never not ✧ mark lee

68

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

tw: mentions of drugs & sexual assault

Seeing Hong Junsang again was something Dasom had hoped with all heart would never happen again.

And yet, here he was, standing right in front of her, smiling as if she was an old friend he was catching up with after a long time.

"Long time, huh?" he asked her ever so casually.

No matter how much she tried not to think about it, images of the past were flooding Dasom's mind and she let out a shaky "yeah" in response.

"I never pictured you being a bartender of all things," Junsang commented. "How did that come up?"

"Oh, it just kinda happened," Dasom said with obvious anxiousness in her voice.

Seeing that she was uncomfortable and scared, Mark stood up. It didn't matter to him that this man was much taller and bigger than him, he would be more than happy to outright cuss him out and punch him in the face in front of everyone there for what he did to Dasom.

"Not gonna ask how I'm doing?" Junsang asked Dasom. "A lot has happened since we last met."

"I... I don't—"

"Hey man, what the fuck makes you think you have any right to even look at Dasom?" Mark spoke up, saving her from replying. She looked at him with a mixture of surprise and relief, realizing he had understood who this man was.

"Do I know you?" he inquired, frowning at Mark.

"No, but I know you," Mark informed him, nearly growling because of how angry he was getting at the man's nonchalance. "And I'm gonna need you to get out."

"This is a public place, and we have never met before," Junsang replied coolly. "You can't tell me what to do."

"If you have even a shred of a moral compass, you'll come with me so we can handle this outside," Mark told him. "I wouldn't wanna cause a scene in here."

"Mark no, it's okay," Dasom spoke up, now afraid something would happen to Mark.

"It's fine, just get your things and meet me outside," Mark said, starting to walk to the exit. He turned and looked over his shoulder at Junsang. "And you, if you have any dignity, you'll follow me out."

Once outside, Mark put his hands in his pockets and turned to face Junsang.

"What's your problem with me?" he asked Mark, folding his arms.

"You know exactly what my problem is," Mark replied, surprised by the fact that he was able to stay so calm. Normally he wasn't a very confrontational person, but this time it was different.