Irony of Revenge

Chapter 8

Jinyoung had just arrived at his apartment in the golf club when Jieun texted him. It was Sunday, and as usual, she was asking him where they should meet.

'Sorry, can't make it today. Got something to deal with at the club.'

He looked at his own message, which had just been sent to Jieun, and swallowed down the guilt. But Mark was coming to him this afternoon, and he would not trade the chance to spend the time with Mark for anything else.

'Something that will take time? Should I come to the club then?'

'I'll be too busy. Today is impossible, I guess. I'll stop by on my way home.'

'Okay. Don't tire yourself too much. Love you.'

'Got it. Love you too.'

Jinyoung stared at the screen for a few more seconds and when no more reply came, he put the phone aside and went to the kitchen to make a coffee for himself.

It was hard for him to be pretending like this and making sure his relationship with Mark was all well hidden. It was not at all something he fancied. But he had no regret. He never regretted finding Mark and being with him, even when it meant risking everything.

His future with Mark might not be as certain at the moment as his and Jieun's had once been, given that both he and Mark were still with their own girlfriends and their relationship was unknown to everyone else. But he believed they would work everything out in the end and be each other's strength along the way.

It was a little bit after lunch time when Mark arrived at the golf club, and they met at the usual place where Mark played golf.

"Today, let's break our routine and do something new," Mark said, after they had set everything up to play golf.

"Yes?"

"Let's play against each other."

"What? Now you're confident enough to challenge me, Mark Tuan?" Jinyoung said, sounding amused.

"I wouldn't dare. But I want to pretend that I can. Up for it?"

"I'm. Just don't whine later that you lose to me."

"Trust me, I won't. I want to see you play too."

Jinyoung set another tee on the ground and a ball on it. His space was just next to Mark's and they stood before their own tees, with the golf clubs ready in their hands.

"Ready?" Jinyoung asked, "You go first."

Jinyoung watched as Mark took his shot, and clapped his hands, seeing the ball getting very close to the target.

"A good swing."

When it was Jinyoung's turn, as Mark had expected, Jinyoung scored perfectly and Mark enjoyed witnessing it.

Then, like a miracle, when Mark took the swing for the second round, the ball landed in the close proximity to the hole and instead of stopping there, it moved and got right into the hole.

"Wow, finally you did it," Jinyoung said, with a smile. Mark looked totally surprised and then was grinning. "It just took you unreasonably long time."

"Of course, it did. I was always distracted whenever I practised. Thanks to you."

"Are you complaining?"

"Not at all. I like being distracted, just for your information. Aren't you going to give me a congratulatory hug or something?"

So Jinyoung did. Afterwards, they played for more rounds and as expected, Jinyoung won the game, with six points in difference. They were quite tired and after wrapping everything up, walked back to the golf club.

Jinyoung's bedroom in the apartment upstairs was where they ended up next. Jinyoung always loved their cuddling sessions and when they lay, holding each other, he always had that feeling of coming back home from far, remote places.

"Am I the very first man for you?" Mark murmured, his hand stroking Jinyoung's face sensually.

"Yes," Jinyoung said, "I'd never imagined myself developing feelings for a man. But my feelings for you are more natural than mine for Jieun. Everything has come naturally. What about you?"

Mark fell silent for a moment and then said, "There was that one time when I had a crush on one of my male classmates at highschool. I'd never told anyone about this. I figured I might be bi, given that I still could feel something for girls. I'm glad that we found each other. What you make me feel is deeper than any relationships or crushes I've ever had."

"I also value what we have, more than anything. I only wish we'd met earlier. Do you think they're suspicious of us? Jieun and Hyebin?"

"How so? We all haven't been together since we two started dating. They've no chance to judge us. At least, not yet."

It was true. And whether their girlfriends were suspicious of him and Mark, would not make any difference. Because they would find it out in the end, anyway.

Although Jinyoung did not want her to come to the golf club, Jieun still found herself driving there, in the evening. She rejected the idea of calling him to inform him in advance, in case he was still busy and would tell her not to come.

Her car entered the underground car park of the golf club and she was just stopping the engine, after parking the car, when she saw Jinyoung and Mark walking to and stopping by a car, which she remembered was Mark's.

For a moment, she was glad to see them and Jinyoung apparently not being busy. But something about them give her a strange feeling. Their eyes lingered on each other, longer than they should, and their expressions were not of friendly, polite ones. There was something more than what two acquaintances or friends should be like, in their expressions. They did not seem to notice her car at all, as it was quite far from them.

Jieun watched them talking, and then next moment, she felt like her whole body was frozen and blood was drained from her, as she witnessed something she wished she had not. They were kissing. Although it was just a short peck on the lips, it still did not change the fact that they were interested in each other and probably even seeing each other.

She felt her body trembling with shock as she continued to watch them part and Mark finally driving out of the car park. Jinyoung was still standing there till Mark's car was out of sight, and then went back the way he had come.

Jieun had to recover herself and when she was finally calmed down, she was crying. She remained there in her car, not knowing what to do anymore and still not wanting to believe that what she had witnessed, was true.

After long minutes, she did the only thing that came to her mind at the moment. Her shaking hands took her phone and dialed her friend's number.