Mark always considered it an act against all things sacred to simply devour a serving of ice cream. Instead, he insisted on taking it in small bites and savouring it for lengthy periods of time. It made spoon-feeding Mark a careful procedure, as he would wince at the sight of too large a spoonful. Luckily, Jinyoung had been trained by Mark to know the perfect amount. It was a skill that, although served no other purpose but to satisfy Mark, was something that Jinyoung still took pride in.

“So when did you know?” Mark asked before accepting another spoonful of ice cream from Jinyoung.

“Know what?”

“That you liked boys.”

Jinyoung scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “Are you the kind of boyfriend that’s obsessed with comparing himself to past boyfriends?”

Mark leaned in, staring the boy opposite down with a mischievous grin.

“Well I’m pretty sure I’m the best you’re ever gonna get.”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes. Another low blow from his tease of a boyfriend. It was a grey afternoon, the kind where everyone anticipated the coming thunderstorm, and every rainless hour worsened the potential outcome. The ice cream parlour that Mark and Jinyoung found themselves in was a hidden gem in the busy streets of Seoul. The ice cream itself was a little on the expensive side for what the portions they were getting. Nonetheless, it was a cozy place, with large windows that framed a second-floor view of the bustling streets. It was also very private place, and a suitable shelter from the brewing thunder.

“Well the first boy I liked was this senior in high school named Hanbyul. Captain of the basketball team. Not the smartest student, but really funny. And he had really broad shoulders.”

Mark rolled his own shoulders, attempting to make light of the description. Jinyoung simply smiled, and continued on.

“He went with his family on a boat cruise for about a week, and then came back with this very y tan.”

“Should I leave you for two weeks so I can go get a tan?”

“Oh no, don’t leave me here with Bambam and Yugyeom, please.”

Mark laughed, reassuring his boyfriend with another spoon of ice cream.

“Were you close with him?”

“Not really. We made small talk about movies and music. Other than that we were never talked much.”

“Were there any other boys?”

“Well, there was Jaebum.”

“I knew it!”

“I’m kidding! The guy’s too messy.” Jinyoung admitted, before spoon-feeding Mark. Mark closed his eyes, savouring it once again as if it were the first and last time he would ever get to taste mint chocolate chip.

“What about you? Who were the boys before me?”

Mark leaned back, scratching his head.

“There was this boy named Matt on our school soccer team. He surprised me one day in the change room with a kiss. After that, we went out a lot to the mall or the movies. Then he moved away and I never saw him again.”

“What did you like about him?”

“When I think about it, we just dated because we could. He was pretty good-looking but… he had an average personality. He couldn’t stop talking about cars.”

“Well I’m obviously more fun… and a better kisser.”

Mark switched to English. “Well, that’s for me to know--”

“And for you to find out.” Jinyoung finished his sentence, leaning in to plant a kiss on the other boy’s cheek.

With a reddening blush, Mark exacted another spoon from the ice cream bowl. Outside, a rumbling in the sky could be heard above the downtown traffic.

“How many girls did you date, Nyoungie?”

“Four...?”

“Wow. You are quite the ladies’ man.”

“What can I do -- girls, girls, girls they love me.” Jinyoung joked, mimicking the choreography to their debut single.

“Did you ever fall for any of them?”

“Nope. We always did better as friends in the end. I guess I was never exciting as their boyfriend.”

Jinyoung paused at the thought while drawing another spoonful from the bowl.

“And you, Markeu?”

“There was one girl… well two girls if you consider an elementary school fling as ‘dating’.”

“What happened in elementary school?”

“Just a girl who had a crush on me. We hung out a lot at the playground before all our friends started teasing us.”

A spoonful of ice cream missed Mark's lips, only to impact with his nose. It occurred with all the grace of the Titanic crashing into that fateful iceberg. Mark gave Jinyoung a hard glare. The boy giggled quietly before wiping the light green from the other's nose. The following spoonful of ice cream hovered cautiously in front of Mark, who leaned in to accept it.

“The other girl was my best friend from high school. I guess she was the closest thing I had to a real relationship.”

“What do you mean?”

“That boy, Matt, we just chilled to make out. With that girl, I actually cared her about because were best friends before so… I’d never want to hurt her.”

“So what’s up between you and her now?”

“We broke up when I moved to Korea.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Well... then I met you, remember? Pabo?” Mark reminded, employing the insult that Jinyoung consistently used on him.

Outside, the wind began picking up, and carrying in darker clouds.

“Did you ever tell anyone, Mark? That you like boys?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“By the time I was comfortable with myself, I was in Korea. I didn’t really know who to tell at that point.” Mark fed Jinyoung another spoonful. “You’re the only one who knows, Nyoungie.”

“You mean me and the fans.”

“What?”

“I’ll get you to read it later -- the fan fiction that Jackson showed me.” Jinyoung explained, delicately extracting another spoon of ice cream. 

“Well… my older sisters might know about me.”

“Why do you think that?”

“When I was seven, my sisters caught me in their room trying on their shoes.”

“Kyeopta! Now I know your secret!” Mark cried, picturing a small and chubby Jinyoung, balancing himself awkwardly on a pair of high heels.

“Hey, you owe me one too.” Jinyoung replied.

Mark attempted to appease him with another spoonful. Though it was when Jinyoung demonstrated his resolve by refusing any more ice cream, that Mark began thinking of what to say, lest the gloomy weather be worsened with an equally gloomy boyfriend.

“Well I never told anyone this but…”

“But?”

“I smoked before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but not too often. I didn’t want to get caught.”

“Why did you do it?”

“To seem cool, I guess. It was a phase.” Mark admitted shyly. “But I got caught anyways.”

“By your manager?”

“By Jackson. He told me his friend got sick from smoking. So I decided to quit and do other things to stay happy and calm.”

“Like what?”

“Eating ice cream. That’s why I always have a tub of ice cream in the freezer --”

“And why you get upset when Youngjae eats it.”

It made sense to Jinyoung now, all the times before when Mark appeared stressed – he was always found cradling a bowl of ice cream. Outside, the clouds had formed a thick, impenetrable veil.

“Markeu?"

"Yeah?" Mark replied, smoothly working the spoon around the walls of the bowl to collect the clinging ice cream.

“What happens if someone finds out about us?”

“Who?”

“The manager? Or someone in the group? Or the fans?”

Mark stopped what he was doing.

“I’m scared, I guess.” Jinyoung explained.

“Are you saying you want to stop this?”

The Busan boy was struck. He took a moment to steady himself instead of spilling his emotions into the conversation. Mark was right when he said that he had a tendency to wear his emotions on his sleeve. He was scared, but he didn’t want to frighten Mark.

“I’m not saying that. People like us, they get hurt here."

Mark put down his spoon to grip Jinyoung’s hand.

"You’re the first person I feel strongly towards, Mark.  And if you get hurt because of me, because of this, then I won’t forgive myself.”

“But I want to do this with you. Remember? We protect each other."

The sky cracked loudly, followed by the pitter-patter of thick water droplets that, carried by gusts of wind, came crashing into the window pane. Mark and Jinyoung turned to see the pouring rain. The storm had finally arrived.

"We just have to wait it out."