warning; swearing & typos 

The next day, Jinyoung woke up with the buzzing sound from his alarm clock. The blinding red blinking digits indicate that it’s already 6:30 AM. Still consumed by sleepiness and drowsiness, he tried his best to completely widen his eyes and get his thoughts straight. He stirred a little, feeling a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist and gradually pulling him closer. Jinyoung turned to his side and stared at the breath-taking sight before him. He surely had seen this image for numerous times since they’ve shared a lot of mornings together, but this time is completely different. The man sleeping peacefully beside him was no longer a friend, a special person nor his brother via agreement; Mark is now his and he already belongs to Mark.

One of his hands landed on Mark’s soft cheek, cupping it gently as the calming noise of the unwavering rain was the only sound left to listen to. He loved looking at Mark with this radius, when there were merely centimetres between their faces, when he can feel Mark’s steady breathing. He can’t ask for more. Jinyoung remained still, thinking about all that happened several hours ago. The events were too vivid that he can clearly replay them all without missing a single scene. As far as his brain could remember, they started with a gentle kiss while trying to have decent talk at the living area. He was carried inside his room, Mark undressed him with care, they kissed over and over again, and Mark pushed himself in and took his ity. But the most memorable one was when he finally proclaimed his love for the elder. Now that things are already officially between them, it feels like there’s nothing more to hide. The entire idea of it got him shivering.

His fingers graced lightly along Mark’s perfectly shaped jaw, tracing it with full admiration. How can someone like him fall in love with me? Jinyoung asked himself although he knew that he can never answer the question himself. Mark furrowed his brows and little by little, his eyes fluttered open. He gave a sleepy smile and grabbed Jinyoung closer to him. “Good morning.” said Mark with a low voice. Their noses touched and Jinyoung made it a must to make their lips collide. Jinyoung’s lips are soft and his taste is simply addicting. As they pull away from each other, Jinyoung beamed back and answered. “How’s your sleep? “

Mark lied on his back and locked gazes with Jinyoung. “Great, especially when I heard you say that you love me.” he mumbled. Of course, who wouldn’t feel like floating over the clouds after hearing those words from a person that you’ve been loving for too long. Surely, Jinyoung was worth the wait. “I mean it, though.” Jinyoung sat up, realizing that he’s completely dressed. He looked at Mark, who’s still pressed against the mattress, curiously.

"I can’t let you sleep . It’s really cold." Mark announced with his signature cocky yet comforting grin. Mark was also dressed and Jinyoung couldn’t feel luckier. His lover cares for him; more than he knew. "Mark, " Jinyoung looked at the window and listened to the intensity of the rain landing against the roof. Worried, Mark sat. "I think the weather got worse. I’m not quite sure if the train station will have their trips today." and Jinyoung slowly stood up, dealing with the agonizing pain from his back. Mark caught it immediately and assisted the younger.

"I can stay here until tomorrow afternoon."

"Are you sure?! You have to settle some work at the office! You can’t just leave it to Bam or to anyone else."

"Stop worrying about that, Nyoung. I got everything under control." he held Jinyoung’s hands and their fingers interlocked. "All that matters now is we’re together. Your presence is a concrete reason for me to stay." and their lips met for a light kiss followed by a tight hug. If all mornings will be started in such way, they will never both to wake up early.

The day went through. Nothing much changed within how they treat each other. The only differences were the countless skinships. Mark talked about topics that were totally far from work. He never wanted to bring more stress to Jinyoung by bringing back the past. Despite of Jinyoung’s positive aura, deep inside he knew that a little abysmal detail can infect him like a virus. He was more than okay to talk about embarrassing stuff and gossips about people from the office. At least those topics made Jinyoung smile.

The rain poured harder when it reached the afternoon. Jinyoung turned the television on and played a movie. He prepared mugs of hot chocolate and some sponge cakes that he bought from a nearby bakery just after he went back to Jinhae. It was a relief to know that Mark accepted and embraced his way of living. Their house was old; typical traditional korean house with sliding doors and smooth wood-like flooring. They don’t have internet connection and much furniture. It’s enough for people like Jinyoung who grew up in a simple, ordinary environment. As the movie ended, both of them agreed to cook for dinner and eat afterwards. Like an old couple, they watched the evening news with their hands occupied by hot packs to warm up their freezing hands. When the shows got boring, they decided to sleep. A small, sweet and love-filled talk then they finally dived into slumber with their limbs tangled. They both wondered why every second felt perfect yet they both know the reason.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay here?” Mark asked, preparing to leave. The weather got better compared to the past two days. The sun wasn’t visible but the rains got moderate and the trains are back on track. He reached for a denim jacket that Jinyoung passed. “Why don’t you just come with me in Seoul? I can get you a new apartment around Hongdae.” He offered while hopefully waiting for a ‘yes’ from his lover.

Jinyoung scratched his nape. “I have to stay here, Mark. You know how I value every nook of this house. I’ll be fine here. Please stop worrying about me.” he replied while making his way closer to Mark. He gave the boy a light pat at the back and his arms circled around his toned torso. The smell of Mark is pretty irresistible; it’s somewhat addicting. “Well, you can’t stop me from thinking too much. You’re alone here. I’m just scared, you know.” Mark countered, hugging his boyfriend back. Jinyoung made a weak nod and rested his head on top of Mark’s shoulder for a while. The winds blew and the sound of tree branches clashing as visible heard.

“I think it’s time for you to go.” Jinyoung spoke, breaking the silence.

Mark agreed. “I guess so.” He pulled away and looked for the umbrella that Jinyoung gave him earlier. He hated the fact that he needs to go, he wanted to spend more time with Jinyoung but because of the pending work back the office, there’s no way he could stay. It’s not that he gives more importance to those papers compared to his own boyfriend but as of now, he keeps his priorities on right order. Of course, Jinyoung understands. The elder took a step backwards and stared at his lover for few seconds. His eyes scan the image and made sure that it was well imprinted in his brain. Just in case he missed Jinyoung too much, he can always go back to this scene.

“Let me walk you to the train station. I’m afraid you might get lost.” Jinyoung said and with their hands clasped tightly, they walked outside under the same umbrella.

The road looks so abandoned. Cars and other vehicles rarely pass. There’s no way they could catch a cab towards the train station. Their opposite shoulders got wet but neither of them bothered much. Jinyoung kept his fingers lanced with Mark’s to keep himself from slipping on the wet road. “Nyoung,” Mark spoke with a low tone. “I’m sorry.”

Jinyoung continued walking. “Huh? For what?”

“That night when my family found out the truth, I wasn’t there. I wasn’t there to protect you, to speak for you! I feel bad that you carried everything alone well in fact, it’s all my fault.”

 Jinyoung can see the train station from a far. He took a deep breath and searched for the right words to release. “You don’t have to apologize for that. I was expecting for that thing to happen, though, but maybe more milder than how it turned out. But I’m okay now. I’m just scared for you. What if your parents still hate me?”

Mark shook his head. “Honestly, dad wants you back in the company someday. Maybe when the issue finally fades and things return to its normal state.“ But Jinyoung wasn’t pertaining to that. “I mean what if they don’t accept our relationship?” Mark was out of words. As far as he could recall, his grandfather was on their side but his parents, his parents are still oblivious about it. That topic is really sensitive and Mark was afraid that his parents might take it wrongly. He hates getting misplaced in an argument with his parents.

“I’ll talk to them, don’t worry.”

They arrived at the station. Mark took his tickets and waited patiently with Jinyoung.  The place was quiet and there are only few people waiting for the next train to Seoul. “Call me when you got home, okay?” Mark reminded as the train inspector blew his whistle, as sign that the next train is coming in less than a minute. Jinyoung nodded as he glanced side by side.  After few moments, the empty train stopped at its designated place. The doors opened, Mark tightens his hold on Jinyoung’s hand for the last time. He pulled the younger into a warm hug. “Take care of yourself! I’ll miss you.” Jinyoung muttered, rubbing Mark’s back lightly.

“You too. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Jinyoung allowed Mark to freely move away. The elder leaned and planted a kiss on Jinyoung’s forehead, on the tip of his nose and lastly, on his needy lips. The kiss wasn’t too passionate; it was overflowing with gentleness and care with a dash of yearning. Jinyoung smiled and asked his lover to go inside before the door closes. Mark did go in, sat somewhere near the window and looked at Jinyoung as the engines started moving. He gave a smile and a small wave then the train moved further.

The next day, Mark arrived at the office. It wasn’t new to see employees hurdling from one side to another. Today, everything seemed normal. He took the elevator and reached his floor. In contrast with the scenarios at the lobby, this floor was calm yet there was a weird tension in it. Something isn’t right. He took more steps, greeted the staffs and headed straight to his office. What caught him off guard was the empty desk beside his front door. Bam wasn’t there, even a paper, his favourite pen holder and the small picture of his family located somewhere along the wooden table. It kinda bugged Mark; BamBam would always text him or give him a call of he’s going to be absent but he didn’t received any now. Mark was about to open the door of his office when his assistant went out.

Bam was holding a box with his stuff messily dumped into it. His eyes were puffy and his cheeks were a bit wet. He looked up and saw his boss. “Mr. Tuan.” He spoke and bowed. It confused Mark a lot more. He pulled the box away from his assistant and placed it back on his desk. “Why…W-What’s going on?” He asked but Bam chose to remain silent. Suddenly, Jackson appeared behind Mark’s back, catching his breath.  “Dude, what the hell is happening?!” Mark intrigued his friend with a serious voice that he rarely uses.

Jackson balled his fist. He stood up next to Bam. “Your cousin,” Jackson started. “He fired Bam.”

Mark widens his eyes. “W-What? Why?!”

Bam finally broke his silence and tried to speak between his tears. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry, Mr. Tuan. I’ll just go back to Thailand and –“

“Ken fired him because of his involvement with the whole pretending thingy! You know what? I have a feeling that Ken wants me out of here too.” Jackson butted in. He can’t let Bam go back to Thailand. Although it was a nice thing that he’ll go back to his family, he can never allow the boy to leave like this. It was so inexcusable. And besides, Ken doesn’t have any right to fire Mark’s employees.

At the midst of the discussion, “Kunpimook, have you gathered your things?” a familiar dreadful voice stood out. Mark calmed himself a little before turning around with a very stiff expression. Ken was smirking, as always and his arms were crossed. “Oh! Welcome back, Mark! How’s your vacation with Jinyoung? Tiring? Huh?” he greeted with his ever so perky and irritating voice.

Mark rolled his eyes. “Bam, you’re not leaving. Put your things back here.” Ken looked at them arrogantly. Ken was going beyond his limit. All the frustrations and anger seemed to climb up and ball inside Mark’s head. He’s about to explode in no time.

“Ken,” he spoke, walking towards the door of his office, “follow me inside.”

As soon as Ken shuts the door, Mark turned around and threw a strong punch that landed on Ken’s jaw. He fell down but he stood up. Ken balled his fist and tried to make his revenge but Mark was too angry that he threw another punch on the same area of the opposite side. This time, Ken didn’t fall but he didn’t fired back either. He chuckled as blood dripped from a small cut on his lips. “Didn’t know you can punch that strong.” He teased.

Mark breathed heavily. He was trying so hard to control himself. “Tell me, what the do you want?!” Mark shouted, not caring if someone hears them. Ken grinned. “What I want? I want to see you fall down! I want you out of this company! I want you out of this race for the presidency!”

“You want to be the next president of the Tuan Corporation?! Do you think you can? If yes, well think again! I’ll never let you have it! I can never entrust this company to someone that’s as terrible as you!”

Ken chuckled, wiping the blood away. “Let’s see! Don’t you ever underestimate me, Mark! I’ll never let you win this!” he warned and he stormed out of the office leaving Mark inside.

Mark sat back on his chair and reflected on his own actions. He wasn’t sure if he did the right thing but there’s no space for regret. He’s fine with the fact that once, he fought for his own good. He’s been too good and patient for the past years and this outburst helped him release all his bottled fury. For a few hours, he texted Jinyoung and asked about his day. He also started working on some analysis. Abruptly, a knock was heard. “Come in.” Mark said.

His dad came in. “Son, can we talk?” and Mark had no choice but to nod. He placed the papers and his laptop aside and asked his father to sit in front of his desk. He was not that nervous, maybe because he knew that it’s just about some business stuff.

His father took a deep breath. “I heard you got into a fight with Ken.”

Mark bit his lips and nodded. “I’m sorry, dad. He’s…He’s too much.” He explained.

His father beamed a little. “I never thought that you can do such thing but, I understand. You’ve been dealing with awful behavior for years. Sometimes, I wonder why are you not trying to fight back. But as you aged, I realize that you’re doing it for us. You don’t want to create a chaos within the family.”

“But I’ve created another problem now. I’m sorry, dad.” Mark apologized. His dad was right. He kept everything in for their family’s sake. “It’s okay, son. I understand.” His father answered. But just as when Mark thought that everything was other, his father threw another question.  “About you and Jinyoung…”

The boy felt his hand tremble. How can he put up that topic? Mark’s brain got jumbled as he tried to cope up with the situation. Today may not be the right time to confess everything but if not now, when? Sooner, his parents will know it and what’s the difference of prolonging everything and telling it now? The results might be the same too. Mark looked down. “Dad…We’re…Jinyoung…We love each other and –“

His father patted his shoulder. “Your grandfather told us everything. I was shocked at first but believe me, I didn’t feel any disgust or anger towards you. I felt betrayed, though. You can always talk to us regarding it, but why do you have to hide everything from us, your parents? “

Mark was relieved. He never expected this to happen. “I was scared, dad. You always say that you’re proud that you have a son like me, but now, can you still be proud?”

“Honestly, I wasn’t fully convinced with your decisions. I want you to think of it first, deeply. I accept that you’re not into girls but as of now, I can’t say that I’m comfortable with that fact that you’re in a relationship with a guy. Give me more time to completely deal with it.  Nonetheless, I will always be proud of you. We’re always here for you, no matter what happens.”

“I understand. Thank you, dad.” And that’s all that Mark could say. He believes that one day, his father would accept their relationship.  That day would surely come, he just have to wait a little longer.

A week passed and Jinyoung remained living a simple life back in Jinhae. He would call his brother or Mark or even his other friends when he has free time. He worked as a bookkeeper in the city library to support his everyday needs. His salary was quite bigger than what he needed. One afternoon, he got home from work. His limbs were limping due to carrying books. He lied on the floor for a while, regaining his strength. Out of the blue, someone knocked on his door. Curious, he stood up and slowly opened the door.

“Long time no see, Park Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung was sure about this. The woman in front of him is Ken’s mother.“W-why are you here, M-Ma’am?” Stuttering, Jinyoung asked.

Ken’s mother smirked. Now Jinyoung knew where Ken got that arrogant attitude. “Why don’t you invite me in first? Then we’ll talk.”

“Talk about what?”

“Something serious. Really serious.”

an: HEYYYYY GUYSSSS!!! KINDA LATE UPDATE LOL SOMETHING IMPORTANT CAME UP FEW DAYS AGO ANG I HAVE TO WORK ON IT UNTIL THIS COMING WEEK. SO PLS UNDERSTAND IF THE NEXT UPDATE WILL QUITE DELAYED. HUHUHU. AND I HOPE YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THE ''''ROUGH'''' CHAPTERS MEAN LOL IT' ALREADY STARTED. SO YEAAAAAH~~ THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT!!! YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! ITS @pjyxcyj LOL I RARELY TWEET NOWADAYS BC OF MY SCHEDULE BUT WHEN I DO.....HAHAHHAHAHAHA LOL NEVERMIND. HAHAHAHA AND YES!! THANKS AGAIN GUYS! HAVE A NICE WEEKEND!! STAY SAFE! LOVE Y'ALL!!!! ☺♥