WINTER

ith the sun setting and the chatter of the ever so vibrant school having died down, the day was finally over. Teachers and students alike had long gone home to their families as it was Friday. The remaining people in the building were a handful of students that needed to complete assignments and teachers that needed to grade assignments, but even they were ready to leave.

After those individuals were finished, they packed their bags, cleaned their areas, and left the classroom. As they walked out, one-by-one they bid their ‘goodbyes’ to Mark. Hunched over his desk, he resembled a tiger cornering its prey. Except, his prey was a calculus problem. Not even looking up, he waved them off with one hand as the other punched numbers into an overpriced calculator, whose numbers had begun to fade.

In the past, his classmates would have invited him to come along with them to eat an after-school snack to cool down in the summer heat, but having been turned down one too many times, they rather not waste their breath. Indeed, Mark Lee was too good for them.

The pressure was a given in Mark’s life. His father was a doctor, his mother, a lawyer, and he, their only child. Growing up, there were many unsaid expectations set for him: have perfect grades, be well-behaved, be eloquent, and be composed. In other words, he was expected to be the perfect child. While his parents did not tell him that he was not allowed to have friends, that is exactly what he did. Once he entered high school, he found himself dedicating all his time to his studies. Eventually, he had grown accustomed to the endless cycle of coming to school first and leaving last, and during the time in between no one or thing got in his way.

Checking his watch, he concluded that he would have to once again text his mother telling her he would be coming home late. Although it did not matter as neither his father nor mother would be home anyway. They were never home.

Mark had convinced himself that it didn’t bother him that his parents were too busy to be in his life although deep down inside he knew it did. It bothered him that his dinner table could fit ten people but had only ever seen himself. It bothered him that even if he had received the highest awards possible, he never saw his parents in the audience whereas another student who didn’t get anywhere near to his level still basked in the love of their parents. It bothered him that he had everything he needed yet nothing that he wanted.

After continuing to work for three more hours before deciding that he would finish at home, Mark stood up and stretched his body. As he closed the classroom door, he scanned the hallways of the empty building. Walking down the hall, he had momentarily closed his eyes when he felt himself colliding with another body. He looked down to find a boy his age with a head of messy brown hair. Mark bent down as he extended his hand to which the other male accepted.

Helping the boy up, Mark began asking if he was alright considering that his face was turning pink. He gave a small smile and assured that he was fine before saying ‘thanks’ and running off. Mark watched the boy’s hair bounced up and down as he ran off turning at the corner.

Strange, Mark thought.

Author's Notes: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of The Spectacular Donghyuck! This story is a new style of writing that I am trying out. Please leave your thoughts down below if you liked it.