#12: Aftermath

"Are you still gonna go after him?" Youngjae muttered out, couldn't believe that Jackson still wanted to stay by someone like Mark who's a big liar and a two timer since he probably planned out all this with Yugyeom.

"Young, remember you told me that I shouldn't be blinded by love. The thing is I wasn't but you are which is why you puts up with him and protected him all these while. I understand your feelings, I really do but Mark isn't Yugyeom. He is not someone that would break my heart so easily, he treasures me and Jade so much that I can't thank him enough.

I know it's hard but it's time to move on, Young. How long are you gonna suffer like this? I won't be by your side always to help you, you know." Jackson said as he looked at the crying younger, he knows at some point Youngjae had to let things go and now would be a good time rather than holding onto those painful feelings.

"You gonna leave me too?" Youngjae muttered out as he look at Jackson who just smile sadly at him.

"I'm not but at times I won't be there for you, you have to be strong for yourself." Jackson said causing Youngjae to slowly nod, not daring to look at the older.

"JB, help me keep an eye on Jade. I'm going to search for him." Jackson said after reluctantly turning away from the younger, he needs to find Mark Tuan.

"Bunny, stay with Uncle JB until Daddy and Papa come back alright?" Jackson said, patting Jade's head as he squatted down after receiving a nod from Jaebum.

"Take care, Daddy." Jade muttered, smiling as she hugs Jackson tightly causing her father to smile before running off.

It was no use though because he can't track the older down especially when he didn't pick up his calls which caused him to ended up driving around for hours to look for Mark but to no avail, Mark wasn't spotted anywhere.

Meanwhile Mark found himself back at the beach, a place that full of his memories with his late parents.

Even though he didn't get to spend many years with them, he still remembers at how they would bring him here to just spend the day out because it was something simple but they purely enjoys it.

Seated on the sand, Mark found himself going through millions of emotions while the sound of the waves crashing serves as a background sound.

The babysitter knows he shouldn't get angry, it wasn't his right to know Youngjae's secret either but he was just so disappointed because Jackson didn't trust him enough to at least drop a hint about it and it doesn't help that he stupidly misunderstand everything.

He was mad, angry, disappointed, annoyed and pissed at himself mostly but somehow those words that he said to Jackson makes him realize that maybe there was a reason why he was mad at how the younger let him misunderstand the whole thing.

Mark didn't know what to feel at this moment, he was a complete mess and all he can do was dazed out while trying to make sense of his own emotion.

Time passed fast, by the time his mind was out of the loop and his aware of the surrounding, the sun is already down and his handphone is dead.

He wasn't sure if he should return home but remembering how his duty stays with Jade even in this situation, he flag a cab and dragged himself back.

When he opens the front door, his eyes immediately landed on the asleep Jackson on the couch with his handphone in his hand.

Slowly closing the front door as quietly as possible, he approached the unconscious younger before plopping down carefully beside him, eyes looking at Jackson’s sleeping face.

Mark smiles as he stares at that peaceful face, unconsciously finding his hand out to the younger’s cheek, it felt so surreal sometime at how he had Jackson now who's always treats and priorities him like a family member and he can’t a fault to lose all that just because his feelings is one sided.

Yes, it took hours to realize it but ultimately Mark realize that he loves the younger, he loves Jackson Wang but he wasn’t ready to risk what they have now to just to be something more.

“Yi En..” Jackson muttered out softly as his eyes fluttered open, looking too happy to see the older that he immediately pulled him into a hug, a hug tighter than any of their previous ones.

“Where have you been? I’m so worried. Are you ok? I’m so sorry. You don’t hate me, don’t you?” Jackson asked non-stop, clearly flustered after he let go of Mark which caused the older to chuckled at his cute expression.

“Why are you laughing?” Jackson asked again, lost at the fact Mark just chuckled, did he said something funny.

“I’m fine, I’m sorry that I made you worried and no, I don’t hate you.” Mark answered calmly with a small smile causing a grin to appear on his boss’s face before he was back in Jackson’s embrace.

“Please, don’t leave like that again. I was so scared, I thought I lost you. I can’t afford to lose you, Yi En.” Jackson muttered like a child, face hiding on the crook of Mark’s neck which caused the babysitter to ruffled his hair in effort to assured him.

“I can’t be by your side forever Ka Yee, if one day you don’t need my service anymore than I would have to go. You know that, right?” Mark stated softly, still keeping the younger in his embrace.

“No, you can’t. I need you, we need you.” Jackson exclaimed, quickly looking up at Mark before pleading the older silently with his eyes, hugging the other’s waist tighter.

“What are we to each other, nothing? It’s just that agreement that binds us together.” Mark pointed out, already weavering upon seeing that puppy eyes but he knows that at some point he will need to leave once Jade doesn’t need him, afterall he is just a babysitter.

“Well then, I will make us mean something to each other. I will make sure you have every reason to stay.” Jackson said with a hint of determination, surprising the older who could only stare in surprise.

“I love you, Tuan Yi En.” Jackson confessed before closing the gap between their lips, locking it in a sweet and heart-thumping exchange that got the shocked babysitter to immediately melt into the kiss.

“Ka Yee…” Mark uttered out, almost like a whisper as he stares at the handsome younger in front of him after they pulled away, both with a soft smile on their face before Jackson rested his forehead on Mark’s.

“I like you from the first day we met, I admired you from the day you met Jade and I fall for you hard on the first day that I realized you love Jade like your own. I probably won’t find anyone else that loves her more than me but you proved me wrong, Yi En.” Jackson said with the older hands in his as they enjoyed that moment, the moment that both wanted to last forever.

“I love you too, Ka Yee. I really do.” Mark said, smiling softly at the grinning boss before wrapping his hands around the younger’s waist and planting a quick kiss on Jackson's cheeks.

Jackson chuckled at the cute older before pecking Mark’s lips again, he can get use to this addictive taste and personality forever.

####

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Jaebum asked, taking a seat beside the dazed out younger whose seated at the small table in their pantry.

“How did you find me here?” Youngjae asked softly, looking at the other who had a rather relaxed but small smile on his face.

“You do know there’s only us on this level and if you aren’t behind your desk or inside Jackson’s office then you must be here.” Jaebum answered, getting up to grabbed himself a bottle of water from the small fridge at the corner.

“Right…” Youngjae muttered, slowly nodding as he stares at the floor while Jaebum mentally sighed, the younger secretary has been this way since the whole incident in this same pantry.

“Why have you been avoiding Jackson for this past week? You know he is worried about you.” Jaebum said, nonchalant look on his face as he gulped down a bit of the water while waiting for Youngjae’s respond.

“I’m embarrassed to face him, he had done so much for me but I tried to ruin his relationship instead.” Youngjae said, hanging his head low in shame as he doesn’t know how to face Jackson after the mess he created.

“You aren’t happy about him being with Mark hyung?” Jaebum asked slowly, it’s a question that has always been bugging him from before because for him, it’s weird not to be happy for the lovely couple but then again, it could be just him.

“I thought I was at first, I even try to convince myself but slowly I realized that I wasn’t because I was scared to lose him, he was the only one by my side who understands me. I’m scared that he will forget about me like everyone else, like Yugyeom.” Youngjae confessed, he really tried his best but he couldn’t help it and ended up his insecurities created this mess.

“I don’t know about you but a person like him won’t abandon so easily, you should know it better than me at how much he treasures you, Yugyeom and Mrs Kim even if they treated him like trash. He wouldn’t leave you behind but you should know that he have priorities now, he needs to put Mark and Jade first but that doesn’t make you any less important than that. He treasured every single person in his life, that’s the Jackson Wang I know.” Jaebum said straight forwardly causing Youngjae to nod with tears silently dripping down his cheek.

“It was silly of me, I know. I should be happy for him that he finally has his own family and not stuck with that monster any longer. I’m such a bad friend.” Youngjae said, wiping his tears quickly before letting out a bitter laughter like as if mocking himself.

“You aren’t bad, you love him like a real brother. I can see that and I’m sorry if I sounded harsh earlier but I just thought you needed to hear that. You are never alone, you have him, Mark, Jade and even me.” Jaebum said, looking straight at the younger with a gentle and assuring smile.

“You?” Youngjae exclaimed, surprised to hear the older including  himself but nevertheless feel touched by it, after all he wasn’t the nicest person towards the older secretary but to know that he cares about him, it touches his heart.

“Please don’t tell me, you don’t want to be friends. It’s embarrassing if I got rejected after this sappy talk.” Jaebum joked upon seeing the small smile on Youngjae’s face, he was glad that he managed to bring a smile on the gloomy younger’s face,

Without the two secretaries realizing, Jackson who had intended to find Youngjae at first overheard everything while hiding himself behind the wall, he knows that right now he have another person added on his worry about Youngjae’s list.

He was indeed glad that Youngjae found a friendship in his best friend and he won’t have it any other way as he walked off to give the two new friends some space to bond.

####

“Look who is here.” Jackson said, smiling as he moved aside to reveal an awkward Youngjae behind him while Mark and Jade who had answered the door, grinned at him.

“Uncle Youngjae!” Jade cheered before running straight to hug the surprise other waist just like how Mark suggested earlier since according to Papa, Uncle Youngjae is really sad so he needs her to cheer him up.

Mark and Jackson shared a smile before looking at Jaebum who nodded lightly their way as they watches Jade chattering with Youngjae before dragging him in.

“How did you guys managed to get him here?” Mark asked after making sure Youngjae out of earshot, the best friends making their way in before Jackson closing the door behind them.

“We kinda of drag him here, you know if we had waited for him to be ready…” Jaebum answered, smiling cheekily while Jackson just nodded in agreement.

“It will take ten years.” Jackson continues before the duo broke into laughter, hi-fiving each other while Mark just shake his head at the childishness with a soft smile on his face.

“Well, you guys go ahead and continue on being monkeys while I go and get dinner ready.” Mark said after noticing how Jade is keeping Youngjae company while the duo was busy laughing at some weird client they met today.

While Mark was busy waiting for the last dish which was dumpling soup that Jackson’s requested with his puppy eyes this morning, he heard faint footsteps before an awkward figure appeared beside him.

Knowing that Youngjae is probably having a hard time to start the conversation after all that mess, Mark decided to speak out first since he never really did anything wrong to start with and Mark never really took those harsh words to heart either after all Youngjae is a dear friend to him.

“Hey, you need something?” Mark asked, tone soft and calm as he turned to look at the younger who clearly hesitant to look at him.

“I...wanna apologize, Mark hyung. I should have known better, you were my friend too. I’m so sorry.” Youngjae apologized, almost in a whisper but it was loud enough for Mark to hear while he nervously play with the hem of his t-shirt.

Mark smiled at the nervous younger who were busy staring at the floor before deciding to teased Youngjae a bit.

“Were? So I’m not your friend anymore?” Mark asked with a rather serious tone causing Youngjae to instantly look at him before shaking his head, clearly flustered.

“No, you still are my friend. I just don’t know if you still wanna be my friend?” Youngjae answered quickly causing Mark to chuckled at the poor flustered younger before pulling him into a hug.

“Of course, I’m your friend silly. I was just teasing you, chill.” Mark said as he slowly let Youngjae go before smiling sheepishly at the secetary who finally broke into a smile.

“You are mean, Mark hyung.” Youngjae complained, pouting causing the older to stuck his tongue out before turning back to his boiling soup.

“Thank you, hyung. I was so scared that you will never forgive me.” Youngjae thanked sincerely while his eyes watches the older who only smiled at those words.

After hearing everything from Jackson earlier on the phone, the ex-secretary could totally under the insecurities that Youngjae is facing because in some way, he is in a similar situation where he is scared that he will lose everything and everything is just a dream. It’s a feeling that he constantly struggled with especially at the fact that he has been alone since a child, he was and still insecure in so many ways so he understand where Youngjae is coming from.

“Youngjae ah..” Mark started as he turned to look at the younger who nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“Remember that in whatever situation that you are in, I’m always here for you even if it’s feel like the whole world leaves you.” Mark continued on, squeezing Youngjae’s shoulder with a warm smile on his face which caused Youngjae to nod before giving him the brightest smile he had seen for a while.

“Have you apologize to Jackson yet?” Mark asked after that smile exchanged between them as he turned off the stove, ready to prepared the food for the table.

“I did earlier because he refused to eat until I eat lunch together with him.” Youngjae answered, laughing as he remembers about his sulking boss back at the office earlier.

“Well, he is worst than Jade most of the time. What can we do?” Mark joked upon noticing a figure peeping in on them from the kitchen entrance.

“Hey! How can you say that? It’s not fair.” Jackson’s complaints come flooding in as he stormed his way into the kitchen causing Youngjae to laugh while Mark just rolled his eyes at the big baby.

“Great! You can help with the food, hurry up!” Mark said, sticking his tongue out at Jackson before escaping out of the kitchen with Youngjae, leaving the pouting Jackson to prepare the dinner table.

With the table set, the four and Jade had dinner with chatters all over while enjoying time chilling and catching up on different stuff until Youngjae’s phone rings which caused him to answered.

“It's everything, alright Young?” Jackson asked upon seeing the frown on the other face after hanging up on that quick call.

“Yugyeom, he came back drunk and now messing the mansion. It's a total ruckus there just from the background sound earlier.” Youngjae explained causing the three older to sigh at the news, it really worries them at the rate the younger going and Jackson knows something needs to be done.

“He has been missing for the past week just to come back home, drunk, I really don’t know what to do with him.” Jackson commented, losing his appetite instantly as he thinks hard about the situation while Mark and Jaebum just stay quiet.

“Let’s check on them, I’m sure Omma is scared, watching him making a mess.” Youngjae suggested which instantly earned him a nod from the older.

“JB, can you accompany Mark and Jade?” Jackson asked as he got up from the seat to grab his car keys and phone while Jaebum nodded.

“Sure, don’t worry. If anything give us a call.” Jaebum assured, earning a quick 'thanks' from the boss before he turn to give a kiss on Mark's and Jade's cheeks respectively.

“Take care, we will be waiting for you.” Mark said, giving the younger a quick hug before Jackson and Youngjae where out of the house, heading to the Kim Mansion.

By the time they were greeted by Mrs Choi at the door, she looked super lost and distressed before they heard something crashing on the floor causing Jackson to immediately run towards the source.

There it was the big Kim family portrait that didn't include him where shattered into a million pieces on the floor with a laughing Yugyeom staring at it, looking like a mess as he turned to grabbed another vase and break it again.

“Gyeom, stop! What are you doing?” Jackson shouted, looking at the mess created by the younger who probably had smashed almost all of Mrs Kim's beloved vases to the living room floor.

Youngjae and Mrs Choi come running upon hearing Jackson's voice just to be shocked at the scene of the family portrait on the floor with shards of sharp glasses from the shattered heavy frame.

“Where is Omma?” Jackson asked upon seeing how Yugyeom had no intention to stop as he just happily throws everything while laughing like a madman.

“She is out but she should be home soon.” Mrs Choi answered and like as if on point, they heard the doorbell rang causing the elder to run to the door and greet the madam of the house.

“What's going on here?” Mrs Kim’s voice boomed throughout the mansion as she appeared looking totally not amused a few seconds later with Mrs Choi trailing behind her.

“Ah, my dear Mother is back.” Yugyeom slurred out, staggering his way to the older who only frown her face in disgust at the smelly son before pushing him away.

“Where have you been? You ruined your chance with Soyeon, you skipped work for a week and now you come back home drunk. Where's your brain, I taught you better.” Mrs Kim scolded, looking at her son in disgust as he only smiled at her words.

“I don't think I have a brain, if I do than I won't be living a life as your puppet.” Yugyeom answered, laughing at his mother whose staring, unamused at his current state while the others just watch the exchange.

“Puppet? What nonsense are you saying, Kim Yugyeom? I had enough of this stupidity, get your act back together or...” Mrs Kim paused, warning clear in her tone as she wasn't having any of these.

“Or what, huh? What are you going to do? Send me off ..somewhere? Force me to ma..rry to someone? It's not going to work anymore, I had en..ough of you and your sly ways.” Yugyeom shouted, stumbling on his words but making his intention clear to the older lady whose only fuming in anger as she watches him.

“You! How dare you said that about your mother? I'm just trying to make sure you are a perfect human being, someone worthy to be called the son of this house.” Mrs Kim hissed, clearly unamused by those words spatted out from her drunk son.

“Human? You think by sending me away to the States just because I fall for Youngjae makes me, human? No, it turns me to a monster, a monster that too scared of his mother that he rather throw away his daughter and chose to have a normal life than being responsible over her life.” Yugyeom snickered, half shouting at the elder who could feel herself getting riled up after being revealed by her worthless son while Mrs Choi and Youngjae just stood there in disbelief, shocked by the fact that Yugyeom actually likes Youngjae from the start and the fact that Jade is his daughter.

Jackson sighed, not really surprised as he had guessed from before but never really pushed the subject since Yugyeom never really said anything.

“W..ha.t?” Mrs Kim stuttered in shock, shaking her head in denial at the truth that she just received, it almost seems like a joke to hear that from her son.

“Yes, daughter. You know that girl that you been calling a thing, it's your own granddaughter. Your own flesh and blood, the family line that you have always wanted but in the end you throw her away harshly without knowing anything.” Yugyeom lashed out, laughing bitterly at his mother's shocked expression as the elder look like as if she can almost get a heartattack.

“You are such a disgrace, I can't have a son like you. You are a tra..” Mrs Kim barked after she regained her voice but it got cut when she felt a stinging pain on her cheek because apparently Yugyeom just slapped her on the face, shocking everyone in the room with his sudden action.

“You know what, I have always wanted to shut that mouth of yours. If I am a trash than you are a trash's mother and I wouldn't be a trash if I wasn't treated like one and right now, I'm just saying this once but from now on, you don't have a son call Kim Yugyeom any longer. You can stay in this castle of yours by yourself.” Yugyeom mocked, making the best out of his talking ability in that state before staggering his way out of the mansion without looking back.

Knowing that Yugyeom needs him the most now, Jackson look at the quiet elder in front of him before saying something that he had always wanted to say, something that has always been in his heart.

“It doesn't matter how you treated us, we stayed because we love you. Us, these trashes love you but we have our limit and once we reached it, I can't promise if we could stay.” Jackson said his last piece before walking out of the mansion after saying goodbye to Mrs Choi.

As he walked out of that hell, he was greeted by the sight of Yugyeom seated at the pavement while sobbing away and it's obvious to him that the younger is in so much pain even in that state.

“Gyeom.” Jackson called out as he squatted down in front of the younger, wiping his tears away which caused Yugyeom to sobbed even more before throwing himself in the older's embrace.

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything.” Yugyeom muttered over and over again causing the older to hug him tighter and rubbed circles on his back.

“It's fine, no matter what you are still my Gyeomie.” Jackson whispered into the younger's ear, trying to calm the poor younger down before he saw Youngjae running towards them, immediately pulling both of them into his embrace.

“You..ng..jae..h..yung..” Yugyeom choked out as he look at Youngjae before hugging him tighter causing the older two to smile, it's been awhile since they see these side of the younger, his baby side.

“I..wan..ted..to give thi..s..to..y..ou bu..t..neve..r go..t..a..cha.nce.” Yugyeom mumbled out as he pulled the necklace of his neck and give it to the older, a silver chain with a locket consist of their childhood picture.

“Gy...eom” Youngjae muttered out in surprised as he looked at the younger with teary eyes, he feels so useless to be unable to help Yugyeom all these years.

“Let's go home, Gyeom. Mark, JB and Jade is waiting for us.” Jackson said, smiling when he saw the happiness in Youngjae's eyes before turning to look at the hesitant Yugyeom.

“Don't worry, I'm sure they will forgive you like us.” Jackson assured while Youngjae nodded, agreeing to the oldest words while Yugyeom nodded a little, he was ready to seek for forgiveness no matter from who.

Hey Influffies! I’m back with a quick update for this chapter as a thank you for everyone sweet support. I’m happy to know that you guys really enjoyed my stories and it makes you happy, it really touched my heart at how sweet you all are. You guys are the best, always make me feel fortunate and loved. Thank you once again everyone, I will think this through with your kinds words. I was also thinking of something along the line of making my future stories, subscribers only or maybe puts a warning up or maybe even open up a blog to post my stories there. I don’t know, what do you guys suggest? Please share your opinion.

And back to this update, Markson are finally together :) Did you guys like their moments and what do you think about the whole Yugyeom/Youngjae’s situation? Tell me down below. Until the last chapter, stay sweet and fluffy.

<3 InfinitelyCassie