The redhead tried to not look too pitiful when he showed up to school the next Monday and even if he thought that he did a good job Jaebum was still attached to his side and wasn’t planning to leave until the classes started. Mark knew that his best friend was only doing this because he was worried that the slightly older male might go and kill Jackson if he was going to see him but he didn’t need to be looked after. Yes, the older male was angry and he was still upset because the Hong Kong native didn’t have any right to talk to him like that but Mark also wasn’t going to go and whine to everyone about how much of a jerk Jackson really was.

            ‘You know, I could punch Jackson in the face once if you want to, more than once actually, you just have to ask.’ The redhead tilted his head to the side and tried to smile at his best friend, he was grateful that the younger male didn’t try to get any information out of him after he told him that he basically was starting to like the Hong Kong native. This was one of the traits he liked when it came to Jaebum, the guy wasn’t pushy and he was a good listener, so Mark only needed to talk when he felt like he wanted to.

            ‘It’s alright, Jinyoung probably punched him for me, or maybe Yugyeom.’ And that made the lighter haired male crack up with laughter because he tried to imagine the ever so nice and gentle maknae of the group pounding the Hong Kong native’s face into the ground. Mark tried to imagine that too and he unconsciously grinned widely and his previous anger and heartache went away, replaced by low chuckling.

            ‘Holy , can you image our Yugyeomie, our little puppy punching him? I’d actually pay a lot to see that.’ The redhead nodded his head furiously and started choking on his laughter. The idea wasn’t even that funny, but the older male just needed to clear his thoughts and to forget about everything that had taken place in the Karaoke place.

            ‘Well, I am his favorite hyung, we all know that.’

            ‘Only because you give him food and your parents baby him and let him stay over and they probably love him more than they love you.’ The redhead glared  at Jaebum teasingly and was about to punch his shoulder as a joke when he saw a face he did not want to see at all, and the person was coming right at them with his face pulled into an unpleasant expression.

            ‘, danger at three o’clock, we need to go, like right now.’ The redhead’s eyes widened and Jaebum pushed him into the direction of his classroom while the Hong Kong native glared at him and tried to catch up to Mark. But Jaebum stood in Jackson’s way and smirked at him because like hell was he going to let the other go near his best friend without giving him a piece of his mind.

            ‘Move you dickhead, I need to talk to Mark, it’s really urgent.’ The slightly older male pushed Jackson away and glared at him halfheartedly, but the Hong Kong native only chuckled at the other’s attempts to frighten him and stood his ground, looking at the other with a mocking smirk.

            ‘You er, Mark doesn’t want to talk to you, and quite frankly, I am seconds away from punching you in the face for what you did.’ The Hong Kong native stared at the other with a blank face and Jaebum frowned at that a little bit because he definitely wasn’t expecting the other to shut up as simply as that. He was expecting loud yells and even fists going his way until Jackson would agree to listen to him, so this was definitely new, and it freaked him out a little bit.

            ‘I know that I ed up but Mark shouldn’t have taken my words so seriously, I always talk like that, you should all be used to that already.’ The Hong Kong native sounded a little bit sincere and Jaebum rubbed his own forehead in frustration, he really didn’t want to trust the other, but he knew that the redhead would curse him out if he simply punched him.

            ‘, okay, I won’t punch you, not yet, but just make it up to Mark somehow. No, don’t look at me like that, I am not helping you out.’ And that was how the light haired male found himself skipping school and helping the Hong Kong native out with wooing his best friend into liking him, or at least into forgiving him. And Jaebum would have been lying if he said that Jackson wasn’t clueless when it came to apologizing, or to trying to win someone over.

            ‘This is not going to work, Mark won’t forgive you simply like this. , he is going to hate me too for helping you out with this plan.’ The Hong Kong native grinned up at Jaebum and patted his cheek in a mocking manner as if he was trying to thank his mother for helping him out with homework.

            ‘That’s where you are wrong pumpkin, no one can resist Jackson Wang’s charm, not even Mark.’ The light haired male glared at the Hong Kong native and ruffled his own hair in annoyance. He was definitely not going to stick around for lunch because he knew that his best friend will try to hunt him down if he will find out that he helped.

           ‘Whatever, just one, don’t hurt Mark, two, I am not coming to your funeral if he actually kills you, and three, don’t cry when I’ll have to remind you that I told you so.’ Jaebum was about to run out of the school because he was definitely not sticking around before he turned back around and glared at the Hong Kong native for one last time.

            ‘And please, don’t call me pumpkin, and yes, that also means don’t call me cupcake too. Now go and make a fool out of yourself.’ The bell rang at that moment and Jaebum ran out before anyone stepped out of the classroom, leaving Jackson in front of the doors, standing like an idiot and waiting for the redhead to walk out. The Hong Kong native bit down onto his bottom lip and tried to look as confident as possible but he felt a little bit stupid, okay, who was he kidding, he felt really stupid, and he looked stupid too.

            Students started going out of the classrooms, most of them stopping in order to stare at Jackson with raised eyebrows and some girls even squealed when they saw the Hong Kong native in the hallway. Jackson simply smiled at everyone and greeted some people, and when he saw Mark walking out of the classroom with Hoseok next to him he signalized his friend to hold onto the redhead if he was planning to escape.

            And when Mark noticed that there was a commotion in front of him and that the hallway was packed and no one was moving he rolled his eyes because someone was probably going to confess their feelings for some random girl or boy. And no, the redhead was definitely not bitter because the Hong Kong native was being an and insulted him, Mark simply didn’t want to be caught in the crowd and he wanted some place because Hoseok nagged at him during the whole period.

            ‘Mark hyung, let’s go and see what’s happening!’ The redhead tried to protest and to walk away but Hoseok simply held onto his elbow and dragged him to the center of the hallway. Mark tried to not look because he didn’t want to see the poor soul that was going to be publicly embarrassed by someone’s attempt at wooing him or her. The redhead just prayed that the other person won’t be rejected in front of everyone like he once saw it happen.

            And the redhead’s eyes widened and his lips parted in shock and surprise when he noticed that in the middle of the hallway stood no other but Jackson, with a guitar slung over his shoulder, smiling at the crowd. Mark tried to turn around and to run away but Hoseok’s grip on his shoulder made him stay in place and he glared at him, cursing him out not so silently.

            And when the Hong Kong native finally found his target he grinned widely, moving the guitar so that it would be in his hands and started strumming the strings. But the action made the redhead wince because Jackson didn’t sound like he knew how to play the guitar, he just prayed that this was a joke and that the slightly younger male was simply going to shout out a kidding and that he will run away.

            But of course Mark as usually was incorrect and Jackson start moving towards him, grinning widely and the redhead had to agree that the Hong Kong native didn’t look that bad while holding the guitar. Now, if only he would actually know how to play it, then Mark would be even happier. Jackson stopped right in front of the slightly older male and parted his lips as if he was about to start singing something. And the redhead glared at him with all of his might because this was definitely not happening.

            ‘Jackson, no. Don’t you dare do that.’ But the Hong Kong native didn’t listen to the other and his smile only widened as he cleared his throat and the first words started leaving his mouth. The redhead tried desperately not to listen to the words of the song and he tried not to look at the Hong Kong native but he had never really had that much will, so after a few moments he lifted his head back up and his eyes widened.

            The slightly younger male was standing maybe only twenty centimeters away from him, looking straight into his eyes as if he was trying to drown in them, not even bothering to pretend like he knew how to play the guitar. For a brief moment mark thought that it was kind of sweet, until Jackson tried to hit a higher note and his voice cracked a little bit, the crowd laughing and the redhead’s cheeks started to blush again.

            Mark shook his head while glaring at the other male and without thinking he grabbed onto the Hong Kong native’s wrist, tugging at it and making the other follow him as they ran down the hall and into the men’s bathroom. The redhead glared at the slightly younger male when they were alone and Jackson grinned at him widely, putting the guitar away and stepping closer. The older male shook his head and outstretched a hand in front of himself, putting it on Jackson’s chest.

            ‘Oh no, I am so not forgiving you yet, you need to work for it. A simple song won’t make you all nice and positive in my list buddy.’ Jackson pouted at that and Mark shook his head again, he was not going to fall for the other’s tricks this time, the cute act won’t work on him again.

            ‘You look like a wet cat Jackson, you can’t go aegyo even if your life depended on it.’ And of course the redhead knew that he was lying, but he was going to tell the other that he found him adorable sometimes, pathetic, but somewhat adorable at the same time. The Hong Kong native stepped closer even though the redhead’s hand should have stopped him, but it didn’t because Mark’s body shivered when Jackson looked at him with those eyes and that expression.

            The Hong Kong native pressed his lips onto the other’s cheek and they lingered there for a few seconds longer, making Mark blush a little bit and his brains to melt because he definitely wasn’t expecting that.

            ‘I guess I’ll just have to try harder then.’ And Jackson left the bathroom, but not before pecking the other’s lips and grinning at him. Mark blushed even brighter and unconsciously cupped his cheeks with his hands while staring at the doors. He just hoped that the other wasn’t going to embarrass him again, but he probably was.