[un-betaed; I'll correct all of grammar mistakes later, I swear]

You have those moments in your life. When after doing something you categorise as drastic and life-changing and that had seemed such a good idea just a few seconds ago, you pause for a certain amount of time because you get hit hard by the sudden and clear realisation that wrong. You've made one thing that you will regret later- -for the next few hours, days, years, life. 

It may seem a little exaggerated because it's just the color of his hair.

Well, one, thanks for being understanding, guys (no, not really). Two, this is an important matter, let's not take this as a joke: aren't you supposed to be on his side? You are all in this together with Mark. That's the deal. And let him add that if you are just here because you want to laugh at the that happens to him everyday, then you're cordially invited to leave this place and please, do never come back again. 

For those who are concerned, the first thing he wants to say is thank you. You are all adorable, lovely, immensely smart and absolutely the kindest souls in this ed up world. Mark is going to share his thoughts about his changement with you because he knows for sure that you're not going to just snicker.

(Hopefully).

-

On a scale from one to ten, Mark's love for his new red hair before going to school was under seven for different reasons. When he arrived at school- -well, his point of view took a whole different road. From a negative number it almost turned into a nine, but let's talk about this later (plus, never ever get fooled by the good ending of this sentence. Why? I say Unlucky, you say Mark).

For now, let's focus on Mark's changing opinion because he thinks that this is interesting for the development of the story.

Lie.

It's just that saying all the frustrated things that happened to you makes you feel somehow better in the end.

Anyway, one reason probably holds more importance than the other because the first is about Mark not feeling the slightest bit comfortable coming back home to get shouted at by his mother and to receive simpathetic, yet judging looks from the other components of his family. He could feel in every fiber of his body before putting the key in the door, that oh, his genius for having elaborated such a big surprise for Jackson was not going to be appreciated by any of them.

He can't possibly tell them that the flaming color that he's now sporting is all because he wants to be in a gang. Actually it's for a guy- -stop. He's going to continue saying that they would have probably comprehended if he had have the chance to justify himself using those words, but as he replays the one and half sentence, he notices that it sounds a little stupid. In his defense, he'd like to say that it was so much better in his mind.

Nichkhun, his mom and his dad think that him dyeing his hair into a very bright thus too noticeable color will certainly gain attention at school and it won't be good since that goes against some rules. Mark hasn't obviously told them yet that it's exactly his intention.

Their words had been somewhat encouraging- - because Mark'd thought about being integrated in the group because of this action - - and utterly discouraging because he hadn't seen his family agreeing that he made the wrong choice since when he was like four orfive and he said that he'd prefer buying the Spiderman toy instead of the 'cool', as he remembers his father calling it, gadget of Hulk.

After hearing their opinion, Mark honestly didn't know what to think of when he stared at himself in the mirror. He predicted that they would have not be elated about his red hair, but it did not make him feel less uneasy at the end of the confrontation.

Ah. He almost forgot to tell you about Laura.

You guys have to hear this.

Mark is so going to wrap his sister with tissues, put her in a package and send it overseas in some foreign country with absolutely no high-tech- - like some places in Africa for example - -in order not to see her for at least a couple of years. He would probably visit her and maybe bring her back only home after she'd learnt to stop ruining his mood when it's already bad. 

Because you see, Laura being crazy, think-of-herself-as-sophisticated-but-she-is-not, fussy, overly sassy and full of ego and make up Laura was just eyeing Mark's hair without saying anything at the beginning.

She expressed her dislike right after knowing that Mark did not go to her hairdresser (crazy. Why the hell would Mark go to his older sister's hairdresser if that shop is exclusively for women?) and she said that the products that the guy of the salon used on Mark were probably cheap, resulting to the quality of the work fading in a month or two or even less. And to split-ends.

Mark has never cared about ing split-ends. He's definitely not going to begin now.

His sister gave him the most disgusted expression that she'd ever shown him before that moment and then she promptly sided the other three members of their family.

He'd never been so disappointed with her- -giving him up like this because his hair is going to be ugly. ing sisters and their sick ways of judging people.

When he got to the school building, the thought of having not made a wrong decision's brought to life first thanks to the curious and some hard looks that he got from random students and then thanks to Jaebum whose inability to talk gave Mark the biggest amount of hope he could ask for. He allowed himself to be enveloped in a cloud of positivity and he was almost imagining to be doing a small victory song after Jackson had announced him that he was accepted in the gang.

The only thing that happened, though, and that Mark did not expect at all was to be called by the president of the student body.

Don't get him wrong- -he knew that he was going to receive a reprimand or that he would probably be intimated to change his color back to normal. It's only that he was hoping to face the principal, not Wu Yifan.

That's the moment when he realises with blinding clarity that he made a terrible decision.

Goddammit.

-

He isn't scary because he's got powers in the school.

Okay. That's not partly true.

Wu Yifan and the members of the council have the students' respect except maybe for a minority. Of course, people think twice before disobeying them. These elected individuals are the head of the school and the vice-principal's sidekicks and that give them a lot of authority after all.

Mark sees them every week when they're surveying the classes or when they're disciplining those who don't follow the regulations, sometimes immediately reporting them to one of their bosses.

And before you start complaining over not ever having heard of the existence of this structure in the school, Mark would like to have the chance to explain first why he's never mentioned them until now.

Well, for one, he'd never gotten involved in anything that required their intervention and, two, even if Jackson and his friends are in front of the student council on a daily basis (Mark did not say their names, but it's almost pretty obvious that they're part of the mentioned small minority), that is not particularly relevant.

It is not like his crush & co being scolded and then being sent to the head of the school's office is some big news. It's an information that doesn't need to be revealed.

It's somewhat implied.

Because you cannot say that you haven't thought about it.

Were you really expecting that high-schoolers could skip their classes slash do whatever the hell they want without consequences?

C'mon. You've got to be kidding Mark.

Back to talking about things that are actually happening at this very moment, it's more the president's appearance rather than his position that gives off intimidating vibes.

There's only a table that is separating Mark from Wu Yifan- -or, as he likes to refer at himself during his endless speeches regarding morality, decor and sense of responsability, WuFan.

Mark is sitting with his back straight, leaning againts the furniture and with his legs perfectly parallel to each other even though the other person can't see them. He's not going to hide the fact that he would be equally tensed if it was the principal who wanted to exchange a few words with him, but he doubts that he would feel the palpitation reverberating in his ears like this.

WuFan is turning the pages of what looks like Mark's reporting card and, , he knows that it is clear because Mark hasn't done anything wrong in three years of studying in this ing place, but he cannot shrug off the anxiety.

The president of the student council is tall as a tower. A skyscraper. A New York skyscraper. No, don't laugh guys and don't you dare say that Mark is lying because he's not. Wu motherer Yifan is the tallest person in the entire school with his 6'1'' feet. The height isn't the only characteristic that makes him a very intimidating figure, though. The permanent scowl on his forehead, his defined jaw line and, this is going to sound funny, but again, it is not and it is true, Wu Yifan has commuticative eyebrows- - they all contibrute into making Wu Yifan's image.

Right now, the president is giving him a speculative look and the single raising eyebrow is telling Mark that he has nothing good reserved for him.

"So, mister Mark Tuan?" WuFan says. Why does he have to sound so formal? He immediately responds at his own question with a dismissive. "Yes, right. I took a very brief look at your folder. It seems that you're actually a good student. Not a top ten student, but your grades are more than average." He pulls his chair out and Mark sees him sit down gracefully.

Does he think that he's sitting on a throne? WuFan rests his arm on the armrest and then puts his forearm up so that his fingers can delicately caress his chin.

"Is there a reason behind that abomination going on your head?" He asks straight to the point. It doesn't sound like a question, though. His eyebrows go up for a fraction of time so brief that if Mark wasn't looking so intently trying to decipher the secret meaning of every little movement he would have missed it.

"No, uh- -" Mark diverts his gaze from the forehead area of the other to the table when he hears the sound of a desk drawer sliding open and then WuFan is swiping the screen of an iPad with his free hand. "No, sir, not really." He lies as the president of the student council looks up at him, probably waiting to hear a complete sentence.

He offers Mark a smile. It doesn't look genuine- -it is practiced. Kind of forced and tight. "Please, call me WuFan. Although, I've been appointed to this office, that doesn't automatically give me any label unless it's President Wu. You can call me that if you don't appreciate my nickname." 

Oh, well. Mark answers with a nod. Isn't he unnerving? Just, are Wu Yifan's pants uniform and the collar of his shirt too tight thus air doesn't reach his head and he can't talk like a normal human being? He is so ing getting on me.

WuFan has his eyes on his iPad again. He makes some researches on Google that have Mark frowning because he can't figure out what the other is looking for and why exactly he's using Google at the moment. After a couple of minutes scrolling down, he's lifting a disbelieving eyebrow at Mark.

"Say," oh. The short pause that follows the first word plus the blank expression and the coming back to its position that WuFan's brow is doing terrify him, "are you trying to join the rebels of our school?"

"How do- -" Mark stops from spluttering out his surprised very manly squeak (delete. Cancel. Erase. Throw away that noun). Instead he gives himself seconds of silence to regain his composure. "No, Pres- -WuFan." Because he's not going to acknowledge the authority of the other's persona by referring to him with the other nickname. 

Absolutely not.

Not to people who are trying to conceal their real nature behind a polite mask.

That is not how things go with Mark.

He much more likes open s rather than WuFan-like people.

Now that he's looking back at the president who seems like being able to look through him at his very soul, Mark recalls WuFan making six students' lives a living hell by torturing them for an entire week, sending his assistants after them to note each wrong move of them. And when two of the poor guys tried to go against him- -there was a meeting that every single student had to attend. It was a long monologue about the importance of the representative structure of the student body and how they're helping to improve their school. At the end of it, there were examples of the things you shouldn't do in order not to ruin anything. To summarise it, WuFan talked about those three guys, pointed out all the things that they did not do well in his eyes. He embarassed them in front of everyone.

Same treatment was planned to be adopted on Jackson, Jinyoung and Youngjae (if Mark's not wrong. He isn't sure if the last person got nominated in the list), but at the end of the speech, the three (or two?) were nowhere to be found.

That crossed the line- -it signed the era of Jackson's gang and WuFan's war.

However, these days it's the principal who's taking care of the Jackson and group's vicenda since a lot of teachers are complaining about the guys' not pleasant behavior.

Sometimes, WuFan still intervenes, but mostly is the main boss doing the work.

Must be hard to control a Jackson Wang and his comrades.

But he suspects that the president's hatred stems mostly from despite the fact that there are things happening in the school- - like insects in the lab - -he hasn't found anything yet that demonstrate that there are Jackson and company behind them. All WuFan's got so far is punishing a little the guys for not doing their homework daily, for sometimes skipping classes, for catching the gang going to prohibited places in school- -minor things. He wants to prove there's Jackson's mark behind the big pranks.

"Mister Tuan." WuFan cuts Mark's train of thoughts. "Education says that when asked a question, one should give an answer."

"Forgive my rudeness." He doesn't snap, even if it sounds like it. There is certainly a difference between doing something intentionally and not. WuFan is giving him a very disapproving stare. Mark does not give an apology, though. YiFan could my- -a lemon. Yeah. And he wouldn't still say sorry nor defend himself by saying that he didn't mean it. "There's no connection between my red hair and the group that you mentioned." He adds instead, shifting uncomfortably under the pressure the other's look is putting him under.

"Are you sure?" WuFan has the decency to talk to him with a straight face at least. He doesn't sneer or let out any kind of sound nor show any kind of emotion that could make Mark think that he knows that he isn't being told the truth. He's putting away his device, hiding it back to its place. "Jackson Wang is an element who needs to realise which is the proper behavior to keep in a school." He joints his hands together. "He and his friends will learn one of these days." WuFan promises in the end.

Mark doesn't reply at the beginning. He's pressing his lips together like he's trying to crush something between them.  you, man. 

"Can I have your word that your dyed hair has nothing to do with their tests to determine if you're qualified to enter their gang?"

His best friend Jaebum has always expressed how much he doesn't like Jackson Wang and he calls him and the others names, and yeah, he wears pretty sour expressions when he talks about them, but WuFan's ability to gather as much dislike as he can in his words without letting his facial features move except for a brow or both of them is impressive.

"I don't wish to be part of their gang."

"Really." Mark will burn those ing eyebrows. He swears.

"Yes, really."

Nothing in the world will be able to convince Mark to put the guys in his mess. He will never involve them, especially if we're talking about Jackson getting another underline in the WuFan's black agenda.

He's taken aback when the president suddenly lets out a long and suffering sigh.

WuFan's still in the same sitting position, forearm still placed like before, but this time his fingers are massaging his closed eyelids. "Mister Tuan." Will he ing stop? Not even Mark's parents talk like that with their colleagues or with clients. They're formal, yes, but they do not sound so oppressive and ing annoying. "I was giving you many chances to reveal the truth."

Mark soaks in the information. "What."

"Were you seriously thinking that I would repeat myself so many times without a final goal?" WuFan uncovers his eyes, blinking them open. He tilts his head a little on the left. "I'm going to reveal you one thing, mister Tuan, so listen carefully and think about how much it's worth taking the side of people who do absolutely nothing except influencing badly other students. I'll admit with sorrow that Jackson Wang and gang have a growing number of fans that gossip about them every time they can and since my co-workers and I walk the halls of this building twice a day, we have heard about your little hang-outs with those people."

Will there be a day when nobody makes him feel like a moron?

Mark doesn't want to say that he looks like someone has written 'loser' on his whole face with permanent marker and that he's aware of it, but since it will be useless to try to clean the writing because it's hard to erase and it will still be a little readable even after rubbing for a cretain number of times, he just stands there wearing the most pitiful expression. He doesn't want to say it because it seems so very ing embarassing even for someone like him.

So, he won't say it. 

"Ah." No. Definitely not going to say just that. His hands are getting sweaty. "I mean- -ah, aaah, no. Still nothing to do with them." God, please save him. "My hair. It has nothing to do with Jackson and the others. That."

WuFan's identical twins beg to differ. He leans forward, one elbow on the table. "I feel insulted by your blatant lies, mister Tuan. Here I am, being benevolent- -giving you different possibilities to get away from being accused of doing something against the rules and this is the compensation I receive from you?" 

For a moment Mark considers punching the air with one hand- -Wu motherer Yifan has lost some of his unbearable politeness because of him. He will add this to the achievements of the year list. Would I gain points if I tell Jackson about this? He hopes so. It will cover the ones he'll lose for sure once the group finds out that he did not have a face to face with the principal nor with the vice.

Only with the grumpy secretary.

"Will mister be so kind to share with me why he's giggling when there's nothing funny going on?" With horror Mark sees the president transforming from a fake civilized and bothering human being to the reincarnation of a demon. WuFan's eyes get dark and his facial features get hard too, lips drawing a perfect line.

Mark doesn't gulp. He's learning how not to show his fear to anyone. (Pressing his back to the chair and planting his feet on the floor are not signs of anything. Just for your info).

Did he say that I was giggling? Because excuse you, Wu YiFan, but Mark doesn't giggle.

"Can I have sincere answers, please?" Maybe WuFan is really a supernatural being. A demon. Yes. Because Mark will like swear on all the material things precious to him if you want, but the guy looked like he didn't move his mouth at all when he spoke. "Mister Tuan?" You know that thing they say about people being a thousand times more scary when they lower their voices to the point that it sounds creepily husky instead of simply screaming until their lungs are empty? That's what WuFan is doing.

If Mark hangs his head a little, not being able to hold back the terrifying gaze without feeling a shiver run down his spine, no one can blame him. "That's what I've been doing." He would be proud of himself because hey, he's never been so good at lying (do not. Mark will murder your teddy bears if you counter him. This is just him trying to comfort himself. He knows that WuFan isn't believing the bull he's said to him, but let a guy have a moment of happiness. Would you?) but the other suddenly bolts up from his chair.

WuFan lets out a humorless little laugh.

There's a palpable silence that lasts until the president fixes the collar of his shirt.

"Above the average students could take help from the student body." He says slowly, pacing in the space behind the table. "Putting aside the few days when you arrived late at school, your folder lacks of reports."

"You didn't mention that part about my lateness." Mark blurts out. He recoils immediately after that. "But it's fine. And no, thank you, you can keep all the help. I don't need it." 

500 hundred points to Mark Tuan.

"Everybody needs it." The president of the council disagrees. "Think for a second about how much easier your school life would be if we had your back." He insists, now using a tone that most people would think of as friendly, but Mark knows it's another strategy- -a fake gentle voice to convince him. "You want to stay at home because you need a pause from all the studying? Two days? Three days of break? Conceded."

What. 

"Admit that Jackson Wang is involved and I'll close an eye." There he goes again with the stupid smile. "And more."

Mark stares.

ing hypocrite. What a son of a . ing president of my ing student body and the ing rules. What a- -

"So I deduct from your words, mister Tuan, that it's a big no." WuFan states and okay, , kick Mark's mouth like right now. 

-

Contrary to popular belief, Jaebum can be the sweetest best friend sometimes. He can be a barrel of kittens and butterflies and rainbows when he chooses to be.

It happens on rare times, though.

Mark is always taken aback because it is too sudden and he's used to having Jaebum being a bastard for almost every day of the four seasons that when his best friend turns off that façade and becomes a prince of gentleness, he has the urge to ask what the has Jaebum eaten wrong.

"Okay." Jaebum says before pushing Mark on his chest who, because of that, hits the floor pretty hard. His grin is megawatt as he looks at the offended eyes of the other. "You want the evil me? Fine. As you wish, Ariana."

"Do I want to know who's this girl and why I got the priviledge of being called like her?" Mark and sarcasm are the biggest buddies when he feels dust and eraser crumbs under his palms.

Jaebum doesn't even offer him a hand to get up. He sits on a random desk near him. "Probably not."

There is nobody who's attended the scene, luckily. Mark guesses that it is because there's still some time left before History.

When he left the student council's room, his intention was to drop at the canteen. You see, might as well check if Jackson and company were looking for him because you know, Mark's still clinging to the hopeless thought that the guy's already taken his decision about the Mark matter. Unfortunately- - you knew this was coming, right? - -his best friend just had to call him and told him to hurry up and come back in their classroom when he was about to check if his wish got fulfilled or not. He couldn't say no since his best friend ended the phone call informing him that he bought him a ham and lettuce sandwich and he wasn't hungry before hearing something about food, but then he was.

A day may come when his body accepts that his stomach is not always the one which has priority during these moments, but it is not this day. (Besides, what if it turned out that the members did not know anything about WuFan calling Mark yet?)

Maybe when Jackson's his boyfriend, he'll start being Mark's only preoccupation- -joking. He already is. Mark's only uh, sweetheart guy in mind person. That probably doesn't need to be pointed out like this because it was clear from the very beginning, right? Whatever, okay.

"Will you tell me what you and Captain Tight Pants talked about," Jaebum always has to interrupt Mark when he's in the middle of an important thinking too, "or all I get is to watch you day-dream?"

He glares at his best friend.

"And before you start whining, I'll say that you owe me money for your lunch and you hurt me when I was trying to be nice to you. Either you pay me instantly, or you spill the beans out." Jaebum says, playing with the zip of the pencilcase that's placed on the desk he's sitting on.

Mark huffs. "It wasn't even good. There was no ham." He rubs his hands together to remove all the dirt. It takes him more time to stand up because he spends a couple of seconds flicking his eyes to Jaebum and himself, waiting for the other to catch the drift and help him.

Jaebum understands, but he just smirks at him. "Is this Jieun's?" He picks up a pink ballpen and shakes it. He purposely momentarily changes their topic.

"Remind me again why I'm friends with you." Mark shakes his head. He stretches his back. He hisses in pain. "You didn't have to shove me like that, you ing jerk. Next time I'm cutting off all of our connections. the friendship for years."

The other rolls his eyes. "Bla bla bla," he mutters under his breath, but being the only two in the room, Mark hears everything perfectly. "Man, chill." He exhales exaggeratedly. "You're like my aunt on menopause- -you can't even take a joke, God.  'Sides we have a cookie bond. That can't be easily broken."

The second eye-roll is a surprise because Mark is pretty sure that he hasn't said anything yet. Or done. But of course Jaebum contradicts him. "Stop looking at me like I murdered a ing bunny- -you know wha- -okay. Oookay. You're not on menopause. I'm sorry." He has the nerve to sound like it's Mark who has initiated the bickering.

Well, he has not. 

And he's mature enough not to tell Jaebum that they don't really have any bond since Mark didn't get to eat the cookie. He doesn't pinpoint that he hasn't made any expression after being insulted. Plus, he won't say aloud that he's mature to go back to the main subject of their conversation. 

"Usinf a few essential words, Wu YiFan, president of the student body, role model for every people studying here, tried to corrupt me. And oh, he'll tell me what's my punishment soon," he says as non-chalantly as possible and his aim is to stop everything there and not proceed on narrating anything else because for once, he wants Jaebum to know how it feels to have the worst best friend in the history of best friends.

Jaebum is scribbling something on Ji-Eun's desk with the girl's red and black pens. He looks back at Mark and the latter doesn't know if he hates himself or Jaebum more, because he fails when the question that he receives actually cannot be avoided. "Did anyone tell you that Jackson went here and asked for you?"

His throat goes dry. "What. What. No, did- -"

"Good." Jaebum interrupts. "Because he didn't." And then he's cackling.

The other's begging after that trying to extract more information from Mark.

It's pointless and the reason is that he, Lim Jaebum, is a ing bastard.

-

The professors before the break didn't pay more than a long odd stare at Mark, but from History to Science, he's the center of the teachers' unwanted attention.

They give him a roasting- -each of them.

The worst comes when mrs Lee assumes that things at home aren't going on well and Mark is at the beginning of a rebellious phase. She's young compared to the other teachers, a bit crazy- -scratch that. Very crazy. She starts with telling Mark that she hopes he won't keep on showing his disappointment or whichever feeling he has with these kind of acts and she doesn't stop with her assumptions not even when Mark finally says that his family is just a little upset.

"You've got the patience of a saint, bro." Jaebum is patting Mark's head in what he thinks it is a way to placate the friend's irritation, but it only contributes in adding more fuel. "If I were you, I'd have thrown something at her. ."

Mark bats the hand away. He lets out a quiet irritated breath. "I'd rather have you blabber about other things, JB." That would distract him from the insane thought of wanting to murder someone. Likely a person who provides schooling for students. Throwing things is not enough sometimes.

"Calm your ." Jaebum says instead. He's ty. The last guy in the world that you'd like to have around you because he's often just so damn dense. Which part of Mark asking him for help didn't he grasp?

Fine. Maybe it did not come out very nicely and maybe it didn't seem like a hey-bestie(you didn't read that)-rescue-me-please, but they've known each other for so many years that Jaebum should have been able to interpret Mark's phrasing sentences.

He doesn't reply at his friend.

Mark grabs each of his belongings on the desk and just throw them inside his rucksack and even if Jaebum tells him something along the line of 'man, you ain't no saint right now tho', it enters from an ear and exits through the other. 

"Hey! Wait up, !"

But he is already at the door.

He has a foot out of the classroom when he lets out a half-shout because of Junior's face appearing from nowhere in front of his and screaming something that Mark doesn't understand. "Holy , Junior!" He is grabbing the front of his own uniform. "Do you want me to die young?"

Junior levels him with a look. "Only if you have already felt the pleasure of having with someone."

"Huh?"

"Then no, he cannot die yet." Jaebum meddles in, stepping in the hall. He crosses his arms and leans against the wall.

"You're saying that he's still a vi- -"

"Absolutely."

Junior whistles. "I see. I can't really say that I didn't expect that from him."

"We're sixteen, dude. Who are you to judge him?"

"He can do whatever he wants, hey." Junior is raising his hands. "Wait. Are you defending him because you're friends or because you're a virg- -"

"He is still right here." Mark sighs heavily, running a hand over his eyes. He's just discovered that he prefers hearing his best friend and Junior arguing instead of having the two teaming up against him. He can't help the blush that forces its way on his face when he faces Junior. "Can we please stop with- -" He makes grand gestures at himself with his hands, hoping that the other will get that he doesn't want to continue talking about his ual life. That's so random. "- -and listen to what you have to say?"

Apparently, a guy that has known him for only a couple of days is better at getting Mark's hints than Jaebum.

Junior chuckles, eyes full of amusement. "We're going to have a picnic in the gym of the school." He says it with so much enthusiasm that Mark would have let himself being engulfed in the feeling, but he's not sure about how to welcome the news.

Because it takes Mark approximately zero seconds to associate that with his affair. ing finally. He won't deny that he's shaking slightly. One day he'll understand why hearts have to pound so damn much- -can't it be another part of your body going wild?

"Is it about Jackson's deci- -"

"That's not a picnic if you're going to do it indoors." Jaebum points out as he bends down to tie the laces of his shoe.

Mark ignores his friend. He's looking at Junior and the other is looking back at him. "Is this- -" He starts saying again before the black haired guy shifts his gaze on Jaebum.

Ah.

It's the national day of let's ignore Mark Tuan. Why didn't anybody inform him?

"What do you call a meal in a gym?"

"I don't know." Jaebum says totally not helpful. He's standing up again now. "But definitely not a picnic."

Junior grunts. "Smartasses not able to give answers are my favorite."

Mark definitely agrees. Now if they could go back to- -

"At least I'm not wrong." 

"But you're useless and grumpy."

"Before you start calling people that, you may want to search for the meaning of those adjectives, boy. They cannot be referred to me."

"Don't you boy me, Grumpy."

Jaebum only smirks. "Oh, did I offend your majesty-sshi? I'm so sorry."

"Is this not picnic related to me passing the test and being accepted?" Mark has raised his voice a little too much maybe because it echoes and the two are turning their heads at him with surprised expressions. He is dying to know the reason of the invitation that he doesn't care the slightest bit about their reactions.

Junior is blinking, seeming to momentarily not be able to forget the sudden shout. His eyes shoot around. Mark refuses to do the same. In the end he quirks an eyebrow. "Of course it has to do with hyung." He mumbles.

"Really?!"

"Yes, but- -" Mark doesn't know why Junior is covering his mouth. He doesn't like it. "- -keep it low, okay? We don't want anyone else to find that out yet."

"And why is that?" His best friend inquires, finally doing something to mantain their friendship in tact by saying that in a demanding tone.

In the meanwhile, Mark detaches his face from Junior's palm and spits out after he dumbly his lips. They're salty. Gross. 

"Too early." Junior answers, short and vague. His shoulders tense up under the others' gazes at him. "I can't reveal why. It's a group thing- -a secret to keep." He hastens to add.

"Ain't that cute." Jaebum deadpans. He then stuffs his hands in his pockets and begins rocking his body back and forth. "So, is having a meal in the gym allowed now? 'Cause last time I checked and it was yesterday, there's this big sign outside saying that bringing food and drinks inside is forbidden. And as far as I know, the place is locked at this hour, isn't it?"

"And it is still like that of course. The sign hasn't gone anywhere, I guess." Junior says sarcastically, looking at the other guy as if he's stupid. "We stole the keys from Profesor marrón Bigote."

"Uh, Bigote?" Mark parrots stupidly.

Junior nods. "That's how you say mustache in Español- -why are you two giving me that look?"

"What look?" He blinks. Again. Aah. "I- -I just did not expect Spanish from you."

Silence.

The other blinks back. "Is that a subtle way to say that you think I'm stupid?"

"Uh, no!" Mark says quickly. He bits back his tongue to prevent himself to utter something else. But as he turns to Jaebum, he finds him thinking and unlike his friend, he can see some of the thoughts flying in his head. With a sorry look, he smiles at Junior before diverting the conversation to another thing. "Everyone's going to be there?"

"Yes." He senses another of course coming, but Junior changes the topic again. "Jongin hyung and I can't help you try to bone Jackson hyung today." He's still talking after that, but Mark has disconnected because his brain is frying in its juice.

"Bone. Bone? I d- -"

"Too much info, dude, ew, ew, eeeew!" Jaebum recoils as if being hit. He looks like he has a visceral ache. He tugs at the straps of his knapsack, frowning deeply at Junior. "Now I have an image stuck in my mind that I will be unable to erase for awhile. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome." Junior grins cheekily. Then, he makes an 'o' with his mouth. Mark watches him take his cellphone out of the pocket of his pants. "It's time to say bye-bye to you, Grumpy." He says, his eyes are glued on the screen. When he puts his cellphone aside and looks back at the two guys, his gaze is on Jaebum. He's giving him an apologetic smile. "Have to steal your bff here for an hour or two. You can't come with us, uhm."

Jaebum just raises his eyebrow and Mark thinks that like him, he doesn't get the sorry look. "I heard you the first time and, it's cool. It's not like I want to go. I do not want to spend time with any of you." He drawls jokingly. At the end, he shrugs his shoulders. Probably in order to convince the other of what he said.

"You don't?"

"Nope." Jaebum confirms with a half-smile.

"Okay, we can go then." Junior says and it would be a little hazard to assume that he's sounded disappointed because why should Mark's cupid be? (Hey, Jongin himself used this term to describe he and Junior, so he can totally do the same). Without any other words, Junior turns on his heels and then he throws his head back only because he's realised that Mark isn't following him. "Let's go." 

"S-sure," Mark replies. He throws a glance at Jaebum. "Later?"

His best friend nods. "Let me know what the King says."

He and the guy walk for a couple of steps in silence. They're passing in front of all the Junior classes and then they are turning to the stairs that will bring them to the first floor.

Mark hasn't taken his eyes off the back of the guy for the entire time.

He doesn't need to ask if there is something off about Junior- -the answer is obvious. He'd be a non-stopping perpetual talking Junior if there was nothing wrong. He's about to wonder again if the cause of the silence of the other is Jaebum, but then, for the second time, he tells himself that it cannot be. Besides, his best friend did not even say anything unusually bad.

Jaebum can't be the cause of this.

"Are you okay?" He sputters, too curious to bit his tongue and preserve the question for himself.

Junior stops walking and Mark nearly bumps against him, but he manages not to. "What makes you think that I'm not?" He asks, glancing between the hall ahead and then back at Mark. "Everything's fine." He reassumes walking and Mark hesitates a bit before tailing after him.

"It's just that- -you're different. Again." Mark explains because he just can't find a way to let this go. He's able to walk on the same line as the other guy after taking two long strides.

Junior's face is devoid of emotion as he looks right and left.

As he studies Jackson's friend features more and more and keeps on trying to figure out what's happening, the realisation that he's got invited at this group-thing-meal in the gym (that maybe- -no, definitely since Junior said that they stole the key from a teacher- -breaks one of the rules of the school. Fantastic. Mark is praying the Lord that the council won't find out about this or, if they will, that they're committing only a minor violation. No, no, they stole the key. Either way, he'll clarify that he did not partecipate completely in the crime. Well, it depends actually. On how much that will help him with Jackson) sinks in his mind.

"Can I at least know how were you guys able to take the key? Did you snatch it from the teacher himself or did you find it somewhere else?"

Junior throws him a side-long glance for a full second. "No and no." He's grinning now, though, and Mark doesn't know what to do with him. He can't understand, goddammit.

What if- -wait, , . What if Junior is like this because Jackson is going to tell Mark that he cannot be part of their group?

"Ask me next week."

Mark blinks, nervousness eating his insides. "Next week?"

But Junior doesn't repeat it. He just keeps the curve on his lips and then he starts whistling.

"What do you mean with that? Junior. Can't I know anything in advance?"

"About what?"

"This supposed meal."

"I told you that I cannot."

"I- -I. C'mon. Please?"

"I'm sorry, but they will cut me into tiny little pieces if I do."

"I won't tell any of them?"

"Nice try."

"But- -"

Junior sneers at him. "Don't." He says, slapping the back of his hand on Mark's chest. "You're like on the edge of a mental breakdown. Relax." He's certainly seen something that he doesn't like in Mark's facial expression because he shoots his eyebrows up. He bites a side of his lips. "Okay. Hey, here's the thing: I really can't say what will happen there because they're my friends and adding a new member, new friend, that's important to us and- -oh, . Look, cool down and just be honest. And don't bring up boring things about your life when Jackson hyung asks you stuff."

Mark has to let two or three seconds pass before he scratches the back of his ear. He chews on his bottom lip too. "A-ah, so I have to answer questions?"

Junior smiles, toothless. It doesn't reach his eyes. "I told you nothing."

End of their conversation. No more spoilers for Mark.

They're near the place.

He's never liked the gym of their school.

Don't jump into conclusions, guys. Mark likes sports and even though it doesn't look like he's fit when he has clothes on, he kind of is. He doesn't have muscles, not a six-pack that he can show off or whatever, but his body is not bad. He does go jogging on Sundays when it's not raining and he exercises with Nichkhun sometimes.

The reason why he doesn't like it is because their gym gets cleaned by the janitors only during the weekend. That means that only the students going there on Mondays see it without shoeprints and dirt.

And at this moment, as Mark watches Junior performs a secret knock that he's insisted to do despite voices rumbling inside the building that all he has to do is ing stop being a ing idiot and blocking the door and just come in or Junior will be teared in two, he notes the date of the day because this place can get another why-I-hate-you point if at the end of this meeting his chances to be near to Jackson go back to around zero all over again.

He feels like his brain has only two functioning neurons.

He can depict them: one neuron panicking and running to all of the possible directions in his brain and the other screaming right behind, as panicky as the first.

"Relax." Junior mouths at him before entering the gym.

I'm so ed.

It smells of worn clothes, shoes, sweat, and Mark has always found the smell of the room unbearing. He doesn't scrunch up his nose in distaste, though.

There are crackers and chips and some sandwiches, two or three bottles of soft drinks and three cartons of juice. They're all placed on three benches that are accosted next to each other.

The guys are all sitting on the floor- -they've what look like two tableclothes under them. Good. There is a free space in between Youngjae and Jongin and one next to Jackson. There is something definitely enchanting about the latter's hair when they are just falling down on his forehead, devoid of gel and cap.

You see, Jackson's like a y god, but when he's got this hairstyle? Well, he's Wang the puppiest person in the wold like this.

Oh, my god, Mark stop yourself.

And you guys all know that his biggest desire is to have his crush within an arm or less of his spot, but he gulps when Junior purposely sits between his two friends.

"段宜恩?" And just to more with his brain, Jackson has to call him by his full name. With a smile. Oh. "Why are you- -did I pronounce it wrong? It can't be. I know Chinese too." The love of his life (delete. Oh, ing . It's because he's got only two working neurons that he's referred to Jackson like that. He's not that much of a sap. Damn it) is turning for a confirmation to Youngjae on his left who just shakes his head a little.

"I'm Korean, Jackson."

"Uh, it's correct actually." Mark eventually answers after being surprised. He tries to keep in mind the words that Junior told him earlier. It shouldn't be so difficult to have them set on replay since he is thinking about nothing else than them. It should only be like that until the end of this thing because if he expands his interest in Jackson- -get distracted, he can say goodbye to his goal immediately.

But then just a millisecond later, he's thinking that it's going to be hard not to do it when the corner of Jackson's mouth kicks up as Mark finally settles himself next to him. 

"How do you know that?"

Mortal things like Jackson pulling out a half smile while biting his lips shouldn't be legal. Or they shouldn't be shown in front of Mark. "We took the liberty to ask things to one of your classmates during recess."

Does he have to keep doing that with his mouth? Because despite Mark's initial purposes, now he's already less concentrated. It doesn't even disturb him nor really affect him what Jackson's revealed. "Uhm- -I- -Okay."

"So, how are you?" Jackson says.

Mark replies immediately. "Fine."

"Tough day?"

"Yes."

"You said that you're fine even though you had a tough day."

"I, oh."

Jackson stares for a second. "Care to elaborate?"

"Uh, yes." Mark groans. Why is he so nervous? God. This is not good. He fumbles for words. "It's been a tough day. I- -"

"Dude. Dude- -" Jackson has a hand on his shoulder and he's shaking him a bit. "- -breathe. I'm not going to eat you. Breathe. Normally, please." He's once again looking at his friend Youngjae. "I told you I should not do this." Back to Mark, he exhales. "Dude, I'm not usually the starter of these sort of interrogations. It's one of them."

"Good way to excuse your crappy try of setting the right mood, hyung." Junior teases. When Mark turns to him, the latter encourages him with a you-can-make-it look.

He can.

Yes, he can.

Can I really, though?

"Catch it!" Jongin shouts, luckily, and a packet of chips is thrown at Mark. The guy smiles with a hand full of cheese curls.

"Thanks." C'mon. Mark gulps. Cut this out.

"So, Mark, how's life treating you?" Jongin asks again. He's sincere, though. Not that Jackson wasn't, but Mark gets overwhelmed by him thus he can't know if the other is or not. "Not everything good, right?" Kim Jongin, this person, is like an angel. He's just so nice. He's saving Mark's pathetic and the latter will repay him one of these coming days. Promise.

"No, it's not." Mark says to the bag of chips in his hands. "It's not good.." He isn't thinking that chips don't have to hold a conversation with their crushes and their friends' crushes and hope that it will end well and he isn't thinking that chips in general have nothing to worry about except being eaten which is . His nonsense should be published in a book: he could get money from them.

"And why isn't it good?" It's Junior's voice. He's put emphasis on the last word.

Mark finally remembers. "Uh, WuFan called me in his office because of my dyeing my head red and- -"

"Yeah, we heard." Jackson grunts. "That dickhead is so going to visit me tomorrow, isn't he?"

With his heart starting to lose its normal pounding pace because Mark is staring at Jackson and the latter looks like he's uh, sulking. He swallows hard. Don't start again. "He suspects that you're behind this- -that it's a, uhm, thing I did to pass the test. I didn't confirm anything, though."

"You didn't?" Jackson sounds genuinely surprised.

"Uh, no."

"Told you he's a good kid." Youngjae says, reaching for a carton of orange juice. "You refused to cooperate with him then?"

Keep going.

"More like I refused to be allured by the vacation that he said he'd give me if I told him the truth."

"You do know that the dickhead is going to dice you because of that, right?"

"He said something like going to call me and let me know about my punishment."

Jackson is rolling his eyes. "He's a total douche. Does he have any proof? He doesn't! We're going to protest because you can't be accused of anything if he has nothing to demonstrate his statements. He can't do that just because he's president. him."

Mark's heart races at the first person plural pronoun. He squeezes the packet of chips. It's time to use his tramp card. "I called him names. Kind of cursed against him. That."

"What?!" Junior is laughing with his mouth full of food. 

"Klutz, you're disgusting." Jongin shoves a napkin at his friend's face. "What exactly did you tell YiFan?" The question is directed at Mark.

"I called him a hypocrite- -"

"Oh my ing god, yes!" Jackson drops an arm on his shoulder, rubbing his side. Mark may or may have not stilled for a second or two. Or three. Or four. You'll never know, guys. "Last time someone who was not me dared to open the dickhead's eyes about himself, it was our little Daniel." He's patting the back of Mark's head now. "You did good, dude. Now, tell us more about yourself." He says, releasing the other and then he snatches away the chips from him, resulting to Mark playing with his own fingers.

"I don't know what to say." Be honest, but not boring. "I like going out with Jaebum- -we, uh, hang out- -around. In the mall. Not always in the mall. Sometimes we eat pizza, drink bubble tea or we go to Starbucks, eh." He's pretty sure that he's covered the first part of Junior's suggestion. I am such a ing boring person, it hurts. "My brother and I organise a barbecue party once a month." That absolutely doesn't seem to make him more interesting.

"You lucky guy," Junior comments, dividing a sandwich in two. He gives half of it to Youngjae, "the only thing my family and I share every month is a family bonding day that always ends as a let's-talk-about-how-much-terrible-is-Jinyoung-as-a-son-and-as-a-brother."

Jongin snickers. "They're so right."

"Hey!"

"Jaebum is the guy you always have lunch with- -the one Junior likes to torture. That's Jaebum, isn't he?" Jackson questions him, looking through his eyelashes. The view gives Mark the butterflies feeling in his stomach. 

Mark drops his gaze on his lap safely. "Yes, that's him." He responds, forefinger awkwardly scratching the side of his mouth. "He's my best friend- -I've known him for a long time."

"I see." Jackson says thoughtfully. "And what's the craziest thing you've done so far?"

"Ah, that. Well, I tried to climb a tree without using my hands once."

"And did you succeed?"

"Uh, no."

"What about the most dangerous thing you've done?"

"I told professor Kim that his breath stinks."

Youngjae snorts on a laugh. "That counts as the funniest, maybe."

"Professor Kim is 440 pounds and he looks like a pittbull." Mark points out, confused. "Some classmates call him Big Show. Like the wrestler. He is dangerous."

"Dude." Jackson is laughing and for a moment Mark just stares at him. It's high-pitched, and the guy's biting the inside of his cheek as if to keep himself from smiling so wide. And then his eyes are curving too. The result is Jackson looking so so cute. "You're adorable, you know?" 

What. Mark feels his face burning. Tell that to yourself. "Oh," he lets out a very timid chuckle, "I, uhm, ah. Really."

"Yes, you're," the other waves his hand, "so shy. You're like Youngjae the first time we met him- -no, kidding. This comrade here is bossy and a jerk, unfortunately."

Youngjae grunts. "Shut your ty mouth, kid."

"See?" Jackson is purposely leaning his body. "Hobbies?" He's trespassing Mark's space, but that is fine. He can do whatever he wants. Nobody is going to stop him. Mark feels okay now. The proximity- -he can probably handle it at least a bit.

After all this time being ignored, he has never thought (having fantasies and thoughts are two differents things, thank you) that it would come a day when it's Jackson himself who would get close to him. And he's being very gentle.

Mark wonders if he should take this as a sign.

"You there?"

"Yes, oh, I have some." He says vaguely. "I like playing videogames and I like soccer. I listen to music, surf the net. I've watched a lot of films- -it's basically how I spend time when I have nothing to do."

"What kind of videogames, nerd?" Jackson asks friendly.

"Uh, FIFA, Pro evolution soccer, footbal manager- -"

"I get it. And what kind of films?"

Mark is tracing lines on his pants. "Mostly fantasy, action, sci-fi, but I watch other genres too. The first three are my favorite."

"Best movie ever?"

"Uh, it's a battle between Iron Man 3 and The Hobbit. I wouldn't like to choose because I find both epic, but if I must take a decision- -I'll go for Iron Man 3."

There's a small pause in which Jackson hesitates to nod at him. "He's your favorite superhero, I s'ppose."

"Yeah." Mark answers immediately.

"So," Jackson says, narrowing, "I guess that you've watched the other superhero movies then."

"Yes, I have a fixation with Marvel stuff actually." The words are out of his mouth before he can think about what he's saying. Mark barely holds back an embarassing noise. Mother of- -for 's sake. Now, they (Jackson) are going to think that he is a weirdo- -admitting that he's sort of obsessed with superheroes, what the was he thinking of?

This is not cool.

Only kids and losers watch those movies and make research about the characters on internet. At least I didn't say this last thing. The thought doesn't make him feel better. Mark is about to make the big decision to stop with this crazy hobby, but then he thinks that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

What's wrong is that he revealed this information to people to whom he's supposed to look cool and charming maybe, to be included in their little Jackson&Co little club.

Again, as usual, happened because of Mark's inability to stop his mouth from spitting out the worst reply that he can give- -it was starting to go so fine until it screwed everything up.

So, the best decision should be something like Mark and Mark's tongue taking a break from each other.

Like, they're done for awhile.

Mark's never been the greatest talker anyway. It wouldn't be that much of a deal if he limited himself to give signs with his hands and only nod and shake his head. Yeah, that would certainly be able to replace the lack of voice.

Sorry, Junior. He's going to do this for a better cause.

Jackson clears his throat, fortunately (or unfortunately) interrupting the strange turn that Mark's thoughts are taking. "What do you think about the Amazing Spiderman?" He says in a low, cautious tone that reaches Mark's insides again to make a total mess of them.

Now, he can't do the contrary of what he's just established to do.

Not even for Jackson Wang.

"Mm?"

But who's he kidding? 

"I- -" Clear your throat. Mark clears his throat. Forgive your mouth, your tongue too. He does. Speak. " compared to the previous movies. That remake has me glaring at my television for at least 45 minutes. Because, uh, the new actor who played Peter Parker isn't a Peter Parker- -you know, clumsy, lonely, insecure. It shouldn't have been played by a pretty boy, uhm. Yeah." He adores how his sentences are full of very clever monosyllabic words such as uhm, eh, oh and yeah. FML.

Jackson's eyes are inscrutable as he steals food from Youngjae's plate without taking them away from Mark's stare. "Lemme- -okay, no." He takes two bites of the half sandwich that the other hasn't finished yet before his friend takes it back from his hands by force. He's mayonnaise on his fingers (while Mark is not telling to a fellow down there to cut it out because this is not really the right moment for that kind of reaction). "Hey," Jackson says to him, and oh, he's giving Mark crescent moon eyes. Then, he's not looking at him anymore, but at the other guys. "He's right. Tobey Maguire was so ing better than the pinky ." He agrees enthusiastically.

Mark is this close to pinch himself to make sure that this is reality.

"So, I like him." Jackson utters, thumb pointing at Mark. "Let's keep him."

-

"From someone who had an indoors meal, I was expecting you to refuse." Jaebum is frowning at him. He shifts to a murderous look when Mark grabs another fry. "I really really really hate when you say yes when I offer you food."

"I didn't eat anything." Mark whines when his best friend purposely takes the Coke to keep it far from him. "Share- -don't be like this. I'm a survivor. Almost two intense hours of interrogation." He emits a sigh of appreciation when Jaebum passes him the drink.

"You did it, huh?"

He holds up two fingers in a victory sign. 

His friend's response is a disbelieving shake of his head. "I was 95% sure that you wouldn't make it, man."

"I'm in a mood of celebration. I'll pretend that I didn't hear you." Mark replies, grinning as he drums his fingers on the table. His gaze flickers from the remaining burger and French fries of Jaebum and the queue at the McDonald cashier. "Maybe I should order a Mcmenu too. I'm craving for nuggets and you don't have them." Jaebum is looking at him suspiciously when he meets his eyes again. "Yes?"

"Why are you not, I dunno, dancing the Macarena?" 

Mark raises an eyebrow. "Because we're in public right now." He smiles broadly and he enjoys the horrified expression that falls on Jaebum's face.

"Tell aunt that I'm not going to have dinner with you guys tonight."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Mark is shaking his index and closing his eyes for more dramatic effect, "you can't skip this. You'll have to listen to everything or do I have to remind you that sharing your best friend's feelings is part of our cookie bond?" He likes using Jaebum's exact lines against the guy.

Jaebum grimaces. "I'm regretting being your friend."

"That's always been a mutual feeling." The other retorts. "God, I can't wait to tell you how much of a sweetheart is Jackson and do you know that he's a Batman fan?"

"Who the cares that you two are geeks." Jaebum breathes out.

-

Mark is prepared to get another earful from the members of his family after they question him if he received complaints from the school. It's futile to lie to them so he's ready to say yes, but Jaebum talks before him,

"They made very sarcastic comments. Most of the grannies did not like the color, but I saw nobody telling him that he couldn't keep his hair like that."

Jaebum's ability to mantain a calm composure as he feeds people with bull is incredible- -Mark hasn't known about this. He's pretty sure that his friend had kept his undeniably amazing lying techniques close to perfection hidden from him until today.

Now, he's starting to wonder if everything that Jaebum's told him is true because he's a pro at lies.

Mark'd feel guilty to let Jaebum splutter half-true statements- -because Jaebum is aware that he got called in the president of the student body's office, but he didn't see it. That wasn't a complete lie- -if it's not for the fact that there's not a thing in the world, or in the universe that could spoil Mark's moment of glory.

Not even Laura accusing him of having stolen his mascara and declaring that she avenged it by taking another of his precious CDs. And a poster. 

"How did you do that?" Mark asks, throwing a joystick in Jaebum's direction. The guy catches it without any problem. 

Jaebum shrugs, but he's got this smug look on his face. "Oh, you know, some people were born with certain abilities."

"How can you be proud of yourself because you can lie oh so good, though." Mark comments teasingly. He takes a tube of Pringles and opens it. "You've never been that smooth, JB. I'd known you as the ty liar. That was unbelievable. You're not only stupid, man. I'm impressed."

"You really know how to thank your friends after they do something for you, don't you?"

"Touché."

It's in between losing a match of Mario Kart and hysterical laughs because he tries to distract his friend by tossing everything in proximity that his hand is able to reach that he starts narrating how fantastic it is to be a member of the, 

"in'- -I don't want to know about the Glee club, okay?"

"Glee?" Mark furrows his eyebrows. "What's a Glee?"

Jaebum's car guided by Yoshi gets off the road by it's not like he cares. Mark's best friend is practically holding his stomach while he rolls on the carpet and he doesn't even mind when he knocks off the junk food and he makes a mess, claiming that he isn't the slightest bit interested at cleaning it because it's not his room and because he's too busy imagining Jackson Wang & fellows performing Single Ladies.

"I don't want to know what is Glee, do I?"

"I don't really watch it. Just came across one video on Youtube- -anyway, I can tell you, but no regrets."

"I rather not."

"But how come you don't know what's Glee, dude? Seriously? Like, you've been to America- -"

"It's an American thing? It's not. I've never heard about it."

"You ." Jaebum has stopped trying to re-create the disaster in his bedroom in Mark's. He has disappointment written all over his features. "You're 37% American- -since you've studied there and you keep coming back and I wish I speak English like you, but you do not know any Am-teleseries. You're hooked with this whole thing about people in costumes with powers and movies with monsters and aliens, but you do not know anything about Supernatural. Be ashamed of yourself."

And those are pretty much the last coherent things that Jaebum's said for the rest of the night before he declares that he should leave- -never underestimate Mark's capability of talking about something great that happened and someone great that he likes for hours.

(Mark could talk about Jackson forever).

-

No cereals?

It's fine. Mark can have a slice or two of bread for breakfast.

No milk?

He can try having juice. Or a glass of water. Maybe he'll go for this last one. A person's body loses water while you sleep thus you're naturally thirsty when you wake up in the morning. Plus, there's another factor: water helps you flush out the toxins that you've accumulated inside you during the night.

Laura is being a and his mother reproaches him for calling her that?

It is not his fault that his sister isn't his favorite sibling and it is not either hers the fact that she feels the same about him. About his mom, she's right. Never encourage your son to use foul language in your house- -ignoring the usage of such a word even for one time can lead to another similar situation, so try to put a stop to it as fast as you can. Always.

He can feel Nichkhun and his daddy's stares lingering on his head when he's not looking at them. He's actually caught the two eyeing him before they quickly avert their looks somewhere else when they realise that they've been caught. Should this bother him?

Probably yes, and he admits that despite his new motto, 'Optimism is the best way to see life'- - to which Jaebum laughed yesterday, saying that he sounded like his Granpa. Mark did not take it as an offense because the elder is fantastic, so in your face, Jaebum- -there is something inside him that wants him to snap at the two, but he is able to just sort of wave a hand absently at the feeling, digging on his food and trying his best to think of what's waiting for him at school when he can feel his patience being threatened everytime his dad and his brother's gazes press on his figure.

Later, he's even able to tell himself that this is something quite nice since they're not saying anything about his red hair. They're staring a little sometimes. It is better like this.

Mark should appreciate their behavior.

And you know what?

He does and it is one of the best decisions he's ever made because when he walks out of his house at 7.25 am, a time of the day in which Lim Jaebum is still sleeping, he's never been so happy and he's never felt so free at an early hour.

He can start to understand Laura's obsessive need to revenge- -it gives you a wonderful feeling at the beginning and he thinks it's safe to say that it can only get better later after Jaebum reads the text.

-

Junior and Jongin are unexpectedly at the gates.

They're probably waiting for Jackson is his first thought, but the guy is rare to show up at this time slash it's almost impossible for him to arrive more than half an hour before the bells ring.

"Klutz, your uniform has a hole."

"Where did this come from?"

"It's yours. If you don't know, how do you expect me to?"

"Because you're Jongin, the know-it-all."

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Idiot."

"I'm serious."

"Give me at least one hour more- -I'm not ready and I don't want to deal with you. Not yet."

Mark can see Junior mimicking the other guy's very bored expression at him. "Live a little, Jongin hyung. You're always moody. You'll get wrinkles all over your face next year if you don't stop making those expressions."

"You make me moody." Jongin deadpans, then, as he's probably seen someone approaching him with his peripheral vision, he rotates his head at his left. Mark is getting used to being welcomed with smiles by him. "Good morning."

He grins, showing his teeth. "Morning to you, Jongin." And when he looks at Junior and finds the latter beaming at him, lips curving ear to ear as well, he greets him too immediately. "I suppose that you two are here because you've woken up both eager to learn today." It's lame, he knows that.

Junior rubs the side of his ear. "What was that, Mark?" He shouts, squinting one eye and leaning the side of his face to Mark. "Because that was worse than Jongin hyung's, 'I was going to make a joke, it'."

"Jinyoung." Jongin warns. Then he groans. "Why are you like this?" He's covering his face with the palm of his hand. Glaring through the space in between his fingers, he pokes his friend on the ribs with the free forefinger. "You're such a bastard."

"Woah." Junior is widening his eyes, mouth open in a happy surprise. "Mark Tuan, this is a Kim Jongin, who slept only for four hours, being a vulgar kid in front of a school building."

The mentioned guy drops his hand down. He rolls his eyes. "For the sake of clarity, I find necessary to emphasize that I was drunk when I said that." He explains, and Mark chuckles silently because this is hilarious. He has no idea if this is really the effect that lack of rest does to Jongin, but he likes it.

A part of him also notices that the conversation between them three is easy.

It was like that even before- -well, maybe if we leave out that thing about Junior getting angry at him and bla bla, but now, be it because maybe the two guys find it more comfortable to talk to him now that he's one of them or because it's just Mark feeling totally better, it's nicer.

"Oh, my gosh, what did my ears hear?" Junior exclaims, feigning stupor this time. He puts a hand dramatically on his chest. "Big words coming out of your mouth. I'm astonished."

Jongin gives him a look while Mark can't contain himself anymore and bursts out laughing. "You don't even know what astonished means. Please."

Junior's face falls after that comment. "Watch out, we have a sassy princess over here." He says, devoid of any trace of the previous facial expression. "I would really like to know why people always assume that I don't know things. I'm smart, you know."

"Is that what you say to your mom when she sees your grades?" Jongin says with a smirk, face held up in a superior manner. "I dare you to tell Mark your grades, sweetypie."

The other glares pointedly at him. " you are my grades."

"That escalated quickly." Mark mumbles, cutting out abruptly his laughter. For a moment he asks himself if he should, like, intervene, but then he looks carefully at Junior and he finds him simply grimacing. He's still keeping the opinion that Jongin who hasn't slept enough is very interesting.

Jongin folds his arms on his chest, then unfolds them a second later. He's patting the back of Junior's head in a consoling way as he tells Mark,

"We're here to show you our basement."

The latter blinks. "Basement?"

"That's what I said, right?" Jongin is turning around to face the school. He's tucked his arm around Junior, dragging him with him with his every movement. When he begins walking inside the school area in the direction of the entrance of the building, Mark follows him, instantly fastening his pace so that he can be next to the two. "Was the parroting because you can't believe that we're bringing you there or because you seriously don't know?" He asks with a small mocking smile. "It is a little difficult to imagine that the second thing is the reason, though. I mean- -you've been eyeing Jackson for so long and you're telling me that you don't know anything about it? Hard to believe."

And non-intentionally mean too. Mark is quickly starting to wish that Jongin could take a nap and be back to being that guy he's known so far with never-ending words of comfort for others. Eyeing. It's like saying that he's a stalker who he is not (you and Mark had already clarified this before. Go look for it, if this is still not clear to you, guys, that Mark Tuan is nobody's stalker).

"I didn't know." He opts to say in the end, hoping that a shrug can cover the sudden awkwardness that he's feeling.

"I see." Jongin replies right afterwards with a nod. "It's on the third floor. Have you ever heard about those rooms that are left un-used after the incredible grasshoppers infestation of two years ago?"

Mark furrows his eyebrows. "Of course, I do." A pause. "Is one of you behind that as well?"

Both guys turn to look at him.

What did I say wrong?

Then, they shake their heads at him, the two of them plastering similar pleased looks on their faces.

"You're giving us too much credit." Junior is finally talking again. He slaps the other's hand away from him, grinning cruelly when Jongin sends him an offended frown and proceeds on settling himself to Mark's left, resulting to Mark being in the middle of Jongin and him. "We're not that bad. We messed up a bit- -"

"Jackson said there was a worms incident and someone walked in the president's office." Mark presses on it because the other's making it sound like it is not a big deal, but he can clearly recall the pissed off voice of the head of the school announcing that lessons were suspended. The cause: aggravating behavior coming from an non-identified student.

"Fine, more than a bit." Junior corrects himself. At the red hair's still not contended look at the simple addition in his phrase, he tries again. "A lot. Are you happy now? Anyway, about the grasshoppers, we're out of that. We did not do anything. But if you want to put up a monument after the impressive mind who put itchy powder in the teachers' seats- -" He raises his hand. "- -you know to whom you have to dedicate it."

"Jinyoung."

Mark's eyes become big as soucers. "People in my class said it was Jackson."

"Then tell them that it was not him." Junior prompts with meeting eyebrows. "I don't work in order for other people to steal my spotlight. What the- -hell!" He shrieks in pain when Jongin pulls his nose all of a sudden. "Are you ing out of your mind? Go to sleep if you have to be so ing annoying about everything. What- -"

"We're supposed to accompany Mark in the basement." Jongin drawls and then he cuts Mark's way and forces him to halt when he towers over Junior, showing his back to Mark. "That's what Jackson said." He only says, and then after more or less than a minute he positions himself to the other side of Junior, smiling shyly at Mark who flicks his gaze to him and to Junior that's muttering something under his breath while he keeps his eyes down on the floor, and then Mark wonders what the happened.

It takes Junior a couple of steps to have his bright and lively mood back and for Jongin to join the conversation.

Really? Mark is confused. He questions them once about it, only to receive a dismissive answer from Jongin.

The guy tells him that it's nothing. "Jinyoung had an eyelash on his cheek. Had to remove it."

Right.

And Mark was born yesterday.

He lets the topic dorp and he actually doesn't think about it anymore for the sole reason that they're at the third floor now and they're going straight to those rooms Jongin's described before. His mind starts picturing what the basement might look like.

Trying not to set up his expectations too high because he remembers visiting them with Jaebum once or twice and they were in a really bad condition- -they were full of boxes and other materials that the janitors did not throw out, but they should have done- -he depicts a room quite cleaned, though. (He actually doubts any of the members of the group likes to keep things tidy and clean. Mark doesn't either. The reason is because they're teenagers. Most of them don't like. They like little or a lot of stuff around. You know, just because it's hard to put everything back in place).

Maybe they have chairs and desks inside it- -maybe they stole some of them from other classes.

Jongin and Junior throw knowing looks at each other as they stop in front of a door. It is all written with what seems like permanent ink and it is definitely old, but it's green unlike the doors of the classrooms of the students which are white.

It means that it was a laboratory. I can't remember for what subject. "So this is it." Mark says, and he can't wait to see it.

"Jackson likes to call it the Batcave."

He's always thought that his crush's adorable. C'mon. You think that too, right?

"Aw, it's cute how you become so happy just at the mention of something about hyung."

Mark is the last to go and it is on purpose. He has a smile painted on his face that..

..vanishes instantly.

"Is- -" He glowers at the boxes and the various things that are scattered here and there, leaving only a space between the door and the stuff that can't be occupied by more than three guys.

A lot of, uhm, stuff can't even be used for this because it's more than that.

It's -what--is--- stuff because there are just too much and they're piled in a disorderly manner next to each other. Wait. Piled? No. There's no logic in how they're amassed.

Someone would find it fascinating, the way all those objects are put together and they're not falling down to their bodies. Now, that Mark's had this thought, he asks himself if he should step back or not because he's not really sure that they won't slump on them and bury them alive in a moment or another.

"- -are you ing with me?" He breathes out faintly in the end.

"Why?" Junior asks, and he closes the door before admiring proudly the stuff (Mark doesn't know how to call the big amount of things. He has no idea really. They're a lot and they're here, up- -how tall is this giant of boxes and all the , anyway? It almost reaches the floor and he hasn't said this yet, but it's quite dark here. While he knows that it's a beautiful day outisde. . He's aware that there's a possibility that he might die). "Cool, huh?"

Mark makes a face. "That's not really how I'd call it."

"Don't you think it's a form of art?"

What. "What."

"The arrangement of the desks on three chairs and that- -that big old table supporting the weight of- - one, two, three, four, five, six other desks and big containers! The boxes thrown there, there and there. Small containers from the ex-biology lab. And what about those three metal storage cabinets behind the table and everything else that cover the windows and don't extacly allow us to see a lot and make us feel a little claustrophobic?" Junior says in one intake of breath. It's admirable, except that Mark isn't giving him too much attention right now. "Picasso would have liked this if he was alive."

"There's a chance I'll meet him." Mark mumbles back.

Junior tips his head back at his comment. He's going into a spams of laughter and at some point, he starts coughing too and when he looks for something to lean on while he rubs his stomach, of course it isn't either Mark nor Jongin he goes to. The guy has to hold the leg of one of the unstable chairs.

He seems not to see the incredulous way Mark is staring at him. The latter is left utterly speechless because he just doesn't want to lose his life now that he can be nearer to Jackson and knows him better. Trust his luck to put an end to him at this time.

"You're making too much noise, Klutz." Jongin chides, but he's finding this funny as well. It's written in the twitching corners of his lips. He's standing behind Mark, so close that he can feel the warmth of Jongin's body. "This is really the Batcave."

Mark is so disappointed. "Yeah?"

"Well, maybe not this- -" Jongin says, and there's a finger indicating the objects before them. "- -but behind all of them. We just wanted to see what expression would you have made if you were presented this. You did not let us down." He takes a step and he himself comes closer to that mess. He turns his gaze to Mark as he leans down to take a huge carton box in his hands. "Junior definitely liked your reaction." And Mark would be insulted if not for the comeback of the other's genuine boyish smile and mostly because right then, Jongin removes the box.

Nothing falls, surprisingly, but Mark's sense of self-preservation equally makes him take a long step back.

There's light coming from the space left by the box.

He watches Jongin squat down, and then he's crawling to pass through that gap to reach the other part, Mark thinks. The behind them all part.

Oh, my ing life.

He stays eyeing it, wondering if nothing bad will happen if he decides to do the same.

In the meanwhile, Junior has regained composure. He's wiping the corners of his eyes. His mouth is still trembling and smiling maniacally, but he's talking. "You first or- -"

"I'll go." Mark says, because for 's sake he's not going to be the last. He'd coward for sure. "I, uhm, yeah, first." He imitates what Jongin did, but before risking, he bites the inside of his cheek, hesitating. "Say, it's not going to- -"

"Nah." Junior responds, not even letting him finish. "Probably." He adds when Mark has half of his body in.

ing . But he doesn't obviously stop. He goes faster, knees trying to bring him to the seemingly safe other side. It's a quite short uh, tunnel, but Mark is careful not to bump any part of his body with anything. As soon as his head is free from the dangerous and scary, Mark's eyes nearly drop out of their sockets at the view.

A two sided double-table is at the center of the big free space. New blue chairs are around it. He recognises that they're the same ones in the conference room of the student body (Mark's been there before, but just to deliver some papers. Don't doubt him. He's said that he's a great student, remember?). There are three laptops on it. There are three normal desks against both of the walls, right and left. On the right, there are what look like a dozens or more of mangas and other magazines, while on the desks on the left there's a coffee machine and there are cups and glasses.

Jongin is currently drinking and only now Mark registers the smell. He was too busy scanning the room.

Oh, and it's clean.

Have they hired a maid to keep it like this? Like, the floor doesn't have a dirt on it.

"Like what you see?" The dark-skin guy is yawning. Then, he sips his coffee.

Mark nods eagerly. "Did Jackson do this?" He sputters out. Since it's the Batcave.

Jongin raises an eyebrow at him.

It's Junior who answers, though. "I understand that you like Jackie hyung, but aren't you going a little too far? Not all the fantastic things in life were made by him, you know- -" There's a hand pulling Mark's ankle. "- -aren't you going to move?" His first instinct is to kick, but then he notes that the guy's voice is coming from behind him and when he looks down, he realises that hey, more than half of his body is impeding Junior to go through the tunnel (yes, right. It is not really that, but can you find a better term to call it? If you do, email Mark. Note the sarcasm, please).

"Sorry." Mark stutters, embarassed. "I just- -I'm really sorry."

Now standing on his feet, he looks at his surroundings. Holy . "How did you- -?" He asks, pointing randomly around him.

"Let's specify first that we contribuited in the making of this." Jongin teases, but he's sporting again one of what Mark's beginning to think is like the guy's trademark: his big and kind smiles. The drink is waking him up a little more. He somewhat looks like he feels better. Not un-intentionally mean, anymore, hopefully. "We made the chaos- -"

"Excuse me? We?" Junior goes to sit on a blue chair. "You mean, I. I made the chaos. You were all eating."

Jongin looks up at the ceiling with a sigh. "Someone is being overly demanding attention and recognition today." He says slowly. "Junior made the chaos." Ha makes a circling motion with his hand. "The boxes and all the you've just seen. But before that, the guys and I cleaned everything and then we brought these things. Two of the laptops are YoungJae's and the other is Daniel's. You can use YoungJae's when you want. They're all connected to the school's WiFi."

"Oh?" Mark is surprised. "You know the password?"

"Yes," Junior chirps, "This hyung has some useful connections." He shares with a teasing grin. "It's a short combination of capital letters and numbers. We'll tell you later."

Jongin makes a half eye-roll at being interrupted. "Anyway, what was I saying?" He pushes his lips, thoughtful, before snapping his fingers just when Mark's about to tell him that they were talking about their secret basement. "There are a couple of rules, and unless you want the other three to get pissed at you, you 1) don't ever show other people where this place is, 2) don't touch Daniel's laptop if you don't have the guy's permission to touch his 3) you're free to come here wherever you want, but stay sure that nobody's following you."

"Remember especially rule number two, okay?" Junior tells him seriously. "You don't want to have to deal with Daniel hyung's tantrums." He warns. Standing up to make a cup of coffee for himself, he twists his half body around so that he can keep talking while looking at Mark. "I'm not joking: the guy's crazy about his things. We'll make 'it's forbidden to touch Daniel's ' rule number one one day."

"Yeah." Jongin confirms and if he does that, Mark's pretty certain that it must be really true. "Don't do it, alright?"

"No problem."

"Great!" Junior exclaims enthusiastically, eyes crinkling. He's finished drinking. "Do we know what time is it? If there are a spare of minutes left, I think Mark should really look at those mangas."

Mark blinks. "I don't re- -"

"Oh, but I think you should." The other insists. "They're not that bad. They are stories about basketball- -you know, Kuroko no Basuke? Then there are classics like Naruto and Death Note, One Piece and Bleach." He is giving Mark a smirk now. "There's also Marvel crap. Hey, wait, have I already mentioned that they are Jackson's?"

-

Since he's told not to reveal anything about the Batcave to anyone, all Mark can do after arriving ten minutes late in class and then getting berated by his Science teacher, is to respond at Jaebum's questioning stare at him as he settles down in the vacant chair next to his friend's with a small shrug.

He mouths, "Bathroom." But besides being a ty liar, friendship goes two ways, and sometimes it takes Jaebum only a look and Mark is already scrubbing a hand over his face because he knows he's already got caught. He has no idea why he can't just choose when he wants the other to figure him out with just a simple move like that and when not.

The teacher is writing on the blackboard.

Jaebum psst-s at him.

"What were you doing with your rucksack in the bathroom?"

Oh, . "I didn't want to leave it because there was nobody." Mark lies.

The other frowns. "Who the would steal your rucksack, man? Plus, you've never problematised about that before." He whispers back, pointing the eraser that he's holding at Mark. "What's up?"

Mark resists the urge to pull his hair. He's now having a little debate on what he should say. He doesn't like keeping things from Jaebum because it makes him feel guilty somewhat. Hell, they don't hide anything from each other. They're like brothers. On the other hand, he also won't like if he spits the secret because he said that he wouldn't do it.

"It's complicated." He murmurs, looking at his desk. "I saw something, but I can't tell you." He adds vaguely, guiding his eyes up to catch a glimpse of his best friend's expression.

Jaebum is simply watching him.

"Psst." He says again after some seconds.

Mark turns his head. "Mm?"

"Is the something about the Wang boy?" Jaebum asks, grinning madly. "Did you- -I don't know. Did he make your cherry pop with his, uhm, popsicle in the bathroom?"