"And she said, 'Honey, you gotta learn that love is simple, just like mud. If you play the dirt, then I'll play the water. All we gotta do is touch.'" - TFB

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Mark sat down at his and his group's usual lunch table, earbuds in and lunch right in front of him. He was normally the first and knew that the rest would pile in one after the other in about five minutes or so. He went ahead and started eating, tapping a beat with the tips of his fingers to the song swimming in his ears. After two minutes, one of his earbuds was yanked out of his ear and there was a small peck planted on his cheek. "Jackson," Mark groaned. 

"Zip it, Mark. I'm just being friendly. Best friends can do this type of stuff and not have any romantic meaning in it, you know. Just friend stuff. Don't go falling for me, though."

"You're so full of yourself."

"I can't myself, Mark. I am not full of myself." 

"I don't mean it like that, you filthy ."

Jackson laughed, "I know. I'm just messing with you." Jackson finally shut up only long enough to take a drink of green tea before proceeding to speak, "You never answered my question."

"Which one?"

"Did you think that they were cute?"

"Yeah. I thought they were cute."

"Ask them out."

"Who's cute and who's asking who out?" BamBam appeared out of nowhere and sat across from Jackson, ready to hear all of the gossip and absorb it like the, well, gossip absorbing sponge that he was.

Jackson looked at Mark who only shook his head. Jackson nodded his head in understanding. "I showed Mark this really cute girl named Suzy in my Physics class and was asking his opinion on whether I should or shouldn't ask her out."

Bambam popped a grape into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully just as JB sat next to him with Youngjae to his left and Junior to the right of Mark. "Ah, I know who you're talking about. You could go for it but I highly doubt she'll say yes to you. She'd probably shove you away. You're not her type." Mark had to laugh at how offended Jackson looked. It was ridiculous. He wasn't even really into Suzy, he was just lying for Mark and Suzy was the girl basically almost every guy had wet dreams about. She was the go to lie. 

"Oh really? Then who's her type?"

Bambam didn't even hesitate to answer, "Me. Well, she'd choose me over you anyway." By now, Mark was ready to roll around on the floor dying of laughter. The last three guys to join them looked at Mark, Jackson, and Bambam rather quizzically but Mark was gasping for air and unable to explain the situation.

"Oh really," Jackson said, once again. "You and me. Let's go ask her right now." He grabbed Bambam by the wrist and walked out the cafeteria, heading towards the library where poor Suzy was tutoring male sophomores who were too busy looking at her legs to learn much of anything.

By now, Mark had calmed down enough to explain what had just gone on. 

"Ten bucks says that she chooses Bambam," Junior called out. 

"I say that she chooses Jackson," Youngjae spoke up.

"I'm not even going to join in. Whenever I do, I end up losing," JB said. "What do you think Mark?"

"I'm just gonna stick with you on this one and not say anything."

"Mark, you should support and believe in your friends some more. Why don't you have faith in us?" Junior scolded jokingly. 

But that made Mark tense up. Jackson was over in the library, most likely making a humongous fool out of himself for his sake. Just because none of his friends, save for Jackson who found out on his own, knew that he liked guys. He wanted to tell them, he honestly did, but something was holding him back from doing so and he couldn't quite pinpoint it exactly. He settled for a shrug of his shoulders and a small but believable chuckle. It was funny that Junior should ask that.

"Uh, hey. Mark?" Mark looked up to see a fidgeting Yugyeom standing behind him. "Jackson told me that I could join you guys at this table before he ran off after some other guy." He saw Yugyeom's eyes flicker nervously to the faces of the other three at the table who were watching him. 

"Yeah, uh, here," Mark was about to scoot over before Younjae pushed him back in his seat. 

"No, you can sit here," Youngjae stood and went to the other side of the table and sat where Bambam had occupied and gave a gentle smile, trying to ease Yugyeom's nerves. Yugyeom gladly smiled back and sat next to Mark, more relaxed. Which amazed Mark. Youngjae just seemed to have this calming presence sometimes, considering how rambunctious he could actually be. 

Mark mouthed a thanks to Youngjae, who kept his ever-present smile in place. He then turned to Yugyeom and grinned. "How's the second day?"

"Surprisingly tiresome."

"I feel you," Junior jumped into the conversation. "My name's Junior, by the way. He's JB and Mr. Smiley over there is Younjae. As for the guy Jackson was chasing, that was most likely BamBam. Welcome to the group. A friend of Jackson and Mark is a friend of mine."

"Haha, thanks. I think having you guys as friends would make coming here my senior year of all years much easier on me."

"Truly, it must be nerve-wracking," JB commented, smiling at Yugyeom. "So, what's your name?"

"Oh. It's Kim Yugyeom. Just Yugyeom." 

"Yugyeom... Is it alright to call you Gyeom, though?" Youngjae questioned.

"I don't mind." 

"Gyeom it is from me then."

Just then, a fuming Jackson walked up to the table. "She chose him. BamBam. Suzy chose BamBam. They're actually going on a date this Saturday. For coffee and chocolates. Mark! Comfort me." Jackson slumped into his seat and his head rested on Mark's shoulder. 

"There, there, Wang man," Mark said, causing a round of giggles to arise from the table. Manly giggles, of course. 

"It's not funny," Jackson mumbled from Mark's shoulder. "Oh yeah, is Yugyeom here?" Jackson sat up straight and looked around Mark, "Ah, there he is. So what do you think of the squad?" 

"They're all very nice, honestly. And I'd like to get to know them all better. So, please, take care of me."

As the group all mumbled welcomes and the like, Yugyeom kept his eyes where they were when he spoke those last few sentences. On Mark's eyes. 

And Mark's on his.