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"Damn, you look rough," Doyoung commented when he swung the bathroom door open to find Mark half awake against the sink. His legs were sprawled out, almost blocking the entrance.
"No shit? Really?" The younger gasped with mock surprise, reaching his hands up to request for help.
Doyoung eyed his red and withered hands suspiciously, taking his wrists instead and pulling the raventte to his feet. "Mark......what were you doing in here all night?"
The shorter shrugged, rubbing his eyes tiredly and sauntering out of the bathroom. "I just felt like being uncomfortable."
Taeil was buttoning up his shirt, watching the younger as he yanked open the wardrobe with his uniform in it. There was a thick air of tension now enveloping the long space, and each member if their dorm room could now sense it.
Of course, Donghyuck just didn't seem to be born with an ideal level of sensitivity, and asked the very question that lay within everyone's minds.....though not in the soft manner he should've.
"What the fuck is up with you?"
Mark grimaced, fingers curling around the wooden door of the tall wardrobe and breath hitching frustratedly. "Nothing.....and it's none of your business."
"Oh? Which one is it then, Sissyboy? Either something is up and it's not my business, or you're literally just a mood killer."
Don't kill him, don't kill him, don't kill him! "Last I checked, we weren't close enough to disclose our personal issues."
Taeyong sighed, sitting back on his bed and burying his palms in the white duvet. "When will you both give it a rest? You're acting like little girls when one of them won't share their doll."
"He started it," Donghyuck hissed, jabbing an accusing finger in the ravenette's direction.
"My point exactly. You both need to start growing up before the harsh reality of this world sweeps you off your feet. Quit these petty arguments that literally neither of you will remember come lunch time."
Mark peered over his shoulder at the youngest, memories of last night knocking on his train of thought's door and threatening to spill in. He just couldn't deal with that right now, so pushing it away like a disgusting meal was all the teen could think to do. "Never mind."
Jaehyun massaged his temples whilst glancing from one boy to the other. It really was a crying shame that their stubborn and opposing natures clashed.....he could see a brilliant team within them, had they just opened their eyes.
Once all eight started to get ready for the day ahead, a slightly awkward silence manifested within their area, and not a one of them could concoct an idea as to what to say. The older boys were all seeing one side of the battle while Donghyuck hadn't a clue what he did wrong, and Mark was actively dealing with guilt.
The atmosphere didn't disperse once everyone exited either. The ravenette in question dragged himself towards the dining room as he did each morning, and was immediately met with his idiotic friends flicking pieces of cereal at each other.
His mind was in a dull-feeling place, not at all in the mood for fun and games and certainly not ready for questions as to why.
"Hey, Mark," Jaemin chirped happily, shoving Renjun away when the elder attempted to place a corn flake on his temple. The oldest nodded with a mopey demeanour.
"Hey."
Chenle looked up from the notebook he was scribbling into furiously, arching his brow at the tone of the shorter's voice. "Spill it. What's with the 'mood'?"
Oh god, here we go again, Mark groaned internally, though it slipped through his sub-conscience and sounded from his mouth. Whoops.
"Great," Renjun scoffed, waving his hand around as though he saw this conversation coming. "What's with the attitude this time? Hm? More Hyuck problems that you refuse to talk about with us?"
Mark was damnably close to hitting each of them. Yes, he was aware of his shitty behaviour and annoying mood swings.....but when the others all rolled their eyes to the heavens as if they knew a damn thing about it, it angered him.
"Guess what I heard ages ago," Jaemin hummed to Renjun, playing with his spoon and looking at the Chinese with almost too much interest. "It was really useful."
"What's that?" The older frowned.
"It's something called an 'apology'. Apparently, they solve problems better than arguments do, and-"
"Ugh, I get it!" Mark snapped, flicking a cornflake at him irritateldy and slamming his head down onto the dark wooden table. "You're so goddamn annoying."
The bluette smirked victoriously, tapping his temple knowingly as Chenle shook his head in disbelief.
"Who raised you?" The youngest enquired curiously, chewing the end of his pen and closing the notebook of homework he hadn't finished yesterday.
"My babysitter," Jaemin chuckled, "She was foreign, and we had this language barrier issue where I'd do something stupid and she just clapped and laughed, thinking it was normal behaviour for a Korean, y'know?"
"Is that why you're literally the dumbest person I know?"
"Quite possibly. My parents played no part in my upbringing."
Renjun joined Mark and slammed his head down on the table. "I swear, every time I count my braincells before bed, the number decreases."
"I know, right?" Jaemin gasped like it was finally time to share his woes with another, "Jeno can be so confusing sometimes...."
"It ain't Jeno," Chenle grimaced, taking his mug of tea to his hands and having a tentative sip to make sure it wasn't scorching hot. "I can't wait for these two years to be over."
Mark sighed, not physically being able to agree more. His eyes scanned over the room until they landed on Donghyuck. The younger was chuckling along to something a classmate was saying. The stranger seemed to be really close, whispering in his ear.......which was odd, considering that the action required a decent level of trust.
Fuck that, he huffed to himself, the hell if I'd even recognise his friends anyway.
The only linking people that kept Donghyuck and Mark in each other's 'daytime lives', were Jisung and Jeno.
As a twinge of pain stabbed the teen's unsuspecting heart, he pushed the feeling away and blinked his exhausted eyes to alleviate the drowsiness. There was no word to describe what that little sign meant.....or so he thought.
By any other person's definition, it could well have pointed to jealousy...
