"Does it always have to be that every time we encounter, you have to be so abusive?" Mark looked up at me. 

"Sorry," I smiled mockingly, having no genuine sincerity of what I said, "my instincts kicked in."

"Hyung!" A distinct voice was heard from afar. It wasn't long until that certain individual caught up with us. His chest heaved rapidly with heavy panting as if he'd ran a marathon. One hand reached for Marks arm, looking like he'd pleaded to him already. "Why did you leave me? I told you to wait." Jackson, almost drenched from his mile run, lifted his head and saw me. His perception drifted back to Mark from which then he strangled him into a headlock position– just kidding around, "Congrats man, who would've thought you guys we're gonna get together." 

"Didn't you say that already" Mark's voice almost at the brink of cracking for Jackson's grip seemed to be quite tight.

"I thought that the lovely lady would've wanted to hear it too." His voice softened as he said, "Congratulations Yoohee." Raising his hand out for a handshake to commemorate the 'official' dating. My mouth lifted to a quick smile, giving no special notice of his presence but only concentrated on how unbelievably terrible it was to coincidentally bump into the person, who firstly: took it to his own will to involve me (out of all people) into his own entanglements; and secondly: to blackmail me into it. What human agrees to to that? I looked upon myself regretting to have been part of it, also knowing that it was going to haunt me forever. 

Jackson's hand dropped as he realised he wasn't going to get that handshake. He slickly removed his hat and brushed his dark black hair with his opposite hand making it flow as if he never ever offered me that handshake. "Hey Yoohee, why Mark?" he asked out of the blue. "I mean I'm way better looking at him. Just look at me!" Jackson's self-admiration dominated at the time, "right? right?" 

"Plus, Mark. How could you?" Jackson said emphasizing every single word, "I thought it was Markson forever. How could you leave me for her?" Jackson sounded like he was insulted yet that situation was far from it. I stared at the two making eye contact; I was completely speechless. Was this the thing they called 'Bromance'? I couldn't tell whether they Jackson was serious or not. 

Finding out that they were joking by Mark's dramatic fake cry whilst saying "Sorry, man!" before giving him a hug. Subsequently patting him on the back, while crying about their sudden break up like they were re-an acting some kind of drama scene, where the woman catches the man cheating on her. The man apologizes many times but the woman keeps rejecting him. However unlike Jackson, who was in character all the way through It, Mark couldn't help but cackle. Forgetting about the Mark incidence; and seeing them make a fool of themselves was undeniably stupid yet hilarious. Nonetheless, I managed to keep a straight face all the way through it. 

"Can you forgive me?" Mark chuckled. A sudden plot twist occurred amidst.  

"Okay," Jackson replied. Abruptly, taking grasp of his shoulder and slowly lean towards him.

Having witnessed this, the way that Jackson approached Mark looked quite peculiar. I didn't admit to have seen it at the time, but they looked like they were going to kiss. And I guessed that was the same thing that was going through Mark's head, because he stuttered while pushing his palm on Jackson's face, "Wait, wait, wait, wait."

"YA! Get your hand off my face!" Jackson ragged, while stumbling back. "What do you think I was going to do!" 

"What... were you going to do?" Mark doubted Jacked's actions.

"I'm not gay man! I was gonna give you a hug"

"Too much hugs for one day," Mark said, "Lets leave it at that."

Jackson lean to me and whispered in my ear, "That's the problem with him, he can get tired of some things once in a while." Having no meaning to me whatsoever, I clasped my hand for the finale. Jackson'a eyes wandered to the watch that I held on my wrist, he pointed, "Can I look at the time?" Lifting my wrist, I let him have a look. An out burst of panic was seen all over his face as the words that came out supported it as well, "Crap, I'm late! grandma is going to kill me!"  

"Got to go! bye!" he needn't to say, since he was already sprinting away. 

***

Meanwhile, Mark and I walked to the same direction, which I thought of as a coincidence. We never talked which made it a bit awkward but I felt suited to the situation, since I have nothing to say to him. We continued to walk the same direction until a bend to which I thought he was going to drift off somewhere else but he didn't. Then I wondered, "Are you following me?" 

"No" he continued to walk. The road becomes narrower and there was a small chance of him walking in a different direction. Making me think whether he was telling the truth or not. 

"Are you sure that you're not following me?" I said suspicious. 

"Certain."

Finally the moment came where my house was only straight ahead; where there were no other turns or bends but only houses filled the rest of the street. Mark stayed at the same road therefore forcing me to say, "You are following me!" My quick assumption didn't state the fact that there were houses besides my own.Therefore only think about myself and the feeling of insecurity. I still had no clue on who he was or what his background was so no can blame me if I had thoughts that there was a stranger following me.

"No I'm not!" it sounded genuinely true, but in my head corrupted with hatred of this guy so I couldn't help but think he was lying. Mark said hastly, "Why are you angry all of a sudden? Every time we talk you always have to release your temper on me."

"Its not my fault that I was blackmailed," I shouted in anger "and to have been obligated into isolation just because my friend believed that we were dating!" I cried, unaware of what just came out of my mouth. I was frustrated by what he'd done to my life, plus he didn't give any explanation to it, I would've undestand more if he did give an explaination, but he didn't. Leaving me to the impression that he was jerk and an inconsiderate person. 

"Wait... isolated?" Mark said, "I didn't mean to..." 

"Just leave it." I turned away from him, knowing that I was going to crack so I thought it was best not to look at him for a while. Whether it helped or not, nothing stopped me of think about the consequences if I had saidmore. When I suddenly went into talking about my friends I had a feeling that my family situation was going to leak out because of my recklessness.   

[Narrator's POV]

She looked tough and courageous on the outside but Mark finally got to see her other side; the side she hoped no one would find; the side she kept locked until he forced it out of her. There wasn't a great deal of things that Mark could do. She stood like the innocence of a four year old was still in her, making Mark feel pity her. 

He leaned in closer to check if she was okay. After he figured that she wasn't crying, he moved back a little and decided that he wanted to talk to her honestly. So his fingers extend to reach where her chin, then rotated it so that he could look at her properly. Feeling apologetic, he was about to say something but as soon as he saw her eyes his expression instantly softened. Although it was the darkness was disfiguring the star, there seemed to have been one star that stood shining brightly beside him and he couldn't help but smile at that star as he said, "Looking at you now, you're still cute."