It has been over two weeks now that Jinyoung has been working for the Tuans while simultaneously handling university. And he was dealing with it better than he thought, which isn’t saying much since he went in expecting everything to be absolutely horrible. He expected Mark to be absolutely horrible. He felt a twinge of guilt for that. Mark’s easy-going personality (for the most part) really made everything so much easier for him.

Don’t get him wrong, doing a part-time job while excelling in classes wasn’t a piece of cake, but Jinyoung reminded himself how much worse it could have been. Besides, it’s not like Jinyoung actually had the luxury of having options.

Things could still be better though; Mark wasn’t anything close to bad, but he was awfully stubborn. If he didn’t want to do something, nothing could convince him to do it and Mark didn’t want to do a lot of things. Jinyoung discovered that the main problem lied in his attitude towards his father which was a major problem but it was also a personal problem and therefore he didn’t know how to approach the topic.

Instead he focused on Mark’s social skills. Everything else about him was normal and he didn’t actually need to be monitored. Jinyoung didn’t understand why Mr. Tuan thought his son needed someone to look after him but then he found out that Mark was socially awkward to a painful level and a man in his position couldn’t afford to have a son who would let him down in public. While Jinyoung did find his awkwardness endearing sometimes, he knew Mark’s dad wouldn’t share the same sentiment. And he was the one with the money.

‘Okay for the millionth time, stop looking down. You are supposed to maintain eye-contact when talking to someone’ Jinyoung said with a huff

They were in Mark’s room and it was one of their usual sessions where he was giving Mark tips on interacting with people. With such a high profile he had to attend social events all the time and the Tuans were notorious for throwing pretentious parties in their mansion. Mark couldn’t escape it.  

‘But I don’t want to talk to people’ Mark grumbled, still looking at his socks instead at the human in front of him.  

‘Mark’ Jinyoung warned

‘Jinyoung’ Mark mocked

Sighing, Jinyoung grabbed the elder’s face without another thought and forced him to look at him. It worked, and their eyes were locked. He felt like cooing at Mark’s wide eyes and flushed cheeks. ‘Look at me hyung’ Mark’s face seemed to get redder and Jinyoung was momentarily lost at how pretty Mark was. Innocent doe eyes, angular nose and ridiculously plump lips  He was sure that if Mark didn’t belong from where he did, guys and girls would be throwing themselves at him. He couldn’t help but chuckle when Mark slapped his hands away, breaking his reverie.

‘Y-Yah’ The elder stammered, clearly embarrassed.

‘I am serious hyung. Just look at people when you talk, it takes half of the awkwardness away’

‘False. Nothing can take my awkwardness away’

‘Well you’re not awkward right now. You’re a smart mouth with me’

The other paused at that. It looked like Mark hadn’t realized that and Jinyoung felt a hint of pride at the realization that Mark was comfortable around him at least to some extent.

‘I-I we’re meeting every day. I’m used to you and you are literally paid for sticking with me.’ He stuttered out an explanation.

Jinyoung, however, frowned at his choice of words. It was low-key self-deprecating and he didn’t like Mark thought that way. Fair enough that he was here only because he was getting paid to do so, but he didn’t want Mark to think that he was tolerating his presence. He decided to squash that theory.

‘Ouch hyung. And here I thought we were bonding and everything’ Jinyoung said, giving Mark a playfully wounded look with a hand in his chest. The other just rolled his eyes before changing the topic.

‘Jinyoung I just finished my assignments under your supervision. Don’t I deserve a break?’

‘This is a break. We are just talking’

‘This is more stressful than my assignment on analogue electronics’ Mark deadpanned

Jinyoung sighed. He knew that. He knew this made Mark more anxious than anything else but it was necessary.

‘How about you pick a topic you are interested in to talk about?’

‘There’s no point. I don’t have the same interests as any of them’

‘Oh come on. Select one of the most basic, common subjects - Music, Dance’ Jinyoung’s eyes flew to the paintings in Mark’s desk ‘Art! Everyone likes art’

‘No’

‘No?’

‘No. I’m not talking to them about something that I deeply care about just to listen to their pretentious opinion on things.’

Why is he being so difficult? ‘Fake it then’

‘I would if I could’

‘Would you really?’ Jinyoung asked skeptically, making Mark pause to contemplate the question honestly.

‘No not really.’ He concluded with a straight face ‘I don’t give a about these people’

‘No, don’t give me that attitude. You have to try and for the love of god, look at me when you are talking!’

Mark obeyed after a second of reluctance.

‘Thank you! Okay how would you open a conversation with me?’

‘I wouldn’t??’

Jinyoung gave Mark one of his trademark death glares he was very well feared for and the brunette immediately cowered.

‘Okay okay, I would uhm I don’t know….y-you are a student s-so I would start talking about university…….studies…...assignments?’ Mark said, his voice uncertain but Jinyoung nodded approvingly as if to say ‘go on’

‘ Umm a-and books! You like books right?’

‘Yes!’ Jinyoung said ‘See that’s all you have to do, find one common topic that you and the person you are talking to likes. Piece of cake.’

‘Cakes are delicious, don’t insult it by comparing it with this .’

Jinyoung chuckled at the elder’s immaturity.

‘Stop cursing so much hyung……. wait, how do you know I like books?’

Mark snorted ‘how do you know water is wet?’

Jinyoung smacked him on the chest, reveling in the yelp that Mark let out as a result.

‘Yah I’m your hyung!  Kids these days’ Mark whined

‘You are only a year older than me, which by the way is very shocking considering you act like you’re 12.’

Mark just glared at him, clutching his chest where Jinyoung had hit him and mumbling something about kids these days not knowing how to respect their elders.

Jinyoung just rolled his eyes and decided to give a break when he heard a soft growl from Mark’s belly. Okay maybe they both needed a break, he decided.

‘Fine half an hour break’ he relented, satisfied with himself when he saw the way Mark’s eyes lit up at that, his grumpy counterpart vanished immediately. One of the things he learned in his time in the Tuan household was that Mark loved to eat. He could eat almost anything. The housemaids loved Mark for that and watched him endearingly as he stuffed his face with whatever they served him with.  

‘Come on big baby, feeding time’ Jinyoung joked and was again awarded with the elder’s flushed cheeks as he attempted to glare at him. Realizing he was quite hungry himself, he hurried past the door first and missed the shy smile that Mark was trying to fight off.

They ate together, Mark happily devouring everything while Jinyoung chewed his food slowly while watching the other occasionally. It had become almost a regular occurrence, them eating together.

However, Jinyoung came to despise how as soon as they reached the university they would go back to being strangers. He liked the elder’s company but Mark stayed away from Jinyoung in university even when they had same classes. While Jinyoung wasn’t opposed to idea of associating with Mark in public like he initially was, he didn’t push it.  No one apart from his closest friends knew about his current predicament.

‘How is he?’ Jae