Mark stopped his car in front of a building, which according to the address, Jinyoung lived in. The apartment was on the fifth floor and Mark went to the elevator.
It did not take him long to find Jinyoung's apartment on the fifth floor. When he was already in front of it, the second thoughts rushed in. What was he doing here? He was the CEO; what would Jinyoung think of him when he saw his boss standing in front of his apartment, just to check if Leesung was violating the company rules?
But his hand was already at the bell and pressing it. After the second ring, the door was opened, revealing the pale and messy Jinyoung in a long-sleeved T-shirt and loose pants.
For certain, he was more than shocked to find Mark there.
"You're here?" asked Jinyoung, holding the edge of the wall to support himself.
"Are you okay? Aren't you going to let me in now?" asked Mark, looking at Jinyoung's state and the way he was standing in the doorway.
"Oh, sure. Come on in, sir." Jinyoung removed himself from the doorway, letting Mark in, and then closed the door behind.
Mark looked around the place, which was, as he had expected, tidy and well-kept. Both of them sat down on the sofas, opposite to each other.
"Can I know why you're here? Maybe to check whether I lied about my Sick Day email?" The last question was intended to be a joke, but it ended with a cough. "Excuse me." Jinyoung closed his mouth with his hands before coughing again.
"Are you alright? Will you take water?" Mark looked around to find where drinking water could be; but Jinyoung shook his head, waving his hand to stop Mark.
"I'm okay."
When Jinyoung was settled again, Mark asked, "Are you alone? Who else came here today?"
Jinyoung looked at him in shock. Why was Mark asking that, with the eyes that the answer was needed desperately? Most importantly, how did he even know that someone had come here?
But Jinyoung had to say the truth. "Leesung. He'd just gone back home half an hour earlier."
Jinyoung did not want to discuss this endless issue of him and the trainees at this time, and just hoped that Mark would just drop it.
"So you were with him."
Jinyoung nodded, weakly. "Did you come here to check that? Please, don't blame him. He was just worried because I have no one to look after me in such a situation."
"I'm sure, it's more than that. But, you don't know, Jinyoung."
But Mark knew it was not time to argue about that again. Jinyoung looked vulnerable, with the pale colour on his cheeks and in the large-sized clothes.
"You should take a rest on bed. If you're waiting for my leave, sorry, I'm not going back anytime soon. So, where's your bedroom?"
"It's already evening. You should go back home, sir. I think I'm already feeling better."
"No, you're not. Have you eaten?"
Jinyoung shook his head but he remembered the soup Leesung had left.
"Then go to bed. I'll make something for you to eat," said Mark, although he had little knowledge about making any kind of food.
"There's the chicken soup in the kitchen. I'll just have it."
"Then I'll go heat it. You just lie on the bed, okay?"
Mark was determined, and at last, Jinyoung had to nod and stand up. Mark came to Jinyoung's side, to help him get to the bedroom.
"In case you fall on the way."
All Jinyoung could think of was that Mark was really hard to understand.
After heating the soup, Mark brought it to Jinyoung's room. The latter was closing his eyes, which Mark assumed he was already asleep; but Jinyoung opened his eyes when Mark sat down on the chair beside the bed, after placing the soup on the table.
"Have the soup before you sleep."
Jinyoung sat up on the bed, following Mark's order. Mark took the bottom plate on which was the soup bowl, and rejected Jinyoung's hands to take it.
"With what strength are you going to hold it and then feed yourself?" Mark scooped the soup up with the spoon and blew it to cool it down. "Now all you need to do is open your mouth," said Mark, looking at Jinyoung, who was hesitating to let Mark feed him.
It would be awkward but he still opened his mouth as Mark had told him to. He was less awkward with Leesung when the latter had fed him this afternoon. But with Mark, it was a whole new level, maybe because Mark was his boss.
After the soup had been finished, Mark placed the bowl back on the table and handed Jinyoung the glass of water and medicine, which had been already there, on the table. Mark guessed all of this had been done by Leesung.
"You can sleep now if you want. I'll be here beside you."
"Aren't you going back? I mean, I really feel bad for giving you trouble. You also should take a rest at home."
"Are you being concerned about me?" asked Mark, and then let out a laugh. "I'm just joking. I'll leave after you fall asleep."
The smiling Mark in front of him, was the same CEO who had been always angry with him at work? Jinyoung thought, feeling like he had just witnessed the other side of the strict CEO. Mark was telling him to sleep, but how could he fall asleep in the presence of him?
Mark reached out his hand to remove Jinyoung's bangs on the forehead, to feel the temperature. Jinyoung followed his movement with his eyes and shivered a little at the skin contact.
"The temperature's dropped, I guess. You'll feel better soon."
"Why are you doing all of this?" asked Jinyoung, feeling his heart skip a beat in nervousness, at his own question.
Mark looked at him and their eyes met; and Jinyoung waited for the answer. It was all silent, with their eyes held on each other. Jinyoung assumed Mark was thinking of an answer.
But no answer came; and Jinyoung at last looked away, and yet he felt Mark's hand on his head patting his hair.
"Go to sleep."
It came out like a whisper, and Jinyoung closed his eyes, to fall into dreamland.
After about half an hour, Jinyoung was already alseep; and Mark stared at his sleeping figure, as his thoughts wandered, recalling everything between them since the beginning till now.
It was already the utter darkness outside when he left the place.
