Mark woke up upon feeling a ticklish sensation around his neck. He tried to ignore it at first, thinking that it was just the sheets crashing against his bare neck  but he eventually came to his senses when a pair of arms from behind s around his body. It felt so calming and he would gladly let those arms stay for a longer span of time simply because it made him feel better in a single second. Despite of the unknown identity of the person back hugging him, Mark closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax into his hold. Maybe he’s just dreaming after all since no one aside from Jinyoung does that. And as of the moment, it’s much impossible for his lover to arrive this early; the sun was not yet visible as the dark sky still has its twinkling stars.

“Yien—” a muffled groan was heard as a soft yet warm pair of lips went in contact with his nape. Slowly, Mark tried to pull himself away from the inviting comfort that awaits in his dreamland. Those lips moved little by little, making light kisses along that area, which caused severe shivers. At that point, Mark identified him completely. He sleepily turned the lamp on, shifted his position and faced the guy who’s making him crumble early in the morning.  

Meeting his lover’s gaze, the elder smiled. “Jinyoungie?!” he asked, dazed. He can’t be wrong. Yes, his brain might be 80% asleep but that face was just too alluring to be overlooked. As Jinyoung beamed back followed by tightening his embrace on Mark’s body, he felt that this was not even a dream or a random image that you get after suddenly stirring from your slumber. He’s real; realer than he thought it was.  “Good morning, Mr. CEO.” Jinyoung whispered as he rubbed the tip of their noses against each other.

“How’d you get here?” Mark intrigued with a deep husky voice. He automatically wrapped his arms around Jinyoung waist and peeked at the alarm clock behind the younger. “It’s only—” his eyes were having a hard time in regards with adjusting to the red blinking numbers from the clock. “4:42 AM. It’s too early.” He added and ended his sentence with a long yawn.

Jinyoung ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead. “Well, there’s a little help from your mom. She opened the gates for me.” For some seconds, Mark remained silent just to enjoy the fuzzy feeling that this entire moment offered. This is just how he wanted everything; waking up beside Jinyoung, spending more time in which they can be themselves without getting judged and noticed and simply seeing him first before anyone else.

“I’m glad that you’re here.” Mark mumbled. He was completely awake now but the fact that Jinyoung was beside him, wearing a grey tank top and a pair of sweatpants made him want to go back to sleep with this pretty little thing secured in his arms.  Jinyoung smiled as Mark closed his eyes once again, making it obvious that he’s needing few more minutes before fully pulling himself off his huge bed. “Apparently, I’m quite undecided about the effects of my morning stay here. I don’t know if this will make you wake up early because honestly speaking, that’s my real agenda; to wake you up earlier so you can prepare for work and arrive on time. But it seems like you’re enjoying too much and planning to go back to sleep.” Jinyoung ranted with a soft voice that made Mark chuckle. He knew that Jinyoung was trying so hard not to laugh— Mark can tell it even with his eyes closed.

Mark placed an arm underneath Jinyoung’s head and pulled him closer as he rested his chin on top of the younger’s head. “Sometimes, I think about the endless possibilities that this life could offer. I think about the options, the shortcuts and hacks that can make feel like a normal person, celebrating life and witnessing all the given wonders before me. It’s thrilling enough to make me come into certain realizations and spontaneous ideas.”

Jinyoung widens his eyes. “Woah there! Are you sleep talking, Mark Tuan?” He asked while lifting his head a little to see a glimpse of Mark’s face. It was utterly amusing that Mark can talk like that. It’s not that he can’t deliver substantial statements, but he rarely talks about these matters; his fascinations, curiosities and feelings. A new type of conversation that could intensify their bond.  “Nope. I’m wide awake now.” Mark replied, beaming.

“Good! Now tell me more about what you’re saying few seconds ago.” Jinyoung requested as he laid back comfortably, arms still around Mark’s waist. Mark sighed. “I was thinking about leaving the company temporarily as well as my position. I might pass the presidency to Jaebum or to someone who’s capable to handle it well. I want to live normally; with no papers to sign and review aside from the house bills, no meetings, no problems about lazy and demanding investors and other stuff. We can move to Jinhae, live in your old house then we can adopt some dogs or cats— or even a kids. I can work in Mr. Enomoto’s resort; you might want to take some architectural stuff if you like. Can you picture what I’m trying to say?” Mark ended after enthusiastically declaring all his plans for the near future. He was still unsure about it, yet he was spending enough time to contemplate his decisions. He knew that he should consult a couple of people regarding these issues and telling it to the person that he wanted to be through all these would be a great start to know if his mind-set was right.

Jinyoung sat up with a serious expression which brought a chip of worry within Mark’s heart. Mark did the same and went closer to the other. “Mark, you can’t just do that. There are hundreds, or even thousands of people holding onto your company. You’ve been a great part of it before and now that you’re already leading it, you should keep the legacy in order to show everyone that you deserve it.” Jinyoung explained. He intertwined his slender fingers with Mark’s and comforted him as much as possible. He was not against Mark’s plans yet he’s considering what’s best for him, for them and basically for everyone. “I get your point about living normally, but I think it’s still better if we’re going to stay like this. We’re all used to this kind of lifestyle and adjusting into a new one might be quite hard.” He added.

Mark smiled and nodded slowly, taking every word with full consideration. Well, Jinyoung was right. “Yeah. Maybe having my family and you by my side is the biggest blessing that I received.  I should focus on the present because that’s what matters now.” he said with a subtle grin. Jinyoung agreed and pinched his cheek. The happiness in his eyes vanished like a mound of ash placed in front of a windy sea; swift and alarming. “Will you be okay if I’m gone?” Jinyoung asked out of the blue.

“W-What?! I don’t understand.”

“Since we’re talking about life and according to you, it has endless possibilities.” Jinyoung started slowly, sadly and dryly. He can’t pick the right words to generate a meaningful thought. He can’t find the relevance of his ideas but it popped out from nowhere and he just can’t get rid of it. “We, humans, never know the span of our own lives. We are not like canned goods that have a specific manufacturing and expiration date imprinted at its bottom. We can still prepare for it, but we will never know how it feels. Now tell me, how are you going to live if I’m no longer around?” Jinyoung was intensely serious about it and that slowly brings anxiety within their physiques. No one wants to talk about death, but the fact that Jinyoung was focusing on this, they had no choice.

Mark bit his lips. “I don’t know. I…I don’t know.” He answered, clueless and trying not to think hard because it won’t happen after all. Not now, not anytime soon.

Jinyoung cupped his cheeks and made a restless smile. “I know you’ll be sad. It will be harder compared to the numerous separations that we’ve been through. But if that happens, if I leave this world without any warning or proper preparedness, just remember that I will always wait for you and it will always be a great privilege to meet you in our next lives.”

“Stop it!” Mark raised his voice. He can’t take it; hearing Jinyoung in such a gloomy state. He was questioning himself on where he went wrong. How can Jinyoung suddenly turn into a person who’s taking the bitter reality of life? Jinyoung breathed heavily and pulled Mark into a hug. It’s been a week since Jinyoung felt so strange about everything. He became too uneasy and his mind got consumed with negative thoughts. It sweeps away at night or when he’s busy but those things rushes back whenever the chance was right. “Why are you talking like you’ll be gone soon?! Jinyoung, we both know that I can’t afford to lose you permanently!” Mark protested as he hugged his lover tightly.

“I’m not going to leave you, Mark. I will always be here. I will always be with you.”

They allowed themselves to fall into each other’s empathy. This was probably the best thing to do; get a good load of strength from the person that you cherish the most. It was the most comforting feeling that his world could offer. The sorrow, the pain and all the troubles will start to fade. What will remain was the assurance that despite of all the imperfections and melancholy happening within your own little world, someone is there to hug you and make you remember that you are loved.

Jinyoung escaped from the embrace and kissed Mark’s forehead. “Come on, I cooked your favourite stew for breakfast.”

Mark held his hand. “Thank you for making feel weak early in the morning.” He commented while trying to put a hint of sarcasm into it just to make the atmosphere lighter. Jinyoung stood up and pulled his lover off the bed. They headed towards the door as Mark struggled to wear his sweater. “Shut it! I know I always make you feel weak, Mr. Tuan.” Jinyoung whispered with a sly smirk.

“I kinda agree to that.”

They all went to the office after the breakfast. As usual, each member went to their respective departments. Jaebum and Jinyoung still go together until the third floor, while Mark would go alone or sometimes with Bam. The elder Tuan trudged straight to his office and saw a couple of investigators waiting for him inside. Curious, Mark entered and greeted them politely. “Good Morning Mr. Hwang, Mr. Kim and Mr. Kang. What brought you here?” Mark asked, looking at the senior investigators. Mr. Hwang was the one who looked for his lost brother, yet the other two were probably his assistants. Mark sat on his chair.

“We found more evidences regarding your brother’s case. All the evidences and testimonies coming from confidential people only lead to one suspect. This person was the one responsible for taking your brother away from the hospital and leaving him in Ilsan.” Mr. Hwang said and the others agreed. Another man handed him a folder; it contains CDs that has CCTV footages, documents, maps and other pictures.  Mark took them out and examined the files. Bam entered and stood beside his boss with an envelope on hand. As the elder saw the name of the person who’s at fault, he can’t help but to question everything. It’s not that he can’t believe but what made him wonder even more were her reasons.

Bam looked at him, shocked. “Mrs. Yewon?!” he mumbled.                      

Mark nodded. “Why— I don’t get it! How can she do that?! Why did she—” Mark angrily stuttered. The men soon left. Mark remained with Bam inside. The two still can’t believe yet there’s no choice now, it’s all laid in front of them and the only move that they can do is to accept it.  “Mr. Tuan, I have to tell you something.” Bam said.

“What?” Mark replied as bitterness and despair sounded clearly in his voice. “The employees from the audit and finance department gave me their statements about the flow of work in their department.” And the Thai native gave him an envelope. Mark opened it and read the contents. His heart pumped like an engine on full blast. He’s expecting this anyway, but after all that he discovered that day, it made him feel worse.

“Mrs. Yewon usually takes the part in making the drafts for the official list of expenses. Ms. Bae said that the growth of this kind of deed was intensely uncontrollable for the person behind it offers more than their salary. Ken does the discrete manipulation and bank transactions. That’s also the reason why the said departments needed to hire new staffs every once in a while. They’ve been stealing the company’s money for 9 years. Mr Tuan, I know this might break anything between your family, but we have to do something about this.”

Mark nodded half-heartedly. He agrees with Bam and he knew it right away that these problems will surely make a chaos within them. “Are they here? I mean, did they go to work today?” Mark asked, looking for his phone and dialling his lawyer. Bam shook his head. “They filed their leave earlier. Both of them are not here.”

“Do you think they’re escaping?!” Mark nervously said.

“I think so. We should get them before they get away.”

”I know. Tell these to Jaebum. I’ll talk to you later.”

Jinyoung was calming walking through the busy hallways of the company building.  With a box of cookies and a bag that has two bottled coffees, he trudged towards his best friend’s office. “Hey! It’s your break time, would you mind to stop working for a while?” he asked playfully as Jinyoung placed the treats on top Jaebum’s table.  The elder looked up and smiled before putting all the papers aside. Jinyoung sat on a chair in front of him and gave him a cookie. “Are there any perks of being a workaholic?” he asked as Jaebum chuckled.

“You know me, Jinyoungie. When I do something, I always pour my heart and mind into it.” He countered, taking a sip from the cold coffee. Jinyoung nodded, agreeing with what his best friend said. It’s true that Jaebum gives more than a hundred percent when it comes to his duties. It’s not bad at all, but maybe that’s the reason why he gets extra disappointed when something bad or unfortunate happens to what he once whole-heartedly planned. 

“Have you seen Mark hyung? I’m dying to talk to him since this report from the Dongkwan Circle of Investors is simply flipping the hell out of me.” He pointed on the papers and furrowed his brows, showing a very annoyed expression.

Jinyoung shook his head. “Maybe he’s busy. The investigation about the missing fund is still on-going and I believe he’s working hard on it.” They talked about more things after that; their college friends who tried to contact them for their upcoming reunion. It was fun to have a small break from all their busy works. It was indeed a breath of fresh air.

With all their surprise, Bam went inside Jaebum’s office. “Hi Bam!” Jinyoung and Jaebum greeted. The youngest just bowed and stood closer to the men. “The suspects regarding the missing money were already found.” He firmly declared. The two guys looked at each other, sharing the same guess. “Who are they?” Jaebum asked.

“Mrs. Yewon and Ken. Mrs. Yewon is also the mastermind behind your separation from your family. She took you away from the hospital and left you in Ilsan. Mr. Tuan wants to see them now but the thing is, they’re gone. We can’t find them around the area. It seems like someone already told them that they’re under a huge mess. We have to get them. They need to face the consequences of their actions. “

Jaebum clenched his fist. He never thought that his own aunt can do that to a baby who has nothing to do in order to fight for himself. He felt bad that he pitied  himself.  How can a member of their family dragged him away from his own identity for her own good? That’s selfishness and greed! “We have to find them.” Jinyoung spoke, worried yet determined.

“Where’s Mark hyung? I’ll talk to him.” Jaebum asked and Bam guided him out.

Hours gone by and the issue already spread inside the building. People started looking for Ken and Yewon. The sun was brightly up when Jinyoung decided to grab something to eat. He went out of the office and went to a coffee shop near the building. He was peacefully walking yet his mind was filled with thoughts about Ken and his mother. He was about to go inside the coffee shop when he saw a familiar man standing in front of an ATM Machine. He went closer. “Ken?”

The man looked at him and it confirmed his suspicion. It’s really Ken. Jinyoung walked further but the guy tried to run. Jinyoung followed him towards the empty parking lot. “Why are you running away!? Are you guilty about something that you’ve been hiding from us?!” Jinyoung asked as Ken was about to get in his car. Ken looked at him and smirked. “What are you saying, Park Jinyoung? I’m not hiding anything. So get the hell out of here!” he angrily commanded.

“We already know it! You and your mom stole money from the company! The warrant of arrest is now out and you have to face the penalties of your immoralities.” Jinyoung picked his phone from his pocket and dialled Mark’s number but all of a sudden, Ken gripped on his wrist and harshly dragged him inside the car. It all happened so fast that Jinyoung wasn’t able to fight back or even pick the phone that dropped after getting pulled. Ken went in and locked the doors. He started the engines and drove fast. “What the are you trying to do now?!” Jinyoung asked, neither scared nor worried. He just want Ken to realize his mistakes.

Ken entered a familiar avenue. “I will use you so Mark would turn down the case against us.” He cockily said, glaring at Jinyoung. “And you think Mark will do that? Come on! Your mom did a huge crime and that’s taking Jaebum away from his family! Do you know the price that you two have to pay?!” Jinyoung said with a moderate voice.

”Mom did that because from the start, grandpa never noticed us. Mark’s dad is always a step ahead from my dad and that’s why he poured all his attention to Mark. Few months after Mark was born, they already discussed that Mark will inherit the company. When Jaebum was born, mom knew that another head will fight with me against the position, so she threw that trash away. That’s life, Jinyoung! You need to kick the rejects away in order to reach what you’ve been wanting for so long.”

Jinyoung raised his voice. “Your dad and Mark’s dad were great brothers! Grandpa told me that they’re not even fighting about any position before!”

“Exactly! That’s why dad died like that! He’s contented with being a department head while his brother already became a vice president. I will get the position that was supposed to be his! I’ll make him proud!” Ken answered. At that moment, Jinyoung realized the life that Ken grew up to. It was bitter and filled with anger. He’s yearning for attention and craving for power. For him, getting those things will surely make his life meaningful.  “Ken! Please stop this! Your family’s relationship is highly at risk! Can you imagine grandpa’s reaction if he finds out that you’ve been fooling us for too long?!” Jinyoung said as the car hit a long, dusty road.

“Wow! Look who’s taking!?” Ken chuckled and increased their speed. “You also fooled us once, Jinyoung. I want to be the president of the company and no one can stop me!”

Jinyoung took a deep breath. Things were getting worse and it seems like he can never change Ken’s mind. “And you think that playing dirty will make you earn that spot?” he asked. Ken didn’t replied and focused on his hasty driving, which scared Jinyoung. “Ken, your family cares for you. Please! It’s not too late to look back.” Begging, Jinyoung spoke. He was mentally wishing that this would work.

Ken furrowed his brows. “Just shut up!” he shouted.  “They don’t need me! They only want Mark and Jaebum! Stop feeding me with your sharp lies!”

“I’m saying the truth, Ken. Do you think your dad will be proud of you if you continue doing all these?”

For a second, Ken stopped driving. He looked straight forward and his hands were still on the stirring wheel . He breathed heavily before looking blankly at Jinyoung. “If they care for me, then why did they choose Mark?”

Jinyoung patted his back lightly. “Maybe because he’s better than you. But that doesn’t mean that you’re not good at it all along. You’re good, Ken. You’re smart, optimistic and tricky, in a good and in a bad way. They might be in favour of Mark but tell me, did they even tell you that you’re not good enough? Did they crushed your spirits down? Did they tell you to back out because you do not deserve the place?”

Ken remained silent yet he swatted Jinyoung’s hand away. He can’t let his heart take over. He promised himself to never ever trust his feelings so he could get what he wants. It’s an important game that requires a strong mind. Nothing more, nothing less.  “See?! They didn’t! They allowed you to show your potentials because they believe in you and they appreciate all your hard work. You may not see it, but your family loves you so much. You’re just blinded by the jealousy and hatred. You are so lucky, Ken. You still have your family. If I were you, I will do everything to make them happy.” Jinyoung explained as he thought for his own family.

All those words hit Ken like a fast train. He didn’t expect that Jinyoung would make him come into a decision that he might regret. But as his heart begun to melt, he realized the aftermath of everything. His mind and feelings got messed. He went out of the car and stood at the middle of the empty road. “Ken!” Jinyoung yelled as he went out as well.

“Leave me alone!” He shouted while feeling his tears rolling down his cheeks. It feels like he’s duelling with his own emotions. His dreams crashing down while his spirit still believes that he has to turn back and stay with his family. He was a mess. Jinyoung stood few miles away. He saw a black van rapidly moving towards Ken’s direction. It made him nervous in an instant. “Ken!” Jinyoung shouted and for the last seconds, Ken saw the approaching vehicle near his body. He closed his eyes and allowed his entire self to experience the upcoming pain.

It all ended after Ken opened his eyes. He’s oblivious of what’s happening. He should be dead by now, or at least lying at the middle of the road without consciousness. Instead he was at the corner; his body was against the cold ground without any injury or casualty. He looked around, clueless. He saw the van that he anticipated and it was inches away from him. His groggy brain can’t comprehend with it. Lastly, his sight landed on a body in front of the car. He’s lying right there; blood, wounds, and unmoving physique. Ken rubbed his eyes.

“J-Jinyoung?” he mumbled and for the first time, he felt really terrified.

Mark came in rushing towards the hospital lobby. “W-What happened?! Where’s Jinyoung? How is he?” he asked Jaebum with a broken voice. His eyes were obviously tired from crying and his body was trembling badly. Bam followed with the same stressed expression. They are all worried and scared. Jaebum hugged his brother and asked him to calm down. “He’s being examined by the doctors.” The younger whispered. Mark wasn’t able to control himself anymore. He sat on a chair and covered his face with his palms as he cried.

Footsteps from the same direction echoed all over the place. Youngjae arrived and sat beside Jaebum. “Jaebum hyung!” he called and instantly embraced the elder. Mark felt so bad after hearing Youngjae’s soft sobs. He’s mad at himself for now being able to protect Jinyoung. Aside from the normal hospital scene, the place was simply filled with sorrow and worry. No one expected for this unfortunate event to happen.

“Ken was about to get hit by a van but Jinyoung saved him.” Jaebum explained to the men sitting beside him. Youngjae’s eyes were full of grief. He can’t afford to lose his brother. It made him feel proud at the same time— his brother’s selflessness was just overflowing. He even saved the man who ruins his life from time to time. “Ken and his mother already surrendered to the police after the incident. It seems like getting a second chance made him realize all his mistakes.” Jaebum added, sadly. He was trying so hard to calm Youngjae, but as they all know, no one aside from Jinyoung himself can do that.

Mr. and Mrs. Tuan arrived after several minutes. All of them focused on Youngjae and Mark. Out of all of the people there; they’re probably the most affected. Sooner a doctor came out of the emergency room. “Who’s the relative of Mr. Park?” the doctor asked and Youngjae hurried towards the doctor. “I’m his b-brother.” He spoke with fresh tears forming on his eyelids. “How is he?”

They all went closer to listen, but Mark had to hold on tight to his mother to regain his lost strength. The doctor sighed and looked down which brought distress to everyone. “He’s under observation. I must admit, the accident can cause a serious head trauma since the impact was very strong. His organs are also being monitored for his ribcage was affected too. We are not closing the possibilities of internal hemorrhage and blood clotting in some areas.”

All of them got a taste of loneliness in a split second. It was heart-breaking to hear that Jinyoung’s condition wasn’t as good as how they’re expecting it to be. “B-But he’ll live right?!” Mark butted in aggressively. He almost pushed Youngjae away just to get the assurance of the doctor. “I can’t promise anything. We will do everything to save him.”

And those words were more than enough to shatter their heart into fragments.

The sun was about to hide behind the dark skies and Mark still feels the same, yet it gets worse. The sorrow gets deeper and his hope starts to be questioned. Although it was very wrong to think that Jinyoung will not survive, Mark can’t push that said idea away. He wanted to get rid of it but his brain doesn’t let him. Tears run down endlessly yet believes that during times like this, he should be strong. But how can he be solid enough if the person that makes him strong is lying on a hospital bed, with different apparatuses attached on his puny body, unaware of what’s happening and battling out between life and death?

“I told you, he’s selfless.”  A voice made Mark come into his senses. Youngjae sat beside him, dabbing his tears with his brown handkerchief. Mark wanted to hug him but he knew that it will just make him feel bad. He promised Youngjae that he will take care of Jinyoung no matter what. But as of what happened now, he’s pretty certain that he just broke his promise. “I’m sorry, Youngjae.” Mark muttered.

Youngjae glanced at him and rubbed his back. “It’s not your fault.” The younger replied. Mark allowed his tears of fall once more. He wants to get rid of the heavy feeling. “He’s the only one that I have now.” The younger added. “Yugyeom went to Canada since his real parents are living there. We broke up last week but I kept it from Jinyoung hyung because I don’t want him to worry about me. I told myself that I’ll be telling him everything when we have a chance to see each other again. I never thought that this is how hyung and I will meet after a long time. I can’t even look at him right now. All I see is pain.”

Mark looked at the younger and patted his shoulder. “He saved the guy who beats the crap out of him every single day. Your parents raised him well. You’re lucky to have a brother like him.  I know that the pain in my heart was nothing compared to yours. Let’s be strong, Youngjae-ah. Let’s be strong for Jinyoung.” He requested and the younger agreed. It may appear easy as how they say it, but it feels like hell to be sitting there, waiting for another update while digesting the reality that they can’t do anything to pull him back to the safe zone.

It took him a lot of courage to finally spend a limited time inside the ICU and see Jinyoung. Mark’s legs were like jelly sticks and his body felt so numb. Jaebum turned the knob for him. Mark closed his eyes, took three steps forward and heard the door locked. It was cold inside; beeping sounds coming from the machines were loud enough to increase his fear. He slowly opened his eyes and noticed the heart clenching sight before him. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He wanted to shake Jinyoung’s body so bad that he would wake up. He wanted to scold and nag about what he did in order to save Ken. But those things will never happen.  

He went closer to the bed and sat on a chair beside it. The room was so bright yet Jinyoung’s undying grace shines brighter. Mark caressed his cheek lightly. His fingers run over a series of wounds and at that point, we wished at he could heal them instantly. Before he could make another move, the door opened. A person went in and Mark didn’t expect to see him there. “Why are you here, Ken? You’re going to brag that you won this game? You want to hear it from me? Well, yes! You win! Jinyoung sacrificed himself because he wants us to reconcile and be the happy family that we were before.” Madly, Mark said. Even though this is not the right time to blame Ken, he wasn’t able to hold everything back.

“Shut up, Mark.” He answered as he trudged closer to the bed. Ken looked worn out yet he keeps his arrogant aura on. “Jinyoung-ah,” Ken softly said, standing near the younger’s bed. “By the time that you wake up, please tell your annoying boyfriend that it’s not my fault that you’re here. I’ll go to jail tonight and believe me or not, seeing you was my last wish before entering that cursed place. Meeting you was nice addition in my anecdotes. Please take care of my grandpa. One day, all my cruelty towards you will make sense. You will realize that it made you stronger. And you can drop by the prison to  personally thank me for that.” He paused and sighed. With a subtle smile, Ken continued. “I will not apologize nor thank you for everything because I’m not that type of kid, but just remember that I can always run a van in front of this named Mark Tuan if he cheated on you. Nice guys like you don’t grow on trees. Be strong, Park Jinyoung.” Ken sniffed, making it obvious that he was in tears. Mark hasn’t seen Ken with such sincerity. The last time was probably when his father died 11 years ago. Ken wiped off his eyes using the back of his hand and went out of the room without bidding goodbye.

Jinyoung and Mark were the only people left inside. Mark interlaced his fingers with Jinyoung’s. They were cold and steady. He was close to losing his mind after recalling what the doctor said. He can’t look straight at the boy without getting that excruciating sensation within his chest. He stared at Jinyoung with his eyes filled with tears. It’s blurry but nothing changed. He didn’t move, his eyes were still shut and his fingers weren’t making any minimal action. “Jinyoung, I know you can hear me. You know, I had a successful deal earlier. I was so happy! I called you but you’re answering my calls. It feels weird, because you are the first person that I usually talk to after a tiring day at work, after a successful partnership or just when I’m happy. I felt weird because I wasn’t able to hear your voice saying ‘That’s great! Congratulations! I love you!’ Jinyoung, it would be great if you’re going to wake up now. I want to hear you say those words again. Now it all makes sense. This is why you’re talking about death this morning. Jinyoung, please stay! You know how much I need you! I can’t spend another day, another year, another decade without you by my side. I’m willing to do anything just to have you with me until my last breath. Don’t leave me, please.”

Mark didn’t even realize the amount of tears emitted from his tired eyes. It almost soaked his shirt. He kissed Jinyoung’s forehead lovingly before looking at him once again. Suddenly, Jinyoung’s eyes slowly opened. He looked so exhausted yet he tried to look at Mark. “M-Mark…” he said with a weak voice. Mark went closer and blinked for a couple of time, not believing that Jinyoung’s awake. “Jinyoung!” Mark said out of shock.  The younger tried to lift his head from the pillow but he ended up lying back again. He felt so heavy. It was like two different magnetic charges were placed on the pillow and in his head. He groaned.

“Why are you c-crying?” Jinyoung slowly asked, his eyes were about to close once again. “Have you eaten?” he followed and Mark tried to smile despite of his sobs. He shook his head. “Is everything okay?” The younger asked again, now his voice got weaker and the suffering was very visible within his face.  Mark wanted to say no but it might worsen Jinyoung’s condition, so he nodded. Jinyoung still cares for him notwithstanding his current situation. Mark held him tighter. “Be strong, Jinyoungie. Please be strong.”

Jinyoung made a fragile smile. “I will.” He furrowed his eyebrows and groaned. “I’ll sleep now. M-My head h-hurts.” He announced and it gave Mark a different feeling. It sounded like Jinyoung was now bidding farewell. “Stop crying and g-grab something to eat. T-Take care of yourself.”

“Jinyoung, I will wait for you, okay? I will still be here by the time that you wake up. I will wait. Take all the time that you need to feel better. I’ll stay here. I love you so much.” Mark advised as his lover made a faint nod.

As Jinyoung went back to his unconscious state, Mark knew one thing; that his greatest fear just happened and that is the possibility of losing his beloved. Life is a give and take process, right? But does it mean that death has to take the gift that fate gave him? If that’s the case, then life is truly  unfair— and that’s not an understatement. 

an: hellooooooooo! i apologize (again) for the late update huhu im so busy bc school is already aproaching kdhfkjsdhkfasjhdjkfhkjd. I'll update soon!!! please wait for it! Thank you for always waiting!! Leave your comments below!! Till next time! Stay safe! Love y'all! ☺♥