Mark didn’t return to the cafeteria after getting some fresh air like he had said. Instead, he returns back to his classroom listening to music from his cell phone waiting for the next class to start. He was only glad that Jackson nor Jinyoung hadn’t come looking for him when he didn’t return to the cafeteria. After the last lesson was dismissed Mark goes to collect his belonging into his backpack before eyeing the door for any familiar face involving Mingyu or Jinyoung. He hurriedly exits the classroom and down the hallway before anyone could stop him. Mark wasn’t going to meet the group at their usual hangout spot in the classroom, figuring he had caused enough trouble for Jinyoung and his group of friends. He could make out the school gate when he spotted Mingyu and his friends already there scanning every student that passes through the gate searching for him. Sighing in defeat he decides to wait around in the school building for awhile until the case was clear to leave.

And so Mark found himself hiding in one of the classrooms that a nice teacher have allowed him to stay in. Instructing him that once he leaves the room’s door will lock him out. He was fine with that because he wasn't going to go anywhere else. An hour had passed and his cell phone was drained of battery, leaving him only at twenty percent left. Thinking Mingyu and his friends would have left by now Mark was good to go. Shutting the classroom door behind him he walks down the hallway and down the stairs to the front of the school when he runs straight into Mingyu. All that waiting was for nothing, groaning he turns around to run down the hallway to the cafeteria as he hears Mingyu shouting orders to his friends. Pushing the double doors of the cafeteria he darts for the other door leading to the kitchen area. Looking left and right, Mark spots another door leading to the outside probably to the dumpsters. Considering this was his only escape he burst through the door coming to the outside world. Before he got a chance to run farther a hand grabs him by his shirt from behind, yanking him back. He stumbles onto the ground before scrambling back up.

“You know you’re a very hard person to track down,” Mingyu says while cracking his knuckles. “Where’re your friends?”

“You want my money right? Well, you can have it Mingyu so just take it and leave.” Throwing his backpack to the ground he crosses his arm in defense.

“Well, you see the funny thing is I did want your money. But after the little , you pulled I think a few bruises on your body will do quite nicely.” On instinct, Mark takes a step back as Mingyu steps forward motioning for his friends, “Grab him.”

Mark groans in pain as Donghae slams him against the dumpster bin while Mingyu steps forward with a smirk. Donghae and this other student, Mark frankly do not know, grab him each by the arm preventing him from fighting back. “You can’t fight me like a man? Instead, having two of your friends hold me back?” Mark mocks as Mingyu grabs him by his hair making him wince in pain.

“Shut up,” He warns before punching Mark in the stomach causing him to curl forward only to be pulled back. “Now keep quiet so this can end soon enough.” He lands another punch squarely on Mark’s jaw. With no time to catch his breath, Mark receives another punch to the stomach before he hears shouting.

“Let him go.”

Feeling a bit weak from the beating, Mark musters all his energy to look up to see who it was. To his surprise, it was Jaebum, alone, with his hands in his pocket.

“Im Jaebum, what brings you here?” Mingyu asks with an open mouth smile.

“I said let him go.” Jaebum instructs again without moving from his spot.

“Can’t do that, why don’t you just run along and pretend you didn’t see anything? Just let us deal with him ourselves.” Mingyu says smacking Mark’s left cheek to emphasize Mark was his business.

“I would if this was during school hour. But it’s not anymore. So what kind of happens here after should have a hard time being pinpointed happening at the school.” Jaebum replies back while taking a few steps closer to Mingyu. During the process, he picks up a broom off the wall examining it.

“Are you saying you’re going to fight me?” Mingyu asks while scoffing looking at Jaebum then at his two friends laughing. Turning his attention back on Jaebum, “You don’t have the guts.”

Just like that Jaebum swings the end of the broomstick towards Mingyu’s head smacking him on the side of his face. The grip on Mark’s arm disappears as the two male heads towards Jaebum shouting at him. Within seconds a fight breaks out as Mark tries to fight both the men who were holding him while Jaebum was fighting with Mingyu alone. It was a fist fight that probably lasted for thirty minutes, but felt like an eternity on Mark’s watch. When all of them had had enough with Mingyu seeming to had the better of the beating (as well as his friends) he yells for Donghae and the other student to leave. Not before cursing at Mark and Jaebum, shouting at them both about being losers and for someone like him he shouldn’t even bother his time and energy on them. When they were finally out of sight Mark lets out a relieved sigh he was holding before falling on the ground to lay on his back catching his breath. Breathing was a bit difficult after the beatings he took. He winces in pain as he touches his jaw and his left cheek finding a small amount of blood on his fingers from the cuts he received. He was definitely going to have bruises on his cheeks and stomach the next few days. Just then a body sat down beside Mark, it was Jaebum who looks equally as exhausted and beaten. Sitting up slowly they both sat in silence unsure of what to say to each other.

“Thanks for stepping in when you could have just walked away.” Mark opens his mouth to say side glancing at Jaebum who sat in silence before turning his face to look back at him. He certainly took some great hits from Mingyu. The guy got punched in the face as well with his lips being busted open with a few dried up blood on his lips.

“Yeah, well I couldn’t walk away knowing he was beating you. No matter what Jinyoung said.” Jaebum replies as he touches his delicate lips to wipe the blood away. Grimacing in pain he touches the side of his rib where Mingyu had landed a punch at earlier. “I know you’re a good person. You just clearly have rotten luck to come across Mingyu and his friends.”

“You can say that again.” That got both men to chuckle under their breath before looking at each other in the eye. “You look horrible.” Mark says taking in Jaebum’s beaten up state noticing some bruising beginning to form near his eyes.

“I can say the same to you.” That got Mark to break into a fit of laughter follow by Jaebum moments after. It lasted for a few minutes before they both quiet down putting a hand over their forming bruise on their bicep because of the pain. Sticking out his hand for a handshake as in to call it a truce, “I’m Im Jaebum a third-year student here at School of Performing Arts Seoul.”

Looking at Jaebum’s hand then at the guy's face who gave a short nod he goes to shake his hand. “Mark Tuan a fourth-year student who’s new here.” He introduces himself again.

“It’s nice to meet you Mark hyung.” Jaebum says acknowledging him into his group of friends.

Both males had sat there on the ground by the dumpster longer, talking about anything they could think of to talk about which consisted of the fight. Mark found out that Jaebum hadn’t hung out with his friends after the cafeteria scenario as Mark apologizes while Jaebum waved it off. Saying he’ll just make up with Jinyoung tomorrow. He had hung out at the school building roaming around when he saw Mark run down the hallway to the cafeteria with Mingyu and his friends following close behind him.

When Mark got home his mom panicked to see the state his son was in. She kept asking if there was anyone bullying him as Mark assured her the bullying has stopped. And Mark truly believes Mingyu will stop bothering him now. His mother all but whines in disagreement while getting the first aid kit packed somewhere in the boxes of unpacked things. His father had made sure of Mark to report to him about any bullying he was receiving at school so he could pull him out any second. Explaining that ‘no son of his should be bully’ and that ‘there are plenty of other nice schools he could be in’. After he was done being patched up his parents were nice enough to let him head to bed without any further lecturing. He was mentally and physically tired. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep on his bed.

Waking up wasn’t the nicest thing this morning. Every part of his body ached as he tried to move. He could tell he needed every minute he could get by the slow pace he was moving. Getting freshen up, eating breakfast, and walking to school took longer than usual. It didn’t help that students passing by were looking at him because of the blue and dark bruises forming on his face.

“Mark hyung!” He hears someone calling him before tapping on his shoulder causing Mark to yelp in pain. On instinct, the man who called him recoils his hand away. “Are you okay?” He asks as Mark turns to the side to look at the one who caused him to yelp. It was Jinyoung who had his backpack over his shoulder while wearing a concerned look on his face. “Oh my god, Mark hyung what happened to your face?” He asks in concern bringing one of his free hand to cover his mouth in shock while the other goes to touch the band aid on Mark’s left upper cheek.

“I got beat up.” Mark simply answered as he watches a light bulb switch turn on in Jinyoung’s head.

“Mingyu and his friends did this to you yesterday? Is that why you didn’t come hang out with us?” He asks grabbing onto both of Mark’s arm earning another painful yelp from Mark. Letting go quickly, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s okay, Jinyoung, relax.” He assures as Mark continue his walk to school with Jinyoung walking beside him. “I didn’t go hang out with you guys yesterday because I didn’t want to bother you further. I was about to go home when I saw Mingyu and his friends waiting by the school gate for me. So I hid in another classroom until I thought the case was clear only to run into Mingyu head on.” Mark explains as Jinyoung stay quiet listening to his words carefully. “He and his friends caught up to me and brought me to the school dumpster. Mingyu landed a few hits on me when Jaebum-”

“Jaebum?” Jinyoung interrupted confuse and shock at the same time, “He was there? He never came to hang out with us yesterday after school. I thought he went home.”

“Yeah, well he saw me being chased and actually came to stop Mingyu and his friends from beating me up any further.”

“He actually fought Mingyu and his friends?” Jinyoung asks in disbelief, stopping in his tracks to stare at Mark.

“We fought together actually. Listen, Jinyoung,” Putting a hand on the younger male’s shoulder, “Jaebum and I are cool now. He was just worried about Mingyu bothering Yugyeom, Bambam, and Youngjae again. You shouldn’t be angry at him for being so. You’ll talk to him right?” Mark asks the younger hoping he’ll put his anger aside to make up with his friend. He watches as Jinyoung stares at the ground before shifting his backpack strap on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I’ll talk to him.” He finally answers looking up at Mark with a small smile as Mark smiles back before ruffling the younger male’s hair.

“Come on let’s get to school.”

When Mark and Jinyoung got to school they found their friends by the school gate. Yugyeom, Bambam, and Jackson were pointing and laughing at Jaebum while Youngjae had a look of concern on his face. Jaebum looked unaffected by his three friend lack of affection ignoring them as he leans against the brick wall fence until he spotted Mark and Jinyoung. If Mark said he was developing bruises on his face already Jaebum’s bruises were taking two times an effect quicker. Blue bruises had already developed near his eyes while his lips were puffier than usual.

“Took you guys long enough to get here. If we don’t get moving we’re gonna be late to class.” Jaebum says pushing himself off the brick wall he was leaning against. Without saying another word he walks past the school gate leaving his friends to follow him. Yugyeom and Bambam greet both Mark and Jinyoung before following Jaebum suit.

“Heard you guys got beat up.” Jackson pipes up examining Mark’s face wound, “But I also heard you landed a few good punches as well.” He added breaking into a cheeky grin.

“Something like that.”

“Do you think Jaebum hyung is going to be okay?” Youngjae speaks up looking at Mark worried that Mingyu will come after him.

Nodding his head he pats the guy on his shoulder, “Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to be bothering us anymore.” Hearing those words made the guy smile before saying something about getting to class. Jackson shouts for Youngjae to wait for him as he runs after him. This leaves Mark alone with Jinyoung once again. Glancing off to the side he watches as Jinyoung stares after his friends.

“Don’t forget what you said.” Mark reminds him.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Jackson asks while taking a sip of his chocolate milk through a straw. It was currently lunchtime and both Jaebum and Jinyoung were sitting at a different table with just the two of them.

“From the looks of it,” Bambam trails off watching Jinyoung take out something from his pants pocket to give to Jaebum, “I think they’re making up.”

“You really think so?” Youngjae asks hopeful, wishing for his two hyungs to be friends again and not in an argument any longer.

“Yeah, I mean look at how Jaebum hyung is listening to Jinyoung hyung.” Yugyeom points out while taking a bite of his sweet bread. “My bet is Jinyoung hyung is apologizing for what he said yesterday.”

“Or it could be how grateful he is for him to stop Mingyu from harassing Mark hyung altogether.” Jackson suggests earning a smack on the chest from Mark causing him to yelp.

“Shut up.”

“Shh! Guys, they’re walking this way!” Youngjae says in a hushed voice as the five of them pretended to talk to each other while eating their food. It did not go unnoticed to Mark how Jinyoung and Jaebum were both smiling when they got back.

“You guys made up?” Jackson asks quirking his eyebrows up while watching Jinyoung and Jaebum both took a seat beside each other while Mark was on Jinyoung’s right while Youngjae was on Jaebum’s left.

“You can that say that.” Jinyoung replies reaching across the table for some sweet bread Yugyeom had brought from home.

“Thank goodness, I was wondering how long our mom and dad are going to stay mad at each other.” Jackson says jokingly earning a glare from Jinyoung while Jaebum ignores his word as always taking the hard boiled egg Jinyoung had given him to roll over the bruises near his eye. Quite frankly hearing Jackson call Jinyoung and Jaebum mom and dad left him confused. But it also didn’t sit quite nicely on Mark’s chest. What the hell was that suppose to mean?

Mark was pretty sure Youngjae must have noticed the confused look on his face because he jumped in explaining what Jackson had meant earlier with his words.

“Jinyoung hyung is kind of like the mother of the group. He acts like a nagging mother while Jaebum hyung has a trait of a father. Besides, the two of them are best friends so the nickname just kind of stuck to them.”

“Besides we’re not the only ones with nicknames around here.” Jinyoung points out not letting the moment pass to tease one of his friends as well, “We call Yugyeom the ‘Giant Baby’.” That earns a whine from Yugyeom as Jackson gives off his hyena laugh.

Sorry for any grammatical errors and inaccurate depiction of Seoul/school system. 

So how 'bout that? Having Jaebum and Mark involved in a fist fight lol.