best friend ꒱ markhyuck

two

Ever since that fateful day where their mothers had forced them into a play date, Mark and Donghyuck had been inseparable. The two of them were best friends, they spent all of their free time together and were practically attached at the hip. They walked to school together, walked home together, ate meals together, did homework together. Whatever they were doing, they were always with each other, except one unexpected thing was about to change all of that.

Middle School.

Mark had just turned twelve, and since he was a year older than Donghyuck, he had to go to middle school all on his own. Donghyuck was still in his last year of elementary school, which meant that they would be separated for the first time since they'd met each other, and the two boys had both come home crying once they realized that Donghyuck couldn't go with Mark to middle school.

"It'll be okay, sweetheart," Mark's mother had said as she patted her son's head, "Donghyuck still lives right next door, and he'll come with you to middle school in just one year, you don't have to wait long."

They were still sad, but the knowledge that Donghyuck would be able to join him in just one short year had been enough to calm both of them down. They savored the time they still had together, playing and hanging out every day without fail during the entirety of summer break, but then the dreaded day had arrived.

Just like every other school day, Mark stood outside Donghyuck's house and waited for him to come out so that they could walk together to school. This time, however, Mark wasn't bouncing up and down excitedly when his friend came out—his face was pulled into a tight, thin line, giving away his emotions. Similarly, the brunette walked out looking more solemn than Mark had ever seen him before, already looking like he could cry. Donghyuck quietly slipped his hand into Mark's larger one, just like they had always done, but the walk towards school was unusually silent, with no noise other than their footsteps against the uneven concrete. The middle school was close to the elementary school, just a bit of a longer walk away, so they reached the elementary school first, and they stopped once they arrived at the entrance. Both boys stared sadly at each other and didn't move an inch, holding each other's hands tighter than before.

"I have to go now..." Donghyuck finally broke the silence, and Mark nodded slowly before reluctantly letting go of his friend's hand. The younger boy's eyes lingered on his friend for a long moment, staring at Mark's hand with a wobbly lower lip as it dropped back to his side, before he finally exhaled and turned his back to the person he cared about more than anyone. Donghyuck started to walk in, with Mark just standing and watching him silently, but the smaller boy barely even made it in two steps before he whipped around and ran back towards the older boy, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"I'm gonna miss you," Donghyuck whimpered, and Mark hugged his best friend just as tight as he fought back tears of his own.

"Me too," he mumbled, tightening his arms around the younger boy desperately before slowly letting go, leaning back and ruffling Donghyuck's soft curly hair.

"Hey, it's all gonna be okay. We'll see each other after school, right? I'll come and wait outside so we can walk home together." Mark forced a grin and held out his pinky, and Donghyuck sniffled before completing their pinky promise with a determined nod.

"Of course! And I'll be there next year. We've already been friends for three years, one year will go by super duper quick!" He said seriously, wiping the tears on his cheeks with his free hand as he stared up at the older boy.

"Exactly!" Mark chuckled softly, reluctantly letting go of his friend before walking backwards towards the sidewalk, as if he didn't want to look away from Donghyuck yet.

"Have a good day at school, Hyuckie."

"You too, Hyung."

And with that, Mark quickly turned and speed walked up the sidewalk towards the middle school, hoping to god that Donghyuck hadn't seen the tears that had escaped and ran down his face as they parted.
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