#8: Breakdown

"Hey, you ok man?" Jaebum asked, nudging his best friend who look distracted since Mark left to the room.

"Yea, I'm just..." Jackson sighed, shrugging his shoulder as he look at Jade whose busy singing by the pool with Youngjae from the deck chairs that he and Jaebum was seated in.

"Why don't you check on him? I will send Jade back to your room once we are done playing, don't worry about her." Jaebum said, patting Jackson's back causing the other to nod after some thinking.

Yugyeom who's chatting with Soyeon frown when he caught Jackson walking off from the corner of his eyes, knowing exactly where the older is heading off too.

“Soyeon shii, I’m going to the restroom.” Yugyeom excused himself after the female nodded, there’s no way he gonna let the two fixed that new friction in between them.

Meanwhile in their room, Mark has been trying to doze off after changing and drying himself but his mind is too clouded by everything.

While he was staring off at the ceiling, he heard the door opened and entered his boss with a worried expression before he carefully close the door behind him.

“Oh, you aren’t asleep? How are you feeling?” Jackson exclaimed, surprised to see the older still up as he took a seat at the empty side of the bed before immediately feeling Mark’s forehead.

“I’m fine.” Mark said softly before turning his face away from the younger who just stares, confusion in his eyes.

“You are not telling me something. What’s wrong?” Jackson said as he laid himself beside the quiet older with his head resting on his hand, eyes on his babysitter.

“It’s nothing.” Mark answered, feeling uncomfortably under Jackson’s eyes as he tries to get up but the younger immediately hold on to his arm, pulling him back into bed before pinning him down.

“What are you doing?” Mark muttered out in clear confusion, wiggling a bit as he watches the younger who look surprisingly calm.

“He is outside, watching us.” Jackson whispered into the older’s ear, creating the illusion that they are kissing that got the younger outside who's watching them by the long glass window, boiling in anger.

Mark just stay still upon hearing that, trying to calm down his own heartbeat that’s racing like crazy at the fact that Jackson’s face is inches away, unreadable eyes staring straight into his soul.

“Beautiful..” Jackson uttered out as he admired that angelic face, he always know that the older is attractive but seeing him this close makes his heart flutters especially those enchanting eyes that’s staring back at him.

Yugyeom feels like punching that window, he couldn’t believe that the two is making out instead when they are supposed to be fighting since it’s clear that he had successfully planted that thought into Mark’s head but it backfired.

With the last bit of self control in himself, he walked away with a balled up fist while cursing Jackson Wang for taking everything that it’s his.

“Is he gone?” Mark asked, looking away while trying to hide his pink cheeks upon hearing that from Jackson, snapping the younger out of his trance before he looked up a bit just to see Yugyeom, gone.

He quickly let go of Mark with a small smile before resting himself beside the older who turned to look at him, trying to read his expression.

“You know I’m fine by myself, you should go and accompany Jade.” Mark stated when he realized that the younger aren’t budging out of the bed, making him feel more awkward.

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me the truth.” Jackson said, turning to look at the older who just sighed before looking away, eyes roaming around everywhere except at his boss.

Jackson stares at the quiet older beside him before moving closer, resting his head on Mark’s shoulder which surprised the other but he just stay quiet.

“Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?” Jackson asked softly, eyes staring at the ceiling as he relaxed himself beside the older while Mark sighed.

“No, it’s not you. It’s me.” Mark muttered out, unconsciously playing with his fingers nervously with different thoughts running through his mind.

“Are you getting tired of me and Jade?” Jackson questioned, a tint of uncertainty in his tone which got Mark flustered.

“What? No!” Mark exclaimed causing Jackson to let out a sigh of relief that he didn’t even realize he was holding back.

“You are not gonna leave us, right?” Jackson blurted out before he even realize it, shocking himself and Mark at those words.

“Ka Yee..” Mark said, glancing over at the younger who just snuggled closer to him, almost hugging his arm before he look at him with those sad puppy eyes, a trait that he shared with his daughter.

“Please, don’t ever abandon us, me, Yi En.” Jackson whispered with a sad smile before wrapping his arm around the older who only stayed quiet, staring back at him with a small smile.

Mark didn’t know how long he would be by Jackson’s side but as long he is, he would never abandon him nor Jade, they are precious to him.

While back at the pool, Jade was busy sharing chips with her uncles after Youngjae dried her since they were feeling a bit hungry after playing in the water.

Seeing the pretty auntie seating alone, Jade got up from where she was seated to offered the chips to her since she noticed that the mean uncle was gone.

Jaebum and Youngjae just smiled watching Jade interact with Soyeon but immediately tense up when they saw Yugyeom’s back, looking annoyed somehow.

“Back off.” Yugyeom hissed at the child, surprising everyone especially Soyeon as he took a seat back again beside her.

Jade frowned, staring at the mean man in front of her which just triggered Yugyeom even more because that thing is clearly ignoring him.

“I said back off, stupid!” Yugyeom barked, pushing the child away harshly causing Jade to slipped due to the wet floor, falling and scraping her knees.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jaebum shouted in anger as he run towards the crying child with Youngjae, immediately scoping Jade into his arm.

“What, I told her to back off didn’t I?” Yugyeom said, rolling his eyes at Jaebum like as if it isn’t a big deal that he just injured a child.

“She’s freaking five, brat! You didn’t had to pushed her.” Jaebum hissed in disbelief before trying to calm down Jade but it was no use, she clearly hurting.

“Daddy...Papa…” Jade sobbed in her uncle’s arm while Youngjae frantically finds something in his bag to treat the wounds but nothing so he decided to wiped the blood first with his handkerchief.

Soyeon who's watching everything couldn’t believe her own eyes, the guy beside her didn’t even care that he hurt his own niece.

Jaebum who couldn’t be bothered to argue with the brat any longer, quickly pulled out his phone to call Jackson, he needs his best friend to know about this.

Youngjae tried his best trying to calm down the crying Jade but it was no use since she seems to be in so much pain, after all the wounds aren’t small at all for her age.

It didn’t take long before Mark and Jackson appeared, looking totally worried as they run towards them especially with the sight of Jade crying and bleeding in Jaebum’s arms.

“Papa…” Jade sobbed, the moment she saw Mark before Jaebum quickly passed her into Mark’s arms as the older immediately attend to her, trying to calm down the child.

“What are you thinking, Yugyeom?” Jackson asked calmly even though he’s burning inside especially after seeing his daughter in that condition.

“What? It’s just scraps on the knees. It’s not like she is dead or something. Dramatic.” Yugyeom commented as he stand to roll his eyes at Jackson.

“Dramatic? She’s five, why can’t you treat her like a child? She’s not someone for you to be picking a fight with.” Jackson hissed, losing his patience especially knowing the situation earlier from what his best friend told him.

“Well, it’s not my job to babysit her. If you want a child, take care of them yourself. Don’t go making out somewhere and expect people to look after your child for you.” Yugyeom snickered, smirking at Jackson who finally lost it, the next thing they witnessed were Yugyeom flying to the floor with a blue black eye.

Yugyeom just laughed at the older who had just punched him, it was hilarious to see the usually level headed Jackson lost his cool.

Everyone just look at the scene in shocked before Jackson finally turned to Mark and Jade, forcing a smile before he told the older to go ahead back to their room to treat Jade while he needs to settle something with Yugyeom.

Mark wanted to reject the idea since it’s clearly a bad idea to live the sibling alone but he saw that determination in the younger’s eyes so he nodded before walking off with Jade in his arms while Jaebum and Youngjae decided to follow along in case Mark needed the help.

When the others finally walked away, Jackson politely excused himself and Yugyeom from Soyeon before dragging his younger brother away from anyone’s sight.

“Good girl, Jade is a good girl.” Mark muttered over and over again as he comforted the child in his arms, rubbing circles on her back as Youngjae cleaned the child’s wounds that got her crying and shouting non stop due to the stinging pain.

Jaebum frowned, imagining the pain the child going through while blaming himself for not doing a better job looking after Jade if he had known, he would had dragged the child back to them the moment he sees that Yugyeom returned.

“There, she’s done. Let’s lay her on the bed.” Youngjae suggested after he was done putting gauze on both wounds, Jade seems to have calm down as she just sniffles here and there.

Mark laid by her side, patting the child as he try to help her relax and luckily due to exhaustion after today’s events she fall asleep.

While tugging the child under the cover, he could hear a faint argument going on from the couch area in the room where Jaebum and Youngjae were seated after they helped him with Jade.

“What’s with you? Can’t you see what he did to Jade?” Jaebum’s voice was heard clearer as he got closer seeing how both were standing, glaring at each other.

“He might just be tired.” Youngjae rebutted, clearly wasn’t happy at how the person in front of him is freely accusing Yugyeom when he don’t even understand Yugyeom like he do.

“Are you blind? He just injured his freaking niece.” Jaebum hissed in annoyance, he really don’t understand why the other is being stubborn about this and refused to see the reality.

“What do you know, huh?” Youngjae snickered, he had enough of the older secretary acting like he know everything including Kim Yugyeom.

“Right, I don’t know anything. Why don’t you tell me then, who knows he is a hidden saint or something.” Jaebum rebutted sarcastically causing Youngjae’s blood to boil as he glare hard at the older.

“You..” Youngjae hissed, he wouldn’t tolerate anymore of the nonsense that this stupid throws at him any longer.

“Guys, please! Why are you even fighting?” Mark exclaimed, intercepting as he got closer while looking at the two worriedly.

“Well, this guy here still thinks that brat didn’t do anything wrong.” Jaebum sighed, plopping himself back on the couch in frustration

“Like I said, he might just be tired, right Mark hyung?” Youngjae stated his point, looking at the older hopefully but Mark knows better than anyone it’s nothing to do with him being tired.

He was pretty sure that the younger got pissed at what he ‘witnessed’ that’s why he brings it up earlier.

“Youngjae, Jaebum might have a poin…” Mark tried to reasoned but the usually sweet younger next set of words immediately shuts him up.

“What? So you are acting like you know everything just because you are with Jackson hyung now?” Youngjae snickered loudly, rolling his eyes at the older who just stares in shock.

“No, I…” Mark stuttered, he didn’t know how to react at this point while Jaebum frowned, he couldn’t believe the other just said that to Mark without a hint of guilt.

“Forget it, don’t act like you know us. You know nothing about us.” Youngjae said as he walk straight out of the room while Mark could only stare at his disappearing back before plopping down beside Jaebum with a sigh.

“Seriously...don’t pay any attention to him, Mark hyung.” Jaebum muttered, looking at the distressed older beside him whose zoning out.

“Why isn’t Jacks back yet?” Jaebum purposely wondered out loud, successfully pulling Mark out of his messy thoughts.

“Let me go and check on him.” The secretary suggested, ready to get up but Mark stops him before getting up himself.

“No, I will do it. Just help me accompany Jade.” Mark said with a small smile causing Jaebum to nod, he was fine with idea.

As he walked around the resort, Mark finally spotted the siblings by the quieter side of the pool area where people rarely plays there, fighting.

He immediately runs with the intention to break the fight when he saw Yugyeom throwing a punch towards Jackson’s stomach area that the older luckily dodged well.

When he finally got close enough, he saw Jackson gripped on Yugyeom’s shirt before staring at the younger whose with a bleeding gums now in addition to his blue black eye.

“What are you, huh? What are your heart made off?” Jackson hissed causing Mark to paused in his track, hiding behind a tree as he listened in on the conversation.

“Why should I care about that disgusting thing? It’s not worth my time.” Yugyeom snicked as he spat the blood out of his mouth before smirking at the older.

“That disgusting thing is your daughter, Kim Yugyeom.” Jackson half shouted, his grip got tighter but the younger just laugh to his face, somehow amused.

Wherelse Mark couldn’t believe his own ear, his mind instantly breaks down trying to make sense of the situation.

“Have you ever wonder how she had been this past five years? She is your daughter with Minjoo, your blood but you acted like she non existence. How cruel are you, huh?” Jackson asked, his voice sounded broken as he stares at the younger who just rolled his eyes.

“Minjoo is just a mistake, a mistake of my past that I erased from my life. The moment I left the States, they are non existence to my life and I wanna keep it that way. Why should I bother when it was you who chose to raise that thing? It was your choice, not mine.” Yugyeom said nonchalantly, peeling those hands off him before walking off but without those last bit that hits Jackson hard.

“It must really right to not have a family like me that you even raised that thing just so you can play happy family. You are indeed a trash after all.” Yugyeom sneered in amusement, smiling at the older before finally leaving.

Jackson could feel his legs giving out on him but he pushed himself forward since he needs to return to Jade and Mark, he got no time to deal with his hurt heart right now.

“Ka Yee..” Mark called out, appearing in front of the younger who were shocked to see him, quickly wiping his bleeding lips with his hand, forcing a smile on his face as the older got closer.

“What are you doing here, Yi En?” Jackson asked, trying his best to sound casual but he knows that he failed when the older only frown at him.

“Ka Yee, is Jade really Yugyeom’s daughter?” Mark asked, straight to the point because he needs to make sure before his heads explodes at all this truth.

“You heard everything?” Jackson muttered out rather than asking as he looks to the floor after hesitantly nodding to Mark’s question. 

Mark only kept quiet as he pulled the clearly broken and hurt younger into a tight hug, keeping him warm and safe in his embrace as Jackson slowly melted in his arms.

“I did the right thing to raise her, right?” Jackson whispered as he feel tears dripping down his cheeks causing him to quickly hide his face on the crook of Mark’s neck.

“Of course, you give her a life and look how she grown up to be.” Mark said, assuring and comforting the younger whose clearly self doubting himself after those words from Yugyeom.

“But why do I feel like I only make her suffer all these years? I really as a father.” Jackson said as he hold the older tighter while Mark could only rub circles on his back.

“What are you saying? Jade is lucky to be your daughter, don’t ever doubt that.” Mark said, sincerely because he could imagine how scary it must be to decide on something that’s against everyone and took responsibility when it’s not even his to start with.

Jackson sobbed hard the moment he heard those words, it’s makes him realized how much he had always wanted that assurance from someone, someone that could tell him that he didn’t make the wrong decision to raise his younger brother’s daughter.

“Good job, Ka Yee.” Mark praised, ruffling the younger’s hair lovingly as they stayed in that position for a while before slowly returning to their room where Jaebum is waiting for them.

####

Youngjae flipped through the channels but nothing really caught his interest since his mind is too occupied by Yugyeom.

He checked his phone on the coffee table just to see it’s already passed midnight but the younger has yet returned to their shared room.

Sighing, he puts down the device before trying to focus on whatever show that was on but it was no use, he was too distracted to watch anything.

As he closes the television, Youngjae heard the door opened before a drunk Yugyeom stumbled into the room causing him to quickly run to his side.

“What happened to you?” Youngjae asked, looking at how a messed up the other looked as he helped him over to the bed, laying the slurring younger down.

“Young...jae...yo.u...li..ke...me....right…” Yugyeom slurred out, smiling at the older before tugging on his arm causing Youngjae to fall on top of him.

“Go to sleep, Gyeom.” Youngjae exclaimed, ignoring his thumping heart as he tries to get up but the younger instead turned him over and pinned him to the bed, laughing as he watched Youngjae’s scared expression surfaced below him.

“Le..t’s..ha..ve..f..un…” Yugyeom slurred out before he attacked the older’s neck area while his hand tugging on Youngjae’s shirt before his hand feeling his body.

“Stop...Gyeom...please stop…” Youngjae begged, he clearly didn't see the day where he gonna be forced on by a drunk Yugyeom, the person that he truly loves from the start.

It didn’t do anything, Yugyeom keep on going that it caused the older to harshly pushed him off, making him lose his balance and landed on the floor.

Youngjae didn’t spare a second to help the wincing younger but instead make a run out of the room, away from Kim Yugyeom.

Meanwhile Jaebum couldn’t really fall asleep so he decided to roamed around the resort, taking in the fresh air while enjoying the dark sky.

When he noticed that familiar face, he took a double take just to make sure that he was seeing a messed up Youngjae leaning by a wall at the walkway near his room with Yugyeom.

Seeing how the younger secretary looked lost and scared, Jaebum slowly got closer just to see that he got a cut on his arm, bleeding a little.

"Hey, is everything ok? You are bleeding." Jaebum approached, startling the younger who slowly back away, looking dazed.

He noticed how messed up Youngjae's hair was and how his shirt look stretch a bit on some area like as if he just struggle or fight through something.

Jaebum took a step forward, slowly grabbing Youngjae's hand causing the younger to only stare, didn't particularly looked scared or disgusted.

"Let me treat your cut in my room, alright?" Jaebum said, taking it has a good sign before slowly bringing the younger back into his small room.

As he clean and treat the cut before putting on the gauze, he noticed how Youngjae didn't react much just some hissing here and there while staring blankly into the air most of the time.

Jaebum just stay quiet as he passed a bottle of water to the slightly shaky younger.

"Thanks." Youngjae muttered under his breath before taking a sip, eyes still staring into space with million of thoughts running through his mind.

"I know, it's none of my business but what happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Jaebum asked, taking in the courage to probe in even though he knows that he might be crossing the line since they aren't even acquaintance to start with.

Youngjae took a peek at the older, he don't think it's wise to share what happened to him since Jaebum might just laughed at him for being stupid all this time, defending someone that ended up hurting him.

He stare at the concern look on the older's face, finding it weird how Jaebum actually sincerely worried about him for the first time.

"Yug..ye..om....he..tr..ied...t.o for..ce...him..self...on..me.." Youngjae managed to uttered out, stumbling on those words that difficult to said while Jaebum just stare at him in shocked.

"THAT BRAT!" Jaebum hissed, readied to stormed out of his room to beat up the kid but Youngjae managed to hold on to his wrist.

"It's useless, his dead drunk." Youngjae said out sadly, trying his best to hold in the urge to cry, at least not in front of Jaebum.

"I'm so gonna tell Jacks about this." Jaebum sighed, plopping down back beside Youngjae who quickly shook his head, looking at the older.

"No, don't tell Jackson hyung. He don't need to know, he have enough on his plate with Mark hyung." Youngjae said, surprising the older who clearly don't know what the other meant.

"What do you mean?" Jaebum asked, looking at Youngjae who only sighed as he look at the floor sadly.

"Yugyeom likes Mark hyung, everyone in the company knows that but it seems like Jackson hyung wins Mark hyung's heart instead so things has been tense between the three of them so if he knows about this, the situation will just get worse." Youngjae explained, holding back his own throbbing pain while Jaebum only nodded, feeling stupid that he didn't noticed Yugyeom's reaction towards Mark and Jackson.

Without realizing the tears dripped on his cheek, surprising Jaebum who noticed the clear pain in Youngjae's eyes.

At this moment Jaebum couldn't decided what's the tears for but what he knows that no matter what it's for, Youngjae had been through alot at least for today.

"You can sleep on my bed, I will use this couch." Jaebum said once Youngjae seems to have calm down, smiling a little at the younger.

"Thank you, Jaebum hyung." Youngjae thanked, sincerely as he slowly got up and headed for the bed before trying to get the rest he deserved for today.

Jaebum smiled as he laid himself on the couch, he somehow feel great to hear those sincere words coming from the younger who has always been hostile towards him all this while.

Hello Influffies! I'm finally here again, sorry for the wait as I was busy with raya celebration and such but I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Are you guys surprised at the truth behind Jade's birth? Share with me your thoughts or complains on bad Yugyeom haha. Until next chapter, take care and stay fluffy.

PS: To my muslims Influffies, Selamat Hari Raya / Salam Lebaran or Salam Idul Fitri. I know it's a bit late but still, I hope you guys enjoyed it with your loved ones :)

<3 InfinitelyCassie