The Third Party // { markson } ✅ COMPLETED ✅

Chapter 7

It had been a while since Mark had the house all to himself.

He stared at his ceiling as he lies limply on the center of his bed. His parents had gone to work and thankfully, they didn't push him into answering on why he wasn't going to school. His mother had only given him a kiss on the forehead while his father hugged him before they left. They said something about a business trip and they'll be gone for a week. And Mark sees that as an opportunity. He was planning not to go to school for that whole week because he still doesn't want to see Jinyoung and Jackson just yet.

Aside from his best friend, Mark had only been close to Jinyoung. But even if they were, Mark was still uncomfortable sharing his secret to him or to anybody. Now that Jinyoung had somehow put the pieces together─he didn't know how─Mark doesn't want to know what Jinyoung has to say about it or he wasn't ready to be thrown away, to be disgusted by someone he considered as his true friend.

You're in love with Jackson.

The look of surprise on Jinyoung's face was enough reason for Mark to run away. He didn't mean to leave the other but if he wanted to save himself from breaking down in front of everyone else in the cafeteria, he had to get away. He immediately called his driver and as he commanded, he tried so hard to stop himself from whimpering. When his car had arrived, he slipped inside the backseat and once he was in the confines of the car, he buried his face in his hands and cried rather loudly. Thankfully, his driver didn't say anything but only turned off the music. Even if that only made him hear his sobs louder, the silence somehow gave him peace.

As they arrived at the garage of their house, he went out of the car and ran towards his room. Some of the maids gave him worried looks but he needed to be alone so he couldn't pretty much give them the reassurance that he was fine. That same day, they had voluntarily cooked his favorite dish and left it by his door. As much as he wanted to stay on bed all day, his stomach was telling him otherwise so he had to somehow eat. He was really happy and touched that they bothered themselves cooking him food, enough indication that they couldn't leave him alone especially the way he acted when he had gone home. Usually, he'd be greeting them with a smile, acknowledging their work and thanking them for a job well done even if the day hasn't ended yet.

Mark has the heart of gold, that's for sure.

It didn't just show when it comes to Jackson because Mark wanted to have him─his best friend─to himself, and it frustrates him to know that Jackson is already taken by someone sweet and angelic. Kindness does kill you and Mark is no exception. He wanted to tell Jackson that Youngji isn't the one for him, that she wouldn't be able to love Jackson the way he loves him. But even Mark is no fool. He knows for a fact that Jackson deserves more, deserves better and Youngji is just that. No questions asked. And that makes him want to rip his heart out of his chest because he couldn't help but agree. It breaks his heart to know that he wouldn't and will never be good enough for Jackson.

"I'm such an idiot." He whispered in the darkness of his room.

He let his tears cascade down his porcelain cheeks. He had been crying since yesterday and no matter how many times he says that he was tired of crying already, he just couldn't control the salty water from slipping. He hates how his nose stings. He hates how his lips would quiver. He hates how he's being pathetic right now. Bottom line is, he hates himself for being so weak, for not having the strong heart to stand on his own two feet and fight for what he wants. He had always been leaning on Jackson but now that the reason why he was being like this is because of the person who he thought would always be his protector, his shield, he didn't know where to seek the same security from.

Just how can he let Jackson protect him from himself?

Jackson doesn't even know that he is in love with him for crying out loud! Mark doesn't know how and what to tell him. He wanted to confess. He's not afraid of breaking their friendship if it's the only means of leveling up their relationship. But he doesn't have the assurance, the guarantee that everything will fall exactly to what he had planned. He felt afraid that the moment the confession had left his mouth, Jackson would not accept it. Just the thought of being ignored by the person he's in love with since forever, makes him want to retreat back to his own shell, not letting anyone else to enter and break the sanctuary he had built around and for himself.

"I hate you, Jackson." He sobbed, wiping the tears harshly with his fist.

But he knew he didn't mean those words. He just wished it was easy to convince himself that he wasn't in love with his best friend. He just wished he was able to control the dictations of his heart.

Mark is just so, so tired for being so pitiful, for thinking so lowly of himself in comparison with the girl who had taken Jackson's heart away from him. He just wanted to be happy and he doesn't define 'being happy' as seeing the love of his life settling with another.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Two days.

Two days and there's no sign of Mark coming to school.

Initially, Jackson had hoped that Mark would turn up the next day but what he didn't expect was for his best friend to neglect two straight days of not informing his well-being at all to anyone. There were no texts, no phone calls─well, not that he confidently believed that Mark would be contacting him after what he had done─but still. Mark is not the type of person who sacrifices his education to anything which made him shiver at the thought of his best friend seriously pissed─no, mad at him.

He groaned when their professor announced that their classes will be dismissed early because there would be a faculty meeting. Don't get him wrong, though. It's not that he was complaining about the early dismissal─he's ecstatic to know that he's going home early─but his thoughts had been on Mark, frustration building up for one, being a douchebag to his very own best friend and second, not being able to think of ways to gain his trust back again.

"Mark didn't come to class again."

Lifting his head up, he sees Jinyoung staring down at him with so much guilt. "It's not your fault, Jinyoung. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"You wouldn't be able to change my mind from thinking about how it wasn't my fault, Jackson. You weren't there when I said those things to him. You weren't there to see the look on his face, silently begging me not to utter a single word of it but I did." The other said silently, voice filled with remorse.

Sighing, Jackson twisted his body so he was sitting while facing Jinyoung completely. "Then, tell me." He had been trying to talk it out with Jinyoung but the latter is so adamant of not letting him find out.

"I can't and I won't. I don't want Mark to hate me more, okay? I've done enough shit already." Jinyoung combed his hair back harshly, his bottom lip trapped in between his teeth while his eyes ran around the room to stop his tears from falling. "Why won't you go to his house?" He asked after calming himself down, making sure that no sob would rake out through his lips.

Jackson's shoulder sagged a little bit, stiffened muscles loosening up. "I thought it would be best if I give him his space. I mean, I did left him hanging one time." He whispered.

"I heard." Jinyoung solemnly said. "But why would you do that? Of all people, you should know Mark best and how he hates being left behind. I just don't understand the reason why you did that."

He let out a heavy sigh. "Mark is my best friend and he's precious to me. He's like a family, you know that. But I have a girlfriend too and I don't want Youngji to think that I love Mark more than her. So, I only did what I had to do as her boyfriend. I just can't keep Mark having his way with me because I have other priorities to look into as well."

Silence engulfed the two as Jackson remained on his seat, staring down at his own lap where he was absentmindedly twiddling his thumbs together. As for Jinyoung, he doesn't know what to say. He had forgotten about the fact that Jackson has a girlfriend who's innocent in all of this. Now he bears the burden of knowing Mark's secret and hiding it from being known to Jackson or even Youngji for that matter. As much as he wanted to tell Jackson that Mark is in love with him, he can't. He doesn't have the heart to jeopardize Jackson's relationship with Youngji.

And the poor girl is just so sweet that breaking her heart would be considered as a sin. Jinyoung had never met such an angel before. She was just too good to be true. All her acts were always so thoughtful, afraid that she might offend anyone. She always puts others first before her own and it's like an innate personality of hers that could have been one of the many reasons why Jackson had fallen in love with her. He was torn in between. Holding onto a secret that he only knows aside from the one owning it is a huge burden placed upon his shoulders and now he was regretting his impulse to delve into the deepest of his thoughts. He regrets forcing the conclusion out of his mind and of his mouth.