Dissociating

3~BBQ

We walk into Jin's BBQ, a place where Taehyung and I come a lot because we are good friends with the owner and his husband. "Hey Jin. Is Joon here today?" I ask as the group of us sit in our usual spot and the owner comes out to greet us.

"If he was here, then I would have to close down just to get him out of here. He always manages to break something. Even if he is just sitting still" Jin says shaking his head.

"Aw surely it isn't that bad right?" Taemin asks.

"You obviously don't know Namjoon. He even managed to break his own glasses. The guy isn't allowed anywhere in Jin's kitchen either cause he burns stuff" Taehyung says laughing.

"You remember that time he tried to surprise Jin with a home cooked meal for their anniversary?" I say laughing.

"Oh I do. It was certainly memorable. Never had I spent the night outside my home on an anniversary because the fire department was trying to make sure there was no fire" Jin sighs with a shake of his head. He looks at our table. "I am assuming you guys are wanting a couple bottles of soju and some beef and pork?" he says. Everyone at the table nods including me.

"But can I get a coke as well?" I ask him and he nods. He goes to put our orders in. "So Jackson how was day number one?" I ask.

"It was fine. I enjoyed sitting with you today hyung" Jackson says with a big smile.

"Why do all the new people sit with Mark? I have been here longer" Taemin says.

"Cause I am nicer than you" I joke.

"But maybe if Jackson sat with me, then I could have a boyfriend too" Taemin says.

"Wait first. Jackson. Do you like girls or guys?" Mina asks with a wink.

"I... think... the drinks are here" Jackson says as a waiter comes over with several bottles of soju and some glasses for them. She hands me my coke.

"You won't get away from this so easily" Mina says with a smirk.

"Either answer or drink. Cause most of us here like guys. You are the only one who we don't know about" I say.

Jackson bites his lip and then pours himself a glass of soju. The rest of the group apart from me pours a glass. "Cheers to a successful first day" he says and downs his glass. I drink some of my coke while the rest down their soju.

"Man why did you have to give the option to drink instead?" Taemin says to me with a glare.

"Cause he probably doesn't want to flaunt his sexuality to a bunch of people he just met. Not everyone is as confident as us when it comes to who we do and don't like" I state as if it were completely obvious. I turn to Jackson. "The best way to counteract their antics is to... tell them you already have someone in your life but can't say anything cause you haven't told your family yet. That is what I did until Seungri and I were ready to go public" I whisper to him since he sat on my left.

"I do have someone I like though" Jackson confesses in Mandarin. He clearly didn't know I spoke Chinese and Lisa spoke a little of it too.

"Wait. Mark. Was what I heard correct?" Lisa asks me and I shrug. She then shoots me a text to see if what she heard was right.

Lisa

Did he or did he not
say he liked you?

No
He said he liked someone

O
Who?

"How am I supposed to know?" I say looking at Lisa with an eye roll.

"Wait what is it?" Jackson asks.

"Lisa asks if I knew if you liked someone" I explain. Jackson looks at Lisa and back at me. "Yes I speak Chinese. She does a little. She just wanted to know if her translation was correct" I state.

"Was it?" Jackson asks curious.

"It was a little off" was all I said. Then the food comes out and I put some of the meat on the grill to let it start cooking. "So Jackson are you from here or did you move here?" I ask.

"I went to college around here but I am from Hong Kong. I actually came to this company cause a senior of mine works here. But I don't think he remembers who I am" Jackson says.

"Oh what school?" JB asks.

"University of Seoul" Jackson says. Taehyung and I go wide eyed.

"Oh which major?" I ask maybe a little too enthusiastically.

"Oh it was the Business School" he says.

"Dude. You are our junior. Don't worry. We will take care of you" Taehyung says as he pours drinks for the three of us. We clink our glasses together and down them. "So who is it that made you want to come here?" he asks.

"Let's just say it is both of you" Jackson says looking at me. I have a feeling he is just saying that so he doesn't embarrass himself I think as I look away to continue cooking the meat. "So did you and Taehyung meet in college or before that?" he asks.

"We met in college. We were freshmen roommates. Then he got a boyfriend and moved away. I also got a job and was able to move out of the dorms. Have lived on my own until I moved in with Seungri" I explain. I put some meat on Jackson's plate.

"Oh thanks hyung" he says with a big smile. I nod in acknowledgment as I put some meat on my plate as well. "So y'all said most of y'all like guys. Who here doesn't?" he asks the table.

"Well it is more like most of the people here like guys only. I also like girls" Jaebum says as he drinks some more soju.

"Yup. It's also funny cause Taemin's name is the ship name for me and my boyfriend" Taehyung says.

"Oh that's neat. So what does your boyfriend do?" Jackson asks.

"He is a trainee at Big Hit Entertainment and he has a YouTube channel called Jimin's Jams since our friends like to joke about him having none" Taehyung says proudly.

"That sounds fun. I'll check it out" Jackson says.

"That's nothing compared to Mark's boyfriend though. You know Big Bang right?" Taemin asks and Jackson nods. "It's that Seungri" Taemin says. Jackson's eyes go wide and he looks at me in complete disbelief.

I just wave it off like it was no big deal. "And if I am not careful then I won't have him anymore" I mumble sadly.

AN: Hey sorry about the late upload. It would have been updated yesterday but I had no power due to the storm that happened in Georgia 2 nights ago. I couldn't even leave my house to try and upload on data cause of down trees. Luckily I could leave today.