Drag Me To Hell ✦ Markhyuck

03 - the smell of death

1 month earlier

"Donghyuck!" someone screams as the tanned boy approaches the round lunch table.

"What?" he asks as his eyes widen and he freezes with his tray in his hands.

"We were just talking about you," the boy with green hair hums, "We were wonderi–"

"Chenle! I wanted to ask him!" the tallest boy amongst them whines.

"You sound like you're like five," another leaning back in his chair remarks.

"To be fair, Jisung might as well be five," Mark chimes in as Donghyuck finally sits down in the seat next to him, as per usual.

"I'm not a baby," the tall boy pouts as he crosses his arms.

"But you like being babied," a pink haired boy responds with a wide smile on his face as he pinches Jisung's cheek.

"Leave him be, Jaemin," another whom wears glasses and has his nose buried in a textbook lectures the other, halfheartedly.

"Am I wrong?" Jaemin objects, "You baby him too, Jeno. Don't lie."

Jeno shakes his head, refusing to respond to Jaemin.

"So, Donghyuck," the boy leaning back in his chair speaks up as he redirects the subject, "Who in school would you wanna kiss?"

"Dammit, Renjun!" Jisung cries as he crosses his arms and pouts even more than before.

"W-what?" Donghyuck stammers.

"We wanna know who you'd kiss," Renjun repeats himself.

"I said Sooyoung!" Chenle blurts out.

"Why the fuck would it be Sooyoung? She wouldn't even count since she graduated already," Renjun snaps.

"I said S–"

"So who would it be?" Jisung interrupts Jaemin as he leans forward.

Donghyuck swallows hard as his eyes dart from one boy to the next. Each one of them watches intently, waiting for him to speak. Even Jeno ceases his studying and peers up at him through the top of his thick-rimmed spectacles to hear his reply.

He wonders if maybe today was the day he comes clean.

Maybe it'd be okay?

Maybe he could play it off as a joke?

His eyes flicker towards Mark, and he finds the older staring back at him. He quickly looks away and realizes he can't do it. There's no way he could. Not in a million years. He glances once more at Mark. Upon taking in Donghyuck's expression, his eyebrows turn upward and a frown tugs at the corners of his mouth.

"Guys, leave him alone. He's not comfortable answering that," Mark immediately speaks out on his behalf.

Several of the boys groan irritably.