warning; unedited. contains cursing & slight violence.

Mark rarely drinks tea during mornings, and if he does, it only means one thing; he’s thinking about Jinyoung. It’s simply about Jinyoung fascination about books and teas that made him adopt the entire thing. Coffee will always be his first and only choice but during times like this, when he feels like someone’s missing, a perfect cup of hot tea fills up all the spaces that Jinyoung left. Gradually, it made him feel better. Reminiscing those lazy afternoons where he was having his guy close to him. Everything was simply nostalgic.

“The CEO of the Song Group of Companies will arrive at 8:00 AM sharp. He’ll bring his son as well.” Ken said as the entered the Tuan residence with a very loud voice. This is what annoys Mark all the time, hearing and seeing the people that he hates the most. Ken and his mother still hold their same old position in the company despite of all the conflicts that took place in the past. Mark chose to keep everything that he discovered away from his family, especially to his grandfather. He’s afraid that the sudden turmoil of incidents might cause stress and anxiety for the old man. He held everything in   and acted like nothing’s wrong yet it made him feel awful.

Mrs. Yewon followed and settled on a chair in front of Mark’s father. “We should thank Ken for telling the Songs to drop by our building and see how we do our work.” Mrs. Yewon arrogantly said as he wickedly smiled at his son. Mark rolled his eyes and reached for a toasted piece of bread from the huge ceramic plate. “They will still visit us anyway. In my opinion, this is not the right time for us to invite them over. We’re still in the process of studying their milieu, capabilities, projects and stocks. But since Ken already made a move without letting us know it, there’s no choice but to continue this.” Mark declared as annoyance started to ruin his morning instantly. 

Ken’s brows raised and his mom did the same. His grandfather and his parents knew that Mark became a bit outspoken for the past months, he learned how to defend and mouth out his real thoughts. Nothing’s wrong with that but sometimes it mainly leads to a heated conversation. Jaebum came out from nowhere and occupied a seat beside his elder brother. “I agree with Mark hyung. But let’s not talk about this now, can we?” He suggested and Mark nodded slowly while sipping on his tea. Ken was obviously down at that point. He may not show it frequently but he hates Jaebum as much as he hates Mark. “Look who’s talking?! You’re from the engineering department! Don’t act like you know everything regarding this.” Ken mocked.

Jaebum smiled. “I have sources, Ken. Grandpa, dad and hyung; it’s inevitable for us to talk about business during out free times. I hope that makes everything clear.” he said, earning a smirk from Mark. He like that his brother acts like Jinyoung. They battle out for their side in a very diplomatic way. Mrs. Yewon sighed and remained silent. Ken did the same. The topic immediately changed when Mrs.Tuan begun talking about the cafe business that she was planning to put up. All of them, except from Ken and his mother, happily and positively chatted about it. After all, they can’t let that dreadful duo destroy their day with such useless statements. 

After few minutes, they all head to the office. Mark and Jaebum used a different car since they have to leave earlier. They arrived at the building and separated upon reaching their designated floors. Mark calmly trudged towards his office and greeted all the employees that he saw. With all his surprise, he saw Jinyoung talking to Bam few meters away. His heart pumped badly after remembering that Jinyoung’s been acting cold and stiff to him for the past days. Although he tried to lessen his strictness, Jinyoung remained the same. For short, the tables easily got turned.

Nervous, Mark went closer to them. “Good morning Bam.” Mark firmly said before smiling wide. The kid laughed, seeing how hard Mark was trying to impress Jinyoung. “You look creepy Mr. Tuan. Anyway, good morning.” The boy greeted back, struggling to fit the words in between his chuckles. Mark rolled his eyes and hit the boy’s shoulder. He averted his sight and stared right at Jinyoung. He noticed something right away. Jinyoung’s hair was pushed up and his attire was too fitted, enough to show the outline of his perfectly slim physique. His thoughts run wild. It’s too early for such inappropriate fantasies. No Mark. Not now. “G-Good morning, Jinyoungie.” he said, stuttering. 

“Good morning, Mr. Tuan.” The younger replied without any emotion. It pierced Mark’s heart right away. He wanted to make things a little bit lighter between him and Jinyoung but it seems too impossible for now. “I’ll go ahead. I have to fix some documents back at the station.” The atmosphere sunk and Mark felt crushed once again. As Jinyoung walked away, Mark promised himself that from now on, he’ll do everything that he can to win the guy back. 

Five minutes after 8:00AM, Ken was seen walking with the CEO of the Song Group of Companies and his son down at the lobby. They all went to the conference room where the department head and board members wait for their arrival. Mark was awkwardly standing in front the huge screen projector while eying Jinyoung from his seat. The younger was scribbling something on his notebook. His chin resting on top of his palm and his lips were slightly jutted. Before generating another thought, the door opened and the visitors went in. “Good day, Mr. Song!” Mark greeted.

The man smiled and reached out his hand for a shake that Mark gladly took. “Good morning to you too, Mr. Tuan.” He said. “This is my son, Mino.” the guy behind him went forward, shook Mark’s hand as well, and went back to his original place. If he should be asked, Mark can say that Mino looks like a decent person. His appearance may seem a bit powerful and captivating, but he does everything politely. “Nice to meet you, Mino!” Mark said.

Mino beamed. “Same here, Mr. Tuan.”          

“Just call me Mark. I believe we’re just in the same, right?” He advised. Mark felt comfortable around Mino. He can’t be wrong but this hardly happens. This guy can be a nice addition to his wide array of friends. It made him feel like they’re coming from the same clique.

The meeting begun. All the department heads would discuss their plans about the upcoming partnership. So far, the Songs were greatly impressed. But Mark caught that Mino was out of his mind during some points. Maybe he’s not interested with things like this. Mark thought.

The architecture department was the last since Jinyoung made it short and straight the point. Mark was like a proud husband watching his beloved from afar. He can’t help but to be happy whenever Jinyoung does this. It didn’t take too long for the presentation to end. Ken offered to tour Mr. Song around the building while Mark and Mino talked for a while. “Hey Mark!” Mino called, confidently. Mark closed his laptop and allowed Mino to walk closer. The employees are still inside as they continue making small talks and compliments about each other’s works. “Are you okay? Your mind seemed to be a little distant earlier.” Mark replied.

“Really?” Mino asked and Mark nodded. “Believe it or not, I’m listening. Honestly, I’m amazed with the intelligence that your employees have. They’re all born geniuses.” Mino stated which made Mark smile. On a random note, his eyes landed on Jinyoung at the far corner of the room. He was talking to Jaebum with all smiles. There’s definitely no reason for him to feel jealous at all but it’s quite hard to act like normal and feel nothing. He’s not a plant, though.

“Mark, can I ask you something?” Mino spoke with a very low voice, almost like a whisper. Mark glanced at him and furrowed his brow. “Yea sure.” Mino’s eyes sparked up and he clapped his hands in a very matured way. He stood up on one leg and went closer to Mark’s ear.

“What’s the name of that cute guy from the architecture department?” he intrigued while pointing his index finger on Jinyoung.

“Jin— WHAT?!”

Mark widens his eyes and shouted from the top of his lungs, shutting all the noise in the room within a second. All eyes on Mark and Mino as the currently acting CEO of the Tuan Corporation show a very bothered expression to the future heir of the Song Group of Companies. Jinyoung was clueless yet he knew that something’s wrong. Mino laughed and that helped a lot to make the situation better. At least the employees won’t think that they’re fighting or something close to that.

Mino looked around and unfortunately, he met Jinyoung’s confused gaze. Not wasting any opportunity. Mino brightly beamed at Jinyoung. Of course, being a polite kid he is, Jinyoung bowed and returned the smile despite of the uneasiness running within his nerves, Mark on the other side saw how the two looked at each other and on that note, he wanted to kick Mino out of the building. “He’s cute but he’s hot as hell. How can he do that all at the same time?” Mino blurted out quietly which intensified Mark’s anger.

He breathed out. “It’s something that you’ll never understand. It’s beyond your brain’s capacity.” Mark rapidly replied. He was about to drag Jinyoung out of the room but then Jackson suddenly called him. “Dude! Mr. Enomoto is on the line! He wants to talk to you.” Left with no valid options, Mark closed his eyes and hoped at this Mino guy will not even place his fingertip on a single tip of Jinyoung’s hair strand. This guy should know that he can’t bark onto someone else’s property. 

“I’ll go now, Mino. See you around.” Mark said, carrying his things. “And don’t you dare go close to that guy.” Mark whispered to Mino as they both glanced at Jinyoung, who’s oblivious that he’s being talked about. “He’s really grumpy and scary! You’ve been warned, Song MIno. I’m doing this because we’re friends now, okay? Trust me! You’re not going to like him!” He added. Call him childish but this is the only way he can prevent Mino’s possible attack on his precious jewel. Mino blinked for multiple times. “But he looks like a delicate munchkin!”

Mark’s convincing powers weren't enough? He needs to do more, “But every rose has its special kind of torn and --”

“What the hell, Mark Tuan! Mr. Enomoto is waiting for you!” Jackson yelled from outside. Mark screeched in annoyance and ran out of the conference room. Can this day get any worse? He breathed out as he took the stairs en route to his office. This day is going to be rough one. Indeed.

After a long yet informative conversation with Mr. Enomoto, Mark decided to take Jinyoung out for lunch since he’s sticking to his plan of claiming the boy once again. After securing his things, he left his office. The smell of his perfume was recognized in every corner of the place. His hair was perfectly done, brushed up and waxed. Slowly, Mark went to the third floor and stood in front of the architecture department’s main office. He was about to knock when one of the junior architects went out. “Hi Mr. Tuan!” Jeno greeted.

“Hey Jeno! Is Jinyoung inside?” He asked, excited.

Jeno widens his eyes and ruffled his bouncy hair slowly. “The guy from the Song Group of Companies took him out for lunch.“ He stated as he watched the instant transition of expressions happening on Mark’s face. Jeno excused himself and went away. Mark was left there, shocked. Maybe Mino was a professional man stealer in his past life. How can he be so determined despite of all the warning? Mark questioned himself. Now all his plans were messed up, blame Mino and his overflowing guts.

Jinyoung was absentmindedly stirring his lemonade from a tall slender glass. He was no longer used to this, eating with someone else who’s not Jaebum or his workmates. It made him feel weird inside although Mino is a nice guy. Mino asked him out for lunch. He declined at first but the guy made a lot of effort to make him say yes. On another side, it would be a huge disaster if Mino gets mad for not giving him a chance. The incident might affect the company as well. ‘It’s just a friendly treat and I want to know more about the company’ – that’s how Mino said it. And without him knowing, he’s already sitting on a chair inside a famous restaurant in front of their building. 

“You know, Mark Tuan warned me about you.” Mino said, ending the long silence. Jinyoung looked up at him and tilted his head. “He did that?” Mino vigorously nodded and laughed harder than he should. “What did he said” Jinyoung said, moving closer to Mino.

Mino tried to recall everything that Mark told him. “He said you’re grumpy and scary.“ Jinyoung’s eyes shot wide. How can Mark say those things? But what bugged him a lot was the reason behind it. That guy really is a pain in the . Annoyed, Jinyoung puffed his cheeks and pouted. “Don’t worry, I don’t believe him though. You’re very nice and approachable.” He other guy added.

Jinyoung didn’t bother to change his expression. “Thank you.”

The other guy smiled and admired Jinyoung silently. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, do you already have a boyfriend or a girlfriend?”

“I’m not into girls, Mr, Song. I’m single by choice. Not quite fond of relationships and attachments for now.” Jinyoung answered straight. He wasn’t assuming that Mino has a thing for him but they say prevention is better than cure so he’d rather let the man know that he’s not accepting any proposals from anyone as of the moment. Mino frowned. He bit his lips and tried to open up a new topic. He didn’t imagined that he’ll get rejected that quick.

 Mark was standing at the door of the Tuan Building as he could clearly see the two from the huge clear walls. He felt something different within the way Mino looks at Jinyoung. If he genuinely likes the boy, he will not look at him like Jinyoung was someone who’s definitely lower than him. The way Mino stares is truly odd. It was clouded by a foreign feel. It’s insanely strange and somehow terrifying.

Mino and Jinyoung came back to the building after their lunch. Without any word, Mark held Jinyoung’s wrist and dragged him towards the stock room. Jinyoung was shocked, yet he believes that Mark will never hurt him physically. Mark locked the door behind him. The room was dark and cold. Mark pushed him against the wall as he went closer. “Stay away from Mino.” mark hardly ordered.

“Seriously? You even blemished my reputation by saying false things about me! Do you hate that much?” Jinyoung yelled, tears forming on his eyelids. Mark stepped back, feeling guilty all of a sudden. “But that was the right thing to do! You should not trust him easily!” Mark countered. The younger was taken aback.

“He’s a good person, Mr. Tuan!”

Irritated by Jinyoung’s way of protecting Mino, Mark felt bad. It seems like Jinyoung is in favour of the man that he newly met. “Fine! Go ahead and enjoy flirting with him!”

Out of words and extremely hurt by Mark’s impulsive words, Jinyoung let out a long breathe. “You know, I’m done talking to you! Stop messing up my decisions and let me live my life the way I want it, okay?” he said raising both of his hands up in anger.

Before Mark could reply, Jinyoung already stepped out of the room. He allowed a tear to roll down his left eye. He can no longer take the frustration bottled up inside him. Why does move which is basically involving Jinyoung results to a huge failure? Mark was close to giving up. Maybe giving another shaky shot to his and Jinyoung’s relationship is no good at all.

That night when almost everyone are about to go home, Jinyoung tiredly packed his things and headed downstairs. He wanted to go home, badly and let all his troubles be temporarily gone during his short slumber. He lazily urged himself to walk out of the building and walk towards the parking lot to wait for Jaebum. Sometimes, it to know that Jaebum parks his car in the farthest and not to mention, the darkest part of the parking lot. He took his phone out of his pocket when suddenly; a man went closer and held his arm, tightly.

The man pulled Jinyoung and slammed him against a concrete wall where his back clashed strongly. He closed his eyes and winced in pain. Scared,  Jinyoung tried his best to stand up and ran away. But the man gripped on his wrist and pinned him against the wall.

“M-M-Mino?!” Jinyoung mumbled, recognizing the face. What he felt at first wasn’t fear, it was pure shock and disbelief.  He never thought that Mino can do this to him. He knew that Mino is a good guy, well that’s based on how they get along few hours ago. Mino held him tighter and he could feel his wrists getting bruised by the way the man clutched onto them “Hey there, cutiepie.” Mino said in a husky voice. He went closer to Jinyoung, attempting to kiss him but the other struggled. He shook his body wildly to push Mino away and luckily, it somehow worked. But the other guy was taller and   stronger than Jinyoung, so he reached out for Jinyoung’s shoulders and trapped him once again. “Let me go!” Jinyoung shouted, trying his best escape from the bone breaking hold.

Mino ignored his plea and laughed. “Stop playing hard, Jinyoungie. Let’s have fun!” He whispered at he lowered his head and tried to put his lips on Jinyoung’s neck. With all his might, he struggled again. He was lucky enough to hit Mino on his nose, but the man’s fury and drive intensified. Jinyoung kicked him right into his crotch; resulting for Mino to sit down in pain, in which Jinyoung took the initiative to run away. He run as fast as he could hoping that he could bump into someone and ask for help. He saw Jaebum exiting the building, not wasting any second; Jinyoung yelled his name with a broken voice. Jaebum saw him. Curious, Jaebum rushed towards his best friend. Upon reaching his spot, Jinyoung immedietly hugged his pal, still out of breath.

“Nyoung! What happened?!” He nervously asked.

Jinyoung looks so pale. “M-Mino…” he mumbled, trying his best to catch his breath. It made Jaebum think about lots of possibilities. But right after seeing Jinyoung’s slightly ripped shirt and his bruised wrists. He knew it right away. He helped his friend walk back to his car, good thing Mino was no longer there. After leaving the area, Jinyoung finally spoke.

“Today, I learned a lot about trust. I swear, Im Jaebum.”

Jaebum weakly smiled, knowing that his friend is still affected. He may say jokes and other funny stuff but no one can easily drop a distressing incident.  “You should’ve yelled something like ‘Help’ or whatever that may catch someone’s attention.” Jaebum ranted like an angry mother. “That brat!”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes and rubbed his painful wrists. “Next time, stop parking your car in the farthest spot of the parking lot!” He said with a light chuckled. “Do you need something? Should I take you to hospital?” Jaebum was so worried. He doesn’t know what to do. Jinyoung calmly looked at the window. “No need. Can I stay at your place for few hours? I don’t feel like going home now.” He asked.

“Sure thing.” Jaebum agreed, looking for a better route to take to avoid the evening traffic.

“Let’s grab something to eat first. I’m starving.” And Jaebum nodded.

Few hours after his almost life threatening experience, Jinyoung slowly marched towards the kitchen of the Tuan residence. He would like to get a glass of milk for Jaebum who was busily playing a video game inside his room.  Jinyoung decided to spend a little more time in the Tuans since he feels safe when he sees people around not like when he’s at home, he’s all alone. He was about to head back up when he heard loud voices from the living area. Silently, Jinyoung peeked behind the thick satin curtains.

There’s Mark and his parents. He can also see Ken and Mrs. Yewon. But what shattered his heart was the image of Mark’s white top stained with blots of blood and dirt within different areas. His face has small bruises and he has a small cut near his lips.  He looked so tired yet he still manages to stand in front of everyone. He was holding his coat on his right hand, knuckled were slightly scrapped and his knees were trembling.

 “Why’d you do that, Mark?!” his father asked, voice a bit higher than the normal.

Mark looked down. “That guy needs to learn a lesson!” he replied. He tossed his coat on the sofa and held on a table to regain his balance. “I know that as the currently acting CEO of the company, I should stay away from any trouble. But I can’t help it!  That was too much, dad!”

Ken butted in with his arms crossed. “You know he’s an essential to our company! Where’s your brain, Mark?!”

“Shut the up, . I’m not talking to you!”  Mark angrily shouted at Ken. He felt so weak at that point. We wanted to continue speaking out but he knew that his grandfather and his parents will never understand his reasons. Ken and Mrs Yewon went out due to embarrassment. “I’m so sorry.” Mark sadly said, looking at his grandfather. His mom went closer and gave him a hug. “I did it for Jinyoung.” He added.

 What!? Me!? Jinyoung was taken aback. What is he saying? The younger wished to hear more so he went to a nearer spot, still hiding from the entire family. Mark softly sobbed on his mother’s shoulder. “Calm down, son. It’s okay. Mino is the one who’s at fault here.”

So he fought with Mino because of me? Jinyoung concluded. His father went closer and rubbed his back. “I’m going to cancel the partnership as soon as possible. Mino’s dad sent his apologies to us and to Jinyoung. Don’t worry. We got everything under control.” Mark nodded. Jinyoung wanted to cry, knowing that everything happened because of him. He should’ve listened to Mark’s warning. Discretely, Jinyoung went upstairs with a heavy heart. Probably, Jaebum was the one who told the entire incident to his brother. His feelings were greatly mashed up. Nonetheless, he felt the care and the love that Mark showed.

Late at night, Mark was watching the television on their living area. Still dressed in the same dirty garments, Mark chose to stay and spend the night in his current spot. He wanted to talk Jinyoung but he’s sure that the guy will still be cold to him. Without him knowing, the show he was watching was almost over. He lied back painfully as his back went in contact with the cushion.  His eyes were closing when he felt a weight beside him. He opened his eyes and saw Jinyoung, holding a first aid kit, an ice pack, a cup of coffee and hugging a pile of clean clothes to prevent them from falling.  With a very subtle smile, Jinyoung passed him a drink. Mark took it gently. He made a sip and placed in to the table before them. Without any word, Jinyoung gave him his clothes. Mark smiled as he started to his shirt. “Don’t look, Park Jinyoung.” He joked as he wore a comfortable pair of pajamas.

“I’m covering my eyes, Mr. Tuan.”

Jinyoung opened his eyes after knowing that Mark was settled beside him once again. Mark was shirtless but that wasn’t the main highlight of it. His back has light scratches that he obviously got from fighting with Mino. Even his arms were bruised and wounded. Jinyoung took a cotton ball and poured a generous amount of alcohol onto it. Mark was carefully watching his moves. Jinyoung slowly dabbed the wet cotton ball on Mark’s open wound located at his lower right cheek. “You should have not done that.” Jinyoung said, lightly pressing the cotton ball on the affected area.

Mark ignored the stinging sensation of the solution. He allowed Jinyoung to cure every wound, every cut, and every bruise than blemished his body. Jinyoung took another cotton ball, added more alcohol and rubbed it against his arm to clean the light scratches. He would also blow air into the injured area to lessen the pain. “Are you willing to accept an ‘I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you and I want to teach that guy a lesson’  as an apology?” Mark intrigued as Jinyoung placed a cute band-aid on his shoulder before smiling weakly. “But Mark, that’s Mino! Their company and the Tuan Cor—“

“And what? I’ll proceed with the partnership even though Mino harassed you?! Nope. No way. Never.” He said, emphasis on the never.

The younger pouted and took Mark’s left hand. Looking at his scrapped knuckles, Jinyoung frowned. “What happened to Mino, by the way?”

“I broke his nose.” Mark said as he closed his eyes. Tiredness begun taking over his body. Jinyoung’s eyes widen. “Don’t feel bad, Nyoung. He deserves it. Even his dad is our my side.” Mark added immediately after feeling that Jinyoung’s moves became slower. He was probably thinking hard. Jinyoung touched another bruise, located at the corner of his right eye. He went closer and lessens that distance between them. Full of affection and concern, Jinyoung mumbled. “Does it hurt?”

Not fully knowing what to do, Mark pulled the younger into a tight hug. His bare upper body against Jinyoung’s slender figure is a thing that he missed the most. It was more than magical. After a year of separation, bittersweet events and more unexpected twists, this is going to first time that they’ll be feeling each other’s embrace again. Mark felt warm inside, so loved and cherished. It’s a feeling that he only gets whenever he’s close to Jinyoung. The younger was puzzled; he can’t entirely react on the situation. “Mr. T-Tuan.”

Mark sighed, still having his arm wrapped around Jinyoung securely. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Mark asked, nuzzling on Jinyoung’s neck. Touched by Mark’s great concern, Jinyoung shook his head and allowed his whole body to relax on Mark’s. His arms, unknowingly, went towards Mark’s sides. He hugged the elder back, but not as tight as how Mark does it to him. He’s afraid to add more pressure on the wounded parts on his back. “I’m fine, Mr. Tuan. Don’t worry.” He replied, not cutting the formalities. Jinyoung is still dwelling with his own feelings. He’s still unsure if he can give this love another chance.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you again. I promise.”

The moment was interrupted when Mark received a call. Moving away from Jinyoung, he picked his phone on his pocket. “Hello Mr. Enomoto!” Mark greeted, still making a very perky and vibrant tone despite of all the misfortune that happened. Jinyoung carefully focused back on cleaning Mark’s wounds; putting an antiseptic and a band-aid. He can hear Mark saying a series of ‘yes’, ’sure’, ‘that’s great’ and more. After few more talks, Mark ended the call and pinched Jinyoung’s cheek all of a sudden.

The younger furrowed his brows and pouted. “That hurts!” he complained. Mark just chuckled and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Mr. Enomoto said that he already found the perfect place for the Enomoto-Tuan Hotels and Casino. He already gave me the location and as the architect assigned in this project, you have to come with me in doing the site visit. You know, you’ll be doing calculations, visualizations and forecasts.”

Jinyoung nodded, understanding Mark’s words. He’ll be with Mark again. He sighed. Jinyoung blankly stared at Mark and scratched his neck. “So, where is it?”

“A place that has tall cherry blossom trees and lots of mind blowing sceneries. A place that you totally love.”

Blinking for a couple of times, Jinyoung tried to reveal his guess.”Jinhae?!”

Mark grinned widely and made another pinch on Jinyoung’s cheek. Happiness can be found on every nook of his face. He can’t simply hide it.

“Prepare your things. We’re going to Jinhae this coming weekend!”

an: LETS SEE IF HISTORY WILL REPEAT ITSELF WHEN THEY GO BACK TO JINHAE. HEHEHE *smirks* if you know what i mean guys HEHE *coughs* *coughs* the next chapter might contain something...steamy *coughs* HAHAHAHAHAHAHA And also, i would like to apologize to all the Mino biased (like me) out there. huhu i just can't think of a better antagonist in this chap. HAHAHA. So yeah. Leave your insights below!!! Till next time~~ Stay safe!! LOVE Y'ALL!!! ☺♥