〇〇 FORUMS

 

THREAD: CELEBRITY MARRIAGE TRENDS

 

POST: OK, I know a lot of people are freaking out about 〇〇 and 〇〇's dating news, but hear me out.

 

Female idols get into dating scandals with male idols, but they rarely actually marry them very often, right? Maybe some of the nugu female idols do, but the A-listers all seem to marry non-celebrities, usually really rich guys like CEOs or the sons of CEOs.

 

I think it's better in the long run, right? If you date a fellow celebrity and you're an A-lister, it's like a nonstop invasion of privacy. But if you marry a non-celebrity, the gossip magazines respect that a lot more and stay out of your business.

 

But I wonder...it's probably not hard for CEOs to date celebrities, but how about the normal people who are in a relationship with a famous person? I always dream about dating my bias, but...I don't know, I think I'd really go crazy with jealousy all the time, right??? Maybe marriage would be fine because people would know he's off the market, but dating...I think it would have to be so hard, right? Does anyone know a commoner who's dated a celebrity?

 

COMMENTS:

 

lovepo***

[+200, -13] One of my high school friends dated a trainee. They broke up after he debuted because it was too hard. She was insecure about all the people he was meeting at music shows.

 

Pchop***

[+170, -40] A guy from my class debuted while dating a girl from my school. She kept trying to do lovestagrams and got bombarded with hate. If she hadn't been so obvious, they still might be together. She was a total rocks for brainsㅋㅋㅋ .

 

MT93***

[+165, -1] I'm a commoner dating a celebrity. If you want to know what it's like for me, shoot me a question. I won't say who it is or what gender I am/they are or anything identifiable. But I can give a realistic view of what it's like, from my perspective

 

 

MT93***'s DIRECT MESSAGES:

 

Q: How does a commoner even begin to date a celebrity?

A: They don't begin with the intention of “I want to date a celebrity.”

They meet someone. They fall in love. That person happens to be a celebrity, but more so than that, they're “the person who I want to be with.” The fame is an ever-present, but ultimately secondary thing.

For me? The whole thing was 100% on accident.

 

It, like so many things, happened because of BTS.

 

As an American, they were the only K-POP group Mark had even heard of before the whole thing began. Back when he'd announced he was moving to Korea to attend university and put his language studies to good use, half the girls in class asked him to get autographs from the BTS members as if the group just doled them out randomly to people on the streets.

 

He saw idols on commercials and heard them on the radio, of course, but he didn't know anything about them and never really cared. He preferred American music by the singers and rappers he'd listened to throughout high school. It was what he was used to. He'd never really been all that into pop, so why start now?

 

But BTS, as their fans will attest, had a way of touching people's lives. For Mark, that took the form of his roommate begging him to drive his little sister to see them on their way to Inkigayo.

 

“Please, man, I don't have a car and I get anxiety attacks in large crowds,” his roomie had said. “It's going to be a mob scene if BTS is performing. I'll pay you to take her. I'm begging you.”

 

Mark was a total pushover, so he agreed to do it. Fourteen year-old Sooyoung was Rap Monster obsessed and happy to have an uncomplaining victim to share every little perfect detail about him with during the car ride. By time they reached the venue, Mark knew more about Rap Monster than he knew about anyone he'd met in Korea since moving there.

 

Like his roomie had predicted, it was a mob scene. Everyone was lined up to see the artists enter with their cameras with impossibly long lenses, and the fact of BTS being among the lineup apparently made things more crowded and frenzied than normal. They watched some of the lesser known artists stream through, waving at their groups of fans who screamed their names and held up signs for the members. Mark could see a group of six male performers coming their way next, and behind them—

 

“Oh my god, OH MY GOD, B-T-S!” Sooyoung shrieked. The girls surrounding him surged forward as one, and the camera bags of the two behind him nailed Mark in the back, making him lose balance, pitch forward into the metal partition separating them from the idols, knock it over, and make a hard landing on the ground which scraped the heels of his hands.

 

The pain registered first, and then the knees of the person kneeling down in front of him. A hand reached out for his injured ones and scooped them up to check the injury. He lifted his gaze and met a pair of gentle brown eyes looking back at him, eyes that looked so soft and worried on his behalf that Mark momentarily forgot how badly his hands were hurting.

 

“Are you OK?” the boy with the beautiful eyes asked, his fingers gently unfolding Mark’s to expose the raw skin of his palms.

 

“I'm...” Mark didn't know why, but he was having a hard time putting together words. Was he fine? Was he not fine? In the moment, he didn't have a clue.

 

The boy continued to stare back at him, and the hubbub around them seemed to fade into silence. They just kept looking at each other, both forgetting that a question had been asked and an answer not yet given.

 

Another person knelt down by them, someone normal and less glorious looking with a staff badge pinned to his shirt. The bubble burst, and the sounds came flooding back.

 

“I’ll take care of this,” the staff person said to the idol. “And please take a step back. You're too close to the barriers right now, it isn't safe.”

 

The security guard helped the idol to his feet so he could rejoin his concerned looking group members, who were already flanked by other members of the security team standing between them and the fans. The guard then assisted Mark in standing safely back up, surveying the damage to his hands. “Let’s get you somewhere we can get your hands bandaged up, all right? GOT6, please step back until we're able to fix the partition.”

 

The guard took Mark's arm and began escorting him to the venue. “Wait,” Mark said. “I'm chaperoning someone. I need to bring her with me.”

 

Sooyoung stepped forward, though her eyes were straining towards where BTS was now practically buried in security. “Yes, please let me come.”

 

The guard looked at her warily. “Don't get any ideas about meeting any celebrities, miss.”

 

“I won't,” she vowed. Mark was pretty sure they'd have to find a pretty serious deadbolt wherever they were going to keep her from breaking out and finding Rap Monster.

 

The security guard led them inside the SBS Open Hall and to a back room where there were on staff medical personnel on standby, in case of performance accidents. Mark's injuries were washed and disinfected and bandaged neatly up.

 

“I can't believe a GOT6 member touched you,” Sooyoung squealed. “Jinyoung's the handsomest one, too! Lucky!”

 

“GOT6?” Mark repeated. He'd never heard of them, but then again, he'd never heard of anyone other than BTS.

 

“Yeah. They're from JYP.” This meant nothing to Mark. “All of them are pretty good looking. They're not my bias group, but I wouldn't say no to being touched by Jinyoung.”

 

“Hmmm.” Mark said. “Personally, I would have rather not fallen right on top of them.”

 

“Oh my god, imagine if you'd fallen on top of BTS and Rap Monster was the one who stepped up to the barrier like that!” Sooyoung fanned herself. “Mark-oppa, you should have waited another thirty seconds!”

 

Mark sighed. While he was willing to admit that the guy who had 'rescued' him had had an overwhelming and impressive celebrity aura that had struck him temporarily speechless, he just couldn't grasp fangirl logic for the life of him.

 

0

 

He didn't think much about the incident, other than the fact that it was super annoying going through daily life with both hands scraped up. But a few days later, the incident revisited him.

 

He was in the middle of studying for an exam when his roommate extended his cell phone towards him. “Sooyoung wants to talk to you.”

 

Mark blinked. “Huh?”

 

“My little sister? The one you took to Inkigayo?”

 

“Yeah, but why does she want to talk to me?”

 

“Dunno. She says it's urgent.”

 

Mark sighed and took the phone. “What is it?”

 

“You'll never guess who DM'd me on Twitter,” she practically screamed into his ear.

 

“Rap Monster?”

 

“O-M-G, I would dieeeeeee.” She took a breath. “No. Park Jinyoung.”

 

“Who?”

 

“PARK JINYOUNG! As in GOT6 Park Jinyoung! An actual celebrity DM'd me!”

 

“OK. And I need to know about this because...?”

 

“Because he DM'd me about YOU.”

 

This finally got Mark's attention. “Huh?”

 

“So, one of Jinyoung's fansites made a post on Twitter asking if anyone knew who the guy who fell over the barrier was, because she took a really great HQ pic of that moment when Jinyoung swooped in like a knight in shining armor and wanted to ask your permission before posting it. I responded that you were my brother's roommate, and then, like, twenty minutes later PARK JINYOUNG sent me a DM, asking if I would send him your SNS info, or at least your name.”

 

Mark blinked. “Why on earth...?”

 

“He probably wants to check in on you or something. You were kind of bleeding the last time he saw you. So, can I give him your info? Can I? Can I?”

 

Mark still felt bewildered. Did a celebrity really have the kind of time to be asking around about someone who'd gotten into a very minor scrape?

 

He supposed it meant this Park Jinyoung guy had a pretty good character. There were worse things in life than being singled out to be on the receiving end of someone's kindly meant concern. He couldn't really think of a reason to say no.

 

“OK, yeah, sure,” he said.

 

“Yay!” Sooyoung cheered. “You should ask him how well he knows Rap Monster for me! I'd love you forever!”

 

0

 

It was only about thirty minutes later that Mark received a message notification from Twitter.

 

Hi, the message read. I'm sorry if this is completely weird, but I'm the guy from Inkigayo. I don't know if you know anything about me, but I'm Park Jinyoung from an idol group called GOT6. I wanted to know if you were OK. How are your hands?

 

Mark fired back a quick response. They're still bandaged up, but doing fine. Thanks for asking. And sorry for causing a scene.

 

Jinyoung responded a few moments later. Not at all! I'm just glad you're OK. Those barriers are constructed terribly, and I really wish they'd do a better job for the sake of everyone's safety. If you don't mind, could I ask you what your name is?

 

It's Mark, he answered. I'm an American, if you're curious.

 

Oh? I've seen a lot more American fans at music shows recently. Who were you there to see?

 

I wasn't, Mark replied. I was chaperoning my roommate's sister, who was there to see BTS. I don't really know anything about idols, tbh.

 

Jinyoung: So you don't know GOT6?

 

Mark: No, sorry.

 

Jinyoung: Can we rectify that? I want you to be our fan.

 

Mark glanced at the time on his phone. He could spare a few minutes from studying to listen to a few tracks. If he was talking to a celebrity, might as well know what he was famous for.

 

He opened up Spotify and picked the group's first release. When he was finished, he reopened his Twitter messages.

 

Mark: Honestly? I listened to “Got It” and it's not really my style. I like hip-hop and all, but it sounds like you have good singers on your team, but they're trying too hard to sound swag or whatever. I liked “Like Oh,” though. You should do more stuff like that.

 

Jinyoung: That came out before we had any creative control, Mark! Listen to our most recent release, and I'm sure it'll be more your style.

 

Mark was pressing the limits of ignoring his studies, but he turned GOT6's newest album "Flight Log: Turbulence" on as BGM as he read through his notes. Every once in awhile, he'd look up from his notebook and lose himself in the songs. These were much better. He was curious as to which one of the voices he was listening belonged to Jinyoung.

 

Yeah, you've definitely improved, he wrote back when he was finished. I added Mayday to my Liked songs.

 

Jinyoung: Really??? I wrote that one!!

 

Mark: Oh? Good on you. That was 100% my style.

 

Mark set his phone down, turning back to his notes. Now that he'd shown a proper interest in Jinyoung's group, the conversation was probably done. He couldn't imagine that an idol had a lot of time to spare on turning randos into fans.

 

So he was surprised when he was finishing studying forty minutes later that there were a few more messages waiting for him:

 

There are other songs I've written for our group. You should check them out ^^

Hey...I hope I don't sound forward, but I was hoping I could do something to make that bad experience at Inkigayo up to you. Would you be up for getting coffee sometime?

Are you there?

I'm sorry, was that inappropriate of me?

 

Mark stared at his phone, reading the messages a second time. Coffee? With an idol? Over something that wasn't even the idol in question's fault?

 

He was pretty sure this wasn't typical, but felt like he had to rationalize it for it to make sense. Idols probably didn't have the opportunity to make friends outside the industry, and maybe they missed talking to people who weren't consumed with the music industry. Or maybe Jinyoung felt in some way responsible, even though there was no reason for him to.

 

Again, Mark couldn't really think of a reason to say no. He went out for coffee enough on his own anyways; what would it matter if he went along with someone else for a change?

 

Sorry, I was studying, he responded. Coffee sounds good. Where/when do you want to meet?

 

0

 

Mark wondered if it was a strategic move on Jinyoung's part to select a coffee shop in an area of Seoul surrounded by corporate offices. When he entered, every customer was in a business suit and focused on their laptop or phone. There was nary a teenage girl in sight.

 

Jinyoung wasn't even wearing a face mask to obscure his identity when he arrived. No one gave him a second glance.

 

“Hi,” Jinyoung said, smiling brightly. He had a really great smile, Mark couldn't help but notice. He smiled not just with his lips but with his eyes, and they became so soft and pretty. “Nice to meet you again. Hands doing OK?”

 

Mark held up his bandage-free hands. “They're fine. Just in time for a two hour exam involving a lot of writing, thank God.”

 

“You're a student, huh? What are you studying?”

 

“International relations. I know a lot of languages, so-” He shrugged. “I thought I might put that to use helping Asia sort out all its love-hate relationships.”

 

“Aww, like a nation-to-nation relationship counselor! I love that! GOT6 has two foreign members, so we do a lot of travel around Asia. I'd really love it if all the countries got along as well as our group does.”

 

They put in their coffee orders and took a seat in the back corner of the cafe when their drinks were ready.

 

“So, which GOT6 member are you, anyways?” Mark asked.

 

“What's that supposed to mean? Are you having trouble picking me out in our music videos? I know my debut haircut was dumb.”

 

“Oh...” Mark paused. “I hadn't even thought about watching your music videos.”

 

Jinyoung looked wounded. “Did you not prepare to meet me at all? You didn't even take a peak at a single episode of Real GOT6?”

 

“What's that?”

 

“Our reality show...it's on YouTube. We're doing another one right now called Hard Carry...you really didn't look up any of this?”

 

Mark bit his lip. “I...I wasn't taking this to be a fan meeting or anything. I thought we were just...you know, hanging out.”

 

“Still, I'd like it if you were curious about me. I was curious about you. I read all your Twitter posts.”

 

“It's not like I post about anything interesting.”

 

“You post about the things you like. It was informative, going through your profile.” Jinyoung looked at Mark pensively for a minute before smiling. “I'm the GOT6 member who sings the 'telling me I'm ready to go' part in 'Like Oh'. I also sing the first part of the first verse in 'Mayday.'”

 

Mark nodded, thinking he would have to go back and give these tracks another listen with this mind. He also was newly curious about the music videos. Just how dumb was Jinyoung's debut haircut?

 

“It would have been nice if you were just a little bit more curious about me,” Jinyoung said. “But at the same time, I guess it's kind of nice you don't know all that much about GOT6 Jinyoung. That way, you get to know this version of me instead.”

 

“Are GOT6 Jinyoung and Park Jinyoung all that different?”

 

“Park Jinyoung is less filtered. And Park Jinyoung doesn't have to be in the spotlight. He can turn that spotlight on you.” He set down his coffee, cupping his chin with his hand. “I want to know about you.”

 

“What for?”

 

“Can I take a rain check on answering that question? For now the answer can just be that we're both here talking to each other, and if we're doing that, I should know about you, right?”

 

So Mark told him the essentials, about his family and upbringing and hobbies and decision to move to Korea. He'd never considered himself to be an engaging talker—his roommate, for example, tended to zone out and get bored halfway through Mark's slow paced stories—but Jinyoung kept his attention laser focused on him.

 

When Mark felt he'd said all he could say for the time being, he turned the tables. “So what about you? Is idol life as glamorous as it looks?”

 

Jinyoung tilted his head. “Does it look glamorous?”

 

Mark shrugged. “I don't really know. I honestly don't know much about idols.”

 

“Well...to sum it up...it's like living in multiple worlds. One is a big stage where everyone is screaming your name and you're living your dreams and all this love and gratitude is flowing into you. Another is hunched over in the practice room feeling like you're about to vomit because you've worked for hours and still have so much more to do. Another is this.” He gestured his hand broadly. “No cheers, no schedules. Just life as usual. My life is like a balancing act between all three.”

 

“That must be hard.”

 

“It is. But for me, it's worth it. I wouldn't do it if it wasn't.”

 

Mark nodded. That made sense. In a way, it was like any other career. Highs, lows, and moments when you could go home and live your real life.

 

“So how did you get into this industry anyways?” Mark asked.

 

Jinyoung grinned. “Well, if you didn't know about Real GOT6, I bet you've never even heard of JJ Project. Let me tell you.”

 

They spent a good two hours in the cafe, just chatting. The conversation flowed more organically than Mark was used to in his day to day life. Usually he struggled to contribute even the bare minimum. But with Jinyoung, he found that he didn't have to think all that much about it. Words came without forcing. Even the silences weren't as awkward as they normally were.

 

In the back of his mind, a thought popped into his head. He'd been going on dates lately, to dip his toes into the dating scene in his new home. And he hadn't enjoyed a single one of those dates as much as he was enjoying this.

 

But as soon as the thought entered his mind, he pushed it out the door. No way. Talk about pointless. There's no way an idol is going to risk anything by dating me of all people.

 

The unwanted thought was a pretty good sign that it was time to go, though. He glanced at his watch. “Well, I have an essay to write,” he announced. “I should probably head back.”

 

“Wait just a moment,” Jinyoung said quickly. “That question I took a raincheck on—about why I want to know about you?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I'm ready to answer now.” Jinyoung took a breath. “So the thing is...I looked you up on SNS and asked you out today because...because I felt sparks when I held your hands and met your eyes at Inkigayo.”

 

Mark blinked. “W-What? Like...sparks of attraction? You're gay?”

 

Jinyoung flushed. “Is that a problem?” he asked, a bit defensively.

 

“No. I just...” Mark cleared his throat. “I was just not expecting that. I don't see myself as the kind of person an idol would be interested in.”

 

“What does that even mean? Idols don't have a hive-mind about who they want to be with. We all have our tastes. And you're kind of...exactly my taste.” Jinyoung swallowed. “I don't expect you to just jump in a relationship with me or anything. I'm not ready for that either. But when we both have time, I was hoping we could continue to meet up like this. Continue to get to know each other. See where this goes. What about you?”

 

Mark felt sorely tempted to inform Jinyoung that there was no way this was going to work. Jinyoung lived in three different worlds by his own admission, and that particular world with the big stage and the cheering was galaxies away from Mark's world. Would they really be able to connect across such a distance?

 

But another part of him was vocally protesting this. Wake up, Tuan. You already have connected. You feel it, don't you? You've connected to the point where you're never going to forgive yourself if you walk away now.

 

Besides, Jinyoung wasn't proposing marriage to him, or insisting he knew they were going to be endgame. He just wanted to see where it went. And honestly, Mark was a bit curious himself. If they got to know each other better, anything could happen. Or nothing. It all remained to be seen. And he would never get to see it if he shut it down now.

 

“OK,” he said, exhaling. “Let me know next time you're free.”

 

0

 

About once a week, they would find spots in their schedule to arrange to see each other, usually at the same cafe, though sometimes they switched it up and went to a bowling alley or an arcade. They usually went to crowded places where they could blend in, which was the opposite of what Mark would have thought. But they were only ever approached one time, by a girl who confused Jinyoung for Kim Soohyun.

 

Mark was a veteran in bad dates, particularly of the painfully awkward variety, so it confused him a little bit about how he seemed suddenly incapable of messing things up with Jinyoung. He'd reflect on it a lot whenever he got home. Usually he was the kind of person who picked over and analyzed dates while they were happening. But when he was with Jinyoung, he always forgot to question himself and dwell over what he was supposed to say next. Maybe that was his answer—he'd finally found the one person who could make him effortless.

 

And at the heart of that? He liked Jinyoung. Really, genuinely liked him. Not just Park Jinyoung, but the shades of GOT6 Jinyoung inside him. His passion for music and dance. His dedication. The seriousness he infused into everything, and the moments when that seriousness relaxed and he laughed with his whole body and gave himself over to joy. He liked every little bit of it. He liked teasing Jinyoung and listening to Jinyoung and confiding in Jinyoung and uncovering sides of Jinyoung he hadn't yet seen.

 

Before he knew it, he was watching music videos whenever he felt lonely, because once a week wasn't enough anymore.

 

0

 

For whatever reason, Jinyoung wanted to go on a date to Gimpo during a longer break in his schedule. Mark wasn't really sure what was there to see but the airport and an alternate view of the Han River than the one you could see in Seoul, but was willing to go just because Jinyoung wanted to.

 

He had a feeling. Maybe it was because they'd been on several dates already and sparks were so obviously flying in both directions that it was only a matter of time before something happened. But whatever it was, he was pretty sure something was going to happen on this date.

 

Jinyoung decided they would take the bus. Trains were out of the question since he was likely to be recognized on one. Cars were also out of the question because Mark didn't own one in Korea and Jinyoung couldn't drive. Taxis wouldn't offer any privacy. So a bus it was.

 

They met at the bus stop by Mark's campus. There was an awkward moment when they hugged in greeting and neither one of them knew how long to hold it and they both kept on swaying in and out of each other's arms, not knowing the appropriate moment to break off. Mark gave Jinyoung a pat on the back, as if that would help, and Jinyoung patted him back, and then they got stuck in a back-smacking cycle that they were only able to get out of when two middle-aged women joined them at the stop.

 

“How are you doing?” Jinyoung asked when they were finally done with their little what-even-are-we ritual. “How's school?”

 

“School's fine. Homework's killing me as always, but what else is new? How's work?”

 

“Oh, you know. Busy getting ready for the Japan release. I'm glad I could see you before we have to fly over.”

 

“Will you be gone awhile?”

 

Jinyoung shook his head. “There's no tour this time. There's a lot for us to do here for year end stuff, so we'll be back pretty quickly.”

 

“That's good.”

 

Jinyoung smiled a little. “Miss me?”

 

“You haven't even left yet.”

 

“But are you planning to?”

 

Mark smiled back at him. “Maybe a little. We have been seeing each other pretty regularly these days.”

 

“Mmm. Have time for a vacation to Japan?”

 

“No, but send me photos and stuff. I'll live vicariously through you.”

 

The bus arrived, and they took seats in the most vacant section, slumping low so they mostly couldn't be seen by anyone in front of them or behind them.

 

“Hi,” Jinyoung whispered to Mark in a kind of cutesy, conspiratorial way.

 

“Haven't I greeted you already?”

 

Jinyoung nudged him on the arm, rolling his eyes. “I'd say you're no fun, but...”

 

“Go ahead and say it. Everyone does.”

 

“No. Because it would be a lie. You're incredibly fun.” His gaze turned soft. “I'm going to miss you. A lot more than a little.”

 

Mark swallowed. He didn't know what to say when Jinyoung got like this. His heart couldn't both beat itself wild and formulate proper responses at the same time. “Mmm. Um...well...maybe you can call me from Japan?”

 

“Maybe?”

 

“You absolutely can.”

 

“But I don't want to get in the way of your schoolwork.”

 

“We can schedule something.”

 

“I just hope I'm not sharing a room with Yugyeom. When he wants to sleep, he won't let me leave, and there's no way I'm calling anyone in front of him.” Jinyoung grimaced. “Actually, there's really no good member to share with when it comes to that. They're all nosy.”

 

“Haven't they been wondering where you've been going all this time?”

 

“Yes...”

 

“And what have you told them?”

 

“Book shopping.”

 

“And they believe you?”

 

“They do.”

 

Unfortunately for them, a pair of noisy junior high age boys took the seats next to them and began loudly talking about their soccer match. Jinyoung and Mark sat up a little bit in an effort to look a little less...Mark fished for the correct word—intimate? Maybe that was too extreme, but that was how it had felt to him, with Jinyoung's whispering voice tickling so close to him.

 

They'd have to talk pretty loudly to be heard over the boys, so they had to stop. They remained in silence for several stops before Jinyoung slid his hands close to Mark's, brushing their pinkie fingers together.

 

Mark inhaled sharply, then linked their pinkies.

 

They stayed like that for a long while before Jinyoung turned Mark's hand over and began tracing his fingers against the different lines—the life, the fate, the heart. Mark struggled to breathe. He couldn't help but gently brush his other fingers against Jinyoung's intermittently as it moved. When he couldn't take it anymore, he laced all their fingers together and squeezed Jinyoung's hand hard. He could hear Jinyoung released a shuddering breath beside him.

 

Everything faded but the dance of their fingers.

 

The scenery, the buzz of different stops being reached, the opening and shutting of the bus doors.

 

The important thought that these were things they needed to pay attention to, so they would know when it was time to transfer to the correct bus line.

 

By time they realized that, they'd already headed thirty minutes in the wrong direction. And since neither of them really knew the bus lines all that well, they got turned around several times trying to back track and go the right way.

 

They were just about to hunt down the correct bus when Jinyoung's phone started buzzing wildly.

 

“,” he cursed when he read the deluge of texts that had just come in from his GOT6 group chat. “It's JB.”

 

“Is he OK?” Mark asked worriedly.

 

“I don't know...he was practicing, and his back started hurting again. All the members are worried that he might be having a relapse. JB's going to the hospital.”

 

Mark didn't know all the details, but Jinyoung had mentioned that on their last world tour, Jaebum had needed to sit out a few performances due to an injury.

 

“You should go back, right?”

 

“I probably should.” Jinyoung sighed in frustration. “I really messed this one up, huh? I'd wanted to...” He trailed off. “Nevermind. Let's not mess around with the bus this time. We should take a taxi.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

But they couldn't talk in a taxi. Not about what both of them really wanted to talk about.

 

All Mark could think of to do was pull up a video on YouTube and share his ear buds with Jinyoung so they would have an excuse to lean into each other closely without the taxi driver really noticing.

 

“Mark,” Jinyoung murmured against his ear during a quiet moment in the video he'd chosen.

 

“Mmm?”

 

But Jinyoung didn't say anything but his name again, low and longing. “Mark...”

 

“I know,” Mark said softly.

 

“I know,” Jinyoung echoed.

 

The something that was going to happen would have to wait until next time.

 

0

 

That night, Mark was awake at one in the morning thinking about Jinyoung. He'd been in this position before, but previously his thoughts centered on wondering whether Jinyoung was out of his mind for thinking of dating an ordinary university student. Now the thoughts were becoming hazy and warm and dizzying as he recalled the way Jinyoung had caressed his hands and the way his breath felt against his ear as they both held back the words they couldn't yet say.

 

Mark was absolutely not the kind of guy who did anything embarrassing when his roommate was in the room, even while said roomie was fast asleep, but it was taking all Mark's willpower not to slide his hand down his pants.

 

A light vibration from his phone snapped him out of it. Jinyoung had texted: I can't sleep.

 

Mark texted back: Me either.

 

Jinyoung texted: Call me.

 

Mark slipped on some slides and went outside to sit down on the front steps of the dorm. He dialed Jinyoung, who answered immediately.

 

“Are you somewhere you can talk?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Yeah, I'm outside. You?”

 

“I'm at a park close to our dorm.”

 

“How's JB?”

 

“Fine. It seems like it was just a one-off from over-practicing. As long as he rests, he should be fine.” Mark could hear Jinyoung make a sudden sharp noise. “I should have brought a coat. It's kind of chilly.”

 

“You should go back and get one if you're close.”

 

“No. It really doesn't matter.” He was silent for a moment. “Mark.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I can't stop thinking about you.”

 

Mark's pulse fluttered. “Yeah. I can't stop thinking about you either.”

 

Jinyoung inhaled sharply. “Can...you come here?”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“To my park.”

 

“How far away is it?”

 

“I don't know. But can you come here?”

 

“It's by your dorm, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“OK. The trains aren't running, so I'm going to walk. Stay on the line with me?”

 

Jinyoung laughed helplessly. “Of course. I'm going to go crazy if I don't.”

 

It was a long walk to make in pajamas and slides, but Mark didn't really remember the details beyond Jinyoung's voice on the phone, so frank and simple and honest, letting Mark know how he felt in no uncertain terms. It was a shame John Lennon had already found the perfect way to describe it—words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup—because if Jinyoung ever wrote about the moment, it would be hard to top that. They both spoke freely of everything that had been going on in the privacy of their hearts.

 

The first time I saw you, I just kind of knew, Jinyoung said.

 

When I wrote 'I want you to find me and save me', I must have been calling out for you, Jinyoung said.

 

This is the first time anything has ever been so clear to me in my life, Jinyoung said.

 

Mark felt half-drunk by time he arrived. He didn't feel how tired his legs must have been. He didn't know for the life of him how long it had taken or what time it was.

 

He saw Jinyoung sitting up the ladder, by the entry of the slide, protected from the night wind on either side by bright red and yellow plastic walls. They both lowered their phones at the same time, holding each other's eyes. Mark climbed up the ladder and sat down beside Jinyoung.

 

“Hi,” Jinyoung said in a whisper.

 

This time Mark said it back. “Hi. Your nose is red.”

 

“Is it?”

 

“Yes.” He leaned in, pressing their noses together, realizing for the first time that his was just as cold. “Jinyoung.”

 

“Mmm.”

 

“I think I'm in love with you.”

 

“Mark.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I think I'm in love with you, too.”

 

They'd spoken enough for one night. Nothing more really needed to be said. So Mark leaned in and gave him the rest of the emotions that couldn't quite be put into words. Jinyoung kissed him back slowly, cold fingers against his neck.

 

0

 

Mark didn't go back home until the trains started again. He was in his pajamas with swollen lips and attracted plenty of odd stares, but he didn't care in the slightest.

 

0

 

It was 100% an accident, a combination of his roommate's little sister, BTS, crappy Inkigayo barriers, scraped up palms, and gentle hands cupping his. But maybe happy accidents like these are fated in their own ways. Whatever the case was, Mark had never set out with any intentions of winning over the heart of a famous person. It had just kind of happened. Like love so often has a way of doing.

 

---

 

Q: Doesn't it feel weird knowing that the person you're dating is famous? Is there ever a barrier between the two of you because of it?

A: Personally, I'm not the type to become starstruck. Yes, I support them in all they do and cheer them on, and I'm well aware that there's a lot of things different about the kind of life they lead. I'm sure not a lot of people get notifications on their phone that their significant other is currently on a live broadcast millions of people around the world are watching.

There are definitely barriers. Our dating life will never be completely typical. And I know I have to share them in certain ways with those millions of fans out there. But when I'm with them...I really do feel like any other person in love, when it comes down to it. None of the oddities of it change the way I feel, so it doesn't really stand in the way of anything.

 

Going on V-LIVE in an hour, Jinyoung texted as Mark was leaving the dorm to walk over to the campus library. You should tune in, babe~

 

I have a test tomorrow morning, remember?, Mark responded. I’m studying. Or, he would be when he made it to the library. He’d tried to study in his room, but the neighbors were watching a comedy show on TV and were scream-laughing in the most obnoxious way possible every five seconds. He was hoping he’d have better luck where there were librarians to shush anything over a whisper.

 

Jinyoung sent back several crying faces. I respect your need to study, but you never watch V-LIVE T^T

 

Mark: Do I really need to witness every single time you guys decide to display your lack of athletic ability?

 

Jinyoung: Low blow! And this time it’s a solo live. I’ll be answering the fans’ burning Jinyoung questions.

 

Mark: And you want me to watch that? Wouldn’t that be like asking a mistress to sit in on a call to your wife?

 

Jinyoung: What kind of analogy is that? And why would you call yourself my mistress instead of my wife~?

 

Mark snorted. You and the fans met before I met you, remember? He paused. All the year-end ceremonies are going to wrapping up soon, right? When it’s calm again, we can meet up and do something for the holidays ^^ I’d rather see you in person than on my phone anyways.

 

Jinyoung: Are you sure? Considering I’ve been looking like this recently… He sent Mark a photo of himself at the MAMA awards red carpet, in a nice suit with a black ribbon tied beneath his collar points. That was definitely a benefit of a having a celebrity boyfriend—Mark really didn’t have to make any special effort to regularly see Jinyoung looked hot in formalwear.

 

Mark dug through his photo library until he found a shot he’d taken before the year-end award season had swept in and dominated Jinyoung’s entire schedule. Jinyoung had invited him to stay with him at a relative’s place while they were out of town so he could relax before the rehearsal and performance and gauntlet—and relax he did. Mark had snapped some pretty amusing photos of Jinyoung unshaven and bundled up in a fluffy bathrobe, squinting blankly with morning eyes and egg on his lips. He sent the worst (or, arguably, the best) of the bunch to Jinyoung.

 

Who is that guy in the suit?, he added as a caption. I don’t know him. This is the Jinyoungie I know :)

 

Jinyoung: DELETE THAT RIGHT NOW, MARK TUAN!

 

Mark laughed and tucked his phone into his pocket. He didn’t have anything against V-LIVE, but sometimes he couldn’t help but feel a little weird watching it. Part of it was that he knew it wasn’t quite normal in a relationship to have access to almost everything your boyfriend was doing when you weren’t together. But it was also because off-hours Jinyoung was almost entirely his; it didn’t feel right to hoard on-hours Jinyoung, too, when that was the side that was for the fans.

 

Instead, he liked it when the two of them met up and he asked Jinyoung “How was your day?” and got to hear Jinyoung’s own telling of everything that had happened instead of knowing the answer ahead of time from having watched it unfold in realtime.

 

Mark made it to the library and found an open study desk in one of the alcoves on the second floor. He quickly got into a good groove studying, up until a group of two girls slipped into the alcove next to his.

 

“Did you connect to the WiFi?” one of the girls whispered loudly. “Is it loading?”

 

“It’s buffering…oh my god, there he is!” She released a muffled “eeeeeeee” sound.

 

“So handsome,” the other girl cooed. “Our Jinyoungie!”

 

Mark’s head shot up. Jinyoung? He checked his phone. According to his notifications, the V-LIVE (Evening with Jinyoung *Peach emoji* *Peach emoji*) had started five minutes ago.

 

“Is he taking questions?” one of the girls asked.

 

“Yeah, everyone’s asking him if he’s eaten yet. What should we ask?”

 

“Tell him his style today is cute!”

 

“Isn’t it? He looks sooo hot in black and white stripes.”

 

Girls I don’t know are discussing my boyfriend right in front of me, Mark thought, squirming in his seat. Someone, tell me how I’m supposed to go about studying naturally when this is happening?

 

The conversation in the study alcove continued:

 

Girl #1: Oooooooh, so he’s writing a song for the new album?

Girl #2: Already my favorite!

[pause]

Girl #2: *muffled eeeeeeee* How can he be so cute?

Girl #1: Why can’t real guys be like him?

Girl #2: We should ask him something else.

Girl #1: Ask him what member he wants to do a unit with next.

Girl #2: Ughhhh, es in the comments are asking about his ideal type.

Girl #1: Again?

Girl #2: And ‘say hello to Brazil.’ it, do they want to waste his time making him acknowledge the entire globe?

Girl #1: Try asking him about doing units again.

[pause]

Girl #2: , his ideal type is a hard worker who studies well. I’ve never studied well in my life.

Girl #1: At least he’d be interested in a student. We’re students. *muffled eeeeee* Wow, give a content warning when you’re going to smile like that, Jinyoungie!

Girl #2: He’s so hot! Jinyoung, I’ll become a hard worker who studies well for you~

 

Mark was getting absolutely no studying done. All he could think was, this is so weird. It was still a new relationship, after all, and nothing that had happened in it thus far had fully prepared him for the oddity of having total strangers narrate everything his boyfriend was doing.

 

I’d rather just watch it myself than hear it from someone else, he thought grudgingly. He found his ear buds and opened up V-app.

 

His heart sped up a little when Jinyoung’s face filled the screen. It was a lot like when they video chatted…except 400k other people were also watching. Based on the flags flying by in the comment section, they were also from…America, Switzerland, Thailand, Mexico, Myanmar...and naturally, Brazil.

 

Grinning, Mark typed a comment: Hey, Park Jinyoung, I was trying to study. With how many comments there were, Jinyoung would never actually see it.

 

Naturally, Jinyoung saw it.

 

He got a sly grin on his face. “Hmmm, a lot of you are studying? Don’t you know better than to open V-app when you’re supposed to be focusing on schoolwork? I thought you knew better!” He waggled his finger. “Shame, shame.”

 

Mark smiled guiltily.

 

“Well, I guess I should sign off for now so everyone can study,” Jinyoung said. (“No!” Girl #2 gasped in the study alcove. “What es had to go and tell him they were trying to study?!?”).

 

Mark closed the app again and turned his gaze to his textbook. A moment later, Jinyoung texted. You said you weren’t going to watch! Guess you can’t escape from me, huh?

 

That’s one way of putting it, Mark wrote back, shaking his head.

---

 

Q: How do you manage to keep the relationship a secret?

A: I assume it depends on whether the celebrity in question is what you call an “A-lister” or not. And how many stalkerish fans they have. Like the OP mentioned in the original post, gossip magazines tend not to report on relationships with non-celebrities as much. Readers don't find it very scandalous or interesting. Sasaeng fans can be the bigger challenge, especially if they stake out the group's dorm.

But in all honesty? It's not as difficult as you would think. With a good hat and a mask and the ability to act naturally and not draw attention to yourself, it's easy to become anonymous in a world as big as ours.

 

“Absolutely nothing is on the schedule tonight,” Jinyoung said over the phone. “Let's spend time together.”

 

“Where?” Mark asked. “Feel like bowling?”

 

“Mark, the only reason why I went bowling with you previously was because you suggested it and I was desperate for us to get together sooner rather than later. Right now, those are not the kind of balls I want my hands on, do you feel me?”

 

Mark choked. “Oooookay. I've noticed something, Jinyoung.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You really do not like the 'going out' part of going out, do you?”

 

There was momentary silence on the other line. “I'm a homebody,” Jinyoung admitted finally. “Aren't you?”

 

“Yeah, but...we can't actually date at home, can we?”

 

“Well, we can't date at my home, considering it's a dormitory where I risk BamBam and Yugyeom bursting in on me .”

 

“Are they the ones in this scenario or are you?”

 

“Depends. Your home on the other hand...”

 

“My home is a dormitory that's part of a university campus frequented by young women in their 20s, which is one of the common demographics of the Aghase fandom, right?”

 

“Your roommate is barely there.”

 

“True...” Mark's roommate had practically shacked up with a Swedish international student down the hall and only came back around when he was running out of clean underwear. “But Jinyoung, you seriously cannot expect to come over here all the time and not get caught.”

 

Jinyoung said: “Watch me.”

 

0

 

Mark usually had absolute faith in Jinyoung. How could he not, given Jinyoung's incredible array of talents? Jinyoung had his moments of second guessing himself when it came to his career, and Mark was the person who stood by him and boosted his confidence, reminding him that he was so much more capable than he ever gave himself credit for.

 

But Mark did doubt Jinyoung a little on this one. He was pretty sure there was no way Jinyoung was going to get away with showing up on a college campus. He was already preparing his excuses when Jinyoung was inevitably mobbed trying to get to his dorm. Since they were both guys, the friendship excuse was his best bet, as much as it would to use it.

 

Instead, Jinyoung just waltzed right into the dorm. Not even wearing a face mask, just a yellow bucket hat he'd probably stolen from his groupmate JB, and some facial stubble.

 

“You just picked a good time,” Mark protested when Jinyoung did his whole 'look who didn't get caught like you said I would' smug routine. “A lot of people are in class right now.”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Why are you so proud of not getting caught? Don't you want to be known by everyone?”

 

Jinyoung shook his head. “Not when I'm heading to see you. Right now, there's only one person I want to be known by.”

 

Mark couldn't help but smile at that. “I guess I can understand that a little. But you really should be more ambitious. If you were BTS's V or something, that would have never worked. You need to aim higher.”

 

Jinyoung's eyes flashed. “BTS V? That's a very specific example. Should I feel threatened?”

 

“What? No! I just know his name because people back home ask for his autograph all the time. I still don't know any idols other than you guys and BTS, so I don't know who else to use as an example.”

 

Jinyoung shook his head and threw off his bucket hat. “Anyways, I think I've proven I can come here safely.”

 

“You'll definitely get caught next time.”

 

“No I won't. But just as long as there's a next time...” Jinyoung looped his arms around Mark's neck, and Mark quickly lost all will to argue.

 

0

 

Jinyoung's dating needs were surprisingly simple. No clubbing and dancing until dawn for him. No expensive dinners and gifts and having to lasso the moon to keep him charmed. Very simply, he liked resting his head in Mark's lap. He liked Mark his hair. He liked lazy but meaningful, unhurried conversation and being listened to. He liked Mark prioritizing him if it was between him and video games or YouTube video, but wanted him to put his homework and studies first.

 

Mark had never worried about him being high maintenance, although Jinyoung definitely didn't like being denied romantic attention when he wanted it. But Mark had worried that a lot of effort would go into keeping their relationship the way they wanted it. He'd thought they'd have to map it out a lot more. That it would always proceed in a kind of caution lap, slow and careful.

 

Jinyoung was usually the worrier out of the two of them. But for some reason, when it came to visiting Mark, he never seemed to worry at all.

 

0

 

“The secret it is,” Jinyoung explained after he'd showed up at the dorms about twenty times without causing the slightest bit of stir, “I'm not going into this with a 'hiding' mindset.”

 

“Huh?” Mark asked.

 

“People with something to hide act all sneaky, right? And sneaky screams suspicious. If fans or gossip mags see you leaving your place in a hoodie and mask, glancing both ways everywhere you go, getting into strange cars, trying to shake off anyone who may be following, they're going to know you're dating, and then they're going to want to know who.” Jinyoung reached out, playing with Mark's bangs. “But if you go out into the world like it's no big deal, then it really does become no big deal. You look like you're just going out for a walk or to a restaurant or just living regular, unexciting life. So that's my secret.”

 

“Is it really that simple? So all the celebrities who end up in the Dispatch are too furtive?”

 

“Not always. And that's not my only secret.” Jinyoung reached for his phone, pointing it down at the floor. “So, right now, I could take a picture of the cute Pikachu socks that I got for you that you've charmingly left lying in the middle of the floor. Then I post it on Instagram and caption it something like 'Marks the spot' or 'On your MARK.' Then later, I post a sort of ambiguous picture of something on campus that's easily identifiable. What would people think?”

 

“That you're spending time with someone on a university campus, most likely romantically, and that your 'mark' caption is random and suspicious and reeks of being some kind of clue.”

 

“Exactly.” Jinyoung patted his head, as if he were a particularly clever dog. “That's a lovestagram for you. Leaving little clues for the thrill of it. Maybe you'll get a kick out of it and we'll giggle together over being so daring and unable to fully hide our love, laughing at the fans for not catching on to our little secret. But do you know what my thoughts on that are?”

 

“That if we really love each other and are secure in our feelings, why would we need to play a game about it that toys with the feelings of others?”

 

“That. And also...” He leaned over Mark, holding his gaze. “Why would I risk you and everything we have for a momentary thrill with meaningless results? Like I said, I'm not going into this with a 'hiding' mindset. My mindset is protecting us, so we can always have moments like these that only we get to know about.”

 

He pulled away a little, pressing his finger down on his phone screen. Mark heard the click of a picture taking.

 

“Yup, that definitely won't be going near Insta,” Jinyoung said with a smile. “I don't need to share it with anybody. This you is just for me.”

 

0

 

A few weeks later, Mark had gotten so used to Jinyoung coming onto campus that he felt safe venturing out with him to grab takeout. Sure enough, all eyes seemed to glide right over the two of them. In the lives of other people, they were just extras, fillers in the scenery, and Mark realized that was perfectly fine with him. He was happy to be the leading man in his own story, flanked by his beautiful, perfect love interest—he didn't really need anyone to be audience to it for it to be a pretty damn good love story.

 

While they waited in line for their food, a girl tapped Jinyoung on the shoulder. “Excuse me,” she said. “But I've seen you on TV before, right?”

 

Mark's heart skipped, but Jinyoung just wrinkled his nose without missing a beat. “Television is shallow brain rot which distracts us from the greater purposes of life,” he said in a withering voice, his tone several shades higher than normal without sounding in the slightest bit faked. “I prefer to spend my time on more meaningful things.”

 

The girl blinked, her own nose wrinkling a moment later. “Oh,” she said in a put off voice. “Sorry. I mistook you for someone else.” With that, she turned to her friend and muttered under her breath, “What a prick!”

 

Jinyoung turned back to Mark with a smug smile. “My real secret is being a good actor,” he whispered. “Can't expose Park Jinyoung on a date if I convince them Park Jinyoung's not even in the room, right?”

 

---

 

Q: Have you met their groupmates? How do the others feel about you?

A: Yes, I've met them. They're great! They feel like siblings to me, almost.

I can't really speak about how they feel for me, but they seem to like me, I think...

 

“Jinyoung, your lovey dovey boy is heeeeeeere!” Jackson trilled when he opened the door for Mark.

 

“Mark?” Yugyeom popped into the doorway, eyes brightening. “Mark's here, Mark's here!”

 

“Hey, Yugyeom,” Mark said with a grin. Ever since they'd first met, he'd had a soft spot for the group's giant maknae, much to Jinyoung's annoyance.

 

“Jinyoung's in the shower,” Yugyeom informed him. “So you have to hang out with us until he's done.”

 

“Wonder what he's doing in there,” Jackson said, wiggling his eyebrows. “Not preparing for illicit activities with you, is he? I'm pretty sure Jaebum laid down some pretty serious no hanky panky rules.”

 

Jaebum karate chopped Jackson's head from behind. “You know, some people actually take showers because of personal hygiene, .” He rolled his eyes for Mark's benefit. “Hey, Mark. Long time no see.”

 

“Yeah, it's been awhile hasn't it?” Mark agreed. “It's been too long since Jinyoung invited me over.”

 

“Because he's jealous,” Yugyeom said, sticking out his tongue.

 

“Of who?”

 

“Of anyone you look at for too long when you should be looking at him.”

 

“MARK!” Youngjae bounded up to the door, unceremoniously grabbing Mark's arm. “Just in time!” He started dragging Mark to the bedroom he shared with Jaebum.

 

“Just in time for what?” Mark asked.

 

“GAMES!” Youngjae pushed him down in front of his pretty extensive PC setup. “You're my new co-op partner cuz Jaebum !”

 

“Say that again,” Jaebum said in a threatening tone, plopping down beside Mark. Jackson took a seat behind them, looping his arms around their shoulders. A moment later, Yugyeom came to the room, dragging BamBam behind him.

 

“Hey, man!” BamBam said brightly. “Where you been? We missed you!”

 

Mark couldn't help but smile. It had just been a few months ago he'd been aside himself with nerves at the prospect of meeting Jinyoung's groupmates after they'd mutually agreed to come clean about their relationship to them. It wasn't that he'd thought GOT6 would be terrible to him—he knew from Jinyoung's stories that they were all great guys, and while they had their share of arguments, they genuinely got along. He just worried their overwhelming aura of 'very muchness' that aded their V-LIVEs would come through and they'd 'initiate' him in one of their twisted betrayal games and subject him to punishments involving spanking and forehead flicks when he lost.

 

Instead, they'd had a 'family dinner' where they all got to know Mark and solemnly vowed that they respected and would protect his and Jinyoung's relationship. Jaebum, the dutiful leader, laid out some ground rules (no hanky panky in the dorms, no lovestagrams, no group members making obvious jokes about Jinyoung's love life during interviews), and they'd all toasted with drinks and gotten slightly buzzed (or in some cases, completely sloshed) as a unified group.

 

The next time Mark came to the dorm, he got the 'very muchness' they'd been holding back last time. But instead of being overwhelming, it had been plain fun. Youngjae had let him play with his dog and talked his ear off about the games they both liked. Jackson flirted with him and challenged him to an arm wrestling match. Yugyeom and BamBam taught him all their trademark jokes—dabbing, EEEEEASY, One out, Two out! Jaebum plied him with so many embarrassing stories about Jinyoung from their JJ Project days that Mark gathered ammunition that would last him about ten years.

 

He got along with them so well that he wished Jinyoung invited him over more often. But Jinyoung insisted it was an important boundary. “As much as I love them, they're a part of my work life,” he explained. “And I have to draw a line between work and personal stuff somewhere, don't I?”

 

So Mark was definitely going to enjoy it while it lasted now. He grabbed a controller and waited while Youngjae powered up the game.

 

“Mark, you totally wouldn't do something stupid like move in with Jinyoung when we're not in the dorms anymore, right?” Yugyeom asked.

 

“Oh, you guys are thinking about leaving the dorms?” Mark asked.

 

“My brother's getting his own place, so I thought I'd stay with him,” Youngjae said. “He's also free Coco-care when I'm busy.”

 

“My own traitor best friend is thinking of leaving, too,” Yugyeom said, glaring.

 

BamBam shrugged. “I wanna get cats, man.”

 

“And I can't live alone,” Yugyeom continued, sniffing. “So you should move in with me instead. Too much together time with your boyfriend isn't good for you.”

 

“I don't know,” Mark said. “I'm still a student—it's pretty early for me to be thinking about long term housing. Plus you're all 97 young and rich. I probably wouldn't be able to afford wherever you'll live.”

 

“Sounds to me like you're trying to seduce Jinyoung's man,” Jackson said. “Can't blame you. He smells really good.” He leaned in, sniffing Mark's hair. “YOOOOW, MANNNNN!” Jaebum had grabbed him by the ear, pulling him away from Mark.

 

“Now who's trying to seduce Jinyoung's man?” Jaebum asked. “You brats need to lay off, OK? I know you all like Mark, but at the end of the day, he's here for Jinyoung.”

 

“I don't know, can't we adopt him? Youngjae asked. “He's the only one of you who fully appreciates Coco and doesn't every other seconds about him killing plants or ting in shoes.”

 

“That's because Mark doesn't live here, duh,” BamBam said.

 

“Yeah, but he's not a big talker, so he wouldn't talk me even if he did!”

 

“Speaking of talking,” Jaebum said, turning his fiery gaze to Youngjae. “Don't think I don't hear you getting into 'how can we piss off Jaebum' talks with the other two brats because I accidentally shot you with friendly fire during our last co-op.”

 

Youngjae stared at Jaebum with wide eyes. “What are you talking about, Jaebummie-hyung? I would never! There's no one I respect more than you!”

 

Jaebum looked like he was about to protest, but just sighed and ruffled Youngjae's hair. “Ah, you.”

 

“Why do you never go ah, you to me and just skip to putting me in solitary confinement?” Yugyeom whined.

 

Mark just grinned. He honestly wouldn't mind if they did adopt him, at least while they were still all at the dorms. If they split up housing, he wasn't sure he would be able to see them as often. Jinyoung did invite him to concerts when they had them, but Mark wasn't supposed to go anywhere where there were cameras rolling, and since they were constantly filming V-LIVEs, moments when he could see the whole group in private during shows were few and far between.

 

Jaebum must have noticed a momentary flicker of worry in Mark's eyes, since he nudged him gently on the shoulder with a small smile. “We don't need to go so far as adopting you,” he said. “All of us have a shared history, and we'll have a shared future, too. If you're a part of Jinyoung's future, we'll be there, too.”

 

0

 

It Jinyoung a good thirty minutes to disentangle Mark from his groupmates when he finally emerged from the shower. “This is why I don't invite you more often,” he grumbled. “Every time you come over, Youngjae, Yugyeom, and BamBam are convinced you came to hang out with them, and Jaebum tries to pull his leader-mode on you. And don't even get me started about Jackson.”

 

Mark smiled, sinking into the pillows of Jinyoung's bed. “Yeah? But I like it.”

 

“Of course you do. You're all birds of a feather.” He leaned in, brushing his lips against Mark's nose. “If you become too much of a migratory bird, paying too much attention to the others, I might have to lock you up.”

 

“Mmmm, you talk big, shoebill, but I know you're happy that we all like each other.”

 

“Maybe.” Jinyoung wrapped his arms around Mark's waist. “Just one thing, though.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You are absolutely not allowed to move in with Kim Yugyeom.”

 

---

Q: Do you get jealous about the other idols they meet?

A: Not really. I trust them.

If there's one thing I could tell fans, though, it's that you shouldn't make every interaction between idols into something. I see people trying to claim with 100% certainty that the person I'm dating is in love with this person or that person.

None of those posters know anything about my existence.

 

“By the way, don’t look me up on Twitter today,” Jinyoung said at the end of their phone call.

 

Mark’s eyebrows shot up. The last time Jinyoung warned him off of Twitter, it was because one of his incredibly bad selfies from a few eras ago had made its second round as a meme and Jinyoung hadn’t wanted him to see his dark history.

 

“Did your voice crack during an interview again?” Mark asked.

 

“No.” Jinyoung cleared his throat. “I was a presenter at an award show. My co-presenter was an idol…a female idol…one famous for being very pretty…so…”

 

“Say no more,” Mark said. He could already imagine it: the moments gif-ed and accompanied by captions like “OMG, the way she looks at him~” and “Awww, they’re seriously so sweet together! I already ship it. She’s so pretty, Jinyoung’s such a lucky guy~” All that, and the gif would basically just be him walking her across the stage and her smiling brightly as he read from the teleprompter.

 

“You know that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me, right?” Mark continued. As long as Jinyoung wasn’t being made uncomfortable, it was no big deal. There was that time at one of the year end awards when one of the interviewers kept getting closer and closer to Jinyoung until he’d practically been backed into a wall, but Mark hadn’t been jealous, just annoyed on behalf of Jinyoung’s invaded personal space.

 

“Yeah, I know. Wrong gender and all.”

 

“Not even that. I don’t get bothered by the stuff with JB or Jackson either.”

 

“Well, you know them.” Jinyoung sighed. “Is it even a good thing you don’t get jealous at all?”

 

“It means I trust you.”

 

“I trust you, too. But that doesn’t mean I have to trust every single one of your classmates, right?”

 

0

 

What he’d said wasn’t 100% the truth, though: he’d used to get a little bit jealous of Jackson. It wasn’t just Jackson’s very hands-on approach to flirting—though sometimes he wished he’d cool it down with that, too, as much as he knew it was just Jackson being Jackson. It was that Jackson could encourage Jinyoung in ways Mark wished he could do himself. Mark always took the approach of the fewest words—“You know I’ll love you either way, right?” or “Of course you’ll be fine, it’s you.” But Jackson delved into the heart of issue and wouldn’t let up until Jinyoung was completely confident in himself.

 

Mark couldn’t help but wonder sometimes, in the back of his mind. Jinyoung was so eloquent and thoughtful, so filled with ideas and questions, so deep and expressive. Wouldn’t he be happier with someone who expressed themselves about ten times more than someone like Mark did? And thinking this way sometimes made him worry what would happen if Jinyoung met that kind of expressive person, and he realized that while Mark fulfilled other needs, he wasn’t everything Jinyoung truly needed.

 

But one day when he dropped by the dorm to return the pajama bottoms Jinyoung had left behind at his own dorm, Jackson was the one who greeted him in the entryway.

 

“Oh, perfect, Jinyoung’s going to be thrilled to see you,” Jackson had said. “He’s on one of his insecurity trips.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Jackson lowered his voice. “He’ll kill me if I tell you, but when have I ever run away from danger? He got asked out today by some rookie idol when her group greeted us backstage.”

 

“Ah.” Mark could imagine that happening a lot with someone as handsome as Jinyoung. “So why the insecurity trip?”

 

“Don’t ask me to explain how Jinyoung’s brain works. He went from that to thinking, ‘If I get asked out fairly often, I bet someone handsome like Mark gets asked out every other day.’ This somehow led to him thinking that if you hadn’t gotten into that accident at Inkigayo, you’d definitely be with someone else by now. Jinyoung managed to depress himself by imagining something that hadn’t actually happened. He seriously thinks that since you’re a regular guy, his competition is the whole entire world or something.”

 

“Of all the—” Mark sighed.

 

“I know, I know,” Jackson said, waving his hands. “But then he started going on to me about how important you are to him, how he doesn’t think he’d have made it this far if he didn’t have you to support him and give him a push on the back. How the way you’re so calm and believe in him so simply makes him realize when he’s blowing things out of proportion and worrying over nothing.” Jackson smacked him on the arm. “That guy seriously thinks the world of you. You are one loved dude. Makes me jealous, kinda.”

 

Mark wasn’t jealous of Jackson ever again, after that.

 

He stopped thinking Jinyoung would one day leave him for someone more passionate and expressive.

 

And because his simple way of expressing himself worked, he didn’t lecture Jinyoung about his ‘insecurity trip.’ When they were alone, he simply wrapped him in his arms and said “I’m so lucky I have you in my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

---

 

Q: Do you have love songs written about you? How does it feel?

A: It's deeply flattering when they write you the song and show you the lyrics and sing it to you for the first time, especially if they're an amazing songwriter like the person I'm dating. Their voice and sincerity always takes my breath away. It's the best kind of gift, and it's great to hear their love expressed in a different kind of way.

But...if they're a member of a group, the other members will have vocal and rap parts in the song. And I'm not going to lie, it's really weird to hear their members singing a love song written about you...

 

If Jinyoung wrote a song, Mark loved it.

 

That was a simple fact of life. Absolutely no bias factored into it (at least he thought no bias factored into it), because Jinyoung's songs were 100% his type, and even if they weren't dating, they would still be the first to go on repeat because they were his perfect ideal of good music.

 

If they happened to be about him? So much the better. His heart had been stolen the first time he read “Paradise” (Jinyoung had chucked the notebook at him, told him to read the bookmarked song, then fled the scene in embarrassment. He loved Mark's feedback, but never liked being in the same room the first time he read anything). He loved uncovering all the things Jinyoung apparently loved about him—his small gestures, the way he filled his vision, the way he still missed him somehow when they were together—and holding onto that knowledge during times when Jinyoung was a bit more coy with his emotions.

 

“It was inspired by you, of course, but I don't think it's overwhelmingly about you,” Jinyoung said. “It's a song for the group, so the words have to fit them, too. I'm never going to make someone like Jackson  sing about being timid, or have BamBam sing something overly mushy.”

 

Mark understood that, but was still a little bit bewildered when he heard the final track and Jaebum was the one singing the “You're driving me crazy, baby, even your smallest gestures” line.

 

“I thought you said that was that line was one of the first you came up with, thinking about me,” Mark said.

 

“Yeah, it was.”

 

“So why is Jaebum singing it?”

 

“Oh, that? Because his high tone sounds perfect on that part. I could never sing it like that, so of course I gave that part to him.”

 

So Mark learned pretty quickly that romanticism was only one part of songwriting; group dynamics and delegating parts to the appropriate person was another essential part. Learning that really helped him appreciate the final package even more and treasure the amount of thought and work Jinyoung put into something inspired by him. And inspired was the right word. The parts Jinyoung sang were about him. The parts the members sang were transformed by their own ideas of love and their own hearts. That was what made it a true GOT6 song.

 

0

 

He loved every song Jinyoung wrote, even if that song wasn't necessarily about him. As Jinyoung often said to him, “Life's more than just romance.” And sometimes when he listened to the track sent to him by the composer, he'd realize that the music was telling a different kind of story than the one he and Mark were living. No matter what, he'd always weave the just-right lyrics and pull out the words that belonged to the music, whether they were words about Mark or himself or different people and emotions entirely.

 

Mark loved those songs. They were his favorite songs in the whole world. But it wasn't the lyrics or the pieces of him woven in alone that made him feel that way. It was the having Jinyoung's heart and soul in the form of music with him whenever he needed it, filling him with beauty and poetry when he was going through ordinary life. When he walked through campus with Jinyoung's voice and words nestled against his ears, the whole day felt brighter. It felt like Jinyoung was with him, even when he wasn't.

 

Were there downsides?

 

As it so happened, yes. Though it took until the release of “The New Era” for Mark to feel it.

 

Jinyoung again chucked his notebook at him. “Read the bookmarked song, and just so you know, it was written the day after that night, you know the one.”

 

And yes, Mark absolutely knew which night Jinyoung was talking about when he read the lyrics “Let you do anything you want, baby.”God, even just seeing those words again brought back memories of the variety. The lyrics should have come with a Content Warning: Will 100% Awaken Your Nether Regions Regardless of Where You Are and What You're Doing.

 

“You're honestly going to release a song like this?” Mark asked Jinyoung later.

 

“Yeah, that's the plan.”

 

“And your fans are going to listen to this and buy this?”

 

“Uh-huh.” He paused. “It's for the Japanese fans, you know. They're not as...moralistic...about these kinds of things.”

 

“Jinyoung, you and I both know a ton of our fans are English speakers, and all the dirty bits are in English.”

 

“Well...” Jinyoung's lip jutted out. “I wanted to write about that night for posterity, OK? Don't you like it?”

 

“Like it? I love it.” Mark grinned. “If you sing it for me, I might be convinced to give you round two of that night.” He paused. “Please tell me Jaebum's not going to sing the chorus.”

 

“Nope. This is going to be a Jaebum-free song.”

 

Oh, Mark thought in relief. It's a solo song. Thank god.

 

0

 

It was not a solo song.

 

---

 

MT93***

All right guys, enough questions for tonight :) I think I covered all the basics, right? Really, dating a celebrity is not as different or as weird as you would think.

I might pop on tomorrow if you have any other questions. But for now, goodnight!

 

 

 

 

A/N: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! You may have noticed I didn't mark this fic as completed...I was thinking if you guys had questions you wanted to ask Mark about dating a celebrity, I could include those in a second chapter! Just keep in mind that the people asking questions don't know any specifics, such as the genders of the people inolved, or that the idol in question is in GOT6. I would also avoid asking rated questions that you would never ask someone in real life...the flashback included after the answer *might* be rated, even if the question is not!

So feel free to hit me with your questions for Mark here or on Twitter :)