Part 1/2

      Jackson whistled his favourite song as he packed his bag. After he made sure he had everything he would need in America, he carefully placed Mark's jumper at the top before chaining the bag. It had been three years since he found the jumper under his bed. It had been three years since he was single. It had been three years since he was a heartbroken soul. 

        Jackson had been really upset after Mark left without any prior notice. He bugged Mark's family like a crazy person to get any information out of them of Mark's whereabouts. He even tried to bribe little Joey but the kid was more stubborn than he seemed. It was only after two months when Mrs. Tuan took pity on Jackson's sad plight and told him that Mark had left for U.S.A. Jackson had immediately decided to follow him there. But Mark had made his parents promise not to tell Jackson the reason for his leave. So she told Jackson what she believed would be the most likely reason. She told him that Mark had left for he could no more handle the troubles that came with Jackson. Jackson had then committed a great mistake. He believed. 

          He believed that Mark left because he found it burdensome to date Jackson so he left for good. So it never crossed his mind that somewhere in the other side of the hemisphere, a certain Mark Tuan was pining for him as well. 

           Jackson had really become a famous fencer of Korea. He now had a more experienced and able coach. He participated in different championships. He was a pretty popular personality now. He was called for interviews and he had also done some ads for various brands. So Mark's action ( or should I call sacrifice as one of the readers commented) didn't go in vain actually. Jackson had finally been selected for this fencing championship, which was supposed to be held in (no other than ;) ) L.A. This troubled Jackson's mind. It kind of made him uncomfortable. He still loved Mark. His phone wallpaper was still what it was three years ago. His heart still ached and screamed for Mark. But, he had buried the hope of seeing Mark again, deep inside his heart. Nevertheless, it surfaced sometimes. On one hand, he wanted to see Mark, confront him, scold him for causing him pain. On the other, he knew it would be better if he never faced the other. But he did. 

                                                   x-x-x-x

          It was in his third game when Jackson noticed a bright blue placard which had a beautiful calligraphy in bold black letters, "GO! GO! MANDU!!!" Though Jackson could not clearly see the face belonging to the hands that held held the card high up, Jackson knew there was only one person who came up with hilarious nicknames for him. And his breath hitched and he felt like fainting then and there. He froze, until the opponent's sword came flying towards him rather unceremoniously and he lost a huge point. Jackson was brought back from his reverie, or rather his mental breakdown, when his coach shouted, "Jackson you !" Jackson finally snapped and collected points enough to win the match. 

         After the competition was over, Jackson  (after getting permission from his coach) ran towards the exit and tried to search Mark's face among the crowd swarming out from the stadium. The face which haunted him every night. The face he was yearning to see. The face he loved. He finally saw a redhead coming towards him. And he felt the need to breathe in more oxygen because seeing Mark after three years was not easy. His mind used to repeatedly replay the imaginary scenario of him meeting Mark. He thought he would blame Mark for breaking his heart. He used to imagine how he would be mad at Mark but then he would ultimately forgive him. He imagined of complaining to Mark how hard were the three years without him, how he worked like a donkey just so he would busy himself and not think about him. He would dream of hugging and kissing Mark. But when he finally saw Mark walking towards him, with a soft smile, with his new hairdo and better looks, Jackson felt the need to run away. And he did.

         He ran towards the opposite direction, but he could hear the fast footsteps that were following him. When his lungs started screaming for oxygen and he was sure that Mark was not giving up, he halted. Naturally, Mark did as well. Jackson stood where he was some time ago, in the fighting area, only now he had no sabre in his hand, no protective suit to protect him from the situation. 

         Mark's voice had slightly changed. It sounded deeper and more mature. But it still sent tingles in unexpected places of Jackson's body. When Mark called his name softly yet deeply, "Jackson", he  turned to face Mark in slow motion. What stood in front of him made Jackson want to become a ball of nothing and disappear. Mark stood there in his ripped jeans with a matching jeans jacket. He had really matured, his body looked more toned and he held a cap in his hand. "When did he start wearing them?" Jackson wondered. But taking in the new Mark who stood before him, Jackson felt like he was falling from twenty two storeyed building with no ground below. Perhaps, he was falling again. For Mark. 

         And then Mark did something that made Jackson want to run away again. He moved his right hand forward for a handshake saying, "How are you Jackson?" Jackson could do nothing but take the hand. He felt distant, far away from Mark though he was right in front of him. He never thought that he would be performing a petty handshake with Mark. His Mark. And the words he wanted to tell Mark after meeting him, which he had mentally practiced a thousand times in his imaginations, all died at the short span of their handshake. 

          Somehow Jackson collected his dignity and replied back, "I'm fine. How about you?" Mark smiled and said, "Good. How's Bambam?" 

"I actually don't know. Couldn't continue with anyone else after that night." Jackson said as a revenge on Mark for asking him about Bambam after they had finally met after a long time. It baffled Mark. His face turned red and he looked everywhere but at Jackson. He was saved from the awkward situation by a loud yell of his name, "Mark hyung!" Both the boys looked towards the direction of the voice and saw another redhead leaping towards them with a water bottle in his hand. "Yugie!" Mark yelled back, waving both his hands and motioning him to join them. 

"Your water." He said handing Mark the bottle while taking short breaths. 

"Thanks. Your cap." Mark said handing the cap to the boy. Then Mark went to introduce the two. "Jackson. Meet Kim Yugyeom. My roommate. Yugie. Meet Jackson. My friend from Korea."

        The first thing that hit Jackson after he fully checked out the guy was, " Why do they have matching hair colour?" But then the words Mark spoke slowly seeped into his brain and the word 'friend' rang out loud in his ears. It hurt Jackson. He wondered how Mark could casually call him friend, while he had been dreaming of the day he would see Mark again. And then his mind went to make assumptions about the guy who was standing beside Mark, smiling like an idiot, too close for Jackson's liking. The guy in question then said, "Hyung. Please drive me to our apartment. I'm getting late for my piano class with Younjae. You invite your friend too and you guys can hang out at home. That way we can show him our house too." Mark smiled widely and ruffled Yugyeom's hair playfully saying, " Do you really want to invite Jackson home? Or is it that you are just too eager to see Jae's handsome face? Are you cheating on me?" Yugyeom made a cute pouty face and slurred the words, " Hyung.... You know I'm dedicated to only you..."

       Jackson stood there, looking at them. He felt like a complete third party trying to poach in their own world. Yugyeom started dragging Mark towards the exit but Mark resisted. While being pulled away form Jackson, he then turned to him and asked, "You're coming right?" 

        Jackson had half the mind to turn down the offer. But then he noticed Mark's expectant eyes. His mind told him to say no to Mark's earnest question. However he did what his heart told him to do. 

         He followed.

Author's Note: Hello. I'm back after a long gap. We had our festival of Dusherra and I was busy.

How do you think is the new chapter? I couldn't keep Yugyeom and Younjae out of the story :D

Hope you like the chapter.