Love Game

Chapter 11

For a moment, they were just staring at each other, not at all expecting that they would meet in such an occasion.
Mark was also in a suit with a gray shirt underneath, mirroring Jinyoung's stunning look.
After a while, Mark broke into a smile and invited Jinyoung to sit beside him.
"An escape, huh?" asked Mark.
"I didn't expect you here," said Jinyoung, purely out of surprise.
"At least we can keep company to each other."
The bench was quite small and they were sitting thigh to thigh.
Mark stole a glance at Jinyoung and as if the latter knew it, he looked back at Mark instantly.
"Aren't you cold? It's quite chilly," asked Mark as his eyes fixed on Jinyoung's.
"Yep, a bit. I wish I were at home," Jinyoung whined and turned to look at the party not very far from them, "It's not ending very soon, by the look of it."
"Shall we take a walk around? Instead of sitting here."
Jinyoung shook his head.
"Nah, there's nothing much around here."
It was quite right. Just some feet away and they would be back at the party area.
"Then what should we do?"
"Nothing else and sitting here, of course. But if you want to get back there, I might follow you then."
"I'm fine just gluing here. You know, I was all alone, and now you're here."
It was Mark's sincere happiness when he saw Jinyoung here. He had been as bored as Jinyoung had.
"By the way, are you a foreigner? I mean, by your name," asked Jinyoung. He had that kind of instinct that Mark could not be a Korean, although he had never asked it out loud.
"You can say that. My family moved here when I was a highschool student. My parents had always been aiming to invest for business here, in Korea. We are from L.A."
"Oh, that's cool. I've never been to the states. I want to travel there when I can earn my own money."
"We still go back there twice a year, you know, my grandparents and other relatives were still there,"Mark paused to look at Jinyoung, who was listening to him with enthusiasm, "Who knows, maybe, you don't need to wait for that day of your earning. I can take you there one day."
Jinyoung broke into a smile, wait with the eye crinkles? Why had Mark never seen them before?
"As if," Jinyoung joked, taking the matter lightly.
"For your information, my parents own Tuans Airline, and a ticket to the states for you will not matter," it was just a joke of course. Mark wanted to say instead that he did not need a ticket from his parents for Jinyoung because he wanted to take Jinyoung there together with himself by his own money or efforts.
"Tuans Airline. Ah, I just heard it from Mr.Kim talking about it with my parents. Like my parents wanting to have a merger with them. Is it your family's?"
"Really? Yes, it's my family's."
"Yeah, I think they are now having a conversation together."
"How hilarious! We're also here together!"
Mark exclaimed and both found that lame fact funny and burst into laughter.
After they had calmed down, Jinyoung said, "You know, I didn't trust you in the slightest at first. But I see now that you are, how should I say, an agreeable companion? I don't know what your first intention towards me was," Jinyoung paused, as their eyes locked, and in a serious tone, said, "But as far as I see you now, you seem honest to me. At least I hope so."
It was Jinyoung's sincere wish because no matter how he denied that he needed any friends or anyone, he was actually wishing someone would come and prove to him that they could be good friends to him and be genuine towards him. Having Mark by his side these past days made him realise what a good feeling it was to have someone as a friend or companion.
On the other hand, Mark was guilt-tripped at why he approached Jinyoung. At this point, he was no longer sure if he still wanted to win that bet because right now, he only wanted to prove Jinyoung that he would be by his side, even if it was just as a good friend, as Jinyoung wanted.
Mark cracked a little smile, all the words of promise that he would be sincere to Jinyoung trapped in his throat. Why mind them when they all would only turn out to be lies?
Mark's whole body felt some unknown tension as the silence fell.
"Hm, shall we get back there?" said Jinyoung, breaking the silence and standing up.
Mark looked up at Jinyoung, who gave him a little smile.
"They might expect us there by now. It's pretty late anyway."
"Right. We should."
Mark got up to his feet and side by side, they headed towards their parents.