“Go away!” A little girl screamed at the group of taller and bigger boys. Ever since she had pushed one of them down the other day, the boys had never leave her alone whenever they see her – whether it’s in school or at the playground.

“Nayeonie.” Another little boy hid behind Nayeon’s small body, his eyes b with tears as he clutched onto her shirt tightly.

“Don’t worry, Bambam.” Nayeon patted his small hand gently, giving him a small smile of assurance. “It will be okay, they can’t do anything to us.”

Bambam nodded, holding onto Nayeon’s shirt even tighter. Despite him trusting Nayeon’s words, he knew that they were outnumbered. They should have waited for Mark and Jinyoung so they could walk to the playground together. He should have stopped Nayeon and not give in to her excitement.

Where are Mark and Jinyoung?

Bambam could feel himself tearing up more when one of the boys pushed Nayeon down. He ran to her side immediately, his tears falling finally when he noticed the scrape on Nayeon’s arm.

“Yah!”

As if Mark and Jinyoung had both heard Bambam’s silent prayer, they appeared. Jinyoung stood in front of them with his arms stretched out, putting on a mean face that a young boy could put on.

“Are you okay?” Mark helped Nayeon up, a look of worries on his face. But Nayeon merely gave him a small nod then fixed her full attention on Bambam.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry.” She patted his cheek gently then made him look at her, her voice firm yet gentle. “They will laugh at you more. You’re a strong boy, okay?”

Mark watched them from a side, glancing at the scratches and grazes on Nayeon’s limbs. He shifted his gaze at Jinyoung’s back then grabbed his hand, pulling him away before a fight could start.

“Bambam, grab Nayeonie.” Mark instructed the younger as he pulled him along on his other side.

“Why!” Both Nayeon and Jinyoung exclaimed.

“Nayeonie’s injured.” Mark shouted back as he continued to run, pulling the others along with him. “We can’t beat them, there’s too many of them.”

A flash of bright light blinded adult Mark’s vision. He looked around at the brightness around him. Where is he? But before he could even think about it, the brightness faded away. This time, two male figures appeared.

It’s Jinyoung and himself, in their high school uniform and the scene – Jinyoung’s expression – is oddly familiar.

“Just you?” Mark straightened his body, which he was leaning against the panel on the second level of the playground. “Didn’t Nayeon come with you?”

Jinyoung climbed up the staircase, which was now too small for him. Mark noticed how Jinyoung kept biting on his bottom lip, a sign that he’s nervous over something and that got Mark’s full attention.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.” Jinyoung shook his head almost immediately. “Well, there is.”

Mark raised an eyebrow, an indication for Jinyoung to continue.

“You know that feeling when you see someone and you become speechless?” Jinyoung started, leaning against the panel opposite of Mark. “No, I know what you’re thinking and I don’t mean it in a, they are so dumb that you’re speechless kind of way.”

“Then?”

“Let me elaborate.” Jinyoung took in a deep breath then continued, “You don’t only become speechless when you see them. You smile when they smile; you’re sad when they’re sad. You’re mad when someone make them cry; you just-“

“That sounds like you’re in love.” Mark interrupted Jinyoung’s rambles before the latter could continue. “I’ve read that few lines many times in the letters I’ve received.”

Jinyoung scoffed.

“Yes Mr Heartthrob, you’re the expert here.”

Mark laughed quietly, not saying anything and letting Jinyoung continue.

“But you’re right,” Jinyoung nodded, his face getting serious as he looked at his best friend. “I think I’m in love with Nayeon.”

Mark’s face fell but before Jinyoung could even notice, Mark cracked a small smile.

“Are you asking for the big brother’s approval?”

The scene faded away again after Mark’s question and white replaced it. Mark knew what happened next; he stopped hanging out with his two friends as much and would usually make up some excuses to give the two of them more time to themselves.

They were always smiling when they were together and that’s enough for him to put his own feelings aside.

It was like a movie playing right in front of him, another scene slowly appeared right in front of him. It was another familiar scene, one that Mark would always remember.

“Are you sure you can do it alone?” Mark who’s sitting down on the merry-go-round looked up and watched Jinyoung pacing up and down in front of him. “You look like you’re going to faint anytime.”

“Shut it.” Jinyoung turned his attention to the other boy, “And stop giving me that look or I’m going to punch that smirk out of your face.”

Mark couldn’t help but to laugh. The last time he had seen Jinyoung this nervous was when he had a show and tell during their elementary school days.

“Stop laughing!” Jinyoung’s panicking voice only made Mark laugh even more.

“Calm down,” He stood up, tucking his hands in his pants pockets and smiled at Jinyoung, a hint of playfulness in it. “I will bring her here, you stay here and breathe.”

Jinyoung didn’t say much and only raised his arm, faking a ‘I’m going to punch you’ posture when Mark walked off.

“Don’t faint!”

Mark walked off, turning back to face him as he walked backwards. Jinyoung rolled his eyes at Mark’s mocking expression before he went back to his panic state. He got to admit; Mark’s temporary teasing did calm him a little.

Nayeon arrived with Mark not soon after. He didn’t follow her to where she’s heading and merely stood from afar, watching his two friends’ new beginning unfolding in front of him. Nayeon’s smile never once dropped after she stopped in front of Jinyoung.

It was a beautiful sight.

Mark smiled when his two childhood friends shared a hug. It was a smile filled with blessings but yet a little sadness. He shrugged a little, as if telling himself that it’s okay before he turned away from the scene. Just like how he had been doing for the past few months, he walked off, leaving the two of them alone to have their time together.

“You had always been by her side.”

A voice caught Mark’s attention, which made him looked around at the brightness, looking for the owner of that familiar voice. But instead of finding him, he saw himself back in his high school with a girl he couldn’t recognize.

“P Please accept these!” The girl held out a small box with a letter at him; her head lowering as she stuttered a little.

“I’m sorry.” He heard himself telling the girl as he pushed the gift back to her. “I really can’t.”

He had probably received tons of confessions and love letters since his second year. He didn’t even know why and what did the girls see in him. But as much as most of them are nice ladies, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to like them that way.

“She’s the reason you’ve never dated right?”

Before Mark could understand what’s happening, he saw everyone this time; Jinyoung was still there with them. As usual, he was walking behind everyone quietly. The first thing he noticed from that scene is Jinyoung and Nayeon. Jinyoung had his arm around Nayeon’s shoulder, they were both laughing about something and everyone could tell that there were just them two in their current world now.

Mark’s attention was shifted to himself; he was watching them from the back and what caught his attention most was that serene but sad smile on his face. He had no idea he was making that expression at that point of time.

Had he always been showing that expression?

“Others might not see it, but I did. You’ve always been the one helping us from behind, I know that too.”

This time, the first person that showed up in the scene was an enraged Nayeon on the couch of his place. Mark remembered this too; it happened not too long after they all started working.

“He said they were just colleagues, he said I was being unreasonable!” Nayeon ranted, pointing at herself with her previous few words, “Unreasonable! Can you believe it?”

“Calm down, Nayeonie.” Mark could only mutter, unsure of what to do other than to stall for time.

“Calm down?!” Nayeon exclaimed, staring at Mark in disbelief. “If it was you, will you be calm? You tell me, I’m not being unreasonable right?”

Mark sighed and looked at his phone. He shook his head slightly then turned his body slightly to look at Nayeon.

“You know I’ve always been on your side.” He started off calmly, resting his two hands on her shoulders. “That’s why, please don’t kill me for doing this.”

“Nayeonie.” Jinyoung appeared at the front door. Nayeon threw a glare at him then at Mark who raised his two arms, stepping away to prevent him to get kicked by Nayeon.

“I will leave you guys alone now.”

“You traitor!”

That was the last two words Nayeon shouted at him. But he remembered that those two made up after that and he knew that, he did the right thing when he sent that text to Jinyoung secretly.

Bright light blinded Mark again and by the time his eyes got used to it, he saw a figure he knew really well.

“Jinyoungie?”

---------

a pretty short chapter honestly but this is probably a mark focused chapter. and there will be more markyeon now. HAHA. anyway, like i said i'm planning a new chaptered fic, might turn out to be even longer than this and a lot more challenging for me orz. but i'm actually pretty excited despite it not really developed yet. i'm still at the world building stage.

also, i mentioned that this upcoming 2-3 weeks there will be updates on mon-wed-fri so look forward to them!! once again, upvotes and feedbacks are very much appreciated!

peace!