i tried my best to be back last week, but i failed. T____T

ஐ〰ฺ･:*:･✿ฺ ஐ〰･:*:･･:*:･✿ฺ ஐ〰･:*:･･:*:･✿ฺ ஐ〰･:*:･

Jinyoung groaned as he tried to open his eyes, instantly regretting it when he was almost blinded by the sunlight passing through his window. Who opened them up, without his permission? Must be Yugyeom, that brat.

His head is buzzing with possible headache. It is still not aching yet, but it's like his veins are gonna pop out from his temples, anytime. He isn't a fan of drinking, moreso getting drunk and almost wasted. Surely, getting a hangover the morning after is out of his list of pleasant things now. He reached for his phone with one hand, the other still on his head in the hopes of preventing it from buzzing even more. 9:12 a.m. it read. Fortunately, it's his day off today. Or else, he would have to call in sick. 

He looked around the room, nothing peculiar. He sees himself in the mirror and finds out he is in fresh clothes now. Not the one he was wearing last night. Last night. . . . he recalled. How did he manage to get home last night after getting himself almost dead drunk? How many drinks did Bambam and Jackson gave him anyway? Don't tell him Yugyeom was the one who brought him back home safely? He doesn't think his brother can or would do that. 

He tried to will his mind to trace back what happened last night. Before he drank shots after shots. He remembered sitting at the booth Jackson has reserved for them. It was noisy as hell, which reminded him why he dislikes going to bars. Then, and then. . . . . he saw Mark. Mark. His mind repeated. He recalled how he watched this guy standing extremely close to Mark, his hand trespassing Mark's personal space. Alright. That was how and why he started drinking. He was really annoyed when he saw Mark talking to that guy, smirking, like he just didn't nag at him back in the car while they were on their way to the bar. He was asking why Mark was so flirty with the guy, and yet the older was too cold towards him? What is his problem?

Maybe that is also why he wasn't able to stop himself when his feet dragged him to where Mark was, and shooed the guy away.

"You. Cannot. Flirt. Got it? You can't flirt. You can't."

What the fu-

Did he really say that? Why??? Jinyoung grabbed a fistful of his own hair as he nags himself. Why did he just say that? What was he thinking? Was he even thinking? , Jinyoung.

And that is not the end of it. As he burried his face on both of his hands, his mind threw a brief and detailed flashback of what happened inside Mark's car, just when the older was trying to put his seatbelt on him... But you're only supposed to take the way out when you want to leave. . . . . what if I don't want to?

Well there you go, Jinyoung. That is what happened last night. He kept on scolding himself until he heard voices from outside his room. 

"I'll go ahead now." He heard his mom. 

"Take care, mom!" And then his brother. 

"I'll leave the cooking to you, okay? Goodbye!"

Wait, what? Did his mom just entrusted the kitchen to his bratty brother? Of all people, Yugyeom? Does his mom realize what could and what would probably happen if he lets Yugyeom take over the kitchen? 

Standing up, he wore his slippers and was about to save both himself and his brother from a possible fire out. He is in panic, thoughts rushing in his head. But when he went outside and straight to the kitchen, he got himself completely wrong.

"Oh hyung, you're alive." Yugyeom said to him. He is just there sitting at the dining table, waiting for the food to be cooked. He is not cooking.

"Good morning, Jinyoung." Mark was.

So it was Mark, his mom was entrusting their kitchen to, and not Yugyeom. "G-good morning." His greeting came out too shyly. Mark just smiled and focused back to cooking. He didn't know that Mark could cook. 

"Take a seat. I am almost done."

Jinyoung did what he was told, still trying to make sense of what is happening. He is also trying to pretend like he just didn't embarrass himself to Mark last night. When Mark was done, Yugyeom called on Hyunjin and they all started eating. Mostly Yugyeom and Mark did all of the talking, and Jinyoung just stayed quiet, munching on his food.

"I need to go to school now. Bye, hyung." Yugyeom waved at him and nodded at Mark who is still eating, same as him.

It was a few minutes after when Hyunjin also decided to excuse himself and headed to his room, leaving Jinyoung and Mark with an air of awkwardness surrounding the two of them. Jinyoung couldn't hear anything but the clanking sound made by the spoon and their chopsticks. Jinyoung doesn't want to speak up because he doesn't know what to say that will help him clear out some of the awkwardness around them. And besides, he is thinking the moment he speaks, Mark might take it as an opportunity to talk about everything which happened last night. And Jinyoung still isn't ready to explain something which he also deosn't understand. Up until now he is still asking why he said all those.

"How are you feeling?" He is speaking. Jinyoung thought when he heard Mark speak after clearing his throat. 

He looked at Mark who is still eating but has his eyes focused on him. Glancing back on his bowl of rice, he answered. "I'm fine. Just feeling a bit of heaviness in my head, but I am fine."

"Good. Although, you shouldn't have drank too much last night." 

I wasn't planning to. He wants to say, but settled with a short "Yeah."

A few more clanking sounds, and a few more of throat clearing from Mark before they heard someone opening the gate. "Good morning, Jinyoung." And when Jinyoung saw Jackson with Bambam walking behind him, never was he happier to see the guys. He is thankful those two were here to save him from almost suffocating because of the awkward atmosphere. 

"Good morning hyung." Bambam also greeted him.

"Good morning, guys." He greeted back as the two foreigners stood beside the table, their elbows resting on the back rest of the chair. "Have you eaten already? Come on and join us." Please, he almost added.

Good thing he didn't need to ask for it desperately because the guys were more than willing to eat with them. They both got their plates and started eating also.

"Did you cook hyung?" Bambam asked him. He was about to answer but Mark beat him to it.

"I did, Bam. You're welcome." And Jinyoung could hear the pride in his voice.

"You did? I didn't know you could cook?" Bambam said, and Jinyoung agrees with him. He also didn't know that Mark cooks. He could certainly remember how terrible Matt was when it comes to cooking. But while they were together, Matt tried to learn how to cook and eventually, was able to. "You will keep on trying to do something, when given the right reason to." It's what Matt always say.

"Yeah, you never cooked for us, not even once." Jackson added.

But Mark just waved his hand at them, dismissing them and directing his eyes on him. "Well it's only now that I have found a reason to."

Thankfully, Jinyoung was able to spend the rest of the day without bothering himself about how he should act around Mark. After him and the guys ate breakfast, Jackson and Bambam said they'll be gone for the whole day because they need to arrange something and talk to some people who will help them in this bar they are planning to set up here in Jeju. While Mark, said he'll go with his grandfather to their company and work on some files his grandfather needs. They all said they'll be back for dinner this evening.

 "You do know you are never cute when you're pouting, so quit it Jackson. You're ruining my appetite."

Jinyoung hears Mark hissing at Jackson as they all eat dinner at home. As they have promised, the trio went to have dinner with him, his mom and Yugyeom. Everything was how it was usually. Bambam and Yugyeom were the noisiest ones because Jackson was not participating in the chatter. The chinese was just always pouting while doing something on his phone.

"Don't make me feel worse, bro." Jackson told Mark who just stared back with furrowed brows. What is Jackson's problem? Jinyoung was thinking, when Jackson suddenly leaned in towards him and asked him.

"Why is Jaebum this difficult?" The chinese asked. "He hasn't been returning my texts and calls. It's like I am not existing to him. Why is he being like this towards me? Am I that horrible of a person?"

Jinyoung can't help but feel a bit sorry for Jackson. He could really see how interested Jackson is with Jaebum. It's clear that the chinese liked his colleague so much. And to be honest, he also can't understand what is happening between those two. The last time, they all went to eat out and Jaebum was there, answering to Jackson's invitation. Isn't that a good sign? Like more a go signal? A green light? But now, seeing Jackson's frustrated bordering to hurt and pained expression on his face, what is really happening now? What is Jaebum doing? And what is Jackson doing wrong? 

Reaching to tap Jackson's shoulder, Jinyoung regarded him with a warm and comforting smile. The guy needs it. "Maybe he is just busy with work or something? Don't stress yourself out too much on this, Jackson. Just wait until he messages you back, okay? Cheer up."

**********

"Good morning." Mark greeted him when he and Hyunjin went out of their house. 

Jinyoung gave a small smile and greeted back. "Good morning."

The older is dressed in casual sh