My Ace

Chapter 18 ♣️

Mark absolutely crashed when he got back home.

Taeyong had decided it would be best for him to just take an Uber home, so Mark was tormented with his own thoughts.

If it weren't for the call from Vernon when he got home, he might've ended up drowning in his own vomit. After only hearing a sentence from Mark, Vernon said that he was on his way. Which made Mark cry even further. He didn't deserve such loving and caring people in his life, especially not the amazing people he was dating that gave him chance after chance despite his being a terrible boyfriend.

After a while, there was a knock on his apartment door, which Mark just assumed was Vernon arriving. "It's unlocked," he yelled to Vernon. He was swirling his liquor bottle in circles, watching the liquid slosh inside.

Vernon came in and didn't say a word, which was unusual enough, but Vernon also covered his eyes. Even weirder.

Until he quickly removed his hands and dropped to Mark's side where Mark could finally see it wasn't Vernon at all.

It was Jungwoo.

Mark completely forgot the older was back.

Jungwoo looked adorable as ever, but his hair was it's natural black, shorter and cropped close to his head instead of the soft bang style he had usually. Despite the hair change up, Jungwoo had a sparkle back in his eyes that was missing the last time they had spoken.

"Hi, Mark," Jungwoo said.

"You're back..." Mark jumped up. "I can't believe you're really back!" He hugged Jungwoo tightly, pampering him with a bunch of small kisses.

Jungwoo giggled slightly. "I am... and you've accepted all of us since then... I'm so proud of you." Jungwoo kissed his forehead lovingly. "But Taeyong did just catch me up- but he didn't tell anyone else so don't worry."

Mark nearly choked on his own spit. "He told you...?" He pulled himself away slightly, but didn't break the embrace fully.

Jungwoo nodded solemnly. "I think he thought it best for me to come talk with you... Since we'll be the two biggest secret keepers in the office now." Jungwoo broke the embrace and brought Mark over to his couch to sit. "I'm sick, Mark... I have this thing called aplastic anemia... Basically my body won't produce enough blood on its own, so every so often I'll leave for in-house treatment at my father's hospital outside the city. That's why I disappeared for a bit..."

Mark couldn't swallow his guilt. Jungwoo has been struggling and fighting to be healthy, while he's here two timing the people he cares about.

"Now, you, Taeyong, and Doyoung, are the only three in the office who know," Jungwoo rubbed his palms against his jeans. "Everyone else kinda knows something's up, but not what. The cover story is that I leave to spend time with and take care of my father who is sick."

"But you're okay? You're not gonna die or anything?" Mark asked worriedly.

Jungwoo smiled. "I'll die someday just like you. Not for a long while though. My body still produces blood as of now, just not enough. That's why it's only every so often that I'll leave." He hugged Mark tightly. "Thank you for worrying."

"So your secret is that you're sick, while mine is that I'm a two timing asshole," Mark said dejectedly.

"Yup," Jungwoo agreed blatantly. "Maybe not an asshole, but we do need to come up with a solution."

"There's a few-"

Jungwoo cut him off with just a look. "And only one of which is favorable to you... And potentially hurtful for everyone else."

"I know." Mark pulled at his hair. "I was young and stupid when I made the commitment, and totally in love with someone who I knew could never feel the same. I had just figured even if it was as friends, we could still be happy together. Because seeing her made me happy enough and that was so selfish of me."

Jungwoo smiled sympathetically as he gently rubbed Mark's hands. "Love makes us do stupid things... Like running away, or agreeing to get married because it's the only way you could have the girl of your dreams."

"But I have the boys of my dreams now... It just feels like I'm going to wake up at any moment and everything will just be gone..." Mark separated their hands to wipe his tears. "That you'll be gone when I wake up, Jungwoo."

"I'm not going anywhere, Mark. And hopefully neither is anyone else unless we have to-"

Mark's doorbell rang. He took a moment in Jungwoo's arms when the older responded that the door was unlocked still.

Vernon, Joshua, and Seungkwan burst through, arguing about how aggressive was too aggressive to open the door. "Are you okay Mark?" Joshua asked.

Mark wiped his tears and very delicately put a little space between himself and Jungwoo. "No..." He said, attempting to hide his overwhelming emotions.

~~~

Taeyong called everyone to a meeting a few days after, giving Mark some time to calm down and plan with Jungwoo and how to discuss this in a productive manner with everyone.

It was after office hours, but the moral was rather mixed. Some were entirely oblivious to the going ons and in a rather laid back sort of mood, while others knew something was up and sat rather tensely.

Taeyong, Jungwoo, and Mark all stood in front of everyone in their meeting hall. Jungwoo held Mark's hand tightly, while Taeyong simply looked empathetic.

"So, uh, I wanted to talk with everyone... Because, uh, I..." Mark was starting to choke up on his words, but Jungwoo squeezed his hand gently. "I am in an arranged marriage to satiate my parents." Mark looked back to Jungwoo amidst the whispers of confusion from the others. "To get out of said marriage I have two options."

Taeyong stepped forward. "Mark's parents are powerful in the business world over in Canada. The person who he is engaged to is the daughter of Red Velvet's corporation. His first option is to marry me, someone of a similar status, to remain in his family's good graces-"

"The family that lives all the way in Canada that Mark never sees?" Jeno asked. Mark took a brief look, but he was terrified. He'd never seen Jeno angry, but right now? He looked downright furious.

"Or I can break it off and return back to Canada," Mark said. "My parents will be furious with me, My fiancé, Yeri- her family would do all they could to drag me down while I'm here, especially if there's no valid reason to have broken it off."

"Why would you go back?" Jungwoo suddenly asked. This wasn't what they discussed.

Mark sighed. "I just got a call from my brother. He said he overheard my parents saying that if it wasn't for my marriage here, they would have me back in Canada to help with their company." Mark sighed. "So if I don't get married, I won't be allowed to stay in Korea."

~~~

Sorry for another short one, y'all. I haven't been writing much because I've been busy with school. I'm in my senior year so I've been juggling a stupid workload as well as college applications.

Anywho, how have y'all been? It's been a while, and the story is reaching it's climax pretty soon. After that, it'll probably be mostly just dates and whatnot which are a little hard to get creative with, but I'll manage.

As always,

Stay Wonderful y'all