Chapter 22
"Wake up my dear brother.." Taeyong said, opening the curtains inside his room.
Mark immediately opened his eyes and stretched his arms and legs. "Morning, hyung!!"
His brother laughed, "You seem energetic today?"
"Well I've got no work today, I could spend time with her!!!" He said happily.
"O-Oh... that, okay... happy for you, bro." He forced a smile.
***
A day with out Eunmi seemed bearable, well, for those who knew. As for Mark, he kept on asking where she is, but the others were too quick to divert the topic.
Eunmi, on the other hand, wasn't used to her old school, even if it's where she came from.
She sighed and look at herself at the mirror, pulling her necktie in disgust. "Is this even a uniform?"
She suddenly remembered the day in which she asked herself the same question— her first day to study at Seoul.
"Come downstairs already, I'll drive you to school." Her dad knocked.
"Okay..." She sighed and picked her bag and phone up.
She opened her phone and looked at her wallpaper. "I miss you Minhyungie..." She sighed and went downstairs.
"Are you okay? You look down..." Her mom asked her.
"I'm fine.. just not used to see myself in this uniform." She forced a laugh.
"Don't laugh, sweetie... I know you're hurting..." She sighed. "You can't always force yourself to be happy..."
She chuckled, "Kun-oppa also said that..." She looked down.
She suddenly remembered the first day she met the group. It was a total mess, everyone was too loud for her liking, but heck, they became very dear to her, and she became dear to them, too.
"Who?" Her mom asked.
"Qian Kun. Our friend." She smiled.
"I see you made a lot of friends back in Seoul." Her mom said.
"I did. Five girls and eighteen boys." She laughed.
"Eighteen boys?! For real?"
She nodded, "Yeah, they're all our friends. Jaehyun oppa and I's friends."
"Are you the youngest?"
She shook her head, "Ani... Jisung is the youngest. There are six boys younger than me."
"And you got yourself a boyfriend?" Her mom grinned sheepishly.
"It's sad that you guys call him my boyfriend and yet I left him..." She sighed.
"But is he?"
She shook her head, "N-No..."
"No but your wallpaper is a picture of you hugging and him kissing your forehead?" Her mom placed her hand on her chin. "Interesting...."
"Mom, can you not?" She rolled her eyes. "You're just like Jaehyun."
"Well that's normal because he's my son, and you're my daughter." She laughed. "You love him, don't you?"
"Who? Jaehyun?"
"No, silly. That guy." She pointed at her phone.
"Oh, Mark..." She looked down and became silent for a while. "Yeah, I do... I really do..."
"Don't worry, sweetheart... it'll be over soon. Once you finish your school year here, we can move back to Seoul."
***
"Oh Mark-hyung is here!" Renjun exclaimed.
"Mark?" They all turned towards the cafeteria's entrance and threw each other meaningful glances.
"Hi guys!!" He laughed, seating on his designated chair.
"Wow, it's new that you're here." Irene scoffed but laughed afterwards.
"Yah, noona don't be like that~" He whined. "I don't have schedules today so that I could spend some time with you guys, especially her." He laughed.
"Just say that you took a day off for Eunmi-noona." Jeno rolled his eyes.
"Speaking of Eunmi, where is she? Is she still sick, hyung?" Mark asked Jaehyun.
Jaehyun sighed as Taeyong and Irene looked at him.
"Mark, if I say that I kinda lied to you, how would you react?" Jaehyun asked, waiting for his response.
The younger looked at him and shrugged, "I could never get mad at someone, well depends on the reason? If it's gonna be lying, i don't know?"
Irene sighed. "Mark, don't be shocked about what we're gonna tell you okay?" She said, full of caution and sincerity.
Mark raised a brow, "Why are you guys suddenly serious?" He chuckled.
"Mark, Eunmi left." Taeyong said, looking at his brother straight in the eye.
Mark laughed, "You've got to be kidding me, hyung! Come on, don't joke like that!"
Everyone looked down. Of course he wouldn't believe them.
"Hyung he left yesterday." Renjun said.
"That's not true! She texted me! She replied when I yelled at your house! Jaehyun-hyung! You told me she was sick! She's sick... right?" He asked but the latter made no response. "Hyung! J-Jae-hyung!"
"I-I'm sorry, Mark..." Jaehyun looked down. "Eunmi told each one of us not to tell you..."
"H-Hyung..." He leaned his head on the table. "Hyung no... she told me she loves me... w-why... why would she leave me..."
Everyone looked down, "Mark, w-we're sorry..." Joy said.
Everything she said started to click piece. That's why her eyes are puffy. That's why she cried when he sang her favorite song. That's why she kept on tearing up when he talks to her. That's why she's sad.
That's why...
And Mark didn't know...
"What will you do, if you'll wake up, without me by your side?" Her words reverberated inside his head.
"I love you so much... thank you for everything, Mark..."
***
He was alone inside his room, holding a folded piece of paper that Jaehyun gave him. He hasn't eaten dinner, nor came out of his room.
He sighed and decided to open the letter that Eunmi wrote him before she left.
To my love Minhyungie,
He closed his eyes when he saw the nickname that she wrote. It hurts to see it. It hurts because he misses her.
I'm sorry if I didn't tell you that I was leaving. I'm sorry if I lied. I'm sorry if I didn't tell you that I was just an exchange student, and not a transferee. Truth is, I had fun that I also forgot.
That time we spent when we were at Namsan, I would always remember it. Thank you for making me feel loved. That day when I said I like you, I had no regrets.
Thank you for celebrating with me on my birthday. It was so far, the best birthday I've ever had. I haven't listen to the song that you made me, but I promise that I would listen to it once I arrive at Incheon.
Minhyung-ah, I hope you aren't mad at me for leaving. I'm sorry. I hope you forgive me.
Like I said, what would you do if you'd wake up without me by your side? I thought you would get mad at me, but I was surprised when you answered calmly.
Minhyung-ah, I hope you would do what you answered me. I hope you'll wait for me. I hope you'll stay with me. I hope your perspective on memories would change. They aren't ephemeras, Mark... I will stay with you, and I will be back.
I'll be back when school year's over. I promise you that, so hold on, okay? If you'll find someone better than me, I would accept it, don't worry. As long as you're happy... I'm fine.
I love you, Mark Lee. Thank you for everything.
Love,
Your Eunmi <3
***
"You said it? How did he react?" Eunmi asked while munching on a pack of chips.
"He cried, of course. He was so excited this day because he got a day off. He told us that he was ready to spend the rest of the day with you but yeah... you weren't here." Jaehyun said.
The two were currently talking to each other via video call.
"Did you give him the letter, oppa?" She asked.
Her brother nodded, "I did. But I don't know if he read it already."
She nodded.
—tbc.
I don't know wtf I'm writing. Congratulations to YuiDeru and Alisa_Broken for getting the first quote!