"I'll come back"

"Promise?"

"Promise"

Mark woke up.He sat up on his bed and sigh.He really needs to stop dreaming about the past.It's been like,what,12 years?

12 years since his childhood best friend left.

He walked to the wall in front of his desk where the photo of him and Donghyuck was pinned on the memo board besides the many post-it notes.Mark took it off from the board and found himself staring at it for a couple of minutes before his mom's voice startled him from downstairs, "Mark,your friend is here!"

Mark's eyes widened.

He forgot he was supposed to take Haechan out today.Yesterday,he volunteered to give the younger a Seoul tour because the boy had been living in a foreign country for so long that he forgot what it feels like back in South Korea.And now Haechan is here and Mark is still in his pyjamas. Great.

In a hurry,he slipped the photo in his journal and quickly went to the bathroom to tidy himself up.He settled for his light blue jeans and a white baggy t-shirt.He wasn't gonna make it look like he tried to look good.It's just an outing with a friend, not a date (unfortunately).

He went downstairs and saw that Haechan was already waiting for him in the living room. The younger was sitting on the couch, playing a game on his phone.He didn't realize Mark's pressence when his lips turned into a pout, probably losing a game.Mark couldn't decide what is making it hard for him to breathe, Haechan's really adorable pout or the fact that the boy was wearing shorts that stop mid-thighs, revealing a smooth expanse of golden skin.Mark thinks it's probably the shorts.

He peeled his eyes away from Haechan's legs and quickly collected himself, "Haechan"

The boy looked up and peered at him, "What took you so long?"

Mark scratch the back of his head, "Sorry,I overslept"

The younger didn't look satisfied with Mark's answer. "You better make sure I had a great time today to make it up for wasting my 10 minutes"

Mark knew the boy was just playing with him from when he said that with a playful tone so he did the same thing, "As you wish"

The two took a train to Dongdaemun and arrived there with a view of so many people shopping at the markets.They walked through blocks of shops and outlets accompanied by k-pop music coming from every store they passed.All the while, Haechan was looking around with bright eyes, looking amazed.The older watched fondly how the other's eyes would sparkle everytime they spotted a cute store. The boy would pull Mark into a store that caught his attention,even using a cute whiny voice if the older resisted, and Mark couldn't bring himself to say no.At one point, the two almost got separated by a crowd.Mark felt panic rise in him when he couldn't find the younger but a hand grabbing his pulled him away from the crowd.It was Haechan who supported a playful smirk when he saw worry on the older's face.

"Aww,were you concerned about me? Don't worry hyung,I won't let go of your hand now"

Mark tried to fight back a smile when he said, "Did you seriously think I was concerned? I was just thinking how you wouldn't know how to get back home by yourself if I leave you".But his hand in the other's told a different story.

The boy's smirk was still on his face, "So you admit you were thinking about me?"

"I-umm", the older tried to defend himself but he couldn't think of anything to fight back the younger.At this, the latter laughed and let go of Mark's hand.But not without a slight hesitation.

The two bought a few stuff before going to their next destination,Namsan tower.When they got there,they took the cable car and arrived to the top of the tower.It takes only one glance to know that this was a couple's paradise. The railing was filled with locks of different colours and a bunch of love promises written on them.The was a giant sculpture of a heart and there were benches that bend inwards in the middle so that two people sitting there would end up side by side.

Haechan took in his surroundings with wide eyes and red cheeks.When he asked to go to Namsan tower,he didn't expect to find this.It looks kinda sad  standing there all alone, surrounded by many couples.

Wait.All alone?

He looked around and indeed Mark wasn't beside him.Instead he found the older roaming to the souvenir shop.

"Hey,wait up!"

The younger caught up with Mark and watched the older looking for something there.It took only a couple of minutes before he found something.

"Ah,here it is!"

Haechan's eyes widened when he saw what Mark was buying. A yellow lock and key.His face turned red.

"Why are you buying that?"

"What,you don't like the colour? You can choose another one"

"No,I mean why would you buy a lock? Aren't those for cou-couples?", the younger asked shyly,head down.

Mark chuckled at Haechan's shy demeanor, "It doesn't have to be.We can write anything we want on it.I figured we need something to mark our new friendship"

Haechan watched as Mark bought the lock and wrote wrote their names with a smiley face before locking it on the railing.He unconsciously smiled as he stared at the yellow lock.

They walked around the place for an hour before realising it's getting late.They managed to catch a train and arriving back to their neighbourhood before night, the setting sun casting long shadows as they walked.The area was quiet,only Mark's laughter could be heard on their way home as Haechan started telling him jokes.Haechan was in the middle of explaining one of his jokes when he noticed Mark's attention was on the playground they were passing.He looked sad.

"Hey,are you okay?", Haechan was concerned.

The older didn't look away from the playground when he sighed, "Yeah,I'm good.Just having flash backs". His eyes looked like they were longing something but Haechan didn't want to pry.Mark doesn't look like he wants to talk about it.

Dark clouds covered the sky on their walk home and before they knew it, it started to rain.Leaving them no choice but to find shelter in Mark's house since it's the closest one.Haechan was hoping Mark's parents could give him a ride home but unfortunately the house was empty.

"Looks like I'm stuck here till the rain stops"

Mark saw how the younger's expression changed from neutral to mischievous and knew he was up to something.He narrowed his eyes at him,"What are you planning?"

Instead of answering,Haechan dashed upstairs, Mark following him. The former seems to be looking for something when he eyed all the doors on the second floor, finally settling on a door that has a sign 'Mark's room' and entered.

"Don't go in my room!",Mark entered a second too late. The younger was already rolling around Mark's bed, effectively ruining the made bed.Then,he got   up giggling,eyed the Exo posters on the walls while Mark was busy tidying up his bed.

"You like Exo,huh?",Haechan held one of them. Unfortunately, the tape holding the poster up was weak, therefore making the poster fall with the slightest touch.

"Oops,sorry", the younger said but didn't look like he meant it,finding other stuff to mess with.

"This is a limited edition!",Mark quickly taped it back on the wall,telling every inch of his body to stay calm.

"Hyung,you have a journal? That's so cute!",Mark turned to Haechan to see him picking up his journal. A tiny part of a photo was peeking out from the book.

The photo.

Haechan was about to pull the photo out of the book and Mark lost his calm immediately.

"YA!"

The loudness of Mark's voice made Haechan stop. The older snatched back his journal in anger.

"You should go", his voice turned icy and Haechan knew he crossed the line.

"Hyung,I-"

"Go"

Hurt flashed the younger's eyes before giving a small nod and quietly left the house. The rain started pouring heavier as Mark saw from his window, Haechan running out and into the rain.

Mark lay in his bed thinking maybe he was being unreasonable with Haechan.The younger boy was just curious about the photo and Mark yelled at him before he got to see it.It wasn't Haechan's fault, it's his.He messed up.Badly.