The first semester has just started and Jaebum wants to skip to Christmas break already. But before that, he still has to survive teaching five classes until then. He stands up from his blanket burrito and stops by the mirror beside his closet. He had dyed his hair few weeks ago and sometimes he still catches himself off-guard whenever he sees his red-orange fringes. He had stayed with black for a long while, that's why.

Now that he looks closer to himself, he realizes that he kind of looks different now. He visibly gained weight, but he's definitely in a better shape, compared to how he was before. Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he sees that he still have few more minutes, so he sits back down on his bed. He stares at himself on the mirror and tilts his head sideways. Then, he sees the black ink which miraculously appeared on his eighteenth birthday.

It's nothing close to a miracle; it's just his soulmate mark. He remembers waking up from the stinging pain on his neck. He remembers running towards the mirror to see how his mark will turn into. It took almost an hour before it fully appeared and he was in utter awe after it did. Lost in wonder, he could not fathom how a tattoo-like mark on his skin will soon dictate his life.

He tilts his head more, tracing the familiar pattern with his fingers. It's a letter J with a sun and moon surrounding it. It's still as breathtaking as it was when he first saw it. But apart from it, being beautiful, the memory attached to it steals his breath away as well. If not because of it, he would still be beside him. Mark would still be there with him.

The silence of the room and the noise of his mind suddenly get interrupted by a loud sound coming from his alarm. He stands up and turns the device off, then he heads to the bathroom, failing to notice that his phone lit up. He sees it minutes later; it's a message from his student, Jinyoung. He's young, but the level of his maturity says otherwise.

From: Park Jinyoung (BA Lit)

I finished the book you recommend last night. I'll tell you how I think about it, but I'm also bringing a book that you should try reading. :P

Btw, good morning, Sir! See you later!

He turns his phone off and opts not to reply since he is in his first class anyway. He puts it in his pocket and heads to his kitchen to prepare his breakfast. Has it been four years or five years? The weather makes him remember things he has been trying to forget. He has been trying to run away from that memory like how Mark ran away from him.

It's not like he's still in love with Mark, but it doesn't mean that he's not bitter. He is, he's bitter and he will not, he will never let it go. He settles for a french toast after realizing that he forgot to buy groceries again. He sighs and proceeds on making himself a large cup of coffee after. He hates western food like french toasts, but it's Mark's favorite breakfast.

He can't remember a day back in college, after he started dating Mark that he didn't eat french toasts for breakfast. Even though it comes with variations, sometimes with eggs, bacon, mayonnaise, and peanut butter and jelly, it's still the same french effin toast. And somehow, it managed to get into his system, but he still hates it along with Mark.

He leaves his apartment few minutes later with a thick scarf comfortably draped around his neck. It's the only good thing during autumn; he can hide his soulmate mark without looking too desperate to do it.

As he is getting off his car, he hears a familiar voice coming from his side. "Sir Jaebum! Good morning!" Jaebum turns to look at the source of the voice and finds out that he isn't wrong with his guess. "Hey, Jinyoung. Good morning." He replies casually while taking his bag from his car.

"Shouldn't you be wearing more clothes?" Jaebum asks as he starts walking, Jinyoung follows him suit. The student is only wearing a blue shirt and pants. "Laundry." Jinyoung bashfully replies whilst getting something from his bag. Jaebum snickers hearing the student's reason, typical college student. "Anyway, here's the book. Thank you for lending it to me." He says, handing the book to Jaebum.

"You're welcome." Jaebum takes the book from Jinyoung's hand and sees another book tucked in his armpit. "Here's the book I'm telling you." Jinyoung then hands his professor David Levithan's Everyday. Jaebum laughs a little, "Don't you think I'm too old for Young Adult novels?" He takes the book from Jinyoung though.

"Who says there's an age limit for Young Adult novels? And you're just twenty-six, you're not old." Jinyoung replies. "Twenty-seven." Jaebum corrects him and Jinyoung replies with a pout. "Still." He reasons out and Jaebum couldn't help but notice how young Jinyoung looks when he acts like that. "I'm three steps away from my thirties. I'm not young."

Jinyoung stops walking, making Jaebum halt too. "I believe that the length of your stay here on earth does not determine if you are young or old. You can be old at seventeen and you can be young at seventy." He says then leaves Jaebum dumbfounded few feet away from their classroom. The teacher finds himself laughing while watching his student walking into the classroom like he has just won the case of the century.

He walks into the classroom a little later and sees Jinyoung sitting beside his friend. "Good morning everyone." He greets them as he settles his bags on his table. He glances around and sees Jinyoung asking Jackson, his friend, to 'pay attention to Sir!' He smiles and proceeds on telling the whole class about his syllabus.

He first saw Jinyoung in his Introduction to Photography class last year. It's a non-major subject in Jinyoung's course, that's why a lot of students are just attending his class to pass. But Jinyoung's different, he's passionate and he's eager to learn. He also makes Jaebum feel sudden urges to protect him, like how an older brother acts in front of his younger brother.

Around after lunch, Jaebum goes to the Photography Laboratory. He usually stays there during his vacant time and sometimes at the faculty room, but he prefers being alone. He prefers thinking to himself, blaming himself, and regretting everything that happened too long ago. He prefers not to move on and rot with his hatred and bitterness.

He still hates the fact that no matter how much he loved Mark, it did nothing for him. They met in college, it was cliché, but it's the kind of cliché he wants to have. Like, meeting in college, working and saving for the future, getting married, having kids, growing old together. Because no matter how cliché that is, it's ideal and it's happy. He would have been happy. And that's why he still hates the fact the he doesn't have the same soulmate mark with Mark.

And if he were to follow his plans back when he was still with him, by now, they're probably already married. They were probably living in a two-story house nearby the lake. They were probably living in the house his grandparents gave him. But now, he couldn't even bring himself to visit the old house without tearing. And no, he won't visit that again, not unless he's taking Mark with him, but everyone knows how impossible that is.

It is impossible because of that ing tattoo on his neck. They would have been together if not for that ing tattoo. If only Mark had a letter J with sun and moon on his neck instead of a pair of wings and a small cloud.

He feels himself heating up and getting angry again with the memory. He goes to the stockroom and sees piles of photographs from last year's mini exhibit. Most of the pictures were the student's soulmate marks. Since the last year's theme was about something that makes them different from one another. He rolls his eyes before picking up the ones which fell on the ground.

Then he picks up a particular one that doesn't show a soulmate mark. He knows who the owner of the photograph is; it's one of his favorite, to be honest. He found it stupid at first before he found out the explanation about it. It's just a photograph of a blank canvas in monochrome. He stands up as he turns the photo around and sees 'Park Jinyoung' written on a sticky note.

"I'm a blank canvas, untainted, pure, but close to nothing." It almost surprised Jaebum when he hears Jinyoung suddenly talk from his back. "Hello to you too, Mr. Park." The professor says as he places the photograph back on the pile, but Jinyoung steals it in the process. "I knew everyone would take photos of their marks, I'm glad mine isn't appearing yet. I don't wanna be cliché." Jinyoung says, placing the photo back before following Jaebum who goes towards the studio.

"It will appear soon, you still have few days left." Jinyoung gasps and looks at Jaebum in astonishment. "You remember my birthday!" He says happily before clinging onto Jaebum's arm. "Of course, you're the baby brother I never had." Jaebum replies, pinching Jinyoung's nose. "Baby brother?" he asks skeptically, "If that's the case, then I should just call you hyung."

Jaebum laughs and doesn't reply; he continues setting up his camera until Jinyoung starts whining. "Jaebum hyuuung~" Jinyoung says quietly, and then he repeats it a little louder. "It sounds nice, right?" Jinyoung says, still clinging onto his professor. "Hmm." Jaebum replies smiling to himself. Then Jinyoung disentangles himself and asks, "Is that a yes or a no?"

"Hmm." Jaebum says again, moving towards the tripod. "Anyway, I thought you were going to tell me about your thoughts regarding the book?" Jinyoung's expression immediately changes to a cheerful one. He settles to Jaebum's chair and proceeds on telling him about his judgments.

It wasn't like love at first sight; it was more of recognition at first sight. Like Jinyoung knew that he's going to love Jaebum. When Jinyoung first saw Jaebum, something inside him sparked. Up until now he still doesn't know what that was, but he's certain it's not something relating to his soulmate. And he's too young for it anyway.

And just like what Jaebum told him, he's also an older brother that he never had. Jinyoung has two sisters which he dearly loves and admires, but the thought of having an older brother is still nice. Especially if he's someone like Jaebum, someone who is mature, nice, intelligent, manly, and handsome. Who wouldn't like to have someone like Jaebum in their lives?

He goes home that day with a heavy heart; the thought of his birthday approaching makes him sad. Jinyoung knows everything would totally be different once his soulmate mark appears. It would be different in a sense that, he's in love with someone who is not his soulmate. To how he'd live with that, he still has to find out.

But for now, he'll just enjoy the days left for him and Jaebum. He'll take what he can and leave after. He’s gonna love him until his soulmate comes. As he is climbing into the bus, his phone vibrates in his pocket. He checks it and immediately smiles after seeing who the sender was.

From: Sir I