Chapter Text
It’s not like Jinyoung never goes on dates and that’s why he’s still single.
He does, it’s kind of not that frequent but he does.
The problem is he never clicks with any of them. Let alone clicking, he never even likes any of them. All the people he went out with in his first year in college, he liked their vibe at first but soon realized, first impressions are not enough to go out with someone, more importantly someone from college.
None of them was ever his type. Some of them creeped him out or annoyed him to death with their nonsense and some bored him, Jinyoung still got through it but had to say no to the second dates.
Now he’s pretty content being single and he has his idiot friends with him as well.
Who needs to be in love anyway?
Well his best friend does. Because he is in love and is in a healthy relationship with his girlfriend of a year, Jaebeom now thinks it’s high time for Jinyoung to have a boyfriend or girlfriend as well.
Just so they can finally go on double dates.
Jinyoung really doesn’t think Jaebeom’s doing it for him because he really is happy alone. He doesn’t plan on staying single forever but he feels like when it’s the right time, the right person will somehow miraculously find him himself.
“Jinyoung pleaseeeee I swear he’s your type. Just go on this one blind date for me, please?” Jaebeom whines and stomps around Jinyoung in a circle like a child. He looks around them to find the hallway almost vacant and sighs of relief. Jaebeom once again is embarrassing them but at least there are only a few people to witness.
“Jaebeom, the last time you sent me on one, she already had a boyfriend!” Jinyoung bites back bitterly, narrowing his eyes at his stupid best friend’s antics. He’s not going to trust him.
“Just trust me one last time. Look, if he turns out to be a loser again, I swear I’ll never try to set you up with anyone ever again. And he’s not even from our college, so you’ll never have to see him ever again if things go wrong.” Jaebeom says with pleading eyes.
One thing about Jinyoung, he can’t outright say no to Jaebeom. He tries to stay strong but his resolve slowly breaks under his pleadings and whines, every time.
That’s how he ended up going on dates a lot of times in the past though he didn’t want to. This feels like just one of those times again.
“Jinyoung please, please Jinyoung, please please please.”
“God! Okay, fine!” Jinyoung groans in annoyance.
“YES! I swear you won’t regret it. This is going to be the best decision you ever made in your life!”
Jaebeom exclaims, slinging his arms over Jinyoung’s shoulder and pulls him down the hallway.
Jinyoung scoffs but thanks God silently for not having many students in the hallway at this time of the day.
Jinyoung won’t lie, he kind of feels nervous.
He hasn’t been on a date with anyone in a year.
Jaebeom chose a café far from the college after a few threats from Jinyoung because he can’t entertain someone for an entire meal if he ends up getting weirded out. He just doesn’t have that kind of patience anymore. So they chose a coffee shop, so that he doesn’t have to stay for long if he doesn’t want to.
He looks around the café and he hasn’t been here before but the place feels cozy because of the neutral interior and the soft murmurs of conversations floating through the air. The comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee manages to settle his nerves a little as he waits for his date at a table beside the window.
Jinyoung doesn’t have to wait long before a petite man with ash blonde hair approaches his table.
The guy is so pretty, Jinyoung almost believes that’s not his date until he speaks up.
“Jinyoung? Park Jinyoung?” The man asks.
Oh.
It is his date. Jinyoung got to ask Jaebeom how did he manage to set him up with a man eligible for modeling?
“Yes.”
“Hi, I’m Mark Tuan. Nice to meet you.” Mark extends his hand with a polite smile.
“Hi, nice to meet you too.” Jinyoung returns his greeting with a smile of his own.
He really prays Mark doesn’t turn out to be another weirdo.
Fortunately, he doesn’t.
“Did you wait for long? I’m sorry if I’m late.” He says with a soft voice as he settles on the chair across him.
“No, it’s alright. You’re right on time, I came early.”
Mark gives him another smile and nods. “Should we order something?” He asks and walks over to the counter to order their coffees and sandwiches after shushing Jinyoung when he offered to pay.
He’s also a gentleman.
Mark’s good on the eyes and a gentleman?
That’s two points in his favor and also Jaebeom’s. May be he won’t get beaten up by Jinyoung by the end of this night.
Soon Jinyoung realizes the guy is an introvert too and he definitely talks less than him.
It’s not really that bad, unlike his past dates.
Though he talks less, he still got a good personality. Jinyoung got excited when he started talking about his home in LA. He’s never been outside his country and Mark offers to take him if he wants someday with a smile.
Jinyoung smiles back, it doesn’t sound too bad.
Mark is also serious about his career like him, isn’t just fooling around in college. They’re also of the same age.
That’s another two points- Jinyoung likes people who have goals and know what they want.
As the evening wears on, they share some stories about their friends. It’s actually Yuqi, Jaebeom’s girlfriend, who’s friends with Mark’s friend and set them up. He doesn’t know her that well and Jinyoung again thanks God for not being too connected with him in case it all goes wrong and it becomes awkward to face each other.
Their conversation was not going as effortlessly as Jinyoung hoped for it to be. He needed to put more efforts than he’d like when the comfortable silence was turning into complete silence.
This is why everyone should choose coffee dates for their blind dates.
As both of their food and conversation came to an end and they realized it was more than enough for the night, they decide to leave the café.
Once they’re outside and the chilly autumn breeze brushes Jinyoung’s face, he looks beside him to see Mark shivering a little. He’s only wearing a striped shirt with another T-shirt inside.
Jinyoung offers him his jacket that he wasn’t wearing and Mark politely declines.
“I had a good time today Jinyoung.” Mark says, again with that polite smile. “Would you like to do this again sometime?”
The most important question of the night-
Would Jinyoung like to go on the second date?
Jinyoung gave it a thought or a lot of thoughts throughout the whole evening.
He too didn’t have a bad time. Mark is nice. There were no fireworks or heart-stopping moments but it was simply... nice.
Jinyoung could do nice for now. He isn’t planning to marry the man and he’s been on way too many bad dates. Instead of Jaebeom finding him another date which would probably suck, Mark seems like a good option.
So Jinyoung says yes.
Yes to another date with Mark Tuan.
Since then Jinyoung’s been on three dates with Mark. None of them was bad so they didn’t stop.
Probably both of them are thinking that this could turn out to be something good someday.
Few things Jinyoung realized after being on three dates with Mark Tuan— they don’t really have a lot of things in common except that both of them are introverts. Mark also isn’t big on intimacy.
They haven’t even held hands yet except that first handshake. But Jinyoung doesn’t mind. He doesn’t like to be touchy with someone as well if he doesn’t feel the connection on that level. And he hasn’t experienced that with Mark yet.
They text here and there and Jinyoung sometimes forget about him until he gets a text from him again.
It’s been two weeks since he met the man and after his class he receives an unexpected text from him.
“Mark’s asking me if I want to attend a party with him.” Jaebeom quirks an eyebrow at the information.
“Ooh this sounds fun.” He says, the smirk very well evident in his voice as Jinyoung stares at the text.
“I didn’t think he’d like to go to parties?” Jinyoung asks and gets another text as if he heard him. “He’s saying it’s his best friend’s dog’s birthday party? And that she’s both of their pet.” Jinyoung snorts.
“Oh my God Jinyoung he invited you to his kid’s birthday party, you have to go!” Jaebeom shrieks and Jinyoung rolls his eyes. “I didn’t know it was getting that serious between you two.” He teases again and Jinyoung slaps his arm.
“We are not serious, we’re just… testing the water.”
“Sure that’s clearly why he invited you to meet his close friends.”
And that gives Jinyoung something to think about.
Are they actually getting serious?
He doesn’t feel like it though. Sure they’ve been on few dates but it’s been super friendly till now, nothing romantic or heart-fluttering.
“You never know, this night could actually change everything for you.” Jaebeom speaks and Jinyoung snorts.
“Stop being dramatic Jaebeom.”
The birthday girl’s name is coco and apparently she’s everyone’s favorite here.
Well everyone except Jackson Wang.
The guy he almost collided with and almost got his shirt ruined with the beer he had in his hands as soon as he had stepped in the house with gifts.
“Holy hell aren’t you handsome!” The brunette man with his big brown eyes exclaimed as soon as their eyes met. He caught Jinyoung off-guard with the sudden compliment and Jinyoung could feel his face heating up.
A random handsome man calling him handsome?
And oh boy is he handsome. Even with the little ponytail, night stubble and an oversized black shirt paired with loose black trousers—he looks gorgeous. His eyes probably are lighting up the whole room.
Is Mark also friends with all the gorgeous men in the world?
Jinyoung already was feeling nervous and then that happened but the man quickly apologized and offered him the beer that didn’t slip off his hands fortunately. Jinyoung didn’t want to start drinking before meeting Mark and politely declined.
“Dude if you don’t accept my apology, how are we going to be friends?” Jinyoung’s eyes widened a little seeing how frank he was. “Wait I haven’t introduced myself yet I’m—”
“Jackson!” Someone loudly called him from the other corner of the room and the man, Jackson, snapped his head to the source of the sound, getting startled a little.
“Jeez you scared me Youngjae, why do you wanna kill me so soon? Are you not happy with your child killing my pet?” Jackson shouted back and Jinyoung watched the conversation with slightly widened eyes.
“Jackson Wang I swear to God! Just come over here.” Youngjae yelled and Jackson narrowed his eyes at him.
“Excuse me, I have to go deal with my friend there, I need to hit him.” Jinyoung chuckled in confusion as Jackson handed him the beer and walked away hurriedly with determination in his steps.
This is one of the most….peculiar men he’s ever encountered. A really really handsome peculiar man.
The smile stayed on his face as he watched him vanishing behind the door and that’s how Mark found him.
“I see you’ve already met Jackson.” Mark says as he approaches him with a snort.
“Yeah.” Jinyoung purses his lips into a thin line.
“And the guy he was yelling at- Youngjae, that’s the one hosting the party for coco, my best friend.”
“Why did he say his child killed his pet? That sounds awful.”
“Oh Jackson’s just being overdramatic as always. Coco once ate his plant, bob. Since then he never fails to drag Youngjae over this. I’m pretty sure he’ll annoy Youngjae over this and hundred more other things even after his death.” Jinyoung snorts.
“Attention everybody!” Jackson manages to capture everyone’s attention with his loud voice and Jinyoung turns to face him. “Today is our coco’s birthday and I’m here to share some stories about our princess—let’s start with how she’s not really a princess but a killer instead.” Everyone loudly sighs and Youngjae palms his forehead but Jackson doesn’t seem to mind anyone and starts telling his story about coco eating his child aka bob aka his plant again.
Jackson describes the whole thing very animatedly, throwing his hands in the air to emphasize his points and Jinyoung can’t stop the giggle coming out of his mouth.
He puts a hand on his mouth in embarrassment when Jackson looks at his way with a smile.
His heart does something funny but Jinyoung ignores it as Jackson breaks the gaze and continues roasting the hell out of Youngjae to the point where Youngjae has to push his hand on his mouth for him to stop talking.
Jinyoung can’t physically stop himself from laughing seeing the whole ordeal.
“That’s classic Jackson and Youngjae for you.” Mark comments from his side and he remembers he’s been standing with him the whole time. “They never let each other live.”
“I can tell.” Jinyoung looks back at those two men to see them still on each other’s faces but he can tell it’s all fun banter because both of them start laughing at one point.
Jackson is funny and cute with his accusations and dramatic reactions and it’s kind of hard to tear his gaze away, just a little.
“Hey who’s this?” Another man approaches them and Jinyoung silently thanks him for taking his attention away from that man.
“Bam, this is Jinyoung, my date. Jinyoung, this is Bambam, my friend.”
“Ouch Mark I thought I’m your best friend.” Bambam clutches on his chest, making a face at him. “Hi Jinyoung, I’m Mark’s best friend.” Bambam greets him immediately, extending a hand for him to shake.
Mark rolls his eyes and they banter for a while over who Mark’s best friend is and Jinyoung chuckles. Mark’s whole friend group is chaotic it seems and this is the first time he saw someone getting so much reactions out of him.
Jinyoung starts to feel a little left out until Youngjae approaches them with coco and Mark introduces them. He gets to pet him for a while but then someone calls them and all three of them excuse themselves and move to another group of people.
“You’ll be fine, right?” Mark asks apologetically and Jinyoung nods though he definitely won’t be fine, he doesn’t know anyone here. Mark didn’t bother to introduce him to everyone. Well then again, they aren’t really in a relationship so it isn’t that much of a big deal as well.
Jinyoung takes a deep breath as he looks around him. The apartment is filled with people he doesn’t know. This isn’t like those frat parties. There are still music and drinks and loud conversations but with proper lights where you can actually see people’s faces and no one’s crazily and drunkenly dancing around him so that’s still better.
But Jinyoung gets bored pretty soon. He isn’t really good at starting conversations with strangers, it’s very awkward and embarrassing for him. He looks at Mark from the other side of the room and Mark catches his gaze, giving him a smile before focusing on his friends again and Jinyoung sighs.
This isn’t why he was here for.
What is he doing here again?
Soon he takes the bottle of beer that guy handed him and finds himself on the balcony, away from the music and loud chatter of strangers.
Jinyoung leans against the railing, taking in the cool evening air and it immediately makes him feel better than before.
Being alone and away from people is definitely always the right choice.
As he takes a sip from his beer, a voice almost makes him choke on it.
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” He looks to his side to find Jackson leaning dangerously against the railing as he tries to grab Jinyoung’s attention.
“You were….looking for me?” Jinyoung genuinely feels surprised. Why would Jackson look for him?
“Yes!” Jackson exclaims.
“Why?” Jinyoung blurts out. He doesn’t want to sound rude but why in the hell would a social butterfly like Jackson look for him? He doesn’t even know him.
Yes, he might’ve stolen some glances at him jumping from one person to another in the party, animatedly talking and laughing with everyone.
In Jinyoung’s defense, it’s not easy to not notice a person like him in the room.
Jackson’s just too loud and too bright to ignore.
“What do you mean why? Our conversation was cut short, thanks to Youngjae.” Jackson makes a face while uttering Younjae’s name and Jinyoung chuckles.
“How’s he even friends with you? You totally ruined the speech there, roasting the hell out of him.” Jinyoung says with a teasing tone so that Jackson knows he isn’t serious.
Jackson gasps, again dramatically.
“Ask me how I’m friends with him!!” He almost screeches.
“Jeez what else did he do to you?” It’s annoying how Jackson had him chuckling within seconds since he appeared and now he can’t keep the smile off his face.
“What did he not do?!” Jackson shakes his head. “He’s literally a devil. Listen, this one time, he left me in the restaurant after eating everything on the menu and I had to pay for all of it. Can you believe this? Who would do that?”
The way Jackson described the whole thing with his exaggerated facial expressions and punctuations has Jinyoung almost falling over the railing, laughing. This story isn’t even that funny, it’s just the way Jackson said it and the mental image of Jackson getting angry is what made it so funny.
Apparently that happened years ago, along with that coco eating bob incident which he doesn’t forget to mention for the umpteenth time. Jinyoung also holds onto grudges, so he can’t really blame him.
“You know what? You should take revenge so that you can finally feel satisfied. Ditch him at something he loves doing. What else does he love except coco?” Jinyoung suggests jokingly.
“Umm he loves Pokemon go.”
“The game? Great. Tell him you guys should play together and ditch him when he’s about to catch a really good Pokemon.” Jackson gasps and Jinyoung giggles.
“Oh my God, he’ll never forgive me.”
“I mean as you wish. I’m just giving you ideas. I’m good at being petty. My friends never try to mess with me.”
Jackson unexpectedly bursts into a hyena-like laughter and Jinyoung joins in.
Jinyoung tells him some more petty stuffs he did which had Jackson in stitches and Jackson shares about some more times he got deceived by his friends and by the end of it, Jinyoung’s stomach actually starts aching from all the laughing.
Jackson’s laughter is infectious.
It slowly starts subsiding into short puff of breaths when Jackson looks at him with a soft smile. His eyes look so big and brown in the low light coming from inside the house.
“What?” Jinyoung mutters, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Was he laughing too weirdly? See, this is why he covers his face most of the time when he laughs. It looks weird. He looks weird.
“Did I mention you’re very handsome?” Jackson says with a gorgeous smirk on his face that has Jinyoung feeling weak in the knees.
He’s got to be joking.
“Stop pulling my leg.” Jinyoung narrows his eyes to mask the feeling bubbling inside his stomach.
“Oh you don’t think I’m serious? Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? You’re like one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen.” Jackson says it as if he can’t believe at Jinyoung’s audacity to think he’s joking.
Jinyoung flushes bright red seeing how serious he looks and immediately clears his throat, turning his face away.
“Well thank you and yes, you’ve mentioned this before, right when we almost collided at the entrance.” He stares at particularly nothing in front of him, trying to look nonchalant. “Did I mention you’re really funny?” Jinyoung speaks and turns to face him again before it gets too awkward for him.
“Tell me something I haven’t heard before.” Jackson snorts.
Jinyoung makes a ‘thinking hard’ face and Jackson waits patiently for him.
“You have a big heart which is filled with innocence, love and light that you want to spread everywhere around you.”
Jackson looks taken aback with Jinyoung’s comment as if he was not expecting to hear something like this and Jinyoung wants to tell him more.
Did no one ever tell him that he lights up a room when he walks in?
This balcony was darker before he came in.
“Wah.” Jackson nervously chuckles and looks away. “Not fair. We were not talking about deep stuffs. Now I feel like I need to compliment you with something deeper.” He again gets back to his silly self in a few seconds and Jinyoung chuckles.
“No you don’t. We are not competing here.”
“Everything is a competition and I need to win.” Jinyoung starts to shake his head and Jackson holds up a finger in front of his face to shush him.
“You’re a good company and a good listener who doesn’t just listen but also observes and pays attention which makes others feel valued.” Jackson says with a genuine expression on his face and something violently tugs at his heartstrings.
It must be the alcohol.
May be Jinyoung’s drunk a little and imagining the way Jackson’s currently looking at him with stars in his eyes.
May be it’s actually the stars in the sky that’s reflecting in his eyes.
“Are you always a smooth talker like this?” Jinyoung asks, only half teasingly.
“Yes?” Jackson laughs heartily. “Well I love to compliment people.”
“Oh and here I thought I was special.” Jinyoung smirks. He definitely is drunk, there’s just no other explanation for the shit he’s saying or feeling inside.
“If I actually start to talk, I don’t think you’ll be able to handle it.” Jackson laughs again seeing Jinyoung’s incredulous look, not mockingly, just amused.
Jinyoung is almost surprised that he can make someone laugh like this. He always thought he’s boring.
He becomes quiet because he’s started to feel shy. He’s not used to things like this. Jinyoung thinks he’s never had a conversation like this with anyone before. So Jackson speaks up again.
“So what are you doing here? I’ve never seen you in our get-togethers or parties before.”
Right. The party.
Mark.
He’s here as Mark’s date.
Shit.
“Wait, I don’t even know your name oh my God!” Jackson’s eyes go comically bigger when it hits him.
“I…I’m—”
“Jinyoung!”
Fuck.
It’s Mark.
“I’ve been looking for you.” Mark walks over to him with a sweet smile on his face.
“I umm... I was- I was feeling stuffy inside.” Jinyoung answers, stuttering a little. Mark nods and only then he notices Jackson. Jinyoung doesn’t know why he’s suddenly unable to meet his eyes.
Why is he feeling nervous?
What was he doing?
He didn’t do anything wrong.
But why does it feel like he got caught doing something wrong?
“Jackson is here too. So I assume I don’t need to introduce you two?” Jinyoung forces a smile. “Jack, this is Jinyoung, my date. Jinyoung, this is Jackson, my friend.”
He shouldn’t have looked at him.
He should’ve just kept his gaze fixed on Mark.
He should’ve done that from the very beginning.
But now he glanced at Jackson.
And Jackson’s smile is gone.
It’s gone and is replaced with a forced one.
He knows it’s fake because he’s seen the real one for the past one hour.
He feels terrible.
Fuck.