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"Wait, what?!"

"We're going to my house." Mark quirks a brow.

You've never been to his house before, you didn't know what to expect.

"I live only five minutes away from school, so we can just walk." He informs as you walk down the stairs together.

You glance down at you arm as he kept a strong hold on your wrist. You stare back up at his face, making short eye contact with him before quickly looking away.

As soon as you reached the doors leading out the building, someone calls your name.

"Y/n?"

The both of you turn around as the voice belonged to the one and only Yugyeom. You let out a silent sigh before answering.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering where you disappeared to when you didn't show up to class." He frowns, staring down at Mark's hand as it somehow found its way to yours. "What are you two doing together?"

"Nothing." You answer immediately, pulling your hand out of Mark's grasp. "I was just in the office."

Why are you lying? It's not like you care what Yugyeom thinks, you thought to yourself.

"For forty minutes?" Yugyeom asks, unable to believe you.

"Yeah, well the principal needed some information to transfer the rest of my files from my old high school, which ended up taking a while." You lie again.

"Then why are you two together?" Yugyeom raises an unamused brow.

"I saw her when the bell rang and asked if she wanted to come over to hang out since we haven't talked in a while." Mark speaks up, making your little lie sound much more believable.

You glanced up at him a bit surprised that he was actually helping you lie. Maybe he knew how Yugyeom would react if he knew you two were together.

"I'll come with you then, since we were already planning on hanging out after school." Yugyeoms crosses his arms over his chest. "If that's okay with you.."

Something led you to believe that Yugyeom was going to be keeping a close eye on you and Mark for a while.

"That's fine." Mark nods and you stare at him vexed.

Why does he look so tense as if he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing.

It's not like you were actually doing anything with him. It was just a friendly hand-hold..that's all.

Mark steps over to the door, holding it open for you and Yugyeom. You walk out the building, waiting for Mark so he could lead the way to his house.

The three of you begin heading down the sidewalk and you stayed behind while the two friends while they walked side by side in front of you. It almost looked as if you were third-wheeling them.

The thought made you chuckle out loud, but your smile soon faded when Yugyeom turned his head to look at you with a curious expression.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I'm just thinking." You shake your head.

Your brows furrow as Yugyeom slows down and makes his way beside you, leaving Mark's side.

"What were you doing with Mark earlier?" He questions in a quiet voice.

"I already told you, it was nothing." You stare at him in annoyance as he won't let it go. "He just invited me over to his house, that's all."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" He scoffs.

You almost back away when he bends down, leaning close to your face.

"I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you." He begins. "Mark coming back home doesn't change things. He'll never love you the way he loves Victoria." He whispers vindictively in your ear.

Ouch.

He back away with a cruel smile on his face before quickening his speed once more, walking next to Mark.

You stare at his back in shock. It felt almost like he reached inside your chest and crushed your heart with his bare hands.

Mark gives you a quick glance, noticing your gutted expression. He held a questioning look, wanting to know what Yugyeom said to you.

You just shake your head, not having the courage to tell him. You didn't want to start some unnecessary drama that would get in-between their friendship.

"We're here." Mark speaks up, turning his direction to the house beside you.

He walks over to his front door, unlocking it and you and Yugyeom follow him inside.

You look around while shutting the door behind you. There weren't many decorations or things to make the house feel more homey, but it was nice.

You follow the two boys into the living room and Mark threw his bag on the couch.

Suddenly, a young boy comes running out of the hallway and was headed straight towards your direction. He crashes his body into yours, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"Woah! What the—"

"Jisung!" Mark exclaims, pulling the boy away from you.

"Are you okay?" You question with concern as he ran into you pretty hard.

You could tell he was young as he still had a babyface and his head only reached up to your shoulders.

He only nods in response, with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Why would you ask if he's okay, you're the one he hit." Yugyeom corrects, glaring at the boy.

You just roll your eyes, ignoring his statement.

"This your little brother, Mark?" You ask, smiling at the boy.

"No, Jisung's my cousin." He looks down at him with a teasing grin.

"How come you two live together?" You question, but Mark gives you a serious look, indicating that you shouldn't ask.

"You're really pretty, noona." Jisung states in awe while staring up at you.

His statement made you genuinely smile as you never really get complimentes that often and you could tell he really meant it.

"You're not too bad yourself." You compliment back, ruffling up his hair.

You look over at Mark as he leans his back against the wall with the most content expression.

"..is Mark-hyung your boyfriend?" Jisung suddenly questions out of nowhere, looking back and forth between you and his older cousin.

"M-My what—" You stuttered, not expecting that question.

"He's never brought a girl home before." Jisung steps closer to you, innocently waiting for an answer.

"No, Mark's not." You try backing up, but you lose your balance which resulted in you falling back.

Oh lord.

You braced for sudden death. If the fall doesn't kill you, then the embarrassment will.

You felt your movement come to a stop when your back hit someone's chest. You look over your shoulder to see Yugyeom had made his way behind you.

"I am." He answers for you, wrapping his arms around your waist.

He rested his chin on your shoulder and your brows furrow as he was hell-bent on continuing this lie.

"Hey." You tensed up at all the sudden touching.

Yugyeom stares at you with a playful grin as you try to pry his arms away from you.

"Don't lie to him." You demand, pushing yourself out from his grasp.

"Really? It doesn't seem like it." Jisung remarks, noticing how uncomfortable you looked and Mark tries to old in his laugh.

"How would you know, anyways? You're just a kid." Yugyeom deadpans.

"I'm thirteen!" He corrects. "Besides, Mark-hyung was talking about her all weekend, so I assumed they were dating."

Your head snaps to look over at Mark who's gaze was on you this whole time. Maybe Mark wasn't joking around on the rooftop today. Maybe he was serious when asking if he had a chance.

"Jisung." Mark glares at his little cousin as he just got exposed.

Yugyeom's eyes bounced back and forth between you two, realizing what was happening.

The longing stares between you and Mark was a dead give away on how the both of you felt about each other.

"You know what? How about we play a game called, 'No Talking.' The rule is, whoever speaks first, loses the game." You interfere before things started to get heated.

"But noona—"

"No buts, the game begins now." You state, smiling as everyone went silent.

• I •

A few hours later, you eventually went back home to get ready for the school's carnival tonight.

As soon as you walked inside, you were greeted by your mother and another familiar face.

"Jaebeom?" You ask. "What are you doing here?"

They both stared at you with serious expressions as you gently set your bag down on the floor.

"I'm not under house arrest again, am I?" You question, jokingly to lighten the mood.

"No, of course not." Your mother lets out a light laugh.

Her smile falls as she walks over to you. She smiles sadly, reaching her hand out to brush the hair out of your face.

"What is it then?" You questioned, beginning to feel anxious.

"Honey, I need you to do something for me." She states, wrapping her cardigan tighter around her body. "I need you to go pack your bags of everything you'll need for the next few months."

"What?" Your voice was small and hesitant. "Are we leaving again?"

"No.." She shakes her head. "You're gonna be staying with Jaebeom for a little while, at least until I get everything figured out."

"What is there for you to figure out? What is going on? Where are you going?" You bombard her with questions.

"I know this is a lot to take in right now, especially after everything that's happened with your father and I, but I promise it's for the best." She tries to explain.

"I'm still not understanding what there is to figure out. Why can't I stay here on my own?" You ask and you notice her eyes begin to fill with tears.

"I'm sick, baby." She states, holding your face between her palms. "I need a doctor."

"..is–is it critical?" You ask almost stunned, you couldn't properly process the situation that was happening right now.

"Very." She nods. "I'm leaving for Japan today to live with your brother. He found a trusted doctor who'll be able to help me."

"Which is why I need someone to take care of you while I'm gone. So, I called Jaebeom to explain the situation to him and he said he'd be able to watch over you."

"Can't I come with you?" You ask, almost in a pleading tone.

"I'm sorry, but you can't." She wipes under her eyes before any tears could fall. "You need to stay here and focus on school, but most importantly on yourself. You're already so much better since we left Busan, I don't want this ruining that for you."

"It's only for a few months and then I'll come back and everything will be okay again." She pulls you in for a hug after noticing your sullen expression.

"Mom." You whisper.

"I'll be okay, y/n." She struggles to put a smile on her face as she breaks the hug. "There's nothing to worry about, I promise."

"I trust Jaebum to take good care of you while I'm gone." She states, looking back at him behind her and he nodded quietly.

"Okay, now you need to hurry and pack, I have a flight to catch and I don't want to be late." She backs away.

You stay put, staring at her with worried eyes. You had no idea about her sickness. She always seemed fine whenever you were with her. But then again, she can be very good at hiding her pain when she wants to be.

"Don't worry, y/n. I'll see you soon."

You've heard those words before.

"You better."

• II •

After the silent car ride with Jaebeom, he pulls into the driveway and you both step out of the car.

You decided to leave you bags in the car for now, not wanting to unpack just yet. Everything happened so suddenly, you still needed time to process things.

"You gonna be okay?" Jaebeom asks, standing by his front door.

You finally look up at him after staring at your feet for so long and you shake your head. "No."

Without another word, Jaebeom pulls you against his chest and wrap your arms around his waist, hugging him tightly.

The need to cry didn't hit you, it was the shock of it all that left you speechless. You didn't know what to say, so you didn't say anything at all.

All of a sudden, you could head Jaebeom's door being opened and you pulled away from him.

Your eyes met with Yugyeom's who stood inside the house with a frown. What is Yugyeom doing at Jaebeom's place.

"What's going on here?" Yugyeom questions and Jaebeom turns around to face him.

"She's moving in with me." Jaebeom crosses his arms.

"What is he doing here?" You stare at Jaebeom with furrowed brows.

At first, it seemed like neither one of them knew what to say, but Jaebeom eventually came up with some excuse in his head.

"I'm good friends with Yugyeom's father, so I allow Yugyeom and his friends to hang here after school when I'm working." He explains.

It sounded like a reasonable excuse, but for some reason you just couldn't believe him. It was like a gut feeling.

"Okay, well it'd be great if you could move out of the way." You speak towards Yugyeom. "I need to change a tampon."

"W-What?"

You watch as he get all uncomfortable and awkward at your words, causing you to laugh.

"I'm just kidding." You roll your eyes. "I do need to pee though, so move."

You shove past him entering the house. You ignore the other three boys in the living room as you marched through the hallway, entering the first door to your right.

You quickly did your business and washed your hands with Jaebeom's citrus scented hand-soap.

You stare at the mirror to fix some of the messy strands of hair and pushed them out of your face.

You pull the top of your shirt down on your left shoulder, glancing at your previous stab wound. It definitely looks a lot better than before, but it's clearly going to leave a scar.

You still couldn't stop thinking about what Jinyoung said to you on your birthday. About what happened between the two and why they hate each other.

You didn't want to ask Yugyeom about it, the fear of being involved in their mess was far greater than your curiosity to get the whole story behind their past.

You let out a sigh after your hands fall to your side once neatening your clothes. Taking in a deep breath to prepare yourself for what's to come, you exit the bathroom.

You reenter the living room and looked around. Mark, Jackson, and Bambam all sat next to each other on the couch while casually conversing with each other. Jaebeom did say Yugyeom and his friends hang out here.

"Should we start heading to the carnival now?" You asks, interrupting everyone's conversations.

Jaebeom and Yugyeom look up while sitting at the kitchen island as they were aggressively whispering towards one another.

"Yes, let's go." Bambam says, standing up from the couch.

"Don't have too much fun." Jaebeom warned as he was staying home. "And stay out of trouble."

Mark drove the car and you had to sit in the back with Jackson and Bambam since Yugyeom took the front passenger seat.

It was about a fifteen minute drive to get to the place where the carnival was being held. By the end of the ride, you had an earful of bickering from both Jackson and Bambam.

You quickly got out of the car and walked closer to the gate to get a better view of the Ferris Wheel, it was huge.

Yugyeom came up behind you out of the blue and grabbed your hand.

"We'll ride that later tonight." He raises a brow with a smirk.

"Why do you always have to make everything sound so dirty?" You stare up at him in disgust.

He just shrugs, letting out a chuckle and began pulling your hand to the nearest game station.

"Let's play this." He urged.

It was a water gun game where whoever filled the balloon with the most water wins.

"Fine." You let out a huff, while grabbing one of the water guns as Yugyeom pays.

Mark, Bambam, and Jackson walked off to explore the rest of the place.

"3..2..1...Go!"The host exclaims.

You began to fill your balloon with the water from the water gun. You quickly dropped your empty gun to grab the next one.

You were actually beginning to enjoy yourself as it was a good distraction from all your current problems.

You glance over at Yugyeom's section and he was still using his first water gun.

"Looks like you're too slow, Gyeomie!" You bragged as your balloon was almost full.

You happen to notice the corner of Yugyeom's lips slightly raise at the nickname you gave him. It was what you used to mock him with when you first met.

He realizes how full your balloon got for a second and points his toy gun in your direction, spraying you with it as a diversion.

"Not my hair!" You squeal, covering your face with your hands.

He goes back to spraying the water in his balloon, giving you a smug.

"Looks like I'm catching up." He teases, mimicking your voice from earlier.

You try to quickly continue spraying your balloon, but Yugyeom's had already popped.

"That's not fair, you cheated!" You whine.

"Here you go." The host hands him a small teddy bear since he won.

"Here, keep it." Yugyeom smiles, handing it to you.

"No, you won so you keep it—"

You step closer to hand the teddy bear back to him, but the ground was wet and muddy from the water Yugyeom sprayed you with, causing you to slip.

You fell forward against his chest and he wraps his arm around your waist to stop you both from falling.

"You so clumsy." He states, staring down at your face. "You must like falling into my arms."

"Shut up." You groan, trying to pull away.

He prevents you from backing away, holding you against him.

"You're so annoying." You let out a deep sigh.

Your head rested against his chest and you suddenly raise your eyebrows surprised as you could hear his heart beating rapidly.

"Am I making you nervous?" You ask almost teasingly.

"No." He lies instantly, and you couldn't help but smile.

"Oh wow! Are we interrupting something?" Jennie asks with a sly smirk on her face and Jisoo giggles at her remark.

You immediately pull away from Yugyeom, shaking your head.

"Why are you wet?" Jisoo questions, noticing your damp hair.

"Oh, we know why she's wet." Jennie grins mischievously and you knew she was thinking dirty.

"He sprayed me with his water gun." You glare at Jennie and her perverted mind.

"Oh, I bet he did."

"I guess I just got too carried away." Yugyeom grin.

"Stop! This whole conversation sounds so dirty." You cringe, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Sorry Yugyeom, but we're going to be stealing y/n for a bit." Jisoo states and grabs your hand.

"Hopefully, you won't be too lonely while she's gone." Jennie whispers in his ear, but you could still hear her.

Jennie and Jisoo pull you with them away from the water game and towards a photo stand.

"Let's take a picture together!" Jisoo exclaims and you tilt your head to the side like a puppy.

"Why?"

"For future memories, duh!" Jennie says like she's stating the obvious and you just laugh lightly.

"Okay okay." You give in and Jisoo pays the photographer money to take the shot.