“Mark!” I felt someone shake me.

“Hmmm? What the hell?” I sat up. I guess it was all a dream. Yeah, just my imagination. That’s it.

I felt someone whack me in the head and looked up to see my mother, “Don’t use that foul language while you’re under my roof.”

“What did I say?! Oh, you mean ‘hell’?” I questioned, only to receive another whack on the head.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. Now let’s go. It’s dinnertime.” She left the room.

I headed down the stairs and into the dining room, and saw all of my siblings sitting at the table. That’s unusual. They normally wait until the last minute to come down for dinner. I just brushed it off.

I sat on my seat and noticed that there was an extra plate next to mine. Oh no. Don’t tell me that she’s actually here for dinner. And at that moment, Jaehee, who had her hair up in a messy bun, came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of what looked to be homemade ravioli. She set the dish down on the center of the dining table and sat in the chair next to mine. I saw Tammy and Grace give each other knowing looks from across the table. This will definitely be one awkward dinner.

After the prayer before meals, mom started to serve each one of us the pasta. It was really good, to be honest. I knew the moment I tasted the dish, that it was made by Jaehee. There was a distinct taste to her food. It was like she made it with all her love and care. I don’t know how it’s possible to taste that kind of stuff, but it’s true.

“Mmmm!!! Jaehee, the ravioli you made is delicious.” Dad commented.

“Thank you, Uncle Raymond. It’s nice to hear that coming from you.” Jaehee smiled back.

“Yeah, I agree with Dad. This pasta is a bowl of perfection. You can really cook, Jaehee” Tammy said.

“Yup. You really are perfect wife material.” Grace wiggled her eyebrows at me. I kicked her shin under the table.

Ignoring Grace’s comment, Jaehee exclaimed, “Aniyo! It’s just like any other bowl of pasta. I’ve tasted a lot more that were better than mine. But thank you, Tammy-eonni!”

Mom looked at the four of us curiously before speaking, “so, Jaehee, how’s school going for you?”

“Ah! It’s fine. The final exams are in the next month and a half, so the last-minute projects are starting to pile up. That’s why I’ve already started studying.”

“Mark, I haven’t heard anything about you studying yet. Yu should really start taking school seriously. You’re not a child anymore, and soon enough, you’ll be graduating. Don’t you think it’s about time that you stopped fooling around with your friends and start preparing for your future?” Dad said sternly.

“Neh, Dad. I’ve got it.” I looked down at my food. I hate it when dad and mom do that. They always compare me to other kids. When I bring Jinyoung over, they tell me afterwards how I should be well-rounded like him. When I bring Jackson over, they tell me that I should get out more and have more friends. Now, when Jaehee comes over, they compare me to her, too.

“Ah, Uncle, no. Don’t be too hard on him. I’m the only one who has started studying in advance. It’s just a precaution so I can pass my projects on-time.” Jaehee defended me.

“Do you like anyone?” Mom questioned her.

“Uh, neh, Auntie. Mark knows him, actually.” She said shyly.

“Eeeehhh?! But I thought you liked Mark!” Tammy exclaimed.

“Aw, bro, it’s okay. There are many fish in the sea.” Grace patted my back.

“Well, then, Jaehee-noona. How’s the training going?” Joey looked to her.

“Oh,” sadness quickly clouded her expression, but it was gone as fast as it came, “it’s going great, I guess. They said I was gonna debut soon. That’s good news, right? But I don’t know whether or not I’ll be able to go to college afterwards.”

Dinner went on like that, with casual conversations between Jaehee and the rest of my family. They were able to catch up on each other’s lives. New experiences were shared. I didn’t speak up once though. I was thinking about what my dad had said. Looking at my family, I realized that my family would be better off without me in it.

After finishing the meal, my siblings and I headed to our respective rooms. Jaehee and my parents stayed downstairs to clean up the dinner table. I laid on my bed, while Joey went to take a shower.

I heard a knock on the door 5 minutes later. “Come in!” I called out. The door opened and closed. I didn’t bother to look up at who it was, since there was a 99% chance it was Jaehee.

“Hey.” I heard her say. Yup. I was right.

She sat at the edge of my bed, and I finally looked up at her.

“Are you okay?” She asked me.

“Never better. Why?” I brought my phone out and pretended to look at something.

“Don’t try lying to me. We may not be close anymore, but you were my best friend for a pretty long time. I can tell that you’re lying. I can also tell that you aren’t okay, and that what your Dad said at dinner affected you. Now, will you please stop pretending to use your phone and tell me what you’re thinking so I can try to help you out.” She said, gently.

I looked back at her and finally spilled out all of my thoughts, “I was thinking about how much better and happier my family would be if I wasn’t there to be in it. They always seem to compare me to everyone else.”

She came closer to me, and hugged me. She rubbed my back soothingly, while whispering, “That’s not true. You’re family does love you. They’re just worried about you, that’s all. They are trying their best to raise you well, and to keep you from making mistakes you’ll regret. Just remember that.”

I hugged her back and thanked her. We just stayed like that for a few minutes, until we heard the doorknob turn. She pulled away and spun around just in time, so that Joey wouldn’t see that awkward hug exchanged between us.

“Well, then, Mark. I think it’s time that I head back home.” She turned to me, and I saw a faint blush on her cheeks, it was pretty cute, actually.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Mark! Goodnight, Joey!” and she left the room in a rush.

“What was that about, dude?” Joey asked me.

“I don’t know what’s up with her, either. Girls these days are pretty weird.” I lied and laid back down.

A/N: Hey there, again, guys! Chapter 3 is up. I was actually supposed to post this earlier, but it slipped my mind, so I'm sorry! Has anyone else seen GOT7 on Weekly Idol? All of them were such cute dorks, and I was happy to see my dimsum, Mark, laugh so much again.

So, to all of the EXO Fans like me out there, how have you been taking the news about Kris lately? I bet some of you out there cried. Honestly, I did, too. I, for one, have been an EXO fan since the Teaser Era, and I love them with my whole heart, so whatever the conclusion is, I will continue to support them and stand by them. I hope you do the same, as well. I have also decided not to blame anyone anymore. At first, I was taking sides, but then I realized how both sides had their faults, so I decided to just keep my opinions to myself instead of just ranting it all out on twitter.

The long A/N ends here, and I swear, that I will update tomorrow. Good night/morning, wherever you may be! Saranghae!