Mark slowed down the car and drove into the car park, before halting it in free space. Not very far from here was the Han River and the bridge.
"Let's get out," said Mark, taking his seat belt off.
Jinyoung did the same and got out of the car. Mark had not told him where they were going; but as it turned out, they were apparently heading for the Han River.
They left the parking area and walked out into the open. There could be seen a lot of people on the bank of the river, some strolling around and some lying on the ground.
Mark led him along the way, till they reached almost the edge of the bank, which joined the river. They could feel the breeze, cooling them and refreshing their mind.
Jinyoung inhaled the air deeply and then turned to Mark, whose eyes were already on him.
"You like it?" Mark asked, "I thought, really hard, of where to take you. And this came to my mind. A nice one, isn't it?"
Mark's eyes fell on Jinyoung's hand and he reached for it quite uncertainly. He entwined their fingers and ran his thumb softly over the back of Jinyoung's hand.
Jinyoung turned his face away back to the river and then closed his eyes tight; the faint noise of the passersby and the sound of the soft wind over the river, rushed into his ears.
"This isn't all yet," said Mark, "We should do something instead of just standing here. Have you ever kayaked here?"
Jinyoung opened his eyes and said, "Never. Maybe I did when I was young. But I can't recall anything."
"Then I'm sure we'll have fun. Can you see those boats there? Canoes, kayaks and other kinds." Mark pointed at the small spots moving to and fro, far away, on the river. "Let's go and rent one for us. The sun is already starting to set. It might be quite difficult to kayak when it gets dark, though."
They started their way to the boat rent center and there, got an inflatable raft, with a set of oars attached to it. They were asked to wear life jackets and then helped to be seated on the boat, Mark at the position to paddle and Jinyoung at the front seat.
Jinyoung's heart beat faster in nervousness when the boat was launched onto the river. He could swim well but it had been such a long time since he had had such kind of experience.
Mark was already paddling with enthusiasm on the river; as Jinyoung's seat was designed for the person to face the back, he had no choice but to sit facing Mark.
"Isn't it cool?" Mark almost shouted, "How far do you want to go? Till the bridge?"
The Hangang Bridge was only a thin structure in their eyes. It must be a long distance even to reach it, from where they were now. The sun was already halfway down into the river.
"As far as you can go," Jinyoung replied.
The further they went, the more relaxed Jinyoung looked. His eyes were wandering around, as they passed by other boats. Mark was satisfied with seeing Jinyoung enjoying it. The point of them being here was for Jinyoung to have fun, after all.
"Jinyoung," Mark called, "Do you want to paddle? You'll have more fun here."
"But I can't. You seem to be doing it fine though."
"It's not difficult. Just try. See how I'm doing? Just move your hands like this."
Jinyoung watched the motion of Mark's hands and then nodded, quite hesitantly.
"Then let's change the position. You should come here first."
The boat wobbled as Jinyoung moved to the back and Mark removed himself from the seat, to let Jinyoung sit there.
"Like this?" Jinyoung held the oars and began to move them, as the boat steadied again and went forward.
"See? It's not hard."
Mark was still in front of Jinyoung, in case the latter needed him. He watched Jinyoung getting used to paddling and it made him smile. Under the sunset, Jinyoung looked more handsome and captivating, which made it difficult for Mark to shift his eyes away.
The moment Jinyoung stared back into his eyes; that was when Mark lost all his control. He held Jinyoung's face gently and leaned in, his lips slowly meeting Jinyoung's.
Jinyoung's hands stopped paddling and the boat was abruptly halted, only floating on the water. Mark held Jinyoung's face more firmly while his tongue was forcing a way into Jinyoung's mouth.
Just like the previous time, Jinyoung's lips were motionless against him. He was neither pushing Mark away nor responding.
Mark bit his lips in a final, small tug and then pulled himself away. He got his hands off Jinyoung all together and gave him a smile.
"I won't distract you anymore. Continue paddling."
But Jinyoung did not move and gazed at Mark, wordlessly. The latter turned his eyes away from Jinyoung's and immersed his hands in the water below, swaying them, so that the boat started forward. Only then Jinyoung held the oars back and began to paddle along.
The night was falling and already, the Hangang Bridge was lit, looking as majestic as it always did. The wind blew once in a while and the freshness was in the air.
With the interlaced hands, Mark and Jinyoung took a walk across the bridge, on the pedestrian path.
"This is my very first time, holding someone's hand and walking across a bridge. Something like going out on a date," Mark said.
Jinyoung lifted his eyebrows, "The first time? You've never experienced something like this?" Jinyoung could not help but recall the time he had witnessed Mark and that boy - Choi Youngjae - together in front of an apartment block.
"Never," Mark said, looking at Jinyoung, "For you, though, it's pretty common, right? But I want you to feel more special this time."
Mark gave Jinyoung's hand a squeeze and then stopped, by the railings. "Look down at the river. Isn't it beautiful?"
Jinyoung followed Mark's eyes and was impressed by the sight of the water shining under the light.
"Let's shout something. There's no one nearby," Mark said and then facing the river, yelled, "Hey!"
Jinyoung followed suit, "Hey!! I'm here!" and laughed.
"You like it?"
Mark squeezed Jinyoung's hand tighter and cried out, "Hey! I'm here with the one I love!"
Jinyoung looked at Mark, quite amazed, and his lips turned to a smile, when Mark turned back to him and raised his eyebrows.
A moment later, Mark yanked Jinyoung's hand forward, letting his body fall into his embrace. Mark let go of Jinyoung's hand, only to lock his hands around Jinyoung's waist.
His lips slammed against Jinyoung's, messily and eagerly. Jinyoung's hands grabbed the sides of Mark's shirt helplessly, and shutting his eyes, he felt how Mark's lips were devouring his, urgently.
The intensity grew as Mark's tongue explored inside his mouth further. He wished it would never end.
