I sit down with JB in the dining room. I’m his mentor in Japanese. Usually Jackson and I teach it to him since we’re the only two who can speak it fluently. Actually we’re the only two people in the group who can speak various languages fluently. Anyway Jackson can’t help today because he’s helping Jia with Chinese and JB really needs to be able to say a whole paragraph by next week for our showcase. Otherwise I would decline I hate being alone with JB. Everyone else is in the practice room learning the dance moves from Jr.

I put my pencil in my mouth as I review JB’s quiz.

“You make your kanji look a little too Korean. Be more swift and not decorative,” I tell him. JB sits back in his chair and lets out a loud sigh.

“Why are you paying attention to my writing? We should focus on my speaking!” JB says.

“Patience,” I tell him. He rests his head on the table and remains like that for five minutes.

“How’s your day going?” he asks.

“Fine,” I reply.

“Doing anything after this?”

“No.” I make sure to keep all my answers short. I just hope he gets the memo that I do not want to talk to him.

“Hungry?”

“No.”

“How’s my Japanese?”

“Horrible.” It’s quiet again for five seconds and then he starts tapping on the table. Even though I’m annoyed I don’t give him the satisfaction of giving him my attention. I keep my eyes on the table.

“So Jackson,” he starts. Now he has my attention. I look over the paper and stare down at him. His head’s still on the table and his finger is positioned in front of him with his annoying taps.

“What about him?” I ask. JB smiles at me and sits up.

“You know he’s a really good looking guy. Some fans even ship us,” he says with a cocky grin. I want to grab a knife and cut it off. Hmm Jackson isn’t here so no one can stop me. Focus Mark let’s try not to end our leader.

“Our fans ship everyone with each other,” I tell him. JB shrugs.

“Doesn’t matter. I mean I’m good looking and he’s good looking. Good looking people should just get together.”

“Your logic is flawed you pompous jerk.”

“Anyway he’s your roommate,” he says as if I didn’t say a word.

“Yeah so?”

“So you should know him better than anyone! You’re closer to him. Maybe you can help me out?”

“Help you with what?!” I almost yell. I can’t believe this is happening right now.

“Help me get into Jackson’s pants. Duh!”

“Y-you just want to get into his pants?” I ask.

“Aim high hit low man,” he sits back in his chair content with himself. Can I just kill him now? I look to my right and see the butcher knife on the cupboard. It’s right there, two feet away. All I have to do is-.

“Hello!” Jackson says when he comes through the entrance. He walks right over to the fridge and gets a tangerine.

“Hey,” JB says his lips. Jackson ignores him and looks over my shoulder at JB’s paper.

“Dude what’s up with your kanji? It ,” Jackson says. JB scoots his chair closer.

“Maybe you can help me make it better?” he asks. I gag. How can he shamelessly flirt like that? It’s starting to make me sick. And angry at the same time. I can feel my body heat up from my toes to my head. Jackson peels his tangerine and gives me half.

“Uh sure. Maybe after the showcase,” Jackson says. “Shouldn’t you be working on his pronunciation?” he asks me. JB taps the table.

“That’s exactly what I said!” JB yells. He smiles a charming, bright smile. “You know Jackson I’m free tonight.” My eye twitches.  I start to stand up so ready to punch him but Jackson pushes me back down in my seat. I’m so angry I growl. JB looks over at me.

“Mark, did you just growl?” JB asks. I look up at Jackson and then at JB. Then I grin. A beautiful idea comes to mind. I take a bite out of my tangerine.

“You know what JB? I’ll help you,” I tell him. JB stands up quickly.

“REALLY!?” JB shouts. A huge smile on his face. He looks at Jackson and collects himself. “Um I mean . . .  cool.”

“What are you helping him with?” Jackson asks.

“Uh he’s um helping me do stuff with the stuff inside of stuff. You know? And it’s going to be a lot of stuff in one,” JB goes on as he mumbles around for words.

“I’m just helping him get what he wants,J,” I tell him. JB smiles at me and I shake my head. JB you have no idea what you’re in for.

“Mark, are you sure he likes this?” JB asks as he looks at himself in the mirror.

“Oh yeah. Jackson loves it when people dress like this,” I reply. JB stretches out his arms and frowns.

“I look like the world’s number one douche bag,” he says.

“That’s because you are,” I mutter.

“What was that?” he asks.

“But you’re totally rocking that style,” I tell him. “Jackson loves swagger after all.” JB smiles and pulls on his jacket.

“I do rock this style,” he says. Idiot doesn’t even know he insulted himself. I shake my head at him.

“Go buy it now,” I tell him.

“Oh right,” he says.

“4-450?!” JB asks stunned.

“455,” the cashier corrects. He stares at me appalled.

“It’s just one outfit,” he shouts.

“And you’re a kpop star. And you were an actor and now you’re trying to impress a guy. Just buy it,” I tell him.

“But I need to save up for dates,” JB says.

“You plan on paying for all of the dates?” I ask.

“Well yeah. I feel I should be the man in the relationship,” he says. Not even I pay for all of our dates and I’m the ‘man’. The lady at the register raises an eyebrow.

“You’re wasting her time Jaebum. Just buy it,” I tell him. He frowns and swipes his card.

“I’m going to be broke,” he says mystified. “Broke, broke, broke. People would stop me on the streets. ‘Hey JB why aren’t you eating?” and I’d say ‘wa wa’ because I’m too hungry to talk.”

“Why would someone just randomly walk up to you and ask you that?” I ask him.

“Because I’m special!” JB whines.

“Keep that up and he’ll never want you,” I tell him. JB breaks down in the middle of the street. He gets on his knees and grabs some random lady by the skirt.

“Why is being in love so hard!?” he shouts. Few people turn to look at him others mind their own business. I smirk at this scene. Suffering already JB? But this has just begun.

Jackson, JB, and I sit around the table for JB’s Japanese lesson. JB’s wearing one of the jerk outfits I made him buy. And yes I made him buy another one that costs around the same price. I honestly went around the store looking for the ugliest most expensive outfits at the clothing store.

“Jackson,” JB says. Jackson looks up at him.

“Hmm?”

“Call me ‘oppa’,” JB says in a way he thinks is seductive. Jackson glares at him for five seconds and then laughs. He laughs so hard he falls out of his chair.

“Oppa? You want me to call you oppa?” Jackson says between laughs. JB looks at me over the table. And I shrug.

“He finds this amusing now but later,” I tell him with a wink.

The previous day JB and I had a conversation about this at the park.Because JB’s too paranoid to discuss Jackson in the house even though he wasn’t home.

“Okay lesson two. Jackson loves to be treated like a girl,” I told him.

“He does? But he seems so manly,” JB said.

“Yeah well when he’s with a lover he’s a whole other person. Well when with a male lover,” I said.

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