Chapter 14: Coincidences can happen, right?

***

Jackson had agreed to go for coffee with Yugyeom and Mark at a cafe, but which cafe would it be?
Also, Junior has a part-time job besides acting and doing youtube.

***

Although Jackson had discovered that Mark can be really loud, he’s half wondering whether he might have imagined the sight of Mark guffawing over Fight Club earlier. As they walk to the lobby, where Yugyeom had asked to meet at before going out for coffee, Jackson sneaks a sideward glance at Mark, but he’s back to being his usual quiet (cryptic) self. So Jackson pushes that question to the back of his mind, focusing instead on finding something interesting to say until they reach the lobby.

“Hey Jackson! Hi Mark!” Yugyeom waves enthusiastically when they arrive, standing up to give Jackson a one arm hug (the kind where their chest end up pressing together, and Jackson laughs, because his habit of accessing hugs is only useful for making fun of uptight no-homo “straight” boys, and Yugyeom has made it clear that he’s not that).

Yugyeom lingers just a bit longer than Jackson thinks is normal for a hug, but he quickly brushes off the thought of what is a “normal” length for a hug, because he, of all people, shouldn’t be bothered by bro hugs that may exceed the bro zone a bit. (Or maybe he’s just nervous because Yugyeom does smell kind of nice, despite filming outdoors the whole afternoon.)

Mark gets a quick hug from Yugyeom too, not pushing the tall guy away, to Jackson’s surprise (he hasn’t really seen Mark touch anyone outside of handshakes), so Jackson takes in the unexpected sight, only saying when they’re done, “Where do you want to get coffee at, Yugyeom?”

Yugyeom says the name of some café Jackson doesn’t recognize, and as the 3 of them reach the place, he figures out why. It’s one of those places that doesn’t even look like a café from the outside, and looks kind of empty compared to the ones Jackson usually goes to. The fact that the 3 of them have space to park each of their 3 cars (such a ridiculous thing, that they all had to take their own cars despite this being a hang out, because they won’t be able to get home easily otherwise) is testament to how low-key this place is. It’s probably closer to dinner time now, than it is to whatever time people get coffee, but Jackson follows Yugyeom into the café, with Mark trailing behind.

Yugyeom’s the one to open the door, but Jackson thinks he spots Junior and JB in the corner of the café around the same time Yugyeom does. It’s lucky that he has quick reflexes, because before Yugyeom has the time to say anything, Jackson manages to pull him over to a table away from the corner Junior’s at.

“Wasn’t that… Junior and… JB?” Yugyeom asks, once he’s seated. Their seats are near the window facing the street, which isn’t Jackson’s usual choice of seating, but it’s hidden from the view of Junior and JB’s table, so it’s probably as good as it gets.

“Yeah, don’t stare,” Mark says as he pulls out a chair, and Jackson wonders when Mark had noticed the scene. Probably while he had been busy dragging Yugyeom off to the side.

Yugyeom’s eyes dart between Mark and Jackson, curious, before he says, “Why does it feel like you guys know something that I don’t?”

The look that passes between Jackson and Mark doesn’t go unnoticed by Yugyeom, who’s looking decidedly more-than-just-curious right now, and Jackson barely has time to wonder just how much Mark knows (he was, after all, the one who warned Jackson about Junior and JB’s “personal history”) before he racks his brain for a plausible excuse to pacify Yugyeom, “They’re probably talking about something related to filming.”

Okay, no, that was a terrible excuse. Jackson hopes he’s not making Yugyeom more suspicious. He’s not sure if Junior wants Yugyeom to know that he’s having a talk with his ex, but either way Jackson’s not going to be the one to reveal his friend’s secrets, so he looks to Mark for help, hoping the quiet man has thought of something better.

“Just leave Junior and JB alone, they probably need to sort some stuff out,” Mark says matter-of-factly, making it sound like he’s corroborating Jackson’s excuse, but is probably just saying as much of the truth as he can without letting Yugyeom in on Junior and JB’s past relationship (such a smooth answer for a man of few words, Jackson thinks). Yugyeom seems satisfied by Mark’s answer, and Jackson lets out a breath he’s been holding.

Somehow, they manage to order and collect their drinks without Junior or JB noticing them, though it probably has more to do with the fact that Mark offered to do both, and Mark has a sort of quiet in-the-background vibe that doesn’t draw too much attention. If either he or Yugyeom had gone, Jackson thinks, not only will Junior (who’s facing the entrance and order counter) notice but JB probably would as well, even if his back is to the counter.

Jackson had briefly considered whether they should find a different café after he had noticed Junior and JB, but doing so would only make Yugyeom suspicious, so he dropped that thought pretty quickly. It’s kind of awkward though, he thinks, to sit here, knowing his good friend is having a (much needed) talk with his ex, and feeling like he’s unintentionally spying on them (even if he had been the one to push both of them to talk to the other, spying is another level of intervention Jackson doesn’t think he should engage in).

Jackson picks up his drink, a plain Americano (because he’s watching his weight recently after he realized his favourite pair of jeans are a bit tight), and sips, watching Yugyeom tell Mark about the first yoga class he had taught to the Buzzfeed group, and Mark remarking that it’s a pity he couldn’t go because too many people signed up.

“Oh, why don’t you just sign up for lessons as a regular customer then?” Yugyeom asks, and Mark turns a bit pink.

“Uh, it’s okay, I have other stuff to do in the morning,” Mark replies, looking a bit sheepish.

“Oh, that’s a pity,” Yugyeom sounds like he might be whining, which Jackson thinks is sort of strangely adorable on such a tall guy. Said whiny tall guy leans back on his chair as he looks at Mark, head slightly tilted, before he adds, “You should totally come join us. Especially for the lessons when JB and Jackson are in the same class, the lesson gets really competitive. You should see it for yourself.”

“Hey,” Jackson interjects, “I’m not competitive.”

“Are too!” Yugyeom teases, and to Jackson’s chagrin, Mark adds, “I can totally imagine you vying with JB t