"You guys ready to order?" Ji Na asked.

"Soft tofu soup. Hold the radish. rice." Jackson told the waitress.

"There's a full menu and that's all you've ever gotten." Mark said.

"I know what I like?" Jackson replied.

They all chuckled at his expense,  Jackson really had gotten the same exact meal ever since his and JB’s parents had gone into business together and opened their high end diner.

"Mark?" Ji Na asked.

"The Ox bone soup." Mark replied.

"And JB?" She asked.

'' Just the stir fried noodles special."

"Kimchi?" She asked

They nodded in response and she made a note on her pad. She collected their menus and then she stepped away to tell a group of customer's to "Have a Great Day!"

"Alright guys! I'll put this in and then we'll start closing up." Ji Na told them

'' Don't stay late for us. We can always lock up." JB said

"I'll tell the crew." Ji Na responded.

She stopped at the door to lock it and turn the sign to "CLOSED" before heading back to run their order. Their parents had the best diner in town and that they could eat practically free was an added bonus. As they sat back, the silence in the restaurant enveloped them. They had spent a few more hours at school and now, here they were. JB knew everything was going to be fine with their friendship, but there was still some residual apprehension in the air. Even though nothing was really different, something had changed and JB wasn't sure what would happen now. Jinyoung was a factor now. He was somebody JB cared about and he needed Jackson to understand and back off.

'' Hey guys, I just want to apologize again. For everything. I ed up big time." JB broke the silence.

"It's cool, Man. We're brothers. like this happens and we move on." Jackson said.

'' Yeah, I know. I just feel like a ." Said JB

"Yeah? Well, join the club." Jackson replied

They quieted down again as Ji Na came to check on them and refill their drinks. She chatted them up a little bit and said their food would be out momentarily before heading to the back again.

"Is Jinyoung okay?" Mark asked.

'' Uh, I... I'm not sure. He didn't respond to my last text message." JB replied

"Oh. Well, I'm sure he's fine. Probably just doing like homework or something?" Mark said.

'' Maybe." JB replied.

"Can I ask you a question?" Jackson directed his question at JB

'' Uh, sure..."

The tension spiked up as silence descended again. Mark and JB both looked nervous, but JB didn't say anything as Jackson sipped his drink.

"What exactly is it that you like about Jinyoung?" he finally asked.

"Jackson!" Mark chided.

"What?! I want to know." Jackson said.

'' It's cool. Hmm.. well, I guess he's just a cool guy. He just wants a friend, someone to just be there, to just understand. He wants to finish school and get out of here, escape this city. He doesn't pretend, he doesn't 'turn on' for anyone. I don't know. I like that." Said JB.

"He's just weird. He never says anything. He never does anything." Said Jackson

"Who would he talk to, Jackson? You two made it impossible for him to even think of making any friends." Mark said.

"Whatever." Jackson shrugged.

'' Seriously, Jackson. He's my friend and if you could just lay off of him..." JB pleaded

"Whatever, man." Jackson said.

'' Jackson. For me. Please, just lay off." JB begged.

Jackson didn't say anything for a while. He looked back and forth between Mark and JB, incredulous. JB knew how Jackson must have felt, but this had to stop. He wasn't going to stop being Jinyoung's friend, and he wasn't going to lose his friendship with Jackson. One day, Jackson would see how silly all of this was. See how wrong they had been. But, for today, JB just wanted him to stop because he was his friend.

"Whatever, JB." Jackson said.

JB sat back, eyes rolling. Jackson could be so stubborn, but JB knew he would be fine. He also knew Jackson would leave Jinyoung alone. They had been friends for so long, and somethings he could just tell. Jackson would do that for him and he couldn't be more thankful. Their food came out only a few moments later and for a while it was quiet between them. JB was processing everything that had just happened, knowing he had this small promise from Jackson was a relief. Mark was alternating between eating and texting, his face lighting up every time his phone vibrated with a new message. Then Jackson being himself just sat there, his arms folded and pissed. JB knew he wanted to go off on him, probably on Mark too. But, Jackson didn't. After a while, Jackson’s features relaxed, his anger slowly dissipating. Somethings in life just weren't worth being mad about.

An Hour Later….

JB threw his phone down on the bed again, it flashing for a moment and then going dark. He had been calling Jinyoung for the last few hours, but his phone was going straight to voicemail. JB didn't know what had come over him when he sent Jinyoung that text and now he was in panic-mode. It had to have caught Jinyoung off guard, because as soon as he hit "SEND," he immediately regretted it. It's not that it wasn't true, because it was. JB had wanted Jinyoung to stay, to spend some time with him and show him his friends weren't bad guys. But, more than that, he was confused about how he was feeling and that's not something he wanted to drag Jinyoung through. Jinyoung already had enough going on. As JB paced back and forth in his room, he went over his options. He could text Jinyoung again and play it off as a joke, or he could be honest with him about how he...

"JB."

He whipped around and Mark was standing at the entryway to his bedroom. Where his bed was, was separated by a short hallway and normally they would be either upstairs in the entertainment room, or they’d sit out in his front room. Seeing Mark back there had caught JB off guard slightly and pushed thoughts of Jinyoung out of his mind for the time being.

'' Hey Mark. What's up?"

JB followed Mark’s glance to his bedside clock and seeing 11:15pm was startling, but he didn't make mention of it. They had just left each other a little over an hour ago, so he was wondering what was going on that Mark couldn't tell him around Jackson. Mark looked extremely nervous, and JB couldn't understand why, he offered him a seat on the bed and he pulled up a chair for himself.

"Your dad let me in. I hope it's not too late." Mark said.

'' You're cool, Man. What's up?"

"I just need somebody to talk to. I didn't want to go to Jackson. Not yet."

'' Of course. You know I'm here for you, so let's talk."

"I don't even know how to start. I've been freaking out these last few days and the way things have been between us lately... I didn't want to make things any worse."

'' You're starting to make me nervous here, Mark."

"We're friends, right?"

'' Yeah, you're one of my best friends. Always."

For a moment, it was just quiet as Mark watched JB. Assessed him.

"I'm gay."

Silence enveloped them. Sweet, sweet silence. JB’s mind was completely ed and as tears formed in Mark's eyes, JB couldn't imagine what was happening on his own face. He just couldn't wrap his mind around what Mark had just said.

'' Come again."

"JB, I'm gay."

Tears slipped from Mark’s eyes, but all JB could do was sit there as his friend fell apart in front of him. He wanted to reach out and comfort him, but he was more concerned with how Mark came to know. Was there a sign? Did he just wake up and decide? Did he meet someone that changed everything? Someone who flipped his life upside down?

JB’s face betrayed his thoughts and Mark cried harder as he jumped off of JB’s bed and headed out of his room. JB stumbled after him, his mind still in a daze, just barely snagging Mark’s arm before he would have been out of the door and possibly out of his life.

'' Mark..."

"Let me go, JB!"

'' No! Mark, listen to me. I don't care if you're gay. I'm going to be your friend regardless."

That stopped Mark, his body going slack in response. JB could see the apprehension flowing off of Mark, clouding the space that they were in. But, this was his friend, his brother, and it didn't matter.

"I didn't ask for this, JB, I swear... I just can't change how I feel."

'' Mark, you don't owe me an explanation. I mean, you like dudes, there's nothing wrong with that."

"I just thought with Jinyoung, the way you guys were with him... I just don't want that to happen to me."

'' Uh, yeah... About that. Umm, you see that didn't really have anything to do with Jinyoung, or him being gay... Well, not him specifically. Well... it does, but..."

JB told him. He didn't want to keep lying to his friends and he told him everything. He told him about what happened with Do Yeon, what he had felt, and then how that pain ended up falling on Jinyoung's shoulders to bear. JB hated himself for the things he had put Jinyoung through and no amount of "sorry" or groveling he did would ever be enough to fix that hurt. But, that wasn't going to stop him from trying. He told Mark that too. He shared everything with him, for the first time JB was open with someone about the feelings that he had for Jinyoung, the feelings he was struggling so hard with.

"Wow." Mark said when JB was done with his confession.

'' Yeah. Wow, is right."

"You haven't told Jackson?" Mark asked.

'' no! Not until things play themselves out... Why haven't you?"

JB could see the fear in Mark’s eyes. Jackson meant everything to the both of them and they could both feel that going up in flames. Jackson was so stubborn sometimes. There was no telling how he would react and JB knew exactly why Mark was hesitant. Their reasons were the same.

"You know Jackson. He's just old fashioned. He doesn't like change and I don't want to lose my best friend." Mark said.

'' You won't lose him. Jackson loves the ground you walk on Mark. You're his best friend. His best brother! He's not going to let that go. Not over something like this."

"I keep trying to tell myself the same thing, but I just don't know. He can be so, difficult."

'' Yeah, he can. But deep down, Jackson's a good guy. He'll be fine."

"I hope so. Do you plan on ever telling him?"

For a moment, JB didn't respond. Like Mark, he was afraid of losing Jackson as a friend as well. Even before Yerin died, he had been friends with Jackson and Mark. They had all been close, but JB was the glue that held everything together. He just didn't see his life without Jackson and Mark in it. He had already had to deal with losing two of his best friends, he just couldn't take losing another.

'' Yeah. I mean, we should be able to be honest with him. Right? He should accept it for what it is." JB replied.

"Yeah. I, uh...,. Well, I hope so." Mark said.

They chatted for a while longer and then Mark made his way home, leaving JB with a ton of questions, all of them swimming around in his head, begging for his full attention. He had just gone off the deep end for confessing to Mark how he felt. He had no idea how to explain how he felt about Jinyoung, but when he was talking to Mark, it all just seemed to make sense. He reached for his phone again, his heart already falling in his chest, disappointment ready and waiting to strike. He was expecting to see nothing, but there was one unread text message waiting for him.

"Me too. =\"

From Jinyoung.

Jinyoung sat in the middle of his bed, knees pulled to his chest. His phone sat across from him, on the bed, daring him to pick it up. JB's text had completely thrown him for a loop, and hours later, he still had not managed a reply. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? "Wish U had stayed!," played over in his thoughts for hours. He dissected what JB could have possibly meant a thousand ways, getting a migraine along the way.

Things had been strange between them the last few days. They had been hanging out so much before Jinyoung finally got the permission to go back to school, that he hadn't even realized it. JB would bring him homework, notes from class, those silly recordings, all because he didn't want Jinyoung to fall behind. Then, they’d sit there for hours, just the two of them. Usually his mom was at work anyway, but even if she wasn't, it'd be like they were in their own little world. Jinyoung would catch up on his homework and JB would be on his laptop, maybe writing in his journal. Once everything was done, they would sit there and just talk. They’d talk about the project some, but mostly, they just got to know each other. JB opened up about his aspirations, what colleges he was really excited about hearing back from, places he wanted to go. It was really like looking at a different person when JB talked about life after high school.

It was great getting to know JB, and taking some of the focus off of Jinyoung. He knew that JB still had so many questions to ask him, more so now that he had tried to kill himself. There was so much still between them, parts ofJinyoung that he had no desire to share, but he would because that's what this time called for. He would be honest, because he wanted for someone to just understand. To get what it's been like for him. And he would do the same for JB. Deep down there was fear. Jinyoung was still scared that one day, he would wake up and this had all been some sick joke. JB would go back to hating him, his friends would go back to torturing him, and everything would be back to normal. Tears threate