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Jackson's POV

"Your late." Mom looked agitated and annoyed.

Wow.

Not even a hi? Or a "how was school" skit?

This talk must be really important.

"Sorry?" I shrugged.

It's not my fault I laughed so hard in gym. It's all on BamBam and Lisa.

She sighed.

"Just come into the kitchen. Jaebum has been waiting." Oh that's his car outside.

"Ok." I start to take my shoes off.

"Leave your shoes on. We have to leave soon anyway." Mom started to gently lead me to the kitchen.

She told me to keep my shoes on.

Is she okay?

She goes psycho when people walk in her house with their shoes on. She's a germ freak.

This talk.

I'm scared.

And she said we have to leave soon. Leave soon to go where?

The short walk from the front door to the kitchen turned into thousands of miles.

We finally made it to the kitchen.

"Hey Jackson. You remember me right?" Jaebum reached his hand out. He had a warm smile on his face.

I'm hesitant.

He's in his uniform.

The white lab coat. Baby blue shirt. White pants. Pushed back hair. "Doctor Im" nameplate on his coat.

I'm scared.

I have a bad feeling about this.

"Yeah I remember you Jaebum." I lock my hand with his. We both give each other a tight squeeze and we never break eye contact.

"Why don't we sit." Mom led us over to the kitchen table. We all sat down.

Mom and Jaebum in front of me.

They both look at me then mom leans over to Jaebum and whispers something in his ear.

What is she saying?

He's nodding.

My hands begin to sweat.

Mom pulls away from Jaebum. They lock eyes and nod.

What the fuck is going on?

"Alright Jackson. Can I ask you a question?" Jaebum looks me straight in the eyes.

"You just did." Even though I'm anxious, confused, and scared, my sassiness will never go away.

"Really Jackson?" Mom shook her head.

Jaebum chuckled.

"True, I did. But can I ask you another question?" His smile disappeared in seconds.

I shrugged.

"Why not?"

Just as he was about to speak up mom interrupted him again.

"Are you sure we should do this?"

Do what?

"I don't want to make him feel pressured by all of this. What if it doesn't even work and I know my son. He has a big heart and he will not let something like this just slip by him." She continued.

"Have faith in him Ping. Have faith in your son." Jaebum patted my mom an the back. She nodded.

What in the hell?

Have faith in me?

Have faith in me for what?

What does she not want me to feel pressured about?

"Ok Jackson. Sorry about that." He looked down to my mom then back at me.

"Do you know Mark Tuan?"

Mark?

What does Mark have to do with this?

"Yeah I know him."

"Do you know him well?"

"Not really. We have a few classes together and we've talked a little. That's pretty much it."

I'm still confused on what Mark has to do with this.

Jaebum nodded and continued with the questions.

"You helped him in gym the other day right?"

I nodded.

"What do you think about Mark?"

Why is he asking me all these questions about Mark?

Did Mark....die?

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think Mark is a cool guy or a weird guy?"

"I guess he's sort of weird."

Jaebum nodded.

Before he could continue I stopped him.

"Why are you asking me all these questions about Mark? Did something happen to him?" I looked at Jaebum and my mom.

They made eye contact again.

They both nodded at each other.

"Look Jackson," Jaebum began. "Nothing happened to Mark but." He paused.

Silence.

And more silence.

I can't take it anymore.

"But what?" The silence was killing me.

Jaebum sighed.

"But some things are happening to Mark." My mom finally spoke up.

"What? Why should I care about what's happening to Mark?"

I'm so confused.

"Jackson." Jaebum stared at me intensely.

"We need your help."

"Who's we?"

"Me and the doctors at Platinum."

I gulped.

Why does Jaebum and the doctors at Platinum want me to help them?

Damn.

I keep asking myself all these questions.

"W-why?" Dammit.  I stuttered.

"Mark's mind is in an unstable state. We need your help to stabilize it."

"How do I stabilize his mind? I don't even know him like that. How am I supposed to help him with that if we're not even that close?" I started to get angry.

Who do they think I am? Houdini?

"In Mark's mind he thinks you two are very close. In fact, he actually believes that you like him in a romantic way. I know you've noticed the way he looks at you."

I nodded.

"When he looks at you, all that goes through his mind is "Jackson's mine". It's like a mantra. He can see in his head you two together and hugging, kissing, making love" I choked on my spit. Jaebum paused for a second then continues. "you name it, he's thinking of you two doing something intimate or romantic."

Woah.

I did not expect this.

Jaebum continues after seeing my expression.

"Now this isn't the first time something like this has happened. In the past Mark was thinking the same thoughts about another person. But we didn't know what was wrong with him yet. That person didn't know neither."

I nodded even though I'm still confused as hell.

"Mark gets easily infactuated. When he sees someone who attracts him, he instantly tells himself "that person is mine". And his mind will play these images of him with that person. Some true but most fake. You still with me Jackson?" Jaebum snaps his fingers in my face.

Is Mark insane? Why does he have images in his head?

"Why does his mind play images? Is he schizophrenic?"

"Why does everyone think when someone sees images in their head that they're instantly schizophrenic?" He shook his head. "No he's not schizophrenic. He has delusional disorder."

"Oh. That's a thing?"

"Yes Jackson. It is." Jaebum looked exasperated.

I chuckled. Jaebum makes some funny faces.

"So you want me to help you stop his delusions?" I'm kinda understanding what he wants from me.

Kinda.

"No no no. Your mom helps with that. She's his therapist." I looked at mom.

She smiled.

Wow. Mark was one of her patients this whole time?

"Let me finish explaining some more things before we get to what you have to do. Is that okay?"

"Yeah." I gave a curt nod to Jaebum.

"Mark doesn't just have the delusional disorder. He has a lot more illnesses. Some small like insomnia and anorexia. Others big like depression, paranoid personality disorder, and obsessive love."

What the?

"That's an illness? Obsessive love? Your joking right?" That's ridiculous and pretty funny.

I started to laugh.

"Jackson." Mom's voice was low. "Stop laughing, this is serious."

"She's right. This isn't a laughing matter. Obsessive love can put you at risk." Jaebum crossed his arms.

I scoffed.

"Put me at risk?"

"Yes put you at risk. Mark is infactuated with you."

"It's just his little highschool crush. He'll get over it."

I'm honestly getting annoyed with this. So what? He likes me. I can't help he likes me.

"Do you remember earlier when I said there was someone else he was infactuated with before you?"

I hummed.

"Do you know Park Jinyoung?"

Jinyoung.

Man. I haven't seen him in a while.

"Of course I know him. He was one of my best friends." I chuckled. Memories rushed through me. "Wang gae Park gae."

I smiled.

I miss him.

"Was?"

"Yeah. He moved."

"Did he seem distressed when he left?"

"Yeah. He um...his girlfriend died. It hurt him real bad. I never seen him like that. It looked like half his soul got ripped out of him. I felt so bad for him."

"He loved her right?"

"A lot. He talked about her non-stop. She was his air. When she died his air was gone and he was left to suffocate." I feel my eyes start to tear up.

It hurt me so much seeing him in so much pain.

"Do you know how she died?" Damn. Jaebum and all his questions.

"She was murdered. I saw on the news. Jinyoung saw too. That's how he found out."

I remember that day.

"Jinyoungie! Are you finished with the breakfast? Jackson is starving!"

Jinyoung walks into the living room and puts down 2 plates.

"Breakfast is served." He smirked looking down at the delicious food he made.

"Food!" I grabbed a plate and dug in.

So good.

"Is it good?"

I nodded furiously.

"Woah. Ok ok I get it. Calm down before you get whiplash."

"Ok mom." I rolled my eyes.

We both laughed.

"I wonder what's on?" Jinyoung grabbed the remote. He started to flick through channels.

I continued to eat.

"You gonna eat that?"

"Yes Jackson. I want to find something good to watch while I enjoy my food."

"It's gonna get cold. I can keep it warm in my stomach." I started to reach for his plate but he slapped my hand away.

"Watch it Wang."

He kept flicking and flicking channels until he got to the news channel.

"I wonder what's going on today?" Jinyoung finally put the remote down and grabbed his plate.

But as soon as he heard the name he dropped his fork back down on the plate making a loud clang sound.

"This morning, 16 year old highschool student Mina Lee has been found inside her room stabbed to death."

Jinyoung stared at the tv.

"No. It can't be her." I barely heard him.

A police officer began to talk.

"Her face has been beaten and she was stabbed 3 times in her stomach. It seems this attack was last night. We have caught the culprit and he is now in custody."

Then the camera switched to the victim's parents.

"No no no no." Jinyoung kept saying no.

"I will always miss her. My sweet baby. She was so young. I don't understand how someone could do this." The mother sobbed.

Jinyoung did too.

He fell to the floor.

"Nooooooo! She can't! No! Mina!" He cried and cried. I tried my best to comfort him.

I look back up at he tv.

It was the picture of Mina.

Jinyoung's girlfriend.

She was the victim.

I felt tears run down my cheek.

I started to cry.

Jinyoung looked up at me but

He saw the tv too.

He saw her picture.

He lost it.

His cries were hysterical.

"Jackson! Jackson honey! Snap out of it!"

I come out of my trance. I'm shaking. Mom is in front of me. Worry written all over her face.

I wiped my tears with my sleeve.

"It's okay. I'm okay. Flashbacks." I smiled at my mom. "I'm fine mom."

She hugged me.

She turned to look at Jaebum.

He had a blank expression.

"I told you this is too much for him."

"We've already told him so much, might as well just continue."

She puffed out a breath. She sat back down.

"Jackson." I looked at Jaebum.

Silence.

"Wha-" I was interrupted by Jaebum.

"Mark was the one who killed Mina."

Woah. How will Jackson react? And now we know why Jinyoung is here!Thanks for reading!Baaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee