The performance was magical. Mark didn’t have any other words to describe it. He miraculously remembered what he had to chant, how he had to move and when to do it. Every time Jackson came in to the set to play his part, Mark always felt like his heart stopped. He went blank every time he saw Jackson played his part. The feeling was between worried (because Jackson jumped here and there and Mark was just worried that he would slipped and fall) and proud at the same time. The audience cheered loudly whenever it was Jackson’s part and the insides of Mark’s chest felt warm and giddy whenever that happened. He was like being put into an auto-pilot mode the whole performance because he didn’t mess up anything while drooling at Jackson. Well, Bli Putu did said that the dancer were all put into some kind of half-tranced condition in this play, because they have to sing the whole performance and if it wasn’t done then they’d probably get exhausted halfway through the show. But still, he felt proud of himself. When the show finally ended, Mark followed the other to the dressing room, feeling content at the loud applause the audience was giving them. Mark knew the applause were probably addressed to the main dancers, but he was a part of this team anyway. He hugged all the Kecak dancers around him, as well as Bli Putu and Bli Wayan and a couple of other main dancers. When he saw Jackson, Mark didn’t hesitate to run to him and jump to his embrace.

“Gaga! We did it we did it we did it we did it!!!!” he said with his arms around Jackson’s neck.

Jackson hugged Mark’s slim waist tightly, letting the older man burry his face on his broad shoulder, screaming and letting go all of his excitement. He remembered his feelings from his first performances. Just like Mark, he was not the main dancer back then. He was just one of the 35 Kecak dancer, but it was very satisfying. It made him teared up, which probably what Mark was doing now. He could feel Mark starting to sniff, so he pulled back from the hug, looking at Mark.

“Hey, why are you crying?”

Mark didn’t answer. He bit his lower lips in attempt to stifle his sob. Shaking his head, Mark tried to smile to Jackson. “I just.. Just.. I’m really.. It’s really—”

“Hm?” Jackson cut Mark’s word in a teasing manner.

“I never thought..”

“Really?” Jackson didn’t wait for Mark to finish his sentence and went straight to teasing.

“I just..”

When Mark stopped talking and pinched Jackson’s flat stomach instead, the younger male roared a laugh. It was fun teasing Mark like this. Jackson knows Mark has such a carefree personality, but somehow whenever he was around Jackson the other was never completely happy or having fun. There’s always some kind of a depressed aura whenever he was around Jackson that the younger just couldn’t understand. Is he that depressing? Is he not funny enough? Is he not fun enough to talk to? So when Mark looked free of depression even when he spent the night performing with Jackson, Jackson felt happy.

After changing their costumes into casual clothes, Jackson asked Mark to come eat dinner with him. He took Mark to a seaside restaurant with one of the best night view in Kuta. It was a bit more crowded than other are, but tonight is about celebrating. And Kuta is the best place to celebrate. Jackson took Mark to one restaurant his friend owned, and they got a beautiful spot. Jackson had asked his friend to reserve it especially for him. They enjoyed the seafood, and after finishing dessert, they just sat there, enjoying their champagne while listening the sound of wave clashing. Mark closed his eyes, inhaling the breeze of the sea. Jackson decided to do the same. This is very weird. The last two weeks had been a blast. He enjoyed every second he spent with Mark. He showed every inch of Bali that he knows to Mark, and it didn’t seem that two weeks was long enough. He still wanted to be with Mark. He didn’t want Mark to go back to Seoul. What’s weirder was, in this past two week he spent with Mark, not once did he ever think about Tzuyu. He didn’t even care that she didn’t reply any of the e-mails he sent to her. Jackson had Tzuyu’s phone number, and it seems like she prefers texting and calling Jackson better than changing emails with him now.

Jackson sighed, trying not to think too much and just enjoy the night with Mark. He’s going back to Seoul the day after tomorrow, and Jackson wanted to make the best of his last days with Mark. That’s when he heard Mark hummed a song through his mouth. A very familiar song. He opened his eyes and whipped his head to Mark’s direction in shock hearing the smooth voice singing the tune he knows.

“Oh my heart hurt so good, I love you. So bad.. So bad.. Hmm hmm~”

Jackson didn’t know the words for Tzuyu – or “Tzuyu” – never share the lyrics in her letters, so he only knew the tune of the song. He knows it by heart. He looked at Mark with wide eyes, not believing what he’s hearing. By instinct, Jackson hummed along with Mark. Humming the tune he knows by heart, locking his eyes at Mark who still has his eyes closed. That was the tune he composed. That was the tune he shared to whoever it was he wrote to. It is impossible that one would know the tune so perfectly yet the person he thought he had wrote to didn’t have the slightest idea about that song. Suddenly it all became clear to Jackson why Mark was more familiar to him than Chou Tzuyu ever was.

Hearing a low and raspy voice humming along with his singing, Mark stopped. He felt like he just got struck by a lightning. He was afraid to open his eyes, so he kept it close. He thought of what he should say to Jackson to explain what he just did. He felt like kicking his own for doing such a mistake. How could he lose control? How could he slipped and sung that tune in front of Jackson? How could he—

“Don’t even try, Mark,” Mark heard Jackson said. There was anger obvious in the tone he’s talking with. “Don’t say that Tzuyu told you about this. Don’t say you heard this tune from her.”

Mark kept silent. He had no self-defense. He’s caught red handed. There’s no way out. Jackson kept looking at the other man who was still closing his eyes, squeezing it shut but Jackson could see fresh tears are forming in the corner of Mark’s eyes.

“Yien?”

The older man didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to say. The only thing his brain could think of was ‘get outta here, Mark, just get outta here!’. So he did the first impulsive action he could’ve think of. He rose up from his seat and turned around, walking away from their dinner table.

“No, no, Tuan Yien!” Jackson followed him suit. In no time the younger was standing beside Mark who hasn’t even took two steps away from their table, his hands holding Mark’s wrist. “Don’t you dare walk away from me.”

Mark took a deep breath, and finally said, “No, Jackson, you can’t. I didn’t mean to... You… this is—“

“This is the truth, Mark!” Jackson said in a whispered scream. “I should’ve known. I should have known. I’m so ing stupid!”

Mark could only close his eyes again. The melancholy music the restaurant was playing is not helping. It only made him feel sadder than he already has.

“You like tteokpokki so much, and Tzuyu doesn’t. You were the researcher from Seoul University. Chou Tzuyu was never interested in anthropology, let alone ethnomusicology. She couldn’t even pronounce the word correctly! The book you read, For One More Day, Mitch Albom, was your favourite while Tzuyu couldn’t even differentiate a book and a magazine! And then the song you just sang... I know that tune by heart, Mark. And Tzuyu never… NEVER continued the tune every time I hummed it. I... oh my God, I should’ve known!! Damn it! Yien!!”

Jackson’s other hand that wasn’t holding Mark’s slap the edge of their table. Mark squeezed his eyes shut, afraid of the rage his best friend was showing, but he was ready. He knows that this is all his fault. It was all his idea, to deceive Jackson like that. He’s ready to accept the risk, losing his friendship with the younger man. Even though it will hurt like hell, he’s ready. But just when Mark thought Jackson was going to slap him and hit him and throw him to the sea in front of them, he heard Jackson ask in a small voice.

“It was... it was you all this time, Yien?”

Mark did not answer. The result was Jackson growling, pulling Mark’s arm rather harshly to force him to look at the slightly shorter male.

“Tell me the truth! Was it you all along? Was it all real? Were you in love with me all this time?”

Mark slowly opened his eyes, focusing on Jackson’s chest in front of him that was heaving heavily. Mark could feel Jackson’s heavy breath on his forehead, knowing that the other is standing so close