Jinyoung's POV

"Jinyoung!" My mom yelled my name from downstairs.

"Yes, mom?"

"Come here! You'll never guess who has visited us!"

I sighed and I got up from my chair, before my mom yelled to me I was revising for the chemistry exam of next week.

I went downstairs with a lot of enthusiasm - ironically - but when I entered the kitchen I froze. It was him. I recognised him. It was actually him.

Mark.

Mark and his family.

There were ten years since I've seen him. Since he transferred with his family in Los Angeles, at that time I was just eleven years old, he was almost thirteen. We were best friends, maybe our feelings were deeper than the feelings of a simple friendship, but anyway we were too young to realize.

"Jinyoung, do you remember him? You two were best friends when you were younger." My mom said.

"Y-yea... Mark." After saying his name, Mark smiled to me.

"Ohh great!! Why don't you show him your room?"

"Mom... I'm 21, not 16."

"Oh come on, I'm sure Mark wants to see it!" She looked towards Mark, who smiled awkwardly.

I knew that I didn't have other choice, so I accompanied him upstairs, in my bedroom.

Once we got inside, there was a suffocating silence and I didn't know what to say to break it.

"M-make yourself comfortable, I n-need to take a thing..." I left the room almost running.

I locked myself in the bathroom because I wanted to send a message to Taeyeon, my best friend.

After Mark's departure I was feeling very bad, I can say that I was... depressed. She helped me to get up and move forward, though I've never stopped to think about him, and she knew that too well. A single day didn't passed without Mark's name didn't get mentioned in our conversations.

She's a few years older than me, she already works as a nurse at the city center hospital. I trust Taeyeon, she treats me like a little brother and I consider her as an older sister. I've told her things that even my parents don't know, she's an important piece of my life.

I was about to write the message when I noticed that she changed her name on my phone. Aishh that girl.

 

To: Taeyeon unnie ♡

You can't even imagine!! Mark is in my bedroom. MARK. MARK TUAN IN PARK JINYOUNG'S BEDROOM.

 

From: Taeyeon unnie ♡

OMG Jinyoung!! Finally you have a chance with him, don't waste it!

 

To: Taeyeon unnie ♡

What are you saying... I won't do anything.

 

From: Taeyeon unnie ♡

And you want to let him go like that?! I won't let you!! I'm tired of your everyday lovesick, you've been in love with him for almost ten years, since he left you never stopped thinking about him, though at the begin you were just a kid. I'm coming to you and I'm making you kiss him by force.

 

I immediately regretted texting her... Because when she says something, she means it seriously, and I was scared of what she could do.

 

From: Taeyeon unnie ♡

Why aren't you replying? Don't you dare to think that in this way you'll be able to run away from me. I'm at your house in 10mins.

 

To: Taeyeon unnie ♡

No Taeyeon wait!! Let's meet after lunch, the three of us. Anyway I don't think my mom will let me go out now, it misses less than half an hour to lunch time.

 

From: Taeyeon unnie ♡

What do you mean? I'm coming for lunch, tell your mother. Anyway I won't eat much, don't worry!

 

Taeyeon will never change... But it's also for this that I adore her, I couldn't deny that I needed her help.

 

Mark's POV *While Jinyoung is texting with Taeyeon* 

Jinyoung ran away, leaving me alone in his bedroom.

I didn't know what he was thinking about me, but I was happy to meet him again, even after all this time. I wanted us to be friends again, I knew that probably our friendship could never be like in the past, but at least I wanted to become closer to him.

Since Jinyoung wasn't coming back, I decided to take a better look at his room.

It was very clean... There was an open book on his table, maybe he was revising something before my arrival. I was feeling a little guilty for disturbing him.

But then I saw it.

The toy ring which I gave him in elementary school, promising him to marry him when we will be old enough.

I took it in my hands.

I couldn't believe at my eyes... Why did he still have it? It was also put in plain sight on his table, I mean it wasn't in some old drawer full of dust. I don't know why but I felt warm inside, I smiled to myself as I squeeze the ring in my hands.

I suddenly heard the door opening, for the rush I put the ring in my right bottom pocket.

"My mom said to come downstairs, lunch will be ready soon." It was Jinyoung.

I nodded and I went to the kitchen following his steps.

 

Jinyoung's POV

We were all sit at the table and the food was ready to eat in our dishes.

But where the hell was Taeyeon?!

*Ding dong* 

Here she is. "I'm coming!"

I cautiously opened the door, seeing Taeyeon's smiling face.

"Hey Jinnie."

"Where have you been?!"

She pushed me aside and entered home. "Aww Jinyoungie was worried for me, but I know how to look after myself so don't worry uselessly." She said as she sat at my seat.

"That was my seat."

"Yeah you're right, IT WAS." She said winking at me.

I pouted. The only free seat was at Mark's left.

Taeyeon, I'll make you pay that.

"Don't act like a child and sit down. Enjoy your meal everyone and thank you for hosting me!"

We ate in silence for a while, but at some point my mom spoke:

"Taeyeon, do you know Mark? He and Jinyoung were best friends when they were kids, maybe like how you're now with Jinyoung."

"Oh I didn't know, tell me more Mrs!"

She has such an angelic face that no one would never understood how evil she actually is.

This time it was Mark's mother to speak: "Well I don't know your relationship with Jinyoung, but he and Mark promised to each other to get married when they would became older." She let a nostalgic laugh.

Ahh what an embarrassing thing...

"True!! I don't know if you remember, but Jinyoung kissed your son on the lips the day of your departure!" My mother added, embarrassing myself even more...

I throw her a nudge and whispered: "Please mom stop..."

She laughed and said: "There's nothing wrong with that Jinyoung!! You two were so cute!"

I hid my face behind my hands, I didn't know what else to do.

But this action made laugh everyone, our fathers and Taeyeon too.

I stole a glance at Mark... He seemed embarrassed as much as I was, but he was very cute when he blushed. I always blushed too much and my face always become worse than a tomato.

Lunch time continued with other awkward stories about me and Mark, when I finally finish eating I said:

"Mom I'm going out with Taeyeon."

"Bring also Mark with you!! You wouldn't want to leave him here alone!"

"But-"

Taeyeon interrupted me. "Of course Mrs!! It's okay if we have dinner outside? I'll pay since you offered me lunch!"

"Okay but don't come back too late! Mark has to leave again tomorrow morning, so today he has to go to bed early to rest properly. And Jinyoung, woe to you if you let Taeyeon to pay dinner!"

 

Mark's POV

Why do Taeyeon and Jinyoung walk so close to each other? I was right behind them, they didn't deigned me a single glance.

"Mark why are you walking so far from us? Come here!" Taeyeon said, taking my arm and pulling me near them.

Taeyeon... Who knows what's her actual relationship with Jinyoung?

'Friends like me and Jinyoung in the past'

This sentence made me quite... jealous. But I had no right to. I should've been happy for him, right? Taeyeon is a really beautiful girl and if I hadn't Jinyoung always in my thoughts, I would've done a little thought on her too.

"I didn't want to be the third wheel." I dared to ask. I wanted to know if they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

Taeyeon started to laugh as if I made the funniest joke of the century.

"The only third wheel here is me."

"Shut the up Taeyeon!" Jinyoung seemed quite annoyed.

"What's that language? Respect your unnie."

"I'm a boy! Stop teasing me noona!"

Were they just joking or were they quarreling seriously?

"Noona? Are you older than Jinyoung?" I asked. Is Jinyoung into noonas? Uhm anyway I'm older than him too, I can always be his hyung?

Aishh Mark you have to stop thinking that way, if Jinyoung loved Taeyeon you have no right to come between them.

"Yes, I'm five years older than him."

"Oh wow... I mean, it doesn't seem." So she's four years older than me...

She simply smiled. "Do you see Jinnie? Mark appreciates me, not like you."

"But I appreciate you too..."

"Aww come hereee"

Then they... Hugged. In front of me.

"Aishh not in the middle of the street!" Jinyoung pulled away almost immediately.

We continued our walk on the streets of my childhood district. Plenty of memories filled my mind and I had to hold back the tears, but my eyes were already quite watery.

 

Jinyoung's POV

Normally I would've tighter the hug with Taeyeon, but now there was Mark with us and the last thing I wanted was that he misunderstood my relationship with her...

"I'm buying you some sweets." My noona offered.

"I'll give you the money." I said.

"It doesn't matter, you'll pay dinner." She winked at me and disappeared into the confectionery.

I sighed and I turned towards Mark.

Was he... Crying?

"A-are you okay M-Mark?"

He sniffed, his gaze on the ground. "Y-yes... I'm sorry."

 I reluctantly put my hand on his shoulder and I said: "I thought I won't ever see you again... I-I missed you."

After these words he looked up and smiled.

With my trembling hand I wiped his tears off his face.

His eyes were closed now, and his skin was so soft under my fingers...

My gaze rested on his lips, I smiled at the memory of when I kissed them, many years ago. It was just a chaste and innocent kiss, but it was a beautiful experience.

The day I've done that was a very sad day. The day of Mark's departure to Los Angeles. I remember that we hugged for at least twenty minutes and when we pulled back Mark started to cry desperately, the only thing that came in my mind was to kiss him. Anyway I won't see him again, I could've risk our friendship because of that.

I could've risk now, too. Anyway he'll go back to Los Angeles tomorrow.

Yes, it surely worth to risk.

I slowly started to approach his lips, he didn't move even if he probably could feel my breath on his face.

However I stopped some inches before our lips touched, it didn't seem right. I didn't know him like I did before. How could I say that he hadn't already someone special?

But he moved and allowed our lips to touch, he brought his head a little forward and I felt his lips brushing lightly on mine.

"Ahh that's embarrassing! Kiss properly you two!"

I the side where the voice came, too known to me, and I saw Taeyeon with a little bag of sweets.

"What are you saying? We weren't kissing." I noticed that Mark's expression fall, I didn't mean to hurt him, it's just that I didn't want things to be awkward.

"Yeah and I'm UK's Queen." She teased me. "C'mon guys you don't need to be shy around me."

"Let's continue our tour and show to Mark how much our district has changed in these past years." I tried to change the subject.

"If it's that what you want..." Taeyeon replied.

 

Mark's POV

We were walking around for almost 5 hours and I started to get tired... Don't misunderstand, I enjoyed visiting the district where me and Jinyoung played when we were kids, but Taeyeon... Annoyed me.

I didn't find her unpleasant, rather sometimes I wanted to laugh at her jokes too, but I tried to refrain myself from doing that.

It was because she interrupted what I was doing with Jinyoung... I'll never have the courage to do that again. That moment was perfect because it seemed that he also wanted to... Kiss me.

But I won't define that a kiss... Our lips barely touched. And Jinyoung himself didn't consider it as a kiss.

"Mark, are you hungry? Do you want to stop and eat?" Taeyeon asked.

"I'm starving." I laughed a bit.

"Yeah me and Jinyoung too!! Let's go then, I'll bring you into a great restaurant!" She grabbed my and Jinyoung's hands and dragged us with her.

Dinner was great, just like she said.

We ate for almost an hour and when we went outside it was already dark. And it was raining. Hard.

"I think it's better if you come at my place, Jinyoung's house is too far and you would end up getting a cold.

I nodded, not like I had other choice anyway...

Besides being dark it was also cold, and the wet clothes from the rain didn't help.

"Here to the right." Taeyeon spoke, breaking the silence in which we were immersed because we were too focused to run to reach her house as soon as possible.

She opened the gate of a beautiful house, with a big garden which would be amazing if seen at sun's light.

"Come on Mark, hurry up!"

"Oh yes, sorry." I mentally slapped myself and I ran to reach the inside. Yeah. I ran.

I slipped on the wet ground and I fell with my on the grass, getting dirty with the mud.

"Mark are you okay?" Taeyeon helped me to stand up, Jinyoung was already inside and luckily he didn't see anything.

"Uh you smeared with mud... Don't worry, I should have some clothes that Jinyoung has never brought home after he forgot them here, let's enter inside."

"I-I don't want to..."

"You don't want to?! Do you want to stay here in the rain? Go immediately inside or I'll be mad at you!"

I lowered my head. "I don't want Jinyoung to see me like this... Full of mud."

She raised my chin with her fingers and smiled at me. "Awe you're so cute... Don't worry he won't see you, he's probably watching TV right now and he probably didn't even notice that we're still outside."

"But what is he going to say when he'll see me with his clothes?"

"I'll try to convince your parents to let you sleep here, Jinyoung will simply think that you need fresh clothes to sleep. And for tomorrow your clothes will be clean, I'll wash and dry them tonight." She winked at me, a thing she does very often with Jinyoung from what I saw.

"You're so kind and I don't know how to-"

"Yeah okay! Now please go inside!"

 

Jinyoung's POV

"Jinyoung!"

I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was Taeyeon's face. "What?"

"Were you sleeping?" She chuckled.

"Maybe... What do you want?"

"Mark's having a shower and he'll sleep here, do you want to sleep in the same bed with him?"

"What are you- Taeyeon why are you so erted?!"

"I was just asking..."

"Did his parents allow him to sleep here?"

"Yes, they're fine with that but I have to let Mark go to bed early because of their tomorrow departure, they don't want him to be tired."

"I'll sleep on the couch."

She pouted. "But why?? You have the chance to sleep in the same bed with the guy you like and you want to sleep on the couch?! I won't let you to do that!"

I ignored her, but she obviously couldn't just let things go.

"I didn't ask you to take a shower with him, you just should share a bed with him! You two could kiss for the entire night, I don't understand why you don't want to..."

"Stop it."

"Anyway I found this in Mark's pocket." She left something on the couch, but I didn't care to watch what.

She turned around and walked out of the living room.

I sighed. Did she think that I wouldn't like it? To kiss Mark all the night long... But I couldn't just do that. After he initiated the kiss this afternoon I may thought that he liked me too... But he'll leave tomorrow, I didn't want to get attached to him again because I would end up hurt like the last time.

 

Mark's POV

I've just finished taking a shower and I decided to go downstairs, where there were both Jinyoung and Taeyeon.

I felt a bit shy wearing Jinyoung's clothes... Specially his boxers, even if Taeyeon assured me that they were new and that Jinyoung forgot them at her house when they went to shopping two or three weeks ago.

The pajama I was wearing was forgotten more than a month ago instead, when Jinyoung had a sleepover from her.

I saw Taeyeon exiting outside. "Hey Taeyeon..."

She didn't reply, maybe she didn't even hear me... My tone of voice was quite low, I was still a little shy towards her and I didn't dare to yell her name.

I went into the living room and there was Jinyoung who was watching TV. I sat beside him on the couch.

I turned my head to look at him and I noticed how gorgeous his profile was, his features were so... y?

"You're staring."

I was taken by surprise and I blushed slightly. "I just missed you so much and I still can't believe that you're here with me."

He rested his head on my shoulder. "Do you really have to leave tomorrow? How will I know that this day wasn't just a dream?"

"I could stay..."

He suddenly got up from my shoulder. "Really??"

I nodded. "Yes... Anyway I would return after a couple of months to transfer definitely here, but I can also just stay here without coming back to Los Angleses. But I don't have a place where to stay, I'll have one after two months, so I don't know where-"

"You can stay at my place!"

"But in your room there's just a- OH NO!"

"What??"

"Your ring!! It's in my jeans and Taeyeon just went to wash them!"

"R-ring?"

"Y-yes... Wait a minute." I abruptly got up and I was just about to run and search Taeyeon when Jinyoung almost shouted:

"Wait!! I think this is the ring you were talking about... You sat on it."

I turned around and I saw Jinyoung with the ring in his hands, I sighed in relief. "Y-yes... I'm sorry I shouldn't have taken it from your bedroom..."

He chuckled. "Do you remember that you gave it to me?"

I muttered a 'yes' and I sat again on the couch.

"Uhm... Do you remember also why?"

"Y-yeah... O-of course. I'm glad that you kept it for so many years."

"I was still believing in your promise."

I blushed madly at his words. "Are you saying that you're no longer believing in my promise?"

"I'm not sure." He chuckled. "Anyway you said you could stay here?"

"Oh yes! If you want I can stay..."

"Don't you want to stay?"

"I-I do..."

He watched in my eyes. "Why?"

"I-I don't want to leave you another time... I want to be friends with you like before my departure." Actually I wanted something more than friendship, but I thought that for now it was better to not tell him.

He shifted his gaze on the TV screen. "I don't want to be friends with you."

"W-why not?"

"How can two friends marry each other? Or don't you want to keep your promise?"

I widen my eyes at Jinyoung's words, I didn't expect him to be that bold. But doesn't it mean that he wants to marry me??

 

Jinyoung's POV

I don't know what got into me, I mean Mark promised to marry me when he was like seven years old!! But I wanted to let him know that I like him in that way, and anyway he kissed me before, at 99% he likes me too...

"J-Jinyoung d-do you like me?"

"No! What the hell are you thinking?"

"O-oh I'm s-sorry... I thought that-"

"I love you silly." I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and I nuzzled my face in his neck.

That scent.

I didn't realize how much I missed it until I felt it again. "I missed you so much."

I felt his arms wrapping tightly around my body and I suddenly felt very confident. "By the way I should've been the one to ask if you liked me since it was you who kissed me earlier."

"Well it was you who dangerously approached my lips."

"Do you want to invert?"

"What?"

"You approach my lips and I kiss you." I said as I lifted myself to have a better view of his eyes.

"Why are you saying these things out loud Jinyoung? It's so embarrassing..."

"I'll whisper them next time then."

"You didn't change at all, you're the same annoying kid."

"I've never been an annoying kid-"

"Come here." He cupped my face and brought it closer to his, then he placed a soft kiss on my lips.

"That kiss was too short." I whispered, keeping my promise.

"Give me a longer one then."

"But I want a long kiss from you."

"And I want one from you."

"You're so childish."

"The only child here it's you."

"But you love me anyway."

"I do."

"What?"

"I love you." Then he gave me that long kiss.

I kissed him back and it felt so damn good. The softness of his lips and the gentle way he moved them on mine was something that I still can't describe. 

I never wanted to stop kissing him like this, but eventually someone interrupted us...

 

Taeyeon's POV

I was upset because of Jinyoung's behavior, he disappointed me. I didn't want Mark to leave without knowing what Jinyoung felt for him... 

After I put Mark's clothes in the washing machine I came back inside home. I took the sweets' bag that I've bought earlier and I went into the living room, when I was feeling like this I just wanted to fill myself with food.

When I stepped in the living room I almost had a heart attack. They. Were. Kissing. And this time properly!

"Aww finally you did it!" I didn't want to interrupt them, but I just couldn't refrain myself.

They pulled away and watched in my direction, cheeks flushed.

"Great job guys, finally!" I sat beside Jinyoung while clapping - in part ironically - my hands.

"Who started the kiss? I bet it was Mark because you're just a shy mess." I whispered to Jinyoung.

"Shut up Taeyeon and give me a candy."

I pouted but I handed him a candy anyway. I couldn't pretend to be angry because I was just too happy for them...

"By the way if he's your boyfriend now it's all thanks to me."

"But you didn't do anything to help me! You're so unhelpful, I don't even know why you're my best friend."

"Maaark!! Tell your boyfriend that it isn't true! I was very helpful for both of you!"

"Yeah, Taeyeon you're so helpful..."

I winked.

 

 

 

 

 

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That's the longest thing I've ever written, it's 4K words and it took a lot of time to write T^T

Also this is the first time I'm switching POVs like this and I hope it didn't come out too messy lol

I sincerely thank subscribers who stayed stuck to this story even if I took a long time to update ;; I love you guys

So, what do you think? Is Taeyeon helpful or not? xD