Chapter 12

Bloodrose Mansion

As Jinyoung got out of the closet and back into Jaebeom’s room, his eyes immediately searched for the person he and Youngjae were talking about just few minutes ago. He looked at the latter and luckily, the guy was looking at him too.

Youngjae shrugged and shook his head when he saw Jinyoung looking at him. As if he can read the questions running inside Jinyoung’s head through his eyes.

“Guys, where’s Mark?” Jinyoung asked everyone but it was obvious only Jaebeom can answer him since the other three are already close to blacking out. Just how much did they drink in the short time that he was inside the closet?

“Oh, I heard him say he needs to go empty his bladder.” the older stated calmly. Jinyoung raised his eyebrow. “And how far is the bathroom?” the younger asked.

“Literally just beside this room.” Youngjae reminded him, his tone secretly implying for him to just look for the older.

Jinyoung nodded then left the room.

Youngjae turned to Jaebeom and slapped his arm quite hardly. “You freaking snake!” He looked at the latter scandalously. “Ow! What was that for?” Jaebeom tried frowning but it was obvious that he was just trying so hard to contain himself and not laugh.

“You knew.” The younger stated. This time, calmly and softly. “I did. So how did it go?”

“It’s a secret. You set us both up.” Youngjae playfully answered him.

“Petty. Of course. Don’t tell me. At least I confirmed more than one thing tonight.” The younger looked at him wondering what he was trying to imply. But he didn’t have to ask with words anymore since the older decided to just give him the answers easily.

“You like Jinyoung. Jinyoung likes Mark. He thinks he’s subtle but you can tell just by the way he looks at him. Even before my brother and Mark dated. Mark on the other hand,” Jaebeom sighed. “He’s confused. He’s obviously developing feelings for the poor guy but either he’s not aware of it or he doesn’t want to address it. Maybe he thinks he’d feel guilty if he starts liking someone else.”

Youngjae was impressed by how sharp Jaebeom was. But he just has to ask this question, “Well, how would you feel if Mark starts dating Jinyoung?” he questioned. Won’t Jaebeom feel like it’s unfair?

“Hyunwoo would want him to be happy. He loves Mark that much.” The younger did not expect that kind of answer from him as Jaebeom used to always express how much he resented the older’s relationship with his brother.

Jaebeom suddenly sighed. “I know. You don’t fully believe that I think that. Well, to be fair I do think I should add him to my suspect list if he moves on that quickly.” He snorted playfully and the other chuckled. “But I love my brother a lot. So, if he’ll be happy seeing Mark out and in love again, then that shall be my wish too.”

Youngjae squeezed Jaebeom’s hand and smiled at him. “Would you look at that? A demon looking shell with cotton stuffing.” He laughed. “You’re actually a good guy, Jaebeom. I hope the death of your brother won’t turn you into something you wish you’re not.” He muttered under his breath.

“I hope so too.” Jaebeom replied and smiled back to the younger guy.

Just outside the door, in the hallway of the Ims’ house, Jinyoung was trying to locate Hyunwoo’s room, looking for Mark when he found out that the latter isn’t in the bathroom like he said he would be. But he opened all the doors already and the other guy hasn’t been found yet.

Jinyoung went back to Jaebeom’s room and was about to come in when he saw a something moving in the terrace at the end of the hallway. That’s why he couldn’t see the older. The curtains with solid colors of black with white fancy patterns was hiding him from the inside.

The younger approached the man in the terrace and gently made his presence known.

“Hey, Mark.” He whispered as he slowly made his way to the older. Mark smiled at him. One that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Hey.” The latter greeted back.

“Are you okay? Why are you here?” Jinyoung asked. But Mark did not give him an answer. Instead, he gave the younger another question of his own. He was curious to know what happened inside the closet within the seven minutes the two were in there. So, ask the younger he did.

“What happened? Did the prince finally gave in to the damsel?” He tried asking playfully to keep the atmosphere light but it was obvious that he was failing miserably.

“Nothing happened, Mark.” Jinyoung decided that the older didn’t have to know about the kiss thinking it wasn’t important anyway and he’s going to have to tell the other details. He’ll have to tell the events that happened which leads to that experiment. And doing so also means telling Mark about his feelings. And he already told himself he would not do that for he thinks the older will never return the same love the younger has for him.

Mark looked at him after Jinyoung answered his question. “Nothing?” he asked maybe to make sure he heard it right. Jinyoung shook his head.

“You know what’s weird?” Mark said out of the blue. “This.” He looked at the star, inhaled, then looked at Jinyoung’s curious eyes. “This feeling that I’m feeling right now. And a while ago when you went in the closet with him. I felt scared especially since I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I know he likes you and I know you know that too.”

“Why?” the younger asked. His voice was so quiet he almost can’t be heard.

“I don’t know, Jinyoung. I don’t know. It’s kind of ing me up feeling relieved and a bit happy when you said nothing happened in there. Because what the hell is this?” Mark sounds frustrated already but Jinyoung chose to just listen to him in silence.

“Am I just afraid that I’d lose you as a best friend?” Jinyoung still shut his mouth. He knows what the older is trying to say because it’s the same question he asked himself back then when Mark and Hyunwoo were getting too comfortable with each other. The next words spewed by the elder caught Jinyoung by surprise, though. “Or do I like you now?” Mark asks like the question was only intended for himself.

“If I tell you I liked you before you and Hyunwoo happened, would you have accepted me?” Jinyoung asked and the older froze with the straightforward question thrown at him by the younger. He thought about it seriously before a few seconds before he turned to the younger.

“No. I don’t think so.” He loved Hyunwoo then and he’s pretty sure that no matter how things happened back then, him and his lover were meant to be together at some point.

Jinyoung smiled sadly. “You’re just confused, Mark. You feel lonely. And I just happen to be here so you think I’m the one for you. We’ve been with each other side by side since childhood. If you really liked me, I think you would have known that sooner than this.”

Mark considered it for a minute. He wanted to agree but it felt wrong. Also, because he knows Jinyoung made an error in his statement.

He did realize that he liked Jinyoung before Hyunwoo was even in the picture. But he also thought that the younger did not feel the same way towards him. It was how many years of pining so maybe that’s why he got really angry when he found out that Jinyoung was sabotaging his and Hyunwoo’s development back then. He thought the moment he found someone who would love him and who he loves, Jinyoung decided to ruin it. Mark felt like he was being played that time. So, he decided to let his madness affect their friendship and thought that maybe distancing himself would be the best thing to do.

Mark was about to say something when they heard Jaebeom’s door open and close. They heard Yugyeom speaking with his father on the phone, trying to sound as sober as he can. Jinyoung would have laughed at the younger’s situation if it wasn’t for his troubled expression.

“What?!” The younger asked his dad as his eyes widened.

The two older then approached Yugyeom and wait for him to finish his phone call with his dad.

“Okay. I’ll be there. Bye.” Then the younger ended the call.

“What happened?” Jinyoung immediately asked. Yugyeom’s expression really looked alarming a while ago. Jinyoung just knows something not good happened again. And he had a feeling this is somehow connected to their investigation judging from the way Yugyeom looked at them.

“What?” Mark asked impatiently.

Jaebeom’s door opened harshly. “What the hell? That door costs more than all of your clothes combined. Would you mind respecting it, Tuan?” he said sassily. But Youngjae instantly noticed the look on the three’s face who just went inside.

“Let’s go. We have to be somewhere.” Jinyoung announced.

“What happened?” Jackson woke up from all the commotions groggily. Still feeling a little tipsy.

“The evidences connected to Hyunwoo’s case was stolen. Inside the Kim’s house.” Jaebeom immediately stood up. “All of it?” he asked.

“All of it.” Yugyeom answered firmly.

THE KIM RESIDENCE

“I just got home and decided to look at Hyunwoo’s case files again but when I opened the cabinet, I couldn’t find it anywhere.” The sheriff told the youngsters.

“Are you sure you did not just misplace it anywhere?” Jinyoung asked, wanting to be sure that the evidences really were gone while the others try to look for it everywhere in the house.

“I am sure. I don’t bring it the station anymore since I won’t have the time to do anything with it in there. The mayor really doesn’t want me to, as she stated, ‘waste my time’ on it.” Mr. Kim answered. Mark then approached them saying the files can’t be found anywhere. The others started declaring the same while Jinyoung was thinking by himself in silence.

“Did anyone not attend the wake yesterday?” the guy asked, still wracking his brain for possible suspects that might’ve stolen the missing papers.

“No. Everyone was there.” Jaebeom replied confidently.

“Well, maybe someone who left in the middle of Jaebeom’s speech?” Jinyoung questioned turning to the three who guarded near the entrance of the house.

“Nobody left in the middle of the speech. But everyone went out to the maple warehouse after it.” Bambam reminded them.

“Damn it. This will be harder than I thought.” Jinyoung whispered to himself not noticing a pair of two eyes staring at him.

Mark held his shoulders and Jinyoung tensed a little when he realized whose hand was touching him. The older faced the sheriff, “Sheriff, we’re going to continue looking for it. But maybe we should all get some rest now.” He suggested. The sheriff agreed and volunteered to drive them back to Bloodrose.

Mark stared at Jinyoung the whole drive while the latter stares outside the window. The older wonders where they stand now. How were they going to deal with their feelings along with the things they’re dealing with in the investigation? What does he actually really feel for his childhood friend? Did he not love his dead lover anymore? He was frustrated because he wanted answers, yet he couldn’t seem to give himself any. But he decided that maybe they should give each other time to process what he told the younger a while ago before they finally act upon it.