A Thousand Purple Stars (JinJi)

Park Jinyoung

"Anyway, home sweet home, huh?" Jackson said, swinging his arms awkwardly. "We always did joke that you were a grandpa in a college guy's body." He laughed and waited for Jinyoung to make some snarky reply, but none came. He just continued unloading the box and laying items down on the bed, holding each one a little longer than normal, as if to caress it.

"You're sure your mom is okay with this?" Jinyoung asked after a while. "I really don't want to disrupt her—"

"It's fine, she totally doesn't mind," Jackson said. Jinyoung finally looked back at him, checking that Jackson was serious. His friend was opening up the wardrobe and hanging a garment bag inside. It contained the tuxedo Jinyoung had bought about a month ago along with some coats and shirts. The rest of his clothing had been stuffed into a luggage bag that now stood in the doorway.

He appreciated Jackson's help with getting his things settled into his new room, but the careful way that he was moving around the room and watching his words was making Jinyoung uncomfortable.

"Tell her thanks, again, if you see her on the way out," Jinyoung said. Jackson turned and stared at Jinyoung, blinking. Jinyoung met his gaze for just a second before turning back to unloading. Jinyoung had run out of things to take out of the box, but Jackson watched as he kept picking up and then tossing down each item, the amigurumi octopus, the Oxford shoes, the watch.

"Yeah, sure," Jackson said. Another beat of silence. "Are—are you okay?" Jackson asked. Jinyoung stopped for a minute and turned.

"Yes," Jinyoung said.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, Jackson," Jinyoung replied, too fast. Jackson looked over the collection of items on the bed and felt sorry for Jinyoung. He really ought to get rid of some of these things, Jackson thought. There were too many things that reminded him of her.

"Do you need anything?" Jackson asked again.

"No," Jinyoung said.

"My shift at the bar is gonna start soon. You sure you don't wanna just hang out with a pint?" Jackson said as a last attempt, but Jinyoung held his gaze longer to make him see that he meant what he said.

"I should unpack," Jinyoung said, his voice flat again. "And I think your mom wants to give me an orientation later. Thanks, though."

With that, Jackson nodded and walked toward the door. When he was nearly out of the room, though, he shook his head and then turned back to Jinyoung one last time.

"Just give it some time," Jackson said sadly, and his words made Jinyoung tense up. "You'll forget her soon enough. Him, too."

He was out of the room and down the stairs by the time Jinyoung had recovered enough to return to the task of unpacking. But by then, he was no longer in the mood. Jinyoung walked to the door to close it, and then he looked around the room. The juxtaposition of the strange environment and the homely familiarity of his belongings gave him an odd feeling. He walked back to the bed, put his hands on his hips, and examined the array of items that lay there.

Almost exactly a month ago, Jinyoung had come back to the Campus Drive apartment unexpectedly early from a trip back to his hometown and found his girlfriend sitting on the couch making out with his roommate.

Jinyoung looks his hands from his hips and rubbed his face, as if trying to rub the memory from his mind. It was an image that would haunt him forever: his girlfriend, Nawon, with her arms wrapped around the back of Mark's neck, his roommate suck on her face, both of their breaths mingling.

"What the fuck?" he had shouted as soon as the shock had passed and realization rammed into him like a speeding bus. The two untangled from each other's arms. Nawon's lips had been swollen, and Mark looked paler than usual. Jinyoung stopped there, not wanting to remember anymore of that moment. There was screaming and crying and a lot of confusion. In the end, Jinyoung had just stormed straight out of the apartment and headed straight for the bar where Jackson worked.