a/n: 2.1k words. unbetaed. please comment below if you like it so far/ if u have suggestions! :D

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mark, the party's host walks over to jinyoung, a worried expression on his face.

"hey, jinyoung-ah, I'm sorry to ask this, but are you and jaebum cool already?"

"why?" jackson asks, and it dawns on him, "you invited him?"   

"i didn't know he would really come though. is that okay with you, jinyoung?" mark asks, and jinyoung nods absentmindedly.

then the host leaves, and he groans and drops his head onto the table. "what did mark-hyung want?"

"you didn't hear?" jackson asks, skeptical. jinyoung nods and mutters, "i was singing a song in my head."

"what song? big bang's lie? or maybe t-ara's lie? g.o.d's lie? your reaction tells it all, jinyoungie." rolling his eyes, jackson doesn't even patronize his best friend. he even laughs at him mockingly, until he sees.

suddenly, his voice goes neutral, back straightening. "bad ended ex-boyfriend #3, at your one o'clock. he has a arm candy in tow, careful."

at this, jinyoung slowly gets up, fingers gingerly picking up the half finished drink mark offered to him at the start of the party. he was about to abandon it, but if he sees the new boy jaebum's with, he just might need the alcohol.

jaebum confidently walks up to where jinyoung and jackson are now having a soft conversation. jinyoung even considered leaning in to whisper in his best friend's ear, but he's sure jaebum knows better.

"jackson, jinyoung," jaebum nods and greets, "how've you two been? i haven't seen you two in a while!"

biting back on a snarky remark about how jaebum has been too caught up trying to ruin jackson's father's company, jinyoung opts to smile and nod in greeting.

"this is my boyfriend, youngjae." stepping back to reveal the new guy, jaebum smiles and gives him a light push. "youngjae, jackson and jinyoung."

of course jaebum wouldn't say jinyoung's name first, or say 'new' in front of the word boyfriend. that would obviously be spiting jinyoung. and that would mean this was all to ignite a reaction from him, and he'd never give jaebum the satisfaction.

"ah, you're very cute~" jackson exclaims, smiling brightly, charming youngjae immediately.

"hi," jinyoung says, eyes wrinkling at the edges, the way he does to make people fall for him. "congratulations." he gestures to the couple.

his smile isn't genuine, he could already feel his eyes getting tired from holding up his eye smile. but it looks real enough to get a huge smile from youngjae, and a blank expression from jaebum. that's honestly already a win for jinyoung, and he feels his fake smile turn real.

"thank you." jaebum's voice is neutral, a small smile playing on his lips. "and if you'll excuse us, we'll be meeting yugyeom. see you guys around." and they're gone.

jinyoung collapses on the velvet couch and lets out a long breath. jackson turns to him abruptly, incredulous.

"did you... just say 'congratulations'?" he asks, slowly, as if still trying to process information.

"what did you expect me to say?" jinyoung asks, voice tired. he closes his eyes. "maybe, 'as long as you're happy'?"

he opens them again, sitting up straight and giving jackson a pointed look. "i wouldn't tell this kind of lie."

mark gathers them all in one room, with bambam back at his side, and suddenly yugyeom, jaebum and youngjae are with them too. it's a little like a college group reunion, except they're all rich businessmen who lead different paths of life now.

jinyoung's still surprised at yugyeom's additional growth spurt, and he can't control his expression as he gushes at how great bambam looks these days. but his eyes just skip past jaebum, who's eyes seem to never leave jinyoung. this is what makes him uncomfortable enough to excuse himself.

he uses the 'bladder about to burst excuse' as he almost runs to the toilet. when he comes back though, he doesn't expect only jaebum to be sitting there. jinyoung considers turning and looking for jackson, but as his eyes meet jaebum's, he knows he's been caught.

sitting down, he carefully holds jaebum's gaze. he feels that if he lets go, his ex-boyfriend will think he's won. jinyoung will never let him feel that ever again. not after the incident.

"you seem to have been avoiding me," jaebum looks at his watch, and jinyoung smiles inwardly. "you probably haven't gotten over me."

used to jaebum's cocky words, jinyoung replies with ease, "do people avoid garbage trucks because they're not over them?"

"you were avoiding me, then." jaebum, too, is used to jinyoung's hard hitting words. that's where it isn't good for them. they don't know which weakness they'll start using against the other.   

"that's because i don't wanna be involved with you again. you already have youngjae, isn't it unfair to pretend that i'm still yours?" jinyoung's voice is startlingly stable even as he says words he doesn't mean.

"i would've liked to, but you hated to even spend a single day more with me." jaebum says.

"you refused to fight for me," jinyoung almost spits. "so why should i go to someone like you? your father wanted you to concentrate on taking over the company. you could've said that you were just going to do as wellㅡ if not even better ㅡ with me by your side but you refused."

abruptly standing, jinyoung gives jaebum a poisonous look. "so why should i have? you're no good for me. i'm obviously not worth fighting for, unlike youngjae. so why pretend? we can never be."

at this time, jackson and bambam almost step into the room. blinded by anger, jinyoung grabs his best friend's arm and stalks out. he drags them both to where mark stands, trying to order for yugyeom. "thanks for the invite, mark-hyung. i'm not feeling too good, we'll leave first."

he doesn't even lift his head to meet mark's gaze. the host grimaces, mouthing 'bad blood?' to jackson and the latter shrugs.

jinyoung plops down on the leather seat of the car, forced to go shotgun because jackson hadn't even tasted a single drop of alcohol whereas jinyoung wasn't in the right mind to.

"whenever you're ready," jackson mutters, pulling out of the hotel's car park. it's always been like this, since he knows that his best friend was never going to speak unless assured that there would be someone to listen to him.

"that bastard had the audacity to pretend, to act that we were still together, even though youngjae was right there." jinyoung hisses between clenched teeth. he's massaging his temples, obviously frustrated.

"youngjae seems like a good kid and all, but to rub in my face that he was worth fighting for? what did i lack, what didn't i show him, what mistake did i do, i don't know."

"if it's any comfort, jinyoung, you're better off without him."

"and it crushes my pride to know he doesn't need me anymore, throwing me away after i helped him so much."

there's silence in the car as jinyoung's flaming red ferrari cruises down the highway. the owner's eyes are closed now, breathing uneven. jackson knows that his best friend just needs a little peace, and turns on the radio to his favorite station.

turbo's again is playing, and jinyoung hums a little.

jackson quietly sighs and whispers something, but luckily jinyoung's too drowsy to realize it. he, too, knew that if the younger had heard what he said, he'd surely never forgive him.

"i don't know why you're thinking he was only toxic to you. he changed you, and you showed him the world and more."

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it isn't like jaebum and jinyoung were childhood friends who ended up being separated due to an arranged marriage. it was nothing of that sort.

how could it have been, when jaebum wasn't even rich from the start? they met three years ago, at some party for heirs of big corporations.

jinyoung wasn't the same classy, passive, eloquent man he was today. jaebum wasn't the same cocky, head-on, powerful man either.

it starts with yugyeom pulling jaebum behind him, the waiters holding trays nodding and bowing at him. he pays them no heed just like the privileged kid he was, and jaebum ducks his head.

"stop bowing at them, you deserve all the respect they give. you're higher than them now," yugyeom says, and the older of the two pulls a face, clearly still not used to being on the receiving end of the stares.

"we're all still human." jaebum mumbles meekly.

"sure we are, you're new money now, so you can act like it." jaebum cringes at the taller kid's words. of course they were treating him well because they were on the same level of wealth now.

"anyway, hyung, you're free to mingle now. my mother asked me to show you the ropes soㅡ" he points to the bar, where a barista bows respectfully. "drinks. you can sit at any table, just mention your father's name. you probably have more money than three-quarters of the people here."

yugyeom then points at where a red head, blonde, and loud brunette were sitting. "except for maybe those three, me and two more people i can't find right now." he turns to jaebum, "you can join us at any time, but i think you should introduce yourself to the lower ones first and show them who's boss!"

even though the younger looks enthusiastic as he says the words, he can't help but mutter, "not that you're not intimidating enough as it is."

jaebum doesn't mind him but whines instead. "can't you ask your sister to me around?"

"you'll be fine, hyung. dahyun's busy mingling with mingyu and some others, i think. but if you can find here then okay," he says casually. "watch out for the two jinyoung's though. they're starkly different but both are not advised to be involved with. one's too nice to reject you and the other will play you because he's bored. have fun, bye!"

he stalks away to the booth where the richest kids are sitting, leaving jaebum alone and bewildered. he was a novice at playing the part of the rich, how could he do all these things? it wasn't even in his nature.

so he decides that if any was curious about him, they'll ask. he sits at the bar, nodding in greeting to the barista. "one jack mixed with diet coke? i'm not very sure how the alcohol is here." he looks sheepish and the barista is about to recommend him some when a voice interrupts.

"you're clearly unfamiliar with this," jaebum's greeted by a boy around his age, features soft and overall looking like a cat. his smile is mischievous and jaebum's already uneasy. "i recommended a martell, but with that jack and coke mix, you seem like you want to get drunk."

"this is my first time here, so i'm just trying to get ahold of the ropes for now."

"let me guess, new money?" the cat-boy has his eyebrows raised, and he looks curious. "wait, are you the son of im enterprises?"

jaebum nods, sticking out his hand. "i'm jaebum, and you are?"

the other boy just ignores his outstretched hand, smirking behind the drink given to him. probably his usual, jaebum notes. "wouldn't you like to know?" he laughs a little, tipping his head back, and continues, "jinyoung, park jinyoung."

if jinyoung's expression is anything to go by, jaebum realizes he must've let his face show that he was repulsed by the mention of his name. jinyoung then regulates the disappointed look and says quietly, "ah, so you've heard about me."

the older of the two can only nod, a little ashamed that he had judged jinyoung based on what yugyeom had told him. the aforementioned really did seem like a veteran at being a rich kid, but he was nice. "i wouldn't have thought that i shouldn't associate myself with you. you're nice, and polite."

giving an empty laugh, the younger of the two nods, "first impressions are more important than what people think, right? don't sweat it." he pauses, thinking, then says, "hey, why don't you allow me to show you around? i could teach you a few things." he scans jaebum's body, smiling.

jaebum squawks at the action and mumbles, "uh... but we just met."

laughing at the words, jinyoung grins. "it doesn't have to be romantic or anything like that, just introduce you to the rest of the kids."

"that would be good." jaebum smiles a little at his new companion. "thanks. but i'm wondering, yugyeom said to be wary of two jinyoungs... which one are you?"

"be careful what you ask about. because if you want to find out," jinyoung hops off the high stool, "you have to pay the price." he winks and jaebum gulps.

maybe it wouldn't be too hard for jinyoung to resist playing with this new, clueless guy but he was going to make jaebum a new man and make him ask for it.