A week before the meeting between the four friends, Jackson hadn't had much news from Yien. He went missing for two days after having delivered the draw, then returned out of nowhere — only to vanish again, leaving only a piece of paper apologizing for the absence.

Jackson's worry was twisting him inside, even more when he returned to school on Monday and again he wasn't there.

On Saturday night, when he returned home, the Wang spent hours thinking about it. Maybe he should stop seeing Yien, focus on Mark and make it clear how he was feeling.

During the Sunday, he spent the whole day thoughtful. This time, Jackson called the most rational friend he had — his hyung from his dance classes, Im Jaebum. As much as both don't talk often, he could always count on the guy to help him out.

The conversation that both had left him even more determined. On Monday, Jackson would declare for Yien that he loved Mark and couldn't continue with this illusion, even if the pianist calmed him down and listened to him, his need for a physical presence was much bigger. He needed the boy to reveal himself to be sure of what he felt.

And anyways, his heart seemed more inclined to Mark's side. In fact, he didn't quite understand what was holding him with the pianist. Jackson knew he fell in love quick and easy, getting disappointed in the same way, but it didn't happen for a long time.

But every time he thought about the boy behind that door and the possibility of rejecting him, he felt like a monster. Probably because this time it wasn't Jackson who fell for someone first, he was intrigued, curious and with a feeling that he wouldn't know how to explain in words, drawings or any way he could.

These feelings grew gradually, it was different from what he felt in his last relationship — and that was the part he least understood: Why was everything so different, so intense, made his heart flutter so much and that was someone... he had never seen?

Jackson remembered so, however, the feelings that that painting he saw and the draw he got showed him, which included the picture that wasn't his, only blots in different colors thrown on the canvas without forming anything in particular — but passing all the anger and frustration felt at the time.

Maybe... maybe that was why. The Wang discovered that he was loved in an intense way, he suddenly felt the urge to give back all this, as if a bubble had burst and given all these feelings inside him.

"If you love two people, choose the second. If you loved the first one, wouldn't have an alternative", were the words he heard from Jaebum, these being well known. He had heard that thought once, and made perfect sense. As much as Jackson loved Yien, his heart pointed to Mark.

His plan was ready, he would find out for once and all who was Yien and give bad news for him, knowing it was the best for both rather than martyr himself for hours and hours.

Everything went downhill, of course, since Yien wasn't present again. Jackson actually knowing he was sick just made things worse. Or the boy had a sixth sense that he was going to be rejected, or he was really sick.

"Maybe I should leave a letter for him..."

The new idea was soon realized. He pulled his bag back, took out his notebook and wrote his questions on a sheet, asking if the boy was better, taking care and when he could return to see him.

He left the paper on the piano, closing the windows so it doesn't fly away. Taking a deep breath and taking one last look at the place, Jackson left at a rapid pace, hoping to not be late in class.

The time flew by, when he saw he was already in the break, down the stairs to find his friends in the cafeteria. He wondered if he should go take a look at the boy again, but scratched the possibility, Jinyoung would rip his head off if he didn't spend the break with them.

As soon as he saw them, soon joined them, sitting in front of the two friends.

"Hey! Sorry for the delay"

"Hi Jacks, you have a lot of things to tell us" Bambam smiled, linking hands to serve as support for his jaw. "Like how was the meeting with Mark, as we were left behind"

Jackson narrowed his eyes, looking at his friend in disbelief.

"I know very well your plans, right? Remember that we did it together!" he laughed. "And we enjoyed! We talked and found some things in common, but..." he sighed.

Jinyoung looked at him expectantly, wanting his friend to tell everything at once.

"He got a call and had to leave. I even wanted to take him home, but he didn't let at all..."

"Then we acted for nothing" Bambam concluded, giggling. " happens, Jacks. At least there wasn't any signal of rejection, right?"

Jackson shook his head, smiling as he thought about the Saturday he spent with Mark, playing with his fingers on the table.

"No... It was great, really. It seemed we've known each other for a long time"

"And we didn't see you falling in love with someone for a long time as well" Jinyoung laughed, sipping his juice. "But what are you going to do about the pianist?"

"Oh... I didn't tell you, right? I found out that his name is Yien" he commented excited, but then his expression fell. "But I came to the conclusion that I need to dismiss him if I really want something with Mark..."

Bambam slammed his lips against each other, controlling the urge to laugh at the situation. Inside, he imagined how it would be funny the scene of Jackson dismissing the person he loved without know it.

"How did you find out?" Junior asked curiously, getting interested in the subject.

"Oh, he got sick, then he left me a letter apologizing" he shrugged. "In the letter he said he's Chinese and his name is Yien"

"And why you haven't been looking for someone at school called Yien?" Bambam said, getting into the conversation.

"I did! I'm not so dumb" he argued offended. "But just like he said, he's registered under another name. Just like me"

Jinyoung shrugged, sipping the rest of his juice until it had an end.

"You'll end up dismissing him anyway, better not think about it. How did you end up liking two people in such a short time, huh?"

"I have no idea!" he ruffled his hair, sighing. "But if I want to deepen that feeling, I need to be sure of what I feel and for who"

"That's our Mr. Responsability, good boy!" Bambam laughed, fixing the platinum hair of his friend. "Mark is a good guy, you'll get along very well. But take your time, yes? You know..."

Jackson nodded, thoughtful about it. His feelings were still a mix that he couldn't understand very well, he wondered how a person who he met in weeks could do this to him so fast. Maybe Mark was really very special.

"Speaking of the Devil..." Junior said, turning on the bench. "Mark hyung!"

Mark was going through the cafeteria at the same second they cited his name, but he seemed in a hurry, walking in quick steps toward what the boys remembered to be the bathroom. He didn't even hear the call, ignoring them completely.

"Hey... What happened to him?" he asked friends, his eyes stopping at Jackson.

"I don't know... Is he okay?" The latter replied with concern, looking at the way that the boy had followed.

Before they could continue the conversation, the loud noise of the bell was heard, signaling that the break was over. They got up, Jackson looking for the bathroom, wondering if he should go see how Mark was.

"Go ahead, I'll check what happened to him"

Jackson waved to his friends, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and walking quickly to his destination, dodging the students who were returning to their classes.

He entered the bathroom with caution, soon catching sight of Mark in front of the sink washing his face. The elder showed up pale, even with red cheeks, his eyes were too tired to Jackson's taste.

"Mark?" he called in a low voice so he wouldn't frighten him, seeing him turn, trying to force a smile.

"Hey..." he greeted back, approaching him. "Don't you have class?"

"Yes, but... I saw you coming here and I was worried, are you okay?"

Mark nodded, but leaned on the sink with one hand, seeming to try to focus his vision on the younger. Jackson attempted to hold him thinking he would fall, but the boy stood still.

"Sorry... not much" he finally said the truth, sighing. "I think I'm gonna go..."

The first step that the elder gave away of the sink was enough for the world around him turn, Jackson managed to be fast enough to handle it before he went to the ground.

The younger watched with evident worry, bringing a hand to his forehead, don't needing much to see that the boy was burning in fever — after all, he could say it just by watching his state.

"Jesus, Mark! I'll take you home, you're not crazy to go alone" he spoke in a firm tone, making Mark put an arm around his shoulders, carrying him by the waist.

"But..." he tried to argue in a low tone. "I can't go home..."

"Why not?"

"I'm missing classes, my parents would kill me..."

Jackson realized that Mark was answering lower and lower, and even if he tried to not put all his weight on Jackson, he could also see that he was giving in gradually. The younger sighed, the other was very light and didn't have to worry about it, he just needed a good rest.

The only solution to the case was simple, then Jackson didn't think twice before releasing the blonde to be able to bring him up on his back, carrying him like this all the way across the courtyard to the direction.

Just as the Wang imagined, Mark completely fell asleep halfway, he appeared to be very ill and his exhaustion was evident.

Jackson noted that he needed to scold his hyung for being so careless. Is it a cold, flu or stress, the boy couldn't be so careless

When they finally got on the direction, Jackson had to choose between notifying Mark's parents and he go to the hospital or take him home and ask for help to his mother, as she used to have a thousand medicines.

Without much ado, he ended up choosing the second option, since he didn't want the other to stay upset for letting his parents know about it — whatever the type of family was that that preferred his son sick, but in class.

Jackson managed to pick up the phone to send a message to Jinyoung, warning that he would go home earlier. Unfortunately, his mother worked at that time of day, then he would have to go walking to his house as soon as possible, since he didn't want the other boy's condition get worse.

He took one last look at Mark and sighed, taking care of the boy that you like for sure wouldn't do well to the Chinese's heart.

xxx

Jackson thanked God when he got home, trying to be as quiet as he could, opening the door carefully and closing the same way. After coming up the stairs to his room at the same pace — the last thing he wanted was to wake Mark up.

After entering the room, he went to the bed where he laid the elder with caution. A little lost and disastrous — even sleeping, the other's presence changed him completely — he tried to call his mother, smiling broadly when successful.

Mama Wang warned that she was coming home and gave some instructions to his son follow, managing to not laugh when she heard her son so desperate on the phone. Anyways, it was enough for the youngest trying to do something.

"Jackson...?"

Hearing his low voice, Jackson immediately turned to Mark, watching him with obvious worry. Soon he approached him, pulling out a few strands of hair from the front of his eyes.

"You're really bad, you brat... You should be careful" he sighed, covering the other as he was instructed to do. "I'll get the medicine for you, don't do anything, okay?"

Mark just nodded, watching everything that Jackson did with his eyes fluttering colsed, preferring not to talk since he didn't want to cough, besides his head and body ached like hell. He couldn't believe the pressure of his parents had left him stressed to the point of passing out in the middle of the school, and now he was being a trouble to the other.

When the Chinese returned with the medicine he needed to take along a glass of water, he merely sat on the bed to be able to take them, murmuring a soft "thank you" to the boy.

"Don't thank me, just rest... My mother is on her way, she'll be a better guide than me to look after you"

Jackson sat in the corner of the bed right next to Mark, not resisting the urge to start a light caress on the blond strands. Seeing that he got a positive reaction, he just continued the act.

"Forgive me... For giving you so much trouble..." he whispered, watching the younger with a guilty look.

"It's nothing, I'm just worried... How did you end up like this?"

Mark took a deep breath, closing his eyes. The affection he was receiving was probably what was missing in his life at a time like this. If only he had time to call Jackson...

"Stress..." he sighed, speaking slowly and calmly. "I'm going to... Participate in the talent contest. I always participate... and get pressure from my parents... I got sick and didn't have time for anything"

The eldest coughed a few times after finishing the sentence, accepting with gratitude the rest of water that Jackson gave him, so being able to speak better. "Today in class I couldn't stand it... I just headed straight to the bathroom and... Well... I didn't know if I could go back to class in that state..."

Jackson sighed, he understood well. A few days ago his parents were in the same situation: Fighting and arguing as much with him as with each other, because of fencing he always received warnings, especially with his father being his couch.

"It's alright now..." he whispered, passing one arm around his shoulders, bringing him closer. "You don't have to worry anymore, right?"

Mark smiled, probably like he hadn't done the whole week. Closing his eyes again, he left aside his shyness in order to seize the moment and get carried away — then he could blame the fever for him being so needy and clingy — leaning in order to stay with the head lying on Jackson's chest.

He could hear the Chinese's heartbeat and couldn't hold back the smile as he saw that the beats were fast, he was probably nervous.

"What will you do in the talent show?"

Jackson asked, trying to disguise the fact of being completely awkwardly near the elder, however, not missing the opportunity to hold him, covering him again when he saw that the blankets had fallen with his movements.

"Play piano..."

The Wang held his breath for a few seconds, as much as he knew the other played the piano since that day, something clicked in his mind just now. He looked at Mark's face for a long time, saw him end up falling asleep again because of the medicine. His mind was finally working with the facts at hand, but that wasn't the right moment to conclusions.

Jackson tried to move under the elder's weight, he needed to get out to prepare something so they could eat — or try to, since he wasn't very good at cooking — or at least call his mother and ask her to hurry before he does something stupid.

To his misfortune, Mark didn't intend to let him leave. Still asleep, the boy fidgeted uncomfortably in bed and glued even more his body to the other, throwing one arm on his hip. A sigh left his lips followed by something that Jackson interpreted as a smile, the scene and the peaceful expression — with additional extremely cuteness — made his heart flutter.

"You really are the reason of my problems..." he whispered, laughing to himself as he caressed the blond hair.

Jackson's mother always told him that when he could look at a person and see they close to him for years and years, he'd have found the right person. The Chinese thought he had found the right person in past relationships.

The first girl he dated was a dream, he had managed to imagine the two close together for the next five years thinking about how it would be lovely to graduate together.

Unfortunately, the teen dating lasted a month when Jackson found he couldn't move from a kiss or two with his girlfriend, his attraction was completely gone and just turned to be a colorful friendship — if he could call it that, considering that in the days near to the end of their relationship, he no longer felt desire to kiss her.

The second relationship was some time later, when he had assumed being homoual for close friends and family. Jinyoung and Bambam easily accepted, relishing the chance to reveal to their friend that they started to date a few months ago, but they were afraid to tell and being rejected by the other.

At that time, the trio was actually a quartet, since there was another boy who attended the lunch with the three friends when it suited him, or sometimes stayed with his other social cycle. It was clear the interest of this boy in the Wang, especially after he declared himself gay.

After a while, they started to got out, just the two of them until they finally got together. The first time that Jackson kissed him, he was able to imagine doing that for several years of his life, unfortunately he had this bad habit of falling in love in seconds.

His "several years" lasted a week this time, since the following day he discovered that it was just a cheap bet between friends and the boy he loved didn't even like boys.

This last relationship got Jackson traumatize