Sunshine | Markhyuck

19: we'll meet again, don't know when, don't know whereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

"Lee Minhyung?"

Mark looked up slowly, raising his hand as he made eye contact with the teacher, "it's Mark, sir."

The teacher nodded with a smile, but not without gulping first, as he ticked his name off the roll.

Mr Jung was sick today and had to take a day off. In his place, the new art teacher, Mr Kim, substituted. Mark had never felt more scared or worried or angry or anything in relation to an unknown sub. Though, he wasn't really unknown was he. Teacher Mr Kim and student Lee Minhyung may not know each other, but Kim Dongyoung and Mark Lee have known each other for years.

Jaemin moved uncomfortably in his seat as he looked up at the teacher, "I dunno if he's forgotten us or is just stupidly professional," he mumbled quietly to Mark.

Mark nodded in agreement as Mr Kim explained the work left to them by their English teacher. Must have been uncomfortable about that as well since he pretty much raised Jaehyun when they were in high school before dipping.

Mark itched at the base of his neck, not knowing if it was out of his allergy or nerves this time. Luckily for him, most of the class was pleasant. Mr Kim made his rounds, checking the students' work as he passed while Jaemin and Mark struggled through the work together. Now don't get him wrong, Mark excelled in the subject, being raised in Canada for the first 7 years of his life before moving and still primarily speaking English at home, so it's not like it was a massive struggle. However because he and Jaemin did so well in the subject, Mr Jung would leave them full essay length questions to give them some sort of "challenge". So it wasn't hard, it was just a lot.

And very very very boring.

Jaemin whined loudly, slumping in his chair, "For fucks sake, I'm gonna knock hyung's head against a concrete pillar when I see him next." He dragged his pen down the page, a thick stripe down the centre of his page.

Mark laughed as he scribbled down as much as he could bullshit at once. He had already done the basic work given to the whole class so now he was just lazily pulling himself through the challenge questions.

"Is everything okay here," Mr Kim asked as he approached the table, a caring smile on his face.

Jaemin bit the inside of his cheek, a scary looking glare pointed toward the teacher whereas Mark simply smiled back and nodded. "Everything is fine sir."

Mr Kim nodded slowly back, "Are you okay working in a classroom?"

Mark raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean."

"Um," Mr Kim gulped, "the notes given by Mr J-Jung and by...your vice principal said that you had a sunlight allergy."

Mark could see Jaemin subtly roll his eyes at him as he himself straightened up in his chair. He knew Dongyoung knew he had the allergy. Before Johnny and Renjun learnt to treat his reactions in bad situations, Dongyoung was the one who knew everything. He knew the preventive precautions and how to take them proactively. How to not irritate his skin further when it was bubbling and red. How to care for him.

Dongyoung played a similar role to what Taeyong was to him. Not only a caretaker, but a safe place, a person he was able to rant to and taught him how to do so much. He was Taeyong's other half.

Was.

Now it just felt weird, as if he never knew anything.

"No sir," Mark smiled up, tone harsh as he stared the teacher down, "Mr Lee has specifically set up the environment so that I am not harmed as much."

"Ah," Mr Kim nodded, though a slight worry was present in his eyes, "well I'll leave you to it."

As the teacher walked away, Mark released a shaky breath, turning to Jaemin. Jaemin looked up, very evidently irritated.

"Calm down, dude," Mark placed his hand on the younger's, "he's not...bad."

"...Taeyong hyung-"

"It was a long time ago now," Mark pursed his lips together.

"Mark Lee?" Mr Kim called from the front of the classroom, "may I speak with you outside."

Mark eyes widened slightly. He pushed his chair back, standing up and walking out, closely followed by Mr Kim.

He turned around as Mr Kim closed the door behind him. Both looked at one another, an unsettling tension lingering between the two. History does things to your mind. Complete strangers as of right now, yet so much attached to them, tied together at the end.

"Minhyungie...how have you been?" Dongyoung asked, pushing his hands into his pockets.

Mark nodded, his stomach knotting at his name, "I'm-I'm alright...hyung-nim."

Dongyoung's lips turned up slightly, "you grew up well, a man now."

"Yeah," Mark awkwardly chuckled, rocking on his feet, "time goes by fast."

Dongyoung nodded, chuckling himself, "yeah, it does."

Mark shifted his weight back and forth on his feet, "I didn't know you were doing a teaching degree."

"Ah," Dongyoung swallowed, "yeah, I-I...I did a double degree, arts and teaching, more convenient."

"Right," Mark bit his lip.

A few moments of silence passed between their almost tricky conversation, the words dancing around their heads as they figured where they stood with each other.

Dongyoung decided to break the ice once again, a more confronting question coming out. "Minhyung, do you still hate me?"

Mark swallowed. It had been four years. There couldn't really have been any hate still walled up at this point, just a faint distaste. What Mark didn't want to admit out loud but knew deep inside was that he missed Dongyoung's presence almost as much as he missed his parents. He missed having this other older brother who he could look up to as well. There was this weird emptiness in their house that had lingered for four years now and nothing has ever filled it. Mark wanted to just hug Dongyoung, to cry and welcome him home, convince him to come back home.

But he also just wanted to rip the guts out of Dongyoung. Being so present in his life since he was 9 til he was 15, it hurt like hell seeing him leave. Like pulling out a lung, they all struggled to function afterwards. To see what he and his brother had, shatter as easily as glass, as if it wasn't relevant whatsoever. Taeyong hadn't bounced back for a long time, only really this year he was getting back to himself. Dongyoung left everyone, not only Taeyong or Mark, but Jeno, Johnny, Taeil, Kun, Jaemin, Jisung, Jaehyun, everyone.

And now he was here, knowing everything he did, acting as if it wasn't as bad as it was.

Mark bit the inside of his lip hard, piercing the skin inside. " ...it...it's not my place...I just feel a bit...indifferent."

Dongyoung looked down, "I...I don't have any ill intent, I promise...I just-"

"Mr Kim, sir," Mark cut him off, straightening up as he desperately tried to stop his eyes from glazing over, "This is a school, and you are my teacher right now. We should stop speaking of personal matters here."

Dongyoung looked up, his own eyes beginning to water, "Yes, of course, I'm sorry for wasting your time, Mark."

Mark bowed, walking toward the door when Mr Kim caught his wrist. He turned back to Mr Kim looking at his arms, "and stop scratching, Minghyung, I mean it."