Mark has had a long, dreadful day of class presentations and all he wants to do is crawl into bed but his poor life choices of procrastination means that he hasn’t even started on the six-page history paper due in two days. The gloomy weather doesn’t help his mood and he seriously considers just heading back to his dorm room to sleep off the stress but the thought of his roommate questioning him on the progress of his paper quickly extinguishes that thought.

 

There’s nothing wrong with Jinyoung and he’s actually a great roommate and friend but when comparing their work ethics, Mark’s is embarrassingly nonexistent. It’s hard to be interested in a class that is unrelated to your major, and while Mark is pursuing a degree in computer science, Jinyoung is in rhetoric and composition, making him greatly fascinated in any sort of writing, meaning he will definitely try to be as involved as possible in writing the paper. Mark appreciates the help but he really doesn’t feel like having Jinyoung breathe down his neck for the next forty-eight hours while simultaneously scolding him for not starting sooner.

 

Mark starts the trek to the library but finds himself in the campus cafe instead, his addiction to caffeine leading him there unconsciously. The cafe is graciously empty with no line to the counter. “Yo, Peniel,” Mark calls out when he sees no one behind the counter. Peniel always works Tuesday nights so he’s probably in the kitchen cleaning. The man in question walks out at the call.  

 

“Mark, hey! How’s it going? The usual?” Peniel asks, already tapping the order into the computer.

 

“Yeah, the usual. And I have forty-eight hours to write a six page paper so things could be better.”

 

“Six only? No sweat!”

 

Mark hands over his card to pay before leaning against the counter to wait for the other to make his coffee.

 

“So, guess what I heard happened at Nayeon’s party last weekend?” Peniel isn’t even looking at his hands as he puts the drink together, choosing instead to make eye contact. Mark is slightly worried about the other making a mess but knowing how coordinated Peniel can be even when intoxicated eases his concern. “You weren’t there, right?”

 

“No, my parents needed me home so I went back. Why?” Mark accepts the drink from Peniel.

 

“Well, without you there as a bodyguard, Jinyoung was approached by tons of people. From all years. It was one after another, consecutively--”

 

“Wait, Jinyoung went?” Mark interrupted. His roommate is a lightweight and typically passes on party invitations, only going when Mark asks him to be designated walker, so why would he go to a party without Mark?

 

“Yeah, he was with Wonpil, I think? Anyway, he rejected everyone. Every. One. Even Tzuyu! The unanimously voted prettiest first year,” Peniel says all this with eyes as big as saucers, as if he was proclaiming some breakthrough scientific discovery.

 

Mark merely blinks at the information. “Well, yeah. He has a boyfriend.”

 

“So it’s true!?”

 

“Yes? Why would he lie about it?”

 

“We all thought he was just making an excuse,” Peniel keeps his shocked face on.

 

“No, I’ve met him. Jaebeom’s a nice guy. They match well,” Mark says, thinking of his first Skype conversation with Jaebeom, which had happened a mere hour into meeting Jinyoung. Jaebeom only knows limited English so their conversation was just short greetings and awkward smiles but over the past semester, Mark has gotten used to the daily Skype calls his roommate has with his boyfriend an ocean away; has even experienced many moments where they both managed to tease Jinyoung into a upset, pouty lump.

 

“Thought he was just trying to gently let people down but he really does has a sweetheart in the motherland. Who knew,” Peniel shrugs. “Well, I guess people can go back to chasing you around since Jinyoung’s off the market now.”

 

Mark can only roll his eyes, “Great.”

 

It’s just past midnight when Mark makes it back to his dorm room. He slips his shoes off, dumps his backpack on the floor by his desk and jumps into bed, prepared to take a power nap. Jinyoung will wake him up when he returns from wherever he went. He’s just managed to doze off when the door opens. From the pleasant smell suddenly enveloping the small room, Mark can tell Jinyoung had been in the bathroom showering.

 

“Oh, Mark, you’re back? Were you in the library?” Jinyoung asks, English slightly accented. Over the past semester, Mark has gotten to know the Korean native very well and even considers him a close friend. Jinyoung is attending university in the US for a one-year study abroad program. He had taken English classes growing up so he was already fluent in the language at the time of his arrival in the US, his only trouble was with shaking off his accent. Jinyoung is the youngest child with two older sisters; thus, leading to his natural cuteness and mischievous behavior that comes out when he wants it to. Mark most often sees this side of Jinyoung when Jaebeom is connected on a Skype call. Jinyoung had met Jaebeom back in high school and although they clashed at first, they eventually became inseparable, even attending the same university and living together in a small one-bedroom apartment.

 

The first time Mark met Jinyoung, he was starstruck. Mark isn’t unattractive by any means and has actually been called handsome--sometimes, even pretty-- his whole life but looking at Jinyoung, he couldn’t believe the Korean male wasn’t an actor or model of some sort. As if that wasn’t enough, Jinyoung holds a good several inches on Mark and even has a firm peach to top it off. It wasn’t hard to understand why he became an overnight sensation among Mark’s circle of friends and acquaintances. Even now, everyone still questions Mark on the platonic nature of their friendship and if he’s honest, beyond appreciation for the other’s visuals, he has no desire for Jinyoung, partly because of his habit of leaving dirty laundry everywhere and also because after witnessing the routine Skype calls for about two months now, he knows Jinyoung only has eyes for Jaebeom.  

 

“Yeah, got started on my history paper,” Mark replies to Jinyoung’s question, hand rubbing at his tired eyes.

 

“Do you need help with that? I don’t have any major assignments to work on so I’m free to assist,” Jinyoung offers. He’s seated at his desk, looking into a mirror as he starts on his skin regime. Mark had made fun of the routine at first but after a few nights of following along after Jinyoung, he realized the importance of skincare and now swears by it too, albeit a lot less meticulous than the other. He notices that Jinyoung has also pulled up Skype on his laptop.

 

“I’ll probably have you read over it once I’m finished but it’s going to be a while. Jaebeom doesn’t work today?” Marks tugs his own laptop out onto his lap, determined to get at least half his paper done before retiring for the night.  

 

“He does but I just wanted to call him real quick. He’s been super busy so I rather call him before his shift than when he’s going to bed.”

 

Mark watches in amusement as Jinyoung carefully styles his damp hair before clicking on the call button. It takes a few rings but Jaebum eventually appears on the screen, seemingly outside as he’s squinting his eyes against the sunlight. Before Jinyoung can greet his boyfriend, Mark calls out, “Hey Jaebeom!”

 

Jinyoung whips around to his teeth at Mark, playful annoyance on his face. Jaebeom laughs and replies back, “Hi Mark-eu.” The two Koreans then start speaking quietly in their native tongue, leaving Mark to entertain himself. True to his words, Jinyoung ends the call after a few minutes.

 

“So, Peniel told me something interesting today,” Mark says when he sees that Jinyoung is just aimlessly scrolling through his phone. “He said you went to Nayeon’s party last week.”

 

“Oh yeah. Wonpil wanted me to be his wingman but ditched me as soon as he saw Jae.”

 

“So what happened with all the people that came onto you? I heard that you even rejected Tzuyu, the ‘unanimously voted prettiest first year’?” Mark asks with the sole purpose of watching Jinyoung become flustered. For some reason, Jinyoung was always shy when it came to his attractiveness, preferring to dismiss compliments completely.

 

“I told them I have a boyfriend. I always tell them that but they keep bothering me still.”

 

“It’s because long distance relationships spanning across oceans are basically mythical. They’re hoping you’ll break up and then sleep with the first person you see.”

 

“But why would I do that? I don’t even know them like that?” Mark has to stop himself from laughing at the genuinely confused expression on his roommate’s face.

 

“Because you’re smart, good-looking, and tall.” That last adjective may or may not have came out as a bitter grumble.

 

“But you’re so much more handsome than me. Why aren’t they bothering you?”

 

“Because I’ve been rejecting them for the past three years and you’re new here. New faces always stir up more attention. But don’t worry, they’ll eventually get tired of being rejected by you and then you’ll finally have peace.”

 

“It is a curse to be born with a face like mine,” Jinyoung solemnly states, leaving Mark to give him a face, features scrunched up to express his distaste at the other’s words before they both break into laughter.

 

“So, he does have a boyfriend?” Nayeon asks, one hand propped under her chain, the other tapping a pen against the tabletop in a rhythm that’s starting to grind Mark’s ears. Over the past weeks, on top of his own suitors, he’s been approached by multiple people to confirm whether or not Jinyoung really has a boyfriend. He’s not sure why they think he would be a more reliable source than the person in question himself but he does know that he’s had enough human interaction to last him a year at the least.

 

This time, they found him on the eighth floor of the library, tucked into the furthest corner. Mark knows Nayeon and Jennie but there are a few people he doesn’t recognize. “Yes. His name is Jaebeom and they’ve been dating for years now.”

 

“But why would he come to America, the land of opportunities, cuffed and unwilling to experiment?” a girl Mark only vaguely recognizes asks. Jennie lightly knocks a knuckle against the girl’s forehead.

 

“That doesn’t even make any sense,” Jennie chides the girl before turning back to Mark. “So you’re sure he’s serious about this Jaybee dude?”

 

“Jaebeom. And yes, I am sure.” Mark can feel a headache forming and he’s tired of people asking him about his roommate. Why can’t people just understand that Jinyoung is not interested nor available?

 

“But how do you know?”

 

“Well first, they Skype every day. Second, Jinyoung must have stolen the guy’s entire wardrobe judging by the frightening amount of oversized sweaters he has. Third, there’s a shrine of Jaebeom’s face in our room because Jinyoung misses him that much.”

 

“But what if Jarbean is a celebrity or something? I hear KPOP is really big these days. What if Jinyoung is just obsessed with one?”

 

Mark wonders if he should grace that question with an answer or just gather his books up to leave.

 

He leaves.

 

It’s not until that following weekend when Jinyoung has had a little too much to drink that everyone finally believes his claims of being tied down to a high school sweetheart some six-thousand miles away.

 

They had been invited to the house party by an upperclassman who was quite fond of Mark. The two planned to drop by, say hey, and then hightail it out of there but somewhere between greetings and farewells, Mark had been separated from Jinyoung and by the time he found him again, the other was two shots and who-knows-how-many drinks in, hand clutching the karaoke microphone.

 

Mark watches on in amusement as Jinyoung belts out lyrics to a Korean ballad. Some of the audience members are singing along while the other half just stares moon-eyed at his roommate. Choruses of ‘he can sing!?’ ring out as more people join the crowd. The song ends and with the microphone still at his mouth, Jinyoung practically shouts, “Who wants to see Jaebeommie hyung? My Jaebeommie is the most handsome!” Jinyoung proceeds to take out his phone, opening up the Skype app and raising his phone up so that when Jaebeom answers, he will be able to see Jinyoung, as well as the small crowd behind him.

 

Jaebeom answers the call, immediately being bombarded with Jinyoung’s excited, drunk chatters. Mark decides it’s at this point that he should step in to save Jaebeom from his roommate’s antics. He cuts through the crowd to Jinyoung, takes away his phone and drags him out the front door, depositing the karaoke microphone in some unsuspecting partygoer’s hand.

 

Once they’re away from the noise of the party, Mark turns the phone on himself and apologizes to Jaebeom. “Hey Jaebeom. Sorry about that, Jinyoung is drunk right now.”

 

“Hey! I’m not drunk!” Jinyoung protests from where he’s swaying on his feet, one hand still clutched in Mark’s. Mark flips the camera on the phone so he can film Jinyoung. Jaebeom watches the screen, large smile finding its way onto his face as he watches his boyfriend pout while simultaneously giving a glare. He says something in Korean, probably directed at Jinyoung. Mark flips the camera back to selfie mode then hands the phone over to Jinyoung, who eagerly takes it and almost smashes it right into his face. Mark can only hope the other doesn’t drop and break his phone.

 

The two talk in Korean for a few minutes then Jinyoung is handing the phone back to Mark. Upon seeing his face, Jaebeom speaks in stilted English, “take care Jinyoung, okay? He is bad drinker.”

 

“Don’t worry, I will. I’m taking him home right now.”

 

“Okay, good. Thank you.”

 

After ending the call, Mark looks up to find Jinyoung has stabilized himself and is now sporting a satisfied, mischievous smile. “So, want to tell me why you did that?”

 

“I figured this was the only way to get people to believe that Jaebeom hyung exists. Can we get nuggets on the way back? I’m starving.”

 

The plan thankfully works and no one approaches Mark about propositioning Jinyoung anymore. This means the number of people hitting on him has increased back to pre-Jinyoung times but Mark has enough practice with rejecting people that he could do it in his sleep.

 

Despite how sickeningly sweet and ideal Jinyoung and Jaebeom’s relationship seems to be, there’s bound to be bumps and hiccups, misunderstandings complicated by the vast distance separating the two. Jinyoung has ranted more than once about how Jaebeom always complains that he never updates his social media, almost as if he’s intentionally hiding his life in America. Of course, Jinyoung isn’t hiding anything and Jaebeom knows that, it’s just that he is and always has been a private person with no interest in maintaining an online identity. When he’s not studying or doing homework, he’s nose deep in a book or out volunteering for various organizations. Mark has stalked the other boy before and was disappointed to find that instead of embarrassing photos and tweets to use as blackmail, all Jinyoung ever posted was cheesy photos with or of Jaebeom coupled with succinct, fake-deep captions. There’s not even any photos of teenage-Jinyoung to make fun of.

 

The inactivity holds no importance to Mark but it has the opposite effect for Jaebeom, who thinks that Jinyoung is purposely forgetting to update so that he can hide any infidelity that may be occuring. In the beginning, Jaebeom had even accused Jinyoung of cheating on him with Mark. Thankfully, that had gotten sorted out, even though Jaebeom’s jealousy still flared up from time to time when Mark accidentally touches Jinyoung too long or in the ‘wrong places’ during Skype sessions.

 

That doesn’t mean Jinyoung is an angel, however. If Jaebeom’s possessiveness is bad, then his is terrible. Jaebeom is a films production and photography major so his social media is flooded with overedited self-portraits and artsy shots in dark alleyways. He also often features his friends and crew members so every few weeks, Mark comes home to an upset, teary-eyed Jinyoung zooming in and out of pictures on his phone.

 

Recently, Jaebeom has started posting photos with a certain male named Jackson, as Jinyoung discovers when he stalks the profile of unfamiliar face. Jinyoung shows Mark Jackson’s photos no doubt in an attempt to gain sympathy comments of ‘he’s not even as handsome as you, Jinyoung.’ Well, Jackson is insanely good looking, clear complexion with sparkling puppy eyes and soft, full lips. His dark hair frames his forehead, shaped into the comma style that Jinyoung also frequently sports. Mark has to admit, Jackson is probably the most attractive guy he’s ever seen. But Jinyoung is currently sending eye daggers at him so he barely manages to spit out a meek “he’s...shorter than you,” which goes to say, is not the reaction Jinyoung wanted.

 

“Mark! Are you saying the only advantage I have over him is my height? Do you think that’s what Jaebeom hyung thinks about when he’s in bed alone, cold and wanting a warm body to cuddle? That ‘Jackson is shorter than Jinyoung so he’s not worthy of my love?!’”Jinyoung’s dramatic reaction is so adorable that Mark can’t stop the small smile that graces his lips.

 

“Why are you laughing? It’s not funny,” his roommate absolutely, positively whines. He looks like a five year old who’s pouting because he was denied his favorite snack. Mark lies down on his bed and pats the space beside him for Jinyoung to join.

 

“Do you really think Jaebeom would do that to you? Do you doubt his love that much?” Mark asks once Jinyoung has made himself comfortable.

 

Jinyoung hesitates for a moment but finally answers, “No, of course I don’t. But when he questions me so much, I can’t help but wonder if he’s only giving me to cover up his own actions. And it doesn’t help that we’re only allowed a few minutes each day to see each other. If we’re lucky, that is.”

 

Although Mark has never been in love, he does remember the honeymoon stage of his past relationships where he all he wanted was to talk and be with his partner every minute of the day.

 

“And we used to have like every single night but it’s been months now and do you know how uncomfortable it is to have to in the bathrooms where anyone can just yank back the shower curtain and see me going at it?” Jinyoung’s voice starts out quiet but progresses into full blown frustration, on the brink of angry tears.  

 

“Have you talked to Jaebeom about how you feel?”

 

“No, I’m too embarrassed to tell him that I have blue balls for him.”

 

“I meant about your trust issues but I’m sure he’s just ually frustrated as you are, Jinyoung.”

 

“But he’s so hot and I’m just me. What if he’s sleeping with all those people to fulfill his needs?”

 

Mark turns onto his side to grasp Jinyoung’s shoulders, forcing him to turn onto his side too. “Jinyoung, do you not realize how attractive you are? Has this whole semester of being hit on not taught you anything?” Jinyoung blushes at the compliment but doesn’t answer, only offering a shrug.

 

“There’s only a few more months left until break. You’ll see him before you know it. But first, you need to talk to Jaebeom about how you feel. And also about your blue balls. You should try phone or Skype .” Mark sighs in relief when the troubled expression on Jinyoung’s face is replaced with a small smile.

 

“Thanks Mark, you’re the best.” There’s a pause as his roommate’s neck and face start flushing bright tomato red. “Um, how do you suggest I go about this Skype ?”

 

Needless to say, Mark highly regrets not mentioning the sock rule to his roommate when a week later, he walks in on Jinyoung in the middle of a less than appropriate Skype call.

 

On Fridays, Mark finishes class earlier than Jinyoung so he typically returns to the dorm for a quick nap before doing whatever activities they have planned for the night. The light is on when Mark opens the door, however, so Jinyoung must have either forgotten to turn them off that morning or he’s sick in bed. Mark feels a sudden rush of guilt that he hadn’t brought any soup for his roommate, although Jinyoung had clearly neglected to notify him of his condition. What he hadn’t anticipated was Jinyoung pacing around the room, English curse words flowing from his mouth interspersed Korean rambling. He looks distressed, on the verge of tears and hair a mess from no doubt running his hands through it repeatedly.

 

“Jinyoung, what’s wrong?” Mark cautiously asks, dropping his bag onto his bed. Jinyoung stops pacing at the sound of his name, head jerking up to look back at him. He then picks up his phone from where it’s laying on his bed, thumb moving furiously to bring up whatever it is he wants to show Mark.

 

“Mark, tell me my eyes are playing tricks.”

 

Mark goes cross-eyed with how close Jinyoung is holding the phone to his face. He accepts the phone and fully looks at the picture on the screen. There’s no doubt that it’s Jaebeom in the photo. He looks up at Jinyoung and his expression must be pitiful because Jinyoung stuffs his hands back into his hair, turning to flop onto his bed with a loud groan.  

 

Mark looks back down at the photo. Jaebeom is sitting on a couch and on his lap is a woman, her arms wrapped around his neck. He’s not visibly touching her anywhere but there’s a small smile on his face as they both look up into the camera. The little dots under the photo indicate there’s a second photo so Mark swipes. This time the woman has her lips pressed into Jaebeom’s neck, who has one eye closed and head tilted to the side. Mark can’t tell if the expression on his face is one of content or distaste, can’t tell if Jaebeom is baring his neck to the woman or leaning away from her touch.

 

Mark clicks on the woman’s profile and finds that she has several more posts of Jaebeom. The rest of the photos are less incriminating however, just simple shots of the two standing side by side, holding up peace signs or canon photos of Jaebeom from a distance. Mark glances at the captions on a few of the posts. They’re all in Korean but he does spot ‘baby’ and ‘love’ written in English throughout, which does nothing to help the situation.

 

Jinyoung sits up with a deep sigh. His shoulders are drooping, making him look even smaller than usual. “She’s never tagged hyung in her photos before which is why I didn’t see them until now but for some reason, she tagged him in those,” he pauses then lets out a scoff, “maybe she wanted me to see them. Maybe they were keeping it a secret and decided it was time to let me know.”

 

“Have you talked to Jaebeom about it?”

 

“He’s not answering my calls or my messages, and it’s noon over there so I know he’s at least awake.”

 

Mark shuffles over to sit down beside his roommate. “Maybe this is for a film project they’re doing?”

 

“Hyung prefers to stay behind the camera a-and he would’ve told me if he was acting for something.”

 

“I’m sorry, Jinyoung. I don’t know what to say,” Mark apologizes quietly. He’s never dealt with a situation like this before so he’s as much at a loss as Jinyoung.

 

“Maybe he got tired of me. We’ve been together so long I guess he finally realized that without the , there’s really nothing special about me.”

 

“Don’t think like that, Jinyoung. If he really is cheating on you, then it’s his loss. You’re an amazing person. I’ve never met anyone with a heart as big as yours. Not to mention your drop-dead killer looks. And your . It’s amazing. Really a gem. So soft and round.” The last part brings a smile onto Jinyoung’s otherwise sullen face, which Mark is thankful for, no matter how silly he sounded while saying it. “I can go to Korea with you for Christmas break and knock some sense into him if you want.”

 

Jinyoung full on laughs at this. “Mark, no offense but you’re tiny. Hyung could probably take on three of you and still come out unscathed.”

 

“You underestimate me. I can do martial arts tricking, you know?”

 

“Wow, my hero.”

 

Mark ends up spending a few hours at a cafe watching anime to let Jinyoung mope in peace, as requested by the latter. It’s just nearing ten pm when he receives a text from Jinyoung, demanding that the two of them get wasted tonight. Mark doesn’t think it’s the smartest idea but he’s not the one heartbroken so he’s willing to go along with Jinyoung’s desires.

 

He meets up with Jinyoung at the dorm, who’s dressed in an outfit Mark has never seen him in before. Normally he wears comfortable slacks or jeans with cozy sweaters but tonight, he’s in a tight black shirt tucked into even tighter black jeans, topped with a leather jacket. His hair is swept out of his face to reveal eyes rimmed with eyeliner. He looks sultry. Dangerous. A man on a mission.

 

“How do I look? I haven’t dressed like this in ages. I usually only bring these out when Jaebeom hyung pisses me off and I want to make him jealous.”

 

Mark can detect the nervous tone in the other’s voice despite how confident he looks. “You look great, Jinyoung. Planning to steal some hearts tonight?” he jokes, shucking off his sweats to pull on a pair of distressed denim jeans. A white long sleeved shirt paired with an oversized blue plaid finishes his look. He runs a hand through his brown locks to tousle them then declares himself ready to go.

 

It’s a ten minute walk to Brian’s house, where he’s throwing a birthday party for his girlfriend. By the time they get there, the party is in full swing and people are spilling out onto the lawn. As soon as the two of them step through the doorway, they’re bombarded by people, some admiring their looks and others offering shots and drinks. Mark knows Jinyoung plans to go hard tonight so he refuses the shots but accepts a beer, just to have something in his hand to ward off more offers. After the entrance shots, Jinyoung gets pulled into the kitchen and Mark can only watch him go, stuck in a conversation with a guy claiming to have been in the same biology class last semester.

 

Mark tries to keep an eye on Jinyoung throughout the night but it’s hard when the other is busy flitting from room to room. Mark is currently leaning against the living room wall, watching as Jinyoung animatedly talks with the group of girls that had cornered him in the library weeks ago. Someone taps his shoulder and he turns around to catch eyes with Brian.

 

“You always know how to throw the wildest parties,” Mark says.

 

“All you need is some booze and good music, my dude.” Brian leans against the wall beside him and nods at Jinyoung. “I’ve never seen him drink so much. Is something wrong?”

 

“Stressful week, probably. Finals are coming up,” Mark answers. It’s not his place to reveal details about his roommate’s life.

 

“Heard that he broke up with his boyfriend.”

 

Mark stiffens. “From who?”

 

“Was in line for the bathroom and heard some underclassmen gushing about it.” Mark knows Brian’s not one for gossip so the fact that he’s even bringing the topic up means he’s concerned about Jinyoung. “Just watch him. I don’t want anything to happen that he’ll regret it later.”

 

“Already on it,” Mark assures. Brian claps a hand on his shoulder in encouragement before turning around to head back into the crowd. Mark registers the sudden smoke that fills the room, spreading a sickly sweet, fruity smell. He waves off the fumes to no avail and decides to step outside since his head is starting to hurt.

 

He’s just taken on seat on the grass when his phone receives a notification. He pulls it out and is surprised to see it’s a message from Jaebeom. Jinyoung had made them exchange contact information in the case of emergencies but they had never communicated. Until now, that is.

 

From Jaebeom Lim

> Hey mark. My names jackson i’m a friend of jaebeom hyung. Long story short hyung and i are in la to surprise jinyoung

> He’s not answering his phone tho

> R u in ur dorm?

 

Jackson as in…Jackson? Jaebeom’s friend Jackson who lives in Korea? That Jackson? And Jaebeom is in LA? Is that why he hadn’t been answering Jinyoung’s calls?

 

To Jaebeom Lim

> Hey, we’re actually not there rn

> Were at a house party

 

From Jaebeom Lim

> Oh

> Is it far? Well just come there instead

> If you dont mind

 

To Jaebeom Lim

> About 10 min walk

> Address is xxxx

> I’ll wait for u outside

> Do u kno how I look like?

 

From Jaebeom Lim

> Yea. Hyung showed me ur pic

> Be right there

 

Mark stares down at the conversation. What the heck is going on? Jackson knows English? Or at least he knows enough to be able to hold a conversation. Mark thinks back to when Jinyoung had showed him Jackson’s instagram. It makes sense now that most of his captions are in English. He thought it was just Jackson pulling a stunt to look cool but maybe the other really does know the language. He feels like a jerk now for assuming. Mark turns back to look into the house, wondering if he should go find Jinyoung and bring him out here to wait as well. He still has ten minutes so he decides to go try and find his roommate. If he doesn’t succeed, he’ll come back out and wait for the other two.

 

It’s only been a few minutes but it feels like the party has gotten wilder since he left. Jinyoung isn’t in the living room anymore so he wanders into the kitchen. He’s not there either. Mark makes his way to the staircase leading to the second floor. There’s barely any room on the steps--talk about a fire hazard--but he manages to squeeze his way up. The bathroom is occupied by a girl named Sana, Mark discovers when he knocks and calls out Jinyoung’s name. There’s a couple making out in one of the bedrooms. Thankfully, they don’t notice Mark opening and then quickly shutting the door. The second bedroom is empty. That’s a closet. The last door opens to Brian’s room, where he’s consoling his sobbing girlfriend. Brian sees him and asks, “looking for something?”

 

“Just Jinyoung,” Mark replies, closing the door. He turns to make his way downstairs again. Halfway down, he spots the leather of Jinyoung’s jacket. “Jinyoung!” His shout is muffled by the amount of people around him. Annoyed, Mark practically pushes everyone out of his way, finally managing to escape the crowd after untangling someone’s bracelet from where it had caught onto on of his shirt buttons.

 

A quick glance into the living room tells him that Jinyoung isn’t there so he turns to the kitchen, making his way through and out the door. It’s dark so Mark steps out to look around. There’s people scattered here and there but no sign of his roommate. Mark is starting to get frustrated. He marches back into the kitchen but gets stuck behind a crowd of people. He can’t push through so he’s shuffling after them when he hears his roommate’s name.

 

“...Park Jinyoung?”

 

“Oh, Jinyoung? You trying to get into his pants, huh? Good luck man, there’s a whole line trailing after him. I think he’s in the living room though.”

 

“Uh, thanks.” The person turns around and Mark knows that face.

 

“Jackson!” Mark calls out unconsciously. Jackson makes eye contact with him, face contorted into a confused expression before his eyes light up in recognition.

 

“Mark, right?” Jackson walks up to him and pulls him into a hug. “Great to meet you, man. I’m Jackson. Where’s Jinyoung?”

 

Mark doesn’t answer immediately and it’s definitely not because the hug had made him lose his train of thought. Not at all. He clears his throat before answering, “I actually don’t know. I was trying to find him but kept getting stuck in the crowd.”

 

“Okay. Let’s find Jaebeom hyung and then we can look for Jinyoung together.”

 

Mark jumps when Jackson suddenly grabs his hand and starts pulling him through the crowd to the living room. He barely registers the stares people are giving them but he does hear their conversations loud and clear.

 

“Damn, who’s that guy with Mark? He’s hot as hell.”

 

“Wow, no wonder Mark rejected us all when he can get someone like that.”

 

“What the ? First, Jinyoung and now Mark? Where are they getting these hots guys from? I want one too.”

 

“What I wouldn’t do to put myself in there and make it a .”

 

“Damn zaddy.”

 

Mark hopes Jackson doesn’t realize those comments were directed at them. They finally make it into the living room where a circle has formed, surrounding something in the center of the room. Jackson pushes through to the front of the crowd and Mark is shocked to find Jinyoung and Jaebeom in the center, arguing by the looks of it. Jinyoung’s face is flushed, whether from anger or alcohol, Mark can’t tell. From his viewpoint, he can only see the back of Jaebeom’s head but judging by the starry-eyed expressions of the people on the other side of the circle, he must be serving some serious looks.

 

Jinyoung abruptly turns away, trying to leave the circle but Jaebeom pulls him back by the arm and straight into his chest, hands coming up to hold his face as he connects their mouths. The crowd goes wild, causing Mark to be squashed into Jackson’s side. It looks like the two in the center have progressed to a full-on makeout session so Mark signals for Jackson to lead them out of the house. After a few minutes of pushing, they finally make it out in the night air.

 

“Aw, they’re so cute,” Jackson says cheerily, letting go of Mark’s hand to clasp his own together and cradle them under his jaw. “It was worth the fifteen hour flight and dragging this heavy bag across town.”

 

It’s only now that Mark notices the duffel bag hanging off Jackson’s shoulder. His eyes trail up from the bag to the other’s torso, greedily taking in the muscular arms exposed from his sleeveless shirt. When he makes it up to Jackson’s face, he’s embarrassed to find him already staring back. Mark jerks his eyes away and pretends he didn’t just get caught red-handed. There’s a brief moment of awkward silence before a yelp sounds out behind them. Mark turns back to see Jinyoung tangled in the bushes. He must have tripped. Jaebeom merely looks down at the fallen male, an amused look on his face.

 

“Hyuuuunngg~” Jinyoung whines. Wow, Mark has never heard him speak in that tone before. Jaebeom says something in Korean before reaching out to pull him boyfriend upright. After Jinyoung is stabilized, Jaebeom looks up and makes eye contact with Mark.

 

“Hi, Mark-eu. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Hey, Jaebeom. You too,” Mark responds back, accepting the hug that Jaebeom offers him. Since Jinyoung is still clinging onto the other though, it becomes a three-way hug.

 

“Mark! This is Jaebeom hyung, my boyfriend. I love him very much, even if he is an old man,” Jinyoung pauses to give a stink eye to his boyfriend, who can only give a confused look in return since he did not understand what was said. “He explained everything to me and since I trust him very much, I will un-break up with him.”

 

It’s hilarious listening to a tipsy Jinyoung try to explain his thoughts but Mark still isn’t convinced that everything is alright. “What about the picture? Who was the woman?” he directs at Jaebeom, who looks at Jackson for help on translating.

 

Mark watches the two converse in Korean for a bit before Jackson explains, “That woman has liked hyung forever and is always trying to flirt with him. The other day they were celebrating the completion of a film project and she randomly sat on hyung to take those photos. He told her not to post them since people could get the wrong idea and she promised not to but when she found out we were coming here to visit Jinyoung, I guess she got jealous and posted them out of spite. We didn’t see them until we landed but hyung sent a very lengthy message telling her to take them down.”

 

“But what about the other photos? Isn’t he creeped out at all by her taking those?”

 

“Oh, trust me, she scares the both of us but she refuses to take them down because she claims she isn’t breaking any laws and it’s completely legal for her to have them up. Hyung’s gonna ask his professor to have her removed from his group though so hopefully it’ll all end soon.”

 

Mark lets this information sink in for a minute before turning to his roommate, “Jinyoung, do you believe what they’re saying?”

 

“I do. I don’t think Jaebeom hyung would do that to me.” Jaebeom perks up at the mention of his name and shares a glance with Jinyoung. Mark watches as the two have a conversation with their eyes. Jackson was right, they are cute. Insanely cute. Mark is suddenly hyperaware of how single and lonely he is in that moment.

 

“Why did that woman still chase after Jaebeom if she knew he was taken?” Mark directs at Jackson, who translates for Jaebeom.

 

“They only met this semester, after Jinyoung already came here. She thought hyung was lying about having a boyfriend.” Mark bursts into laughter at the answer. Now that he understands since it’s the same problem he’s been having ever since Jinyoung came into his life. Instead of explaining to Jackson though, he turns to Jaebeom instead.

 

“Do you love Jinyoung?”

 

“Of course,” the other firmly answers. “Forever. My one and only love.”

 

“And this is where the magic happens. And by magic, I mean sleep,” Mark clarifies as he leads Jackson into his dorm room.

 

The other male looks around the small room curiously, although there’s not much to see due to the small size. “It’s cozy,” he settles with.

 

Jaebeom and Jackson had booked a hotel room for the two of them to stay in but in hindsight, that was a foolish idea since the two boyfriends would no doubt be wanting to make up for all their lost time. Jackson had shrugged it off, saying he would just get another room but Mark insisted that he take Jinyoung’s bed since technically, Jinyoung was taking his.

 

On their walk back, Mark learns that Jackson is from Hong Kong but is studying in South Korea because he received a full ride scholarship from the university. He speaks fluent English because he had attended international schools his whole life. He only just met Jaebeom this semester but they quickly became close and are now best friends, although Jaebeom stubbornly refuses to admit as such. He enjoys fencing on the side and has even won gold medals in his youth.

 

Now, they’re both settled in bed, Mark in Jinyoung’s and Jackson in his. Jackson hadn’t been able to properly introduce himself to Jinyoung earlier so he doesn’t feel comfortable enough to use the boy’s bed.

 

“Jaebeom is very important to me,” Jackson suddenly says into the darkness. Mark stays quiet, waiting for the other to finish his sentence. “And since Jinyoung means a lot to him, he’s also very important to me, so I’m glad he has someone like you to take care of him.”

 

“I could say the same for you,” Mark replies after a pause. “Jinyoung worries about Jaebeom a lot so knowing that you’re there to watch out for him puts me at ease. But just a warning, don’t get too touchy with Jaebeom. Jinyoung can be quite the crazy, possessive boyfriend if he wants to be.”

 

“I wouldn’t worry about that. Besides, I’m more interested in his roommate anyway.”

 

Mark stops breathing at Jackson’s words, eyes wide is shock. “Oh.” There’s a moment of silence between the two, tension thick in the air. “He, uh, he may be interested, too.”

 

“Great. Sounds like the beginning of a beautiful relationship.” Mark can hear the smile in Jackson’s voice and yeah, he agrees.

 

It does sound like the beginning of a beautiful relationship.