Mark had a late class that day after biology, only finishing that class in the early evening. He sighed as he stepped out of the building, planning to get back to his dorm where Jackson was waiting for him--not that Jackson waiting for him mattered--and he could sit back and relax for a few quiet hours. Or as quiet as it got with Jackson in the same room.
He headed in the direction of his dorm, just about to pull out his phone to make himself look occupied, when he noticed a pair of figures sitting by the fountain just across from the building he'd come out of. Their school mascot, a dolphin, was in the middle of the fountain looking as if it were jumping out of the ocean, a stream of water spurting out of its back and into the pool below.
The figures sat on a bench in front of the statue sat close together, and Mark could instantly recognize the auburn hair styled the exact way Jackson styled it everyday. He looks at Jackson all the time, they were roommates after all, of course he could recognize him from a mile away. Though, Mark didn't exactly have the same eagerness to recognize Jinyoung sitting beside him.
Mark stopped walking, watching the two talk closely with one another from afar. He wondered what they were talking about, especially as Jinyoung laughed and gently touched Jackson's chest. Mark felt his stomach twist. What was so funny?
Why were the two out together anyway? Jackson should be in the dorm. And Jinyoung should be somewhere out of sight. Yet the two sat just twenty feet ahead of Mark, seemingly having a great time. Mark felt an odd tightness in his chest. He didn't like it.
He really didn't like the distance between him and Jackson compared to the distance between Jackson and Jinyoung. They sat unnecessarily close, while Mark stood too far away. Watching them together drove him insane; he had to at least make his presence known.
Mark walked over to the pair, the two not even noticing his arrival. They were chuckling about something; Mark felt so out of the loop.
"Hey guys." he called, loud enough to interrupt the conversation.
Jinyoung was the one to notice him first, his eyes lighting up in excitement. "Oh, Mark hi."
Jackson turned around after, giving the eldest a small wave. "Hey Mark."
Mark smiled and waved back, an awkward silent beat passing before he spoke up again. "Um... so what are you two talking about?"
Jackson and Jinyoung turned back toward each other, both of them giggling in unison.
Ultimately Jackson waved away the question. "Nothing, stupid inside joke, you wouldn't get it."
"Oh..." That felt like a punch straight in the gut. They had inside jokes too?
Mark didn't have any inside jokes with Jackson; aside from the whole crush thing that Mark refused to acknowledge. But that wasn't even really a joke. He rarely tolerated Jackson's jokes. maybe that was why they didn't share any inside ones.
Jinyoung's voice interrupted Mark's brooding thoughts. "Hey Mark, I asked Jackson if he wanted to form a study group with me. Wanna join too?"
Mark hesitated to answer. The last thing he wanted to do was engage himself in anything that had to do with Jinyoung. He hated even talking with him for just the few minutes that had already passed, how the hell could he stand hours upon hours of this torture? "Um..."
"We're gonna grab some food before doing an all-nighter in Jnyoung's room, thankfully tomorrow's the weekend so I can sleep it all off." Jackson added, catching Mark off guard with the extra information.
"Oh, you're going to his room?" Mark mumbled, realizing just how invested the two were in this study group. Jackson. Jinyoung. Alone. In a room together. All night? Mark didn't like it. Something inside of him just couldn't allow it. "Sure, I'll join you guys."
He agreed with clenched teeth. Yeah, he immediately regretted it.
Jinyoung smiled wide, grabbing Jackson by the wrist as he stood from the bench. "Cool! Let's grab some food and head on over."
Mark watched as his roommate and was dragged after Jinyoung, both of them giggling like stupid idiots.
Somehow, despite following after the two and being included in the study group, he felt even lonelier than usual.
---------
(*I decinded to double upload since this chapter is kinda short ^_^*)
