On their last night in Jeju, Jackson walked into the room to find Mark already curling to his sides on his bed, sleeping peacefully. Strands of blonde soft hair falling to his face, covering his closed eyes. Jackson kneeled beside the bed when the other let out a soft whimper, his eyebrows furrowed and thick lips pouting. The raven haired extended his arms, carefully soothing Mark’s brows with his thumb. Seeing the older face relaxed, Jackson let out a relieved sigh. He smiled, standing up to change his clothes. He heard Mark humming a faint tune in his sleep, but Jackson couldn’t hear clearly what he was humming. Right when he moved closer to Mark to listen better, the elder stopped his humming, turning around to his other side cutely. Jackson smile fondly at the sight. He didn’t know why his heart feel content when he saw Mark sleeping calmly like that. Maybe he liked Mark. Maybe... Shrugging the thought away, Jackson continued his forgotten task, changing his clothes and washing up before laying on his own bed to finally close his eyes with a smile plastered on his face remembering what happened with Tzuyu earlier.

Jackson never saw Mark again since they part ways in Gimpo airport back from Jeju. Mark said that he must go straight to the office, because he had to talk to his boss, to make sure he didn’t get fired because his childhood friend insulted the boss before dragging said employee out of his office for a vacation to Jeju. All of them laugh at this, but Jackson genuinely felt guilty. He had offered to accompany Mark to the office to talk to the boss, seeing that he was at fault, but Mark politely refused, saying he can handle it by himself. So that was the last time Jackson had saw Mark, going off in a cab with tired eyes. Mark never came home since that day. Jackson waited up for him almost every night even when Yoona already told him not to, because Mark has his busy schedule. When it happens, Mark could stay in his office for nights. The university provides him with a room if he ever needed to stay over for a project. The longest time he didn’t come home was for a month. Probably Mark was just busy this time, too. Mobody could hold him back in doing what he love, and working was something he loves a lot. Jackson had hoped Mark would come to say goodbye before he went back to Bali, but Mark didn’t even showed up. His parents, Mark’s parents, and Tzuyu sent him off to the airport the day he had to go. Tzuyu said Mark sent a text message to her, apologizing for not sending Jackson off, but it wouldn’t make any difference anyway. Tzuyu just laughed off when Jackson said, of course it’s different. But until he had to board to the airplane, Mark was nowhere in sight. Jackson finally left, after bidding goodbye to Tzuyu saying that he will come visit again soon and with a promise that he will propose Tzuyu when they meet again, saying that he will not forget to keep his health to Yoona, and reminding his parents to not forget to come back to Bali soon because their son still needs them at home even when he’s already 25.

So here Jackson was now, lying on the floor of his of his father’s studio. He’s been home for a week, doing nothing but painting. His father’s workshop was located in a complex where their house is also located, along with small houses of other dance teachers and painters. It was still open even though Xihao—as the main teacher and practically the principal of the painting and traditional dance studio—has yet return to Bali. The lessons are still going, most of the teachers are there anyway. Also Jackson still have to do his job; practicing, teaching, and getting prepared for a dance show which will be held in two weeks. But he has no energy to dance right now, or to surf. His friends has been coming to visit him and forcing him to go to the beach with them, but Jackson said to them he was still tired and still jetlagged. Just when he was about to drift to slumber land, Jackson’s nose caught a very familiar smell.

“Uhh.. I must be really tired and still missed Seoul. Nobody sell tteokppoki around here,” he told himself. He tried to get back to relaxing and trying to sleep, but he couldn’t. The smell was too strong. He finally decided to open his eyes again, “I wonder… Hey, Bli Putu..”

He stood up, made his way outside to ask one of the other teachers who lived with his family there. The other was painting on the studio’s porch.

“Bli, lagi ada yang mas—“ he was just asking Putu if there was anybody cooking something with Korean ingredients, but when he saw who his senior was talking with—while munching something the other had on his lap, Jackson couldn’t believe his eyes. “—MARK!?!?!?!?”

The lithe man sitting beside Putu threw Jackson his gummy smile, waving excitedly when he saw Jackson. “Om swatiastu, Bli Jackson,” Mark greeted Jackson in Balinese language.

“The hell?? What are you doing here???” Jackson rushed to Mark’s side, slapping his shoulder hard till the other winced in pain. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming??? Why in the world—yahhh!!!!”

Putu laughed his heart out seeing Jackson scolding and screaming at Mark, shaking the smaller shoulder until he was rocking back and forth on his chair.

“Ey ey ey, Jackson, sudah sudah..,” Putu was still laughing seeing them, it was entertaining, but he decided to stop Jackson. He doesn’t want Jackson to kill his best friend who just arrived from miles away, does he? “He came from far away to see you. Don’t kill him,” Putu said in his accented English.

“But how could… I mean, why are you here? And did I smell.. tteokppoki!!!” Jackson squealed in a happy tone when he saw what Mark had in his hand. “Where did you buy this?? Markie Pooh, oh my God, can I eat this now please please please?”

Putu shook his head at the sight of childish Jackson. He had known Jackson since the boy first moved to Bali, and he treated Jackson like his own little brother. He’s seen all of Jackson. His good side, his bad; how he sulk, how he is when he’s angry, how he is when he’s sad, how he is when he’s happy. He knew Jackson since he was 10, but he felt like he knew how Jackson was when he was still a child; seeing how he acted like a five years old sometimes. Just like now as he ate his favorite food which was rare to find around their neighborhood. The Balinese man decides to leave the two friends to talk. He knows how Mark, Jackson’s friend, feel about Jackson. He can feel it just by a brief conversation he had with Mark. He mirrored the smile Mark had as he listened as the young man talk about Jackson. And he was sure there’s something there in Jackson too, because he saw how Jackson’s eyes lit up when he saw Mark.

“So, when’s your interview’s scheduled?”

Jackson, chewing the rice cake chunks Mark fed him, asked the older. He already knew what Mark was coming for, actually. He didn’t know why inside his heart, he hoped to hear Mark say that he came because he misses Jackson, because he wanted to see Jackson, not because of his scholarship.

“Tomorrow,” he answered, offering Jackson another piece of the food, which Jackson received happily. He opened his mouth, letting Mark feed him and wiped his mouth every now and then cleaning it from the sauce.

“Awesome. It’s decided.”

The now pink haired male looked at the other beside him. “What’s decided?”

As the younger turned his head so the both of them are now face to face, Mark can see a wide grin plastered on his face. “After your interview, we explore Bali.”

“But..”

“No buts, Mark Tuan Yien! This is Bali, baby!” Jackson extend his arm, making Putu who just got back bringing two glass of water sulked because his shoulder was being slapped by Jackson. Mark laughed at it, but he nodded at Jackson’s word. Well, at this point, anything Jackson wished for is Mark’s command. Anything.

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Bali is nothing like Mark has ever experienced. The atmosphere of the city, of the whole island, was magical. People were modern, but also traditional at the same time. Mark has never seen anything like it before. Every morning, Jackson took Mark to the temple, called pura, to pray, before they start exploring Bali. Jackson has brought him to the biggest pura in Bali, and probably in the world, Pura Besakih. It was amazing to hear that every year, a ceremony was held in that pura with Hindus from every part of the world attend. He took Mark to the rice fields that was listed as the world heritage there. Jackson explained to Mark