"Don't let it bother you." Easier said than done.

But okay, fine. This is not your business, so there is no reason for you to worry about it. For a while, you let yourself forget about it as Mark said. Even though it keeps bothering you, making you feel there is something behind this should be taken care of, you let it go.  

Your days fall into a comfortable but intense routine; long hours spent at school, then tutoring Jackson, and completing assignments at home afterwards. The hours spent in the boys' apartment is pleasant – Jackson makes his transformation into a serious student in 6 pm sharp, doing his very best to understand the material. Mark is always present in the beginning, offering a smile for a greeting when you come in and a cup of coffee for your hard work. Your heart never fails racing when the boy smiles at you or praises your patience, while he is unable to stop himself from teasing Jackson from time to time. You are secretly very thankful to your student– usually-quiet Mark always becomes a bit chattier around him, sharing short conversations with you that you never have thought you'll have. You get to know them better bits by bits, and they likewise about you. Anticipation for those meetings settles inside of you quickly, not surprisingly - even though your interactions with the object of your affection stay pretty short, you are still grateful for them. 

For a while, everything feels like walking in a route with a nice view – you don't wish to see its end.  But everything begins to deteriorate one moment, and before you can react you are found guilty, even though it is not your fault.

You just happened to be there.

۞۞۞

You shouldn't have come this early to Jackson's apartment.

Angry shouts are getting louder, reaching your ears through the slit emitting light into the stairway corridor.

You shouldn't have been there; you should have just walked away the moment you heard the familiar voices arguing, you realize. But you stayed.  

"I am the problem here? You are the one who goes to clubs and dances with random guys like you've got no boyfriend, Nayeon! That pisses me off and you just keep doing that…"

"It's not my fault you are locked here all day! You've become so… boring! All you care about is your stupid competition! You don't care about me!"

Backing away, right, that was exactly what you were planning to do. You are already retreating back, blocking the words in your head, until –

"She is Jackson's tutor, are you ing serious - "

"What a nice excuse she has to come here! The is planning to steal you! I just know that, okay?! All those innocent-looking girls are always like that! And you – you just… let her!"

"Oh god, what the hell are you talking about!? Get your facts straight, Nayeon. We have nothing to do with each other! You can hardly call us friends and the only thing connecting us is Jackson, that's all, okay? Are you calm now?"

"Oh really – "

"Really. I'm tired of all this. Every damn time! Just, go, please. Let's talk when your logic comes back to you."

Surprisingly (or maybe not), that hurts a little.

You hang your head low, unable to stop the force of the realization and disappointment from hitting your heart. Mark doesn't even see you as a friend. You almost forgot that you can't even stand against Nayeon, the ultimate beauty, in this battle. You were blinded by illusions of getting closer to Mark, when in fact…

The door swings open and angry clacking heels stop abruptly in front of you w