Chapter Text
The award show was loud enough to make the floor tremble. The bass echoed throughout Impact Arena with fans screaming louder with each performance, voices slowly becoming hoarse as lights flashed while the last group performed before the collaboration stages began.
Junior wasn’t paying attention to what was happening on stage, but rather his focus kept drifting back to Mark. After six years of loving someone in an industry where every glance could become evidence, Junior had learned a particular kind of discipline. He could find Mark in a room without looking directly at him, always catching him with the corner of his eyes just to make sure he wasn’t tired or uncomfortable, watching him from afar, Junior knew when Mark was smiling to be polite and when he was genuinely amused.
Tonight, however, there were too many people both behind the scenes and performing for either of them to be able to check in with one another, not even a reassuring nod. Juniors' group Sunrise were one of the first groups to perform at the award show, while Mark's group Midnight had gone on shortly after, leaving the two no time to overlap with one another. As Starlight finished up their stage, the 3 groups prepared for their collaboration stage with Junior, Mark, Jimmy, Sea, Force and Book.
Junior stood near Jimmy, laughing as they waited for their cue, as he noticed Jimmy had somehow managed to get his microphone cable twisted around his ankle.
“Don't move.” Junior Said.
“What?”
“Your cables caught.” Junior moved the cable before Jimmy could trip.
“Ah, thanks- just my luck that I almost fell over before the stage even starts.”
From the other side of the stage, Book caught the exchange and immediately began laughing. “Your mother is worried about you again!”
Junior joined in on the joke. “See? This is why I can’t leave my child unsupervised.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes and moved into formation as the others followed, the metronome counting them in as they began their performance.
They moved through the choreography they had rehearsed together, bodies falling into formations, racer suits all styled differently. Junior's voice could be heard clearly as they hype up the crowd, yelling into the mic with Force echoing him. Meanwhile, Mark moved several places away, every line of his body precise, making sure everyone stayed in formation, his dancing flawless.
Junior and Mark had over 10 years in the industry, performing together before on random stages where the groups worked together. They had slowly learnt how to be on stage together without seeking one another; years together had taught them distance, but 6 years of dating/3 years of marriage may have softened some of those defences.
During one of their formation changes, they had split into 2 groups of 3, crossing each other's path as they moved from one side of the stage to the other. Junior caught Mark's eye for a moment, both letting out a small smile that could be excused as 2 friends of over 10 years interacting on stage, yet for the two of them it was a way of savouring this moment where they could be on stage together again, not watching each other from backstage.
As they had just finished a dance break, Junior noticed Mark's microphone had slipped at some point during the intense movements. Though he could have ignored it, Mark was more than capable of fixing the issue; Junior moved purely on instinct. After having fixed the mic countless times throughout rehearsals, he thought he could quickly solve the problem for him before Mark even knew it existed.
The mic's head had moved a fraction away from where it needed to be, and Junior's hand came up, his movement smooth as he caught the microphone, adjusted it against Mark's cheek, and tilted it back into position.
Junior's fingers lingered for barely a second, mouthing a quiet “Better” to Mark, who was looking directly at him, his focus having turned to Junior as the stadium seemed to mute around him for the split second Junior was close to him.
A second passed before the choreography pulled them apart again, both slipping back into their professional personas and hyping the crowd without even realising the moment had looked intimate.
By the time they came offstage, the two had forgotten about the moment entirely, as it was a daily occurrence for the two; neither had really thought much of it, plus as soon as they got off stage they were being pulled apart again for outfit changes and makeup touch-ups before the next stage began.
Junior was back with his group mates, laughing as Perth threw an arm around his neck, dragging him toward the dressing rooms.
“For a main vocalist, your dancing ability always surprises me; I guess you have someone to thank for your improvements.”
“Can’t say the same for you; Santa has tried teaching you for years, yet you still struggle with basic hip-hop steps.”
“Hey, I attended the advanced classes now.”
“That just means you have passed the beginner course after 10 years… Congratulations, should I get you a cake as a celebration?”
“Phi, I think you’ve forgotten you’ve also only passed the beginner courses, so technically we're on the same level now.”
Junior shoved him away, laughing as he looked across the corridor to see Mark stood with Prem and Sea. Junior noticed his crossed arms as he absentmindedly rubbed his bicep, a telltale sign he was tired. Junior took one step forward before a camera operator passed by, and he got his bearings, redirecting his steps to grab a couple of water bottles left out for the artists before turning back to Mark, hands full, and offering him and his members all water to drink. Junior gave Mark his bottle last, letting their fingers linger, giving a reassuring nod before he disappeared back to his own group.
The next morning, Junior woke to his phone vibrating against his bedside table.
He reached for it without opening his eyes, notifications constantly popping up too quickly for Junior to read what they were saying. Frowning, Junior slowly sat up in bed, unlocking the screen before opening up Twitter, where he had been tagged thousands of times by different users. Under his breath, he muttered a small “What happened?”
Beside him, Mark was still half buried beneath the blankets, making a small sleepy groan as he rolled over, voice raspy as he asked: “Everything okay?”
“I keep getting tagged in posts, but they're moving too fast for me to read anything.”
Mark opened one eye. “Do you think one of your group mates did something stupid?”
“I mean possibly, I can’t think of anything I’ve done to warrant so many people talking about me.”
Junior clicked the trending tab, hoping there might be an answer somewhere, but noticed the trending news story at the top was exactly why he might have gone viral.
Junior Mark viral concert Moment sparks excitement among fans
Opening the story, the first thing he noticed was a tweet with the caption:
Junior fixing Mark's mic so naturally!! And the way Mark looks at him, there must be something between them, right???
Junior played the video, watching the clip before he went still. Mark, noticing him going quiet, slowly moved from where he was rolled against Junior's side to sit up next to him, resting his head on Junior's shoulder.
“What is Hmm?” Mark's voice was soft, trying to stay calm despite Junior's reaction worrying him.
Junior turned the phone toward him and played the clip again for Mark to watch.
A fan had uploaded an HD fancam of Mark, capturing the moment Junior helped fix his mic. The video had been slowed down, with dramatic music added on top; the song's lyrics appeared on screen, talking about destiny and being more than just friends.
The quote tweets had been multiplying as Junior scrolled through the latest page.
THE WAY MARK LOOKS AT HIM
Why did Junior do that so naturally??? 👀
They've been friends forever, but THIS feels different
JuniorMark nation rise
I'M TELLING YOU THERE'S SOMETHING THERE.
I don’t know if I’d rather have Mark look at me like that or to have Junior that close and caring for me!!!
Mark turned his head into Junior's neck, burrowing his embarrassment as he felt laughter leave Junior, who brought a hand to stroke the back of his neck.
“This is not funny.” Mark's voice was muffled, not moving away from where he buried himself as he lightly hit Junior's chest once, with no actual power behind it.
“I mean, putting everything aside, it is a little funny. I mean, look at how they talk about your eyes. Are you in love with me or something, Mark Jiruntanin?”
Mark lightly hit his chest again, lifting his face to look at Junior, a small pout forming there “I think you’re forgetting you’re the one who heads over heels for me.”
“Is that so?” Junior wiggled his brows at Mark
“You proposed to me, not the other way around.”
“You're the one who said yes and is currently arguing while in bed instead of getting up so we can eat, so we can think about what we're going to do about the tweets while on a full stomach.”
Mark scowled at him before letting out a sigh, tapping Junior's thighs once as he moved to get up. “We're going to have to be more careful.”
Junior followed his lead, slowly getting out of bed, body still tired despite being up for a while. “We are careful, I mean, in over 6 years this is the first time anything like this has happened, remember.”
“Why did you even fix my microphone onstage? I could have done it myself.”
“I noticed it was crooked, so I wanted to fix it for you. You don’t like anything being out of place; I didn’t think fans would assume I was flirting with you. You already know what it's like when I’m flirting; that wasn’t it, I was just trying to do something nice, I guess”
“I know, I’m not blaming you; the situation is just a little frustrating. Out of everything, a small mic fix triggers them to start shipping us.”
Junior's smile faded slightly. After six years, taking care of Mark had become so ingrained that sometimes he forgot there was supposed to be a difference between what he did privately and what he did publicly. Mark was the same, separating his personal and professional life, yet sometimes he couldn’t help but stare at Junior performing on stage or at how openly he interacted with others.
Both seemed to reach the same conclusion as Mark reached out to hold Juniors hand, swinging it as a comforting gesture “It's okay, I’m sure people will move on eventually, we just need to keep the same level of distance for now, if we change anything people will think we’re retracking because we have something to hide, maintaining what we currently do will make it so people don’t suspect more.”
Junior looked at him. “Alright…That does sound like the most logical thing to do, but it does annoy me a little.”
Mark smiled as Junior scrunched his face a little in irritation. He leaned over and placed a quick peck on Junior's cheek. “Come, you’re only annoyed because you haven’t eaten yet.”
Junior let Mark lead him out of their room; neither of them knew yet how much they would have to deal with in the next few days as both of them got called into separate meetings with their respective companies.
Junior assumed that he was being called in to discuss his career with Sunrise after they celebrated their 10th anniversary; his contract renewal was coming up. When he arrived at the office, his manager was already waiting in a spare meeting room; a tablet sat open in front of him, his face almost excited as he got ready to present a new business opportunity to Junior.
Sitting across from his manager, Junior spoke up first, “Has something good happened? The last I remember, we were still preparing Sunrise's new album, right?”
His manager smiled. “I didn’t call you here today as a member of Sunrise.”
Junior tilted his head at his manager, confused, waiting for him to continue.
“As you might have noticed recently, you've been trending.”
Junior blinked. “Still?”
“I don’t think your name has left the news tab.”
His manager slid the tablet across to Junior, showing trending statistics across all platforms, the clip's virality, and the potential audiences they could reach if they leaned into the opportunity.
Junior stared at it. “They’ve started finding old clips of us?” his voice expressing disbelief at the situation.
“We've been watching the response.”
“Mhm.”
“and there is considerable interest in you and Mark together.”
Junior's fingers began moving automatically, one thumb rubbing over the other, trying to keep his expression neutral. “Interest as in...”
“Shipping. Potentially promoting you and Mark together as a couple.” Junior stopped moving as his manager smiled wider. “We think we should capitalise on it. Though you two have been in the industry for 10 years now, this is an opportunity to gain new fans. Sunrise’s current fan base is strong, but we don’t often appeal to a new market.”
Across town, Mark was receiving almost the same conversation, his manager speaking quickly as Mark struggled to get a word in. Mark found himself watching the clip, staring at Junior, thinking of what he would be thinking in this situation.
His manager finally finished up his proposal, saying, “We think you two have potential.”
“So you just want us to interact more, to give people more reason to ship us?”
“Actually, we have been in talks with Junior's company and are thinking of arranging a collaboration.”
“Of what kind?”
His manager continued. “Possibly a reality program.”
Mark stared. “Reality program? Do you think we are suited for that?”
There was a pause as his manager grinned wider “We do if the programme we get you on is ‘We Got Married’.”
A new hit TV show that recently announced its fourth season after being rated the highest-viewed reality show in Thailand, winning awards last year in every category it was nominated in. The show pairs two different celebrities, who act as a married couple, from first reveals and dates to a proposal, wedding ceremony, honeymoon, and then married life. The couples stay together from 6 months to a year, depending on popularity; some stay the entire season, while others stay only half and are replaced by a newer couple.
Now that show will potentially star Junior and Mark as their latest addition.
That evening, their condo was unusually quiet. Jummo slept across Mark's legs, exhausted from his evening walk and completely indifferent to the crisis unfolding around him. Junior sat with the contract open on his lap while Mark rested against the armrest next to him. Both sat together on the sofa, but there was some distance between them.
After turning pages in silence for 5 minutes, Junior finally spoke up, struggling to find his words as he hadn’t quite got a grasp on the whole situation.
“So...”
Mark glanced at him.
“Instead of being distanced like planned, we have instead been cast for the most sought-out television programme currently airing?”
Mark nodded along, “That’s a pretty accurate summary of the situation.”
“We're getting married for television?” Junior had put down the papers, turning his head in confusion to face Mark, trying to show how unbelievable the situation was to him.
“I mean, we are also going on dates and a honeymoon. I wonder if they’ll let us pick the location; we still haven’t gone to Europe together yet.”
Junior looked at him, surprised that Mark was focusing on planning their honeymoon rather than what they'd have to deal with over the next year.
Junior grumbled to himself under his breath, “We're already married.”
Mark smiled. “I know that, and our bandmates know, but to our managers and the rest of the world, we're just 2 idols who happened to debut at the same time and slowly become friends over the years.”
Junior shifted closer to Mark, leaning his head on Mark's shoulder, shifting Jummo so his paws rested against Junior's thighs. Mark leaned his head down, resting it against Junior's as he tapped Junior's knee comfortingly.
“I think,” Junior murmured, “we might be the worst possible people for this.”
Mark let out a soft giggle. “You realise if we do the programme our schedules will be matched up every day. You’re going to get paid to spend time with me.”
“I guess not a lot of people can say they’re being paid to flirt with their husband on their company's dime.”
Junior lifted his head, leaning to place a quick kiss on Mark's lips before resting his head back on Mark's shoulder, hugging his arm, burying himself into Mark.
The cameras were already rolling when Junior arrived, giving him no time to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. He had been on reality shows before, mostly game-related ones with his members, yet this time he had a level of anxiousness he'd never felt before, to the point his manager had asked if his jewellery was uncomfortable from how much he was fidgeting with it.
They agreed with production that, out of the 3 first-meeting locations, they liked the idea of going to a park best. Junior hadn’t said a secret part of him liked the idea because it reminded him of his and Mark's first date, all those years ago when Mark had taken the initiative to ask if he wanted to go take photos together after Junior had been overthinking everything worried he was exhausting Mark by speaking to much yet Mark had told him he liked hearing him talk, especially about things he’s passionate about. Though back then the date hadn’t gone as he hoped, the sun blaring down on them the whole time, causing some of the photos to come out blurry, he and Mark agreed to meet up again for dinner instead next time, the start of a long-lasting relationship built around busy schedules and being there for one another despite not always being present physically.
Today it was earlier in the year, the temperature just perfect with a small breeze, much better than 6 years ago. Junior's stylist had said the dress code was casual chic, aiming for a boyfriend look. He was dressed in dark baggy trousers, a white shirt and loose grey flannel. The look matched his day-to-day wardrobe perfectly, as he chooses comfort first over extravagant, neat looks; he looked ordinary, perfect for a ‘first meeting.’
Despite how perfect he looked for the occasion, he still faced the issue that this first meeting was meant to be slightly staged, as they were seen as industry friends; for Junior, though, it was far beyond that. The man he was meeting was the same man who had woken him this morning after he ignored his alarm, wanting just 5 more minutes after a late night of work; the absurdity of it had followed him all the way here. Even as he was leaving this morning, with Mark giving him a hug from behind as he put on his shoes, muttering why they had to go separately if they’re going to the same place but Mark just responded saying it built the excitement, plus Junior wouldn’t die if he wasn’t driven for one day.
The producer gestured and approached him, pointing to one of the far-away benches next to the lake “You'll meet your partner there.”
Junior nodded, slowly making his way over as the producer explained the set-up and told Junior there was no script, that the two of them could just be themselves; their fans would notice if they acted too differently. He finished off his speech asking, “Are you nervous?”
Junior let out an easy laugh, “Not really. To be honest, I feel more excited than anything else. I’ve never done a show like this before; I think I’m actually starting to look forward to it.”
More than anything else, he was curious to see Mark's reactions to all of this because he knew Mark was a good actor, able to bounce off Junior perfectly when they had had to work together on magazine shoots or adverts in the past, yet he didn’t know what to expect from him today; it made his heart beat out of anticipation.
Mark could adapt to whatever situation is thrown at him, maintaining an effortless charm about him, but Junior knew what Mark was like when he was trying not to laugh. How his mouth had that tiny movement at the corner of his mouth, trying to suppress a smile, sometimes pressing his lips together as if physically trying to keep the laugh inside. Just thinking about what Mark could do already made Junior smile; he was only pulled out of his thoughts when the producer tapped his shoulder and told him he could sit on the bench and wait, that his partner would be arriving shortly.
Junior was sitting on the bench, fingers absentmindedly playing with the hem of his sleeve, when he heard Mark approaching; he turned around instinctively. His usual grin made its way onto his face as he angled his body to face Mark, who was still walking towards the bench but now looking back at Junior, eyes finding each other despite the distance. When Mark finally arrived, standing in front of Junior looking down, Junior could feel himself relaxing under his gaze, his eyes softening under Mark's stare until he finally remembered that this was meant to be a first meeting of sorts, that the two of them were meant to have no feelings for each other.
Even though Junior had reeled himself back to a more professional mode, the more Mark looked at him, the more he couldn’t escape the thought that had been in his head since the first time they truly met: just how beautiful the man in front of him was. Mark seemed to be struggling as much as he is, thinking back to when he first noticed how adorable this 181cm tall man could be.
Junior gave him the most professional smile he could manage, making his voice slip back to an easy but bright tone as he held out a hand, “Nice to meet you, I'm Junior.”
Mark stared at the hand, slowly raising his own as his eyes flickered with amusement. “Nice to meet you too, I'm Mark.”
Their palms touched, and Junior, against his discipline, decided to have fun, shaking their hands up and down slowly but speeding it up slightly, enough that Mark raised an eyebrow at him, hiding a laugh as he retaliated, using his own strength to squeeze Junior's hand once, telling him to stop.
Junior nearly lost it, a laugh escaping as he looked away, and the production team looked around at each other, confused, as the main PD spoke up from behind the cameras. “Is everything alright? Did something happen?”
Junior turned toward the main cameras behind them, where the PD sat watching through a monitor, and waved his hand dismissively. “It's nothing. Sorry for interrupting the recording; I just got lost in my thoughts for a second. If you’d like to record, I’m happy to redo it; sorry if I messed up the shot.”
Mark's shoulders were shaking the more Junior spoke, which only made things worse for him. Junior turned, noticing Mark's laughter as he raised his hand, pointing at him, voice accusatory, “You’re laughing at me! You caused this mess!”
Mark looked at him with perfect innocence, tilting his head to the side as he put on his best doe eyes, his voice playful as he spoke, “I don’t know what you mean.”
Junior narrowed his eyes at him, knowing whatever he said was a losing argument; he just let out a smile, giving in to Mark's antics. “Fine, fine, it's my fault, I laughed for no reason, it was all me.”
Mark grinned wider at him, scrunching his face once, happy with his win.
The crew watched it all unfold from behind cameras, seeing how easily the two talked; the PD looked toward his assistant, and they both thought the same thing: they'd found a goldmine when it came to chemistry.
Later they were brought to another shooting location just a short distance away from the park. The two were seated in front of a white screen with the show's logo displayed behind them, chairs set up next to each other for an official interview regarding their first meeting
A producer asked the first question. “How does it feel to meet your partner for the first time?”
Junior smiled. “It's been interesting.”
Mark glanced at him. “Me or the situation?”
Junior's eyes looked surprised before regaining his composure “Probably a bit of both.”
The producer spoke up, regaining their attention “Why?”
Junior's fingers began moving as he spoke, tapping lightly against his knee before gesturing toward Mark. “I mean, we’ve met over the years for random shoots, but we’ve never been on screen like this, one-on-one. It feels strange, but it’s not bad just different, I guess. I don’t really know how to describe it fully.”
Mark nodded. “I agree with him; it's different but not bad just strange.”
The Producer noted something down before looking down at his papers for the next question. “You said you have both met over the years for work; have you guys ever noticed anything about the other person that left a lasting impression?”
Mark thought about it. “We both debuted within months of each other, but whenever our schedules overlap, I always saw him greeting everyone on set, making the atmosphere brighter. I always thought while watching him that maybe I should do the same, that work is never done by one person and getting to know the team really does help make filming smoother.”
Junior turned to him, his face softening the more Mark spoke, a small smile there, different from what fans normally see; rather than the wide, energetic smile fans are used to, this one was simpler, as if he wasn’t even aware he was doing it.
“For me, I guess I learnt how to better balance myself in situations. I often saw Mark and thought he was quiet, but I learnt that rather than being quiet he's just listening and choosing the right words to say. I’m someone who will always give 100% of my energy to a situation, but sometimes you don’t need to be at 100% but rather, slowing down and taking in the situation as a whole can be its own form of rest, and I think Mark does that remarkably well.”
The producer looked between the two, “Mark do you agree with his description of you?”
Mark nodded “I agree with him completely.”
“And Junior, do you agree with Mark's observations?”
Junior's fingers stopped where they were tapping against his knee. “Mhm, I think that meeting everyone and getting to know the crew really does help with filming or photoshoots, plus it does make things easier when you get more work booked with them. I've never seen it as something praiseworthy but rather just a part of the business. I mean, I can also say for Mark I have been able to see him slowly socialise more over the years; one time I arrived at a shoot after him and he was already talking with the photographer unprompted.”
Mark waved off his comment, “It's not that big of a deal.”
“It might not be, but it's still praiseworthy.”
The producer leaned forward. “You two already seem very comfortable with each other.”
Junior laughed “I guess so; we’ve worked together quite a few times.”
“Yes, you’ve both mentioned working together a few times already. I guess we are all just surprised how close the two of you appear to be.”
The production team chose a small café in Bangkok for their first date, decorated with bouquets of flowers around the store to create a romantic atmosphere. As the crew expected a bit of awkwardness despite their earlier chemistry, they saw it as the difference between friends and dating.
Cameras were hidden throughout the café so it would be just the two of them; the crew stayed outside, giving them space in hopes of more natural interactions without other people around.
Junior arrived first, walking into the shop dressed nicer than their first meet, wearing proper dress pants this time, a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top two buttons open, his stylist saying he's gone from boyfriend to husband material.
He sat down at the window seat the crew set up for them, choosing the seat where the sun hit him when the clouds moved occasionally, knowing Mark had complained about the light before when they came here after a joint schedule. Junior looked around the café, noticing the changes the crew had made to set up the atmosphere, for some reason he felt his heart beat pick up despite the date technically not being real, after months of award show concert preparation the two hadn’t had time to go out together on a simple date like this in a long time, both often resorting to eating together in the comfort of they’re home, dressed in their pyjamas, while comforting Junior couldn’t lie he had missed these simple moments where they can spend time outside together.
When Mark arrived, he noticed Junior already sat down, the sun hitting his face, lighting up his features. Mark walked over to the table and sat in the chair opposite, smiling as he greeted Junior. “Morning.”
“Morning.”
“Were you waiting long?”
“Not really, I only arrived a couple of minutes ago; I got dropped just outside.”
“Maybe next time I should l let someone drop me off, I didn’t realise how little parking there was around here.”
Junior let out a quiet giggle, knowing Mark could have parked anywhere but probably drove until he found the perfect spot for his car. Deciding to shift the conversation, Junior picked up the menus and handed one to Mark, who took it wordlessly and read through the options.
Junior leaned forward, arms resting on the table as he looked at Mark. “Want anything in particular?”
Mark glanced up from the menu. “I’ll probably just get what I usually do.”
Junior nodded “Then do you want to get a cake as well, or are you still managing your sugar intake?”
The words left his mouth before he could think about what they revealed. Junior's smile dropping for a moment before assessing his words mentally, thinking that two friends could know about their diet, they’re idols it’s a common topic among them, he decided he could forget about it, just needing to be more careful, meanwhile Mark watched Junior's face go through multiple expressions before reaching a resolve, which he could guess would be that technically friends could ask those thing yet the media had never known them as close friends.
Junior cleared his throat. “I mean, these days your group is prepping for their promotions, right? Book mentioned you guys are all on diets again.”
Mark nodded. “Mhm, you’re right. I am managing my diet, but I can have some cake today just need no sugar in my drink then.”
“So a matcha tea for you today….” Junior murmured, mentally preparing the order, yet he hadn’t realised Mark had never said what drink he wanted; Junior just knew as Mark put down the menu content for Junior to order.
Outside, the production crew was losing their minds.
The producer called out: “Did he order for him?”
The crew chattered around him, all coming to the same conclusion, watching the recording feed live while the date unfolded smoothly within the café. As the date came to an end, the crew had all noticed a layer of unexpected chemistry between the two of them. The crew were used to actors on their show playing up flirty conversations or previous idols showing a layer of awkwardness, but Junior and Mark had something the crew had never seen before.
The two shared a comfort in their interactions that came out naturally. They noticed how Junior naturally adjusted his energy around Mark, his voice becoming softer when Mark spoke to him; how when Mark laughed at his jokes, Junior became brighter; or when Junior reached for a bite of cake, Mark would quietly move the napkins closer to him. During their conversation, when Junior became distracted halfway through a story, Mark nudged his knee beneath the table to bring him back. None of their moments looked staged; instead, they showed a natural chemistry that would be hard to manufacture elsewhere.
At the end of filming, the producer asked them to stand outside the café for a final shot. Junior stood in front of Mark, facing him, as the producer asked them to say goodbye to one another as if they were truly on a first date.
Junior's face was bright as he stared at Mark, “I guess we’ll see each other next time, nong?”
“Mhm, see you next time, Phi.”
The cameras kept rolling.
Junior was about to step away when he stared at Mark for a moment longer, seeing the same person he had been in this situation with over 6 years ago. Back then, he had been too nervous after his first date to ask for more, but now everything was different. Ignoring the cameras for the 100th time since they started filming, Junior decided to fulfil his old self's dream as he glanced at Mark's eyes, dropping shyly, “Can I hug you goodbye?”
Mark looked surprised for just a moment before he nodded at Junior, bringing up his arms. Junior smiled as he moved forward, wrapping his arms around Mark's shoulders in a tight hug as Mark's arms wrapped around Junior's waist. Junior held onto Mark for a moment, giving Mark a final squeeze, a tiny whisper in his ear for only Mark to hear: “You looked beautiful today.” Before he moved back out of the hug, he noticed the slight reddening of Mark's ears as he pursed his lips together.
Mark's gaze was focused on him again, the same look that fans saw in the award show clip that got them onto We Got Married and led them to being on this ‘first date.’ Neither of them knew it yet, but the producers would use that moment in the show's teaser comparing the clips together, putting up their names on screen while text appears below: “Work put them to the same stage; fate led them onto our show.”
Over the next month, the team decided to put Junior and Mark into more date-like situations, moving their dynamic from getting to know each other to day-to-day couple life. After the first episode aired, they were the third couple introduced, and though they had the shortest segment of all the couples, they unexpectedly grabbed the most attention, beating popular actors on the trending tab across all platforms. The team saw the positive feedback and decided to increase their screen time for the next episode, making their schedule more demanding than planned.
After a month of arranging random short dates to ‘build chemistry ’, the show arranged the first couple challenge for the two of them to shop and create jewellery for each other. The shop was small, with different charms layered on the walls and in small boxes around the store. Junior and Mark looked at all the options before heading deeper into the shop, both focused on their assignment to design something for the other.
The two were told to split up as they walked around the store, each with a cameraman following them, asking questions about their thought process.
“Are you planning on making a bracelet or necklace for Mark?”
Junior looked at the chains hanging on the wall. “Mark would probably prefer a necklace; he doesn't like bracelets as much. His wrists are on the smaller side, so they often shift around too much, rubbing against his skin.” He said the words absentmindedly as he picked up a small silver necklace with the infinity logo.
“Is there a particular reason you chose that necklace in particular?”
“The symbol represents forever, poetic, don’t you think? Plus it's on the simpler side, which Mark prefers.”
The cameraman just nodded along, following Junior to the charms section of the store, as he took his time looking over all their options, often picking up 1 charm just to put it down again.
Mark looked at bracelets, picking up a chain bracelet popular with those who enjoyed collecting charms, since it was made to easily add new charms, even from other stores.
“Any reason you chose that bracelet in particular?”
“Because Junior likes shopping, he can get other charms as souvenirs and add them on.”
“Then how many charms are you planning on adding today?”
“Probably 3 or 4. I don’t want it to look empty, but I also want to leave gaps for the future.”
Mark headed over the charms section of the store where he could see Junior already standing looking at all they’re options asking the store clerk a question and he couldn’t help but stare for a moment, everyday reminding himself why he married this man in the first place, that he put as much thought as he did into the challenge treating it as a genuine gift to each other first rather than playing up for the camera.
Junior moved from one tray to another, fingers hovering over charms without quite touching them. He talked continuously as he examined everything, his hands constantly redirecting his energy, as the clerk made recommendations based on his questions,
Mark approached while smiling, nudging Junior's shoulder with his own, catching his attention, “You’ve already been standing here for 10 minutes; it's meant to be my turn to choose.”
“Geez, has it really been that long?” Junior looked around the store, catching a glimpse of the clock on the wall. “Sorry, I think I might have gotten a little carried away.”
Mark raised his brows at Junior, “Just a little?”
Junior stroked the back of his head, face guilty, as he let out a soft laugh, while Mark just shook his head, turning to look at the charm options, moving to get a closer view of them.
As Mark calmly reached for a small silver charm Junior leaned closer to see what he picked.
“A sun?”
Mark shrugged before pushing Junior lightly on his shoulder. “You’re going to ruin the surprise if you keep watching me.”
“Aw, fine. I’ll leave you be; I’m looking forward to seeing what you pick out, Nong Mark.” Junior walked away giggling.
The cameras zoomed in on Mark who watched him with a wide smile on his face as Junior left.
Junior sat at one of the tables, adding the charms onto Mark's necklace. The charms lay out in front of him: A tiny moon, a small star and then the third charm that he picked up, a small silver music disc. As the jeweller watched him, she mentioned he could get an engraving on the back of the charm, maybe something like today's date to commemorate when it was made.
Junior looked up at Mark, sitting several feet away and concentrating on the bracelet he was making, then turned back to the jeweller and held up the small music disc. “Can I engrave this one?”
“Of course.”
Junior lowered his voice. “Then can you put J and M?”
The question caught his cameraman's attention, voice slightly teasing as he spoke. “You want to put a J and M?”
Junior nodded.
“As in for Junior and Mark?”
“What else would I put? Maybe a love heart?”
The jeweller laughed “I mean, if you wanted, we can also put a heart around your initials.”
Junior's smile lit up “You can?”
“I mean if that’s what you want.”
“Sure, if we're already doing the engraving, may as well go all out. Thanks in advance for your help; I will trust you with this task.” Junior was laughing by the end of his words.
The producer spoke through the earpiece to Junior's cameraman, sounding delighted. “This is perfect.”
At the cameraman's laughter, Junior looked toward him, eyes questioning what was funny.
“The producer is happy with your idea! He says the audience is going to love that.”
Junior shrugged, looking completely unbothered because to him, there was no symbolism; he just really wanted to make something that was private between them, an engraving Mark could wear for the time being while their actual engraved wedding rings had to stay boxed on a shelf at home.
At another table, Mark worked on Junior's bracelet. He added the charms, spacing them out to leave gaps in between. A small sun, a music note, a little cat and a black dog. The cameraman filmed as he worked, scrunching his face when one of the charms wouldn’t hook onto the chain like it was meant to.
When the jewellery was finished, they were asked to exchange them. Junior held up the necklace, resting the charms in his hand to show them off as he talked to the camera about his choices, saying each charm represented a part of Mark. Mark turned around for Junior to put the necklace on him, warm hands brushing the back of his neck as he fastened the clasp before taking a step back, creating space between the two of them again, trying not to fall into the comfort of Mark's presence again by accident.
“It looks beautiful” Junior smiled.
“You're talking about the necklace, right?”
“The necklace only looks pretty because of the person wearing it.” Junior's face grinned happily at Mark, who shook his head at Junior's antics again.
Mark brought his hands up, holding the necklace to get a closer look at the charms, flipping the music disc over and noticing the engraving.
Eyes widening, he looked at Junior “When did you find time to do this”
Junior beamed at him “You like it?”
Mark looked at him, and there was something in his expression that made Junior's smile soften. “Mhm, it looks good.”
Junior nodded once, happily turning back to face the cameras.
The producer finally spoke up now that there was a gap in their conversation. “Why did you choose to put your initials?”
Junior glanced toward the camera, then at Mark. “Because they're ours.”
Mark's eyes turned to him, giving him a warning, as Junior picked up on what he was trying to say. “We came here together; the best way to remember the day would be to engrave something that represents the two of us, right? In the future, if Mark ever looks back on the gift, he will remember we went together to get it.”
The producer just agreed with what Junior said, thinking the more he talked, the more content they got for the show; both of them are unintentionally romantic without even trying. He shifted the attention to Mark asking him to display his bracelet he made for Junior.
Mark fastened the bracelet around his wrist, the charms cold against Junior's skin. Once his eyes looked over the small dog pendant, he looked towards Mark, laughter in his voice.
“Is this meant to represent Jummo or me?”
“I’m not telling,” Mark answered in a teasing voice
Junior lifted his wrist, pointing at the small cat charm “Then I guess this cat doesn’t represent anyone special either?” He lifted his chin at Mark a few times as if challenging him.
Mark shrugged, looking away from Junior, speaking one word at a time “I’m. Not. Telling.”
Junior poked him continuously in the arm, his voice playful. “Hmm, won’t you tell me, huh. Do they really have no special meaning?”
Mark scowled at him, trying to appear annoyed but broke into laughter as soon as he looked at Junior's pleading face. Junior, seeing him laugh, smiled as he grabbed onto Mark's arm, resting his head on his shoulder, still pleading, “I even got an engraving for you. Did you not think of me at all?”
Mark laughed, bringing his hand up to lift Junior's face off his shoulder. “That’s enough.”
Junior loosened his grip on Mark's arm, seeing the tips of his ears red. He grinned to himself “Alright, I guess I just really love cats then.”
Mark poked him once in his side as a warning as Junior moved the conversation elsewhere, turning back to the producer to ask if there was anything else they wanted to ask them.
The producer shook his head after watching the two interact unprompted for the last 5 minutes. He didn’t have to work hard to get this pair to look like a couple; it seemed they already shipped themselves. He checked that the camera caught every small giggle from Mark and how Junior's hands had naturally drifted to the bracelet on his wrist, fiddling with the charms, hands naturally hovering near the cat charm in particular.
The jewellery date was planned to end there, but the producer saw they'd managed to get the two on a day with clearer schedules, and with the request for more screen time between them, he thought of one final activity for the two of them. Their energy was perfect: both felt comfortable, played in front of the camera, and their voices naturally softened; the PD knew the fans would want to see more.
“As a final activity, we would like you each to choose one more charm for each other. On your gifts, there was a lot of symbolism in the charms you chose so how about you both choose one charm that represents what you want to tell the other person?”
Mark nodded already turning to head back into the store with Junior behind him. After looking around the store both had decided on a charm each, moving to stand back outside the store in front of the cameras.
The producer asked them to reveal them, starting with Junior.
Junior held up a small silver key. “I chose this because...” He looked at Mark. “Because I’ve been able to unlock many sides to myself that I didn’t know existed thanks to Mark, and I want to be able to open up all the opportunities I can for him in the future. No matter how many closed door we encounter lets open them together.”
Silence fell; the sincerity of the answer was unexpected. None of it sounded fake; the sincerity felt so genuine that even the PD second-guessed whether they could use the footage, afraid they'd somehow created a real couple in just over a month.
Mark looked at him, eyes gentle, they looked as if they were glistening, touched by Juniors words. As a response he held up his own charm, a small round clock.
“I chose this for Junior, as even though we can’t control time, we can choose what we do with it. Over the years we have both grown from when we first debuted till where we are now, and even though you have never thought much about the future, I hope we will be able to know each other for a long time, that both our clocks continue clicking in sync with one another. I hope time will always be on our side.”
The production crew stayed completely silent until soft murmurs could be heard: “Oh my God.”
Junior let out a soft breath, “Mhm, lets open up doors and stay together for a long time.”
A week later, the footage was edited and released in the 4th episode of We Got Married. The pair's scenes went viral; the team left their sections until the end of the episode, but they took up the most screen time of the 3 couples that week.
When the episode aired, the response was immediate.
Clips flooded social media.
Junior literally engraved their initials because they belong to them; they already see each other as one unit!!
Mark getting shy when Junior asked if the dog was him or Jummo. Also, Junior knowing about Mark's representative animal being a cat, he secretly as online as the rest of us, I swear.
“LET'S OPEN DOORS AND STAY TOGETHER FOR A LONG TIME” Is everyone hearing this correctly? This is basically a love confession, right?
Just skip the dates at this point; they’re already married in my eyes.
Junior watched the reactions from their sofa that night, reading through comments from clips posted on the official YouTube channel to advertise the show. Mark leaned against resting a head on Juniors shoulder looking at his phone while Jummo was on the far end on the sofa snoring away.
“Looking back, the initials may have been too revealing.”
Mark glanced at it. “I liked the initials, at least I can wear something that represents us without having to worry about fans speculating.” Junior smiled. “But did you really not think about how it would look?”
Junior breathed in deeply. “To be honest, I was so focused on making jewellery for you, I just thought it would be nice to do something special.”
Mark's expression softened as he lifted his head, giving Junior a quick sniff kiss on his cheek, smiling as he spoke: “You're terrible at pretending.”
Junior laughed. “You're not much better than me. I’ve seen at least 10 different edits of people compiling you making heart eyes at me.”
Mark nudged his knee. “Saying that while fans have made compilations of how your voice sounds different with me.”
Junior nudged him back. “Fine you win, I’m not good at pretending when I’m around you.”
Junior put down his phone and reached for Mark's hand, intertwining their fingers naturally, as they had done so many times before; both knew the longer they filmed, the worse both of them were going to become at hiding, but at least it matched the pace of the show's outline.
The next filming day was longer; they arranged for Junior to visit Mark during his scheduled activities to see him while he worked. They organised a day for Junior to visit the studio while Midnight rehearsed for the next comeback.
The camera followed Junior as he approached the practice room they had agreed to meet in, with different camera angles already set up. Mark had already started practising, as the producer wanted the filming to feel natural, telling Mark to get started and that Junior would arrive at a random time during the day. Junior opened the door and moved to the side as the camera filmed him watching Mark practise, not wanting to interrupt.
The longer he watched, the more he thought about how he and Mark normally practised together, helping each other with different dance moves and managing their breathing for when they had a line to sing. Junior loved watching Mark dance; he was in his element, the world quiet around him, his focus solely on working through the moves with precision.
The cameraman filmed Junior as he watched Mark, his eyes focused as if he were running the moves through his head.
“Junior?”
He looked towards the camera. “Yes?”
“What are you thinking?”
Junior looked back at Mark. “That Mark really does deserve the title of Main dancer.”
Mark glanced toward them through the mirror, now noticing Junior's presence in the room. He gave a small smile when their eyes met before getting back to practice.
The cameraman noticed the silent exchange and decided to up the antics a little bit. “Do you find him attractive?”
Junior choked on air, coughing in surprise, eyes wide as he looked at the camera not expecting such a question. The dramatics caught Mark's attention, and he paused to walk over to Junior, handing him a water bottle, who quickly drank a sip.
Mark watched Junior turning his attention to the cameraman “What happened?”
Before Junior could brush it of the cameraman spoke up, “I was asking if Junior found you attractive when you dance.”
Mark hummed, nodding his head before looking at Junior. “Then can he still answer? I want to hear it.”
Junior looked at him, knowing at this point he should probably make a joke to lighten the atmosphere, yet because Mark had challenged him, he wanted to retaliate.
“Mark doesn’t need to dance to be attractive.” Junior maintained eye contact with Mark as he said it, noticing when Mark's smile widened to show his front teeth.
The cameraman teased, “Are you saying that Mark is attractive by just standing here?”
Junior looked away from Mark, facing the camera again. “I haven’t said anything; that’s all your own interpretation.”
The two were set up for a challenge to learn a new song and routine together for their wedding episode in a couple of weeks. Much of the footage showed them working through the formations together, with the choreographer blocking their placements and saying he would leave room for them to improvise whatever felt most comfortable. They worked through the song for 5 hours, taking breaks where necessary before they both got back up to practice, both as determined as each other to learn everything, pushing through even when tired, both motivating each other naturally.
Hours into the practice during one of their breaks, Mark sat on the floor with his back against the mirror, breathing deep and his head rested between his knees looking exhausted. Junior made his way over, crouching beside Mark, bringing a hand to rest on the back of his neck, stroking the shorter hairs there.
“Can you handle more, or do you want to wrap up for today?”
Mark shook his head, still looking down. “I’m alright, just a little tired. Give me 5 minutes.”
Junior didn't ask again, instead choosing to sit down beside him silently stroking the back of his neck as Mark breathed in deeply. Mark slowly leaned slightly towards Junior, bringing their shoulders together, closing his eyes, taking in the comfort.
The cameras kept rolling, their quiet voices barely audible, since they had decided not to wear mics today because they'd be moving around in practice. The moment became one of the fan favourites of the current season. The virality wasn’t driven by the usual shipping moments that fans loved when they flirted, but rather this moment showed how comfortable the two were in each other's presence, a quiet kind of care that many wished they could experience themselves one day.
Anyone else think that Junior's entire energy changes around Mark?
Junior is usually so loud with everyone else, but when Mark gets tired, he goes quiet immediately.
I’m trying so hard not to be delusional, but that doesn’t even look like fan service; it looks like two people who know each other completely.
Their quiet moments slowly became the most popular ones. Edits would zoom in on a hand resting on the other's shoulder, or on them helping adjust their clothing when it got caught.
One evening, after a particularly long filming day, they were sitting in the back of the production van; the cameras had finally been switched off, and they could both rest for the first time that day. Mark rested his head against the window as Junior sat in the seat next to him, looking out the window. Junior turned to look at Mark, his voice quiet as he spoke, “Tired?”
Mark hummed, taking in a deep breath, closing his eyes. Junior moved closer, sliding a hand behind Mark's shoulders, bringing him into his arms. Mark relaxed into him, curling his body towards Junior, dropping his head down on his shoulder. Both stayed like that, not needing to speak but rather just recharge in each other's presence, needing a safe place they could turn off for a moment.
Neither of them thought about it until Junior glanced toward the dark camera mounted above the door, his hand slowing where he was absentmindedly tapping Mark's back. His voice was a whisper as he talked directly to Mark's ear, “There's a camera above the door.” Though being quiet, Mark could hear the quiet frustration behind it.
Mark opened his eyes to look at the camera Junior pointed out, then turned and tucked himself back into Junior's arms. “Don’t worry, I already turned it off earlier.”
Junior lifted his arms back to Mark's back. “You sure?”
Mark nodded. “Mhm, I saw it when getting in earlier and got annoyed, so I turned it off.”
Junior's hand resumed its slow movement over his back as Mark closed his eyes again, and for a few minutes, they were simply themselves.
Junior lowered his voice. “I miss you.”
Mark smiled faintly. “I’m still here.”
Junior looked out the window. “I mean this version of you, the one where I can love you openly, not panic in front of a camera every 5 minutes.”
Mark opened his eyes, leaning back out of the hug but reaching across for Junior's hand. “If it's making you that stressed, then let's just ignore the cameras. You can do whatever you want. If I ever feel uncomfortable, I’ll tell you, and you do the same with me.”
Junior squeezed Mark's hand. “Are you seriously saying to just go for it and just stop holding back? Do you know how much attention that will cause?”
Mark smiled, “I don’t care about attention. Most of our fans seem on board about us being together on the show. Let's just be comfortable together; everyone will have their own opinion anyway. I don’t want to care about them; I care about you.”
Junior lifted Mark's hand, dropping a kiss to the back of it. “Mhm, alright. I can’t wait to get married to you again, maybe this time I won’t mess up the proposal.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” Mark let out an easy laugh.
As the proposal episode approached, the team planned activities and interactions for Junior Mark before the actual ring-exchange episode.
The team arranged a meeting of the two groups as a replacement for meeting each other's families, as they planned to all eat dinner together. Junior was asked to enter last, as both groups had taken seats on opposite sides of the table. Phuwin, Perth, Gemini, William and Boun were sitting together on one side of the room. While across from them were Forth, Mix, Sea, Book and Prem.
As Junior entered, his eyes automatically found Mark, who had a spare chair next to him. As Junior moved his eyes around the room, he realised Perth had taken the chair next to his; mentally, he already regretted allowing his group mates on the show.
Junior took his allocated seat next to Mark, eyes shifting around the room, taking in the situation. The only members from Mark's group he knew were Book, after they hosted music shows together at the start of their careers and stayed as close industry friends, often interacting online and meeting up with each other publicly, but for everyone else he had only worked with them in passing, similar to an acquaintance rather than close friends.
Perth observed Juniors demure, letting out a laugh as he spoke. “What's got you so scared, worried about making a good impression on the in-laws”
“I can manage the in-laws; I’m more worried about you and the rest of the group embarrassing me.”
Book leaned back in his chair. “You think you can manage us, huh?” He slammed a fist down on the table. “Just so you know, Mark is a precious member of our family. What can you do to prove you are worthy of his hand in marriage, huh?”
Junior looked at him in disbelief “You're taking your role quite seriously…”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
‘Because I already dealt with this over 3 years ago when I asked for advice on how to propose to Mark,’ Junior complained mentally in his head; outwardly, he opted to narrow his eyes at Book, who just laughed at him openly.
After seeing the groups start talking, the crew thought it was the perfect time to ask the questions they had prepared about Junior and Mark. The first question was directed at Sunrise. “What is Junior like when he really cares about someone?”
Junior immediately sat up, already preparing for the worst, but to his luck, the younger members answered first.
Gemini looked between him and Mark as he spoke, “I would say he becomes very attentive, like phoning his partner to ask if their day was okay or sending them food via deliveries when they know their partner is tired.”
William nodded. “He almost has this soft voice that we’ve never heard before, like it’s a quiet, content tone he will only use with his partner.”
Boun added, “Plus he really likes to do small things for them, even if it's simple; he will just want to do it for his partner because he can.”
Junior sat still listening to what everyone had to say, glancing over to Mark every so often to see him agreeing along with what his members were saying. Despite feeling a little awkward, he began to relax until Perth decided to speak up, grinning before the words even came out of his mouth.
“And he gets annoying.”
Junior turned. “Huh?!?”
Perth laughed out his words. “He starts trying to act cute and all, almost puppy-like.”
“Are you comparing me to a dog?”
“I mean, dogs normally get happy when receiving attention from their owners”, Perth shrugged
Junior grinned, “Then I guess we were born from the same litter.”
The crew, seeing that their ‘family dinners’ plans were quickly becoming chaotic, tried to regain control over the conversation. “I guess we have heard enough from Sunrise about Junior's habits. Midnight, are there any habits or traits Mark has when he cares about someone?”
Prem answered first from where he was sitting next to Mark. “Mark the type that cares quietly for others. He doesn't always need to do loud gestures; rather, he likes doing small things, even if they aren’t noticeable.”
Mark just nodded along, but from one glance Junior could tell he was starting to feel shy; the realisation made Junior smile. Junior thought back to the small moments: how Mark had prepared a thermos of lemon tea when he knew Junior had a performance coming up, or silently steamed Junior's shirt for him when he knew he had to wear it the next day, never expecting to be thanked but rather he just wanted to do something to express his heart quietly.
Sea perked up after Prem “He also never fails to reassure and praise them. I remember he even helped me once when I was feeling down. If he loves you, he will trust you and remain sincerely honest with you.”
Junior's fingers started to play with the rings on his hands as Sea spoke, suddenly shy, remembering how he had been on the receiving end of those sincere praises, how cared for he had always felt just by talking with Mark. He took the courage to look at Mark, who had turned to face him at the same time, both wearing similar shy smiles on their faces.
The moment only lasted long enough that the cameras just about picked up on it before Book broke the silence. “I mean Junior must already know all of this, right?” Junior turned, giving Book a warning with his eyes, but Book just continued. “I mean, they're married. Oops, I mean they’re about to get married.”
Junior wanted to get up and hit the back of his head, yet he had to stay seated. He brought a hand up, running it through his hair as his face expressed pure shock at Book's words.
Book laughed at his reaction, deciding to move on from the conversation before Junior physically got up to attack him. “Maybe I should appear next season; I want a husband as well.”
Seeing an opening for retaliation, Junior started bickering with Book. “Hey, they might not be that far; maybe your future husband also performed on the Boom Boom stage like Mark and me.” Junior wiggled his brows at Book as if challenging him.
Book smiled back innocently. “Who knows… That stage might have more than one couple the show can invite on.”
The crew had to quickly get the conversation back on track again as the groups started shipping each other with other bands and people, all giving their own opinions on who would make a good couple. The crew were slightly taken aback by how openly they talked about it, like it was a common occurrence, not knowing how much they'd need to cut to keep the show within its normal run time.
Once they got the room's attention again, they moved on to the next prepared topic, which was going around the table asking each person to give the couple relationship advice ahead of their wedding.”
As they got halfway around the table, Junior spoke up, “Why are you all wishing Mark luck and telling me to manage myself? Shouldn’t you be giving the same advice to both of us?”
“Because Mark has more self-control than you.” Perth pointed out
Mark laughed as Junior turned to them, confusion on his face “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Mark? He's worse than me.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it Phi.”
“I’m being serious, Mark is worse than I am.”
All of the members of Sunrise gave Junior a look that told him they didn’t believe a word he said, yet some of the members of Midnight just nodded as if Junior's description was accurate, but at Mark's stare, none of them spoke up, laughing as Junior dug himself into a deeper hole.
Mark reached over and nudged Junior's shoulder. “Stop arguing.”
Junior's mouth twitched. “Fine.”
The production staff exchanged glances, thinking that maybe the dog and cat comparison that keeps coming up isn’t entirely inaccurate.
Later, during the interview portion, the producers separated them.
“So,” the interviewer said as Junior sat alone in front of the large white screen again, “what did you think of Mark's friends?”
“You mean my future in laws?” Junior Joked. “I think that they’re fun to get along with. Maybe I can get some more stories about Mark from them. I couldn’t stop laughing thanks to them today.”
The interviewer laughed at the light-hearted joke. “Then was there anything that surprised you?”
Junior thought for a moment, tilting his head as he pursed his lips before shaking his head. “Not really.”
“Nothing at all?”
“Besides telling some fun stories, everything they said about Mark was true, though it was fun hearing others' opinions about Mark, especially from people close to him.”
The interviewer watched him carefully. “You seem to know Mark quite well?”
Junior grinned wide. “We are set to get married; of course, I should know my partner.”
The same question was later asked of Mark when his turn to be interviewed arrived.
“Are you surprised by how well Junior's friends know him?”
Mark shook his head. “Junior is close with his friends of course they would all know him well”
“Then anything that surprised you?”
“I guess that Junior must not say too much about my more playful side his friends seemed surprised to hear some of my members stories.”
The interviewer smiled. “Do you think there would be a reason for that?”
Mark looked toward the camera. “I always thought good things must be kept to yourself, he must think the same.”
“You see yourself as a good thing.”
“I think it would be better to ask Junior that.” It was a simple answer but when the episode aired, fans clipped it immediately.
He told the crew to ask Junior; that’s hilarious.
So did we ever get an answer from Junior? I want to hear what he has to say; Mark is so cheeky.
Both of them are down bad at this point.
The following week, the crew had arranged to film the proposal episode. All the moments from the previous almost 2 months had been building towards this, currently the proposal was set to air in episode 6 and would be the entirety of their screen time for the episode, though they were the first couple to have their proposal filmed, as the producer saw they’re chemistry as ready to move out of the dating phase and hopefully shifter them into married life sooner.
Episode 5 was due to air the same weekend the proposal was planned; the episode covered the meeting of each other's groups, small interviews where the two spoke about what they expected married life to be like, and their ideal vision for the wedding.
Junior was given instructions privately; the crew wanted to leave everything as a surprise for Mark to get a more natural reaction, so they told Junior to prepare a speech, and they would handle setting up the location and preparing the ring.
Days later, Junior is in the changing room, dressed in a black suit, adjusting his red tie in the mirror as nerves build within him. He tries to calm himself; he'd done this before, yet when he thinks about Mark sitting outside, waiting for him to put a ring on his finger again, he can’t help but feel those emotions from 3 years ago coming back.
Back then there were no cameras around to capture the moment; both their groups had finished packed schedules with Junior travelling around Europe on tour and Mark touring in Asia. When they finally got back to Thailand, they agreed to travel somewhere easy together, tired from the tours, in different time zones, and unable to contact each other regularly. They both went up to Chiang Rai, Mark's hometown, where they could finally rest. On the first day, they left the rented house only to go grocery shopping, and spent the rest of the afternoon inside, catching up on much-needed sleep and quiet conversations but by the third day Junior had told Mark he had found something to do if Mark would like to join him.
Junior's hands were sweating the entire day; he had taken Mark to a local seafood restaurant before heading to a nearby park. He had gotten help stringing up lights and hanging up the photos from their first date, leading Mark to stand under the tree, hands shaking as he spoke, his words becoming more of a mess as he couldn’t hold back his tears, especially when he looked up and saw Mark's tearing eyes staring back.
He spoke through tear-stained eyes while trying to wipe away Mark's tears “You can’t cry yet. I had a whole speech prepared. If you cry, I won’t be able to stop.”
Mark breathed in deep, giving Junior an encouraging nod “Alright I won’t cry, you can finish your script.” He laughed out the final words.
Junior fell down intending to kneel but ended up on both knees instead of one as he looked up at Mark finishing his speech, grabbing Mark's hand, “Thank you for entering my life at the right time. Will you do me the honour of staying with me for the rest of it? Will you marry me, Mark?”
Junior remembers the moment. How he wished he had kept his composure more, that he could have at least done the actual proposal part correctly, yet Mark had always told him it was perfect; he didn’t need the script but rather Junior's sincerity.
Now he was being asked to do it all again, but this time he hadn’t prepared anything. Even after the crew asked him to prepare a proposal script, he couldn’t think of how to put all his feelings into words; he had written different versions, but none of it felt right compared to the first time.
Junior sat down, letting out a sigh.
His manager looked at him. “You doing okay?”
Junior let out a small breath “I’m alright, just a little nervous.”
Mark, dressed in a full red suit, V-neck exposing his chest, sat down at the table the crew had set up for them. He looked around the rooftop garden the crew had booked, thinking how it reminded him a little of the park. Picturing Junior's tearful face, he laughed to himself. The crew called for his attention, letting him know Junior would be approaching in just a minute. Mark turned toward the entrance as Junior walked out the door and toward him, and his expression changed immediately.
In this moment, he didn’t see the idol everyone knew him to be, nor did he look like the husband Mark had known him to become; rather, he looked at Junior as the man he loved.
When Junior stopped in front of him, he just raised a brow, voice dropping to a softer register, “Do you realise what face you're making right now?”
Mark smiled up at him, “Do you know how nervous you look?”
Juniors' teasing dropped, “Is it that obvious?”
Mark lightly shook his head, “Only to me, I think around others you might have gotten away with it.”
Junior took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves that had been building since he saw Mark sit there, his makeup softening his features, looking angelic just by sitting and doing nothing.
Junior knew cameras were hidden around them, and that he was here for one reason, yet he tried to ignore them, focusing on Mark and trying not to think about being on a show. He just wanted to express everything properly this time, to hold back his tears so Mark could hear his words.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out the ring the crew had prepared, a prop for a fictional marriage, yet Junior smiled when he saw it for the first time. A plain gold band he knew Mark wouldn’t wear elsewhere; their own wedding rings were silver, a colour they could blend with their other jewellery, making it easier to hide and wear more often.
He took a deep breath, kneeling down, correctly this time, next to Mark, reaching out to hold his hand as he spoke.
“More than anything right now, I want to say thank you. When we picked out the charms, you spoke about us finding each other and maybe losing out on time, but right now I want to say you came at the right time.”
Mark's breath got caught for a second as Junior stroked the back of his hand with his thumb, trying to comfort Mark as he continued speaking.
“If you had come at any different time, I wouldn’t have been able to understand what it meant to strive for something as good as you, to take care of someone as precious as you.”
Junior took in a breath, staring into Mark's eyes, which were glistening with unblinked tears.
“Thank you for making every ordinary day feel special. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for staying with me despite how different we are. I know I may not always be the most perfect partner, but I will make it my life goal to ensure you never get hurt because of me.”
Mark's tears begin falling as Junior's voice becomes shakier; he lets out a small breath.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry today.”
Mark laughed, moving a hand to wipe his tears. “Finish your speech; otherwise, we will never get engaged.”
Junior let out a laugh as he shook his head, trying to manage his tears, swallowing once. “Thank you for being born so I could love you. Let's get married, Mark.”
The crew behind the cameras stayed perfectly silent, yet some felt their own tears watering with Junior's words, unable to get rid of the feeling that all of this felt slightly too real for the hundredth time.
Mark held out his hand as Junior slipped the ring onto his finger, almost missing it completely as his vision was still blurry from tears. When Mark stood, he pulled Junior up with him, both standing looking at each other at eye level. Junior was the first to bring up his hands, moving forward to wrap his arms around Mark's shoulders, who in response brought up his own arm, embracing Junior around his waist.
When Junior wrapped his arms around Mark, his face disappearing against Mark's shoulder, closing his eyes as his breathing slowed, forgetting about the cameras, as he just needed to find peace within Mark's presence
“Congratulations,” someone from the crew called.
Junior laughed softly pulling back far enough to face Mark but not yet letting go of his shoulders.
Mark whispered low enough for only the two of them to hear. “Is that the script you wanted to say, or did you forget and improvise again?”
Junior's ears turned red. “It's not the same; I updated it this time.”
“You changed at most 2 sentences total.”
“I tried to write something different, but nothing felt right compared to what I wrote 3 years ago.”
Mark smiled. “You're still terrible at pretending.”
Junior's hand moved to cover his face. “You were the one who told me I didn’t have to pretend anymore.”
Mark laughed, moving backwards, bringing his arms back to his side as he turned towards the crew, speaking up, “Is there anything else to film?”
The crew told them they would just require some additional close-up shots and for them to record a voice-over for the end of the episode,
Mark nodded, moving to sit back down as Junior settled opposite him, their make-up artists running over for some touch-ups after they both cried.
The proposal episode aired a week later.
Fans clipped Junior's speech, zooming in on his expression as he spoke, noting when his voice grew softer, more fragile as emotions bottled up inside him. Footage of their hands as Junior rubbed the back of Mark's hand with his thumb; Mark sent reassuring squeezes every time Junior's breath got caught in his throat. They noticed how Mark's hand stayed on his back after the proposal, how his attention stayed focused on Junior the entire time, and his small reassuring blinks towards Junior whenever they made eye contact.
The comments became increasingly desperate.
Are we certain they only starting dating because of the show, like they don’t feel like they’re acting.
This whole episode is just pure soulmate behaviour. The speech, the soft touches and how they both look at each other with such clear eyes- they have to be in love for real, right??
If the season ends and they don’t announce they’re a real couple, I’m suing!
Junior read the last one aloud from where they sat together in bed.
Mark laughed as Junior acted out the comments, “They're very passionate.”
Junior smiled, reaching over and taking his hand. They had put on the wedding rings again, the fake gold band sitting in a box hidden away in a drawer until Mark had to put it on again.
The show wanted their love story to be believable; the problem was that there was nothing to act; soon they would have to live together 3 days a week in another apartment the production team set up for them, but first they had another wedding to hold.