Mark exhaled a heavy breath as he checked his watch. It was nearly time for school and Mina still hadn’t come out of the apartment building. Mark sighed and hopped onto his bike. He took one last look at the apartment building before riding off. I hope everything is alright, he thought.

    Today was the second day that Mina hadn’t shown up and Mark would be lying to say that he wasn’t worried about her. He walked into class hoping that maybe she went to school ahead of him, but her desk was empty.

    Once in awhile between classes, Mark noticed Jackson peering into the class. They made eye contact and instead of their usual glare off, they only exchanged glances; Mark shook his head and Jackson walked off disappointed.

    Guess I’m not the only one worried. Mark sighed as he tapped his pen on his notebook and remembered back to the conversation he had with Jackson a couple days ago.

 

“Me? What about you, you prick?” Jackson glared his hands in fists at his side.

“I didn’t do anything.” Mark crossed his arms. “She came running in here, apparently from you. You must have done something.”

Jackson shrugged. “I confessed my feelings for her.”

“You—” Mark paused and stared at the male standing in front of him. Did he hear Jackson correctly? Did he confess to Mina?

Jackson raised an eyebrow and gave Mark a confused look. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You…have feelings for her?” Mark had a hunch that Jackson had feelings for her when he was told that Jackson tried to kiss her, but he didn’t want to believe it. There was no way he and Jackson were crushing on the same girl at the same time. It usually never happened and yet, it has.

“I do.”

“Well,” said Mark looking up the stairs Mina disappeared up. “Looks like we actually have something in common, for once.”

Jackson frowned. “You, too?”

Mark nodded, rubbing his nape with his hand. “Yeah, I do. I’ve liked her since I saw her.”

There was a silence between both boys before Jackson broke it. “Well, I confessed first though, so…you can it.” Jackson stuck his tongue out and quickly evaded Mark’s hand about to push him. “You missed.”

Mark rolled his eyes as Jackson headed over to the apartment building’s front door. “Later, loser,” Jackson said and he disappeared out the door.

Mark in a breath and exhaled slowly. “Oh, boy.”

 

“Hey, Mark hyung.” Jinyoung waved his hand in front of Mark’s face to try to get his attention.

    “I think he’s broken,” Youngjae said, raising an eyebrow. “Should I kick him?”

    Jinyoung made a face and looked at Youngjae who sat to his left and shook his head. Youngjae shrugged. “Just a suggestion.” He resumed eating his lunch just as Mark snapped out of his daze.

    “Did you two say something?” Mark asked blinking his eyes.

    “What were you thinking about?” Jinyoung asked. “You were spacing out and you haven’t even touched your food since we got here.”

    “Oh,” said Mark as he looked at his tray of untouched food. He really hadn’t eaten any of it. He was too lost in his thoughts about Mina that he hadn’t eaten anything at all. “Um, just—stuff.”

    “Is it about Mina?” Youngjae asked.

    Mark’s head snapped up immediately at the mention of her name. “What? Mina? Is she here?”

    A frown formed on both of his friend’s faces at Mark’s reaction. “Okay, so that answers my question.” Youngjae watched as Mark looked around the cafeteria for Mina.

    “He’s so whipped—” Jinyoung muttered into Youngjae’s ear who burst out into laughter.

 

“Tell me where Mina is,” Jackson said sternly, his glare on both Momo and Sana who had been on the roof eating their lunches in peace.

    “Why do we have to tell you?” Momo asked in a disgusted tone. “What’s in it for us?”

    Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Just tell me where she is and I’ll leave you two alone.”

    Momo and Sana looked at each other as if communicating with their eyes.

    ‘Should we tell him?’ Sana’s gaze said.

    ‘Hell no—He doesn’t deserve to know.’ Momo’s eyes replied.

    They looked back at Jackson. “Tell us one good reason why we should tell you where she is,” Sana said.

    “Because I—” love her. Jackson shut his mouth immediately as those words almost slipped out. He looked down at his feet. “I—”

    “You?” Momo asked.

    Sana observed Jackson’s facial expression and gasped. “You like her, don’t you?” A flash of pink tinted Jackson’s cheeks. “Oh, my God! You do! You like her!” Sana shouted in surprise.

    Momo frowned meeting Jackson’s gaze. “Is that true?”

    Jackson sighed and shoves his hands into his pockets. “If you guys don’t know where she is, just tell me that. Then I’ll leave you two alone.”

    “Sorry,” said Momo, “We don’t know where she is either. She never told us anything. Just that she’ll see us in a few days.” Jackson nodded and turned to walk away when Momo stopped him, her hand on his arm. “I have no problem with you liking her, Jackson, but I don’t think you’re a good—” Momo paused when Jackson looked at her. “I don’t want you to hurt her. I’d hate to see her heartbroken after you leave her like you left all those other girls.”

    Jackson stayed quiet as he looked away from Momo. “Think what you want about me, but I was never the one doing the leaving. I was the one who got left. Every damn time.” He shrugged off her hand silently and walked away, going down the stairs from the roof.

    “Does this mean we’ve been wrong about him all along?” Sana asked, looking to Momo.

    Momo in a breath and nodded. “Seems so… God, I hate being wrong…”

    “No luck?” Jaebum asked as Jackson came down the stairs. The other male shook his head. “Who else would know about Mina? Mark hyung doesn’t. Momo and Sana don’t. It seems pretty obvious that Jinyoung and Youngjae don’t know either.”

    Just then, a thought hit Jackson. “I know who,” said Jackson before he marched down the hall.

 

Bambam hummed softly as he walked out of the boy’s bathroom. He was having such a casual school day until now. He was pushed up against the wall by Jackson just outside of the bathroom. He let out a squeak of surprise and looked at Jackson with wide eyes.

    “Where’s Mina?” Jackson asked.

    Bambam gulped trying to shrink away from the older. The look in Jackson’s eyes was scary and intimidating. “Um…N-No…She didn’t tell me anything…”

“—” Jackson swore as he moved away from Bambam. “Doesn’t anyone know where she is?”

“Well,” Bambam started just as Mark walked around the corner of the hall. “Yugyeom told me he received a  text from her a couple days ago. I didn’t ask him what is was about but—Oh, they’re already gone…” The young Thai boy sighed heavily watching Jackson and Mark book it down the hall.

    Jackson and Mark arrived at the library where Yugyeom had been studying and burst in. “KIM YUGYEOM!” they both shouted making Yugyeom jump and look at them with wide eyes. Everyone in the library now had their eyes on them. Everyone’s stare burned a hole in Yugyeom making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

    “Y-Yes?” Yugyeom stuttered as he looked at Mark and Jackson who were both panting heavily and had their hands on the table he was at.

    “You know where Mina is,” said Mark.    

    “Now spill,” Jackson demanded.

    Yugyeom sighed and set down his pencil. “She… asked me to promise not to tell anyone. I can’t tell you—”

    “Yes, you can and you will,” said Jackson. “Tell us now.”

    Yugyeom chewed on his bottom lip. “F-Fine. She’s in Busan. She’ll be back on Thursday.”

    “Busan?” Mark asked. “Why is she in Busan?”

    Yugyeom folded his hands together on the table and looked up at them with sadness in his eyes. “Her dad died. They’re having his funeral there.”

    Jackson shut his mouth immediately and left the library quietly. Mark slowly sat on the chair across Yugyeom. “Oh…” was all he could say.

 

Mina sat against the wall outside of the room in the funeral home. She couldn’t take it in the room anymore and sat out there by herself. She tucked her knees to her chest and rested her forehead against them. Haruka’s cries only grew louder as she mourned for her husband. Her cries were amplified with Mina’s aunt there as well.

    Mina let out a stuttered breath as she looked up at the ceiling, tears rolling down her cheeks. “A-Appa…”