Love Game

Chapter 15

After the incident at the party that night, Jinyoung felt awkward at the thought of their almost-real kiss. Awkward because he was new to what he felt at the mere thought of it.

The consequence followed as he felt often strange, being around Mark. Sometimes he found himself staring at Mark's simple and trivial movements, like when the older was drinking water, Jinyoung's eyes would automatically land on Mark's lips, or when their faces came close unintentionally for a brief moment, Jinyoung would wonder what it would feel like if he could just grab Mark's face and close the distance between them.

Such kind of thoughts had been torturing him a lot lately - since that night at the club, to be exact.

But Mark did not seem to notice any of that. He cared and spent time with Jinyoung as usual. They would hang out at the weekends, sometimes watching movies in the cinema or having long talks with ice-creams in their hands, at a park.

With every single day gone by, Jinyoung had become addicted to the times he was with Mark. The older made him comfortable and his concerns and cares soothed him. Too much that sometimes Jinyoung became afraid of what it would be like if Mark left him one day because he got tired of Jinyoung. Jinyoung no more could picture his coming days without Mark.

When that fear got stronger or that wish to be beside Mark became larger, then what should it be named? Nothing was simple anymore, and Jinyoung was afraid to find the answer of those feelings.

Mark was putting the books and other stuff into his bag as the other students left the class.

He was planning to go to Jinyoung's classroom as it would be dismissed in another twenty minutes.

As Jackson was in the toilet, leaving his bag on his desk, Mark decided to wait for him.

He scrolled down his sns to kill time.

"Mark hyung" It was BamBam.

Mark looked up at the younger.

"What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your class?"

It was not unusual for BamBam to come to their classroom but Mark asked him anyway.

"Our classes are over. Where is Jackson hyung though? Did he leave already? I told him I'd come to him," BamBam sounded disappointed and looked around.

"He went to to the toilet. What's up with you two?"

"We're going to the internet café," BamBam paused, "Ah, hyung, what's the progress between you and Jinyoung hyung? Have you already made him fall for you? I'm talking about the b-" BamBam's sentence was cut short by Mark springing out at him and closing his mouth with his hand.

"Yah, how do you know about that? Only Jackson and I know about that," Mark's eyes showed a bit of rage.

BamBam was shocked at Mark's reaction, he didn't think the matter was that serious.

When Mark retreated his hand, BamBam stuttered, "J-Jackson hyung told me when he was drunk."

Mark took a deep breath to cool himself down.

"Who else knows?"

"O-Only me."

Mark sat back in his chair, his head picturing to kill Jackson as soon as he appeared.

Just at that moment, Jackson came back.

"Hey BamBam! Ready?"

Jackson came toward them.

BamBam didn't know what to reply in that atmosphere.

"Jackson," Mark started, as soon as Jackson stood in front of them, "I told you not to talk about that to anyone."

Jackson was clueless and looked at BamBam, who mouthed 'the bet' to him quietly.

Jackson, as soon as he realised the situation, apologised Mark.

"Mark, look, I'm sorry. That was just one mistake. I won't do that next time."

"What if Jinyoung found out about that? What if it was someone else who you told about that so carelessly?"

"Hyung, I won't tell about that to anyone and Jackson hyung learned his mistake. Can you just forgive him once?" BamBam tried to ease the tension.

"Mark, I'll make sure not to commit that kind of mistake again, please," Jackson knew Mark just needed the convincing.

When Mark was calmed down, they left for the internet café and Mark for Jinyoung's class.

The moment Mark's back touched his soft bed, his anxiety over the whole bet thing rushed back to him again.

During the last few days, his head was filled with the questions of when it would be the right time to confess to Jinyoung and how he was going to do it. It was only two weeks left. It meant that there was not much time left.

But now the questions changed.

Yesterday he was angry with Jackson for spilling the secret out to BamBam. The mistake could not be undone just by him throwing his temper at his friend.

Today in the class, Jackson apologised to him again.

Their conversation about the bet flashed back to him again.

"Mark, only two weeks to go on. Sure you're going to win the bet?"

"I still have no proper idea how to confess to him."

"You confess to him?"

"Yes, why?"

"But thinking of that, isn't it a dumb idea though? I mean, you confess to him and even if he accepts it, then what? You saying that you don't love him anymore, the next day?"

Mark hadn't thought of that point before. Now he saw that it was a bad idea.

"Then what should I do?"

"The only way is making him confess to you instead. If you reject it, you win but if you accept it, you lose."

"That's impossible. How can I make him do that! Within that short amount of time."

"That's your part. I told you not to bet for that matter and yet you did. Just make it possible then. And if you don't want to continue anymore, it's okay, I won't demand anything too unaffordable from you as the prize."

Mark's player pride was awaken again. He did not want to lose the bet. There should be no loss in his history.

"I'll prove that I can make it happen."

Now the question was how to make Jinyoung confess to him within just two weeks.

He didn't want to hurt the younger for certain but then again his player self was still nudging him.

Whether Mark confessed to Jinyoung or Jinyoung confessed to him, the result was that both of them would end up in a bad ending.

Mark wasn't ready for that end yet.

If Jinyoung confessed to him, it meant that he really loved Mark, and if Mark rejected his feelings, how broken would he be? Mark could not imagine.

But there wouldn't be a better ending unless Mark gave up the bet, which he still refused to.