Venom & Oblivion

Chapter 22

After giving the taxi-driver the fee, Jinyoung started walking towards the entrance of Brera, an Italian restaurant, which he had rarely been.

Once he entered it, his eyes ran over the place, where most of the tables were occupied. Here was the problem. Mark had not told him whether they were to meet in a private room or just in the open. And he was here, ten minutes earlier, and where was he supposed to wait?

Tentatively, he headed for a table nearby, but one of the staff interrupted him.

"Sir, are you perhaps Park Jinyoung?"

"Yes. I'm here to meet my friend. I guess he reserved a room?"

"He did, sir. Please follow me."

Jinyoung exhaled a relieved sigh as he walked behind the male worker. But was it a good idea to be in the same room with Mark again?

Mark might have already moved on and even had someone else already. Then why should he, Jinyoung thought, give in to his feelings if Mark could help it?

"This room, sir."

"Thank you."

After Jinyoung had been left alone, he opened the door, and to his surprise, Mark was already there, although it was not yet five.

Jinyoung closed the door behind him and gave Mark a smile. The latter was now just in a casual shirt and with his first two buttons undone, he looked rather hot, unlike his formal look.

Food was already there on the table: a large pizza with soft drinks and wine.

"You're really early," Jinyoung said, as he sat down opposite Mark.

"So are you. I don't know if you like pizza but I ordered it. You can order anything else."

"Pizza is fine," Jinyoung muttered.

The room was quite small and Jinyoung felt suffocated, not just because of the room but because of the atmosphere hanging in the air. Mark was the one in lead; so he would just wait till Mark initiated the conversation.

He did not even have to wait because the next moment, Mark said, "I guess we'll talk while eating. Why do you think I arranged this?"

"Huh? So that we can talk?"

Mark nodded, "Tell me about yourself. After I left."

Jinyoung shifted his gaze away from Mark's, "There was nothing special. Nothing new or interesting ever happened to me."

"Did Jong and Seung bully you after I left?" asked Mark.

"They never changed. So yeah, I avoided them as much as I could but sometimes, well, they got their way."

Jinyoung did not want to include how Tae Hyun had stood up for him most of the times.

"Did they do something physically to you?"

Jinyoung let out a quiet sigh, "Why don't we talk about something else? My life's been really fine, with them out of my mind."

"Sorry," Mark muttered, "What about your job then? How long have you been working there?"

"Altogether over a year. One whole year for internship. Now, about yourself."

Mark shifted in his seat but his eyes were still steady on Jinyoung, "I got enrolled in a private college for the business major. Like you, my life did not undergo many changes but only for a couple of years. My uncle, he financially supported me. Nothing special until last year. My uncle's death. He had included in his will that he wanted me to run the company after his death. He had a daughter but she is still a college student and has no interest in business. Well, she wants to be a fashion designer. So I'm the one left with the company. But I'm to give all the financial requirement to my cousin. So, that is all my life is about."