"Mark."
"Hm?" The latter hummed, not looking up from his book. They were doing Mark's homework after eating lunch that Jackson cooked for them. "Who's Daniel?" His hands stop, he looks up at the elder. "How do you know him?"
"Jinyoung." Mark nods and continues doing his work. "What did Hyung tell you about him?"
"He said something about you losing him but he told me to ask you myself if I want to know more." Mark sigh and put down his pen before he shifted his gaze out of the window.
"He was my dad. Well, we are not blood-related as he took me in when I was 13, on the street, dying. He... I could say that he brought me to life once again. He owned a cafe and everyone there accepted me as his son. He gave me love, family and happiness. He treats me well as if I'm his biological son. I was so happy that I didn't realize everything has its ends." He looks at Jackson with a sad smile.
"Just when I thought life is actually way more beautiful than how I thought it was, everything fell apart. He left me last July, the cafe didn't work out properly until it was forced to closed down and everyone left me alone...except Jinyoung Hyung. He has been staying close to me. Maybe he doesn't show up often but I know he has always been there making sure I was fine. All the groceries and paid bill that was left in front of my door would always remind me that I wasn't alone. But of course, I didn't rely on him completely because I know he has his own life too." He wipes his wet eyes with the back of his hand.
Jackson stands up from his seat and kneels down beside Mark. He brought the smaller into his warm embrace which the younger gladly falls right in it. "I'm sorry that I made you remember those painful memories again." He rubs the other's back softly.
Mark pulls away and looks at him, smiling. "Nah I really want to tell you everything about me one day but I don't know how. I want to open up to you because I know that, you won't leave me like how they did right?"
"Mark you can just tell me whatever you want whenever. I'll always be here to listen to you. I'll always be here to catch you when you fall." He pats the redhead softly which the latter smiles in return.
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Night came. Mark walked past Jackson in the living room and put his shoes on, ready to go out. "Where are you going?" Jackson asks, approaching the redhead. "I'm going to the bar for a while." Jackson frown at that. "I thought I told you to quit."
"That's why I'm going now, Jackson."
"Then let me go with you, it's dangerous." Before he could say anything Jackson already went upstairs to get his jacket.
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"How should I say it to him?" Mark mumbles to himself. "Who?" Jackson asks, looking at the redhead for a second before looking back at the road. "My manager, he has been helping me out so much. I feel guilty to tell him that I'm quitting."
"I can talk to him for you."
"What no. That would be too heartless."
"Just tell him what you think as long as you mean it from your heart. I'm sure he would understand you." Mark nods and looks out of the window.
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They get out of the car and enter the bar through the front door with Mark showing the guards his working ID. But actually, even without him doing so, they would know him, Mark Tuan, with the highest rate at Serene.
"He's with me." He told the guards, then they open the door letting them enter. "Mark you're late today. Manager-nim is waiting for you in his room." Rose came to them. "I'm not here to work today rose. I'm quitting."
"Ehhh?! But you just started to rise and you were doing well. Why do you suddenly want to quit? Is it that customer again? Is he still disturbing you? You should tell our boss, he will be blacklisted from here. If he-" Mark quickly shush rose as he doesn't want Jackson to hear every damn thing.
But it was too late as Jackson's already there standing straight behind him while boring a hole in his head. "Who is he?" Jackson asks, anger evident in his voice.
"Rose I'll talk to you later I'm meeting with the manager now hahaha bye let's go Jackson." Quickly he waves at Rose and pulls Jackson with him. They stop in front of the toilet and Mark turn to face Jackson.
"Mark what-" He was cut off by the redhead. "Before you ask anything, I want you to wait for me here and I'll tell you everything later." He said before running around the corner heading to the manager's office.
He knocks twice before entering the room. "Mark you came." The manager greeted him. He bows and looks at the elder. "Sir I am sorry about yesterday, that person was someone I know. I fainted so he took me home."
"It's okay as long as you are fine. How are you feeling now? You're good to work?"
"About that sir..." He rubs his neck, guilty filling him up. "What is it, Mark?" The elder look at him with curiosity. "I...I'm quitting today..." He frowned at the younger's words. "Why so sudden? I thought you were doing fine. Was the pay not high enough?" The man approaches him and stands in front of him. Mark shakes his head at that. "No sir the pay was enough for me. The fact that it was more than enough for me to get by just fine."
"Then why?"
'Just tell him what you think as long as you mean it from your heart.' The latter's words came into his mind. He let out a relieved sigh before looking up at the older.
"You have helped me a lot by letting me worked here even though you know it's a risk for letting a minor work here. I really appreciate your help and support but now, I already found a suitable place for me where I am accepted as who I am and I'm going there."
The manager smiles and pats his shoulder. "Thank you for your hard work for all those times when you were here with us. Now you're free but you will always be a part of Serene. Make sure to come here if want to have fun after you reach that age." He winked at the redhead playfully which the younger laugh at. "Oh yeah don't forget to get your things from your locker." Mark nods before excusing himself.
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Mark came back to the place that he left Jackson at but the latter wasn't there. He peeks inside the toilet and saw one of the cubicle doors were closed. 'Maybe he's using the toilet.' He thought, before entering the staff room which is just beside the toilet.
He was closing the locker after done collecting his things when a familiar man pin him on the locker from behind while holding his hand behind him. "Here you are my little kitty~" The man inhales his scent like a pervert.
"You better fuck off before I kick your ass, you bastard!" He tries to pull his hand away. "But I rather fuck you here baby~" His hand plays with the redhead's jeans button and his leg is pressing the younger's.
"You piece of shit let me go!" He tried to kick his way out like he used to do but unfortunately, this difficult position is bringing him nowhere. "HELPMPHH!" He screams out but the man was quick enough to shut him up by putting a cloth in his mouth.
"I'm not that stupid Markie~" His hand wander around the other's hips, his lips ghosting over the redhead's jaw. Mark closed his eyes tightly, praying for Jackosn to be there, well his prayer was granted when the man suddenly fly to the ground.
"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HIM YOU FILTH!"
Mark slides down the locker, too shocked by the fact that a stranger was about to rape him. It's true, what Jackson said.
The man stands up and swings a punch towards Jackson but he was faster to catch the other's arm and throw him to the floor.
Rose was passing by the room when he heard the commotion and enter the room. He gasps at the sight in front of him. The familiar man who he knows has been pestering Mark was lying on the floor.
"W-what happened?" He stutters. Mark turns towards the voice. "Rose p-please tell the manager about him for me." He said with a small voice. Rose nods his head and quickly runs towards the manager's office.
Jackson approached Mark and scoop him up in his arms and leave the room. Jackson opens the passenger door and put Mark down on the seat. He closes the door and went around the car to enter the driver seat.
Throughout the whole drive, Mark just leans his head on the window.
After Jackson park the car, Mark get out of the car and went straight into the house. Jackson followed the redhead and closes the door behind him.
'I guess he wants to be alone for a while.' He thought to himself and went to his room.
He was about to enter his room when suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. He knows whose those arms belong to. A small "Thank you" came from the shorter. Jackson turns to face the redhead who was still hugging him.
Well, he was quite shocked as that was the first time Mark hugs him first. "I'm sorry I was late." Mark shook his head, "No you came just in time when I thought of you..." Jackson buries his nose in the red hair and rubs his back. He's relieved that nothing worse happens to the person that he loves.
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The next day
"Wake up sleepy head you got school." The said sleepyhead rolls onto his back and stretch out his limbs. He opens his eyes to be greeted by the sight of his teacher standing beside the bed. "Come on you gotta eat breakfast before you start the day." He pulls the redhead to sit up. He laughs when Mark looks at him with a sleepy expression. "Why?" He said, then falls back onto the mattress.
"Mark, wake up or you'll be late." Jackson pulls the redhead up and dragged him towards the bathroom inside his room. After making sure Mark was taking a shower instead of sleeping in there, he went to the kitchen to get the breakfast ready.
After a while, the younger enter the kitchen, with a complete uniform and a pullover over his shirt. "Why are you wearing that when it's hot as hell right now." He said while taking a seat opposite the younger.
"I'm out of concealer." He answered with a faint blush decorating his cheeks. Jackson thinks for a while when he remembered those hickeys that he gave him. Jackson smirks at him, "Sorry about them. I'll make sure to leave it at where it will not be seen later." Mark blush deeper at his words. "T-there will be n-no other time!" He said before starting on his food, hiding his face. Jackosn laughs at the cute little creature.
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"Stop here," Mark said when they were not too far from the school's gate. Jackson did as told and look at him. "Why?" Mark sling his back on his shoulder, "I don't want people to see us together. Rumours spread like wildfire in this school." He gets out of the car and walks away. Jackosn shrugs at that and continues driving.
Later during lunch...
"Are you guys attending the ball next week?" Youngjae asks with his mouth full of food. "As I said, that's gross Jae." Bambam said to Youngjae. "Of course I'm coming," Yugyeom answered cheerfully.
"Me too." Bambam and Jaebum said in unison.
"Ball?" The only lost deer look at his friends.
"Gosh Mark how can you not know about the dance. You can't miss this opportunity to have a dance with a handsome prince charming." All of them look at Bambam who's lost in his imagination. Jaebum shakes his head and looks at Mark. "For this ball, it's not required for you to have a partner. You can dance with whoever and we gonna have a buffet. It's next week, you still have time to pick out your suit."
Mark nods at the information.
"Wait no, not a suit." They look at Bambam. "A dress is way more suitable for you than you can have a dance with your hot ass teacher," Bambam said with a mischievous grin. Mark blushes at his words and Jaebum smacks his head. "He's not wearing a dress Bambam." Bambam rubs his poor head, "But I'm sure he will look as beautiful as he did during the play before." He said with a pout. Youngjae and Yugyeom laugh at the two while Mark hides his blush, remembering the moment he shares with the older during the play.
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"Say, you're going to the ball next week?" Mark ask the older who was checking his answer paper. "Yes."
"With who?" Mark asked, resting his chin on his folded arms on the table while looking at the other. "Of course I'm coming with you Mark we are staying together after all." He said, eyes still on the paper.
"No I mean, do you have a partner for the ball.?" He looks at the redhead and smirks. "Why? you want to be my partner?" Mark shook his head furiously. "No, I was just asking...since you have so many girls chasing after you." He looks straight at the table and fiddles his sweater paw. And of course, Jackson finds the need to capture the moment. Quietly he takes out his phone and snaps the picture. The click sound causes the younger to raise his head up.
"Did you take my picture?" Ignoring the question, Jackson keeps his phone and look at the younger with his chin rested on his palm. "I'm going with no one because I'm not interested and plus, what's the point of bringing a partner if they are not Mark Tuan." He needs it with a wink, causing the redhead to blush deeply.
"Ah right what about your suit, you have it yet?" Mark shook his head at that. "I don't think I'm going."
"Why not? Don't give me a "I don't have a friend excuse." "
"Hey, I'm not that low okay. It's just that, going to the ball is boring."
"How do you know it's boring?"
"My mom and dad always make sure to drag me along whenever they have a ball and all I got during the whole event was them talking about works. I'd rather binge on Harry Potter than that." Jackson laughs at the younger.
"Mark this is a school ball, no one's gonna talk about work and it's not like we are doing an exact formal dance, we will all just be having fun. You are thinking too much." He ruffles that red hair.
"So you're going?" He asks again. Mark nods and answers, "I guess."
"Then, we are buying your suit tomorrow okay?" The latter shook his head. "Suit is expensive I can't afford it."
"I'm not asking you to pay it yourself, Mark." That raised the redhead's eyebrow.
"I didn't ask you to quit your job to let you live pennilessly. I'll pay for it don't worry."
"But why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you wasting your money on me? I mean, I am no one to you." Jackson's jaw drops at that. "Mark I wasn't joking about what I said to you that day at the bar."
"Jackson you- you were legit asking me to marry you, do you realize that?"
"Yes and I don't joke about things like that."
"Jackson this is me, Mark Tuan." Mark points at himself, "The stupid, stubborn, lazy, useless kid that no one finds interesting."
"I know you are the stupid, stubborn, lazy, and useless kid that no one else finds interesting but, I do find you interesting because only I know your real worth, not them." Mark blinks twice at him.
"Do you...like me?" Mark ask carefully.
"Yes Mark Tuan I like you and I love you. I'm confessing to you right now so do you feel the same towards me?" Jackson almost facepalms because of the redhead.
"M-Maybe." He answered, looking somewhere else.
"Maybe? Then I guess it's a no."Jackson fake a hurt expression. Mark panics at that. "What no that's not what I mean. I don't know if I like you or not because I never know how does it feel like when you like someone." He looks at Jackson like a puppy asking for forgiveness with a little pout.
Jackson let out a chuckled at the redhead before patting his head. "It's okay Mark I'm not asking you to accept me right now. Take your time and learn more about yourself and your own feelings because no one else can help you with that except yourself." He flashes a gentle smile at the younger.
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That night Mark thinks to himself when he's alone in his room.
'Do I really like him? As a man and not as a teacher? I did tell my friends about how I feel towards him but what if I'm just feeling like that because he was so nice to me? For fuck sake how do I figure this out?!' He rolls around the bed and kicks his blanket. All this thinking is messing up his small brain and he hates that.
So I'm done with this chapter :) Please forgive me if you guys found nothing but trash in here.
Next chapter hint:
MARK FIGURED OUT HIS TRUE FEELINGS.