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Mark sat at one of the many wooden tables dotted throughout the dining hall. His eyes were glazed over tiredly as he stared at the bowl of cereal in front of him.
"Hey, stop looking all depressed," one of his good friends, Jaemin, ushered while poking his forehead. "It makes the rest of us all moody as well."
"Is this about Donghyuck again?" Renjun hummed, tearing away a piece of his toast to place in his mouth, too delicate to actually bite from it.
"He's such an asshole," Mark huffed, pushing the food away in the end and grabbing his glass of orange juice. "Can I swap rooms with someone from your room?"
"I thought the seniors were nice?" Jaemin frowned, "You said they were really accepting of you."
"It's one thing being fine with knowing I can watch them sleep," the oldest sighed, swirling the orange liquid in the glass absentmindedly, "Though it's another thing entirely getting bullied for sexuality or something. I don't even know what Donghyuck's problem is."
"It's weird though," Renjun glanced subtly over his shoulder at the topic of their conversation, who was happily messing around with other friends. "You'd think by putting two juniors in a room full of seniors, that you'd both get along."
"Your floor is full," Mark threw his head back in contempt. "I wish I could just live with other juniors."
The bell sounded throughout the building, informing all students that breakfast was over and it was time to get ready for classes.
It was about seven in the morning now, everyone having been given half an hour to eat. In return for starting classes an hour and a half earlier than most people, the school ended early too so that everyone had more time to socialise after.
"Okay, I have thirty minutes to go to the toilet, find my books, do that shitty English homework and make it to first class on time," Jaemin leapt up from his seat. "See you guys later!"
With that, Renjun and Mark watched the youngest sprint out of the canteen and towards, what they assumed to be, his dorm.
"How late does he stay up?" The ravenette enquired while he and the Chinese gathered their plates, including their absent friend's, and took them to the space in the wall exposing the kitchen.
"He falls asleep after the rest of us," the younger shook his head like he couldn't even believe it. "I bet you feel annoyed that he doesn't sleep when he can, and you want to do desperately but can't?"
"Yep, that's about right-"
"Move, Sissyboy," an all too familiar and pitched voice hissed from behind the pair. Renjun rolled his eyes as he took a step to the side, pulling Mark with him while Donghyuck shoved through and placed his utensils on the bench.
The youngest's eyes met the older's, a smirk evident as he shouldered Mark one last time before leaving again.
"You should expose him for something," the Chinese eventually groaned when he and his friend proceeded to exit the dining hall. "Your insomnia is like a superpower sometimes. Donghyuck has to snore loudly, or talk a lot, or say stupid things.....right?"
The Korean-Canadian scoffed, chewing his lower lip and biting back the urge to just tell him. He wanted to get the secret off his chest.....but he knew better than that. It wasn't how he was raised. Besides, Donghyuck may have been a pain in the ass, but he had never publicly humiliated Mark yet, or physically abused him or anything. If he ever did, then yes, Mark was ready to expose everything.
"See you later," Renjun waved, walking off to find his locker somewhere deep within the maze-like school building. Mark still had to retrieve his maths textbook for Donghyuck, even though it was first class and they were attending the same one.
Stupid idiot, the teen thought dismally, wishing he had more of a spine or, at least, a wittier way with words. All he ever did was fold under the immense pressure the younger pushed on him.
Walking in the opposite direction were two boys Mark recognised very well. Both Taeyong and Jaehyun waved at him with a smile.
"Heading to class?" The older of the pair asked softly.
"Yeah," he responded, deciding against explaining how he needed to get his book. "I'm early....."
Jaehyun looked around quizzically, frowning when he noticed the younger was alone. "Where's Hyuck? You two have classes together, right?"
He hates me..... "Yeah, but we're not actually close. As you can tell....."
"He's only like that because you're his age. Youngest syndrome, y'know?" Taeyong chirped, totally oblivious to how annoying he really was.
"I should get going," Mark then muttered, stepping away to brush past them both. It was so difficult to hold a conversation with people when they hadn't a clue what went on in his mind. What he saw at night, as well as how tired his body was......they couldn't possibly tell.
Once the teen eventually made it to his locker, he was the only one in the hallway other than a couple of other guys catching up on the last ten minutes of sleep before class against their own storage units.
He fumbled with the key, twisting it slowly and watching as the metal door clicked open.
Maybe if I get to the classroom first, he won't be able to take it off me, the ravenette thought hopefully....though it was sort of a long shot.
He pulled about three books from the tight space, two notebooks and the dreaded textbook. Let's just quietly get there, and perhaps he's too preoccupied to even remember-
"Alright Lee, pass it," the tormentor himself slammed his hand against the locker, caging Mark and forcing him to spin around in shock.
"Christ, Donghyuck!" He gasped, clutching his chest with his free hand, "You scared the shit out of me!"
"Glad to know," the younger smiled fakely, "Now gimme the book, I have to pass this term or my dad's gonna take my phone."
Then actually give a shit, the older glowered internally, wanting nothing more than to actually be able to say his thoughts out loud. "Just take it," he shoved the soft back to the other's chest.
"Thanks," Donghyuck cooed like a condescending adult, poking Mark's cheek teasingly since he knew how wound up the older could get. It was easy, for Donghyuck, to play Mark's weaknesses.
"Get off," the shorter sighed, pushing past him and storming off. Hyuck eyed him with an amused sneer, finding nothing to be more pleasurable than watching Mark get angry and unhappy.
Who sends a gay kid to an all boy's school? He thought, flicking through the book briefly and reading all the neatly allocated notes the older had written throughout it. He's basically asking to be ripped to shreds.
Little did he know, that the same boy he thought was weak and pathetic was really looking after him each night. Preventing big accidents and keeping the secret even Donghyuck wasn't aware of, safe.
