777 Ways

CHAPTER 27 - BOYFRIENDS

Waking up beside his new boyfriend was a mix of heaven and hell. He feared being too happy, but he also felt like he couldn't help but feel happy. He felt guilty for being blessed by such happiness, because he felt that he didn't deserve it, yet he still swore to himself that he would protect that happiness as much as he could. A sleeping Mark was a beautiful sight to witness. It made his heart rejoice with contentment, though his head throbbed painfully. Both he and the American had drank so much last night that when they reached their bedroom, they immediately fell asleep. Jinyoung didn't regret drinking that much, after all, he was officially dating the older now, Mark owned his own bar again, he was staying in Korea, and he wouldn't be leaving his bed any soon.

If things were that simple, he would be in paradise. However, feeling hangover wasn't the main factor that made him partially miserable that morning. The headache he felt at that moment also tormented him for other reasons. Besides the supposed new beginning for him and his boyfriend, yesterday's celebration in his apartment also meant two other things. Jackson would be convinced that the author was doing his best to proceed with phase 2 of their plan, and at the same time, even though Jinyoung intended to find out who was really the liar in that story, somewhat, he was already betraying Mark's trust.

Jinyoung was the one who claimed that no one would make him change his opinion of the American. He was the one who assured Mark that his words stood above anyone else's, and were the only ones he was willing to read. He said that the present Mark was the original he chose to keep. And only now, he realized that he had lied to the foreigner. His private 'project' was a proof of that. He didn't fully trust neither Mark nor Jackson. He felt bad about it, because he loved those two very much, and he couldn't bring himself to nullify their stories. Jinyoung saw himself as a man of principles, and even though his heart tried to convince him of the veracity of Mark's story, he couldn't ignore the files he read at Jackson's house. Several 'revelations' still haunted him more than anything. Mark was supposedly Ito Hara's right hand. He was responsible for increasing the Collector's 'items' by working as a Doll Hunter, one who sought, selected and delivered new 'assets' to the Collector's Case. He would often provide drugs to people who couldn't pay for it, and once the user was full of debts, they were taken to the Collector. He would also seduce men and women alike who were looking for a good time and lure them to the Case. Because of him, people disappeared or turned up dead in random alleys. Cameron Zhou seemed to be his perfect match. As a matter of fact, the Zhou character turned out to be quite different from the man Jinyoung was led to believe that he was. Unlike the terrible picture Mark had painted of him, those files showed that Cameron was just one of Mark's many victims. Yes, he was the one who had dragged Mark to 777 Ways, but he didn't expect Mark to fit so well in that dangerous area of Downtown LA. It seemed that the American's meeting with Hara had awakened a dark side of Mark that Cameron had no idea that his lover possessed.

Even in college, Mark already showed signs that proved how good he was at illegal activities. Apparently, he wasn't very careful at hiding drugs in his dorm, and some student ended up ratting him out to the dean. Mark then planted drugs at the dean's office and warned the man to keep his mouth shut, otherwise he'd tell the authorities that he was buying drugs from him. Mark also found out who was the student that 'badmouthed' him. As a payback, Mark gathered some of Cameron's friends to beat up the snitch, after thrashing his car. The young man was beaten so badly that he lost the sight of one eye.

Another chilling information that shocked Jinyoung was regarding the intricate connection between Mark and the Doll Collector. It seemed that Mark had more than a business relationship with Hara. They also slept together and sometimes the American accompanied the Japanese man to some important meetings he had with his associates. Mark was supposed to provide them 'entertainment' whenever a deal was closed. Hara wouldn't share Mark with anyone though, just with very special partners, and VIPs. Hara 'recognized' Mark's value and even Cameron who worked for him longer than Mark, was demoted. The Collector also forbid Cameron to see Mark, but they still met secretly.