Jinyoung left late into the night after Jackson had successfully solved five problems on his own. Mark didn't like him, but he was able to help Jackson with his class, which made it difficult to keep that same disdain.
Mark had returned to his dorm late enough to miss Jinyoung leaving, and by the time he got back, Jackson had already gotten himself prepared for bed. He was glad he didn't have to see Jinyoung hovering over Jackson much longer, else he would've lost his mind.
The elder woke up the morning after, shutting off the alarm on his phone that echoed through the room. He never really minded Jackson in the morning since the younger could sleep through practically anything. He had classes later on in the day anyway, so there was no point in bothering to wake him up.
He took a brief shower that he spent mostly thinking about how unexcited he was for his biology class, especially since Jinyoung always seemed to know how to find him. Why the younger couldn't get the hint, Mark couldn't figure it out; not that he necessarily wanted Jinyoung to know he hated him, but he should at least understand that he should stay out of his way.
It was annoying to be so bothered about it. He should be focused on his own life, not someone else's. Jinyoung was just another annoying kid in addition to Jackson, he really shouldn't be so shaken up about it.
After dressing himself, Mark packed up his belongings into his bag, throwing in books and homework he had laid haphazardly on his desk. He heard a low groan from behind him and the sound of moving fabric.
"Markipoo~" Jackson slurred as he slowly awoke from his slumber.
Mark glanced back at him as he zipped up his bookbag. It was odd for him to be awake this early, but Mark figured he must've made a ton of extra noises and accidentally woke him up. "What Jackson."
The younger raised a brow as Mark walked by his bed. "You didn't yell at me for calling you that? Wow Mark, first your number, now the nickname; I feel very hopeful for us."
Before he knew it, Mark was giggling like a hyper child. What Jackson said wasn't even funny, yet he couldn't stop the corners of his lips from rising up into his cheeks. "Shut up, stupid."
Jackson matched his grin, sighing dreamily as he watched Mark fumble around for a jacket to throw on. "What a pretty smile. You rarely smile for me like that, can I see it more often?"
"Be more funny and maybe you will." Mark retorted, suddenly realizing that maybe he was smiling a bit too hard.
"Alright then, forget being a fitness teacher, my new aspiration in life is to become a comedian."
"Well looks like you got a long way to go." Mark giggled again. Which was weird. He wasn't usually so giggly, but it seemed to brighten up Jackson's day so, maybe he didn't totally regret laughing a bit. He quickly cleared his throat though, throwing a light jacket over his shoulders along with his bag. "I got class."
"Hurry back babe." Jackson called as he headed for the door.
"Shut up." Mark threw over his shoulder with the click of his tongue before shutting the door.
He felt himself grinning from the interaction, cheeks burning hot as if he were blushing. Wait. Was he blushing?
Just as Mark pulled out his phone to use as a mirror, he caught a glimpse of a figure just a few feet down the hall.
The smile on his face instantly faded.
"Hey Mark!" Jinyoung waved before Mark could duck his head and hide from him, way too excited so early in the morning.
"Hi Jinyoung..." he mumbled out, while walking by, quickening his pace in an effort to avoid conversation with him.
Except Jinyoung seemed to be a fast walker too, and easily kept up with the pace. "You were at the cafe, but Jackson did really well last night. Despite his whining, he was a quick learner. I'm so proud of him."
Mark shoved his hands into his pockets. Yeah he was glad Jackson was improving, but really, did Jinyoung have to be involved with it? "Yeah, me too."
"How was he this morning?" The younger asked.
Mark frowned, spitting his own question out in response. "Why does that concern you?"
His harsh tone made Jinyoung falter, the younger stumbling over his own feet. He quickly regained himself though, catching up to Mark in no time. "No I just... I was just asking y'know? Just checking up on him."
"You don't need to. He's fine."
"Yeah, of course he is, I was just..." Jinyoung trailed off, teasing Mark with a taste of silence before he unfortunately opened his mouth again. "Um, anyway, did you do the bio homework? It was hard, wasn't it?"
The elder abruptly stopped in the middle of the hallway just outside their classroom. For some reason, Mark was offended. Who did Jinyoung think he was, investing himself so much into his and Jackson's lives? He was unneeded. Unwanted. Mark couldn't care less if he disappeared off the face of the Earth.
"Why, do you think I'm too dumb to finish it? I don't need your tutoring, and you shouldn't force it onto Jackson either." Mark spat, the contempt in his voice now impossible to mask.
Jinyoung was taken aback; he literally took a few steps back as if the elder's rage would somehow harm him. He innocently raised his hands, bottom lip quivering as he carefully worded his next sentence. "I wasn't offering tutoring, I was just... trying to make conversation, y'know? I-I'm sorry..."
Mark blinked, his chest instantly tightening. Great. Now he felt like an asshole. Seriously, Jinyoung was annoying, but he wore a soft expression just like Jackson did whenever Mark would really get upset with him. Like a puppy. The only difference was that Jackson was a pitiful puppy and Jinyoung was a pouty puppy.
Either way, the look always made him feel like shit, and Jinyoung of course wore it effectively enough to have Mark's heart twisting in an apology. "S-Sorry, I just... um... woke up on the wrong side of the bed today."
The younger's lips turned from a pout into a slight smile, his shoulders relaxing just a bit as he let out a short breath of relief. He was still cheery somehow, even after Mark's little moment. "It's okay, we all have rough mornings!"
"Right..." Mark nodded while watching Jinyoung walk into the classroom.
He let out a heavy sigh. The guy was way too nice, it was annoying. If Jinyoung was an asshole, he'd have no problem disliking him. But the more Mark wanted to hate him and push him out of his and Jackson's life, the more unreasonable his hatred felt, and the faster Jinyoung wedged himself between him and his roomate.
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(*I wanna update this story more oof hopefully i have time-*)
