Heart's Promise

Chapter 6

"Joe?" Jin called. He couldn't quite comprehend the scene in front of him. He stepped down onto the ground. At a loss for words, Jin opened and then closed his mouth. What was he supposed to say? For a few seconds, nobody said anything. They just stared at each other, unable to find words that could address the situation.

"Go inside." Jin told Joe, finally. He did not trust himself to say anything else at the moment.

"But-" Joe began.

"No, not a word." Jin held up his hand. "Go inside. I will talk to you later."

Joe shot an apologetic look at Mark who nodded at him before letting go of his hand. Jin watched as Joe made his way inside and closed the door. He took a deep breath before striding over to where Mark stood. Mark had the sudden urge to run away but he held his ground. How bad could it be? He realised just how bad it was when Jin got close and saw how livid he was.

"What the hell were you doing?" Jin asked. He grabbed Mark's shirt, yanking him forward. "That was my little brother, what the fuck, Mark?"

"Calm down and I'll explain." Mark tried to get Jin to unhand him.

"Explain what?" Jin controlled his voice with effort. "Why you were kissing my brother in front of our house at night?"

"Fine, it was exactly what it looked like." Mark had finally managed to make Jin let go of his shirt. "I like him, he likes me and we have been going out for some time."

"Get out." Jin's voice was still low but the rage was evident. "Get out yourself before I make you."

"Jin, please." Mark pleaded. "Just listen."

"I'm not listening to another word you say." Jin shook his head. "I trusted you."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Mark was perplexed.

"It has to do with everything." Jin said. "I trusted you as a friend and this is what you do with my brother! How could you do this? You went behind my back and you have been doing this for a long time, apparently. What do you want me to say?!"

Mark felt like he had been punched. In fact, if he had been punched, it might have hurt less. He would have much rather welcomed a punch from Jin.

"I'm sorry." Mark's voice reflected his regret but it went over Jin's head.

"Just go." Jin shook his head. "I can't talk to you right now." A moment later, he said. "I don't want to talk to you anymore." He shut the gate in Mark's face who stumbled backwards, momentarily shocked. He stood there even after hearing the door shut, unable to dispel Jin's words from his mind.

Jin leaned against the door after closing it. It was the second time in his life that he had felt betrayed in such a big way. He picked himself up and walked upstairs.

Joe looked up nervously as his bedroom door opened and Jin stepped inside. He stood up, ready to present his side of the case when Jin held up his hand.

"I still maintain what I said earlier." Jin said. "I don't want to hear a word from you."

Joe opened his mouth to argue and then thought better of it. Jin looked more disappointed and hurt than angry and he didn't know how to handle that kind of a situation. So he kept his mouth shut. He might have a better chance at talking to Jin the next morning.

"What were you thinking?" Jin asked. "What do you know about being in a relationship, what do you even know about Mark?"

Joe sat back down on the bed as Jin started pacing the room. "Or just don't answer that. How could you be so stupid? I know you're eighteen but you still act like a child."