A Beautiful Butterfly

Chapter 29

Nothing particular changed in the morning nor in the afternoon the next day. Jinyoung had resolved to stop talking or responding to Mark if he could help it.

Mark never came near to Jinyoung that morning. When he was looking at Jinyoung, it was always from a distance. The day looked too dull for both of them. There were times when their eyes met, and it was always Jinyoung who looked away first.

In the afternoon, after their last class, however, Mark seemed to have lost his resolution and was on Jinyoung's tail again.

"Jinyoung," Mark called.

"Stop! Don't ever follow me again," Jinyoung said, acidly. "Before I say something you'll wish you didn't hear." But he knew he would never be able to say he hated Mark. It felt so wrong to even think of that. Love was not everything, he reminded himself, and he still needed to love himself more, rather than someone else.

Mark did stop, as if he could sense what Jinyoung was about to say and could not bear hearing it.

It was nearly six in the evening when Jinyoung got out of the shower. He wiped himself with the towel, while staring out of the window, which was the only window their room had, at the darkness outside. He was distracted by the notification sound of an incoming text from his phone.

His first thought was it must be from Wonpil but it turned out to be from an unknown number. It read:

'Jinyoung, we both know we can't go on like this. And I know you want me to stop bothering you. But I can't stay away from you. This will be one last request from me. If you've any feelings left for me. If I should have hope - even the slightest one - that we could still be together, please come and meet me. I'm at the park near our university. I'll be waiting for you till you come. But do only if you want to be with me. If you don't, I promise I'll try to stay away from you as much as I can. I promise.'

Jinyoung tossed the phone onto the bed. This unknown number was Mark's, which he had deleted long ago. It was all frustrating. It was not like Mark did not know his answer already.

Jinyoung was not going there. No, he was not. Mark could stay there the whole night if he wanted to. The text was nothing better than a blackmail, anyway, and Jinyoung was going to prove Mark would get nothing out of it.

He went on doing things he was supposed to. Having dinner in the dining hall and then studying for the tests tomorrow. When Wonpil was back at the room, it was ten past eight.

Jinyoung curled up under the duvet for warmth. The mild cold seeping into his body reminded him of the text. But he had never forgot it. Now it became so vivid again that it disturbed him. It must be frigid outside.

More than two hours had passed. Mark must have already gone back home. No one would be able to remain outside for long in this weather. But what if Mark was still there at the park? This uncertainty was too much for Jinyoung to handle.

What if Mark was shivering in the cold, waiting for him, who would never come? Alone. In the dark. Why had Mark chosen to do something unnecessary like this?

No more. He could not endure this any longer. He needed to make sure Mark was not there anymore. He grabbed a jacket and told Wonpil he was going out for a walk, before leaving the room.

He had been to that park a number of times with Eunju. It was just a small area with a couple of trees and benches. Anyone could go in and out anytime, there being no guards there. At night, it had no light and was only fairly illuminated by the lights from the neighbouring buildings.

Jinyoung found Mark, whose upper body was flexed and back faced him. A sudden surge of anger was what Jinyoung felt at the sight. How could Mark be that stubborn? And he was in the same clothes which he had worn for the classes. Had he even had his dinner?

At the sound of his footsteps, Mark slowly turned around and then there was utter shock in his eyes. His hands were clasping each other desperately for warmth and he was even slightly trembling, if Jinyoung's eyes were not tricking him.

"Jinyoung, I-I thought you wouldn't come," Mark's teeth slightly chattered with chill.

"Why're you so stupid? If you thought I wouldn't, why're you still here then?" Jinyoung shouted. It was all due to the suffocating worry he had just suffered from. "Why do you have to do this? Go back home!"

"No. I won't. You didn't need to come here just to tell me to leave. Don't mind me. Please leave if you can't accept me," Mark said firmly.

"Aren't you too much? How can I sleep knowing you're here out in the cold?"

"You still care about me, don't you, Jinyoung?" Mark's freezing hands reached for Jinyoung's and his eyes were pleading and searching for something in Jinyoung's eyes.

Jinyoung had no more willpower to harden his heart. He loved Mark and that would never change. Just as his resolution weakened, his body was also in Mark's welcoming arms. "You're such a nuisance, Mark."

"Only because I love you, Jinyoung," Mark murmured, against Jinyoung's neck. They held onto each other more tightly than ever. To compensate for all the days they had been apart. For all those things they had gone through.

"You were so good at blackmailing me," Jinyoung whined.

Mark drew themselves apart to look at Jinyoung. "Blackmailing?"

"Yeah. You knew I'd come here out of concern. That was your scheme, wasn't it?" Jinyoung pointed out, accusingly.

"But I was thinking you wouldn't come. I thought you were heartless and wouldn't care even if I died out of cold." This time it was Mark who complained. "You were so cruel, weren't you? Come, I'll kiss those same lips that had said harsh things to me."

Mark leaned forward and easily took Jinyoung's anticipating lips between his own. The discomfort of the nippiness dissipated, replaced by excitement. As if the almost nonexistent space between them was not small enough, Mark pulled Jinyoung closer till their bodies painfully crashed against each other. And nothing else mattered.