“Soori you need to make sure you come straight home after school… I really wish I could tell you to run away to someone else’s house instead but… Even Taekwoon Hyung is coming… Just make sure you come straight home, and don’t let Mark walk you home this time… Don’t even let Moonhyun walk you home… Okay?”

Those were Hyuk’s words when Soori was eating breakfast that morning. It was all confusing until she heard her mother’s muffled sobs coming from her room. Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her – her father was in town.

She couldn’t remember the last time her father was in town, she must have been in elementary school the last time she saw him. Even then, she faintly remembered Hyuk telling her the same thing when they found out their father was coming to visit. A visit from their father was never fun. He broke down on the family, made them feel ty, laughed at them for being ‘the family that shouldn’t exist’, he made them feel worthless when he was the one to blame for everything. He was always the only reason Soori ever heard her mother cry. Soori and her brothers hated him more than anything.

That entire school day, Soori could hardly sit still. All throughout algebra, biology, study hall, lunch, and theater, Soori was jittery. And it did not go by unnoticed.

Of course, Mark was the first one to ask if Soori was okay. He immediately knew she was lying when she said she was fine, and he made sure to watch her closely for the rest of the day. It was terrible how much the news of her father had affected her. Mark even had to take pictures of his notes and send it to Soori to make sure she’d be able to study.

“Babe… Talk to me, what’s wrong?” Mark asked after they entered their theater class. Soori frowned as she looked at him. She couldn’t even speak, she just shook her head. After that class, she had to go home, and face whatever it was her father had prepared for them that day.

Mark frowned and watched as she trudged her way into the workshop to help Daniel with cutting wood for the musical. Jinyoung even made sure to keep a close watch on Soori.

The two boys often volunteered to tag along with Soori if Ms. Henan ever needed her to go and get more supplies from one of the other teachers or from the storage room. Unfortunately for the two, no matter what they did, Soori wouldn’t talk. She was dreading it too much. She didn’t want to go home. She wasn’t prepared.

“Noona!” Jinyoung called out to Heesung.

“What’s up?”

“Do you know what’s wrong with Soori?”

“I wish I could tell you but… I’ve got nothing. You say she’s been acting like that all day?”

Jinyoung and Mark both nodded.

“I don’t know… I texted her brother but he won’t text me back… It must be a family problem or something. Just try not to bother her too much about it?” Heesung shrugged, “Besides. You two know how Soori is. She’ll get through whatever’s going on.”

Jinyoung nodded while Mark’s eyes widened a little bit when Heesung mentioned family problems. His mind immediately traveled to earlier in the week when Soori talked about her father and uncle. He stared at her and watched as she seemed to mindlessly walk around the stage, moving materials where it needed to be moved, and helping where she could help. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.

Heesung just chuckled before nudging the blonde boy. “What’s up? Mr. Player a little too concerned about the cutie he can’t ask out?”

Mark let a small smile grace his lips for a second before nodding, “Yeah. I guess I am.”

~

After the bell rang, Soori was about to make a run for it so she could hurry home. Then, she remembered how Mark ran to catch up after her when she tried to leave before everyone earlier that week. So, she turned and found Mark and Jinyoung walking towards her.

“Hey guys, I got a thing at home so I’ll be going home first. Mark, please, don’t walk me home today,” she said before turning back around and hurrying to make her way out of the school.

Mark opened his mouth to object, but Soori had already left the building. He gave one look to Jinyoung before the boy rolled his eyes and nodded. “Go chase after her, Romeo. I’ll tell the others.”

He smiled thankfully before immediately running after Soori. He was able to catch her as she was just exiting the school gates. “Soori!”

She turned and looked at him with wide eyes, “Mark I said not to walk me home…”

“I’m still going to walk you home, Soori.”

“Mark…” she spoke with a pleading tone, her eyes filled with worry and anxiety.

Mark frowned as he studied her facial expression. “Jang Soori, whatever is happening you can tell me what it is and we can talk about this… Everything will be okay, I promise you.”

“Mark Tuan, please, just… For one day, let me walk home alone.”

He frowned before shaking his head and grabbing hold of her hand. “I’m walking you home, and I’m not going to let anything hurt you.”

“Mark, you walking me home could possibly hurt me!”

“Why?”

“I… Can’t tell you…”

“Soori…”

“Not with everyone here, I’ll tell you another time just please… For today?” she begged him once again.

He continued to stare down at her. She looked weak and vulnerable to him. He understood that she wanted to get home alone, but he also knew that if she looked like that, he couldn’t stand to leave her alone. It was his duty as a man to make sure she got home safe.

“…Okay… Let’s not consider this me walking you home. Let’s just say… I’m walking in the same direction as you since my house is close to yours.”

“You’re not going to let me walk home alone, are you?”

“No. No I am not.”

“…Fine, let’s go,” she sighed. “But once we reach my house, you don’t stop to say bye or anything, you just keep walking to your house. Got it?”

“Understood.”

The walk home was quiet. Soori couldn’t take her eyes off of the ground, the sound of her heartbeat was filling her senses. She was positive she could actually feel each pump coursing through the entirety of her body. Each breath grew shallower and each step eventually got slower and smaller.

Mark was quick to notice the change in speed. He reached his hand out to comfort her, hesitated, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The touch made Soori tense and her head snapped up; her fearful gaze met Mark’s worried one. They both stopped walking, staring at each other as if their eyes could communicate everything that they needed to tell one another at that moment.

I’m worried about you.
You need to leave.
Is it your dad?
You need to leave.

Mark sighed as they continued on their way to her home, slowly unwrapping his arm from her shoulders as they approached her front yard. He was ready to listen to what she had told him before they left school, and he his heel to leave, but he had turned too late.

“You actually found yourself a boy? Or is this one just like Moonhyun? Another guy who just pities you and pretends to care,” the all too familiar mocking voice of her father filled Soori’s ears, and she froze. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Her eyes instead shifted once again to Mark.

He had also frozen in his spot, but not out of fear, out of anger. What kind of man could be that heartless? He spun back around, but before his gaze could meet the man, Soori’s widened eyes warned him to leave. Mark hesitated, and his eyes shifted back and forth between the man on Soori’s porch and the girl in front of him.

“Soori, are you even my daughter? Be a proper lady and invite him in. Tch, this mother of yours teaches you no manners…” The man scoffed before walking back into the house.

Soori’s original panic turned into a frantic state once her father was out of earshot. “This is why you shouldn’t have walked me home!” she immediately exclaimed, starting to pace back and forth on the sidewalk. She whined as she continued to curse silently about the predicament she was now in because of Mark.

“That’s your father… Isn’t it,” Mark stated, ignoring her comments.

Soori stopped pacing and walked up to the boy, “Yes it is. That is my father and we’re going to ing die tonight because you’re also here tonight!”

“What does me being here have to do with anything?”

“…You don’t know my father, Mark. No one should know my father. I didn’t want any of them to find out about him, only Moonhyun has even the slightest idea about this man. I’ve kept this a secret for my entire life and now you’re about to find out why.”

Mark drew in a small breath, he noticeably shifted uncomfortably in his spot, moving one hand up to ruffle his hair before giving a determined nod. “No one else will have to know. Whatever monster your dad is, I’ll keep it a secret. I’m here to comfort you.”

“…” Soori remained silent and stared up at the boy in front of her. Biting down on her lower lip, her eyes scanned his face, as if discussing with herself whether or not to trust this boy. Finally, she gave the slightest nod. “Then take a deep breath, and let’s go.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So let me tell you. School has been beyond terrible.

Literally this school year has been way too stressful for my heart to handle

But anyway yeah hi I'm here and I'm working on the next couple chapters and I'm hoping that I'll be able to finish up this story before I get back to school. I'm not really in a writer's block, I know what I want to write and how I want the rest of the story to go (it may seem rushed but this is how I planned it from the beginning, not much emphasis on any specific antagonist for this story but it'll all come clear in a future sequel wink wink hint hint)

My only problem is finding time to write it all. I was going to attempt writing it on my phone but that was too hard to do. I need to do this on a computer- 

But uh yeah there we go ^^ See you guys soon hopefully~ 

Comment Replies~

secretreader - Hehe, well I think their relationship is about to take a new turn into being more open with each other~

epikdark - Haha, it'll be soon ^^ And yeah thanks! My laptop is all good now~ 

MIDNIGHTMYSTERY - I'm a er for blonde Marks on top- Unfortunately I guess I'm not as much of a er for blonde Jacksons xD

thelillcat - I actually based Rose off of one of my nieces and she is exactly like that she'll cry and then notice something out of the ordinary and go "Wait tears pause for a second we must gaze at the wonder of this" Hehe but yeah~! Their relationship will continue to develop especially with these next couple chapters ^^

Tiatioot - Haha hello~! Welcome aboard~ You stayed in your room all day just to read this??? Aawww oh my gosh I feel so honored! <3 I won't lose inspiration for this story, I promise <3

MyMark - Hello! Thank you for reading my story! You reread it all in one sitting? Aww, thank you so much!! You're a wonderful reader, I feel beyond blessed~

bloomst - I modeled that after a counseling thing I used to do in middle school- It's not like we signed up for counseling it was just something all the classes did during study hall and yeah, my teacher was far tooo interested in all of our lives- But what was said in there stayed in there so that's a thing~ 

gaylay27 - Hehe thank you so much for reading~! They'll be together sooner or later c: