Spice of Love

Chapter 6

Jinyoung, after saving the files, shut down the computer, to give his eyes a rest. The past hour he had spent arranging the words for a clothing advertisement.

He was having his own coffee-break; the staff were given two coffee-breaks each day. He sipped his coffee and gazed at the outside through the glass wall.

The sight of the outside world, especially the beautifully decorated outdoor space of the company, could reduce his tiredness and refresh him more than the coffee did.

When he closed his eyes for a moment, the image of Mark appeared; and that made him open his eyes in alarm. How could Mark pop up in his thoughts?

At his youth, Mark had occupied his mind but it was natural. Because he had always been afraid of Mark.

He knew Mark was no more like that. It was a good thing but at the same time, it somehow made Jinyoung want to hate Mark more.

It showed him the cruel fact of this world, this human world.

When he had been a nerd, with his timid eyes under the thick glassess, he had been a good target for bullying. People would want to render weak people weaker and take pleasure in doing so.

When he had become a different person, what did people do? They wanted to give him a place, be friends with him and took pride in doing so.

They were biased based on looks; that was one thing he had learned through his life, himself experiencing as one of the victims to be discriminated.

And Mark was one of those people. Jinyoung suspected Mark might still treat him as his victim if Jinyoung had not changed.

Jinyoung's lips turned to a sarcastic smile. Mark might be nice to him and he might act nice to Mark, in turn. But they would never become friends - true friends - even if they tried. That was one thing Jinyoung was certain.

"Jinyoung ah."

With the sudden call, Jackson's hand wrapped around Jinyoung's shoulder.

Jinyoung turned to look at the man beside him; both of them kept walking out of the company.

"You like sneaking up behind me, don't you?" Jinyoung teased.

"I like doing a lot of other things to you aside from just sneaking up. Just for your information," said Jackson, with a playful wink.

"Don't flirt with your friend, Jackson," Jinyoung joked, and then took a look at Jackson's wide smile and excited face. "Did you hear some good news?"

"Why do you say so?"

Jackson withdrew his hand from Jinyoung's shoulder and held his hand instead, leading him to the parking lot.

"Because you seem so happy. Nothing like a rich boss."

"What am I like?"

"Like a young boy, all smiles and quick steps."

"No good news. But I'm going to take you to some fancy restaurant now. Isn't it good? It's been such a long time since the last time we were on a - I mean, hanging out."

Jinyoung just now noticed that Jackson was, indeed, leading him to his Audi. Once again Jinyoung felt uncomfortable to accept such kind of offers. Even if they were friends, Jinyoung found it difficult to always be treated by Jackson in some luxurious restaurants.

But Jackson would never take his rejections; so Jinyoung just silently followed and got into the passenger seat when Jackson opened his car door.

Mark took a glance at his watch, subtly, so that the other team members would not notice it.

He was dying to go back home and take a rest, all away from work-related things.

But it would be rude of him to excuse and leave early, especially after he had eaten all the expensive and delicious dishes treated by Mr. Kang, who was now promoted to the market research director position.

Their table was a long one, fit for nine people, at one corner, and on the table were the consumed dishes, but the different kinds of wine were bottle-full.

In the team, aside from him, Hani and Han, all were over thirty and they were totally wrapped in their conversations about their families, wives and children, absolutely leaving out Mark and Hani, who had nothing to talk about concerned with that topic - Han was not here as something important was up and he could not come along.

Hani was beisde Mark and he could see she was as bored as him.

"Han said you've got a flatmate. How's he to live with?" asked Hani to Mark.

He did not suppose she was really interested in it but just initiating some conversation so that both of them would not look so lost.

"He's okay. Perfectly fine as a flatmate," said Mark, Jinyoung's face appearing in his eyes. A smile formed on his lips, without him noticing it.

Hani smirked and said, "He must be really fine, seeing how you smile, just at the topic of him."

"Was I smiling?"

"Absolutely," Hani chuckled.

Mark tried to find some words to save his embarrassed self. "It's not like I'm interested in him or anything. It's just that he's really nice."

"Well, you don't need to explain to me. But if you want to talk about him more, I can listen to it, with enthusiasm."

Mark knew Hani was just teasing him and chuckled along with her.

But at the moment of his eyes wandering, his laughter stopped and his attention was arrested by something else.

He couldn't shift his eyes away from the two people entering the restaurant, heading for the reception counter and then being led by the waiter to one of the private booths on the left side.

He felt like something was terribly wrong in his chest when his eyes fell on their interlinked hands. Jinyoung's hand perfectly hidden in the other person's hand.

The man was in an elegant suit; and if not for his amused, playful smile at Jinyoung, he would totally look like a CEO. Not look like. He really must be a CEO.

He might be the boss Jinyoung had talked about, Mark assumed. His assumption was confirmed when Jinyoung flashed that same smile, so carefree and genuine, at the man.

For no definite reason, Mark felt himself shrinking smaller, to see that smile of Jinyoung's.

"Mark?"

Hani followed his eyes but saw no one in particular as both Jackson and Jinyoung had already disappeared into a private booth.

Hani called him again and this time Mark was brought back to reality. But his eyes were expressionless and unreadable.

"Are you okay? Did you see anything that troubles you?"

"Nothing. I was just a little out of focus."

Mark tried to compose himself but his mind was already somewhere else.

Hani must have already noticed it and stopped asking him questions. She just watched him fumbling for the wine glass in front of him and sipping the wine absently.

Mark was desperate to drive away any negative thoughts. But they were taking pleasure in watching him suffer. He couldn't help thinking that the couple he had just seen was undeniably a match made from heaven. He couldn't deny that. Even when that thought alone made his mouth dry and made him want to scream to shut out all those images.