in an armchair with a book open in his lap. He looked up and smiled when he saw Jinyoung, and Mark could tell from that smile that he looked at Jinyoung like precious family even though they apparently hadn't interacted much before Jinyoung's parents' deaths. Any illusions he had of Jinyoung hiding a secret disagreeable side disappeared at that. Mark was very good at reading expressions, and there was nothing to doubt in this man's.

Hello, Gramps, Jinyoung signed. I brought a friend. This is Mark Tuan.

Mark bowed. Pleasure to meet you, grandfather.

His eyes immediately lit up. You sign as well?

I'm mute, so I've been signing since I was a kid.

I see. It always grieves the heart that such a challenge should fall upon the young. But you managed to befriend my grandson? Can't imagine how he convinced you to talk to him. He usually looks like he's signing gibberish half the time. Just the other day, I could have sworn he advised to me to get a manicure.

Mark grinned, but Jinyoung merely looked baffled at all the fast paced signing. I'm pretty amazed myself, considering he introduced himself after hitting me in the leg with a ripboard.

What was that boy doing skating of all things? I suppose it's enough that he's good at singing. And even though his signing could use work, he at least tries.

I'll be sure to teach him more carefully today, he replied.

I'll leave him in good hands, then. He paused. He has a good heart, that boy. Even if you can't communicate with him perfectly at the beginning, I'm sure he'll impress you with how willing he is to work. Once he wants to do something, he'll do whatever he can to make it happen for himself, to a perfect degree. It's an admirable quality, I think. I try to teach him what I can, but even as a 75 year-old man, I feel I have things to learn from you young people, too. So teach well and learn well, Mark Tuan.

Mark nodded. Now that he was actually here, he felt much more comfortable about the idea of becoming friends with Jinyoung. As much as he still resented him for his ungraceful ripboarding, he was clearly the kind of person who was special to others, and whose kindness was genuinely meant rather than superficially given. 

Jinyoung's room upstairs was decorated in a similar style to the rest of the house, with only a few personal touches such as the concert DVDs scattered around his TV and a worn down looking teddy bear plushie resting on his bed. He cleared a space for them on the floor, and plunked his sign language text book down in front of them. To Mark's surprise, he pulled out two more from under his bed-- one intermediate level, and one advanced.

“Okay, from now on, let's just try talking to each other through signs,” Jinyoung said. He flipped one of the books open. “Rather than just learning about what individual things are called, I want to know about forming sentences... or really, anything that would help me talk about regular things with you and Gramps. I don't think I really need to know how to order food from restaurants or ask what time the plane is getting in.”

Mark nodded. Jinyoung already knew several basics, so he slowly walked him through forming more complex sentences and expressing activities and emotions, using the text book to guide Jinyoung along the parts he didn't immediately understand. Jinyoung was actually very good as mastering the hand movements themselves, but once or twice Mark reached out to rearrange his fingers.

He had really beautiful hands, Mark noticed. It was one the first things he recognized in new people, particularly those who could speak to him in sign language, and Jinyoung's were some of the best he'd ever seen. His fingers were long and slender while still being strong, and the skin itself was smooth. As much as he coached himself not to think about it, it almost made him nervous to watch those very same hands communicating with him, even though the sentences themselves were simply practice statementslike I like visiting new places, That made me happy, I want to see this. Just watching him slowly form more and more words was oddly exciting in itself, but that they were directed towards him, and motivated by wanting to communicate with him... he couldn't lie and say that it wasn't flattering.

After awhile, Mark grabbed his phone. “OK, that's enough for now. If you learn too much at once, some of the old movements fall from your mind. Practice what you've learned, and if you're ready to pick up more soon, just let me know.”

“Can I have your number? So I can text you?”

Mark swiped to his contact list and let Jinyoung punch in his number. Youngjae will flip when he hears about this, Mark thought. But we're friends now, and friends do these kinds of things.

When Jinyoung gave the phone back to Mark, Mark typed out another message. “By the way, your face is wrong when you're signing to me. Your brow gets all wrinkly, and you frown in concentration. When you're speaking with your hands and not your voice, your facial expressions become a part of the language. I need to see if you're happy or sad or angry to understand what you're feeling, and what tone you're speaking to me in. Maybe not in practice, but outside of it, definitely.”

“Oh. I noticed that about you. That when you're signing to the professor before class, your faces are... lively. Like you're conversing with them, rather than just your motions. But if you're looking at their hands, isn't it difficult to look at faces at the same time?”

Mark shook his head. “It's like when you're driving. Your eyes process multiple things. When I speak to others, I look from their hands to their face and back, and it happens very quickly. Besides, a lot of the time you're signing right next to your face, and I can see what's going on up there perfectly.”

“I get it.” He lifted his hands up, smiling gently. I'll try to be better. Like you.

Mark frown, biting his lip. God, this guy. Is he trying to flirt, or is he really like this with everyone? He didn't want to get swept up in it. He'd only known him for two days, and already Jinyoung had a way of making him feel special; surely there were several others who felt the exact same around him. And if everyone was special, wasn't no one at all, really?

0o0

But those two days of knowing each other turned into two weeks, and if anything, Jinyoung simply seemed all the more enthusiastic about talking to him. Every day he had new signs to show Mark that he'd learned, and whenever they weren't busy after class, he'd invite him over to his gramps' place to have lessons together. He also constantly badgered Mark to join him for lunch, even though Eunmi, Jaebum, and Jackson were usually there as well. They were both welcoming of Mark, but he still couldn't help but wonder if Eunmi hated him for monopolizing her boyfriend... or whatever Jinyoung actually was to her.

“Does he not realize he has a girlfriend?” Mark asked Jaebum via his phone one afternoon while Jinyoung and Eunmi were still grabbing lunch from the food station.

“Girlfriend?” Jaebum asked. “Oh, Eunmi? Trust me, he knows exactly where he stands with her. He's known exactly what she wants from him since we met her for the first time. I guess you wouldn't know because you weren't there, but-”

Jaebum trailed off as Jinyoung and Eunmi emerged from the line. She had her food on his tray and was holding on to the sleeve of his shirt. How could they not be dating? Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It didn't involve him, really, but there was still something about it he didn't like.

“Jinyoung's mind is elsewhere at the moment,” Jackson said, slinging his arms around Mark's shoulder.  “I wouldn't worry about it. He's just super...duper...distracted.” Jackson wiggled his eyebrows ambiguously. Mark stared at him, not following at all, but since apparently Jackson tended to be like that, he just brushed it off as one of those things.

“So, there's this vocal competition I'm entering for next month,” Jinyoung said after he plopped down at the table. He'd also taken up signing along with the words he knew when Mark was around, even when he said them aloud, at least when he wasn't too busy eating. “So I'm going to have to stop eating at our normal time so I can use the practice studio when it's open.”

“Shouldn't we come visit you in the practice studio, then?” Eunmi asked.

“Don't bother. You're only allowed in if you're in vocal classes or theater.” Eunmi was a dancer, and didn't fit either requirement, though Jaebum, as a fellow singer did.

“Then when will we be seeing each other?” Eunmi pressed. “We're in completely different classes, and you're always busy after school.”

With me, Mark thought smugly. Wait, no need to get smug about it...

“Anyways, you did promise you'd...” She fell short, faking a cough as if she wanted to avoid finishing her sentence.

“Just wait until the competition,” Jinyoung said. “You can meet, then. You'll come, too, Mark?”

“If the date's okay.”

“Good! You can meet Yugyeom and BamBam then, too. Although...” He hesitated for a moment. “I'm not sure it's such a good idea, now.”

“Hmm?” Jaebum asked, lifting an eyebrow. “You're kidding, right? The three of them would have a blast snarking about you together.”

“I know. But the other day, Mark was at my house and let me borrow some of his concert DVDs, including one from Chris Brown, and when Yugyeom saw it he got this dreamy look in his eyes and said I had to introduce him to the owner of the DVD.”

“Yugyeom ah said that?” Eunmi asked, right at the moment Jackson said, “Well, are you surprised?”

Jackson's deep voice won out. “Not surprised, but concerned,” Jinyoung said. “You didn't see the look in his eyes, Jackson. It was like he was hungry.”

“Um, yeah, I'm pretty used to that look of Yugyeom's, frankly.” Jackson smiled. “Look, I hardly think he's going to devour Mark. He probably just wants to borrow the DVD himself.”

“Or maybe we could all get together and watch it,” Eunmi suggested hopefully. Jinyoung opened his mouth to answer, but ended up distracted when Mark's text message alert went off. He'd accidentally set the volume too high, so he quickly turned it down and opened the text-- a picture message from Youngjae at a rehearsal for an upcoming concert.

“Who is that?” Jaebum asked, looking over Mark's shoulder. “God, is his face for real? Like, is it okay for an adult man to have that cute of a face?”

“Let me see.” Jinyoung also leaned over. “Oh... is that your friend?”

Mark nodded, signing his name for Jinyoung.

“Choi Youngjae,” he translated for Jaebum. “He's in an orchestra like you? You must be close.”

Mark nodded again. We speak the same language, he signed.

Jinyoung nodded, studying Youngjae's picture with a serious look on his face.

“Let's take a picture of all of us together to show your friend what you're up to,” Jaebum suggested. He leaned back and extended his arm, fitting them all into the frame. They all threw up peace signs, and it didn't escape Mark's notice when Eunmi leaned slightly into Jinyoung's shoulder.

Still, you could barely see it on the picture itself when Jaebum passed the phone back to Mark. He attached the pic to a text message, and sent it to Youngjae with the caption Here's the picture of Jinyoung you wanted. The one on the right.

Youngjae immediately texted back. Thankfully the message tone was quieter, and Jaebum and Jinyoung didn't lean over to read. The other guy, the one next to him, is even hotter.

The other guy is Jaebum. He thinks you're cute ;)

I am though, aren't I?

Mark grinned broadly. “Texting with your friend some more?” Jinyoung asked. When Mark nodded, he stuck out his tongue. “Why do you never text me when I'm not around?”

You need to practice signing, Mark replied.

I know, Jinyoung said back, remembering to reflect his grumbling tone in his face. I'll get better. I promise.

0o0

“What do you think of Eunmi-ssi?” Mark asked Jinyoung on their way back home. Curiosity was getting the better of him. Were they dating? Weren't they?  Was he getting in the way by always hanging out with Jinyoung after school? Could he keep getting in the way?

“Eunmi-ssi?” Jinyoung echoed. “Oddly enough, I see a little bit of myself in her.”

Mark's eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead. Where the heck was he getting that comparison from?

“Ah, I mean in the sense that she's also away from home to pursue her dream. Hers is for a less depressing reason than mine, but I can tell she's homesick a lot. I can understand that, so I try to help in making her feel more comfortable in the city, since I went through the same thing. Besides, we apparently know each other by degrees. Yugyeom used to be a childhood friends with her, but according to her, they haven't seen each other in ages.”

Trust him to see more in her then I did, Mark thought wryly. Still, that doesn't sound like the first thing he'd say if he actually was in a relationship with her...

“I think she wants you to invite her over,” Mark typed into his phone, in spite of his better judgment.

“She's never said so to me. Besides, Eunmi-ssi has other friends who want to hang out with her after school. I think it would be better for her if she didn't put them off all the time because she wants to spend more time with us, don't you think? I can't do that girl talk type of stuff with her, and if she's still feeling lonely for home, it's good not to have just one person you rely on.”

Mark smiled at he imagined Jinyoung making the attempt. “You're probably right.”

“I can understand wanting to monopolize someone a little bit, too, though. It's a balance you have to find for the sake of people around you.  You want to be appreciated by the people you love, not burdensome to them.” He shook his head. “Anyways, she's been surprisingly nice for someone whose toes I ran over. Why? What do you think about her?”

Mark grimaced. “I think you have a way of making her forget about her toes.”

“Well, I can't say I wanted either you or her to fixate on that. You in particular I didn't think would forgive me.”

“I didn't want to,” Mark admitted. “Because it made it easier to become friends.”

“And you didn't want that?” Jinyoung asked despondently.

“I didn't want to try and become friends only not to be friends anymore if you didn't want to keep up with the signing or my robotic voice, if that makes sense,” Mark responded. “It's happened before.”

“I'm not that kind of person,” Jinyoung said, his voice suddenly quite firm. “I don't make friends because it's convenient for me, or easy. I just want to spend time with the kind of people I like, the kind of people I want to be around.”

“You're not everyone, though. Some people don't think that way.”

Jinyoung continued to look at him with an almost burning stare, but eventually sighed and looked down at his feet. “Hey, you will really try to come to my competition, won't you?”

Mark nodded, waiting for Jinyoung to look up at him. I haven't heard you sing yet.

I haven't heard you play, Jinyoung signed back. I want to.

You will. And I'll try and come.

Good. Jinyoung smiled back at him, and Mark felt his heart unwittingly stirring. Is it fair for one person to be so kind?, he wondered. I've never been that way-- never wanted to-- but in him, it's so beautiful. Like he really wants to feel the hearts of everyone around him. Do I really want him coming so close to mine? Isn't it a little bit terrifying to wonder what he'll find there?