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Bambam and Jackson grin wolfishly. Beside them, Jinyoung sighs. "So. Let's start. Jaebeom hyung, why don't you introduce Mark hyung for us?"
"Really?" Jaebeom stares at Bambam like he's at The Office. "Last time I watched one of these videos, it didn't go like this."
"So you've watched these videos before?" Jackson smiles, sly and cunning.
"Well yes—"
"Jaebeom you idiot, this is a trap—"
"So have you ever thought of playing this game with Mark hyung before?"
"I told you." Mark rubs his forehead exasperatedly. Bambam and Jackson share a high-five; Jinyoung frowns.
Jaebeom frowns and pointedly chooses not to pick a fight with Mark one minute into the game. "Fuck off. I thought we were still doing introductions."
"Yes," Bambam says rather innocently.
"Okay. His name is Mark Tuan, he's twenty four years old, and he dances. Mostly does the martial arts tricking."
"And Mark hyung?"
"His name is Im Jaebeom, twenty—"
"And he raps. I forgot that."
"Can you not do that? You always interrupt me."
"Fine, sorry."
Mark sighs deeply, mumbling, you haven't changed.
"What?"
"I said, your name is Im Jaebeom, twenty three years old. You're really good at b-boying and singing, and your stage name used to be JB." Mark laughs.
"Just... Jaebeom is fine."
"How long were you two together?" Bambam reads from the card.
Mark frowns. "Why are you even asking? You all already know this."
"For posterity. Come on, just answer."
"Two and a—"
"Two and a half years. We've known each other for seven." Jaebeom cuts in.
"Stop it."
"I... thought you weren't going to answer." Jaebeom smiles sheepishly as Mark glares. "Sorry."
"Okay next!" Jackson throws the introduction card away to the side. Yugyeom barely catches it. "Hyung, try not to make a mess—"
"The rules of this game is that you either have to answer the question or do the dare, or take a shot. Okay? Okay clear." Jackson clears his throat. "First question goes to Jaebeom hyung." He hands Jaebeom an index card.
"Why did we break up?" Jaebeom stares at the card for too long. "I don't know, I was the one who got dumped."
"Are you daft? We argued for days before the breakup, and you never figured it out?"
Jaebeom merely shrugs. "It was a one sided argument. I was basically talking to a wall."
"Fine. You were always angry, and you would never tell me why." Mark refuses to make eye contact. He reaches for his shot glass.
"Hey! The rules of this game are that—"
"I don't care." Mark bravely downs his soju in one go. His face pinches as he sets down his shot glass. "Next."
"Okay, okay. Chill, man." Bambam hands Mark the next card.
"What do your friends think of me and how did they take the breakup." Mark sets the card down. "Why don't you guys answer that question."
"I was devastated—" Jackson begins.
"Jack, they're supposed to answer." Jinyoung nudges his shoulder.
"Right, sorry."
"To be honest, it felt like you guys took sides." Jaebeom eyes his shot glass warily.
"Yeah. For one, Jinyoung took Jaebeom's side." Mark contemplates reaching for his shot glass again.
Jinyoung rises from his seat. "What? I never—"
"You kind of did," everyone almost answers in unison.
"It's fine, man." Mark leans back. "Jackson was there for me, but he was very... dramatic, I guess." He laughs. "Dude, I felt like you were the one who just got broken up with."
"I told you, I was devastated." Jackson clutches his chest.
"Next question. Jaebeom hyung, if you will." Bambam hands the next card out.
"What attracted you to me? Oh, can I answer this one? You were really hot, especially with the dyed hair," Jaebeom answers with ease. Yugyeom covers his face with his hands and groans.
Mark crosses his arms. "Are you done."
"Sorry."
"What attracted me to you... god, that's hard. Can I just take a shot?" Jackson and Jinyoung shrug. Mark once again reaches for his soju.
"Hey, what the fuck?" Jaebeom sets the card down. Mark stares at him as he downs the shot. "Next," he says.
"This is getting pretty spicy," Jackson hoots. "Mark's turn."
Mark reads the question silently, then frowns. "Do I have to?"
"Hey, you both agreed to this game. What's the question, anyway?" Jinyoung sips on a shot of soju that materialized in his hands seemingly out of nowhere.
"Least favorite memory."
Jaebeom takes a shot.
"Oooh... okay, next—"
"The week leading to the breakup, when you refused to speak to me. At all." Jaebeom stares at the table soberly.
The spectating boys fall silent, their mouths hanging open. Mark's gaze is piercing.
"Jackson. Next question." Jackson reads the question silently, then lets out a small "oof".
"Um... okay. Here you go."
"How did we break up? Ah, fuck." Mark pushes a hand through his hair.
Jaebeom takes a shot. "Why don't you answer that one for me?"
"All these years, and you're still trying to punish me—"
"The both of you, calm down." Jinyoung intervenes. "Why don't we all have some water?" He retrieves a pitcher from the fridge and sets two glasses down, filling each with water. Neither boy picks it up. Jaebeom instead opts to refill his shot glass and observes it with rapt interest, the contents of the glass sloshing around carefully.
"Fine. Um... I called Jaebeom over the phone. An hour after that, he stormed over to the dorms and we started arguing. For days." Mark leans on the table. "And we almost fought until Jinyoung intervened and locked the two of us in a room together. Then... we broke up." After his spiel, Mark stares at Jaebeom.
"You really thought you could end things over a fucking phone call?"
"Calm down. The both of you, drink water. Jackson, next question." Jinyoung's presence commands the entire room.
"We should end this," Yugyeom groans once more.
"Ohhh, hohoho. This one is... here you go, uh? Whose turn is it?"
Jaebeom reaches out. "Just give me the card. Hold each others hand's and tell each other what you wish would change."
Mark purses his lips, but lays out his hands anyway. Jaebeom locks their fingers together.
"Let me start," Mark begins. "I wish... you weren't so angry all the time. I wish you could have realized that we could talk things through, before it was too late." With this, the room falls silent.
"I'm sorry..."
"Jaeb. Just get this over with." Mark looks away.
"I wouldn't change a thing about you. Even if you don't talk a lot. Even if you keep things to yourself. Even if arguing with you felt more like I was talking to a ghost. I... wouldn't change anything."
Bambam's mouth drops wide open. Mark pulls away. Downs a shot. "Jack. Give me the next card."
Silently, Jack hands him the next question.
"When did you know we were over?"
Jaebeom smiles sadly. "When you stopped caring. I felt it, you know."
"Jaebeom, no. I still love— loved you. I was just tired. And no matter how much I try, this will never be over for me. Jaebeom, I'm just... tired, okay?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Jackson nearly stands up. Jinyoung pulls him down. "Shut up, will you?"
"You know what? Forget I said anything." Mark reaches for a shot.
"God, this isn't going well." Yugyeom leans back and sips on his water.
Jackson flips through the cards before settling on one. "Ha! This one is perfect. Mark hyung?" Mark reaches for the card, and snorts immediately.
"Do you think of me when you masturbate?"
"I have nothing to hide. So, y—" Jackson and Bambam start an uproar. Yugyeom leaves the kitchen. Embarrassed and red in the face, Mark throws the card at Jaebeom. "You've drank too much."
"Fine. If you don't want me to answer, we have to both take a shot."
"You have to link your arms while drinking!" Jackson says.
"Are you serious?" The two of them ask in unison.
"Yes. Or I won't hand out the next card."
Begrudgingly, Mark extends his arm. Jaebeom links his around Mark's. From the side, Bambam is taking pictures with his phone. At this moment, Yugyeom reenters the kitchen.
"Oh, God. What is this?"
"One, two," Jaebeom counts. "Three." They take their shots in unison, and immediately unlink arms.
"Next question, man." Mark prompts. Jackson snicker as he hands the card to Jaebeom.
"Oh, for fuck's sake. Stop choosing the questions about sex."
"Stop whining. Just read it." Mark leans back in his seat. "The sex questions are better than the emotional ones."
Jaebeom eyes him. "Have you had sex with anyone since our breakup? If so, who was it?"
Mark looks at his shot glass longingly, instantly regretting his last statement. "Well. No one will ever be better than you, of course." Jaebeom turns a humiliating shade of red. "But I did see someone."
"Please, no, please, no, please, no," Jinyoung chants quietly.
"And I have to say, Jinyoung really knows how to take dick." Mark laughs to himself.
Jaebeom rises from his seat. "You fucked my best friend?!"
Mark shrugs and takes a shot. "I think I've drank too much."
Jackson hands Mark the next question. There are only four cards left.
"If you could erase all memories of me, would you—"
"No." Jaebeom is steadfast, confident. "If I erase you, I'd be erasing the most important part of my life."
"Jaeb, you don't have to—"
"We grew up together. Every piece of me is encompassed in your care. I can't erase the better half of me."
Once again, the room falls into pindrop silence.
"Umm..." Bambam breaks the silence. "Jaebeom hyung, your turn."
"Would you go back to the relationship? Yes." The alcohol does the talking for Jaebeom, bolstering his confidence and unearthing the words he would never dare say sober.
"I was supposed to answer that one."
"Then answer."
"I... wouldn't."
Jaebeom looks down at the table.
"Remember our final argument? Where we both couldn't decide if we should try to invest more and fix it, or call it quits? And we didn't try to fix it." Mark falls quiet, then starts again. "How... how should I know this time would be any different?"
Jaebeom downs his shot. "Give me the next question."
One card down; two to go.
"Okay. What do you wish I had done more of when we were together?"
Mark thinks for a bit. "You weren't... terrible. For the most part? I don't have anything to complain about. But..." He pauses, stumbles on his drunken words. "I wish you would communicate more. Every time you were angry, I knew there was a reason why, but you would never, ever get to it— you were just... angry. And then you'd run to Jinyoung when things got emotionally complicated. Fuck, do you know what that felt like? Seeing you run to Jinyoung's arms, every single time?"
Jaebeom has no reply. Jinyoung is staring at the floor. So Mark bravely marches on.
"Listen to me. Okay? Listen to me. We'd end up saying stupid shit, you'd run off to Jinyoung and leave me to work through my emotions. Alone. Do you know how painful it was for me? To be alone when I needed you most? Then you'd come crawling back, pretending that everything's okay. When it's not okay."
"I needed a break, okay. I just needed a break sometimes."
"But we were in a cycle— a pattern. Don't you see? I just wanted you to pay more attention to me. To us." Mark reaches for his shot glass. "That's all I ever asked for."
"...Mark. You can't expect me to read your mind."
"And I never did. I just—"
"Fine. Do you know what it felt like, every time I tried to talk to you? You'd clam up. Hell, arguing with you felt like I was just arguing with myself. Communication. That's all I ever asked for." Jaebeom smiles sadly. "You know, this is the first time you've ever spoken so freely like this."
"Alcohol." Despite the tension, Mark chuckles. "I just... wish you weren't pseudo-dating Jinyoung. It was weird."
"So is that why you fucked him for rebound?"
"That has nothing to do with this!" Mark nearly rises from his seat.
"Calm down, oh my god." Jaebeom laughs. "I was kidding, but listen. I'm sorry if you were ever jealous of Jinyoung—"
"Bullshit. I was never jealous of Jinyoung. I was just hurt."
"Okay, um. I'm still sitting here." Jinyoung raises his hand. Bambam and Jackson shush him in unison, "This is not about you."
"But he could never replace you. No one could ever replace you. That's how you've engraved yourself in my heart."
Silence. Then, "Should... should we continue?" Jackson seems to have shrunk into himself.
"Only two cards left, right?" Jaebeom sips on his soju. "I don't see why not."
"Okay. Here, Mark hyung."
"What advice do you have for me for the next relationship?"
"Haven't we basically said it all? Communication, basically." Jaebeom shrugs. "I need to be less angry. And you need to be more open."
Mark frowns. "It's not that simple, but I guess so."
"Last card, right? Give it to me."
"Jaebeom hyung, are you sure you want this last card?" Jackson grins, the man with a mission.
"Stop being dramatic. Give me that." Jaebeom snatches the card from him, then a wave of regret washes over his face.
"Come on. What is it?"
"We have to kiss." Jaebeom sets the card down and reaches for his shot glass. Bambam swats his hand. "No way! This is the last card— you have to do it."
"After we basically just got out of an argument? Seriously?" Jaebeom gives him a tired look.
"Don't you know," Jackson starts, "that the best way to make up is by making out?"
"Well, I'm ready." Mark smirks and leans forward.
"Fine."
Jaebeom places a tentative hand on Mark's shoulder for support, before leaning in and meeting his lips. In a single sweeping motion, Jinyoung grabs Bambam and Yugyeom in his arms and ushers them out the kitchen. Bambam put up a fight, but Yugyeom was more than ready to leave anyway.
Mark's hand finds its way to Jaebeom's hair, pulling him up slightly. Just the way he knows Jaebeom likes it. His lips part, give way for Jaebeom's tongue to enter as his hand settles on the back of Mark's neck. Mark bites Jaebeom's lips, pressing a small moan out of him. Then they pull back, mouth open, eyes wide, dazed.
"Wow. Um." Jackson shuffles uncomfortably. "So I'm... leaving the two of you here."
The kitchen is now vacated, save for Mark and Jaebeom, still staring at each other with tension. Trying to chance a peek into the heart of each other, thinking that the other has closed off, when their hearts and souls have never been more open and bared to each other.