Jess
I skipped all the way up to the apartment. Mark just got out from their unit and stops to look at me. I might look like a totally crazy person, he grins. Because of my elation, I jumped to him and threw my arms around his neck.
"Woah!" I surely took him by surprise. "What's this?" But he hugs me back.
"Aaaa!!!" I shout over his shoulder. "I got it!" I slowly pry myself away from him, smiling like a kid who just opened her Christmas present and found out it was the one she'd wished for.
"For real?" He pulls me back in his arms and twirls me around.
"Yup. Thanks to you." I say, pinching his cheeks. Which, I just realized, is now red. "For a boy from LA, you blush easily, Mark Tuan," I joke.
"Uh," he chuckles nervously.
"Are you free? I need to treat you for lunch at least, for helping me get this deal."
"Yeah...sure. I was about to go out to eat, actually."
"Nice. I just need to send an email and change."
Victor isn't already in the apartment when we get in. Maybe he's gone home and talked to his father. He should. He can't just hide his sexuality forever. His father would have accepted him whatever his preferences are.
I sent the contract and other files to Mr. Kwon and got into more comfy clothes, jeans and shirt, and ran to the living room where Mark's waiting. He actually looks cute wrestling with Snow on the carpet. I watch them for a minute before calling him, "Let's go?"
I let him lead me to one of the decent restaurants a few blocks away from our apartment. He has a hoodie on and a cap under it. He casually takes off his dark shades once we settle at our table, away from the window.
"You must be really popular to be hiding like that," I ask him, giggling a little.
"Not really. But, just in case. You never know when a fan or a hater would be waiting for you to make the slightest mistake."
"It must be hard to be an idol."
"It's ok. We're used to it. It gets annoying at times, but most of it fun."
"Why are you not with the other guys?"
"Jackson and Junior are busy filming and the others are sleeping."
The waiter brings our food, consisting mostly of chicken, veggies and more chicken.
"We're obviously not chicken freaks, are we?" I ask him, laughing just a little softly.
"Obviously not," he laughs, too.
"This is so good," I said, relishing the spicy chicken in my mouth.
"I know right? I come here all the time," he says. He takes a big bite of the chicken and chomps on it heartily, making me laugh again and choke on the meat in my mouth. "Careful," he says, chuckling at my sillyness, "you eat like a pig."
I gulp down the water to stop myself from coughing. "Hey!", pretending to be hurt, I pout and take another bite of the chicken.
"How can you eat like that and be so cute at the same time?", he asks, smiling at my pouting yet chewing mouth.
"I'm born with it, baby," I joke, flinging my hair and then laughing.
"So, are you doing anything after this?"
"I need to go check on the site. I have to start with the planning ASAP."
"You need company?"
"Aren't you busy?" For an idol, he sure has a lot of time in his hands.
"No. I'm the slacker in our group," he answers, wriggling his eyebrows.
"Ok. Great. I need a translator anyway."
After the satisfying meal, we decide to walk to the place since we're both so full. He pointed out some cool places where he and the group would usually hang out. We pass by an ice cream parlor and I find myself pushing him inside. We come out with a cone each, laughing about the weird names of the different flavors they come up with nowadays.
"You know what?" He says, licking a drop of ice cream on his thumb, "we decided to walk because we had too much to eat. And would you look at us now, shoving food in our mouths again."
"Food is food," I tell him, "when we die, there wouldn't be food where we would be going. Might as well enjoy it now."
"I wonder how you maintain your figure, with your love of food." He looks me from head to toe.
"I'm just gifted, Mark Tuan," I laugh, striking a pose.
"Jessica Zhao, I didn't know you model, too," an arrogant voice blasts from in front of us.
I see a bleached haired guy wearing a leather jacket, with very dark sunglasses that are too big for his face. Who the heck wears a leather jacket in this heat?
Mark quickly bows, "Sunbae," he politely says. I look at him then at the guy in front of me. He takes off his shades and that's when I recognize him. No wonder his clothes look familiar. If it isn't the man I just met this morning.
"Mr. Kwon."
"GD! Please," he says, putting his shades back on.
"You know each other?" Mark asks. Just when I ask him, "You know him?"
"He's a senior idol from another company," Mark answers first.
"You're an idol?" I raise an eyebrow at him. That explains his diva attitude.
He raises an eyebrow, too, "Duh! Don't I look like one?" He says, smirking. "Anyway, shouldn't you be doing your work instead of dating around?"
"Dating?" Ugh! His arrogance is gonna be the death of me, "We're not dating. In fact, we're on our way to check out the site. So, if you'll excuse us," I bow slightly, taking Mark's hand and passing him without saying another word.
"So, how'd you know him?" Mark asks when we are at a distance from him.
"Ugh! He's the investor."
"For real?"
"Yup! If he weren't funding this business, I would've kicked his cocky face already."
He chuckles at that.
We are able to talk to the owner of the building and agree to a reasonable price after much negotiations. Thanks to Mark, we are able to understand each other.
"I guess I owe you another meal for helping me yet again today," I tell him as we go up our apartment. Both of us are clearly exhausted from the walking.
"Don't think about it."
I give him a hug before getting in my apartment. The sight of a sprawled Victor on my carpet almost gave me a fright. He doesn't seem to be moving. I nervously inch towards him and poke his cheek, "Vic," no answer. I can hear his raspy breathing and smell the strong scent of alcohol reeking from his mouth and nose. He's obviously been drinking again.
Did he even talk to his dad today? I try to wake him up, but he's probably dead drunk. It's always been a problem with him whenever he drinks too much. He sleeps like a hibernating bear. I don't want to hear him complaining about a backache again in the morning, so I use all my strength to pull him by his shoulder towards the sofa. But with his dead weight, he fell back on the floor with a very loud 'THUD'.
A minute later, after more pulling and falling, I hear a knock on the door.
"Jess, is everything ok?" It's Mark. He must've heard Victor's body falling on the floor many times.
"Ah, yeah..." I grunted, trying one more time to pull the drunk man off the floor.
"Uhm...need help?"
I leap over my bestfriend and walk to the door. "Actually, I do," I sigh, opening the door for Mark to enter.
"What happened to him?"
"I don't know. Just help me get him to the room."
It is a struggle, but we manage to get him on his feet with his arms on our shoulders and drag him to my room.
"Thanks," I say, out of breath. I slump down the floor beside the bed and lean my back on the soft mattress.
"Need anything else?"
"Beer!" I say, without looking at him. "I need something to calm me down before I kill this dude."
Mark gives out a chuckle. "I'll go get some. Anything else?" I shake my head.
I already have a lot to think about because of the project, and now Victor decides to come to my apartment again. Two nights in a row. Doesn't he have mercy on me? Still, he's my bestfriend, I can't just leave him alone.
__________________________________________________________________
Mark
I was about to go to her apartment earlier to check if she's back from her meeting and ask her how it went, when she came out of the elevator looking so chic in her white dress. I was surprised when she gave me a hug. I felt my cheeks burn instantly, and more so when she pinched me and noticed how red I was. I looked like a nitwit. Words won't come out of my mouth.
She treated me for lunch and, for me, it was like a date. I had fun being with her, just laughing and talking. She really didn't seem like a rich princess, she even eats like she hasn't eaten in days. She truly is something. I felt my heart beat faster whenever she came near or touch me. I know I shouldn't be feeling this too soon but I can't help myself.
I get a six-pack from the nearest convenience store and go back up just to see her already snoozing on the floor beside the bed. She looks really tired. I slowly put down the cans I am holding and tiptoe beside her. As I lift her from the floor, she makes a tiny sound and opens one eye.
"Mark?" She seems surprised to be in my arms, her face in close proximity to mine.
"Uh..." Say something, stupid! "Uhm...you were asleep on the floor."
"Oh! Shit! Sorry," she's looking straight in my eyes and I just froze. "Mark?" Her eyebrow goes up, "you can put me down now."
"Oh, yeah!" Dumbass! I gently put her down and I feel myself blush again, so I turn around before she could see me make a fool of myself. "If you're tired, I'll just take the beer and..."
"No. Let's drink. I would feel guilty for letting you run to the store just to get those." She says, walking behind me and picking up the cans from the floor where I left them earlier.
We talk and drink comfortably in front of the TV in her living room, watching a rerun of a Korean movie. I end up translating every single sentence to her. It's difficult since I'm not fluent at Korean, too, but I find it fun.
There is a part in the movie where the hero pulls the girl in an intimate kiss. For the nth time today, blood rushes to my cheeks. I shift on the chair uncomfortably.
She turns her head to face me with a sly smile on her face.
"What?" I ask. I can already feel her eyes drilling a hole through mine. I clear my throat and look away.
"Mark Tuan," she pulls my face to meet her eyes, "do you like me?"
I mentally made a back flip. "Huh?" My heart pounds hard on my chest and I suddenly can't breathe.
But then she curls on the sofa, and starts laughing. "Dude, you should've seen the look on your face." She clutches her stomach and laughs even louder, almost falling off the couch.
"YAH!" I yell. Holding both her hands with one hand, I tickle her sides with the other. "You....You're crazy you know that!" I start laughing, too. I swear this girl is crazy. I like crazy. I LIKE HER.
We slump on the couch, totally spent from all the laughing. She stretches her arms up and yawns.
"I should get going," I stand up and stretch, too.
"Thanks, Mark." Before I know it, her arms are around my waist. It's the third time she hugged me today, not that I'm counting. I use all my self-control not to bend down and kiss her.
"Uh...no problem," I stutter, giving her a quick hug back and almost stumbling towards the exit.
"Hyung," Jackson yells from inside our room. "Where have you been? You missed practice tonight."
"Oh. Yeah..." I totally forgot that. "I had some important things to do."
"What important things?" He's being suspicious again.
"Just..."
"You're slacking off again, aren't you?"
"No. It was really important."
"More important than me?" He pouts.
"Jackson, just go to sleep."
"It isn't my cousin again, is it?"
"Just sleep," I almost yell.
"Huh...." He narrows his eyes before turning and going under the covers.
Jackson can be very persistent sometimes, to the point that it annoys me. But, I won't let him destroy my mood tonight. I just had the best day of my life....well, in months.