might contain typos

Mark was quietly sitting on one of the ordinary benches inside the company building’s cafeteria. He was having a mug of freshly brewed black coffee, a slice of mango cake and a folder filled with the recent updates regarding their expansion in the foreign market. He was used to this kind of day; a busy and extremely bugging one. Being alone was not a huge issue as well. He keeps on convincing himself that working alone is much better for it’s free from any distractions. Little by little, the crowd inside the cafeteria increased. He saw the employees from different departments, heading towards random directions to grab something to eat. Some would bow down to him and greet, which he gladly greets back. 

Not spending too much time on his meal, Mark continuously flips the pages of the stapled documents on his hands. Carefully digesting every word and thinking of a better approach to it. The peaceful aura was slightly disturbed when a group of employees went in. They weren’t noisy but Mark felt something upon their arrival; despite of the enormous distance between him and the main door. It was the staffs of the engineering department, including Jaebum, some of the employees from the marketing department and 3 more people came from the architecture and design department. He was taken aback when he saw Jinyoung there as well.

It’s been a while since Jinyoung started working there and Mark was getting used to seeing the man roaming from one corner to another and carrying a pile of rolled papers, tubes and other stuff used in their department. Holding a high and important position, Jinyoung is an essential when it comes to business meetings and conferences. He spends more time with the department heads, the board members and even with the Tuans.

The group sat on a far corner of the area. They were so happy; giggling and chuckling like high school students joking about certain topics. Jaebum has his arm around Jinyoung’s waist as the talked more. The hearty smiles the Jinyoung makes is just enough to make Mark feel warm. And although he can’t hear his voice, the same sound plays at the back of his brain; it made him beam a little wider. Watching Jinyoung from afar has become Mark’s special skill for the past weeks. Of course it hurts, but he chose this anyway. He wanted to do something but then, he was the first one who walked away; the first one who dragged himself away.

“Alone again, aye?” A voice called and Mark looked up. Jackson was wearing his casual attire. He looks so decent with those and Mark can’t help but to laugh internally. It doesn’t fit his personality at all. He nodded. “Yup. Mind joining me?” he asked and his best friend rolled his eyes. Jackson sat beside him, placing his latte beside Mark’s mug. “Ready for the meeting later?” Jackson intrigued.

Mark looked away and focused his sight on Jinyoung, who’s at the middle of chatting with his co-workers. “Everything’s set, buddy.” he replied calmly, taking a spoonful of his cake. Jinyoung was munching on an egg tart again and it made Mark realize that after all, it’s still his favorite. Jaebum would sometimes initiate a skinship all of a sudden, but Jinyoung would subtly move away from it. 

“Are you satisfied with this set-up?” Jackson blurted out, waking Mark from his daydreaming state.

The elder glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“Loving him from afar.” Jackson said, he crossed his arms and anticipated Mark’s answer. The man on the other hand was just silently beaming and tapping his fingers on the wooden table. “This is the best thing to do now. I want to move on, Jackson. And maybe this, this whole avoiding stuff that requires a lot of professionalism, will be the first step” Mark enthusiastically said.

Jackson shook his head. “And you expect me to believe that?“ Mark gave him a serious look before looking back at Jinyoung and Jaebum. “You’re making things worse for yourself, dude. What’s the point of making this damned situation complicated?”

A short moment of silence happened between them. Mark ran through his reasons once more. Is it really worth it at the end? Will it really make him happy? Is this what he really wanted since the beginning? Not bothering to avert his sight, he talked back. “He was the one who messed everything up and as a guy that he swiftly abandoned, I think it’s still appropriate for me to act this way. Yes, I love him but the anger swallows me harder over and over again. The pain was no joke. It was not like getting both of your knees, including your elbows, scraped and wounded from stumbling off your bike. It’s way more than that. If you’re indirectly asking me about second chances, sorry but I would like to drop off any idea regarding that.”

The younger man followed the direction where his friend was blankly looking. He saw Jinyoung with a group of friends, happily eating together. “Why don’t you talk to him? Business and work aside. Come on, dude. Give it a shot!”

Mark bit his lips and looked down. “I have to consider my brother’s feelings as well. We all know that he loves Jinyoung. And as an older brother who only wants the best for his family, I would sacrifice my own happiness.”

“I thought you’re smart, Mark! Stop being stupid! For ’s sake! You know, I don’t get your point. You can say a thousand, even a billion of words right here, right now, but I bet that I’ll never ever understand you and your twisted feelings.” Jackson stated with a toned down voice. He doesn’t want to make a scene but Mark knows that whenever Jackson does this way of talking, he’s close to bursting out. His feelings were getting at its peak. ”I’m just being honest.” He added, sipping onto his coffee to calm down a bit.

Mark sighed. “I’m torn between letting him go and pulling him back. But as of now, I have to consider a lot of things. I’m still devastated by his sudden departure, I don’t want to hurt my brother and I want to keep myself away from all the pain that love could offer. So the bottom line of this whole conversation is I want forget about my feelings for him.”

 “And that includes being strict and cold to him?”

“That’s the only way, Jackson. I have to do this.”

“Well, if that’s your final decision. Good luck. Better not regret that anytime soon.”

“I won’t.”

Hours passed by and the most awaited meeting with Mr. Enomoto via Skype will start in few moments. All the department heads are inside the conference room, including Jaebum and Jinyoung. The room was silent yet the nervousness within each person is just too much. This is a crucial one. They will finally find out if their works will be worth it. Mark entered the room and immediately opened his laptop. Jinyoung was calmly drawing an image of their dog, Melon, on a piece of scratch paper tucked somewhere inside his notepad. He recalled how Mark said that they were Melon’s parents right after adopting him in the part before. The sound of the laptop’s operating system made Jinyoung lift his head and look at the huge projector screen. It displays Mark’s desktop, it took him a second or two to realize that his desktop wallpaper is Melon. It was a picture that Jinyoung took when Mark brought Melon to Jinhae during their 2nd month celebration. All the memories rushed back like a car in full speed. It was making him feel weak again. Before Jinyoung could notice it, Mark hit a button on his laptop and the Skype homepage was shown; enough to cover the entire background.

“Mr. Enomoto will call in few seconds. Let’s be prepared and wish for all the best.” Mark advised and everyone nodded. Jaebum smiled at Jinyoung after seeing that his friend looked quite troubled. “Are you okay, Nyoung?” He asked, rubbing Jinyoung’s back and moving closer to him. The elder awkwardly nodded and replied. “I’m fine.” and Jaebum pulled him for a tight hug that obviously, Jinyoung didn’t expect. Neither did the boys know that Mark was watching them with a heavy heart.

A familiar tone was heard, a sign that Mr. Enomoto was now on the other line. Mark took a deep breath and asked all the people inside to stand up as a sign of respect. Mark answered his call, and his face showed up. “Good Afternoon Mr. Enomoto!” Mark greeted and all of them bowed down, even the board members and the high officials. Mr. Enomoto did the same. They sat back on their seats and waited for their next move.

“I’ll get straight to the point, Mr.Tuan. I’m greatly impressed with your company’s performance through the years. I’m impressed with all the proposals coming from the different departments. With that, I want to congratulate everyone for their hard work. They say digging for a place in the Enomoto’s partnership spots is one of the hardest things to do in the business industry here in Asia. It requires a lot of patience and dedication. In behalf of the whole H.Enomoto Incorporated, I would like to announce our official partnership with the Tuan Corporation.”

Mark was frozen. His eyes were wide open as he viewed Mr. Enomoto through the projector. He just can’t believe it. They got the deal right away. All the employees tried to stay still yet Mark can’t help it, he was close to crying. “T-Thank you, Mr. Enomoto! We will do our best! Thank you so much!” those words were the only things that Mark uttered.  He’s overjoyed at the moment.

“I’m looking forward to working with you all soon.” The man on the other line replied with a smile on his face. Even Mr. Enomoto can’t hide the joy of the newly established partnership.  He can see how the workers smile and silently clap their hands. “I’ll fix my schedule and we’ll talk soon.” He added, which Mark gladly took.  Jinyoung was there at the back, thanking all the gods that Mark’s hard work paid off. All those sleepless nights and tiring days; those were worth it. Everything was worth it.

“And to you Park Jinyoung,” Mr. Enomoto cheered. Everyone looked at Jinyoung’s direction. They all know that Jinoyung worked there before so maybe, the Japanese native would ask him about his life, whatsoever. Jinyoung smiled and adjusted his seat, allowing the man to have a clearer view of his figure. Mark looked at Jinyoung. “Yes Mr. Enomoto?” Jinyoung nervously asked.

The man chuckled. “You never fail to amaze me, kid. Never!”

Mark smiled as he watched how Jinyoung’s eyes glistened just because of a short sentence of praise. He’s proud of Jinyoung. “Thank you, Sir! I’ll work harder! Thank you!” Jinyoung replied happily. He glanced at Mark and for a short while, they were smiling at each other. The time seemed to stop and their hearts somehow felt different yet they enjoyed it.

They went out of the conference room one by one. As usual, Jaebum was with Jinyoung and Mark was having Bam behind him. Jackson was the first one who shouted from the top of his lungs; Proclaiming to the whole building that they got the deal. All the employees clapped and screamed, some hugged each other and some just peacefully celebrated the bountiful fruit of their labor. Jinyoung headed towards the nearest couch and sat, Jaebum followed. “This calls for a celebration!” Mark’s father said. “Let’s invite Jinyoung in our house for dinner.” He suggested and Jaebum nodded. “That’s great! You have plans for tonight, Nyoung? He asked his friend and Jinyoung lightly shook his head.

Mark exhaled as he headed to his office. Another heart clenching event to endure.

The family reached their residence just in time. The dinner was precisely prepared by Mrs. Tuan and the maids. As the elder men went in, the younger guys slowly and awkwardly walked in. Jinyoung managed to hide his real feelings. He missed every corner of this house and he’s sure that he’ll be running towards Mrs. Tuan for a warm hug but after what happened between him and Mark; Jinyoung will not be surpised if the lady starts to act cold on him.  Mark went straight to his room; probably he’ll be changing his clothes first. Jaebum dragged Jinyoung towards the dining area and there, a familiar, relaxing atmosphere instantly welcomed him. “Jinyoungie?!”

Jinyoung looked around and saw Mrs. Tuan, vibrantly beaming at him. The woman happily trudged towards his direction and pulled him in for a tight hug. “How are you? I missed you! You’re getting handsome huh!” she cheekily said and Jinyoung couldn’t feel any happier. He embraced the woman back. Jaebum was eyeing them from the corner; loving the sight of his mom and the man that he loves getting along. He was clueless about their sudden closeness but he didn’t bother to think more. Mark was also watching them from a farther spot. The image made his heart melt into puddles.

It didn’t took too long for them to start eating. Mark sat beside his parents, while the other two sat beside each other. “I’m so happy that we got the deal! It’s still unbelievable!” Jaebum spoke and all of them agreed. “And Jinyoung was a huge factor. Let’s admit it. Right, Mark?” Their grandfather asked as he looked at his older grandson. Mark was startled and it made him nervous. “Y-Yeah. But everyone did their tasks as well. It’s a company effort.” He declared coldly. Mrs. Tuan knew that the tension between the ex-couple was still lingering inside them and no one, aside from the both of them, can fix it. The dinner went on; they talked about various issues and stories. Jinyoung actively participated, just like how he did before and Mark was delighted to see that.

After the dinner, Jaebum decided to drive Jinyoung home. He bid farewell to the family members and promised that he’ll still visit frequently when he’s not busy with his work. They walked towards the gate, passing through the clean and lovely garden. Jaebum took a deep inhale. “Thank you, Jinyoung.” He softly said. Jinyoung smiled and gazed at his watched. “For what?”

“For everything.” He replied. Jinyoung nodded and placed his hands inside his pocket. Out of the blue, Jaebum reached for Jinyoung’s wrist, stopping him from going further. “I don’t know if this is the right time or even the right place but Jinyoung, I want to ask you same question that I asked you before. As of now, I’m no longer the ‘Im Jaebum’ that works in a small engineering firm. I’ve became a better man and it’s because of you. I love you, I always do.” He said. He moved closer to Jinyoung. “I want to make you happy. I want to stand by you forever, not as a friend but as your man.” The younger was speechless. He remembered when Jaebum confessed inside the car before. His heart clenched once more. “Park Jinyoung, please be mine.”

With a clear and straight mind-set, Jinyoung gently pulled away from Jaebum’s hold. He caressed the guy’s cheeks and smiled. “Thank you. It feels good to know that someone appreciates me the way that you do. You deserve someone better than me. Someone that will love you more than what you can give. Jaebum-ah, you’re my best friend. We will stand each other forever because that’s what best friends are for, right? Let’s stay like this, please?” Jinyoung plead.

Jaebum’s eyes were clouded with tears. This is going to the third time that he’ll be rejected by the person that he once pushed away. The pain was unbearable but he tried to keep contained in front of the boy. He wiped his own tears and luckily, Jinyoung embraced him tight; letting him cry on his shoulders. “I’m sorry.” He whispered as he comforted his pal.

Mark went downstairs in the middle of the night to get a can of soda. All the lights are closed and he believes that everybody’s in their respective rooms at the moment, sleeping soundly.  He was surprised to see that the lights in the garden are . Curious, Mark headed towards it. With all his surprise he saw his brother, sitting on a wooden bench.  Jaebum was crying hard and holding a bottle of beer. Mark felt bad, he wanted to help. “Jae?” he called. The younger looked up, revealing his wet eyes and puffed red cheeks. Mark sat beside him and circled an arm around his shoulders. “What’s the matter?”

Jaebum shook his head. “Nothing.”

“You’re crying your eyes out and drowning yourself with alcohol. No one in this universe will believe your excuse. Spill it out, bro. I’m willing to listen.” Mark advised.

Jaebum paused for a while. He gathered all the remaining strength to talk. “Jinyoung…” He started. Mark was shocked. His heart pumped faster upon hearing the boy’s name. “I can still remember how we met. He lost his T-square somewhere around the campus and I saw him sobbing while crazily looking for it. I helped him that day because I felt bad for him. For short, I helped a stranger from the college of architecture. I even skipped my last class. But at the end of the day, we still failed to find it. They’re less fortunate and the scholarship was the only thing that he held on to continue his schooling. I ended up buying a new T-square for him at the nearby mall.” Jaebum chuckled a little as he remembered every single detail of their first encounter.  Mark never knew that they met in such a memorable situation. Jinyoung didn’t tell him these things before and as of now; he’s all ears on it.  He remained silent, waiting for his brother to talk once more.

Intoxicated by the beer, Jaebum continued. “We became good friends. We do almost everything together but everything changed when he said that he loves me. I felt uneasy and moved away from him. But as years passed by, I realized that I love him. When we saw each other again after a couple of years, I thought that it was the right time to win him back but he’s already taken. I loved him in silence, because in silence, I’m the only one who owns him. But things changed when we worked in Japan. He said that he left his boyfriend here and I saw how devastated he was. He would cry all night and get nightmares on a daily basis. He loved that guy so much. But he said that he already moved on.” Mark found himself in tears after understanding his brother’s words. So that’s what really happened in Japan? He wanted to bang his head on the wall and blame himself for making Jinyoung feel bad for the past weeks. “You really love him?” Mark asked.

Jaebum faked a smile. “I love him so much but he sees me as his best friend. And I can never cross the line again. If that’s what he wants and if it will make him happy, I’ll do it. I’ll be the old best friend that he met while looking for his tools.” His tears run down and they seemed unstoppable. It’s the hardest part of this battle, accepting your defeat and letting him go. Mark rubbed his back and tried his best to think straight. “Forever is more possible in friendships. Keep that in mind.” He mumbled sadly.

“You hyung, have you ever fallen in love?” His brother intrigued,

Mark looked up and nodded. “I loved and I got hurt. I mastered the art of letting people go. I learned it the hard way. As of now, I’m at the middle of taking him back and completely putting a great wall between us. They say you should not run back to the person that once ruined you. And I think that’s kinda true.”

“Stupid!” Jaebum screamed at his brother then he laughed. “Everyone deserves a second chance, hyung. We only live once and we should make the most out of it. Think about your next move. I know you’re scared to fall in love again but there’s no harm in trying again. Believe me, hyung.”

Mark grinned and hugged his younger brother to provide a small amount of comfort. Now that he’s sure that Jinyoung still sees Jaebum as his best friend, he felt like there are no more obstacles to go through. But will he risk his heart again? Is he prepared enough to fall for the second time?

Questions floated in his mind like debris from a wrecked ship. Can love really erase all the pain that surrounds his heart?  

AN: FRIENDZONED JAEBUM IN DA HOUSE YO!! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!! I'LL UPDATE SOON WITH MORE MARKJIN MOMENTS. (I STILL CANT PUT A LOT IN HERE CAUSE THEY'RE NOT YET COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER HEHEHE BUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.....I SWEAR GUYS. I SWEAR!!!!!) HAHAHAHAHHA FOR THOSE WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND MARK'S FEELINGS HERE.. I REALLY HAPPENS THAT  YOU CAN LOVE AND HATE A PERSON AT THE SAME TIME. :( (and its so fcking hard to deal with  lol i know that feel omg sobs) SO YEAHHH! FEEL FREE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW! TILL NEXT TIME! STAY SAFE! LOVE Y'ALL!!! ☺♥