When they arrive at Jeju, it was freezing cold. All of them checked in to the hotel, deciding to take a rest before exploring Jeju. As Mei had said, it was not a right time for vacation because everything is frozen and you can’t see anything in the snow. But Sophia again laughed her off, saying that she missed the snow so much she didn’t mind seeing the snow even if they take a walk on the beach.

Mark shared a room with Jackson, of course. But the first night at Jeju, after they went to the souvenir shop and had seafood for dinner, Mark didn’t come back to the room. Jackson didn’t see Mark the next day either. Even when they were taking the tour to Mount Halla, or the Goblin Road or to the beaches despite the weather, Mark was nowhere to be seen. Where did he go? What’s the point of taking this trip together if Mark keeps disappearing like this? What’s the point of Jackson making the older potentially getting fired if it feels like he’s not here with them? Jackson wanted to call him, but he realized that he didn’t have Mark’s number. Jackson asked his and Mark’s parents where he went, he also asked Tzuyu and her father, but none of them knew. Mei told Jackson he didn’t have to worry about Mark, he likes to disappear when he has a lot on his mind. He’ll come back eventually, he just needed to clear his mind from the stress eating him out.

After the exhausting tours, all of the family members decided to go back to their room to take a rest. Room service is their choice for tonight’s dinner. Jackson, who was bored being all alone in his room, thought he could go out to the souvenir shop they went yesterday to buy something he had saw for Tzuyu. He didn’t buy it yesterday because he knew their parents will all get noisy, teasing him until he couldn’t face the world anymore, so he thought it would be better to come back later alone.

“Good evening, Sir. Welcome,” Jackson heard the girl behind the cashier welcomed him. He was about to greet back when he a blonde haired man standing not far from the girl, examining some colorful stones placed near the cashier desk.

“MARK??”

Said man whipped his head to Jackson’s direction, his eyes widened at the sight. “Jackson?”

“What the hell?? Why are you here?” the younger man stormed towards Mark, approaching him in three big steps he didn’t even know he could take.

“Why am I here?” Mark chuckled. “Weren’t you the one who forced me coming here with you guys, even insulting my boss who probably would kick my out of the office by the time we get back?”

“You know I didn’t mean it like that,” Jackson didn’t laugh. It wasn’t funny for him. He spent last night and this day worrying about Mark—that probably he got lost in the forest while hiking or got carried away by the wave while playing in the beach (which probably was impossible remembering the weather). “You disappeared, Markie Pooh! You worried all of us!” it was a lie. Jackson was the only one worried about him. The others seem to know that Mark is doing fine, and him disappearing is apparently something they are all used to.

“Did I, now?” the blonde haired man smiled, wondering where the nickname came from. He moved around the room, leaving Jackson standing on his spot while following Mark’s movement with his eyes. “I thought you guys came here already yesterday?”

“How did you—you saw us?”

“Hmmm..” he nodded. He knows that Jackson was trying to coax him into spilling where he was yesterday, but Mark only smiled, looking at a wood carved to a dolphin statue, trying to read what’s written on it. “Why are you here again, then?”

“Oh!” Jackson suddenly remembered why he was there, forgetting that Mark hadn’t answered his question. He asked for something to the seller, something Mark couldn’t hear. When she handed the item to Jackson, Jackson turned to find Mark was looking at him. “Come here, Yieun.”

Mark obeyed. Jackson has called him without honorific words a couple of time and Mark scolded him from time to time, reminding him to call the older with Hyung or Ge. But today, Mark was not in the mood. He walked towards the other male, who grabbed his shoulders gently to turn Mark to the right. Just then Mark realized they were staring at their reflection in the mirror. Mark’s heart beats crazily against his chest, he was sure it would leave a bruise in the morning. He saw how perfect they were, standing like this with Jackson behind him, holding his narrow shoulders. Jackson is slightly shorter in height, but it didn’t made this position awkward at all. Mark wanted so much to turn around and hug him, but it was impossible,

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

Just then Mark felt Jackson putting something around his neck. A beautiful silver necklace with a heart pendant. Is Jackson...

“Jackson, this is—“

“It looks perfect on you.”

“Jackson..” it was like a dream for Mark. He wanted to pinch himself so hard to see if this was real. Jackson’s breath was tickling his ear, the warm chest pressing his back, it’s all real. It’s not a dream. But good dreams never last long, because then Jackson said something that crushed Mark’s heart into pieces.

“Imagine how beautiful this would look on Tzuyu.”

Mark could hear his heart fall and crash when he heard what the raspy, deep, and seductive voice whispered into his ear. His smile was gone in a second, as Jackson retreated his arm that was circling Mark’s neck. He walked to the cashier, while Mark turned around to look at him.

“Do you know what’s best? This necklace is..” Jackson took the pendant between his thumb and index finger, and twisted it. The silver pendant split into two parts, they were two different pendants, joint because it had magnetic material in it. “I will give Tzuyu this part,” he raised the one he held on his right hand. “Symbolizing that she has my heart. While I’m going to keep the other one, meaning... I hold her heart.”

Mark didn’t say a word. He only looked at Jackson in silence. It seems so impossible for him to break the love Jackson had for Tzuyu, regardless it was him who wrote Tzuyu’s letter to Jackson all this time. Jackson loved her then, he loves her now, and he will always love her. Now Mark understands that. It was time for him to give up, it was time for him to let go of Jackson.

“Mark?” Mark could see the worried look forming in Jackson’s eyes. ”Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?”

Mark let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, then forced a smile as he looked up to Jackson. “It’s... it’s beautiful, Jackson. I’m sure Tzuyu will love it.”

“I hope so,” not realizing the sad tone in Mark’s shaking voice, Jackson gave the necklace to the seller so she can pack it. He stole a glance at Mark who was just standing there, smiling sadly at Jackson. “Actually,” he suddenly said to the lady behind the counter, “you know what, I’ll take two of these.”

Jackson looked to his right, seeing Mark’s smile has changed into a confused expression. “For you. If ever you find your other half, you should give this necklace to them.”

It crushed Mark, the words that Jackson said. Feeling the hot sensation in the corner of his eyes, Mark closed it. He wasn’t going to breakdown now. Mark has made a decision. He’s going to let his best friends be happy. He can deal with this broken heart. Hell, he’s been dealing with it for 15 years. Even more, if the years before Jackson moved to Bali counts. Mark gave Jackson a small smile, not trusting his voice even for a thanks. When Jackson mirrored his smile and pulled out his wallet to pay, Mark turned around, trying to suppress the tears threatening to fall down.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“It tasted weiiiiii~rd!” Jackson whined. The two males are now sitting facing each other in a small tteokppoki restaurant near the souvenir shop they just visited. Jackson hasn’t eat dinner yet, and he was starving. Mark insists that he already had dinner and didn’t want to eat out, but when Jackson asked Mark with his best puppy eyes, saying that he wanted to eat tteokppoki with his favourite Hyung slash best friend, Mark gave up. Agreeing to the younger man’s request, here they are now sharing a large plate of tteokppoki and fishcakes with beers on the side.

Mark laughed seeing Jackson like that. The child Jackson from 15 years ago was still there. Mark was glad nothing much has changed from his friend. Of course not, he thought to himself, not even his love for Tzuyu.

Jackson saw Mark’s expression darkened. The older actually looked cute now with his lips jutting out, the chopsticks he’s holding still stuck between his mouth, a frown slowly forming on his forehead.

“Yah!” the younger hit Mark’s forehead gently with his spoon. “What’s with the expression?”

Mark shook his head, not wanting to ruin their rare alone time – couchwithoutTzuyucough.

“Nothing.”

Jackson wasn’t convinced, but he decide to let it go this time. After a minute of silence, Jackson cleared his throat. “So.. ,” he broke the silence. “… what’s with this... scholarship thing in Bali... that I don’t know about?”

Mark looked surprised at Jackson’s question. His eyes grew so big Jackson was sure it almost fell of its socket. “I… how did you—I never—Tzuyu told you?”

“Yeah,” Jackson answered casually. “I heard your conversation with your mother at the airport yesterday. You said you were tired and stressed out because you study too much. I asked Tzuyu what that was about. And she told me that… you were going to take a scholarship in Indonesia?”

Mark was contemplating if he should lie, telling Jackson that Tzuyu was just joking. But in the end, he decided to tell Jackson the truth.

“I’ve been in love with music my whole life. If you remember, Gaga, we used to compose together every day, just the two of us.”

“Yeah. Tzuyu was more of a singer, but the both of us made the so