ice cream sounds the same in korean and english
title ice cream sounds the same in korean and english
rating pg
pairing mark/jinyoung
disclaimer written on a whim in two hours ahHhH full of POV whiplashes and just... unbeta'ed, choppy writing
summary mark in haru hana vol. 32: "during our training days, i couldn't speak korean much but it's told that junior can communicate via english so we ended up going to the convenience store to buy ice creams in the late night together. after that, i tried to have a talk with him in the park but i found out he couldn't speak english like i thought at all (laughs). i still remember that story even now." trans cr: @coded4d9dc on twtr☺
foreword ack it's still in the middle of exams which i hope excuses the bad writing enough... also look at my half-assed title HAHAHA
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There's a new trainee at JYP, and it's no secret that he's immensely good looking. From all the introductions Jinyoung has heard, it's almost as if "Mark" has become synonymous with "handsome" within just one hour of being freshly flown over to Seoul from Los Angeles.
Jinyoung is interested, of course. The company is definitely not short of good looking guys, but he'd trained with all of them for so long that their faces only bring memories of ramyeon-smelling burps and earth-shattering snores. In fact, one of these post-handsome male trainees is beside him right now: his best friend and snore extraordinaire Wonpil.
"Wonpil, Wonpil," Jinyoung nudges Wonpil in the side. Wonpil thinks he knows what this is about and promptly metamorphoses into a block of wood, like one of those in the Tetris game he is playing right now. He thinks he's gotten really good at this ignoring Jinyoung thing.
"Wonpil! I asked you if you've seen the new trainee! Have you seeeeen him? Even Jackson said he was handsome, and Jackson can barely see beyond himself! Wonpil -" Fuck. If Wonpil has gotten good at ignoring Jinyoung, Jinyoung is a professional at ignoring Wonpil ignoring him. It doesn't help that the topic is about cute boys, which Jinyoung is excessively passionate about and specializes in.
"Jinyoung," Wonpil says through his teeth as he almost misses the fitting of the orange block into the green and blue ones due to Jinyoung's profuse nudging, "you asked me that twenty minutes ago, and we've been in the same room since."
"Well, I just thought - maybe if he walked past the door or something and I missed him but you didn't -"
"No, Jinyoung. No."
"Okay," Jinyoung pouts, "I just don't know when I'll be able to see him, you know?"
"Jinyoung, he's from America; he's probably staying at the dorm like you." There is an uncanny silence that follows this statement, and Wonpil looks up to see Jinyoung gaping at him.
"Wonpil," Jinyoung exclaims, his eyes sparkling, "you are such a genius, have I ever told you that? I have a genius for a best friend! Wonpil, I am forever and ever -"
"Save it." I am a block of wood. I am a block of wood that fits perfectly into this woody crevice. I am a block of wood.
💫
A week later, Jinyoung pulls Wonpil aside, cheeks flushed and grin wide. Wonpil definitely knows what this is about.
"Wonpil," Jinyoung whispers like he's relaying an age-old secret, "I saw him!" His eyes search Wonpil's, as if expecting them to reflect his excitement.
Wonpil tries to sound enthusiastic for the sake of their 2-year friendship. "The American trainee? When? How?"
"At the company door. He held it open for me! Or at least I think it's him because he forgot to bow... he has lighter hair too, like Jackson said! And very nice brows. I think they're nicer than mine, but I'm not mad! Maybe he's even cuter than I am. Maybe you can tell me if he is cuter, Wonpil; you don't have to be nice just 'cause we're friends! Speaking of friends, I want to be his so bad because he seems so nice, you know? I mean, I wouldn't hold the door open for someone five metres away -"
"Okay, Jinyoung. I think you're a little high off infatuation." Is there any way I can get him to shut up?
💫
One week after that week, Jinyoung is woken up from his evening nap at the dorm by the doorbell. Still sleep-deprived from the past few days of round-the-clock training, he stumbles to the door to open it without checking through the peephole first. What he finds before him properly wakes him up, though:
"Hi," Mark says, hands in his pockets and voice soft and tentative. His smile is so shy and beautiful that Jinyoung takes a thousand mental snapshots of it, in the midst forgetting to greet him back. Mark is visibly unsettled by the stationary boy in front of him and tries again, "you're Park Jinyoung, right?"
He said my name! But wait - what is he saying - is this the language of angels? No, it's English! Why is he speaking to me in English? "Yes, yes," Jinyoung replies in English, hoping that the answer fits the question. Apparently it does, because Mark's smile turns more confident and he's saying something again:
"I've been meaning to talk to you, but I know you had that intense dance workshop. Now that you're free, would you like to go out for some ice cream?"
Luckily, ice cream is a word that sounds the same in both English and Korean. But why is he talking about ice cream?? Is he asking about flavors here? Fuck language differences! "Uh, chocolate?" Jinyoung tests; luckily, chocolate is another word that sounds the same in English and Korean - which is why he knows it.
"Yeah, sure, if you want. Let's go before it's too late; you're probably tired," Mark says with a gentle cock of his head towards the elevator. Only then does it dawn upon Jinyoung that Mark was asking him (to go) out.
Oh my god is he asking me out right now? To eat ice cream? Do I follow him out or? Mark uses his hands this time to gesture at the lift, and Jinyoung finds his questions answered and dreams fulfilled. "I... keys... first." Mark nods and Jinyoung pats himself on the back for paying attention during English classes and showering before his nap just now. He grabs his wallet and keys from the makeshift bedside table (a cardboard box) and reminds himself not to skip with joy as he heads out with Mark.
They don't speak for the entire elevator ride, so Jinyoung doesn't have to worry himself over what English to say from the sub-hundred words in his vocabulary. He's still jittery from the presence of the new JYP Adonis and the confusion over being asked out by him, but wills himself not to steal glances. As they exit the apartment complex, Mark steers them towards the 7-11 just across the street.
The ice cream-shopping at 7-11 is as brief and silent as the elevator ride. Jinyoung wonders if it's in Mark's nature to be this quiet, or if he's shy or fucking language differences or what. What if he stops talking to me when I start talking to him like Wonpil did? But Mark is so nice, I want to be his friend forever -
"You want to go to the park?" Mark does his little head-cock again, but this time towards the park.
"Okay, okay," Jinyoung says, again hoping that the answer fits. He finds out that it does when Mark speeds up in the direction of the park, and he jogs a little to catch up. He also dies a little when Mark turns his head to give him a small smile.
"So, I heard you know English?" Mark asks. Jinyoung understands this and chokes on his ice cream, turning away to cough so he doesn't look uncouth. Mark ends up thumping him on the back, making him sputter more.
"Who... tell you?" Jinyoung asks after he recovers, confused and light-headed from the two seconds of Mark's hand on his back. Mark seems just as confused as he is.
"Jackson and Wonpil said?" Mark frowns, "are they wrong?"
FUCKING JACKSON AND WONPIL!!!!!!! Jinyoung sighs and nods, "I'm... Korean... only."
"Shit. I'm sorry for wasting your time, I was just looking for another English-speaking friend - ugh, you probably want to sleep, right. Shit, I'm so sorry man, do you want to go back, or...? Oh crap, do you even understand what I'm saying right now?"
"Uh..." Jinyoung tries to dissect the slew of English he just heard, hoping that Mark doesn't find him to slow or anything.
"How about this: do you want," Mark points at Jinyoung, "to go back," Mark points at the dorm, "now?" Mark points at the ground.
Oh. Jinyoung finds himself shaking his head, wide-eyed, almost frightened at the propsect of their outing ending so soon. It hasn't been the most comfortable or entertaining but the silence and Mark had been pretty healing, in ways. Mark breaks out into a smile that makes all the blood rush to Jinyoung's face, which he hides by occupying himself with more ice cream.
"That's great! I don't even know if you understand this but you've been pretty cool company, you know? Wait, it's only been like ten minutes, haha. I still don't know why Jacks and Wonpil told me you knew English but... I guess it's good that I can tell you stuff without the danger of you telling others. Maybe you can teach me Korean too! Ah, it's really not like me to talk this much. But I couldn't say anything to anyone for the last two weeks - well, except Jackson. But Jackson has his own friends and I feel bad asking him to explain and translate things to me all the time... maybe you two can share the burden next time, haha. You're really not understanding any of this, are you?" Mark suddenly turns toward Jinyoung, who is shocked by the sudden eye contact. Mark chuckles. "I guess you really don't understand. Why is your face always so red, anyway? It's cute though. Wow, that makes me so glad you don't understand any of this..."
The two hang out at the park until two in the morning, with Mark rambling on in English and Jinyoung smiling and nodding at appropriate moments. It's a bit unnerving to have someone who has been described as the handsome, brooding type firing off at your face in expressive tones and gestures, but Jinyoung reckons that a lot has been on his mind since he first came to Korea two weeks ago. Honestly, despite the language differences, Jinyoung would do this all over again - which the two do indeed find themselves doing as they seek each other out at the dorms for more late night ice cream rants that branch off into Korean and English lessons. Soon, hopefully, there will be no more language difference to speak of.