Donghyuck carried Mark to the older's room with so much struggle, that when he finally laid him carefully on the bed, the younger sprawled across the floor, panting on how heavy Mark was. He decided not to take Mark to the hospital, and just took care of him first because he learned from his mother how to take care of a sick person. First, he cleaned and treated the cuts on Mark's feet because of the pieces of broken glass, and Mark was so passed out that he didn't even flinched as he was treated. Next, he removed Mark, leaving him with his sleeveless undershirt to release some heat. He quickly grabbed a basin with water and a clean towel, and wiped it softly the soaked towel to Mark's limbs, neck, and face. He soaked the towel again with water, squeezed the water out of it, and put it on Mark's forehead for it to absorb the heat of his fever. Finally, he changed Mark's covers into a comforter to balance the warmness, and wrapped Mark in it. When Donghyuck finished all of this, he slumped on the short stool he placed beside Mark's bed and just watched the older sleep peacefully. He began thinking about how his own mother had struggled taking care of him every time he has a fever. He yawned as he looked at the clock and it's almost 3AM. After a few minutes, Donghyuck also fell asleep with his head resting on his arms by the side of Mark's bed.

=//=

“Ho Ho Wake me uuuuuup! Thirsty Thirsty fooooor love. Wake me wake me uuuuuuup! Thirsty Thirsty fooooooor love.”

Donghyuck was startled awake when he hears a loud ringtone echoed the room. He began panicking as he searched the location of the thing because it might wake the sleeping Mark up who's currently wrapped up in a thick comforter like a spring roll with a damp towel on his forehead. Donghyuck quickly grabbed Mark's phone as soon as he spotted it behind the lampshade, and answered the call not caring if it's his to take. He just wanted to shut the godamn phone up.

"MARK! BROTHER! IT'S TRYOUTS DAY TODAY, OKAY? WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SINCE LAST YEAR! I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS BUT A LOT CONFIDENT, OF COURSE. SO YOU BETTER HURRY YOUR UP HERE AND LET'S PRACTICE AND WARM UP A BIT. WHERE ARE YOU ANYWAY? YOU'RE ABSENT IN OUR FIRST CLASS. WE'RE EXCUSED FOR OUR SECOND CLASS YOU KNOW." Donghyuck had to distance the phone from his ear as Jaemin's voice went wildly over the line. "Ah that's right, the tryouts" Donghyuck almost cursed because it totally slipped his mind. He looked at the clock by Mark's bedside and Jaemin was right, they already skipped their first class, and a little late for their second class.

"Jaemin-ah, I guess we can't make it to the tryouts today." Donghyuck sighed on the phone as he changed the damp towel on Mark's forehead into a new one. He reached for the ear thermometer on the bedside table and checked Mark's temperature. He panicked a little when he saw the older's seagull brows moved closer together in a frown, but they eventually relaxed after a few seconds.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T- Wait! Hyuckie? Is that you? Why are you holding Mark's phone? I swear to God you should leave his phone alone or else, I don't know what'll happen to you, my brother. But, I don't want to lose a new found friend, so please, Hyuck-ah, leave the thing alone." Donghyuck felt concerned for a moment with Jaemin's words, but he shrugged it off because that's not really the point here.

"No, Jae. Mark Hyung is sick and his fever hasn't left him completely, but he's better compared to last night tho."

"What the- Okay, Hyuck. I'll see if I can do something about this. It was Mark who really wanted this in the first place you know. He just has this overflowing passion for soccer and I don't know where that came from, but he has been like that since we met. He was really sad last year that he wasn't able to make it to the team, and it saddens me that this thing happens, but I'll try my best to talk to the coach, okay? Please take care of him for me." Jaemin's voice was softer this time, and a lot of worry can be heard from it.

"Thanks, Jae. I'll do my best, too. If only Ma-" Donghyuck words were cut when someone grabbed the phone from his grasp.

"What are doing with my phone?!" Mark had already woken up and now, he's glaring at the younger.

"Whoa Hyung, relax! I--"

"Hyuck! What happened? Are you still there?" Jaemin's voice can be heard from the phone which made Mark's attention shift to it.

"Jaemin-ah, it's me Mark."

"Dude, I heard it from Donghyuck. Get well soon, brother. I'll talk to the coach for you, I promise. Maybe this is not the right ti-"

"No! No one's talking to the coach. No one's missing the try-outs again just because of this stupid headache. Not anymore. Now, wait for me there." Mark cut the call and removed the comforter off him. He tried to stand up to grab a towel from his closet, ignoring the younger beside him, but a sharp sting from his feet made him sit back down. He looked down to his feet and saw that it was wrapped in bandage.

"Hyung, please! You're not completely we-" Mark’s palm shot into the air in front of Donghyuck’s face.

"Hyuck! Please... For once... Will you just... Just leave me alone, please. I can do this." He said slowly, gritting his teeth and trying to stop himself from blurting out harmful words that he may regret later on. Mark doesn't really want to hate on Donghyuck, but there's really something in the younger or his vibe that just triggers something in him. He doesn't like how Donghyuck is so comfortable around him while he feels the opposite, and is forcing himself to reciprocate just to be kind and polite. Mark has just been really stressed out for the past FEW days because he's really sensitive to the feeling of his personal space being invaded. Not all people might understand this, but that is what he is feeling right now. Donghyuck tried to utter a word, but just gave up and left the room. Mark breathe a big sigh of relief and tried to stand up again, ignoring the stinging of the wounds in his feet. He was dizzy for a moment, but was able to support himself by the wall. "You can do this, Mark. You're not missing that opportunity again." Mark said to himself as he prepared his sports bag. He wasn't able to prepare it last night because of the terrible headache that hit him and now he wakes up with a fever. What a lucky day for him indeed. It took him quite a time to prepare his stuffs because of his throbbing head.

"Hyung, could you at least take your medicine before you go. I'll just leave it on the kitchen counter, okay. Uhm... I'll see you in school." The younger knocked from the outside, then Mark hears the sound of the main door closing. Mark just sighed to the thought that he'll be seeing Donghyuck at the try-outs, but he shrugged it off because his main goal is to be on the team and play.

Mark was finished preparing himself and his things. He was about to leave the house when he remembered what Donghyuck said before he left. He was hesitant at first, but just went into the kitchen to take his medicine. He sees a bottle on top of the kitchen counters and popped a tablet of it into his palm. He was about to put it in his mouth when he noticed a skull sign and a picture of a rat on the bottle. He withdrew his hand and carefully read the label.

"R... rodenticide. W-w-wait? Rat Poison??" His eyes almost fell out of their sockets, throwing the tablet across the room and he almost dropped the bottle in his hand when he realized what it is. "Seriously, does this kid… This kid really wants to kill me or what?" He thought to himself as he put the tablet and the bottle of rat poison away in the trash bin. He looked at the other side of the kitchen counters and saw another bottle beside a wrapped sandwich with a note attached to it.

'Hyung, please finish this sandwich first before taking a tablet. It will help lower your temperature. I packed water in a tumbler for you. Please don't forget to bring that. The tumbler is inside the fridge. I'm sorry again, Hyung. -Hyuckie'

"Mwoya? Is he my mother or something?" Mark scoffed, but still followed every instruction Donghyuck stated in the note. He left the house without forgetting anything and shrugging the feeling of his head throbbing with pain, his body burning with fever and his feet stinging a little in his rubber shoes.

=//=

"Whoa! Mark Lee! You're here." Jaemin welcomed Mark as he saw him running towards him in the field, pulling his bestfriend into a shoulder bump. "Oy! You're hot!" Jaemin pulled away immediately when he felt Mark's temperature.

"Tch. I know right." Mark smirked cockily. Jaemin just palmed himself in the face.

"No Dude. You're literally still burning with fever. Are you really sure about this? What if your body will give up halfway in the field? I swear no one's carrying you. You're heavy."

"Then I'll make sure to enter the team first before passing out. Well, I'm positive that that won't happen, but if it does uhmmm then I'm sure there would be someone who'll carry me."

"Someone like Donghyuck?" Jaemin quirked an eyebrow, and grinned.

"Wow! Can you even hear yourself? Of course, not. A proper medic, I mean. Come on, Jae we have a goal to score." Mark said excitedly, pulling Jaemin towards the group of students gathering infront of the Soccer Coach.

Mark's POV

This is it! We are divided into 2 teams and luckily, I'm not teamed up with Donghyuck. My head is still throbbing though but it is sometimes cover