flipped :: markhyuck

1 | new city

'one

haechan was nine years old when he first moved into mark's neighbourhood, and the excitement of experiencing new things underpinned the main reason he was so eager to move: his parents promised him that there would finally be a local library which he could walk to!

claiming he was strong enough to carry the furniture boxes, haechan helped his parents move as many things as possible from the truck to their new house, and that's when he saw him; standing tall at his lawn next to his father, with trendy flat hair and facial features attractively small was the boy who haechan would, later in his life, find more than just cool. 

"hello!" haechan's mother chirped first as she approached them. "we've just moved here! who might you be?"

"we're your neighbours," mark's dad replied with a small smile, pointing to his house directly opposite. "you'll find us right there."

"magnificent," haechan's mother beamed as she grabbed haechan's wrist. "this is my son, haechan. looks like you've already got a friend here, hyuck!"

"this is my boy, mark," the man replied, holding his son's shoulders. "he could use a new friend too, right son?"

haechan couldn't stop staring at the boy as he held his hand up in a wave, drowning out his mother's conversational tone. he had the stance; mark must have been popular with the ladies, and even his homely clothes dazzled maturity. if he could become friends with someone like him...

"let me help," mark offered, reaching for the box that haechan was meant to grab with ease. widening his eyes, the younger boy lunged forward and held onto it just as mark picked it up, making the both of them pause.

mark looked at his dad, who cleared his throat. "well, we should leave you guys to it... mark, do you want to help your mum at home instead?"

"yeah," he replied, letting go and darting off across the road. mark's dad followed suit, not without a chuckle and a wave, before disappearing into their house. haechan, carrying the box which he now realised was much too heavy for him, stumbled before toppling over, unable to stop everything from rolling everywhere.

"hyuck, i told you you wouldn't be able to carry it alone!" his mother scolded him as she held her hand out. "are you okay?"

"what happened?" haechan's dad appeared from the front of the truck and joined his wife in picking up whatever lay in his vicinity.

"nothing," his mum replied. "hyuck, why don't you go inside and look around?"

he complied wordlessly and turned into the house, gaping at how big it was compared to their old apartment.

moving here didn't seem so bad; not only was the environment much better, but perhaps by befriending mark - his name alone was cool - haechan could have a better school life, too.