"Why can't you say no?"

"You know why."

"Just tell her you're too busy at the moment. It IS the busy season, so it's a plausible excuse."

"You know I can't."

"But why can't you? I tell my parents that."

"My mother isn't like your parents. She won't let go of it."

"She would if you would put your foot down. What can she do about it? You're a grown man. She can't make you."

JinYoung didn't want to argue. He knew Mark would be angry when he told him what the reason for his mother's call had been. But, Mark had, of course, guessed it already.

JinYoung's mother wanted to set him up on a blind date.

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

Ever since JinYoung had returned from his military service and she'd seen that his and Mark's business was doing well, she had pounced on the topic of marriage and hadn't let go since.

"You are doing well, now, JinYoung-ah..." she began.

"Thanks to Mark," he interrupted.

"Yes. Thanks to Mark," she reluctantly agreed.

"He was the one who ran the place single-handedly while I was gone."

"Well, what did you expect him to do? Let the place run aground? It's his investment too, he was protecting."

JinYoung sighed.

"Anyway, I don't want to talk about Mark. I want to talk about you. You're nearly 30 years old and how long has it been since you've even had a girlfriend?" She moved to stand in front of JinYoung and adjusted his tie. She then lightly brushed his lapels with her hands and took a step back to survey him. Her son looked so handsome.

"I know you're busy with work, that's why I'm helping you. How else will you find a wife?"

"Umma, I don't have time for a wife," JinYoung argued. "Can't you try to understand?"

"You seem to always make time for your friends. Mark, for example," his mother grumbled.

"We WORK together!"

"And live together," rejoined his mother. "Two men of your age! When you were at university, fine. When you both first started this business, fine. But now, at your age? What are you still doing living together? Don't you have any idea how strange it looks?"

"Umma," said JinYoung tiredly, "he's my best friend. He's my business partner. It's more convenient for the business for us both to live on the property. When the time comes..."

"The time will NEVER come unless I do something to help you. That's what mothers are for," she explained.

When she saw the displeasure on his face, she decided to try another tack. "Oh, do be reasonable, JinYoung-ah. It's just a date. Just go and see. You might like her. You might even thank me," his mother smiled.

JinYoung smiled in resignation. The truth was, he loved his mother. She had always been his closest friend and ally all his life; and was his staunchest supporter, at school, during his studies and when he started the business: Escape Hotel and Spa. With the single exception of Mark, JinYoung's mother had been behind him all the way. His father was unable to help much with his enormous workload, but he did co-sign the loan they'd needed to open this place. His parents has always helped him and supported him in whatever he wanted to do. His mother was a good mother to him, so really, all things considered, the least he could do was to do this one little thing for her. Was it really such a big deal? he asked himself.

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

"Really, though, what was my mother thinking? Doesn't she know what kind of person I'd like?"

JinYoung was soaking in the bath recounting the details of his blind date, while Mark washed his hair.

"She's a woman, so she fulfills the most important criterion," Mark said just a little catily. His JinYoung having spent hours on a date with someone else, while he sat at home alone hadn't been exactly enjoyable, even if he did know it was only to please his mother. "Anyway, was that all she talked about? The entire date?" Mark asked.

"Yes, the hotel. The spa. Escape, Escape, Escape. That's all she was interested in. How long we'd had it. How many guests we have. If it's doing well. She didn't even try being subtle about it."

"With this handsome face in front of her, all she wanted to know about were your assets?"

JinYoung leaned in Mark's direction, with his eyes looking sultrily into his lover's. "Aren't you interested in my assets?" JinYoung teased suggestively.

"Always, my sweet baby," Mark said, further closing the space between them and kissing him lightly.  "Now, lean forward so I can rinse your hair."

After they'd had a water fight, which soaked Mark practically to the bone, and had both dried off, JinYoung sat down, positioning himself between Mark's legs while Mark dried his hair. Then they changed places and he dried Mark's. Afterwards, they both crawled into Mark's bed for the night.

Both Mark and JinYoung had their own rooms. Not only because they both had to pretend to their parents that theirs was only a platonic friendship, but because JinYoung often had the habit of waking up in the middle of the night when he was reading an interesting book so that he could read some more. In order not to disturb Mark on those occasions, he would retire to his own room and continue on with his favourite pastime there. But, truth be told, they both liked having a space of their own. They loved being together, but they also needed time and space to themselves sometimes. It was nice to be able to withdraw to a private space that belonged to each of them, alone. Sometimes, they slept in the same bed for months on end, but the thought that they had the option of being in their own space, if they so chose, gave them a certain feeling of comfort.

As they lay facing each other, Mark suddenly said:

"Maybe we should tell them."

JinYoung sat bolt upright.

"Are you crazy?"

"Just hear me out. What's so wrong with that idea? I know they won't like it at first..."

"At first? Are you listening to yourself?"

"Yes, I am. I know it will be hard for them to accept at first, but..."

"I can't do that to them. I can't disappoint them like that. I'm sure my mom wanted grandchildren even before she wanted children."

"So, what are we supposed to do? Keep on living a lie?"

"Yes."

"Come on, JinYoung. Don't you ever get tired of all the lies? I do."

"I know, but I can't tell them. They will NEVER understand. They will NEVER accept it. They will never accept us."

"I know my parent's will be disappointed, but..."

"My parents are not like your parents. Okay, maybe in time your parents will accept it, but my mother never will. I can't hurt her like that."

"So, you're just going to string her along until...when, exactly?"

"I don't know, okay!"

JinYoung was beginning to get angry. His mother was already pushing him into a corner. Did Mark have to as well? He was doing his best in an impossible situation. He knew Mark's parents. Okay, they might be a little disappointed, but JinYoung was pretty sure that they would accept it in time.

He was just as sure that his mother never would.

"You don't understand, Mark. I don't want to be shunned by my own family. I couldn't take it. I'm not like you. You know what I thought when I first started spending time with you, back when we started being friends? I thought, 'I've only ever felt this comfortable with my family.' That's how I feel about them, Mark. Comfortable. They did everything to make my life happy. How can I do that to them?"

"I know they did everything for you, Jinnie," Mark said tenderly. He drew closer to JinYoung reaching out to his hair. "I'm not trying to say that it would be easy, but let me ask you this. How long has it been since you've really felt comfortable with them? Do you feel comfortable with your mother setting you up on blind dates, sometimes without even asking you first? I've seen your face when I tell you she called. You look anything BUT comfortable."

"Please, Mark. Try to understand," JinYoung felt close to crying. He was doing his best, trying to please all the people he loved best, but it kept getting harder and harder. "They won't understand me, but can you at least try to?"

Mark looked at the pained expression on his love's face and felt horrible for placing him in such a position. JinYoung really loved his parents. Mark didn't want to add to his problems by nagging him. It was hard, but he had to continue to understand. For his Jinnie's sake.

"I love you. You know that, right?"

"I know. I love you, too."

They wrapped their arms around each other, enjoying the warmth of their embrace. JinYoung moved his head from the side of Mark's and leaned his forehead against Mark's.

"I'm sorry," JinYoung said and leaned up to kiss Mark's forehead.

"I'm sorry, too, Jinnie," Mark said and kissed JinYoung's nose. JinYoung chuckled contentedly as they brushed their noses together sweetly before their lips joined in a tender kiss.

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

It would need a lot of work, that was for sure.

But it had to be here. Nowhere else but here. Their future together would start here.

They had, in fact, underestimated the extensiveness of the work the place needed before it would become the place of their dreams.

Mark and JinYoung worked together, on average, for 16 hours a day, seven days a week for well over a year. Sometimes, they were so tired that it felt like they would die before the work would be finished, but they struggled on.

Mark was responsible for the architecture and design and arranging and overseeing the construction, but JinYoung helped him every step of the way, often working alongside him. He was no expert, but he followed Mark's detailed instructions, lending his hands, legs and back to the work. At the end of the day, they would collapse in two heaps, barely able to move, just to continue early the next day.

JinYoung was in charge of the administrative end of things: from all the financial concerns to marketing plans to human resources, to everything else, really. So, in addition to throwing his body into the physically demanding work, he threw his brain into every intricacy of the business plan they'd devised together, meeting with officials for licensing and planning permission, lenders for capital, attorneys for all the legal work and suppliers. Once the physical work had been completed, Mark followed JinYoung's instructions just as closely as JinYoung's had followed his during the construction phase and donned suits that he hated and attended meetings that felt like they were suffocating him, just so they could live their dream.

Finally, when the last shrub was planted and the last coat of paint had dried, they were ready to begin. Escape, their hotel and spa was completed.

The work was not quite as demanding these days, but they still worked full days and had to be available to be reached 24-hours a day, every day. For the first two years, neither took a day off. This was theirs and they had to make sure it succeeded. And bit by bit, as they worked hard to build its reputation, succeed it did.

But then came JinYoung's mandatory military service, and Mark had to run everything himself for the next two years.

He had to take on the responsibility alone, all without the comfort of the nearness of JinYoung.

Mark visited him as often as he possibly could and would travel to meet JinYoung whenever the latter had leave. He remembered every night he spent in a hotel, waiting for JinYoung to show up. He remembered every moment of the time they spent together: from the time they looked into each other's eyes after being so long apart, to when they flung their bodies together in need, each rediscovering every part of the other, full of lust and love. He remembered laying in each other's arms in sweet exhaustion, but feeling the dull ache in his gut, knowing that their time together was counting down, without slowing, without pause. He remembered holding JinYoung tightly, desperately, as though he might slip away if he should slacken his grip. He remembered JinYoung's tender words of love and reassurance as he kissed Mark's face and his hair. He remembered how they hardly slept, not wanting to miss a moment of their time together. He remembered worrying that JinYoung might be over-exhausted, because of what Mark thought of as his selfishness in wanting to spend as many moments awake with his love as possible. He remembered the tears they both shed as the time of their parting approached. He remembered letting him leave first, alone, so no one out there would see the tears in their eyes as they parted and find them out.

It was during this difficult time that Mark was given a gift that one might almost say was a miracle.

That almost-miracle's name was YoungJae.

Even though they had been friends at university, after they'd graduated, they'd only texted occasionally, mostly on birthdays and holidays, with the odd text when they thought to send one.

The small, promising company where YoungJae worked had gone out of business a few months before JinYoung was scheduled to leave for the military and Mark and JinYoung texted frequently, encouraging him with supportive words. YoungJae's texts always sounded hopeful whenever he answered Mark's or JinYoung's texts regarding his search for work and how he was feeling, but as weeks turned into months, Mark and JinYoung began to worry about their friend. He had always answered calls and texts from them right away, but after a while, that was no longer the case. YoungJae was a kind and cheerful person, but during the short and infrequent conversations they had with him when they were able to reach him, they could tell that he was sliding deeper and deeper into despair.

"Hey, YoungJae-ah," Mark called.

"Hey, Hyung."

"I haven't heard from you in a while. I was getting worried. What's going on?"

"Oh, I was thinking of returning to Mokpo..." YoungJae's voice drifted off.

"Why don't you come here instead?" Mark offered.

No answer.

"YoungJae?"

"Yes, Hyung?"

"Please come and visit us. You should at least see JinYoung before he leaves. If you come, maybe we can invite Jackson and JaeBum and..."

"No, Hyung! Please don't!"

"But why, Jae? I know they'd be happy to see you..."

YoungJae paused, then he said quietly, "I know they would, but I wouldn't be happy to see them. I don't want to see anyone. Not while I'm like this..."

"Like what, YoungJae? Unemployed? That can happen to anyone."

"But it didn't happen to anyone. It happened to me."

"That's it, YoungJae," Mark said firmly. You are coming to us."

"But..."

"I promise, I won't invite anyone else, just you. Please come to see JinYoung before he goes. Please."

"Okay, Hyung."

In the end, Mark had to go and fetch YoungJae; his friend was that intent on staying away. When Mark saw the state of his friend, one of the loveliest people he'd ever known, he wanted to cry.

YoungJae's eyes were red-rimmed, with dark circles. He had lost an alarming amount of weight and although he had little facial hair to begin with, he was clearly in need of a shave. His hair was unwashed and had obviously not been cut or trimmed in months. Mark threw his arms around his friend and held him as YoungJae cried. He wept as though his heart was breaking. He was falling apart. Mark had come just in time.

He did YoungJae's laundry and put his apartment in a decent state, while his friend slept the fitful sleep of depression. Mark booked their flights and once they arrived that night, after a brief reunion, YoungJae collapsed in JinYoung's bed and slept through the night for the first time in a very long time.

YoungJae took only one day to get himself in order. Mark made sure he availed himself of  the services of the spa to start to recover, and was prepared for him to take at least a week to do so, but YoungJae surprised both Mark and JinYoung by looking virtually like a whole new person by the following morning. He showed up to the administrative offices, fully suited.

"I want to do something to help out here," YoungJae said.

"Rest for a couple of days, then we'll talk about it," JinYoung suggested.

"I really want to work, Hyung. Work will be the best thing for me," YoungJae insisted quietly. "I can do anything around here. It doesn't have to be anything fancy."

So, YoungJae began to alternate working at the front desk and at the Drinks Bar. He was a hard worker and within a week, he was turning back into the cheerful, optimistic  YoungJae Mark and JinYoung had known.

The night before he was due to leave, JinYoung spoke to YoungJae in his room.

"Take care of Mark while I'm gone, okay, YoungJae-ah."

"I will, Hyung," YoungJae promised.

It was a tearful good-bye. The three friends hugged each other with promises to meet again soon, entreaties to look after themselves, pledges to keep in touch. Finally, YoungJae withdrew so that the lovers could have their last moments together. JinYoung's parents had moved away so that their son could have a few minutes with his friends. As Mr Pak turned away to comfort his wife and Mrs Pak continuously wiped her insistent tears, Mark and JinYoung were able to advantage of the last private moments they could spend together.

"I wish I could hug and kiss you silly."

"Me, too, but we can't."

"I know..."

JinYoung looked deeply into Mark's eyes. "I'll think of you every moment until I see you again."

"I'd prefer if you keep your mind on your work. I don't want you coming back with something shot off just because you let your mind wander."

"Yes, sir," JinYoung answered regimentally.

They had tried to avoid it, but, it was time.

"You are the most wonderful thing that has happened in my life. Don't ever forget that."

"Ditto," said JinYoung.

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Every day I that passes," JinYoung said sincerely looking directly into Mark's eyes, "I'll remember that it's one day closer to when I get to be with you again."

"Better." Mark tried to smile cheekily, but his eyes betrayed the depth of his sadness at having to let JinYoung go.

JinYoung returned his smile, weakly.  It was hard to smile through the wretchedness he was feeling.

"If we stand here looking at each other like this any longer, everyone is going to get suspicious. So. . ." Mark swallowed hard, ". . . take care. You are my greatest and dearest love. Keep that with you every day we are apart."

"I can't touch you the way I'd like to, so just try to feel how much I love you." said JinYoung trying to look as though he was looking around casually as though he was just saying something indifferently to a friend. He watched other enlistees hugging and kissing their girlfriends and wives goodbye, even as their parents looked on. It hurt him so much knowing that he and Mark would have no such chance to kiss goodbye. Finally, knowing he could only look at him for a few seconds, JinYoung said, "I've loved you since our first day together. I won't let ever let you go," JinYoung promised. Then he sadly dragged his gaze away from Mark's face, turned and walked away to say his last goodbyes to his parents.

That was the first day of their 21 months apart.

*                                 *                                 *                                 *                                 *

As he lay with JinYoung in his arms that night, years after that painful parting and reuniting, after their many years together, Mark  tried to ignore the feeling of dread he felt creeping into him.

Well, that's the end of the second chapter. What do you think? Let me know by commenting below! (*^_^)