break my heart into two

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/18356735.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: NCT (Band)
Relationship: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na
Jaemin, Mark Lee/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Character: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Mark Lee, Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Huang
Ren Jun, Lee Jeno, Na Jaemin, Zhong Chen Le, Park Jisung (NCT)
Additional Tags: Romance, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn, Alternate Universe -
College/University, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Friends to Lovers,
Pining
Stats: Published: 2019-04-05 Words: 29767

break my heart into two

by dearlyuta

Summary

Donghyuck despises the very thin wall in his bedroom — all he can hear every night are the
echoes of sweet laughter of his neighbor and murmurs of I love you being exchanged.

Until one day, everything stops and all he can hear are heart-wrecking sobs.

(or in which, Mark, his sweet neighbor, breaks up with his boyfriend and Donghyuck finds
himself getting tangled in a mess of feelings as he helps him move on.)

Notes

i started this fic back in january but due to multiple events of me having writer's block, i
ended up delaying this fic. but now, i finally finished it and i guess i'm kind of happy with the
result? anyway, please ignore any mistakes since this isn't proofread yet. i still hope you
enjoy reading this!

See the end of the work for more notes

6:30 A.M.
The exhaustion hangs heavy in his bones but Donghyuck can't find it in himself to care anymore. His
head is throbbing, his body is suffering from an insufferable ache due to him tossing and turning all
night. The laughter coming from the other side of the wall haunts his mind, wrapping every thought
of his in that familiar melodic chortles echoing every night.

He has only recently moved in but he has suffered more sleepless nights in this apartment, as
compared to his shared dorm room with Jeno, Jaemin, and Renjun. God knows those three can be
quite a mischievous, playful trio but they've never crossed the line of messing up one another's sleep
schedules.

His obnoxious neighbor doesn't seem to know the fine line between respecting each other's
boundaries. Donghyuck's head feels like it's being hammered on repeatedly every time he hears the
laughter rocking against their shared wall. The amount of times he has already told them to knock it
off, goddamn is too many already but all he ever receives is the generic apology of I'm sorry, we'll
keep it down!

(They never do. Donghyuck is pissed off, to say at least.)

Donghyuck has always been a little too suspicious about the unit. When the landlady took him on an
impromptu tour around the apartment, Donghyuck's breath is stolen right away from his lungs. He
can imagine himself living right here, his vinyl records of Michael Jackson softly playing in the
background as he reads through his stack of notes and books. He can imagine himself lounging right
on the couch, falling asleep in the afternoon as the warm sunlight slips through the blinds.

It was utterly perfect, until he stepped right into the bedroom and heard a dull thud right against the
wall. He held his breath, his heart pounding right in his throat as he slowly walked over to the wall.
His knuckles rapped against it once, twice and the sound reverberated within the bedroom, alerting
him of how truly thin it is. Somehow, the thought of his neighbor possibly hearing anything going on
within his bedroom sends chills right down his spine. But at the same time, the entire apartment unit
is too perfect for him to carelessly let it slip away from his fingers.

Nevertheless, despite his stomach churning wildly, he flashed his sweetest smile at the landlady and
said, "I'll take it."

It shouldn't bother him that the wall is thin as hell — this is what he signed up for. He knew what he
was getting into so he thinks he doesn't deserve to grumble and complain every morning. Besides,
his neighbor, Mark Lee, is sweet though admittedly, maybe he's a little too charming and friendly.

Donghyuck can't remember a time when he didn't step right out of his apartment without getting
greeted with a heart-fluttering smile from his neighbor. Donghyuck might as well make it a mission
of his to avoid him because truthfully speaking, Mark is incredibly attractive for his own good. Aside
from the fact that he's dashingly handsome, he's so well-mannered and painfully nice — it almost
seems rather impossible for Donghyuck not to end up liking him.

Oh, if only he wasn't taken.

Donghyuck shakes his head abruptly, erasing away the remnants of his thoughts related to Mark Lee.
They're only neighbors — neighbors who supposedly respect each other and keep an equally
respectable distance between them — and definitely nowhere near friends. Donghyuck isn't
welcoming in diving head first into a mess of tangled feelings so he tries to shrug it off every time he
feels a stream of emotions through his veins whenever he greets Mark.

He pursues his lips in a thin line right as he steps out of his apartment with his backpack slung over
his shoulder. He locks the door, tugging lightly on the doorknob to check it. It's a habit that he
somehow can't get rid of. It's the only way for him to feel safe whenever he needs to go out and
leave his apartment empty. It's not like he doesn't trust any of his neighbors but it feels better to be
safe than sorry.

"Donghyuck!" A familiar, melodic laugh follows right after as the sound of footsteps resound against
the concrete floor.

Speaking of the devil, Donghyuck twists his lips into a scowl, letting out a deep breath to calm
himself down. Don't those two ever sleep?

A inaudible sigh falls from his mouth as he turns on his heel to face the intruders, barely making an
effort to lift the edges of his mouth upwards. Mark stands right before him, eyes crinkled as a smile
graces his mouth. He raises his hand to give him a friendly wave but Donghyuck can only return the
gesture halfheartedly due to the pounding headache he has.

"Hey, Mark." His voice still sounds rough right around the edges so he clears his throat, forcing a
wide smile to draw itself on his visage. His eyes flicker over to the boy standing right behind Mark,
who cracks a grin the moment their gazes locked. "And Yukhei."

"Oh, are you heading to school now?" Mark calls out just as Donghyuck starts to walk down the
hallway, ready to block out any conversation starters from them. He pauses in his steps, craning his
neck to glance at the couple with an arched eyebrow. Mark seems to have been caught off-guard,
seeing how he jolted in surprise when Donghyuck's unwavering stare lands on him.

He emits a nervous laugh, reaching behind to let his fingers brush against the nape of his neck and
rub it carefully. "We can all walk together if you want."

"Sounds like a fucking nightmare." Donghyuck mutters his breath, slightly grateful that the two of
them didn't hear his words. But even if they did hear, they don't show it on the expressions etched on
their faces. Donghyuck heaves a deep sigh, a generic excuse ready to spill from his lips when he
halts.

His gaze fixates itself on Yukhei and he notices how... strange the other boy's behavior is. He looks
rather uncomfortable and throughout their entire exchange, he's been nothing but silent, eyes
constantly flitting from Donghyuck to the floor. It's rather odd that he hasn't heard a word from
Yukhei, seeing how that male can be quite talkative, even early in the morning.

Maybe he doesn't want Donghyuck around. Yes, that seems probable — he might want to spend
some alone time with Mark instead of trying to ease the awkward tension if it's the three of them
together.

"No, it's fine." Donghyuck waves a hand dismissively, flashing a reassuring smile right at the two of
them. A crestfallen expression draws itself on Mark's features before it falls too fast that Donghyuck
briefly questions himself if it's his imagination acting up again. His eyes momentarily take in
Yukhei's appearance and he can see the way the other's shoulders tense up. He frowns at his
behavior but he dismisses it hurriedly.

It isn't his business to poke his nose into it, no matter how curious he can be at times.

"Okay, I'll see you two around." Donghyuck does a two finger salute right at their direction before
turning around again to continue his walk down the hallway. His steps are hurried, despite the fact
that he doesn't have to worry about being late — it's only a ten minute walk after all.

Due to him focusing too much on avoiding the other two boys, the thought swirling relentlessly in
his head didn't bother him. It's only when he has his head lowered as he feels the warm sunlight
drape over his sun-kissed skin whilst walking down the road, it hits him hard.

Mark and Yukhei weren't holding hands.

The very first time he has ever seen them not holding hands.

Donghyuck frowns, clearly annoyed. He doesn't care about that. He shouldn't care about that at all.
Who cares if they're not holding hands? It's certainly not his problem — he has his own problems to
ponder over and none of them should ever revolve around Mark Lee and his boyfriend.

To say that Donghyuck isn't bothered about it would be a lie though.

A massive, messy lie.

10:20 A.M.

"You're not yet on your break?" Renjun's voice crackles through the other line. Donghyuck balances
his phone between his shoulder and his ear, pressing his books against his chest. He's trying to
navigate his way down the hallway without tripping on his feet and it's proving itself to be such a
difficult task.

"No," He huffs loudly, finally reaching his locker, "Still have two more classes." He uses one arm to
balance his books whilst his now free hand enters his code, wrenching the door open and slipping
the four books right inside. "Both of them are two hours long."

"Fucking sucks, man." Jeno sounds a little muffled over the line before his crisp, clear voice comes
through after a moment, "We were hoping to swing by the arcade before we drop by at the ice
skating rink. We have the place to ourselves for the afternoon!"

"Come on, Hyuck! We barely see you anymore." Jaemin joins right in the call right after Jeno
finishes speaking up, a lilt of excitement in his voice. Donghyuck can't help but curve his lips into a
familiar tug of a smile upon hearing the chorus of his friends' voices on the other line. But as much as
he wants to hang out with them now, he's stuck in an endless loop of studying and catching up on
sleep. He can't afford to slack off, unless he wants to dive in deep and fail his classes.

"Sorry, I can't skip right now. I need to catch up on my classes and my head hurts so much because I
couldn't sleep well last night."

"Is Mark still keeping you up at night?" The smirk is present in Jeno's voice and Donghyuck rolls his
eyes in response, closing his locker with a push of his shoulder. It falls shut as expected so he averts
his gaze to the hallway where the rest of students are loitering around.

"Unfortunately," He frowns deeply as he fixes the strap of his backpack, a sigh escaping. "Mark and
his boyfriend are pretty much up until four in the morning. When I met them this morning, they both
look so well-groomed while I was a mess. It's like they never need to sleep — who can sleep for two
hours and still be that chirpy and talkative?"

"Why are we not surprised?" Renjun asks, his voice leaning towards a singsong tone and
Donghyuck cracks a smile at that. A chortle spills from his mouth as he finally lets his fingers curl
around the device, pressing it comfortably against his ear while he walks in the direction of his next
class.
"Does this mean you're heading back to our dorm?" Jaemin questions, the hopeful tone bright in his
tone. Donghyuck scrunches up his nose, his expression painting into a look of pure disappointment
as he shakes his head, even if they can't see him.

"Sorry, I can't give up my alone time in the apartment." He sniffles dramatically, running a hand
down the side of his face. "I love you all three but it's hard being a fourth wheel, you know. Though
I should have expected that since I was the one who pushed you three to date one another."

"Oh, come on, we miss you."

"I think I can live another day without walking on all of you trying to kiss one another." He hears a
whine and Donghyuck presumably thinks it's from Renjun — he's the one who's been openly against
Donghyuck moving away from the dorm. The four of them have been close-knit since their high
school days and they've always promised that they'll stay close, even once they step right into
university. If you ask Donghyuck, they're doing rather well in keeping in contact but he has always
figured out that those three can be a little clingy around him even if they're all dating one another.

"Make sure to at least attend Lele's party this Friday, yeah?"

"Of course." Donghyuck parts his lips, ready to speak more but he's rendered speechless as soon as
his gaze lands right on him. The figure is standing near his own locker, the side of his head leaning
right against the metallic door whilst he scrolls through his phone. Donghyuck steps closer, peering
right at the boy and he feels a frown already edging its way on his mouth upon recognizing him.

Mark Lee.

His head is ducked low, eyes fleeting as he reads something intently on the glow of his screen before
his fingers fly to type up a message. Donghyuck has never witnessed him look this troubled before
— he always seem to be so bright, so sweet with a smile always playing on the corners of his lips.
He can never imagine that he'll get to see his mouth stretched into a thin, grim line. His usual starry
eyes are dimmer than what Donghyuck is used to and honestly, it's enough to make his guts twist in
nervousness.

"Hyuck? Hello, are you still there?" Renjun's worried tone in his voice clutches Donghyuck tightly
and drags him back to reality. He blinks, taking in his surroundings with a dazed expression before
he clears his throat once again.

"Hey, sorry. I have to go, my class is starting soon."

"Okay, we'll talk later!"

"Sure," Donghyuck keeps his eyes trailed on Mark, a scrutinizing gaze settled on tracing every
movement of his, "Bye."

He ends the call with a press before he locks it. He slips the device right into his pocket, a watchful
stare directed at Mark. He's utmost curious on why in the world Mark looks utterly disturbed and
distraught — he couldn't possibly think of a reason that could bring his mood down like this.

No, stop it. Donghyuck shakes his head, scowling right after as he stalks away in a different
direction. He's just your neighbor. Nothing more.

He doesn't care if he has to take a longer route to avoid him — he can't let himself get tangled in like
this. It's not his business. It's not his problem.

-
3:13 P.M.

He trudges right up to the lobby, teeth chattering and shivering as a blast of cold air wraps him up in
a breathtaking hold. A chill runs down his spine as he hastily rubs his palms together. His hot breath
hits his skin, providing even a little bit of heat to his freezing body — his fingers feel rather painfully
stiff as of the moment.

He stretches out his legs, taking two steps at a time as he steadily walks right up the stairs to head to
the third floor. His feet are aching to feel the wooden floor of his apartment as he sinks right into his
plush couch — it's what he deserves after pouring over his books and studying all day long. He
deserves to be able to catch up on some sleep, especially since he knows that around this time, both
Mark and Yukhei are still out. This opportunity happens once in the blue moon so he doesn't have to
concern himself whether he'll be able to sleep soundly or not.

"Oh, thank god, I—" Donghyuck pauses, his footsteps receding as he cranes his neck, listening
intently for any sounds that are out of place. He swallows the lump in his throat as he presses himself
right against the concrete wall, peeking at the corner to see if anything is suspicious.

Oh, for god's sake, Donghyuck grits his teeth in annoyance when his line of vision lands on Mark
pacing back and forth in front of his own apartment door. What is he doing here so early?

Donghyuck watches him with a careful eye, narrowing his gaze the slightest. A look of frustration
crosses the older boy's features, a scowl pulling at the edges of his lips before his fist meets the
wooden door leading to his apartment. The sound echoes within the rather silent and empty hallway,
enough to make Donghyuck jump in his spot due to the surprise. His teeth anxiously sinks down
onto his rosy lower lip, forcing himself to stay quiet as his watchful gaze traces every movement
belonging to the older boy's.

For some reason, he feels like he shouldn't be here to see this, that this kind of moment is supposed to
be private. Should he leave? But he's exhausted to go anywhere else — he already told his friends
that he won't be able to go so he doesn't have any motivation to get his feet moving in another
direction. At the same time, he feels like he should escape somewhere else, let Mark vent his anger
whilst he remains oblivious that someone has caught him in his rage fit.

"Shit," A string of curses words fall from Mark's lips as he hastily drags his phone right out his jeans'
pocket. Donghyuck raises an eyebrow, a little amused at the scene unfolding right in front of him.
Mark cursing is certainly entertaining to watch since the older male has been nothing but a
sweetheart; Donghyuck is caught by surprise at the amount of curse words that can leave his mouth
in a matter of minutes. He seems to be trying to contact someone but based on his body language —
the scowl written on his lips, his brows knitted in concentration, the poorly concealed frustration
hiding beneath his dark orbs — he can't seem to reach them properly.

"Yukhei, please." Mark ends up saying loudly, finally halting from circling in front of his front door
before he lets his back rest against the wood. The back of his head leans against it, eyes falling shut
as he mouths the words please, please, please with his phone pressed up against his ear. He looks
utterly... broken now, any traces of anger and distraught has left and now, he looks even more
desperate to reach his boyfriend through his phone.

Fuck, now Donghyuck feels like he shouldn't be here. This is a private moment between Yukhei and
Mark and he doesn't want to get caught up in their mess. If he stays, he might see Mark get pulled in
a wave of emotions and god knows that he won't be able to handle it. He takes one last glance,
scrutinizing eyes picking apart at the worry-filled expression dawning on Mark's visage before he
leaves, his boots gently and quietly hitting the concrete floor.
The last words he heard from Mark before he descends the staircase are don't leave.

Now, he really can't stay at all.

11:27 P.M.

Donghyuck sinks right into his mattress, slipping his headphones right over his ears before he fixes
his position until he's lying properly on the bed. A soft indie song plays through his headphones, the
melody is awfully relaxing and familiar as it lulls him into a sense of calmness. His lithe fingers brush
against the pages of his book, eyes constantly flickering word to word until everything is engraved in
the corners of his mind.

For once, the night is going as perfectly as he first imagined his stay here.

Honestly, he wasn't even sure if he would be able to hang around after seeing the way Mark broke
down right in front of his doorway. He didn't want to walk up the staircase and pick up on the
remnants of a possible fight between Mark and Yukhei — it's already too much for him that he had
to endure as a witness to Mark's frustration hours ago.

But he still took the risk, footsteps echoing softly along the stairway as he craned his neck, alert and
anxious if there's a fight anywhere. When he rounded the corner, a sigh of relief left his lips when the
front doors of their apartments were void of any soul. He did try to see if he'll pick up on any unusual
sounds resonating nearby but the only noise that rang through is the echo of his footsteps.

Up until to this moment, he breathes in the stillness and silently thanking that he doesn't have to
endure any unnecessary noise that might cause a bother.

The melody of the song drowns him in a stretch of serenity that it took a little more time for him to
realize that it's strangely silent. He lets his book slip from his fingertips, allowing it to drop to the
mattress with an inaudible thud as he slowly slips off his headphones.

Silence.

It echoes unnaturally through every corner of his bedroom and somehow, a frown draws itself on his
lips. Even if this is what he kept on begging for months, to be here and actually hearing the
quietness, it's unnerving to say at least. There's something wrong but he can't quite pinpoint the
reason why—

The harsh slam of the door vibrates through his apartment and his breath hitches. His heartbeat
quickens as the sound of shoes slamming against the wooden floor continues to resonate until a
rough voice cuts through the noise.

"Where were you?"

Donghyuck swallows the imaginary lump in his throat as he cranes his neck, leaning in close to the
wall on his right. The same wall that connects both of their bedrooms — the same cursed wall that
makes you listen to every sound, every word that spills from everyone's lips.

Right now, Donghyuck hates it more than ever.

The voices sound a little muffled, simply an exchange of tense whispers. Donghyuck still has the
chance to slip his headphones over his ears and switch to a louder song so he can drown out all other
noise within his reach — even the silence itself. But he stays rooted right on his bed, head lowered as
he concentrates on the bits and pieces of heated conversation being thrown back and forth between
Mark and Yukhei.

"Was out in the café for my job—"

"Weren't even answering—"

"Closed up the café too late—"

The voices overlap, cutting each other off and Donghyuck hates himself for listening more and more.
He has never heard them become this tense before; they always seem so blissful together that it's
rather difficult for Donghyuck to comprehend that they fight with such harsh words. It's like he's
captivated by it and the more he picks up on the conversation, the more his stomach churn rather
uncomfortably as he shifts his position on his bed. He turns his body to face the wall and for the first
time, he notices how dull and bleak the color of the wall is — the paint has already started to peel
right at the edges.

"Bullshit!" Mark yells, his voice strangled and no matter how much he tries to control it, he sounds
like he's losing his grip on the short end of his patience. "You're out until late at night for the past two
weeks and you're telling me that it's your job?"

"I'm telling the truth!" Yukhei is on the verge of slipping into a rage fit, the volume of his voice is
louder than any of them expected.

"The café closes at eight every night. Every single night." Mark lowers his voice and out of instinct,
Donghyuck hastily gets off from his mattress, leaning in close. He catches the last few words that
spilled from Mark's lips and his heart pounds right against his ribcage.

"Are you cheating on me?"

The reticence stretches itself as Donghyuck holds his breath, awaiting the response. He's about to
take a step forward to close the gap between his body and the wall but he hesitates, shaking his head
abruptly before he decides to take a seat right on the edge of his bed. His heartbeat is hasty, an
uneven rhythm that lets a stream of emotions burst through his veins. He wants to part his lips, say
something or anything at all until Yukhei's shaky voice cuts through.

"I'm sorry."

Donghyuck stops completely, his eyes widening in bewilderment. Did he hear that correctly? Is
Yukhei apologizing?

"You didn't answer my question." The impatience is hidden underneath Mark's furious tone but he's
only met with the same response.

"I'm sorry." Yukhei breathes out, voice turning shakier as each moment passes by. It must have
dawned on Mark what he meant with those words because the quietness resounds within the
bedroom before he slices through the tension with his voice sounding strangled once again. He
sounds like he's right on the verge of breaking into tears and somehow, that's enough to cause an
ache in Donghyuck's chest.

"How long?" Mark's tone is slowly receding into a whisper that Donghyuck barely catches his
words. It seems that Yukhei has adapted the same volume since the conversation becomes hushed,
faint voices echoing within the bedroom. Donghyuck swallows excruciatingly, the pressure is
building right up his body as he shifts right away from the wall, suddenly all too exhausted to
continue eavesdropping.
He should stop while he still can. It's not his problem.

"Get out." Mark raises his voice again, but this time, the brokenness is fairly evident in his tone. A
soft whimper bounces right off the wall before another hushed apology floats in the atmosphere,
disappearing quietly when the click of a door resonates.

Right after that, Donghyuck's heart breaks just the same.

It's one thing to hear Mark laugh — his laugh is wonderfully contagious. The kind that awakens the
butterflies buried in Donghyuck’s stomach, their wings gently fluttering as he gets lulled to sleep. It's
almost like a lullaby for him since his heart-fluttering laugh is such a sweet-sounding melody.

But to hear his heart-wrecking sobs? It's awful. A cacophonous mess of rhythms and melodies
clashing against one another until the once dulcet song that resonates in the atmosphere every night
turns into catastrophic tune.

Even as Mark tries to keep his voice down, Donghyuck can hear the way the sob rips itself out of his
throat. It's like he's trying not to break down but the world has already crashed right into him,
catching him breathless and dazed. He sounds like he's attempting to catch his breath but he only
cries harder, sobs a little louder than before.

It's heartbreaking. So heartbreaking that Donghyuck unknowingly finds himself standing up from his
bed, his sock covered feet gently landing on the floor. He feels a certain pull right at the wall and he
lets his feet walk right over to it, pressing his forehead against the cool material. A sense of heaviness
drifts through his body as he continues to listen to Mark's faint sobs right next door. He raises a hand,
his fingers curling to form a fist before he raps his knuckles right against it, hearing the dull thud
resounding with every move of his hand.

"Mark?"

Silence.

"Hey, Mark?" Donghyuck asks, raising his voice to make sure that Mark can hear him. He nervously
waits right by the wall, his teeth softly sinking right onto his bottom lip as Mark's cries fade into the
stillness. He doesn't want to push him too hard — he might end up chasing the older boy away,
rather than to get him to open up.

He tries again.

"Mark Lee?" He keeps his voice light and casual, his eyes briefly fluttering close as he lets the sound
of his heartbeat drown out everything else for a moment. "Are you okay?" As soon as the words
draw themselves past his lips, he twists the edges of his mouth into a grimace as he inwardly scolds
himself with a grunt.

Of course not, he just found out his boyfriend is cheating on him. Donghyuck shakes his head, the
irritation building up deep inside of him. He's about to part his lips to let an apology slip by when
Mark cuts him off abruptly, voice sounding a little shaky.

"N-No," He sniffles, falling silent for a stretch of seconds before he speaks again. "But I'll be okay."

Donghyuck is reluctant to continue speaking; what if he doesn't want to talk about it? He knows that
Mark isn't dense nor an idiot — he's aware that their fight might have caused anyone to listen in to
them. Is he overstepping his boundaries right now? He's just a neighbor, after all. They're nowhere
near to being acquaintances, for goodness' sake.
But as he hear the soft, strangled sob that leaves from Mark's throat, he ends up heaving a sigh. He
lays his forehead against the wall, listening to the dull thud of his heartbeat right inside his ribcage
before he speaks as gently as he can.

"We can talk about it, if you want," Donghyuck lightly drums the pads of his fingers right against the
wall, his hesitant voice gently morphing into one that resembles genuine concern. "But if you're
uncomfortable about the idea, it's fine. Just know that I'll always be here for you, yeah?"

The deafening silence meets his words instead and Donghyuck knits his brows, a forlorn expression
crossing his features. Did Mark fell asleep on him? Or maybe he finds it odd that out of all the days
Donghyuck had to be decently nice to him, it's the same day that his ex-boyfriend left him. Either
way, Donghyuck finds it awkward to be standing against the wall, wondering why in the world he
even thought of doing this.

I shouldn't have done this, I shouldn't have done this, I shouldn't have—

"Are you sure I won't be a bother?" Donghyuck softens at his reply, the frown fading away from the
edges of his mouth. He quietly knocks twice on the wall once again, a sigh falling from his lips.

"You're not a bother to me, don't worry." He doesn't know why he ended up saying that — he used
to be so annoyed by Mark's presence but now, it feels right to say them. Mark isn't a bother to him
now.

Mark sniffles, the sound echoing in the rather silent bedroom of his before he raises his voice a little
so Donghyuck could hear him, "Okay."

Donghyuck furrows his eyebrows, eyeing the thin wall for a moment before he gently raps his
knuckles against the material. The dull thud resonates and Donghyuck hopes that Mark is listening
closely to what he's saying.

"Hey, I don't think we should talk over the wall. As thin as it is, it's still difficult to hear you." The
younger boy shifts from one foot to another, slipping his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "I can
take you somewhere nice."

"Like where?"

Donghyuck, for the first time of the night, curves his mouth into a wide smile as he lightly pats the
wall.

"You'll see."

11:40 P.M.

"You know, you could have just said that we're heading to the rooftop." Mark tries to crack a smile
at his direction to lighten up the mood but it fades away slowly. He ducks his head, just as
Donghyuck steps closer to him, their sides nearly touching but they're both respectful enough to give
each other their needed space.

"Where's the fun in telling you where we're going?" Donghyuck keeps his tone light, hoping to ease
off the tension drifting in the atmosphere. Mark quirks his lips upwards into a hurried smile before it
writes itself off his mouth, head lowered so the younger boy wouldn't see the tears clinging to his
lashes.
The night is chilly and Donghyuck can feel the coldness wrapping him up in a breathtaking embrace,
despite the thick hoodie he slipped into. He feels the urge to shift closer so the distance between them
would shorten and he'll feel the warmth radiating from Mark's body. But he dismisses the thought
without a sparing another second, choosing to slip his freezing fingers in the comfort of his hoodie's
pockets.

He waits for a moment, gaze flickering up to the starry night sky spread out above them. The
vastness of it makes Donghyuck dizzy so he drops his eyes to the concrete floor, his sneakers
rubbing roughly against the ground with a muffled sigh. He wants to say something, anything at all
but he doesn't want to push Mark into an uncomfortable space so he keeps his lips shut tight,
preventing any sound from spilling out.

"I'm sorry," Donghyuck, even if he's expecting to hear the other's voice, could still feel the way his
bones jumped in surprise upon hearing the sound reverberating in the air. Mark has a crestfallen
expression written all over his visage and his teeth catches onto his bottom lip, silencing any
whimpers from leaving his mouth.

"For what?" The brown haired boy asks incredulously, an eyebrow shooting up.

Mark spares him a glance and he flashes a weak smile, lips barely lifting upwards. "Because I've
been nothing but a bad neighbor to you," Mark hastily raises his arm to wipe away the tears that slid
down the curves of his cheeks, voice turning shakier as each second slips by, "And now, I'm a
disturbance to you since you got dragged into this mess."

Donghyuck can feel the guilt clawing at his chest as he listens to the words falling from the older
male's lips. Sure, he has always disliked him because Donghyuck has never had a moment of peace
in his apartment due to his neighbor not learning to keep silent early in the morning. But he never
truly hated his existence — that is, if the signs of his heart fluttering beneath his chest and his
stomach churning every time their gazes lock on each other are enough to prove that he doesn't
despise him.

He nonchalantly tries to shrugs his shoulders, throwing a reassuring smile at the other boy and
hoping that it looks genuine enough, "It's fine, I was the one who said that you can talk to me if you
need someone, yeah?"

"I know."

The silence hangs heavily over them too fast that Donghyuck is rendered speechless all over again.
He gnaws on his bottom lip, calming down the erratic beating of his heart as he tries to string his
thoughts into a coherent trail. He can feel the headache starting to seep through his head so his eyes
fall shut, blocking out any abrupt flashes of lights or loud sounds that might cause him to feel
queasier.

The sound of rubber shoes knocking against the concrete echoes before Mark mumbles, "It hurts."

Donghyuck doesn't know what to say to him; it's as if fate has stolen the words right off the tip of his
tongue and left him with absolutely nothing. His lips stretched into a straight line, erasing any traces
of nervousness and frustration coursing through his body as Mark speaks again. His voice sounds
undoubtedly broken, spelling out the sadness that is laced around his words.

"I don't understand why he cheated on me. We were doing so well and this just came out of nowhere
and I," Mark breaks off, unable to continue as a sob rips out of his throat again. His voice won't stop
shaking as a helpless whimper escapes his mouth, burying his face in his hands to muffle the cries.
Donghyuck hates the sound of it — the brokenness etched in his tone, the way it quivers as Mark
tries to push the words past his lips but to no avail. He sounds forlorn and miserable; the brown
haired boy can feel his chest constricting in the most painful manner possible. So, without wasting
another second, he shifts closer to him with a few light steps and loops his arms around Mark's
frame.

He can feel Mark stiffen in shock upon feeling the warm embrace coming from the younger boy, the
sob stilling in his throat. But that isn't enough for Donghyuck to let go of him, despite his head
yelling at him that this is a bad decision. Instead, he tightens his hold around him, letting Mark bury
his face on his shoulder as he trails a soothing hand down his back.

Another cry resonates as Mark willingly slides his arms around Donghyuck in a breathtaking grip.
Donghyuck can feel the tears soaking his hoodie but right now, he could care less about it; all he
wants is to be able to soothe down the pain residing in Mark's chest. They stay like that, still as a
statue as Mark's shoulders shake with every sob that falls from his lips whilst Donghyuck hums in a
low tone, hoping to comfort him in any way possible.

"Don't cry, my hoodie is getting wet now." Donghyuck jokingly responds to him, his voice turning
mischievous to help lighten the heavy atmosphere between them. Mark freezes again in his touch and
hesitantly, he breaks away from the embraces with his arms falling at his sides instead.

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, I was only kidding!" Donghyuck nervously laughs as he reaches out, cold fingers cupping
Mark's cheeks to delicately wipe away the tears rolling down. He doesn't even realize what he's
doing until he notices the way Mark's eyes widen in surprise, the brown specks in them are lit up
under the presence of the starlight above. Donghyuck pauses, not knowing how to proceed —
should he back away? Should he laugh again and pretend that he didn't do that?

"Oh, I," Mark says, voice uncertain but filled with an unusual amount of gratitude embedded in it.
"Thank you, Donghyuck."

"It's fine." Donghyuck swallows the lump in his throat, clearing it as he awkwardly drops his hands
to his sides. His palms are stained with dried tears but right now, he can't find it in himself to care.
"It's no problem at all."

Mark manages to lift the corners of his lips into a weakened smile before they drop down to form a
straight, grim line. But at least the smile that painted itself across his features was genuine. Or at least,
that's what Donghyuck wants to let himself think about.

They dive into the silence again but this time, it feels comfortable and normal. The tension no longer
hangs between them so for the first time for tonight, Donghyuck allows his shoulders to drop in relief
as he steps close to the ledge. He leans his upper body against the concrete, gaze flickering down on
the cars passing the still busy street — it's a splash of colors amidst the dull lights coming from the
street lamps.

He can feel Mark shift close to him and soon, he feels a hesitant presence drifting near as the warmth
radiates from his body. He throws a questioning glance at the older boy and he sees the way the
expression crosses Mark's visage almost instantaneously; he's quietly begging for Donghyuck's
permission if this is okay, if it's all right for them to stay close.

Donghyuck shrugs his shoulders carelessly, paired with a reassuring smile thrown at his direction
before he locks his stare down on the street. Soon after, Mark presses his body against his side,
fingers gripping the ledge in a breathtaking grip as he glances downwards to see the flicker of car
lights passing through the street.

Donghyuck expected the reticence to extend even more but Mark breaks the remnants of it by
clearing his throat and inclining his head at the younger boy. "Hey, Donghyuck?"

"Yeah?" He doesn't spare him a glance; he wants to believe it's because the rush of the cars on the
street are far more entertaining than seeing the amount of emotions flicker on Mark's face. But he
does know that it's because he won't be able to handle it if he sees the sadness etched on his
expression — it hurts too much to see even a glimpse of it.

Mark takes in a deep, shaky breath, exhaling right after with his words coming out steadier than
Donghyuck expected. "I'm really grateful for you."

The brown haired boy hangs his head low, eyes steady on the concrete flooring instead, sneakers
scraping against it. He has always prided himself in knowing what to say exactly in a situation but
every time he lifts his gaze and locks eyes with Mark, his throat closes up and every known word to
him leaves his mind. Right now, that's what's certainly happening and he despises himself a little.

He cracks a forced, wide smile as he waves a hand dismissively at his direction. "Are you feeling
better now?" He swiftly avoids the grateful smile thrown at him, choosing to act apathetic about it.

"Yeah," Mark's voice falters as he drops his stare down to the ground instead. "I'm as good as I can
be for tonight."

"Are you sure? We can always drink our sorrows away." Despite the obvious heaviness residing in
Mark's chest due to the events that transpired tonight, a breathy laugh bubbles from his throat.
Donghyuck's brow shoots up, clearly interested at the traces of a lingering smile playing on the dark
haired male's lips.

"Maybe I can take you up on that offer of yours someday."

"Okay, whatever you say." Donghyuck struggles to keep his voice unconcerned — he can hear the
slight lilt of happiness bursting through his own tone so he ends up clearing his throat to avoid it.
Mark pauses, fingers curling around the hem of his own dark blue hoodie before they end up
slipping in the pockets in hopes to cover them from the biting cold.

"Thanks for talking to me tonight, Donghyuck. I mean, it's not like you're obliged to do it, especially
since I can be obnoxious for you at times but," He halts for a moment, eyes fixating themselves on
Donghyuck's side profile with a softened, genuine smile drawn across his visage. "Thank you."

He has already lost track of how many times Mark has endlessly thanked him with so much amount
of sincerity but with each grateful word that leaves his lips, Donghyuck's heart flutters a little. He
scolds himself for feeling like this — he can't feel like this at all. Mark broke up with his boyfriend
nearly two hours ago and Donghyuck supposedly dislikes him.

(He thinks that isn't true though.)

"I told you, it's no problem. You can talk to me whenever."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The awkwardness descends in the atmosphere between them and Donghyuck finds himself shifting
from one foot to another, chewing on his lower lip in search of finding anything else to say. Once
he's sure he has already drifted through all the words that he could possibly say, he turns to fully face
the older boy with his lips quirk up into a smile.
"I guess we'll see each other again. Good night, Mark." He waits for another stretch of a heartbeat
before he whispers, "Sleep well."

"You too, Donghyuck."

Donghyuck takes a step toward the door but he wavers a little. He throws another glance at him and
he finds his line of sight landing on the broad back belonging to Mark, his shoulders slumped with
his hands tucked in the pockets of his hoodie. He parts his lips, trying to find something to say but he
holds himself back at the last moment; he shakes his head before stepping away from the older boy.

Not even realizing the time that had already passed by, Donghyuck continues to walk mindlessly. He
wants to delay his walk back to his apartment as much as possible, wanting to clear his foggy mind.
But no matter where he roams around the floors, the thoughts about Mark continue to uselessly swirl
around his mind and blocking out anything else.

Before he knows it, he's already standing right in front of the door to his apartment, troubled eyes
gazing the wood. He shakes his head abrupt to help clear any more remnants hanging in his mind as
his slender fingers circle around the knob, turning it and stepping inside in a rather hasty manner. He
slams the door shut, wincing the piercing sound resonating in the apartment before he sprints to his
bedroom.

It's silent, as expected.

He sinks right in his bed, the sheets wrapping themselves around his lithe body as he lays his head on
the pillow. He faces the thin wall and his throat dries up as the memories play in his head so
perfectly, each scene leaving him breathless. He shuts his eyes, hoping that the echoing silence will
lull him to sleep.

But he never would have expected that the silence would be so deafening.

At the first day, Mark wasn't around.

Donghyuck doesn't pride himself as an expert in relationships and such (really, the most advice he
has gotten is from his friends and some of them sound ridiculous in his head), but he can conclude
that Mark has locked himself up. He went through such an abrupt and harsh break up; he's not even
given a heads up about what's going to happen to him. It's as if the train whizzed past him and he's
rendered confused, not knowing that he's been left behind already. So, really, Donghyuck doesn't
blame him.

Day two rolls in and Mark still wasn't at the university.

Then another day.

And another one.

A week and a half, Mark still is not around.

Donghyuck tugs the corners of his lips downward, creasing themselves into a worried frown. He
shifts from one foot to another, eyes fleeting from the metallic lockers to catch sight of the familiar
black hair that he's used to seeing. But all he sees is the hallways bustling with other university
students, none of them looking as familiar as his next door neighbor.

If he's being honest, he isn't quite sure why he's so invested in what happened to Mark. Lately, the
apartment has been silent with no disturbances echoing from the neighboring apartments — it's
supposed to set Donghyuck's mind at ease. It's supposed to be a dream come true for him because he
can finally indulge himself in the peaceful stretch of the evenings, studying and listening to his music.
But instead, he spends his evenings staying up late and staring at the dull, thin wall, waiting.

Waiting to hear that familiar burst of resonating laughter that sends his heart into a wreckage. Waiting
for the soft murmurs of I love you being exchanged between the two boys that used to reside in the
apartment next to his. Waiting for anything, absolutely anything, that can reassure him that Mark is
all right.

The only sound that he hears is the quiet, heartbreaking sobs and whimpers of I'm sorry and Please
come back.

Donghyuck clenches his jaw, the annoyance set on his expression as he grips the door of his locker.
He slams it shut, the sound reverberating within the area and making the other students jolt in
surprise. He mutters an apology once he senses the steady gazes on him as he slips away with
burning cheeks and heart beating wildly beneath his rib cage. He loses count of the heartbeats, letting
the sounds echo and fade into nothingness in a second.

He shouldn't care, right? Mark Lee is only his next door neighbor. His next door neighbor whose
heart got broken so mercilessly— for god's sake, why can't he stop thinking about him?

Idiot, stop thinking about him. He screws his eyes shut, catching his breath to still the erratic beating
of his heart. He grits his teeth, hating the sound that vibrates through the entirety of his body due to
the action. You'll only break your own heart.

But no matter what he does, his heart seems to be in a constant state of wrecking itself apart so he
gives up, eyes fluttering open. He's met with the locker belonging to the same boy that has been on
his mind for so long.

A photo that he usually sees whenever he passes by it is still hanging in front of him — it's a photo of
Mark and Yukhei together, all smiles and about to break into the same familiar laughter that
Donghyuck is used to hearing for quite some time now. It's so careless of him to do that; anyone
could have seen it and know that he hasn't been attending his classes.

He reaches out, fingers grasping the corner of the polaroid. His hand stills from ripping it away from
the front of the locker, choosing to pull his fingers away from it. They curl into fists instead as he
uselessly drops his arms at his sides, turning around the corner and leaving the photo alone.

It's not his business.

He should stop caring about him.

Seeing Mark out of his apartment sends a jolt of electricity through Donghyuck's body. It seems out
of the ordinary, as if it's already a habit for him not to see the other boy anymore; he almost managed
to convince himself that Mark doesn't exist at this point.

Keyword is almost.

Donghyuck had only started to walk past the last step of the staircase when the door leading to the
apartment next to his slowly falls open. The creak of the wood echoes in the rather quiet hallway,
forcing the brown haired boy to stop in his steps as he hides behind a wall. From his line of view, he
catches sight of a taller male — god, if he's being honest, the anger surges in faster through his body
even before he can recognize the emotion traveling in his veins. It almost feels like a lifetime ago
since he last saw Yukhei and it angers him that the older male seems to be apathetic about the
situation at hand.

Did he not regret what he did to Mark? He cheated on him and he still has the guts to show his face
to his ex-boyfriend? Donghyuck scoffs, shaking his head at the thoughts swirling around his mind.
The other boy must be around again to grovel and beg for Mark to take him back because god
knows that he made a mistake of breaking Mark's heart in the first place.

"Is that all?" Mark's firm voice cuts through his thoughts, rendering Donghyuck into a speechless
state. He silently eyes them, finally realizing that there's a pile of boxes sitting right by Yukhei's feet.
They're overflowing with personal belongings that the younger boy safely assumes belongs to
Yukhei.

He's moving out. Donghyuck's teeth catches onto his bottom lip, a little ashamed for jumping straight
into conclusions. He always seems to form his own thoughts about the situations that keep on
presenting itself in front of him and it has become a habit for him to rip apart a story from it.

There's a flicker of sadness and regret that appears in Yukhei's face before they all completely
dissipate, leaving behind the same apathetic expression that he's been wearing since Donghyuck saw
him, "Yeah, that's all."

The silence echoes at every corner of the hallway; it's stretched for so long that Donghyuck can hear
it ringing in his ears. He swallows the groan of frustration that almost slips past his rosy lips, keeping
a watchful gaze on the two of them. He catches the way Yukhei hesitates when he takes a step
forward, his arms half raised as if he's about to pull Mark into an embrace.

He falls back, pocketing his hands again as he draws his attention to the floor instead with lips
pursued into a thin line, "I'm sorry, Mark."

"Don't." The dark haired boy's voice wavers, on the verge of breaking apart before he manages to
steer it back into a firmer tone. "Just take your things and leave."

Yukhei casts him another apologetic glance, mumbling something under his breath as he bends down
to grasp the boxes in his arms. Donghyuck watches him carefully as the Yukhei walks further down
the hallway, leading himself to another staircase. He waits for a moment before he allows himself to
steal a glance at Mark's state.

It's becoming another familiar sight for him — to see the tears clinging to Mark's lashes as he tries to
wipe them away by pressing the heel of his palms against his eyes. The hallway is so silent that
Donghyuck can hear the barely audible whimper that drags itself past the older male's lips, forcing a
reaction out of the brown haired boy. His feet start dragging themselves against the floor, the soles of
his sneakers hitting against it in a rather loud tone.

It's distracting enough to earn Mark's attention; he can see the way the other boy steals a glance at
him, a wry smile curling itself across his features when he catches sight of him. "Hey, Donghyuck."

"Hey," He falters, the pink tint coloring itself across the curves of his cheeks. He clears his throat as
he stops right in front of the dark haired boy, blinking rapidly as he tries to lift up the corners of his
lips into a small smile. "Mark Lee, fancy seeing you here."

A laugh bubbles from Mark's throat and Donghyuck allows a sigh of relief to fall from his lips when
he realizes that it sounds genuine. He's a little worried that Mark might build up a front and force
himself to be cheerful around his neighbor — yet again, he doesn't need to do that anymore, right?
Donghyuck has seen him hit his lowest point so there's no point in hiding himself.

"How are you?"

Mark blinks hurriedly, not knowing what to say. He forces the edges of his mouth to curve into a
sweet smile, parting his lips, only to let the reticence resonate within the area. He clears his throat as
well, tearing his gaze away from Donghyuck as he elicits a boisterous laugh that sends shivers down
the younger boy's spine, "I'm okay. How about you?"

Donghyuck frowns deeply at his answer; he already knows what kind of reply that Mark is supposed
to say to him. He never asks those kind of questions out of being polite — he asks them when he's
genuinely concerned. Instead, he's hit with the standard I'm fine, and you? reply that he despises so
much. He knows that Mark isn't fine and the dark haired male is aware of that. Why does he have to
lie to him still?

Donghyuck scoffs, crossing the shortened distance between them. Mark is caught breathless when
the other's fingers circle themselves around his wrist; a light tug is enough for him to follow
Donghyuck down the hallway.

"Mark Lee, you know that you don't have to lie to me." Donghyuck finally speaks, turning to the
older male once they've arrived at the top of the staircase. He doesn't bother to remove his grip
around his wrist, eyes steady on him as an eyebrow arches in curiosity. He tilts his head to the side,
stepping a little closer and rendering Mark into a speechless state.

"You're not fine. You look awful."

Mark swallows the obvious lump in his throat, his tone coming out more bitter than he expected it to
be. "Wow, thanks."

The brown haired boy doesn't flinch at the cold and monotonous reply handed to him; he only lifts
his chin, lips curled into a familiar curve of a smirk as he once again pulls on Mark's wrist. The rush
of the pull is enough for Mark to stumble close, hitting the side of his body with a grunt before he
narrows his eyes at him in a rather suspicious manner.

"What do you think about going somewhere with me, huh?"

Mark's brows shoot up in surprise and inquisitiveness before he narrows his gaze once again.
"Where? Are you taking me to the rooftop again?"

"No way," Donghyuck is wearing a mischievous smile as he pulls Mark close to him. The shortened
distance between them makes him catch his breath, his heart stuck right at his throat before he quietly
clears his throat. His eyes light up underneath the low lights above their heads. "Come on, I know
just the place to help clear your head."

"Are you taking me out to drink?" Mark hurriedly asks, halting Donghyuck from moving down the
stairs and effectively catching the younger boy off guard. He arches a brow at the dark haired male,
head tilted to the side as his gaze flickers from head to toe to analyze him with furrowed brows.

"Why, is that what you want to do?"

"No!" The answer comes out rushed, earning a strange look from the younger. Mark's cheeks color
themselves in pink tint as he shifts from one foot to another, drawing his attention to the floor instead.
"No, I was hoping for just a quiet evening today."

"It will be, don't worry." Donghyuck flashes a bright smile at him, so awfully bright that Mark can
feel the tiniest flutter in his chest. The younger male silently tightens his hold around his wrist, urging
him to follow him with eyes sparkling. "Do you trust me?"

Mark takes a deep breath then as quietly he could, he mumbles, "Yes."

"Good. I promise you'll feel better after this."

Mark doesn't have time to indulge himself in a temporary stretch of silence when Donghyuck pulls
him, eagerly dragging him down the flight of stairs. The laugh that escapes Donghyuck's lips leaves
the both of them feeling a little lighter than ever.

(Not that any of them would admit it.)

The rush of water still startles Donghyuck even if he's been going here for so many years already.
But despite that, his heart still races beneath his chest, clearly excited to hear more of the water
crashing against the concrete.

"Wow," Mark voices out, completely in awe as he gazes upwards at the huge fountain quietly sitting
right in front of them. Bright lights are lit up under the water, a blur of colors as they flicker on and
off at different parts. Under the star-drunk skies, the water catches the light and reflects it in an
ethereal kind of glow — Donghyuck would admit that this kind of sight is absolutely breathtaking.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" Donghyuck lets his eyes flicker over to Mark and his heart falls out of control
when he catches sight of the light burning in the other's dark, wide eyes. He still looks awestruck as
he slowly approaches the fountain, jaw dropped as he sweeps his gaze along the light before
focusing his eyes on the rush of water passing.

"It's so beautiful." Mark murmurs, frowning to himself as he turns his head. Donghyuck is caught off
guard when he feels the other's heavy gaze on him as the older male shortens the distance between
them by taking long strides over to him, "How come a place like this is nearly empty at this time of
the night?"

Donghyuck tries to act nonchalant as he sticks his hands in his pockets. It's difficult to keep his
expression neutral as he fixates his eyes on the fountain instead. "Isn't it one in the morning? I don't
think people would spend time at a fountain — pretty sure they would rather stay in a club." He
stiffly walks over to the edge, taking a seat on the concrete. Despite feeling the droplets of water
hitting his back, he can't bring himself to care; anywhere would be better than staying too close to
Mark and causing his heart to go into a wreckage.

"Is this your special place?"

Unfortunately for Donghyuck, Mark doesn't seem to follow his train of thoughts, seeing how he
crossed the distance between his spot and the seat next to the younger male. A noisy sigh falls from
the brown haired boy's lips, unable to hide his frustration when Mark takes the space beside him.
Fortunately for him though, the older male didn't take notice of it as he chooses to gaze right out of
the barely alive pathway — the lack of people roaming around at this time of night seems to be
fascinating for him.

"Yeah," Donghyuck finds his voice a little later, coming out hoarser than intended. He clears his
throat as he crosses a leg over the other, hands gripping the edge of the concrete as he gazes at the
other side to avoid Mark's eyes flickering over to him. "I go here when I need to relax. The water is
enough to distract me from everything that I'm thinking about."
Mark narrows his eyes at him, appearing a little bit of suspicious. "By the way you worded that, you
made it sound like you frequently jumped in the water to clear your head."

Donghyuck can't help but feel the corners of his lips twitch into a wide grin. The thought of Mark
actually believing that — it was endearing to even think about it. It would be a lie if he didn't
consider nudging him in that direction; he wants to see how long Mark would believe him.

"Yeah, I do, actually."

Mark seems to be caught off guard by how nonchalant and passive Donghyuck is about the entire
thing. "What? Are you serious?"

"Mm, definitely." Donghyuck keeps up the act, throwing a strange look at the other boy. An
eyebrow shoots up, head tilted to the side as he eyes Mark with a scrutinizing gaze. His lips are
twisted into a deep frown as he continues speaking, "Why? You've never done that before?"

"I don't think that's allowed..." Mark trails off, looking at the water uncertainly. Donghyuck flashes a
mischievous smile right behind him, hurriedly morphing his look into a serious expression as he leans
in as close as he could to the boy without possibly frightening him too much.

"Haven't you heard about the legend about fountains?"

"What?" Mark is looking at him dubiously but Donghyuck continues to keep up with his lie. The
way he keeps his voice clear and straight, without breaking it apart almost sounds too convincing. He
has to admit, he himself found his words convincing if he didn't already know the truth.

"You know how you need to throw a coin in the fountain whenever you make a wish?" Donghyuck
blinks rapidly, making a show of letting his eyes flicker over to the fountain. There are old coins still
sitting at the bottom of the water, barely noticeable but enough to catch Mark's attention as he
follows Donghyuck's line of sight. "They said that in order for your wish to really come true, you
have to swim in the water for a minute."

"You must be shitting me."

"Hey! I'm saying the truth!" The younger male huffs loudly, the sound getting lost in the echo of the
water rushing past them. He gestures at Mark to come and take a closer look at the water, his own
eyes lit up in mischief and trouble though he masks it with another serious expression. "Come on, I
have something to show you."

Mark hesitates before slowly following Donghyuck. When he's close enough, Donghyuck slips his
fingers through the clear water before landing a splash right at the older male.

"Ah, fu—!" Mark barely gets to strangle out the curse word before he hastily wipes his face off. The
water droplets stick to his palm whilst Donghyuck bursts into a fit of boisterous laughter. He slaps his
thigh, burying his face in his hands as he tries to control the giggles threatening to leave his lips but
he's caught by surprise when he feels an abrupt splash of water land right at his jacket.

"Hey!"

He jolts in shock, stumbling right away from his concrete seat and checking his jacket. There are
droplets that landed on the material, making him snarl as Mark doubles in laughter, unable to hold
himself back.

"You—You should have seen the look on your face! That's priceless!"
Donghyuck is supposed to be furious, despite the fact that he did start the impromptu water fight. But
instead, he's rendered speechless as he stares at the older boy, his heart climbing right up to his throat.
it's been too long since he last heard the genuine laughter echo from Mark's lips — it's so sweet and
dripping honey at the edges. Somehow, the sound makes his heart hurt so bad; the breath is stolen
away from his lungs, unable to say anything else as he tries to search for the words lying on the tip of
his tongue.

The laughter slowly dies out as Mark wipes away the stray tears at the corners of his eyes. The wide
smile clinging at the edges of his mouth slowly fades away, replaced with a worried frown. Brows
are knitted together as he stands from his seat, hurrying over to Donghyuck.

"Are you okay?" He winces at his own question, casting an apologetic gaze at the younger as his
eyes flicker at him from head to toe. "Sorry, I didn't mean to piss you off."

"No!" Donghyuck answers without a beat to miss, surprising the older male. His cheeks turn flushed
with embarrassment as he straightens his posture, crossing his arms over his chest in a way to hide
the emotions streaming through his veins right now. "No, I'm not mad."

Mark appears skeptical of his reply, a frown still playing on his pink tinted lips, "Really? Are you
sure?"

"I'm sure, idiot." He dismisses the question with a wave of his hand, a laugh falling from his lips.
Mark doesn't seem all that convinced by his words so he approaches the older male, reaching out to
playfully pinch the other's cheek with another resonating giggle. "Look at you, you really believed
me about the fountain!"

"I did not!" Mark raises his hands defensively as Donghyuck removes his hand away from his cheek
though the younger male's eyes are brightly lit with trouble and mischief.

"I'm sure that if I had my back turned on you, you would have jumped in the water without missing a
second."

The older boy makes a show of huffing loudly, arms crossed over his chest. Donghyuck would be
lying if he said he didn't feel even the slightest flutter in his chest the moment he sees how sulky
Mark can be. He grumbles the word cute right under his breath, grateful to the stars that Mark didn't
seem to catch a trail of his words. He does roll his eyes right at him before he flashes another cheeky
smile at the older, taking a brave step to hook their arms together. The sudden skin contact sends a
jolt of surprise through Mark's body as he blinks hastily, a blush coloring itself across the curves of
his cheeks.

"I was just teasing you, Mark Lee. Don't be so uptight." The last sentence leaves his lips in a
singsong kind of tone as he lands a light pat on his cheek, pulling away. His heart calms down the
moment the warmth radiating from Mark's body leaves him though his chest does feel a little emptier
after that interaction.

Resonating silence stretches between them as they both gaze at the rush of water longingly. The
sound is supposed to drown out the quietness but even the fountain is not enough to completely
wring out the reticence. Donghyuck steals a curious glance at him, taking note of the distance
between their bodies before he fixates his eyes up front in the most nonchalant way possible.

"Are you feeling a little better at least?"

Mark's dark eyes flicker over to him, an eyebrow arching. A smile curls on the corners of his mouth
as he steps closer to the younger boy. "I wasn't really feeling bad tonight. I mean, I did see Yukhei,"
The moment the name leaves him cringing before a sigh drags itself past his lips. A sincere smile
curves on his lips as he directs his gaze on the concrete pathway. "My heart did break but I felt better
as soon as I saw you."

No, stop. Donghyuck's teeth catches onto his bottom lip, flickering his eyes somewhere else. He can't
deal with the abrupt change of his heartbeats' pacing — it's going to drive him crazy due to the
emotions that are passing too fast through his veins. You can't say things like that and not expect me
to like you.

As soon as the thought passes through his head, he elicits another noisy sigh. He grits his teeth out of
frustration, eyes falling shut as he tries to block out any thoughts that might cause a trigger to his
heart; he does not want to deal with another heartache in his chest again. He can't loosen his hold on
his walls, simply because Mark is single and he's awfully sweeter than ever.

"That's good." He finally finds his voice a moment later, lips lifted into a familiar curve of a smile.
Mark doesn't seem all too bothered with the way he fell silent a moment ago. His eyes are crinkled in
happiness as he crosses the remaining distance between them until Donghyuck can feel the warmth
emitted from his body again. It's a huge reminder of the lack of space between them but the younger
can't find it in himself to move away.

He lets his eyes flicker around the bare area before he turns to Mark, taking a quick step behind to
put more distance between them, "So, should we head home now?"

"Now?"

Donghyuck doesn't want to assume anything but he's absolutely sure of the way the dark haired male
pulls the edges of his mouth into a frown. For a split second, he almost looks like he wants to stay
even more and talk to Donghyuck as the hours stretch. But the younger boy isn't quite sure if he
could handle that without his heart completely tipping over the edge once the conversation ends.

The brown haired boy makes a show of stretching his arms over his head, emitting a yawn. He rubs
his eyes, blinking blearily at the older male as he frowns deeply, head inclining to the side. "Yes, I'm
really exhausted right now, Mark Lee."

"Don't you ever call me hyung?"

A shrug of the other's shoulders is the only reply he gets for a second. Donghyuck walks up to him,
eyes crinkling in mischievousness as he leans in close. His voice comes out a whisper, eyes lighting
up under the stars. "Okay, hyung."

Mark stands there, stunned and still as a statue once Donghyuck brushes past him. The brown haired
male is elated beyond words that he did catch sight of the blush that painted itself on the other's
cheeks, obviously embarrassed and flustered at the little interaction. He pauses his walk, spinning on
his heel and pocketing his hands in his jacket. The smile is stretched on rosy lips as he raises an arm,
gesturing the still shocked Mark to come closer.

"Come on, hyung. Let's go home." Donghyuck masks the smirk that almost climbed on his lips,
perfectly settling on a neutral expression when Mark snaps out of his reverie. He hurries over to
Donghyuck and to the younger boy's delight, he could still see the faint blush that rushed to his
cheeks as he moves past him.

"Right! Let's head home now!"

As Mark hastily walks in the direction back to their apartment, Donghyuck hangs back a little. A
smile curls on his lips, his heart unknowingly racing beneath his rib cage as he starts to match the
other's pace, hurrying a little to catch up with him.

"Wait for me!"

Mark falls backward on his white sheets, the rush of blood still pounding in his ears. He ran as fast as
he could and led Donghyuck to thinking that they were racing all the way to the apartments. But
honestly, he was running because he wanted a reason to cling onto for the way his heart is beating
incredibly fast around the younger boy.

For a moment, he did trick himself that the reason behind the hasty pace of his heartbeats is because
of the spontaneous run that he broke into and not because of the way Donghyuck lit up beside him.
He can't even deal for the way his body shivered when the other clasped his shoulder the moment
they arrived at their own respective doors, congratulating him for winning their little race.

He supposes that by now, he could put his thoughts to rest. But unfortunately for him, there's a light
knocking right at his door. He grumbles, rising from his bed and heading straight to the front with a
grunt. Lithe fingers circle around the knob, turning it as he pushes the door open, revealing the dimly
lit yet empty hallway.

Huh, weird.

Mark blinks rapidly, checking the other side of the door, only to stop short in his tracks.

A little red balloon is tied at the doorknob. The white string is loosely wrapped around it — tight
enough to make sure that it won't suddenly untangle and float away but loose enough for Mark to tug
on it a few times until he's holding onto it. A few words are written on the balloon, hurriedly written
with a black sharpie.

Pop this balloon for a message.

He knits his brows, shutting the door once he steps back into his apartment. He approaches the desk
sitting by his bed, digging through the content until he stumbles into a pack of safety pins safely hid
in a tiny circular box. Digging one of them out, he unhooks the pin and holding the balloon as far as
his arm could hold out, he pops it. The balloon bursts in an audible pop, making him cringe but he
recovers easily.

A letter flutters to the wooden floor and he frowns in confusion as he bends over. His fingers brush
against the paper, picking it up with ease. As soon as he skims over the words and the little drawing
of a fountain tucked at the side, a grin starts to play on his lips.

It would be a lie if he claimed that his heart didn't explode right then and there in his own chest.

i hope tonight was fun for you as it was for me. you're always welcome to join me when we both
need a distraction from all these annoying work at the university!

P.S . come back to uni soon, i (kinda) miss seeing your ugly face around.

"Oh,"

Donghyuck isn't quite sure what he was supposed to expect when he slipped into the university's
hallway leading to his classroom. He stands still, not registering the fact that Mark is standing by his
own locker with a small smile painted across his features. He watches him for a moment, throat
going parched when Mark finally shuts his locker firmly and his eyes darkening once he sees the
polaroid taped at the front. A scoff falls from his lips as he hurriedly rips it apart into a few pieces and
throwing them in the trash bin nearby.

"Mark Lee?" The mentioned male lifts his head, eyeing Donghyuck for a split second before he
lights up visibly. It's endearing how happy he looks as soon as his gaze fixates itself on Donghyuck,
approaching him with a bounce in his steps. Donghyuck tries to ignore the way his own heart
skipped a beat when Mark finally skidded into a stop right in front of him.

"Hey, good morning, Hyuck!"

"Huh," He blinks, taking in the sight of Mark dressed up casually in front of him. It almost feels a
little too dreamlike — is this real? Did Mark really head back to their university? "I wasn't expecting
to see you today."

"Well," The older male shrugs his shoulders though a grin plays at the edges of his mouth, clearly
eager to see him. "A certain someone left a note last night and told me that he missed seeing my
face."

"Your ugly face, you mean." Donghyuck grumbles under his breath but Mark dismisses the insult
thrown lightly at him. He tries to act nonchalant as he walks over to his own locker, entering his own
code before throwing the door open. "How come I didn't see you a while ago when I left my
apartment this morning?"

Mark slings his backpack over his shoulder as he crosses his arms, leaning against the closed locker
beside Donghyuck's. The brown haired boy hides his face by keeping the door open, blocking the
other's vision from seeing the blush colored on the curves of his cheeks.

"I left early because I needed to talk to some of my professors. But I'm back for good now."

"Good." Donghyuck finally slams his locker shut, lips finally stretched into a smile. He reaches over
to playfully throw a gentle punch at the other's shoulder, crossing the remaining distance left between
them. "Glad to see you around again, hyung."

Mark seems taken aback by the term but he recovers easily though the bright smile curved on his
mouth is enough to give away his true feelings. He clears his throat as his hand stretches out to ruffle
the younger boy's hair playfully, pulling back just in time before Donghyuck can slap his hand and
complain about ruining his hair.

"Come on, I'll walk you to your first class."

The brown haired male rolls his eyes at the offer extended to him. "You don't need to do that."

"But I want to."

Damn you, Mark Lee. Donghyuck grits his teeth and a deep sigh escapes past them, eyes falling
shut. Why do you have to be such a sweetheart to me? When they flutter open again, Mark is staring
at him with such a hopeful expression that Donghyuck knows his heart will break itself apart if he
rejects it. With another sigh, he nods his head once but it's enough to spark happiness in the older
boy's eyes.

They haven't taken a step forward when they see Yukhei down the hall. In a second, Donghyuck
could see it — the way Mark completely freezes in his spot and his face slowly goes pale. The way
his fingers twitch right at his sides as he carefully swallows the lump residing in his throat. The way
his eyes widen in surprise as he stares right ahead, not knowing what to do. What should he do? His
ex is standing at the other end of the hall, looking better than ever.

Donghyuck is about to reach out to hold Mark's hand when the older boy jerks away, as if snapping
out of a trance. He blinks at the brown haired male, gazing at him with glazed eyes before he shakes
his head to get rid of the thoughts swirling in his head.

"I'm sorry, Hyuck. I need to go."

He doesn't have time to formulate a reply when Mark shoulders past him, his expression empty yet
firm. When he lets his gaze flicker over to the end of the hallway, he could see the way Yukhei is
staring right at him with a small frown already gracing his lips. He clenches his jaw and abruptly
spins on his heel, heading off to another direction. It doesn't matter if he has to take a different route;
it doesn't matter if he's late too, for god's sake.

As long as their paths won't cross, he'll be fine.

"What? He abandoned you?"

If Donghyuck is being honest, he did arrive later than expected in his first class. He wasn't exactly
late — he managed to slip through the doorway and settle right next to Renjun before their professor
walked through the double doors. Renjun has been bothering him all morning the moment he noticed
the way Donghyuck seemed so stiff and passive, an unusual reaction that he does whenever they see
each other.

He only broke down the details when they finally left the class as soon as the bell rang.

"Don't word it like that," Donghyuck cringes, face scrunched up before he heaves out a noisy sigh.
He pockets his hands in his coat, turning to the older male with a saddened frown displayed on his
features. "You make it sound like he's obliged to stay with me and walk me to class."

"Exactly! He was the one who promised and abandoned you not even a step later?"

Renjun looks pissed off but Donghyuck can't say that he's anywhere surprised by his friend's
reaction; the older boy has always been a little overprotective when it comes to him since they're the
first ones who became friends when they were kids.

"He did saw his ex so he freaked out and left me behind."

"His ex? Yukhei?"

Donghyuck nods his head grimly, lips set into a straight line. Renjun arches a brow, lips pulled into a
worried frown. He steps closer and rounds an arm around the other's waist, pulling him close and
Donghyuck graciously accepts the affectionate gesture. He wraps an arm around his shoulders as
they walk down the hallway.

"Do you like Mark hyung, Hyuck?"

The brown haired male visibly stiffens as soon as the question rings in the air. He awkwardly pulls
away from Renjun, forcing a boisterous laugh to leave his lips as he jams his hands the pockets of his
coat. "That's ridiculous. Why would I like him? He's just a neighbor."
Renjun looks beyond unconvinced by his words but with a sigh, he drops the topic at hand. It
already looks like Donghyuck would stick with what he said, even if it wasn't the entire truth. "Fine
but listen," The older boy reaches out to clasp his fingers around the edge of Donghyuck's coat,
stopping him in his tracks. He furrows his eyebrows as he stares at the brown haired male, pulling a
sigh past his lips. "I really hope you're telling the truth. It'll be difficult for you if you end up liking
Mark hyung when he's obviously hung up on his ex."

"I promise I won't." Donghyuck forces his lips to curl upwards into a reassuring smile though he's
sure that it won't reach his eyes, "Come on, let's head to our next class."

He hurries his pace, leaving Renjun right behind him, who's still reeling in confusion. He can't face
his friend right now — a little more nudging and he would break apart.

No use in telling Renjun that his heart has always been on the edge of falling for Mark.

The next time they cross paths, Mark has his back resting against the door of his apartment, knees
pressed against his chest. There's a faraway look in his dark eyes, worrying enough that Donghyuck
stopped right in front of him to check up on the other boy. The strap of his backpack almost slides off
his shoulder but he stops it in time, hiking it up once again.

"What's wrong?"

It takes a few more seconds before Mark visibly jerks, as if he snapped out of a trance. With a few
blinks, he lifts his gaze up and a flicker of confusion passes through his eyes. He seizes Donghyuck
with an arched eyebrow. "Hyuck? Since when did you get here?"

"Just now," He slowly says before he crouches down right before him, lips curved into a frown.
"How about you? How long has it been since you decided that it's a good idea to sit right here?"

A wince falls from the other's lips as he hangs his head low, as if ashamed of getting caught sitting
outside of his apartment. With another sigh, he lets the back of his head meet the wooden door as
gently as he could. Donghyuck starts to feel the slight cramp in his thighs, forcing him to sit cross-
legged in front of the older male.

Mark's eyes naturally fixate themselves over to the younger boy, one of the corners of his lips lifted
upwards. "Can't remember," He murmurs, voice coming out delicate and exhausted at the same time.
"Must have been an hour or two." He doesn't look like he truly cares that he's been sitting in the
dimly lit hallway but somehow, that thought doesn't quite sit well with Donghyuck.

He reaches over to clasp a hand on the other's knee, sending a jolt of shock through the dark haired
male. He tilts his head to the side with his brow raising in amusement, "Do you want to know what
will cheer you up right now?"

"What?"

A grin pulls on the corners of his mouth, eyes brightly lit with mischief and playfulness. He gives his
knee a light squeeze, pulling away just in time to stand from his spot, sending Mark into a wave of
confusion.

"Ice cream, obviously." He extends a hand at the brown haired boy's direction, his smile growing
wider and more brightly than ever, "Come on, I'll treat you."

"Really? You'll treat me?"

Donghyuck tries to hold himself back from rolling his eyes at the older boy though he does fail at the
end. His lips are curled into a familiar curve of a smile, gesturing at Mark to take his outstretched
hand. "You have three seconds to decide, Mark Lee."

"I'm up!" Mark stumbles as he rises from his seat, awkwardly stretching out his legs and accidentally
hitting Donghyuck. The younger boy can't help but burst into a fit of giggles, arms winding around
his frame in a rather protective manner.

"So clumsy." Donghyuck teasingly says, his voice light and playful. He can't help but let a smile
stretch on his lips upon seeing the faint blush coloring itself across Mark's cheeks, jerking away from
Donghyuck's firm hold. He crosses his arms over his chest, clearly flustered over the teasing as he
hurries down the hallway; he only turns on his heel when he realizes that Donghyuck is a few feet
away from him.

"Come on, we should get going before it gets late!"

The younger boy only lets him walk down the stairs, his steps echoing in the rather silent apartment
building. With a deep breath, a smile graces his lips as he quietly follows him from behind.

He doesn't quite make an effort to chase after his own heart taken by Mark.

The light breeze is the one that greets them the moment they step past the glass doors of their
apartment building. Donghyuck only sticks his hands in his coat, hoping it'll be enough warmth for
him but Mark seems to have different ideas. He steps closer to Donghyuck, his side comfortably
pressed against the younger boy's as he hangs his head low to watch his steps. Donghyuck freezes in
his spot, fingers twitching in his pockets before he noisily lets out a breath, embarrassed for letting
himself feel too much from a simple gesture.

He allows Mark to snuggle against him as they walk side by side, steps in sync. It's quiet between
them and Donghyuck almost tricks himself that this is just another night of staying out late. But
nothing of this is ordinary — Mark only used to be his neighbor almost a month ago. His neighbor
that he exhaustedly greets every morning, grumbling under his breath because Mark and his
boyfriend were always so bothersome for him. It simply felt easier to be mean to Mark rather than
dealing with his tangled feelings for the older boy; he doesn't know if he can stomach it properly.

Now, Mark is starting to be his friend. A friend who looks awfully delighted every time they cross
paths. A friend who never fails to make Donghyuck's heart flutter, even the slightest. He's supposed
to be a friend only and Donghyuck would never forgive himself if he possibly ruins their strange
relationship right now. It feels safer to light his feelings on fire and ignore them until they dissipate
into nothingness.

The light coming from the nearby convenience store brightens up Mark's mood; Donghyuck is
amused to see the older male eagerly step away from him to approach the steps leading up. He
weaves past the strangers and follows Mark straight to the front, pushing the door open. Another
cool breeze greets them, followed by a quick greeting from the cashier at the side.

"How many can I buy?"

It's the first question that falls from Mark's lips, eyes glistening with excitement under the flicker of
the lights above their heads. Donghyuck hides the smile that almost climbed on his lips, schooling his
expression into a neutral one.
"Why, do you think you can finish more than one?"

Mark hesitates for a split second before he shakes his head lowly, looking a little guilty. "Just one."
He widens his eyes before he scrunches up his face, schooling his expression into a pleading look.
"But can I buy one more? In case I crave for more?"

"Don't look at me like that," Donghyuck grumbles, a light blush spreading on the curves of his
cheeks as they both approach the cooler to retrieve their chosen ice cream. He steals a glance,
admiring the way Mark marvels over the ice cream containers carefully stacked up inside the cooler.
He slides it open, grabbing his own before he steals a look at Mark with a small smile. "Fine, you
can buy another one."

"Thank you! I'll pay you back."

"No, don't do that. I told you that I'm treating you, right?" Mark nods his head obediently, retrieving
two popsicle sticks before they both slide the door of the cooler shut. Donghyuck plucks the ice
cream out of his hands, heading over to the cashier to pay for them. He watches as Mark slips right
out of the doors, heading straight to the steps whilst Donghyuck thanks the cashier as he grabs the
plastic bag from her.

He rushes out of the doors, heaving a sigh when he sees Mark sitting on the first step of the stairway.
He stumbles right next to him, handing one of the popsicles over to Mark before he unwraps his own
ice cream cone.

"Thanks for this, Hyuck."

Donghyuck blinks, taking a second to realize that Mark called him Hyuck. He'll never admit it out
loud but whenever Mark calls him that, his heart jumps right out of his chest. There's always been
something about Mark that can strike so many emotions within him — it might be stupid in his head
but having Mark around like this is comforting at least.

"It's no problem." He licks at his ice cream, a smile curling on his lips as the sweetness invades his
taste buds. The silence that stretches between them is familiar and incredibly comforting; he never
once knew that spending time with Mark like this can make him feel at home.

He thought that the sweet treat would be enough to distract Mark from the sadness but when he
spares a glance right at him, he sees a flicker of it on his expression. It flies by as fast as it appeared
that Donghyuck almost doubts himself if he truly saw it or if it was simply a part of his imagination.
When he sees the way the corners of Mark's lips curve downwards into a saddened frown,
Donghyuck heaves a sigh and snuggles closer to him with their sides pressed comfortably against
each other.

"Tell me what's wrong."

Mark pauses for a long moment before his eyes soften as he stares down on his popsicle. One of the
corners of his lips lift itself upwards, a subtle smile before a sigh drags itself past his mouth. "It's that
obvious, isn't it?"

"Well, it's either that or I'm a mind reader."

Despite himself, Mark bursts into a fit of soft laughter, his eyes crinkling. When Donghyuck catches
a trace of a smile on his lips, his heart spins out of control but he takes another deep breath, willing
himself to stay calm. No need to let his heart wreck itself in his rib cage once again.

"Am I an idiot?"
"I mean, sure, if that's what you think of yourself."

Mark cracks the barest of a smile before he heaves another sigh. He looks like he isn't in the mood
for jokes so Donghyuck falls silent instead, eyeing him seriously. The older boy spares him a glance
before he glances down on the slowly melting popsicle. "Am I an idiot for still thinking that maybe
one day, Yukhei would change his mind again and stay with me?"

Donghyuck couldn't fight the frown that inevitably curved on his lips. He can't believe that Mark
would still chase after his ex — for god's sake, Yukhei cheated on him with another guy at his job.
Why would Mark still love him despite all that? Is he in too deep with his feelings for Yukhei that he
refuses to see that his ex-boyfriend broke his trust mercilessly?

"Don't know." He winces as soon as the words left his lips; it seemed wrong to not voice his real
thoughts out loud but when he sees the crestfallen expression that paints itself on Mark's face, there's
a painful squeeze in his chest. He gently puts the half eaten ice cream away for a moment as he stares
at his sneakers instead with a sigh.

"I don't think I'm the right person for this since I don't have a lot of experiences when it comes to
relationships," Donghyuck pauses, eyes flickering over to Mark. The moment he sees the way Mark
glances at him, the hope lit up in his dark eyes, he can't find it in himself to break his heart. "But I
think it's not wrong to think of the possibilities that could have happened between you. But you need
to know that you deserve better than how Yukhei treated you."

"But that's the only time he ever hurt me. What about all the other times that he treated me well?
Should I throw all of those away for one mistake?"

"If he really treated you well," Donghyuck lets out a shaky sigh, his jaw clenching slightly and his
chest getting heavier with every breath. He keeps his eyes trailed on the ground, his voice dripping
with sadness. "He would have never thought of cheating on you. He would have spent every day
trying to make you happy and laugh. He would have carefully held your delicate and tender heart in
his hands as if it's the most precious thing in the world."

Because it is. Donghyuck quietly adds in his head, teeth catching onto his bottom lip briefly to stop
himself. He cracks a saddened smile at Mark's direction, reaching over to let their free hands tangle
with each other in a loose grip.

"But instead, he spent weeks, months, hurting you right behind your back. He did it without
considering what you were feeling. He held your precious heart and," He falters, voice going softer
than ever as he gently gives Mark's fingers a squeeze. "He broke it without an ounce of mercy."
There's another stretch of silence between them before Donghyuck finally meets Mark's eyes, throat
going dry. He swallows the lump residing in his throat as he manages a small smile. "You deserve so
much better than that. You deserve only the best, hyung."

Mark cracks a smile right at him, his expression softening. "You keep on saying how nice I am. You
have too much faith in me, you know?"

"This is the last time I'll ever compliment you so take it or leave it, Mark Lee." Donghyuck elicits a
lighthearted laugh and with that, he pulls his hand away and shifts away to give more space to the
older boy. He fails to see the swift longing look that Mark throws at him before he goes back to
eating his ice cream for a moment.

It's comfortably silent for a heartbeat before Mark speaks up, voice tinted with curiosity. "Did you
mean that? When you said that I deserve only the best?"
"Ah, is this your way of trying to get me to compliment you?" He teasingly says, playfully nudging
the other's leg with his shoe before he flashes a smile right at his direction. His own eyes light up in
delight as he eats his ice cream, nodding his head after a moment. "Yeah, I really do think that way."

Mark stares at him for a long stretch of a heartbeat before he shortens the distance between them
again, pulling Donghyuck in a breathtaking embrace. Donghyuck can feel his knees go weak at the
affectionate gesture as he feels himself soften up when Mark gives him a subtle squeeze. It's difficult
to ignore the way his heart jumped straight to his throat, beating all too hastily for him to catch up.

When Mark breaks away, Donghyuck flashes a smile of amusement, lips stretched into a playful
grin. "What was that for?"

"Thank you, Hyuck." His throat goes parched when he sees that same flicker of gratefulness that he
once saw in the other's eyes almost a month ago — when Mark broke down at the rooftop and he
seemed awfully thankful for his next door neighbor for comforting him. He looked exactly the same
that Donghyuck briefly feels that squeeze in his chest as he forces his fingers not to twitch.

Mark takes another deep breath, eyes lit up in elation as he leans in close. "For constantly believing
in me. For being there for me when I felt so alone. I'm so thankful for a friend like you in my life."

Friend.

Of course. Donghyuck can feel the heaviness residing on his shoulders but he hurriedly dismisses the
feeling. He shouldn't feel bad that Mark called him that.

They're friends. That should be enough for him — that should have been more than enough for him.

"Don't get so sappy with me or else, I'll cry." Donghyuck jokingly says as he finishes the rest of the
ice cream, throwing the trash in the nearby bin. He wipes off the remnants of sweet stickiness on the
corners of his lips and his fingers using a wet tissue before he throws it away too. He watches as
Mark cleans up easily once he finishes his own popsicle, holding the plastic bag protectively against
his chest.

"I'm so tired, Mark Lee." The younger boy grumbles as he sticks his hands in his pockets once again,
feeling the light breeze grow stronger until he's freezing. He sniffles as he turns to Mark, eyes lit up
in wonder and amusement. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Can you give me a piggyback ride?"

Mark stills right at that, eyes widening as he turns on his heel to glance at the brown haired boy. With
an arched eyebrow and head inclined to the side, he eyes the other in suspicion. "Did I hear you
right? You wanted me to give you a piggyback ride?"

"Please?" Donghyuck clasps his hands together, bottom lip jutted out into a pout. He gazes at Mark
with such a pleading look, reaching over to wrap his arms around the older boy's arm to trap him in
his spot. "I'm too exhausted to walk."

"But it's only a fifteen minute walk."

"Please?" The younger one whines, pressing his cheek against Mark's shoulder whilst staring at him
in the still pleading look that he's been wearing for the past minute already. He looks far from giving
up as he tightens his hold around Mark's arm, pouting as he starts to widen his eyes in a way to look
more convincing. "I swear, I'm not even heavy. It'll be fun!"
With no way out of the situation, Mark heaves out a deep sigh and finally surrenders with lips
twitching into a smile. He slowly pulls his arm away from Donghyuck's grip, bending down on one
knee and glancing behind him, gesturing for the other boy to get on his back. "Come on, get on
before I change my mind."

"Yes!" Donghyuck pumps his fist in the air before carefully getting on Mark's back, arms winding
around the older boy's neck in a secure grip. He's careful not to wrap his arms too tightly as Mark
slowly rises up, holding onto his thighs to hoist him up properly.

"Better?"

The brown haired male hums in delight, burying his face affectionately on Mark's shoulder as he
nods his head. "Much better, yes." He snuggles close to him, lips almost brushing against Mark's ear
as he lowers his voice into a softened tone. "Thank you, hyung."

Donghyuck proceeds to bury his face back on the other's shoulder whilst Mark stands there for a
moment, cheeks flushed. He clears his throat before he starts walking, his heartbeats falling in sync
with his fast steps. Once he slows down, a sense of familiarity fills him up when Donghyuck emits
another gentle sigh, murmuring something under his breath.

Either way, Mark couldn't stop himself from smiling so widely all the way home.

Liking Mark feels a little too uneasy for Donghyuck.

Honestly speaking, Donghyuck would have never expected that he would cross paths with someone
like Mark in the first place. Though their personalities may be similar at times, it also feels like they
come from different parts of a universe.

Donghyuck belongs to the side where life is easygoing — simply go with the flow. If things happen
then let them happen. For Mark, it's always been the security that left him feeling elated and
contented with what he has. That is, until Yukhei abruptly broke his heart and left him in a
completely messed up state.

He should have never gotten involved. It's already messy enough for Donghyuck that he felt a tug at
his heartstrings when Mark was still dating Yukhei and it certainly didn't feel like life would bring
him to such a complicated situation. But his heart seems to have a mind of its own — no matter many
times he burned his own feelings into nothingness, he's still left breathless when Mark turns around
and flashes a sweet smile right at him.

It's awfully difficult because Mark is still hung up on Yukhei and Donghyuck is only a friend for
him.

Even after three months, Donghyuck still feels like he's competing with someone else for Mark's
heart even though Yukhei has already left him for so long. Even when Mark doesn't admit it out
loud, he knows that the older boy misses his ex-boyfriend. It might be because they were together for
so long that Mark isn't quite used to being alone. Not that he's alone — Donghyuck has been there
for him ever since the dreaded break up happened.

But again, he's only a friend for Mark. A friend who's conveniently there for Mark — someone who
will drop everything in an instant the moment he hears the softest sniffle through the shared thin wall
in their bedrooms. Someone who would be there in a heartbeat to hold Mark close against his chest,
humming softly until the dark haired male falls asleep in his arms.
it's fine though. Donghyuck knows he doesn't have any control over his feelings for Mark but at least
when he's a friend to him, he can be there for him. All he wants to make Mark happy, even if he
does feel like he keeps getting thrown at the sidelines all the time for a boy who shouldn't exist in the
picture anymore.

Really, Donghyuck is fine — it's all right. Everything would be absolutely fine.

"What? You don't have any plans for Friday night?"

Mark barely lifts his head from the textbook laid out open in front of him, eyes skimming through
every word. A sigh finally falls from his lips after a moment, raising his eyes to stare at Donghyuck's
look of disbelief directed at him. "Well, if you count studying as plans for Friday night then," He
nervously shifts his position, an embarrassed smile spreading across his lips. "I guess you can say
that I'm busy."

"Unbelievable." Donghyuck continues to stare at him in utter disbelief, his hand coming down to
slam it against the wooden desk. Mark jolts in surprise, eyes widening when Donghyuck steals the
open seat right beside him, peering at his textbook. He receives an arched eyebrow before the
younger boy's eyes narrow the slightest. "Finals week is over already though. Why are you still
studying so hard?"

"No reason." The dark haired male mumbles, cheeks colored in pink tint as his fingers brush against
the paper. "It just seems like a good use of my free time."

"So, if you're not going to study then that means you have a lot of free time?"

A frown adorns Mark's visage, lowering the tone of his voice as he hangs his head low once more.
"Not really. I'm not in the mood to make any plans with anyone because," He pauses right after,
shaking his head as if breaking the train of thoughts in his head, "Nevermind."

"Aw, come on!" Donghyuck invades his personal space, the mischief present in his starry eyes as he
flashes a wide smile at the older male. He hooks an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close so
Mark won't be able to escape his firm hold. "I found a way for you to loosen up and completely
forget about everything. Just you and me."

Mark stills right at that, narrowed eyes directed at Donghyuck in a rather suspicious manner. "Why?
What do you have planned this time?" He pulls away to shut his textbook, the dull sound echoing
within the library. He willingly lowers his voice into a whispering tone, inquisitive eyes staring back
at the younger boy. "Why don't you just drag your friends with you? Like, let me see, Renjun, Jeno,
and Jaemin?"

"You know that they're all dating one another. I don't want to go back to being a fourth wheel just
yet."

"Right, so you asked your only single friend to accompany you in this, what, a completely
unsuspicious activity?"

"Relax," Donghyuck rolls his eyes, arms crossed over his chest as he leans against the back of his
chair. He slips his lithe fingers through his brown hair, smoothening out the tangles within them.
"We're not breaking the law. Well, not exactly."

"This is getting awfully suspicious the more you give out vague details."
"You can't ruin the surprise, that's why!" The younger boy bolts right out of his seat, the abrupt
movement is enough to cause his chair to emit a painful creak against the flooring. A few other
students throw a glare at their direction but Donghyuck doesn't seem to notice. Or maybe he simply
doesn't care at all.

"It'll be fun, hyung." His eyes are glimmering with so much amusement and delight as he leans
against the desk, hands placed on the edge. He checks his wristwatch, a frown pulling on the corners
of his lips. "Hey, do you happen to have a car lying around?"

"My car is with my parents."

"Then what's the use of having a car in the first place?" Donghyuck rolls his eyes at him before he
steps away, a smile easily gracing his lips. He lands a playful punch on the older male's shoulder,
brightening up with a light laugh as he hurries away before Mark could think of reaching out to him.
"Make sure to clear out your schedule for Friday night! I'll be taking you out!"

Donghyuck hastily leaves the library, pretending that he didn't hear the annoyed grumbling coming
from the other students. Pretending that he didn't feel Mark's heavy gaze pinned on his back.

A grin curls on his lips as he pulls out his phone, scrolling through his contacts. Once he sees the
familiar name written across his screen, his thumb hovers on top of it, hitting the call button. The
ringing only lasts a few seconds before it gets cut off, replaced with a voice filled with curiosity.

"Hyuck hyung? What's up?"

With a breathless laugh, he presses his phone against his ear, a wide smile stretched on his face.

"Hey, Lele. You happen to still have that old car of yours, right?"

Donghyuck marvels over the sleek black car set out in front of him — it's still baffling that a car as
expensive as this one is already unused. He thinks that Chenle cares too much about the car he's
currently using and god forbid that he would lay even the tip of his finger against the window; it'll be
no doubt if Chenle throws a punch right at him if he tries to do that.

"Here you go." Chenle stands by the doors leading to Donghyuck's apartment building, dropping a
set of keys in Donghyuck's outstretched hand. The feeling of the cool metal against the palm of his
hand is exhilarating, even if he knows that he won't be able to drive. He knows that Mark snatched
up his driver's license a year ago so he's hoping that the older boy would be careful in driving it.

"Thanks, Lele!"

"I really don't know how this whole plan of yours would even work but hey, if it makes you happy
then fine." Chenle eyes him. albeit a little too seriously, an eyebrow lifting as he raises his chin at
him. "Just don't get into real trouble."

"I won't. Jisung is working at the convenience store tonight, right? And he knows what's going to
happen?"

"Yeah, he's always on the night shift and I gave him the money already. Honestly, that place is
always dead so I don't think you would be in too much trouble."

His fingers curl around the keys, hurriedly pocketing them. Chenle lift his fingers to wave goodbye
at the older boy, hurrying out of the apartment building before anyone else would catch them
together. Donghyuck hastily checks his wristwatch, a frown adorning his features when he realizes
that Mark is already ten minutes late — he's not planning to ditch Donghyuck, right?

When five minutes passed by with him constantly walking back and forth in front of the glass doors,
stopping only whenever someone approaches them. The amount of strange looks thrown at him
normally would have bothered him but he's too busy waiting on his heels, glancing past the glass
doors to see if Mark is rushing right out. He hurriedly steals a glance at his watch, an exaggerated
sigh falling from his lips when he realizes that it's been eighteen minutes.

Eighteen minutes.

Christ, he's not going to abandon me, right? Donghyuck worries his bottom lip between his teeth,
eyes flickering over the entrance. His breath is stolen away when he hear the very faint yet hasty
sound of shoes hitting the flooring. The brown haired male raises his eyes, his face lighting up as
Mark pushes the doors open with flushed cheeks and trying his best to catch his own breath.

"Sorry, I had to turn in a late paper—"

"Doesn't matter! Let's get going now!" Donghyuck digs the keys right out of his pocket, abruptly
pushing them in Mark's hand. The older boy is stunned as soon as his fingers circle around the
metallic keys, glancing down to a hurried glance.

He doesn't have time to ask any questions because Donghyuck is already pushing him the direction
of the black car, urging him to get in. With an obedient nod of his head, he steps around the car and
unlocks the door, slipping easily in the driver's seat. Donghyuck settles in the passenger's seat within
a blink of an eye, securing his own seatbelt and flashing a quick smile at Mark.

"Where are we headed?"

Mark directs his full attention to him once he starts up the engine, letting the sound of the low purr
echo around every corner of the vehicle. Donghyuck pulls on the edges of his mouth into a familiar
curve of a mischievous smile, eyes lit up in delight.

"Somewhere you'll really have fun at."

"A convenience store?" Mark lets the car slid into a stop, eyes fixated on the blinking light of the
store front. It looks a little worn down and the neighborhood they've come across is quieter,
compared to the usual busy nightlife that they're accustomed to. He narrows his eyes at Donghyuck
suspiciously, lip curled into a deep frown. "Really, Hyuck?"

"Oh, just relax, okay?" Donghyuck unbuckles his seatbelt, letting it snap back to its original place.
"This isn't the place that I wanted to take you." He pauses dramatically, his lips slowly twitching into
another troublesome smile. With a tilt of his head, he directs Mark's attention straight to the store,
"We're pulling off a heist."

"A heist?" The older boy's voice is filled with disbelief and surprise, dark eyes widening.
Donghyuck could see the way the other's fingers twitch around the steering wheel before he swiftly
pulls them away to lay them down on his empty lap instead. "Oh no, I'm not getting on that
ridiculous plan of yours."

"It's not ridiculous!"

"Donghyuck, we could get jailed for this. I mean, come on." Mark shakes his head to express his
disagreement but Donghyuck remains stubborn, even crossing his arms over his chest as a sign of not
giving up. He squints his eyes right at Mark, huffing loudly.

"Listen, it'll be fine." The younger boy's voice takes on a sickeningly sweet tone as the tip of his
finger traces a line leading to the cameras situated outside and inside the convenience store, "From
what I've heard, those cameras are not actually working. They're only on display, maybe to frighten
away anybody who might do something shady."

"Like you, maybe?"

Donghyuck cracks a playful grin right at him, eyes crinkling, "Yes, like me." He turns his attention
to the teenage boy standing behind the cashier, looking awfully bored right out of his mind. His light
brown hair falls over his eyes before he brushes his fringe away with his slender fingers. Donghyuck
discreetly points right at the cashier, smiling a little too proudly. "Look at him, he doesn't seem to
care if we head inside and steal a little, well, something?"

"No wonder you were so vague about this."

Mark sounds bitter and uncertain but for a second, his resolve cracks. Donghyuck could see the
curiosity of seeing the events unfold before them and he's honestly more than willing enough to
indulge Mark in those little fantasies of him committing a little heist.

"Come on, I promise I'll protect you." He lights pats his own cushioned seat, flashing a cheeky smile
at the older boy. "And if we need to get away, I want you to step on the gas as hard as you could."

"We're stealing something and running away?!

"Obviously," Donghyuck tolls his eyes right at the older male, pushing the car open so he can step
out. With one foot right last the door, he turns and flashes a cheeky smile at Mark, eyes crinkling,
"What did you think we were going to do? Steal and let the police arrest us? No way."

"I can't believe I'm letting you convince me to do something like this!" Mark whispers through
gritted teeth but nevertheless, he slips right out of the car. Donghyuck pumps his fist in triumph at his
side before he nonchalantly leads the way, fighting back the smile threatening to form on his lips. His
heart quickens in his chest when he walks past the opaque glass doors, eyes flickering over to the
cashier.

True to Chenle's words, Jisung is the one working the night shift. His heart jumps straight to his
throat when he sees the younger boy's eyes flicker over to him, an eyebrow arching in interest and
curiosity. Donghyuck hurriedly checks if Mark is watching him but the older boy has already drifted
over to the cooler containing the soju bottles, busy wondering how to pull off their spontaneous heist.

Once he's sure that Mark is distracted, he gestures at Jisung, pointing discreetly at the alcoholic
bottles. All he receives is an eye roll from the younger male and an amused smirk, nodding his head
as Donghyuck starts to make his way over to the cooler. Mark has already pulled out at least three
bottles and he looks beyond nervous whilst tightening his hold around the necks.

"Good job, Mark Lee." Donghyuck's starry eyes glisten with pride and amusement as he grabs two
of the bottles. The coat that he's wearing can easily hide the bottles within them but he has to keep a
tight hold on them so they won't slip. Upon seeing the frightened look displayed on Mark's face, he
heaves a deep sigh and gently steers the older male towards the entrance. "Don't act suspicious and
just head straight to the car, okay?"

Mark nods his head obediently, lips pursued into a thin line as he hides his own bottle in his own
jacket. Donghyuck keeps a careful eye on him as the dark haired male tries to confidently walk over
to the entrance, only for him to stumble on air and exposing the hidden bottle nestled in his jacket.

"Hey, you need to pay for that—"

"Now, Mark!" Donghyuck hurriedly says and in a split second, Mark bolts straight out of the doors.
His steps are quick as he hides the bottle within the confines of his jacket. Jisung's eyes are wide as
Donghyuck passes by him, cheeks flushed and his heart beating right out of control beneath his rib
cage.

"Hey!"

Donghyuck flashes a cheeky smile right at him before hurrying over to the doors. He can see the
faint shadow of a boy sitting in the car so he fairly assumes that it's Mark. True enough, the window
belonging to the passenger's seat rolls down and Mark leans over just enough to call out to the
younger boy, "Hurry, Hyuck! Before they catch us!"

He honestly wants to burst out laughing at Mark's innocence but he complies easily, running all the
way to the door and opening it. The brown haired boy slips inside easily and he almost yelps when
Mark starts up the engine, stepping on the gas when his door is only halfway closed. He shuts it as
fast as he could, heart thundering in his chest as he stares wide-eyed at Mark, not quite believing that
his next door neighbor actually jumped straight into his plan.

"Oh god, oh god," Mark's hands are shaking as he grips the steering wheel, wide eyes blinking at the
windshield. In a short moment, he heaves out a shaky breath, casting a glance at Donghyuck, "I can't
believe this. We really stole some alcohol."

"Hell yeah!" Donghyuck reaches his hand out and Mark lands a high five on his palm out of instinct.
There's a streak of disbelief across his features before he starts muttering his breath, still not quite
believing the events that transpired between them.

"Holy shit," A smile tugs at the corners of Mark's mouth as he presses his back against his seat, a
laugh falling from his lips. "I can't believe we actually pulled that off! I was so sure that we were
going to get caught, fuck."

"See? I told you that I would protect you!"

Donghyuck emits a relieved laugh, head resting against the back of his seat. His heart has slowly
descended into a calmer pace but his fingers still haven't stopped twitching from the excitement
traveling through his veins. He's breathless at the fact that Mark and him did pull off such a
spontaneous heist — not minding the fact that it's only a few alcoholic bottles but his plan worked.

He's in too deep with his train of thoughts that he fails to recognize the longing and adoring look that
Mark throws right at him. When he lifts his eyes over to Mark once again, the older boy only curls
the corners of his lips into a wide smile, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.

"Where are we headed this time?"

"The beach."

"What?" Mark blinks rapidly at him and Donghyuck brings out the soju bottles that were still nestled
in his coat. They still feel cold in his palms, reminding him of what happened a while ago. He spares
another glance at the older boy, lips lifted into a wide smile.

"There's a beach nearby. Just a fifteen drive from here."

The dark haired boy parts his lips, as if to object before he abruptly shakes his head. He mirrors the
smile playing on the edge of Donghyuck's lips, nodding his head before he fixates his gaze back on
the windshield.

"All right, let's head to the beach then."

Though winter has already faded away, Donghyuck can still feel the chills running through his spine
as his feet sink right into the sand. They slip in between his toes and somehow, the feeling is enough
to radiate warmth in his chest. A relieved laugh falls from his lips as he hurries over to the ocean,
only stepping back when the waves lap up at the sand.

It's empty, save from the two of them — the quietude resonates along with the gentle waves crashing
against one another. Mark catches up to him easily, laying out a thin blanket on the sand before he
drops the soju bottles on it.

"Are you planning to jump in the ocean this time?"

"Maybe," Donghyuck arches his brows at him, a teasing smile right at him. "I'll dive right in if you're
interested to do it too."

"No way," Mark objects to the idea immediately, shaking his head. He opens up one of the bottles
and he wrinkles his nose as the smell wafts over to him. "I had enough trouble for today. Besides, I
didn't bring a change of clothes."

"Tsk, you're lame." The younger clicks his tongue in annoyance but he easily lifts the edges of his
mouth into a grin. He drags his feet over to the blanket, plopping right next to Mark with a deep sigh.
When his knee knocks against Mark's, his heart falls right out of control. But he keeps a tight hold on
his expression; he only lets his eyes flicker over to the ocean in front of him as he keeps his lips
pursued into a thin line.

Mark takes a swig from the bottle, grimacing as the alcohol burns in his throat. He hands it over to
Donghyuck, who simply lifts his eyebrows at him in curiosity. He pushes the bottle over to the
younger boy, a smile already growing on his visage. "Here."

"You already drank from that."

Honestly, Donghyuck isn't that bothered with those kind of things. But the thought of sharing one
bottle with Mark and knowing that his lips are going to touch the same spot that Mark drank from, he
won't be able to handle it. Just thinking about it has his cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he ducks
his head low so Mark won't be able to steal a glance.

"Fine, you big baby." Mark pulls the bottle back, only to take another swig. He once again grimaces
but a sigh of contentment falls right after. The bottle gets nestled in between his legs as he opens up
another bottle, handing it over to Donghyuck. "There, is that better?"

"Definitely." He flashes a wide smile at the older male, tipping his head back as he takes a swig as
well. The alcohol burns bis throat but it's a good kind of burn — the warmth spreads in his stomach
and travels straight to his fingers, making them twitch just the slightest.

For once, they let the silence stretch right between them. Their eyes are fixated on the waves lapping
up on the beach before they crash against one another. The sound is as peaceful as it can be for
Donghyuck, making him almost forget every feeling and thought that bothers him.
Keyword: almost.

As his dark eyes flicker over to the older boy, his expression softens — if he's being honest, he can
take years just admiring Mark. Even from his line of sight, he can see the stars shining brightly in his
eyes, the nostalgic smile that graces his lips so effortlessly. His dark hair is swept back and
Donghyuck feels a strike in his chest at the sight of how breathtaking Mark is. It might be the alcohol
speaking but Mark looks even more ethereal this time around.

It pains him that he won't be able to say those words to him out loud. He's afraid that he might
spontaneously confess to Mark and right now, he doubts that the older boy would be willing to
reciprocate his feelings. He's too hung up on his ex-boyfriend and Donghyuck is getting worn out
from competing with Yukhei — for god's sake, that boy isn't even around anymore. How come he
still has a tight hold on Mark's heart?

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Donghyuck snaps out his trance, wide eyes blinking rapidly. The heat travels to his cheeks when he
sees the inquisitive gaze belonging to the dark haired boy. He clears his throat, taking another swig
of the soju before he tries to keep his voice nonchalant and steady, "Was just wondering how ugly
you are, even when I'm tipsy."

"Hey! You're so mean."

He can't help but burst into a fit of resounding laughter at the way Mark huffs. The other's cheeks are
flushed as well and from the way Mark meets his eyes, lips easily stretching into a grin, he can tell
that Mark is already getting tipsy as well. Before he knows it, the words tumble right past his lips
without warning.

"You look cute when you're drunk."

"What?" Mark stills at his words, narrowed gaze directed at the younger boy. Donghyuck can feel
himself go pale and his fingers shaking as he forces an awkward chuckle to escape his pair. He
hurriedly presses the tip of the bottle against his lips, tasting a few drops of alcohol.

"Nothing. Forget what I said."

"No, no. You said I was cute?"

"You heard me wrong, Mark Lee." Despite the anxiety twisting itself in his stomach, he still
manages to look annoyed as he shakes his head in disagreement. "I said that you're ugly. You're
nowhere near adorable."

"Mean."

A wince falls from the younger boy's lips when Mark playfully punches his shoulder. He recovers
easily, a laugh escaping his lips as he puts his own bottle away from his reach. "Oh, you're really
going to get it, hyung!" Donghyuck takes advantage of the way Mark is taken by surprise by the
term that escaped his mouth, his arms reaching out to tackle the older boy. He easily overpowers him
as Mark tries to wiggle right out of his hold, his laughter echoing loudly in the beach.

"Get off me! You're heavy!"

"No way! Admit your defeat first." His fingers circle around the older boy's wrists and he pins them
easily down on the blanket. Mark struggles for a moment when he freezes in the middle of it, his
cheeks growing scarlet red when he realizes the shortened distance between their bodies. The
realization snaps in Donghyuck's head when the thought of how pretty Mark's eyes look up close
passes through his head.

For some reason, he can't find it in himself anymore to pull away. Instead, he feels more drawn to
him — he can feel the very faint pattern of Mark's heartbeats through his chest and somehow, his
own heart falls in sync with it. The dull thump, thump, thump is not serving enough distraction for
Donghyuck to ignore the way Mark stares back at him, clearly nervous yet anticipating his next
move. If he moved closer, he's sure that their lips would brush even the slightest and fireworks would
go off in his chest.

Not yet. With a sigh, he gathers enough strength to pull away with his cheeks still burning. He sits on
the heels of his feet whilst Mark rises into a sitting position again, obviously flustered at the
interaction they had.

"Sorry, did I accidentally crush you or something?"

The older male shakes his head, the blush slowly fading away from his cheeks. Donghyuck didn't
know how much he liked seeing him like that until Mark is finally emitting a laugh as his cheeks
cooled off with no more heat residing within them. "I'm fine, don't worry about me, Hyuck." To
Donghyuck's surprise, he falls back down and comfortably lays down on the blanket. He lazily raises
a finger to gesture Donghyuck to come closer and settle right next to him.

He hesitates, eyes flickering over to the night sky hanging over their heads before he crawls right
next to him. His back meets the blanket and he can feel the lumps of sand underneath him but even
then, it doesn't bother him all that much. Donghyuck can feel the way Mark's arm shifts until it rests
against the back of his head, cushioning it as he moves closer to the younger boy.

Calm down. Donghyuck grits his teeth, ignoring the way his heart beat wildly in his rib cage. The
sound echoes in the confines of his chest but he has gotten quite good at not paying attention to it. It's
nothing. This is nothing.

"Hey, Hyuck?"

"Yeah?"

He can feel the other boy shift even closer and before he knows it, he can feel Mark's strands brush
against the slope of his neck. His breath feels hot and Donghyuck is having such a difficult time in
controlling the way his heart spins out of control.

"Thank you for bringing me out today. It means a lot to me."

A shaky sigh escapes his lips as he leans away a little, shifting his position until he's facing Mark.
The corners of his lips lift upwards into a sleepy smile as his starry eyes fall down on the other boy.
"It's really not a problem. I had a lot of fun with you tonight."

"Me too."

Donghyuck has never badly wanted to lean in and just bury himself in Mark's arms. But this is better
for them — a respectable distance between them. No more closeness. If Donghyuck dares to cross
the remaining distance between them, it would be too much a huge risk for them.

He's not yet sure if it's worth it.

"Mark?"
"What is it?"

He takes a deep breath before his voice comes out softer than ever.

"I wish you would stop liking Yukhei."

He's never sure if Mark heard him because after that, he turned his back on him. Donghyuck doesn't
really have the strength to figure out what kind of reaction he'll gouge from him. He lets the lull of
the ocean pull him into a senseless dream — he isn't sure if when sleep overtook his body.

All he knows is that there's a very faint whisper of I wish the same too before he falls into a deep
sleep.

6:40 A.M.

Donghyuck stumbles right out of his own apartment, a frown adorning his features. The exhaustion
weighs heavily in his bones, a constant reminder of how many nights he stayed up to finish some last
minute projects. But even when the weariness draws itself across his visage, a smile graces his lips
once his starry eyes flicker over to the door next to his.

He shuts his own door right behind him, testing the knob by turning it and pulling it a few times. A
sigh falls from his lips once he's sure that it's locked — he doesn't say it out loud but he's getting a
little tired from being too cautious at times. He wonders if it's worth it at times, to be too cautious and
to keep a tight hold on his own security. He didn't use to be like this; he only became like this when
he met—

His thoughts break apart when another soft click of the door falling shut resonates in the still hallway.
There's a friendly arm that rounds his shoulders, pulling him close. As he turns his head to the
intruder, he easily mirrors the smile playing on the other's lips, a chuckle falling from his rosy pair.

"Hey, you look happy early this morning." Mark arches a brow, inclining his head to the side. One
of the edges of his mouth curve upwards, almost pulling his lips into a bright smile. "That's new."

"What? You want me to go back to being grumpy and glaring at you in the morning?"

"No, I like this new Hyuck better."

Donghyuck is getting better at ignoring the way his heart rises to his throat when he sees the way
Mark juts out his bottom lip into a pout. His teeth sinks down onto his own lower lip, stopping
himself in time before he breaks into a wide smile. He does lean over to playfully pinch his cheek,
shifting away until he doesn't feel Mark's comforting warmth near him. "Come on, we need to get
going."

"It's only a ten minute walk, Hyuck. Don't get so excited."

The mentioned male rolls his eyes right at the other, bursting into a fit of giggles as he runs away
from Mark. There's a bounce in his steps and for once, his own chest feels lighter than ever — it's as
if he feels awfully free. When he spins on his heel right before he descends the staircase, he sees the
way Mark's eyes crinkle right at him, hurrying over to follow his trail.

His heart flutters and for once, he doesn't stop the smile that climbs on his lips.

Maybe liking Mark isn't so bad.

-

12:31 P.M.

"You're so clingy," Mark arches a brow at the way Donghyuck slides an arm around his waist. He
can't fight off the smile that tugs on his lips and the way the blush rises to the curves of his cheeks,
starry eyes staring back at the younger. "It's cute."

"Treat me for some lunch later."

With that, Mark rolls his eyes and lets the locker fall shut as his shoulders bumps against the metal.
"Is that why you're clinging to me now? Are you not going to let me go if I don't agree to that?" The
amusement is clear and crisp in his voice, the smile playing on the edges of his mouth curving wider
than ever. Donghyuck pretends that he doesn't notice that way his heart spins out of control, simply
shrugging his own shoulders and acting cheeky once again.

"You know me so well." He presses his cheek against the older male's shoulder, arms tightly wound
around his waist. He stays still in his spot, preventing the brown haired boy from escaping his grip.
"Please, hyung?"

"Ugh, you're really using that card now?"

"Please, hyung?" Donghyuck whines and presses himself even closer to him, eyes widening.
"Please, please, pretty please—"

"Fine." Eliciting a deep sigh, Mark runs his fingertips through the strands of his dark hair, sweeping
it back to expose his sharp features. Despite him trying not to let his lips twitch into a smile, he
ultimately fails as he rounds an arm around Donghyuck's shoulder in a comfortable grip. "Just don't
order anything too expensive."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Donghyuck breaks away from his hold, clasping his hands
together. The older male breaks into a broad smile, eyes crinkling in happiness as he reaches over to
playfully pinch the other's cheek.

"Hold on, I have something to hand over to one of my classmates. Wait for me, okay?"

He didn't wait for a response — he leaves Donghyuck right behind as he hurries over in the direction
of the other lockers. Donghyuck heaves a sigh of contentment, shoving his hands in his pockets. The
smile does dissipate from his lips when his gaze fixates itself on the boy standing nearby. His throat
goes parched as his fingers twitch uncontrollably in his pockets, the emotions bursting in his veins
when the boy's eyes narrow at him dangerously.

"Yukhei?"

He questions out loud but somehow, the mentioned male doesn't respond. He doesn't show any
flicker of acknowledgment in his features as he stares at Donghyuck coldly, a complete change as
compared to how he looked at the younger boy months ago. It takes a deep breath before
Donghyuck gets to regulate the beating of his heart beneath his chest, ignoring the way the anxiety
twists in his stomach as Yukhei hurries away without a glance thrown at his way.

"Hey, you okay?"

Donghyuck snaps out his trance, blinking rapidly at the intruder. Mark is staring at him with knitted
brows as a flash of worry draws itself on his visage for a heartbeat before it vanishes into
nothingness. "Did something happen?"
The younger boy spares another glance at the same spot where Yukhei once stood but it's void of
any other person. With a sigh, he shakes his head, forcing the edges of his mouth to curve upwards.
It takes everything in him to ignore the way his wretched heart rises to his throat uncomfortably as he
shifts the strap of his backpack, feeling like it became heavier than expected.

"It's nothing." He breathes out, forcing a grin to curl on the corners of his lips. "Let's get going, I'm
hungry."

(He never tells Mark about how he feels like something bad will happen. He thinks that it doesn't
matter for now.)

10:51 P.M.

The way the soles of their shoes hit the clean tiles of the floor is somehow a comforting sound for
Donghyuck. It's been hearing all too often, ever since he started to stick himself right by Mark's side.
It's a little reminder for him that Mark is with him and no one else — the thought alone is enough to
draw a smile on his features.

"I think my cousin is dropping by this week to give me some desserts."

Donghyuck's lips quirk up into a mischievous smile, eyes crinkling as they start their climb up the
staircase. "Make sure to call me up so I can raid your kitchen."

"You know, I could just ask him to make some for you."

He shrugs his shoulders, fingers gripping the wooden railing as they easily take two steps at the time.
"No, it tastes much better when I'm stealing desserts from you." As soon as the words slipped by his
lips in a playful tone, Mark takes a misstep and almost stumbles right off the stairs. Donghyuck is
swift enough to reach out, clasping his fingers around the sleeve of Mark's button up shirt and pulling
him with a click of his tongue. "Tsk, so clumsy."

"Oh, shut up. It's not my fault that this staircase feels slippery—"

The next words that almost fell from his lips seem to have dissipated into the thin air. Mark stands
still at the top of the staircase leading to their hallway and there's a flicker of emotions passing
through his visage. A confused frown adorns Donghyuck's lips, parting them to ask a question as he
takes another step to settle next to him.

"Hey, what—"

He falls silent, dark eyes widening as he goes pale in fright. His gaze naturally fixates itself on the
intruder standing in front of Mark's apartment, fingers grasping a fresh bouquet of baby's breath.
Donghyuck finds himself snarling, eyes narrowed into a menacing glare when the boy finally takes
notice of them, a hesitant smile gracing the edges of his mouth.

"Hey, Mark."

Mark freezes, fingers tightly gripping the railing that his knuckles have turned into a ghostly white
color. Donghyuck spares him a worried glance but Mark easily ignores him, eyes permanently
locked on the male in front of him. He does find his voice a moment after though it's nothing short of
cold and empty.

"Yukhei," He breathes out shakily, taking a step forward towards his ex-boyfriend, "What are you
doing here?"

"I—" Yukhei falters, glancing down at the bouquet tightly gripped in his hands. By the looks of it,
his expression tells Donghyuck that the bouquet feels heavier than before as he lets his hands fall
limp by his sides instead. A shadow crosses his visage before another hesitant smile curves on his
lips. "I missed you."

"What?"

Donghyuck feels his own throat go parched, closing up by itself as he casts a hurried glance at Mark.
The older boy is frozen in his spot, the shock evident on his features, as if he doesn't quite believe the
words that left the other's lips. If Donghyuck leaned a little closer, he would have seen the way
Mark's fingers twitch as he attempts to hide them right behind his back.

The boy standing by the door pursues his lips into a grim line before he takes a reluctant step towards
Mark. He raises his bouquet, letting the fresh flowers come into his line of view before he allows his
hand to drop at his side once again. The bouquet hits his thigh in an inaudible thud as he meets
Mark's eyes.

Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he crinkles his nose, the sadness drawn on his features. "I
made a mistake, Mark. I want to fix this — fix us, I mean."

"Bullshit." Donghyuck knows that this is a mistake; he shouldn't step in at all. It's not his business.
For god's sake, it never was — he only got roped in because he couldn't stand the thought of leaving
Mark alone and in tears. Right now, he still can't leave him alone with his ex-boyfriend; what if
Yukhei ends up hurting him again? The thought of that happening leaves him breathless with anger.

Yukhei narrows his eyes at him, hastily wiping the stray tears that somehow slid down his cheeks as
he lifts his chin. The coldness in his features is almost frightening but Donghyuck easily stares him
down, not backing away as he takes the empty space between Mark. To say that Mark is caught by
surprise at the turn of events is an understatement — the confusion passes through his face as his
gaze flickers back and forth between the two boys.

"You cheated on Mark, didn't you? You don't deserve him after everything you've done."

"Stay out of this, Donghyuck." Yukhei's tone is edging towards anger as he tries his best to keep his
emotions in check. His eyes darken but even then, Donghyuck doesn't seem bothered with it. He
doesn't even flinch as he glares at the older male.

"No, I won't let you hurt him anymore. He's doing much better without you."

"Goddamn, I told you to—!" A flash of recognition and realization appears on Yukhei's visage. A
scoff leaves his lips, his gaze fixated on the younger boy as he shortens the distance between them.
"Oh, I see what's happening here." Mark is rendered speechless, not knowing what to say as he
stares at Donghyuck helplessly. Donghyuck can barely return his gaze, jaw clenching as Yukhei
curls the edges of his mouth into a smirk. "You like Mark."

Donghyuck pales up again, his expression morphing into a fearful one. His eyes nervously switch
over to Mark and he sees the surprise on his face as he gapes at the younger boy. The silence
descends over the three of them — no one is willing enough to break it apart. That is, until Yukhei
speaks again, voice a little more confident than earlier.

"Mark, tell me, who are you going to pick?" A frown adorns Yukhei's lips as he unknowingly
tightens his hold around the stem of the bouquet. He turns to Mark, a nostalgic smile curving on his
lips as he takes another step towards the younger. "You're not going to throw away years of our
relationship for what, someone like Donghyuck? He didn't even like you before this all happened."

The realization feels like a chill streaming through Donghyuck's veins as he sees the hesitation on
Mark's features. Mark has his eyes focuses on Yukhei only, as if he's the only person in the hallway.
As if he's the only person who'll ever own Mark's heart, even after all that happened to him.

Of course, why would Mark ever pick him? He's only a next door neighbor. A boy who adorned a
frown every time they meet every morning because he stayed up late again due to Mark and Yukhei.
A boy who barely made an effort to talk to him, until that fortunate night at the rooftop.

Why would Mark ever choose someone he only knew for months over someone that owned his heart
for years?

"I," The lump is stuck in Donghyuck's throat as he takes a step back. His eyes are pricked with tears,
forcing him to blink rapidly to clear his foggy vision. "I need to go. I'm sorry."

"Hyuck, don't—" Mark reaches out, his gaze fixating itself on his retreating figure.

"No," He barks out a laugh but it sounds awfully painful, even for him. The sound fades away easily
though he does try his best to pull the corners of his lips into a wide smile. His heart is breaking itself
apart in his rib cage as he desperately tries to catch his breath, "Yukhei is right. You've loved him for
so long and I told you before." The words are difficult to let them slip by his lips but nevertheless, he
lets every syllable spill from his mouth despite his heart twisting in his chest. "You deserve the best.
For you, the best is Yukhei."

A streak of hurt passes through Mark's features but Donghyuck could barely raise his gaze at him.
He spins on his heel, running down the stairs and letting the sound of his heart thundering in his
chest drown out every other sound echoing.

Even the sound of Mark calling his name right behind him.

The surprisingly chilly wind greets him as soon as he steps outside, a shiver circulating through his
body. He drags a sigh past his lips as he hurries away from the double doors, head spinning as he
aimlessly walks around. His feet leads him to the convenience store that he visited with Mark — the
same store where they brought their ice cream and comforted each other. The same store where he
told Mark that he deserves only the best.

Unfortunately for him, the best doesn't mean him. It never meant to be him.

He falls on the last step, settling on it comfortably as he presses his knees against his chest. Ice cold
fingers grip the edges of his phone, bringing it out before uselessly scrolling through his contacts.
Upon seeing Jaemin's name in his phone, he hesitates — should he call his roommates again?

With a deep breath, he hits the call button and presses the phone against his ear. It only takes a few
rings before the call gets picked up. Donghyuck can pick out the sound of a film being played in the
background and the laughter coming from Renjun and Jeno.

"Hyuck, hey!" Jaemin's voice is cheery and excited as he continues speaking, "What's up?"

"Hey," He breathes out, teeth chattering as he glances around. He pursues his lips into a straight line
as he talks again with a softer tone this time, "Am I interrupting something?"

"Uh, no. We're just having a movie marathon! Injun wanted to watch Harry Potter so I guess that's
what we're watching for tonight. Do you want to join us?"
Donghyuck falls silent, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. He heaves out a shaky breath, not
quite sure if Jaemin heard him since the other line remains quiet. He isn't sure if this is the right thing
to do — he doesn't want to crash their date.

"Hyuck? You still there?"

"Y-Yeah," He stutters out, voice unknowingly taking on a shakier tone. A whimper falls from his
lips as he releases a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Despite the tears clinging to his
lashes, he forces the edges of his mouth to curve upwards into a familiar smile. "Sure, I'd like that."

A heavy silence hangs over their heads as Jaemin stays quiet before he speaks up again, voice softer
than ever. "Okay, Hyuck. Do you want us to send Jeno over there to pick you up?"

"No, it's fine. I'll meet you guys in ten minutes."

"Okay," Jaemin sounds hesitant over the line before he elicits a defeated sigh, keeping his voice soft
and steady. "We'll wait for you, Hyuck. Stay safe, all right?"

"Mm, I'll see you."

As the call gets dropped, Donghyuck stares down at his shoes. With another deep breath, he forces
his heart to keep a steadier beat as he stands from the concrete step. He walks away from the store,
his feet heavier than ever.

All he hopes is that he didn't leave the rest of his heart with Mark.

11:11 P.M.

Donghyuck doesn't know why in the world he's nervous to meet them again.

It's not like he's been ghosting them for so long — in contrary, they often meet up weekly and stay
up for old time's sake. He calls them a lot and they know how he feels for Mark. Despite Donghyuck
feeling like all the odds are against him, the three have always been supportive. He can't remember if
there's even a time where they've outright hated Mark, with the exception of Renjun but then again,
he's always been overprotective when it comes to him.

To his surprise, Jeno is the one who throws the door open, a broad smile curled on his lips. "You're
here!" He's swept in a breathtaking embrace, making Donghyuck elicit a lighthearted laugh as he
rounds his arms around the older boy. Jeno gives him a light squeeze, pulling away to flash a smile at
the other boy. But Donghyuck is swift enough to see the pitying look that Jeno throws him before it
completely dissipates into nothingness.

"Come on, I think Injun and Jaem are—"

"Hyuck!"

Despite the way his stomach is churning horribly and his chest feeling heavier than usual, a smile
graces his lips. He's met with a tight hug from the other two boys, unable to stop the melodious laugh
from spilling past his lips. Renjun hurriedly cups his cheeks, a worried frown curling his lips as he
takes in Donghyuck's disheveled appearance. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Donghyuck blinks rapidly, not knowing what to say. When he parts his lips, a lump forms in his
throat and his chest squeeze in pain. The tears fill his eyes again, his vision going foggy as he hangs
his head, quickly wiping them away before the others will catch sight of them.

"It's nothing, I promise."

"Hyuck," Jaemin's voice is soft and gentle as Renjun steps away to let the other boy grab hold of
Donghyuck's shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "On the phone, you sounded like you
cried." His voice is comforting as he forces Donghyuck to meet his eyes, his expression softening.
"You don't have to lie to us. We're your friends and we're here for you."

With a deep breath, Donghyuck forces the words to spill from his lips, voice shakier than he
expected. "Mark, he," He whimpers, his smile fading away and vanishing into the thin air, "He still
likes Yukhei. I—I don't stand a chance."

He can see the way Jaemin's expression soften even more as he pulls Donghyuck into his arms,
giving him a gentle squeeze. "Oh, Hyuck, I'm so sorry."

Donghyuck doesn't even have time to process his thoughts when he feels Renjun and Jeno's arms
winding around him as well, pulling him into a group hug. Despite all the overwhelming emotions
that he's feeling, he lets out a breathy laugh, shaking his head as he indulges himself in the
comforting feeling of their embrace.

"I'm fine," He takes a breath to let his heart calm down its erratic beating, eyes flickering at the three
worried boys staring back at him. "I'll be fine. I'd rather spend my night with you guys than cry
pathetically in my room because of what, a boy didn't pick me?"

"You deserve better, Hyuck." Renjun nods his head firmly before he narrows his eyes dangerously.
"But you know, you can tell me the word anytime and I'll go beat up Yukhei and Mark for you."

"As if you can handle them, Injun. You're so tiny."

"Hey!"

The older boy huffs loudly but he breaks into a wide smile afterwards, gesturing at Donghyuck to
come closer. The brown haired boy complies easily, letting Renjun pull him down on the couch as
the three boys snuggle up against him, wrapping the blankets around them rather messily.

"Don't worry, Hyuck. We'll make sure that you'll forget about everything that happened tonight!"
Jeno sounds absolutely sure of himself as he passes a pint of ice cream over to Donghyuck. Ignoring
the fact that it might as well be freezing outside, he willingly takes the cold, sweet treat and begins
eating it with a contented sigh. The film starts playing on the television in front of them and soon
enough, Donghyuck loses himself in the sound of his friends' excited chatter amongst everything.

But even through the blur of the films and his friends' talking over everything that's happening,
Donghyuck finds his thoughts trailing after Mark once again. His eyes fall shut, a shaky sigh spilling
from his lips as he busies himself in eating the ice cream again.

He'll forget him.

One day.

Donghyuck starts off his break by wasting his time away by the couch in his apartment. More often
than not, he's stretched on the furniture, glazed eyes fixated at the ceiling as his vinyl records play
softly in the background. The warm afternoon sun pours over his body through the flowing curtains
but even then, he finds himself curling up as his thoughts connect and dissipate into nothing.

He tries his best to drown out the sounds echoing through the thin wall of his bedroom. He's utterly
afraid that if he hears Mark's voice through it, he might come rushing back to him without a doubt.
He doesn't want that to happen. He'll do anything not to be tempted by that anymore.

Through all the days passing by, he buries his feelings in the spaces of his ribcage, ignoring the dull
heartache in his chest. He pretends that with every breath he takes, it doesn't hurt anymore. He
pretends that he no longer has any sort of feelings for Mark. It'll be better for them — maybe this
time, he can be a better friend for the older boy if he wasn't so consumed by the romantic attachment
he has for him.

Renjun, Jaemin, and Jeno all try to get him to go out. Spend the days in amusement parks and
impromptu road trips but Donghyuck always politely declines all the invitations extended to him. But
the three have always been too stubborn; Donghyuck doesn't know if it's a good or bad thing that
they're like that when it comes to him.

Their stubbornness did win at the end — Donghyuck is dragged right out of his apartment one
Friday afternoon and down the streets to go down at the local arcade and ice skating rink, both
owned by Jaemin's parents. He did complain that it'll be too crowded but to his astonishment, he's
faced with barely enough kids roaming around the machines in the arcade and even fewer people at
the ice skating rink.

"What the hell?" Donghyuck knits his eyebrows as two kids barrel past him, eagerly holding a string
of tickets in their arms. The place is almost deserted and honestly, he's taken by surprise since all
throughout the year, the place has always been bustling with kids and teenagers alike. "Where are the
rest of the people in here?"

"My parents are planning to renovate this place so they're trying to keep people out of here, except
for a couple of kids and us." Jaemin shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly, hurriedly passing by the rows
of unused machines. The sound of guns firing off in the distance have faded along with the delighted
giggles coming from children as they try different machines. Donghyuck arches a brow as Jeno and
Renjun hurry over to the basketball area, clearly eager to beat each other in a friendly competition.
Both Donghyuck and Jaemin naturally gravitate right behind them with an amused smile, watching
the way Jeno begins shooting the balls through the hoop with a laugh.

"Hey, Hyuck," Jaemin speaks up over the sound of the machines, dark eyes flickering over to the
older boy. Donghyuck meets his eyes with an arched brow, tilting his head as a way to let Jaemin
continue speaking. The younger seems to be reluctant at first but his shoulders drop as he musters
him a saddened smile. "How are you holding up?"

"Good," Donghyuck answers quickly, earning a strange look from his friend. He ignores it as he
focuses his stare on Renjun, who has taken over Jeno's position as he eagerly tries to beat the other's
high score. "I think I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" The younger boy's voice drops into a softer tone, expression softening as he
continues to stare at Donghyuck's side profile. Even through the ruckus resonating within the arcade,
he hears his friend loud and clear. The brown haired male pointedly ignores how intense and worried
Jaemin's gaze is hanging over his head, forcing a smile to curve on his lips.

"Nana, don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise."

There's a warm hand that lands on his shoulder, giving it a light and reassuring squeeze. He lifts his
eyes, staring at Jaemin with a grateful smile as the other shifts closer to wrap an arm around him in a
comforting embrace. He pulls away afterwards, clutching Donghyuck's arm in a rather gentle hold.
"We're always here for you, okay?"

"I know," He breathes out, nodding his head and he playfully lets his body bump against Jaemin. He
hurries over to one of the game machines, a mischievous smile shot at his friends.

"The one who earns lowest score needs to buy lunch for everybody!"

"Oh, you're on, Hyuck!"

Donghyuck emits a lighthearted laugh as he settles right into the stool. A broad smile curls on his lips
as the other boys fight one another to take the second stool, which Jeno reigns victorious. He settles
down on it, making himself comfortable as he makes himself familiar with the controls. With a smug
smirk thrown at Donghyuck, he hits the start button, eyes gleaming with trouble.

"You're going down, Hyuck."

"Bring it on, loser."

(Jeno did in fact lose to Donghyuck after two rounds. The sight of the older boy grumbling under his
breath as he slips his money over to the counter in a local fast food restaurant, Donghyuck can't help
but grin broadly.

He thinks that with his friends around, maybe it wouldn't be too hard to forget Mark this time
around.)

"We'll see you soon, Hyuck!"

A sincere smile tugs on the edges of his mouth as he lifts a hand, giving a wave as his friends eagerly
return the gesture. Renjun and Jaemin are all too excited to stick their heads out of the window to talk
to Donghyuck more but the quick scolding coming from Jeno sitting at the driver's seat forces them
to sit back down with a huff.

Donghyuck watches as they drive away, eyes fixating themselves on the car slipping away and
down the street. He doesn't know how long he stood there — by the time he snapped out his reverie,
he realized that the warm afternoon is slowly sinking away to give way to the coldness of the night.
He takes a deep breath as he pushes past the double doors, the soles of his shoes squeaking slightly
amidst the almost deserted hallway. He could see his neighbors from downstairs slipping into their
own apartments, settling in for the night.

With a sigh, he forces his feet to continue moving as he climbs up the stairs. His fingers are tightly
wrapped around the railing, letting the smooth wood run along his palm as he hangs his head low.
His steps resonate in the rather silent stairway, a painful reminder that he's alone — the thought of
being alone for so long hits him harder than ever.

No, stop it. You're fine without him. The edges of his mouth curl downwards into a deep frown as he
shakes his head. It's really no use to stressing about his feelings for Mark. He's been doing a
wonderful job at ignoring the way his heart twists itself whenever he hears any sort of movement on
the other side of the thin wall. He doesn't want to think about him anymore.

He's deep in his train of thoughts that he didn't realize that he reached the last step. Blinking hastily,
he glances down before he steals a look around the hallway. As he walks over to his door, he freezes
in his spot, heart thundering beneath his chest. The breath is stolen from his lungs as his fingers reach
out, gently touching the knob.

Tied around the knob are two balloons, floating quietly right in front of him.

This reminds him of something — an idea that he invested months ago. An idea that he would have
loved to forget because it reminds him of a certain someone who makes his heart skip a beat before
promptly breaking itself apart. His eyes fall shut, not quite believing the sight that presented itself.
But when they flutter again, the balloons are still right here, floating and beckoning him to untie the
strings from the knob.

Hesitant fingers loop around the string, untying them and loosening the tangle until they free
themselves. Though he knows how light they are, his hands are aching to let them float high above
his head and leave them behind.

But somehow, he finds himself entering the lock of his door, stepping inside his apartment. He toes
off his sneakers as he brings the balloons over to the couch, gingerly taking a seat on the cushions as
he tugs on the strings. A tiny scribbled note is written on the balloons — both of them containing the
same message.

Pop this balloon for a message.

A nostalgic smile graces his lips as he hovers near the drawer near the couch, pulling it open. There's
a tangle of safety pins bunched up and he hastily untangles one of them. He carefully lines up the
edge, piercing through the first balloon.

The first pop! barely makes him flinch but the second one sends a jolt of surprise through his body.
He puts away the safety pin, hand on his chest as he focuses on calming down the erratic beating of
his heart. His attention is drawn away from the popped balloons that he didn't catch sight of the
papers fluttering gently on his feet. At the feeling of the letters landing by his feet, he steals a glance
at them, bending down to retrieve them.

Both are folded neatly and he can still feel the bumps on the paper due to the way the pen dug a little
too hard on the letter. He gathers the remaining courage in his chest, smoothening out the creases on
his lap.

The first one is a letter albeit a short note at least. It's been scribbled down in a hasty manner, earning
an arched brow from him as he peers at the handwriting. An invisible lump forms in his throat when
he realizes whose handwriting it was.

Of course, it's Mark Lee.

"What do you want?" He asks out loud to no one in particular, steering himself to pick up the letter
gingerly and let his eyes flicker from each word until they're connected themselves in a coherent trail.
His expression softens slowly, bottom lip quivering as he holds back the whimper from escaping past
his mouth.

Hey, Hyuck.

I'm not sure if I'm still allowed to call you that. You must be furious with me, aren't you? I wouldn't
blame you if you do feel that way towards me.

I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Hurting you would be the worst mistake I'll ever do and
right now, I can't even begin to tell you how painful it is. I miss you (don't know if I still have the
right to tell you that) and I can't stop thinking about you. If you'd like, I want to talk to you again — I
have so many things that I want to say to you.
Meet me tomorrow at the fountain at 11 P.M . I'll be waiting for you right there.

- Mark.

P.S . I wish I could see you again. I really do miss you a lot.

Tears pricked at the corners of Donghyuck's eyes, blinking rapidly as he checks the other note.
Despite the way his heart sends itself into a painful wreckage in his chest, a laugh bubbles from his
throat at the sight of a tiny drawing of the fountain smack right at the middle. Mark seems to have
tried to draw out the landscape as how he remembered it.

It hurts to see that he can see two tiny figures right next to the fountains, laughing.

With a shaky breath, he gently folds them again and lets them fall onto the coffee table in front of
him. His head is spinning with too many thoughts but out of everything, he's absolutely sure of one
thing.

He's seeing Mark again tomorrow.

The colorful lights illuminating the fountain used to take his breath away every time he comes by late
at night. But now, as he walks through the barely occupied benches and heading straight over to the
beloved place that meant the world to him, he feels numb. A little empty, he thinks.

He brings out his phone, switching it on ad letting the screen come to life. The time is ten minutes
after 11 P.M. — he knows that he's late but at this point, he doesn't know if he cares enough. Passing
by the fountain, he walks around it to get to the other side, lips pursued into a grim line.

But he stops short, a gasp falling from his lips. His fingers quiver but he's sure that it's not because of
the cold wrapping him up in its tight embrace. In his line of sight, he catches Mark standing near the
fountain, an anxious expression crossing his features. Tightly held in his hands is one more balloon
— the gentle blue color is a stark contrast as compared to the night hanging over their heads.

Donghyuck hesitates — should he leave? It's still not too late to turn around and pretend that he
never came here. He doesn't have an obligation to even come here; it's not like Mark is forcing him
to stay at the fountain.

But even as he takes one step away from him, his heart has began cracking itself open. Another deep
breath and he steers himself in Mark's direction, his expression as neutral as it can be as he tries to
even out the fast paced beating of his heart. He can't even hear the water erupting from the fountain;
the rush of blood pounding in his ears is enough to erase any other sound resonating around.

"Mark?" His voice is clear despite the water rushing behind them as he walks closer. The mentioned
male lifts his gaze from the balloon, hurriedly turning his body towards Donghyuck. A relieved smile
curves on his lips as he runs a hand through his dark hair, curling his fingers into a fist at his side
afterwards. His expression becomes hesitant and tense as he crosses the distance between them but
he does keep a respectable space in front of them.

"Hey, you came."

"Yeah," Donghyuck worries his bottom lip between his teeth, glazed eyes staring back at the other
boy. He awkwardly shifts from one foot to another, pocketing his hands as he struggles to gaze at
Mark. "You said that you have something to say."
"I do," He can see the obvious nervousness flashing on Mark's expression as he turns to look at the
fountain, gesturing at Donghyuck to follow him. The younger obediently follows him, lips pursued
into a thin line as they both settle right next to each other on the concrete edge of the fountain. A
nostalgic smile briefly curves on Donghyuck's lips as the memory passes through his head,
reminding him of what happened here the last time they went together.

The silence uncomfortably stretches between them as they stare down on their own shoes.
Donghyuck lets the soles of his shoes brush against the concrete pathway, a saddened frown curling
on his lips. He thought that the reticence would only echo louder but Mark breaks it apart by quietly
clearing his throat, taking the brave step to lean closer to the other. Donghyuck spares him a glance
but Mark still keeps his eyes trained on the ground, unable to return his intense gaze.

"How are you doing, Hyuck—" Mark winces, teeth catching onto his bottom lip. "I mean,
Donghyuck. Sorry." The brown haired male ignores the way he corrected himself, trying to come off
apathetic as he shrugs his shoulders in the most nonchalant way as he could.

"Fine. Could've been better but I'll get there someday."

A shadow crosses Mark's visage before his face slowly softens under the moonlight. He takes a
shaky breath as he inches closer to Donghyuck, their fingers brushing lightly against one another.
The younger flinches but doesn't make any move to pull away. As much as he wants to push the
other away, he wants to be selfish and indulge himself in the feeling of Mark's familiar warmth.

"I—I told Yukhei that I don't want to be with him anymore."

That catches Donghyuck's attention in a heartbeat — he turns to Mark with widened eyes, his heart
rushing to his throat. The words that are all ready to leave his lips seem to have vanished into
nothingness. It takes a few moments before he finds his voice but it sounds uncertain and soft,
"Why?"

Mark's lips quirk up into a small smile, stealing a look at the balloon in his hand. He twirls the end of
the string around his ring finger, his voice quiet yet he sounds absolutely sure of himself for once. As
if he won't be moved to change his mind about his decision.

"Because he's not the best for me. You are."

To say that Donghyuck is caught by surprise is an understatement — he sits there, gaping at Mark as
his fingers twitch in anxiety. No matter how many times he parts his lips, the words won't slip by as
his throat closes up. His heart is twisting itself in his chest but somehow, it isn't painful.

He swallows the invisible lump in his throat but he ends up whimpering, eyes brimming with tears.
He blinks hastily as he stares at Mark, the question falling from his lips. "What do you mean by that?
I thought that Yukhei is—"

"He's not." Mark drops his voice into a whisper, reassuring and sweet as he braves himself to press
himself closer to Donghyuck. The brown haired boy is so sure that Mark can hear the way his
heartbeats are resonating within his chest even with the fountain flowing right now. A flicker of
sadness flashes through Mark's visage before a smile curls on his lips, staring at the front instead.

"I figured out that he's only using my feelings for him a leverage to win me back. He knew that I've
always had a soft spot for him and," He falters, his expression hardening as he continues to speak.
"He used that against me." A scoff leaves Mark's mouth as he gazes at the empty pathway in front of
him with lips pursued into a straight line.
"Oh," Donghyuck is dumbfounded, too speechless to figure out what he should say. With a deep
breath, he reaches out to hold Mark's free hand, letting their fingers tangle in a loose hold. Mark is
taken aback but a smile easily forms on the edges of his mouth as he slightly tightens his hold on the
younger male's hand.

"It's fine. I thought that I was still hung up on him until that night but I realized that it wasn't the
case," Mark finally draws his attention back to Donghyuck, meeting his eyes with a broad smile
painted across his features, "Somewhere along the way, I ended up liking you too, Hyuck."

It's the way Mark says his name in such a sweet tone, eyes crinkling as he runs the pad of his thumb
across his knuckles. It's the way that his heart feels like it's going to explode into pieces because god,
he didn't know that he would be so happy tonight. The thought of Mark liking him back has always
been considered as an impossibility for him but Mark is right here, smiling widely at him and for
once in his life, he's so sure of his feelings.

Just when he's about to part his lips to say something, Mark breaks away from him and stands right
in front of him. Donghyuck stares at him with furrowed eyebrows, the confusion present in his
visage as Mark holds out the balloon over to him. There's a message written across the balloon, the
words are as familiar as they can be for the two of them.

Pop this balloon for a message.

"Here," Mark hands over a pin at his direction, arching a brow with a bright smile. Donghyuck
easily takes it from his hand, holding the pin as he lets the tip pierce through the balloon. The audible
pop! sends a jolt of shock through Donghyuck's body but he recovers quite easily as he hands the pin
back to the older male. A letter flutters down on his feet and he bends down to pick it up, staring at
the paper with lips pursued.

He picks up the hopeful glance that Mark hands to him as he smoothens out the creases of the paper,
heart beating out of control. As the words present themselves right before him, he quietly says the
single question scribbled on it.

"Will you be mine?"

Donghyuck stills, fingers tightly gripping the paper until his knuckles turn into a ghostly white. He
can see the way Mark stands before him, taking the paper from his hands and holds it out for him to
read it all over again. A sweet and hopeful smile curls on the older boy's lips and Donghyuck wants
to burst into tears — he's so overwhelmed with happiness and adoration.

"So, do you want to be mine?"

The younger boy bursts into a fit of lighthearted laugh, standing up until he's face to face with Mark.
He crosses the distance between them until they're so close that he can see how pretty Mark's eyes
are like this — they're so bright and starry under the moonlight pouring over them. Donghyuck
reaches out to gently cup his cheeks, leaning in slowly and he can feel the way his heart stirs out of
control beneath his chest.

As their lips crash against each other, Donghyuck's heart tips over the edge and falls right at his feet.

He can feel the way Mark's arms wrap themselves around his waist as Donghyuck smiles widely
against his lips. When Mark deepens the kiss, the corners of his own mouth curving upwards into a
grin, Donghyuck falls a little harder for him. His eyes fall shut as he indulges himself in the feeling of
being in Mark's embrace — it feels so comforting and familiar. He feels like he's at home in his arms.
 With one last peck, he breaks away but he keeps him close with another soft chuckle. His starry eyes
stare back at Mark, the happiness exploding in his ribcage.

"Does that answer your question?"

A playful grin graces Mark's lips as he rests his forehead against Donghyuck's. He leaves a chaste
kiss on the tip of his nose as a flicker of mischief passes through his dark eyes. "Mm, I don't know. I
think I need to kiss you again just to be sure. Can I kiss you?"

Donghyuck rolls his eyes at the response, shaking his head with a laugh. He willingly crosses his
distance between them, lips pressing against Mark's in a gentle kiss. He whispers against his pair, a
lilt of happiness in his voice.

"Gladly."

Donghyuck heaves out a sigh of exhaustion as he steps right of his apartment. The strap of his
backpack weighs against his shoulders and somehow, the tiredness runs through his veins. He pulls
the door leading to his apartment shut, testing the knob by twisting it and pulling on it a few times.
Habits are hard to break but then again, there's nothing wrong with being cautious.

"Good morning." A brush of his lips reach his cheek as a familiar pair of arms wrap themselves
around his waist. He spins on his heel, eyes narrowed into a menacing glare but he softens up
immediately when he sees the smile gracing Mark's lips. He settles with rolling his eyes, teeth
catching onto his bottom lip to stop himself from breaking into a wide smile.

"Hey, loser."

"Mean."

"Fine," Donghyuck wraps an arm around his neck, pulling him in for a quick kiss. He flashes a
bright smile at the older male, clearly enjoying upon seeing the blush that colors itself on Mark's
cheeks. "Good morning, boyfriend. Is that better?"

"Definitely."

Mark recovers easily as he curves his lips into a grin, dropping his arms from Donghyuck's waist and
reaching out to hold his hand instead. Their fingers loosely lace with each other's and Donghyuck
can't deny the way his heart skips a beat at the way Mark tightens his hold on his hand.

"Do you want me to walk you to your class today?" With the warm morning sun pouring through
the windows from the hallway and the sight of Mark's smile directed at him, Donghyuck feels
absolutely at peace. There's nothing in this world that can make him feel better than this.

It's already perfect.

"I'd love that."

End Notes
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