warning; swearing & typos lol

"Grandpa?"

Jinyoung called as he knocked on the oak colored door of their grandfather’s room. His other hand was carefully balancing a tray containing a bowl of salad greens, a glass of freshly blended strawberry smoothie and several bottles of pills. He stood there, patiently waiting of any signal for him to come in. After a few seconds, a moderate toned ‘come in’ was heard.

He gently turned the knob and trudged further. Their grandfather’s room was the biggest among all the rooms inside their residence yet it was the simplest. It was amazing to know that despite of the old man’s current title and position not just in the company but in the entire business industry, he still manages to keep and live an uncomplicated lifestyle. Jinyoung landed the tray on the nightstand after seeing his grandfather standing up from his seat on the balcony and heading towards the room proper.

He smiled widely. “Good morning, Jinyoung.” he greeted while holding a rolled newspaper on his left hand. The boy bowed and pointed onto the tray. “Your breakfast is ready.” he brightly responded, earning another subtle beam from the old man.

"Thank you, Jinyoung." he started off by sitting on the bed and reaching for the smoothie. "Thank you for being here with us. We are so happy to finally spend time with you. For 2 decades of searching, all of us assumed that we’ll never have the chance to see you again. But here you are! Thank you for making our lives brighter." he added with a proud grin and a tap on Jinyoung’s shoulder.

The statement itself is just enough to making his heart burst with joy, but deep down, he knows that everything is just a sum of an ill job that he has to accomplish. Jinyoung would be lying if he’s going to say that he’s not having a hard time dealing with his situation. He got deeply attached to every member of the family and being attached onto someone who will not permanently stay in your life isn’t a nice thing at all. Being a Tuan for a couple of months made him feel better after all the trials that he faced in his previous life as Park Jinyoung. But there were these nights when he just can’t digest the fact that he has to fool a bunch of good people. The Tuans treated him like a real family member and it made him feel guilty at some point. After all, acting normal is the best way to do.

He remained silent as he searched for the right feeling and the right words to pull out. The room was cold yet he’s starting to sweat. And if the continued to show his uncanny reactions, he’s sure that the old man might notice it right away. He gulped and grinned. “Me too. I’m so happy to be with you all.” he genuinely replied.

Jinyoung was about to leave the area when he saw something beneath the bed. He bended down and slowly picked it up before looking at his grandfather. “Popcorn again? Grandpa, you’re not allowed to eat salty foods!” Jinyoung said helplessly and tossed the small puff on the trash bin. The man chuckled and it made the younger male laugh as well.

"You’re like Mark. He usually rants about my addiction to popcorn too."

"Next time, make sure that all the evidences are properly kept away. Do it clean, gramps." And both of them chuckled again as the boy left the room.

Jinyoung decided to head downstairs and join his parents for breakfast. While walking through the hallways, he can’t help to think about his upcoming date with Mark. No, it’s not a date at all. He cleared out. It’s just a typical friendly hang out at the movies and maybe a walk around the block. It kinda sounded like a date but Jinyoung himself likes to classify it with a more acceptable label. He thought of wearing a sweater or maybe a button down or just a simple shirt. He imagined how the back of their hands would accidentally brush as they walked through the dim streets of the city. He pictured Mark’s smile upon seeing a huge pepperoni pizza and a bottle of cola laid on the same spot where they first had their conversation few months ago. It was quite exciting for the younger but he doesn’t even know why. Maybe going out with someone like Mark is just a different thing compared to all the night outs that he had done before.

He reached the dining area.  “Good morning, son.” Their mother greeted. Jinyoung returned it with a bow and a smile. He sat on the table across his mother and noticed that it’s just the three of them there; him and the parents. Jinyoung reached for a plate of pancakes and slowly hoped for Mark to finally join them. As far as he can remember, today is Mark’s day off. He is supposed to spend more quality time with his family.

Minutes gone by and Jinyoung was still striving to finish his first round of pancake. It was quite hard to eat without Mark, it made him feel like something’s missing. Maybe he’s too tired from last day’s work. He thought as he lifelessly pricked the soft pastry with the fork and dabbing a small amount of butter onto it. Their mother immediately noticed how saggy the overall atmosphere was, especially to Jinyoung. It seems like he’s so done with everything.

“Son? Is there something wrong?” She asked, full of concern.

Jinyoung looked up and smiled at the lady. He gently shook his head and stared at his father as well before responding. “None. It’s just that…I feel like there’s something missing.”

“Before I forgot, Mark is in the office right now. I have to send someone there to finish some of the works for the upcoming resort expansion since I’ll be having a meeting today in Ilsan. Dad will also attend a conference with the stock holders. Mark left earlier this morning. He even stayed in your room for almost 30 minutes before leaving.” Mr. Tuan said while sipping on his black coffee. Jinyoung completely understood the situation. Being a Tuan is such a tough job. He can’t imagine the level of stress that each member undergoes. But most of all, he feels really bad for Mark. For someone as young as Mark, he should be enjoying his life in all enjoyable ways that he knows and that doesn’t include the truckload of office stuff.  

Jinyoung nodded and reached for more pancakes. “You’re waiting for him, aren’t you?” Mrs. Tuan said with a very perky tone that someone bought a weird expression on Jinyoung’s face. But after all, the Tuans know that they’re brothers so there’s no any form of malice in their words. They will never think about it in another way; the way Jinyoung does.  “Of course. Families should be complete during breakfast.” And the other two nodded.

But what bothered him the most was if their plans for tonight will be cancelled or not. He was worried if Mark will show up or not. What if all of their plans would just turn into a fail one? What if Mark would prefer to rest rather than stroll around the city with him? On the brighter side, Jinyoung needs to be an understanding friend this time. He has to understand that Mark is just a human too. He can be tired at some points and he was his own mind; he can do what he wants. 

“You’re an hour late!” Bambam reminded as he welcomed Mark in his office. Mark just scratched his nape and walked towards his desk. He sat on the chair instantly and reached for his coffee. Bam handed some folders and Mark took it with a loud sigh. “Why do I have to deal with too much work? It’s just 9AM and I should be at home right now spending more time with --”

“With Jinyoung?! Let me guess, he’s the reason why you’re late. Am I right?”

Mark jutted his lips, thinking of a better excuse but Bam knows him so much that he can’t even hide a thing from the boy. He looked for his pen, flipped one of the folders and immersed himself into the words that are written onto it. “Avoiding the question, boss?” his assistant asked before standing up and reaching for more folders on his table. Bam smirked and happily headed back to his previous spot.

Mark signed one of the papers first before averting his sight back to the younger. He rolled his eyes. “Fine! I stayed in his room for several minutes and I watched him sleep.“

Bam raised his right eyebrow and gave Mark a weird look before standing up again. “That’s creepy. You’re such a creep.” He said before coming back with a planner on hand. Mark focused on the papers and shrugged his assistant’s comment. Who cares if he watched Jinyoung while sleeping? It might sound creepy but still, he enjoyed it. Bam was flipping through the pages when all of a sudden, the telephone rang. The younger answered it.

After a few seconds, he came back to Mark’s table with a very indescribable expression. “Your dad said that you have a meeting with Mr. Choi this afternoon in an Italian restaurant near the town park.”

Mark stood up in surprise. This was not included in what he agreed for. His father said that he’s just going to check some papers, review other plans and he can go home before the sun sets. He’s just so frustrated that he wanted to throw all the papers into random directions and plan a rebellious team against his dad. But in real life, he can’t really do that. “Ugh! I hate this.” He exclaimed before sitting again and letting his forehead meet the hard table.

“Why can’t he just send Ken? ”

“Isn’t it obvious that the company puts more trust on you?”

“Trust? More like stress.”

The room was getting colder every passing second due to the intensity of coolness that the air conditioner emits. Despite of that, tiny balls of sweat are still surprisingly seen trickling down Jinyoung’s forehead. The last time that he glanced at the clock, it was around 12 noon but as his sight landed on a particular alarm clock located at the nightstand he just can’t believe that he already wasted 3 hours just to choose for the perfect outfit for tonight’s date. He can’t fully understand his reasons but of course he has to look presentable. Mark isn’t just the typical upper-class man, he’s way too sophisticated than that.

His bed was occupied with different types of garments; shorts, jeans, pull-overs, shirts and a lot more. He never imagined that a friendly date could be this stressful. He’s been hurdling back and forth from his closet to the large mirror just to check his look. Oddly, everything doesn’t seem to fit at all. The jeans looked really awful against his slender legs. His favorite shirts felt too flimsy and loose. Even his sneakers don’t appear to match with anything. He just can’t deal with it. Years before, everything looked nice, perfectly fit and elegantly matched but at the moment, nothing met his standards.

He lay on the bed of clothes with his eyes closed. Maybe he should just go out with only his underwear on because it somehow looked better. 3 more hours before the nerve wrecking highlight of the week, Jinyoung was like having a convulsion of feels inside him. He’s excited yet worried but he’s happy however somehow unsure. It’s been 3 years since he last went out with a guy; Jaebum to be clear. He took a deep breath and reached for his phone.

To: Mark
Hey Mark! Are you coming tonight?

Few minutes later, 20 annoying minutes to be vulgarly exact. Imagine the level of patience that Jinyoung has to cope with.

From: Mark
Yeah. Same time. Same place. See you.

Mark went out of the comfort room and headed back to the table where Mr. Choi was. They’ve been discussing about the same topic for hours and it’s something that Mark hates and likes at the same time. He hates the fact that he was forced to stay there and close a deal with a high class businessman instead of resting at home or at the office. But then, he’s willing to do everything for the company. No matter how upset he was with the current set up, his dedication for his work still matters. “I heard about your brother, Jinyoung, is he working in the company now?” Mr. Siwon Choi asked.

Mark nodded and took a sip on his iced tea. “Yes. He was the one who made the floor plans for our resort expansion and renovation.” he informed as the waiters served more food. Mr. Siwon Choi is a wealthy young man. He’s 8 years older than Mark yet he’s already successful. This time, Mr. Choi plans about investing with the Tuans. And since he’s a great catch, Mark will not let this deal to fail.

"Really? I’m impressed!" he said in a very bright expression. Mark bowed in return. "Just to make everything short, I’m taking the deal. Looking forward to work with you." he added while launching his hand to Mark for a handshake. Mark just can’t believe that it happened. He held the man’s hand in return. "Thank you, Mr. Choi! You’re not going to regret this. Thank you! "

"Actually, since we already settled the deal between our companies, I still have another good news." The man said while digging in his baked macaroni. Mark ate some as well. They’ve been eating lots of different dishes for the past hours but both of them didn’t bothered much since their conversation was going great. "What was that? " Mark questioned, his eyes filled with excitement.

"My cousin, Joonmyun, wants to talk about some matters too. He’s also interested in having an investment in your company . I can invite him now, if you want. "

Without thinking twice, Mark replied. “Sure!”

Jinyoung was seating on a bench on the sidewalk, watching people passing by. He was wearing a simple gray hoodie and a pair of jeans. The weather was nice, not too cold & not too hot. He glanced at his wrist watch and checked the time. 6:08PM.Mark will arrive soon. He set his hopes high.

The sky got darker as Jinyoung remains on the same spot where he first sat on. The streets was now jammed with cars and the sidewalks are too busy as the amount of people with different professions walked by. Jinyoung looked at his watch for the second time. 7:13PM. Maybe Mark got stuck on the heavy evening traffic. He said to himself. He sat back comfortably and decided to listen to some music while waiting.

8:15PM.  The red blinking numbers on his digital wrist watch reflected on his partly sleepy eyes. The roads are finally back on its moderate traffic scenario. He yawned silently as he reached for his phone and dialled Mark’s number. But he was answered by a series of beeps. Curious, he also tried to call Bambam, but the boy didn’t answer. Maybe he’s coming in few minutes.

The last full showing of the movie that they like will start in 10 minutes. People came rushing as they lined up on the ticket booth. 8:55PM. Jinyoung was tired, sleepy and hungry. For the 27th time, he tried to call Mark but then again, the same beeps were heard. Bam’s phone was no longer reachable as well. Maybe he’s just resting for a while before going here.

For the last time, Jinyoung looked at his watch. 10:19PM. He stood up and travelled back home; hopeless and feeling hurt. He prepared too much for this. He was hoping to make good memories with Mark but the boy didn’t show up. Jinyoung walked away from the area with a heavy heart. He completely understands that Mark’s busy with work, but he should’ve just said that he can’t make it instead of letting someone wait for nothing.

“It was nice to finally settle a deal with you Joonmyun Kim, and to you too Mr. Siwon Choi. We will be seeing each other 3 weeks from now for the initial discussions and introductions. Thank you.” Mark said before bidding goodbye to the businessmen. A wide smile was plastered on his face as the sweet feeling of success maneuvered all over his body. He moved away from the table and walked out of the restaurant.

"Bam! Wake up!" He said, upon starting the car. The boy slowly opened his eyes. "I got the deals! Mr. Choi and Mr. Kim!" he exclaimed happily. Bam congratulated him before grabbing his phone. "19 missed calls from Jinyoung!?" Bam said, reading the words in his own phone. Mark stopped driving and widens his eyes.

"."

He instantly picked his phone and turned it on. His hands are trembling and he’s close to crying. Damn it! 31 missed calls and 14 messages from Jinyoung. Mark swore that he wanted to bang his head against the side mirrors of his car. He tried to call Jinyoung but he was rewarded with beeps. He tried again, and again, and again but nothing changed.

Sad, he drove Bambam home before going to the place where they are supposed to meet. The place was empty. He can imagine Jinyoung waiting there patiently while he’s getting blown away into the conversations with some people. He hates it. He hates himself. He hates everything.

Mark arrived home before 12 midnight. His parents are still up, even his grandfather. They are all waiting for the news about the deals. Mark tried to smile upon seeing his family after an exhausting day of work. But unfortunately, Jinyoung wasn’t there. “I got the deal with Mr. Choi. ” he said first. His father smiled widely and they all cheered. “I also got a deal with Joonmyun Kim. CEO of the JMK Incorporated. I got 2 successful deals!” he ended with a heartfelt smile.

His parents run towards him for a hug as the both spoke about their happiness. “We’re proud of you Mark! You deserve a reward for this.” His mother said, looking to their grandfather who just smiled and nodded.

Mark was walking through the hallways en route to Jinyoung’s room. With his heart still pounding like crazy, he carefully turned the knob and walked in. He would gladly accept any words from Jinyoung because he deserves it anyway. Jinyoung was curled on the bed with a pillow tucked against his chest. Mark sat beside him and pushed off some hair on Jinyoung’s forehead. He looks too drained as well. Not the mention that he’s still wearing the same clothes that he wore while waiting for Mark in front of the cinema. Mark felt so apologetic. He planted a kiss on Jinyoung’s forehead before standing up and placing something on his nightstand. “Good night, Jinyoung.” He whispered and he left.

The next day, Jinyoung’s sleep was unequivocally disturbed by the loud sound of the alarm clock. He stubbornly sat up and gazed at his nightstand to turn the alarm clock off. But suddenly, he saw a red envelope neatly placed near the clock. He instantly took it and started revealing all its contents. It’s nothing too special; just a plane ticket to L.A. and a small note with an ‘I’m sorry’ written onto it.

The door opened just in time as Jinyoung tries to absorb everything that he saw. I’m going to L.A.? Really? Is this really for me? He looked slowly at the door and saw Mark, smiling at him like everything’s fine. Of course he can’t be fully mad at Mark. “We’ll be leaving next week. “ Mark said calmly, admiring how beautiful Jinyoung is.

The younger widens his eyes. “Just the two of us?”

Mark grinned. “Yup, just the both us.” 

AN: HI GUYS! SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. OUR PC WAS BEING A LITTLE FOR THE PAST WEEK AND IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO WRITE AND FINISH EVERYTHING SINCE ALL THE SAVED FILES GOT DELETED IN AN INSTANT LOL BUT IT'S OKAY NOW. HAHAHHAHAHA. ANYWAY, KEEP THE LOVE COMIN'! THANKS GUYS! STAY SAFE~ LOVE Y'ALL! ☺♥