Hye Mi looked up at Mark's face after she had finished explaining. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, and she hated it. She hated the fact that someone, especially Jackson, had made her feel so worthless. She shut her eyes, urging her tears to stop from escaping her tear ducts. 

 

Caught up with trying to control her emotions, Hye Mi didn't notice that Mark had gotten up from his seat and had made his way towards her. He wrapped his arms around her frame, encircling her with his warm embrace. 

 

"Shhh, it's going to be okay Sye Mi" he whispered into her ear, rubbing his hand up and down her back trying to sooth her. 

 

"I swear, once I get my hands on that bastard, he won't be able to walk", Mark suddenly said, his tone filled with rage. 

 

Hye Mi found comfort in the idea of Mark beating the out of Jackson, but she didn't want anyone to get hurt. And since Jackson was known around the school for his decent martial arts skills, she wouldn't want to risk Mark getting seriously injured. 

 

"Although I like the sound of that, I don't want you to fight him", she said in reply to his threat, her voice shaky due to her being on the verge of tears. 

 

"What?!" Mark shouted in anger. "The jerk called you a 'pig', and you don't want me to fight him?" 

 

"Even though I know you hate him right now because of me, I can't let you do that." Hye Mi said while trying to calm Mark down. 

 

"Jackson was right anyways, I am a pig." she continued.

 

Mark couldn't believe the words coming out of , they only made his hate towards Jackson grow fiercer. He didn't want his best friend to believe such vile words, she was perfect to him as she was. 

 

"Hye Mi, you're perfect just as you are", he argued. "And it's that's bastard's loss for not realizing that." 

 

She stood still for a moment, contemplating over what Mark had just told her. She knew that she should have felt comfort, but she was too enveloped in the idea that she held no self-worth anymore. Her confidence had been broken beyond repair at this point. She had nothing else on her mind. 

 

"I appreciate that Mark, but I really just don't know what to believe in anymore."

 

"I used to be okay with who I was, I never once had a moment where I felt as ty as I do now, and all because of how I look? You know me Mark, I'm not the type of person to solely base everything off of appearances, but the fact that I was called a pig really ing takes a toll on me." 

 

Tears now made their way down Hye Mi's cheeks, landing on the wooden table. 

 

Mark silently watched as his best friend slowly broke down before him. His heart aching from the pain that Hye Mi was experiencing; he wanted nothing else but to be able to stop it. To be her shield from the pain, to protect her.

 

"I really liked him Mark", Hye Mi spoke through her crying. "I really ing liked him".

 

"And he had the nerve to call me a pig", she wailed as tears steadily streamed down her face.

 

"Hye Mi, I should get you home", Mark told her, sensing that all Hye Mi needed right now was for someone to listen to her. And as much as he wanted to speak up, and bad-mouth Jackson, he knew that now wasn't the time. "You need some rest, I'll go ahead and get our ice cream for to go." 

 

Hye Mi all but nodded quietly as she wiped her tears away with her hands.

 

 

After getting their ice cream in to go containers, Mark led Hye Mi out, the both of them now making their way to her house as Mark had declared that he was going to walk her home. 

 

The sun was already slowly disappearing from view, a faint glimpse of the moon dotted the sky. 

 

Mark lightly swung the plastic bag with the ice cream inside of it, his mind trying to come up with something to say. 

 

Anything to say that would help alleviate the pain that Hye Mi was currently feeling. 

 

"Do you see the sun?" Mark dumbly asked, pointing in the direction of the setting star.

 

"Ugh, yeah", Hye Mi answered, a confused expression decorating her face.

 

"You know how it lights up the world?" Mark added on. 

 

Hye Mi nodded, not sure of where Mark was heading with, with this sudden mention of the sun. 

 

"Well, did you know that there's something else that lights up this world?" he inquired. 

 

Hye Mi shook her head, completely at a loss of what the answer was. 

 

"You", Mark answered. 

 

"Pshh, stop being so greasy Mark!" Hye Mi scoffed, gently punching him on his arm.

 

"I mean it though, your existence lights up the world. You are an amazing person okay Hye Mi? So don't let this one thing get you down so much".

 

"I'll try", she replied, a small smile creeping its way onto her face. "Thank you Mark". 

 

"Hey, you're my best friend. Reminding you of how awesome of a person you are, is practically my job", he announced matter of factly, smiling at the fact that he had succeeded in making her smile. 

 

"I'm glad I have you Mark", Hye Mi murmured beside him.

 

"You'll always have me", he replied, draping his arm over her shoulder.

 

They continued on that way, with his arm wrapped over her shoulders, and her head now leant down upon his. The last rays of sunlight vaguely lighting their way. 

 

 

As time passed, they finally ended up in front of Hye Mi's home, the porch light illuminating the front door now since the sun had finally set, and the moon had therefore taken its place in the dusky sky. 

 

Hye Mi turned to Mark, about to say her farewells, but Mark beat her to it. 

 

"Goodnight", he said as he ruffled her hair with one of his hands. "Go and get some goodnight's sleep okay?" 

 

"Aish Mark!" she grumbled due to his previous action. "And I will".

 

"Dream about me tonight?" Mark said tackily, a greasy smile plastered on his face.  

 

Shortly after, before he knew what was happening, Hye Mi's hand collided with the back of his head, jolting him slightly. 

 

"Hey! What was that for?" he asked, still in shock from the blow he had just recieved. 

 

"That was for being so cheesy", Hye Mi answered bluntly, a laugh escaping afterwards. "You've been acting so cheesy all night". 

 

"Thank you for that", she added on quietly. "All of these tacky sayings of yours have made me feel a bit better". 

 

Mark smiled at that, the smile that his best friend now had, definitely worth all the trouble. 

 

"Goodnight", she eventually spoke up, waving goodbye as she walked up the wooden steps that led to the front door of her house. 

 

Mark waved back in reply, standing there until she had entered the house safe and sound. 

 

"Aish that girl", he mumbled to himself as he made his way to his own home, a smile creeping its way onto his face. 

 

 

A/N : I'm so excited for GOT7's comeback!! The teaser pictures are amazing :)) If you would like to interact more with me, I have a fan account on instagram ; @baektothechan.