A/N: I needed a place to channel all my happiness after having iGot7 (the variety/reality TV show, not our fandom name) finally, finally air after eons. No other words are needed to describe how the first episode went besides oh my God, Jackson. Why is this embarrassing kid my bias, again? (((Because I'm equally as embarrassing, tbvh)))

 

Well, I hope you all enjoy reading this mini epilogue I have written out for you, because it's time for our maknaes to graduate and have another upgraded round of whacky adventures ~ ^^

(And as an added bonus I threw in a vomit-worthy level of MarkSon fluff for you. I hope you puke rainbows at the end of this because I know I did.)

 

Oh and also, I left it open-ended (you'll find out what I mean when you get to the end) because, well, I'm the author and I can do whatever I want. So there LOLOL and also, I just find it the most appropriate way to end the story. I'll leave the rest up to your imagination ^^

 

- - - - - - -

 

Jackson didn’t know why, but he just felt the innate urge to call that evening when he was having a post-dinner snack by the kitchen counter while waiting for Mark to return home from yet another long day of school. It took one, two, three rings before the call was picked up.

 

“Hi hyung!” The person on the other end of the line chirped.

 

With those two simple words, Jackson felt the knot in his chest loosen and the tension in his body was released. The Hong Kong boy smiled and sank into a counter stool. He guessed, he was just feeling particularly homesick that day and simply needed to hear a voice that sounded like home. “Hey, Bamster. How’s things at school? You’re graduating soon, aren’t you?”

 

“Yeah, in like, a month’s time? How’s New York?”

 

“ing cold as usual,” Jackson chuckled as he spun around on the stool lazily. “Temperatures rarely even hit 30 degrees in the summer. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. I don’t know how Yi-En adapts because you know he’s always been a Californian sunshine boy. But hey, at least there’s always looking forward to returning home to his warm embrace after a haggard day of class. I think I’ll survive.”

 

“Hyung, TMI!” Bam Bam squawked in protest, and Jackson could practically imagine him scrunching up his nose in distaste. The younger boy had never been too enthused about knowing his hyungs’ love lives. Normally his reaction would’ve sparked the need to retaliate, but today the brunette only felt a warm fuzziness spread inside him. “I could’ve lived without knowing that, hyung, really.”

 

“You’re just sour because you’re still single.”

 

“Am not,” The Thai boy bit back, a little too quickly in Jackson’s opinion because the lady doth protest too much, he thinks.

 

“Am too,” Jackson replied with a sneer. He rose from his seat and padded into the living room of the tiny square apartment he shared with his boyfriend. Speaking of his boyfriend, Jackson wondered if the redhead was reaching home soon, because he knew Mark would love to have a few minutes with Bam Bam. The brunette threw himself belly first onto the couch and turned his head to the side to glance at the wall clock. It was already eight minutes past 10 o’clock. Where was Mark? It was normal for him to be late, but usually not this late. Had something happen to him?

 

“Hello? Earth to Jackson hyung? You’re not dreaming dirty things about Mark hyung, are you?”

 

“Am not,” Jackson responded automatically, and this time it was him who sounded too fast. Yi-En's a big boy; he knows how to take care of himself. And so he pushed thoughts of his boyfriend to the back of his head and focussed on the boy he was currently on the phone with. “So, graduating soon, huh? Time really flies. It’s already been a year since we left. It still feels so surreal sometimes.”

 

“Yeah,” came the surprisingly mellow reply. Jackson guessed the other was reminiscing as well. “Have you been in contact with the rest of the hyungs?”

 

“I try to call them as often as I can, but they’re busy with school as well, and the cost of international calls is a .” Jackson rolled onto his back and stretched his form out like a cat.  “Why?”

 

“Nothing much, I guess I’m just missing the days where we always hang out together as seven. Things don’t feel the same without you all with us, and furthermore you and Mark hyung are half way across the globe. We can’t meet up even if we want to and Skype video calling is just so gay.”

 

Jackson felt a nostalgic swell in his chest at Bam Bam’s words and he fought to swallow the lump in his throat. He wasn’t going to lie; he really missed the times where they fooled around as seven without a care for the world. Life had been much simpler back then when they didn’t have to worry about anything but silly school crushes, Kingka ranks and weekly pop quizzes. The brunette cleared his throat multiple times before answering the younger. “It really has been so long, hasn’t it?”

 

“Yeah, I just wish we could– hold on a second, hyung,” Bam Bam was about to respond when a voice from the distance called him out, and Jackson could make out faint traces of conversation the younger was having with the person off the phone that involved extra class and being late that ended with a loud ! coming from the Thai boy and a hurriedly bided goodbye. A loud bump ensued, a few seconds of muffled shuffling and the sound of pants being zipped was heard before Bam Bam came back on the line. “Hi hyung, I’m back.”

 

“Was that Yugyeom I heard in the background? Say hi to him for me!”

 

“Yeah I will, he came over yesterday to help me cram for electrochemistry and stayed the night.” Bam Bam answered breathlessly as though he’d been running about. “Uhm, hyung, I know this is abrupt but can we continue this some other time? We’ve been talking so much I didn’t even realise how late it’s become and I’m still at home when I need to get to class–”

 

“Wait, hold up.” Jackson shot up ramrod straight and frowned, suspicions raised. “Aren’t you guys on study break now? Why do you have to go back to school?”

 

“I… Uh, about that…” The younger boy was stuttering and the brunette just knew that something was up. “I was kind of hoping you wouldn’t ask about it, but uhm, I kind of landed myself in remedial class.”

 

“Kunpimook Bhuwakul Bam Bam!” The poor Thai had to pull his phone away to prevent his eardrums from exploding with that loud bellow from the Hong Kong boy. “Yah, what have you been up to in our absence? Flirting with girls instead of paying attention to lessons?? You used to rank Top 10 in your level last year and now you’re in need of remedial?”

 

“It’s only for Chemistry hyung, so calm your . It’s not my fault I got Mr. Park as my tutor who’s like, 97 and turning ancient or something. He thinks I’m simply being cheeky by pulling the Thai card on him when I told him I didn’t understand his lectures and sent me for mandatory intensive tutoring “just so that my sorry can graduate”, as if I don’t want to get myself out of this God-forbidden school anymore than he does.”

 

“Man, I knew it was him. The old man was exceptionally -like to Mark and I last year, too. I swear he really has something against foreigners which is ridiculous considering how a quarter of the students are like, from overseas.” Jackson sighed and flopped back onto the couch. “Still, Jae Bum’s going to kill you when he finds out. Does he even know about this? What did he say?”

 

“Yes he does; he doesn’t blame me, and agrees that Park Jin Young is being a racist so don’t even try tattling on me, hyung.”

 

“And that extra two minutes I took explaining things to you just made me even later than I already am and Old Man Park is going to positively fry my . I seriously need to zip. Talk to you soon! Bye hyung!” The younger boy chirped before ending the call.

 

Just as soon as Jackson tossed his cell phone onto the coffee table, the wooden front door of the apartment swung open to reveal his boyfriend bundled up in his winter coat, beanie pulled down to half-cover his ears and a towel wrapped around his neck. “ New York and its ing erratic weather. I swear the weather reports said wasn’t supposed to go under 10 degrees when I left.”

 

Mark unloaded the multitude of things hanging from his back, unwinding the towel and tossing it on top of his backpack by the door, and stooped down to unlace his boots. “I didn’t even bring an extra change clothes today and had to walk home in my sweated-through clothes. It didn’t help that I had to use my stinky towel as a make-shift scarf, too. I was freezing.”

 

“And there was I just telling Bam Bam how you could adapt to the weather better than I can.” Jackson quipped as he rose from the sofa and went to greet his boyfriend. He nudged the heavy woollen coat off the redhead’s shoulders and greeted him with a light peck on the lips. “Hey love, welcome home. How was the test?”

 

“I’m glad to be, too. I think I screwed up the case study portion; I had no idea what I was writing at all. If I knew market analysis was so hard I would’ve never even fathomed choosing this module. I’m so beat I think I can sleep till next year.” Mark mumbled against the other’s lips and pressed their mouths firmly together one more time before pulling away to nudge off his shoes. “You were saying Bam Bam called?”

 

“It was the other way around, but yeah I did have a good chat with him.” Jackson turned around to hang the coat on the rack and picked up the elder’s backpack with one hand and held Mark’s hand in the other and returned to the living room, the latter obediently trailing behind him.

 

The brunette placed the rucksack by the foot of the sofa before hopping on and folding his legs underneath him, dragging the elder along. “Did you know the kids are graduating in a month? Time really flies, doesn’t it? We’ve already been here for nine and a half months.”

 

“Yeah,” The redhead stretched himself out sideways and laid his head on the younger’s lap. “It still boggles my mind how much things have changed. Some days I still think I’m in high school and shock myself awake cussing my mother out for not waking me up before realising that I’m in New York, in college, and I don’t need to get up at 7.30 anymore. Thinking back, I can’t believe we survived a whole year’s worth of Old Man Park’s narcolepsy-inducing lectures and severe, biased hatred towards us.”

 

“So that’s why I feel the bed jerk in my sleep. I thought I was hallucinating but I knew the culprit was you.” Jackson teased as he toyed with the strands of fiery red fringe peeking out from under the beanie. “Speaking of which though, did you know that of all Chemistry teachers in the Science department, Bam Bam actually ended up under Old Man Park too?”

 

“No way!” Mark sat up and stared at his boyfriend in incredulity, searching the other’s face for signs of any joke before resuming his prior position, snuggling even more comfortably into Jackson’s thigh. “I swear, it’s like the curse of our whole clique or something. All of us have had him as our tutor at least once in our four years.”

 

“I know right, Bam Bam said he even landed his sorry in remedial for flunking the subject. Bam Bam, our protégée, in tuition. He’s never even gotten below a B- grade before in his entire life, much less failed anything until Old Man Park came along. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when I found out.”

 

“Bam Bam? Our Bam Bam? That’s just–” Mark wasn’t quick enough to stifle the tiny yawn that eventually escaped his lips.

 

“Yah, I actually forgot you’d just returned home after a full day of school and then five straight hours of dance practice right after. Not to mention you haven’t even showered, and yet I’m holding you up here.” Jackson’s tone left no room for argument as he nudged the elder off his lap. “Go shower. We’ll talk tomorrow, yeah?”

 

“But, my–”

 

“I’ll unpack your bag for you. And then I’ll start up another load of laundry.” Jackson completed the redhead’s sentence before he himself could and steered him in the direction of their bedroom. “You, mister, just need to wash up and get ready for bed.”

 

After sending his boyfriend off with a light smack on the bottom, Jackson sat back down and dragged the backpack to his feet. He ped it and began pulling out its contents, laying all the items out on the space next to him. Once he was done, he gathered everything into his arms and headed into the bedroom, picking up the soiled dance wear Mark had thoughtfully left outside the bathroom door and made his way back to the kitchen. Sorting out the whites from the coloured, the brunette loaded the washing machine, added the detergent and started it up.

 

Since when have I become such a domestic person? Jackson let out an inevitable chortle and shook his head, leaning his back against the marble counter. A year ago if anyone had told him that a year from now, he’d be living with his bestfriend-turned-lover in the city of dreams, cooking dinner and doing the laundry for the elder, he would’ve snorted right in their faces. But look where he was now.

 

I guess… Love really does change a person.

 

~~~

 

“Jae Bum ah,” Jackson winced when his voice reverberated around the four walls of the cramped space. Perhaps this wasn’t the best location to make a call. “Have you ended school yet?”

 

“Yeah,” Muffled shuffling was heard on the other end before the aforementioned boy spoke again. “I just ended my last class for the day. Why? What’s up?”

 

Jackson scratched the back of his head. “Just… Nothing much…”

 

“What are you up to again, Jackson?”

 

“What do you mean ‘what am I up to’? Can’t I ring you occasionally and check up on an old pal? Can’t you ever give me the benefit of doubt?”

 

“Not when it’s…” Jae Bum paused momentarily to check the time on his wristwatch. 4.30pm. Which means… “Dude, isn’t it two thirty in the morning over there in New York? Are you insane? Nothing good ever comes out of that head of yours at that time. Does Mark even know you’re still awake?”

 

“Yeah… Uhm, maybe… Okay fine no, he looked like he was about to drop dead when he came home since his stupid choreographer has been pushing him extra hard and nominating him to take the dance solo for the fall showcase and honestly speaking when I think about it I really do highly suspect that that dude’s secretly in love with my Yi-En or something considering how I always felt gay vibes from him and the fact he already gave my boyfriend a crazily hard choreography to learn and now this so it’s pretty clear he’s trying to get my boyfriend to stay back in the studio as late as possible with him so that he can have my boyfriend all to himself but yeah Yi-En was absolutely shagged and I told him to turn in first. I’m calling you from the toilet right now.”

 

“Okay…” In all honesty, all Jae Bum had caught in Jackson’s huge chunk of a sentence – that bordered on incoherency – was that the Hong Kong boy was having severe jealousy issues with Mark’s dance club instructor who’s probably currently facing uality issues (because hey, even the straightest of men would cast a second glance at the perfection that is Mark Tuan) that the sandy-haired man wasn’t going to try to interfere in, because it was a problem the Californian should deal with himself. “That still doesn’t explain why you’re calling me when you should be in bed next to your boyfriend and sleeping.”

 

“Well… I was just thinking…”

 

“Don’t do that,” Jae Bum cut the younger boy off immediately. “ goes down when you think.”

 

“You’re always this mean to me. Why am I even your friend?” The brunette flipped the toilet cover shut and plopped down on it. “But anyway, as I was trying to propose before you rudely interrupted me, how about going on another graduation trip?”

 

“Uh Jackson, did you knock your head against something hard, or fell out of your bed today? We’ve graduated from high school a year ago, and university graduation isn’t until at least two years later. We can’t just go on graduation trips as and when we like it. We actually have to have a graduation to celebrate.”

 

The younger rolled his eyes so hard he swore they were about to fall out of their sockets. “I didn’t mean our graduation, you retard. I was talking about our maknaes’. I was talking to Bam Bam, he was telling me about how they’re graduating in a month’s time and I want to plan something for them too, something like what we’ve done for our own graduation.”

 

“Yeah, Young Jae told me about that the other day. So, Mr. Smarty Pants, what do you propose on doing this time?”

 

“I was thinking…” Well, here goes nothing. “You all should come find Yi-En and I in America.”

 

A pregnant pause ensued on the other end of the line, and Jackson couldn’t say that he hadn’t anticipated it. “Did I really just hear you say that the five of us should fly fifteen hours halfway across the world to just say hi to the both of you?”

 

“Yeah, and I’m serious.” Jackson wiggled back on the seat and tucked his legs under him. “Take a few days off from school, both Jin Young and you, and bring the kids along to visit New York.”

 

“You’re absolutely insane.”

 

“Maybe, but it’s going to be a hell lot of fun. Yi-En and I can be like your personal tour guides and bring you all around on a tour of the city. It’ll be exciting. I mean come on, just think about it: We can–”

 

The brunette was interrupted once again by a soft rap on the door of the bathroom, followed by the penetration of a familiar deep voice. “Jacks? Is that you in there?”

 

“Give me a minute,” Jackson tucked his phone in the crook of his neck to free both hands to unlock the door and poked his head out to acknowledge his beau. “Yes, love? It’s almost 3AM. Why are you up?”

 

“I should be asking you that question instead.” Mark held his arms open, inviting Jackson into his embrace which the brunette gladly accepted. The redhead shifted the other such that Jackson half leaned against him and his arm was around the younger’s waist. “Didn’t you say you have that play rehearsal first thing in the morning? Why are you still up? I heard a voice coming from the bathroom and it woke me up. Are you talking to someone? At this time? Who are you talking to?”

 

“I’m on the phone with Jae Bum.” Jackson held his phone out and wagged it in the redhead’s face. “I’m asking him to round up the guys and herd them over here for Spring break.”

 

Mark blinked twice, pulling away to stare at his beau incredulously. “Here? As in here in New York?”

 

“Yeah,” Jackson shifted himself into a more comfortable position. “We can like, bring them around the city or something, show them our favourite hangout spots and stuff. It’ll be super fun don’t you think?”

 

Mark rubbed his face tiredly and exhaled and drew the brunette closer to him. “Jacks, tell Jae Bum you’ll continue this tomorrow and come back to bed. It really is getting late.”

 

Jackson’s brows furrowed as he snuggled deeper into the elder’s chest. “B–But I’m not done…”

 

“Jackson…” Mark warned, fingertips pressing into the younger’s sides.

 

“Fine…” Jackson rolled his eyes dramatically and pressed his phone back against his ear. “Hyung? Yi-En wants me to hang up and go to sleep now.”

 

“Yah,” Mark pinched the younger on the arm. “What am I, your mum? You’re making me sound so terribly whiny.”

 

“Shh, you are,” Jackson shushed before tuning in on Jae Bum’s voice.

 

“How come you never listen to anything I say but do everything that Mark tells you to at once?” Jae Bum complained. “Anyway see, I knew you’re never going to talk past Mark’s sense. Go to sleep. We’ll talk again tomorrow, and hopefully not at this God forbidden time on your part. Goodnight.”

 

After bidding the leader farewell in his usual sassy manner, Jackson stowed his phone into his back pocket and sent Mark back into bed before going to wash up. The brunette emerged from the bathroom five minutes later to find his boyfriend still awake, looking up at him expectantly with the covers held open as he approached the bed.

 

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Jackson climbed in and made himself comfortable next to Mark, draping his hand over the redhead’s waist snuggling as close as he could to the elder.

 

“Nothing,” Mark responded slowly, eyes trailing over the chiselled features of the man lying beside him and he broke into a tender smile. “I’m just incredibly thankful you’re here with me, that you’re always here for me.”

 

Jackson shifted himself closer to Mark and leaned their foreheads together, looking into the pair of chestnut orbs endearingly before pressing his lips to the elder’s. “And I think it is an absolute blessing to be able to see you everyday and lie down next to you every night and work hard for each other as we build our future together step by step.”

 

~~~

 

“I can’t believe you really talked us into doing this.” Jae Bum groused as he wheeled a push cart piled high with six luggage bags – Bam Bam mandated on bringing an extra empty one to store the massive loads of shopping he was planning to do – and another mountain of backpacks and miscellaneous paraphernalia. It didn’t help that he was generally a slow-moving person by nature, and with the added effect of his obscured vision he could barely look over the top luggage case to see where he was going and was already lagging behind the rest of the group.

 

“Never underestimate the persuasion power of the Wang Mandu.” Jackson declared as he confidently weaved his way through the mass of people scattered all across the arrival hall, leading his convoy away from the buzzing crowd.

 

“You mean never underestimate the depth of Bam Bam’s parents’ wallets.” Young Jae corrected before throwing a careless look over his shoulder at the straggling leader. “Yah, Jae Bum hyung, you need to hurry up! Stop walking so slow or we’ll lose you!”

 

“Everything is so expensive around here…” Jin Young lamented as he spied a look at the signboard outside the coffee stand they had just passed. “I can hear my wallet crying for mercy already…”

 

Bam Bam tipped his shades and sent a pointed look towards the whining group umma. “Why are you all complaining when my parents were the ones who sponsored all your air tickets here?”

 

 “Why thank you so much, oh great benefactor, for the opportunity of experiencing free leg cramps, diarrhoea-inducing in-flight meals and the perfect harmony of screaming babies you’ve granted us. Would you prefer to have heard that instead?”

 

The duo slowed their steps to a halt, eyes narrowed as they stared at each other in a showdown neither was willing to back off from. “I am this close to changing your flight date and sending you back to Korea right now.”

 

“Yah, I’m your hyung!”

 

“Then start acting like one!” Yugyeom piped up over Bam Bam’s shoulder and the best friends high fived. The pair their heels and picked up their pace again with the youngest’s arm hanging off the Thai’s shoulders. “Better apply cold water to that burn, Jin Young hyung.”

 

“Alright kids, stop fighting. We’re here. Well not quite, but almost.” Jackson gestured to the downward escalator right ahead with a tilt of his head. “We’re headed that way. Just down the escalator and another 100m walk and we’ll be there.”

 

Jae Bum finally caught up with the group and glared at the transport device as though it offended him. “How the heck am I supposed to push this thing down that thing?”

 

“You don’t.” Mark spoke up for the first time since exchanging his greetings with his friends outside the arrival gate. He walked over to the trolley, Jackson following suit, and the pair began unloading the suitcases and items on board. “We do this the conventional way.”

 

Reluctantly but faced with no other choice, each boy made his way to his own belongings and gathered them up while Jackson discarded the push cart. With Mark now leading the way, the brunette helped with the bags as best as he could. Something feels off. Jae Bum frowned at the retreating backs of his friends before pushing the feeling of unease away and picked up his belongings, trailing after the group.

 

When the train station finally came to view though, Jae Bum realised that his gut had been right. Those overhead signs he’d seen earlier weren’t leading to the car park. A cold dread sank into his stomach. “Uhm, Jackson, how exactly are we getting to your apartment by the way?”

 

“By train of course,” Jackson replied easily as he set the suitcase down and headed for the ticketing machine. “We’ll be taking this, the AirTrain, towards Howard Beach, where we proceed to transfer to subway line A, then to line J where we’ll alight at Canal Street station. We’ll get out from the exit closer to line R, walk for a bit, and we’ll be at the apartment.”

 

“You guys didn’t drive??” The five boys screeched in unison at the couple. The thought of having to manoeuvre through New York’s subway system, though luckily at non-peak hour traffic but having to transfer lines twice no less, with luggage in tow made the whole entourage feel like hopping on the plane back to Korea.

 

Jackson’s back was turned away from the group as he punched numbers on the machine, but Jae Bum could practically picture the younger rolling his eyes. “Dude, we don’t even own cars. Do you know how impractical that is when you’re a New Yorker? The congestion is so bad you’re better off walking to your destination. Practically nobody drives, and all you see on the roads here are cabs, police cars and delivery trucks.”

 

“Not to mention, you forget that Yi-En and I are poor college students.” Jackson returned with five metro cards and distributed them. “This is our BMW and our Hyundai, and these are your car keys. Come on.”

 

~~~

 

“Your place .” Jin Young grumbled as he hopped down the last few grey steps and onto the concrete sidewalk.

 

“Excuse me?” Jackson’s eyes boggled and he whipped around to stare at the younger male as though the latter had just announced his pet dog died. “Apartments in Lower Manhattan are one of the most sought after properties in the whole of the city, mind you! This is the Hongdae of New York, the most happening strip in the whole city, and we’re living right smack in the middle of it.”

 

“Jacks’s exaggerating just the slightest. The Hongdae part is actually at East Village right above Lower East Side, and we’re more towards the middle bit.” Mark s an arm around his beau’s waist and drew the sulky brunette to his side. “But really, the main reason is due to our schools being just a couple stops away, so it’s pretty convenient for us to commute to class daily. That’s really all that we were aiming for.”

 

“Yeah,” Jackson declared haughtily. “So tell me how does that ?”

 

Jin Young folded his arms across his chest. “Well firstly, you didn’t tell us we’ll be sleeping on the couch!”

 

“Sofa bed. You all will be sharing the sofa bed.” Jackson corrected. “Besides, I already said one of you can sleep with Yi-En and I in the bedroom so that the rest of you can have more space.”

 

“Same difference! You didn’t even bother to arrange proper accommodation for us!”

 

“Well I’m sorry it wasn’t a ten-bedroom penthouse waiting for you when you arrived. Mark and I kind of chose a place for two because there would essentially only be two people living here? If you all plan on visiting us more often then maybe, just maybe, we’ll consider relocating to a larger place. But for now, we’re content with what we have.”

 

Just then, Bam Bam came skipping back gleefully munching on the hotdog Yugyeom just purchased for him from a street side stand. The maknae was just a few steps behind, stowing his wallet into his coat pocket before he rejoined the group. “Sorry; Bam Bam got hungry while you guys were arguing so we went to get food. What’s up?”

 

Wow. Amidst the childish chaos no had one even realised the youngest two had gone missing in the first place. Oblivious to the stares of the elders, the Thai boy took an extra huge bite and the mustard off his upper lip. “So where are we going?”

 

Jackson felt his stomach rumble as he eyed the food intently before being nudged back to his senses by his boyfriend. “Well, Yi-En and I were discussing the plans for today while you all were unpacking, and since there’s still daylight we were thinking of heading to Central Park, actually.”

 

“Yeah, the place is huge – it’s like the size of the whole of Sinsa-dong, Apgujeong, Cheondam-dong and Samseong-dong combined – and we probably wouldn’t walk through the whole stretch, but we can still explore parts of it before dinnertime. Jacks and I have been there a couple of times; it’s pretty cool and I think you all will like it.”

 

“So, Central Park huh? Shall we?” Young Jae piped up with a slice of pizza in his hand and Jackson blanched. Why do the young ones keep disappearing without anyone’s knowledge and returning with food? Feeling growing unease as the Hong Kong boy shifted his gaze from Bam Bam’s hotdog to his own food, the younger clutched the pizza slice to his chest protectively and cowered behind Jae Bum. “Man, get your own. The pizza truck’s just there.”

 

“No, Jacks, heel.” Before Jackson could his neck in the direction Young Jae tilted his head in, he was already forcefully towed the opposite way by Mark and the rest of the group followed, laughing at the brunette’s misery as he whimpered and whined and tried to get out of the grip on his collar to no avail.

 

~~~

 

 “In case we get split up somehow – which to be honest is bound to happen sooner or later because we can never stick together – let’s meet by the entrance at 6.30pm, okay?” Mark instructed firmly, pointing to the carved wrought iron gates they’d just passed on their way into the park. “Don’t be late because we’re going to grab dinner right afterward and head over to Times Square.”

 

“With that boring, but of course very necessary, disclaimer done,” Jackson chimed in, skipped a few steps ahead of the group and spun around on his heels, arms spread out wide. “I can officially welcome everyone to Central Park!”

 

The five visitors took a good look at their surroundings. The exterior had looked like every other government-owned and managed state recreation park. It was… Just… Green. Now as they ventured deeper in, however, they could see just how Central Park lived up to its name.

 

Tall, majestic trees lined every footpath in two neat rows, their thick branches arching over the black tarmac and keeping those underneath the foliage cool. The occasional breeze would pick up fallen flower petals and make them dance in the wind, the crisp air smelling of pollen and freshly dug earth. The sound of merry children and barking dogs floated by, and a short distance away, a pair of song thrushes perched on top of a bench crooned their hearts’ song out.

 

“It’s even prettier than last spring when we first came here.” Hand tightly clasped in Jackson’s, Mark took in the sights and sounds and smells of spring all around him with wide sparkling eyes and a bright smile.

 

They strolled leisurely in silence before Jin Young decided to pop a question. “Hey, Mark hyung.”

 

“Yeah?” The redhead answered distractedly, chin tilted up towards the evening sky and soaking up the remains of the sun’s rays.

 

Jin Young scratched the bridge of his nose. “How’s school going for you two?”

 

“It’s fine,” Jackson responded in the elder’s place. “It’s definitely a whole lot different from Korean high school, cause we do things way laid back here. There are times we get really busy, but that’s understandable and expected. So as for now, we’re still coping fairly well.”

 

“Hyung, you’re in Stern Business, aren’t you?” Mark affirmed the boy with a nod without checking to see who was being addressed, because really, he was the only one who’s still spoken to formally these days. “Remind me what’s Jackson doing again?”

 

“Performing arts, at Tisch.”

 

“Ah,” Jin Young sounded like he just had an epiphany as he snapped his fingers and nodded repeatedly. “The acting thingy. Right.”

 

“It’s not just an “acting thingy”, loser.” Jackson snitched. “Tisch is like, the Julliard’s for performing arts. We have a world-class drama department. Our graduates are highly sought after by theatre production companies.”

 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night dude, because you’re probably going to be the only exception.”

 

The Californian looked away from the clouds and at the younger. “On the contrary, the script Jacks submitted as part of his mid-term project had just been selected by the department for the summer musical production. He’s going to be student director.”

 

Jin Young’s eyes boggled. “No way, seriously?”

 

Mark nodded, bemused at the reactions of this bunch of idiots he called his friends. Jackson had always appeared to be the clownish moodmaker of the group and never seemed to ever be serious about anything, but there were rare moments where the Hong Kong boy was solemn and calm and level-headed and the redhead was glad he was the first one to see this side of the younger.

 

“Wow, that’s really cool, hyung.” Young Jae impressed and was matched with similar nods of acknowledgement from the maknae line.

 

“Yeah man, Jackson, I didn’t know you had it in you!” Jae Bum clapped the boy in the shoulder and beamed like a proud father. “You should’ve shared this piece of news with us sooner! We would’ve re-scheduled our trip to coincide with your production date so that we can come show our support.”

 

“Honestly guys, you flatter me too much. You especially, Yi-En. I won’t even know what I’ll be doing, and the teacher’s going to end up doing all the work.” This shy aspect of the brunette was one that they were all unfamiliar with. The Jackson Wang they knew was unabashedly cocky and basked in the compliments handed his way. It was clear to everyone that having his work selected and being honoured the title of director really meant a lot to him. “Seriously, I’ll be happy not to screw something up.”

 

“You’re selling yourself short, Jacks. I’ve seen you slave away night after night for a whole week trying to put that thing together.” Mark pinched the brunette on the nose and chuckled, a light, hearty laugh that still sent butterflies to the younger’s stomach, when Jackson pulled away from his grasp with a stink face. “You deserve every bit of that glory you’re crowned.”

 

“Everyone else did the same.”

 

“And thus you won it fair and square.” Mark held a firm grip on Jackson’s shoulders and turned himself to face the younger. “You earned it, love, you really did.”

 

With his back against the light the redhead was cast in a dark shadow, the golden hues of the setting sun shining around him and setting his silhouette in an ethereal glow. He smiled, softly, tenderly, the same smile that had Jackson falling in love by the campfire in Gangwon a year ago.

 

Their eyes connected and it was as though all they could see was each other, looking deep into the other’s eyes, into the very depths of their souls and conveying their silent message. Endearing smiles stretched across their faces just as Mark bent his head slightly to meet Jackson at eye level. Instinctively their bodies drew closer, the Californian cupping his beloved’s chin and the brunette sliding his arms around the elder, and their lips connected in a tender kiss.

 

No one spoke of the moment, but perhaps no words were needed to express what was felt in their hearts. Mark and Jackson were made for each other.

 

They’d only been together for slightly over thirteen months, but prior years of friendship between them forged an unbreakable bond that transcended the romantic evolvement of their relationship to what it was today. They looked beyond comfortable with each other; one’s personality starkly contrasted with the other’s yet their actions were always complementing, their highs and lows and pushes and pulls matched in a wondrous harmony. The music written out in their score of life wasn’t perfect; it bore unsightly sharps and flats that stuck out like sore thumbs and when played created a clashing chord, but everything came together to form a melody that was uniquely theirs. It was human.

 

“Well, looking at this picture perfect couple ain’t gonna make me feel any better about my non-existent love life.” Jin Young griped surly and pursed his lips. “I’m outta here. If anyone needs me I’ll be talking to that tree over there because it’s the only living thing that doesn’t seem like it’ll ignore me.”

 

“I’m pretty sure if plants could move that tree would’ve walked away too.” Jae Bum called out to the retreating back of the group umma, breaking out into a cackle when his best friend graced him with a middle finger.

 

“Well, Young Jae and I are going to go on a mini date of our own around this place too.” Jae Bum laced his fingers with his boyfriend’s and began tugging him towards the tiny footpath on the right. “See you all in a bit.”

 

After the trio went their own ways, Bam Bam finally tore his sight away from the scene and turned his attention to the maknae who stood next to him staring into the distance. Seeing Mark and Jackson made him wonder about the friendship with his own best friend. Was Yugyeom and him like that too? Can their bond withstand the storms of life? Would they have the courage it takes to leave behind all they’ve known and loved, and migrate to the other side of the planet for a common purpose, just like Mark and Jackson did?

 

Yugyeom, oblivious to the boy’s meditative self-reflection, jerked his chin at his best friend. “What are you looking at, you punk?”

 

“Nothing, just thinking about how ugly you are.” Bam Bam stuck his tongue out at the youngest and dodged the playful swing of the arm sent his way. “Yah!”

 

I wonder if other people look at us and feel the same envy I feel when I look at Mark and Jackson hyung.

 

“Well, are we just going to stand here and watch Mark hyung and Jackson hyung whisper diabetically sweet things in each others’ ears and PDA all day or are we actually going to play?” Yugyeom cocked his head at the shorter boy expectantly.

 

A diabolical smirk appeared across Bam Bam’s face, slowly growing wider by the second before he suddenly dashed off down the tarmac path. “Last one to the pond is an ugly pig!”

 

~~~

 

“This is so boring.” Yugyeom whispered into the ear of his best friend. He rolled his neck and lolled his head back, sighing exasperatedly at the hyungs who were enjoying a musician basking along the street after their Mexican feast at dinner. “I really don’t think I’m at the age where I can appreciate jazz yet, and this performance doesn’t look like it’s ending any time soon.”

 

There was a mischievous glint in Bam Bam’s eyes as he wiggled his eyebrows at his best friend. “Shall we sneak off, then?”

 

“Are you insane?” Yugyeom hissed, eyes bugged out. “This isn’t Korea, where we can ask for directions if we get lost. We actually face a language barrier here. What if someone tries to kidnap us? We won’t even know how to call for help! We’ll become slaves in Amsterdam like those documentaries they show on TV!”

 

“Correction, dude, you face a language barrier. This best friend here knows English. Minimal but still passable English. Have a little faith in me, man! I won’t let you end up at the bottom of a human trafficking food chain, okay?” Slipping his hand into the younger’s, Bam Bam slowly backed away from the crowd and snuck around the corner, towing a semi-reluctant, semi-excited Yugyeom along.

 

After running a block down the same street, giggling at their ingenuity and celebrating their new found freedom, the pair stopped at the road crossing and leaned, one against a lamppost and the other against the wall, to catch their breaths. Bam Bam reached over and his palm slapped the younger’s in a resounding high-five. “I can’t believe Jae Bum hyung didn’t even realise we slipped away, and we were standing right next to him! Was he really that engrossed with the performance?”

 

“Wasn’t he busy playing handies with Young Jae hyung instead? I thought I saw Jae Bum hyung slip his hand into Young Jae hyung’s coat pocket when he thought no one noticed.”

 

Bam Bam shrugged. “I didn’t see, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it really was true.”

 

Yugyeom straightened his form up from the red brick he was slouched against and surveyed his surroundings. “So, best friend, what now?”

 

“I don’t know, but now that we’re finally rid of that bunch of elderly,” Bam Bam wrinkled his nose at that word, “Let’s just roam around and do teenager stuff.”

 

It took half an hour of café hopping and idle window shopping before boredom led the duo to decide to head back to One Times Square which had been their friends’ last known location before they were abandoned. Happily sipping on a strawberry smoothie he had talked Yugyeom into buying for him, Bam Bam hadn’t even noticed the younger boy had halted in his steps and walked on ahead, only to be called back by his voice.

 

“Hey, Bam Bam.”

 

“Yeah?” The Thai boy turned around to find Yugyeom looking far more serious than all he’s ever seen his best friend been in the past four years they’ve known each other. Cautiously Bam Bam approached, his gaze never leaving the younger’s face.

 

“I… I don’t know about you, but I’ve been thinking… A lot, since school ended and we graduated. About… Friends, relationships, life, the future and what not, where we’ll end up after this, which university we’ll enter, whether we’ll stick together or go our separate ways, and…”

 

“And… I’m just kind of scared, you know? I feel like I’m being overwhelmed with possibilities of the unknown and it’s scaring me.” Cold fingers fidgeted with the buttons on his coat and feet shuffled awkwardly and Yugyeom started walking again, ignoring the pair of wide, brown doe eyes that followed the oddity that were his every move. “I’m sure the hyungs went through the exact same thing and perhaps it’ll be better to seek advice from them instead, but I just don’t feel that it’s right to speak to someone else when this sort of involves you as well?”

 

In the distance, Yugyeom could hear Jackson’s voluminous calling out of their names over the heads of the pedestrians, he could spot their sandy-haired leader standing by the side shivering in the biting night wind, he could see Mark’s tussled ginger red hair as he turned his head in every direction, he could recognise the matching worried looks plastered on Young Jae and Jin Young’s faces as they joined the eldest boy in his search.

 

“Hey, there they are! Yah!” The Hong Kong boy’s distinct voice pierced through the low mumbling of the crowd and the clip-clopping of heels and the honking of cars and the revving of its engines and buzzing of the signboards above and around them and the chaotic sounds that came with living in a metropolitan city.

 

But it wasn’t just any metropolitan city. It was the metropolitan city. It was New York. They were in the city of dreams, where anything and everything was possible. Anybody had a chance of making a name here; everybody was fighting for the chance to become a legend. Why then was he feeling so insignificant and small?

 

It was now or never.

 

He took a deep breath and turned towards the other. “I kind of hope you feel the same way I do, but I just kind of wish we’ll be able to last for a very long time, just like Mark and Jackson.”

 

“Do you seriously even need to ask that?” If not for the cheeky smile on Bam Bam’s face, Yugyeom would’ve really believed he’d angered the older boy. “Dude, you’re not going to get rid of me this easily. Even if we end up on opposite sides of the planet, I’ll chase you down to the ends of the earth with the depth of my parents’ wallets.”

 

Yugyeom hooked his elbow around Bam Bam’s neck and drew the laughing Thai boy to his side. “I’m counting on you for it.”