{ chapter t e n }

“Jackson…” Youngji muttered under her breath when Jackson suddenly leaned down and grabbed her arm to stand her up. She yelped but she was immediately silenced when the younger half of STORM spoke.

“Let’s go now. Those sasaeng fans are waiting at the front gate. Being the smart guy that I am, I told Seunghoon hyung to park at the back.” He gloated while dragging Youngji out. The girl figured out that the usual Jackson was already back.

However, she was still bathed in disbelief as Jackson’s words from earlier kept on ringing inside her head. She just couldn’t believe that the same Jackson Wang who was now sassing and dragging her was the same Jackson Wang who told her that she doesn’t need to cry anymore because he’d protect her.

“I’ll protect you from now on.”

“I’ll protect you from now on.”

“I’ll protect you from now on.”

“YAH IDIOT!” Jackson’s voice returned her to the present. She looked around in surprise to find that the two of them were already in front of STORM’s company van. Jackson only sneered at her. “This birdbrain, aish.” He mumbled before pushing her inside the van.

She settled herself inside as Jackson made himself comfortable on the seat next to hers. She cleared before speaking. “Mark-ssi isn’t here?” She said in order to clear the tension in the air.

Jackson roughly turned his head to face her. “Yah, I’m here in front of you and you’re looking for Mark?” He huffed in disbelief. “What a poor taste.”

Youngji’s jaw slackened at the other’s statement. Number one law of being a fangirl: Defend your bias when someone bashes him with no evidence! Let’s just forget the fact that the person whom Youngji needs to defend her bias from was from the same group. “Yahhh! Don’t say that about Mark-ssi! Anyone will favor Mark over you, you !”

“You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jackson smugly responded before he leaned to the passenger seat where STORM’s manager was sitting. “Hyung, hyung!”

“What, Jackson?” Seunghoon lazily answered. The manager was sure that the younger boy would just pester him for an unimportant matter.

“I have more appeal than that dimsum, right?” Jackson urged, even going as far to grab the manager’s arm to get him to agree.

Youngji, on the other hand, won’t just stand back for her bias to lose. She stood up from her seat and placed herself next to Jackson to persuade Seunghoon to side with Mark. “Manager oppa! That’s not true, right?! That’s impossible! Who would choose this lowly rock next to a sparkling diamond like Mark Tuan?!” The poor manager’s arm was now starting to get sore as the two youngsters tug at him.

“YAH!” Seunghoon exploded. Both Jackson and Youngji stood back from the passenger seat. They weren’t even conscious that they both took hold of each other’s arm in surprise as STORM’s manager continued to yap on. “If you really want to know, conduct a popularity event! Do a survey among the 빗방울! Just don’t. pester. me!!!” He last said before pushing his earphones deep inside his ear.

Jackson and Youngji stole a glance at each other before stealthily stepping towards the passenger seat again. Jackson carefully poked Seunghoon’s back. “Hyung…?”

“What, Jackson?!” The manager snapped.

“Can we do a popularity vote tomor–”

Seunghoon turned his head so fast that the two maknaes were even surprised that the manager’s head didn’t snap. “You two. Shut up.” He instructed, his voice dripping with irritation. He was stressed because he was sure that Park Jinyoung will torch him as soon as he knows that STORM was behind schedule for the practice! Jackson urged him earlier to come to Heo Youngji’s school. If it was only Jackson, he could have easily refused since it wasn’t the first time that the younger had fits of outrageous suggestions out to make his life worse. However, Mark, the supposed level-headed one between the two, backed Jackson up. Seunghoon couldn’t refuse then.

-Flashback-

“JACKSON! Can you please get your head in the game?!” STORM’s choreographer, Jr., scolded. They had been going through the same series of dance steps for thirty minutes now but the younger half of STORM was still as uncoordinated as he was earlier. “What’s wrong with you? If you don’t feel good, just tell me and don’t mess up the whole practice!”

Mark sighed as he grabbed a water bottle before eyeing Jackson who was apologizing to the choreographer and the dancers. They had been inside the practice room for hours now but they had never completed a round of a whole choreography perfectly. It was very unusual for Jackson– who aims for perfection just like Mark himself– would make these much mistakes without something deeply bothering him. It was the first time in the two years they debuted that Jackson acted like this.

The elder half of STORM decided to walk over to where their choreographer was standing at. “Jr., can I talk to Jackson for a bit first?” He asked with a small smile.

Jr. huffed but Mark was sure that the choreographer won’t disagree. After all, him and Jr. had known each other longer than Jackson did. Mark came in as a trainee half a year after Jr. came in as a choreographer and the two hit it off like a house on fire. Besides, Jr. was a year younger than Mark and often treated the latter as an older brother. “Fine, but make it quick.” The choreographer warned. “We’ve already lost much time and the event is tomorrow! Jeez, Jinyoung hyung will kill me.” He last said before announcing a ten-minute break.

Mark immediately walked over to Jackson whose hands were glued to his phone again. The latter was concentrating on reading the comments made by the fans. The elder was about to call out the younger boy’s attention when Jackson gasped audibly.

“Why? What is it?” Mark instantaneously questioned in worry.

Jackson turned to him with his eyes wide. “Mark, I need to go meet that idiot!” He spoke with an unusual hurry. “Idiot, idiot, idiot.” He kept on muttering under his breath while Mark’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Idiot? Who’s tha– you mean Youngji-ssi?” Jackson only nodded frantically. “Why? Did something happen to her?”

“No, but something is going to happen to her if I don’t hurry!” The younger snapped before ing the phone to Mark’s hands. The latter gingerly read the comment made by a fan who idiotically wrote Youngji’s personal details on a public forum. He read further and saw the replies by the other fans who were agreeing that they should find Youngji and corner her.

“Damn.” Mark whispered. “Jackson, calm down, okay? I’ll call Seunghoon hyung. Keep your eye on those message boards.” He instructed before fishing out his own phone to call their manager.

Jackson, on the other hand, was feeling anxious as he eyed the fans’ comments. He may not show it a lot, but he was still thankful to that idiot who still defended him and Mark even though she knows that she will get a lot of hate for it. He was scared that something will happen to Youngji without him doing anything to save her. Jackson knew that Youngji didn’t deserve all this that the fans are giving her.

His vision was filled with the girl’s face as his eyes glance at Mark who was still talking to their manager and back to his phone again. The time when they first met and they accidentally kissed; when they were bickering at the back of the company van; when the girl wore his own hoodie; when she dropped to her knees and began crying as she plead for forgiveness; when they wrote the public letter; when they bickered a lot; when he thanked her. It was all coming back to him in waves and he couldn’t brush off the tensed jitter on his stomach as he waited.

A minute after, Mark jogged to his place. “Seunghoon hyung’s on the way here. You should go to Youngji-ssi.”

“Won’t you come?” Jackson inquired. “You’re her bias, you know…”

Mark internally snorted before mumbling to himself. “For her bias, I surely don’t feel like one.” He thought of all the times that Jackson and Youngji fought like kids regardless of who were around them. It was like the two forgets everything and everyone when they see each other and just focus on fighting.

“What?” Jackson asked, but Mark only shook his head. “I’ll stay here in case Jinyoung hyung drops by. I’ll explain to him, so you should go.”

Jackson bit his lip. “Yah, why don’t you just go? I’m sure that idiot would want to see you instead of me…”

“Jackson, I’m sure you won’t be contented on just sitting here and waiting for news. I bet you wouldn’t even be able to explain well to Jinyoung hyung because of too much worry.” Mark teased.

“I’m not–”

“Save your breath, Jackson. Seunghoon hyung’s here.”

-End of Flashback-

It wasn’t long before they reached JYP Entertainment’s building. To her surprise, Jackson threw her his hoodie which she wore the last time. “Just to be safe.” He said before opening the van’s door. Youngji let her whole frame be engulfed by the hoodie before lowering her head and following Jackson out.

Thank god that they were dropped off at the back gate where only artists and employees of JYPE were allowed to come in. The front door was filled with 빗방울 who were camping out just to get a glimpse of either Mark or Jackson since their second-year anniversary will be held tomorrow.

The two of them were standing in front of the lift. Jackson immediately stepped inside as soon as it came. He stared at Youngji who was still outside. “Idiot, what are you waiting for? Come in now. Seunghoon hyung will follow us lat–”

“Thank you, Jackson.” Youngji cut him off shyly, her head lowered.

Jackson blinked twice before shaking his head with a small smile. “Aish, what an idiot,” he muttered before grabbing Youngji inside the elevator before it closed off.

A/N: I'M SO SORRY!!! *dances SJ's sorry sorry* School began a week ago and I've been reallyyyyy busy between work and school! T.T I'll prolly usually update on weekends, but I will still try my best to update whenever I can. ;3

I adapted their Roommate characters a bit in here lol. I like how they always fight but they can't do without each other in the end keke ~ OuO

And to mydoodleki and surQsafiah, thank you so much for the upvotes! It's very much appreciated from the bottom of my kokoro <3

Comments, juseyooo?~