the week | markhyuck

III

Sunlight streams through Mark's bedroom window the next morning, rousing the boy in his sleep. He groggily wakes up, covering his eyes with his hand as he sits up. One of the first things he notices is that Johnny was gone; his sleeping bag was neatly packed up in the corner.

Checking the time on his phone, Mark sees that it was around ten-thirty in the morning. Meaning that from the time he went to sleep last night - which was around eleven at night - along with the extra six hours he had from jet-lag napping, he had been asleep for a total of seventeen and a half hours.

Alongside checking the time, Mark sees that he had a text from Johnny, which had been sent to him at around eight in the morning. The text read:

Hey, I didn't wanna wake you. I'm at the airport, catching the first flight back to Seoul, as promised. Remember to text Donghyuck or I will come back and get your ass.

Sighing, Mark puts his phone back on his bedside table as he uses his free hand to run a finger through his messy bedhead. After a few minutes of tired silence, he throws back the covers and throws his feet over the side of the bed. His feet come into contact with the hardwood flooring, which was particularly cold so early in the morning. Mark hisses softly, slipping his feet into slippers as he finally gets out of bed.

Coming out of his room, Mark makes for the stairs. The welcoming smell of bacon frying in the kitchen pan beckons him downstairs as if he was in a trance. In the kitchen, his mother slaves over a stovetop preparing a hearty breakfast for her boy.

"Hey, mom." Mark greets as he plops down at the kitchen table. He lets out a yawn as he pours a glass of orange juice that sits neatly on the tabletop.

"Good morning, honey." His mother says cheerily, turning off the stove as the bacon finishes frying. Putting the bacon on a plate, his mother presents Mark with a delicious breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.

"This looks great." Mark smiles, reaching for the bacon and shoving it into the mouth. Humming, he adds: "Tastes amazing."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." His mother chastises him. "But, thank you."

Serving up a plate of her own, the two sit down and enjoy a breakfast. However, one person from the Lee family was missing out on the breakfast family time.

"Where's Dad?" Mark asks.

"Out." His mother replies, a small smile curling on her lips. "He's getting something. For you."

"For me?" Mark asks. "What is it?"

"A surprise."

"Alright." Mark says, finishing up his food. Wiping his mouth on a napkin, Mark gathers his dishes and places them by the sink. "I'm gonna go shower then head out."

"Where are you going?" His mother asks, as Mark passes by and kisses her on the cheek before making for the stairs.

"I thought I'd go out to the skate park I went to as a kid. I wonder if any of them still go there." Mark replies, remembering the times he made with his small pack of middle school friends. Mark had only been in middle school for a few years before leaving at twelve to train as an idol, so he hoped he still had a good pack of friends that still remembered him as the little skater boy he was.

"Okay, hon. Be careful." His mother smiles as she watches him jog up the staircase. Mark makes for the linen closet first to grab a clean towel, then heads directly to the bathroom where he showers, brushes his hair and then his teeth. He whistles slightly as he walks back to his room, a towel hanging tightly on his waist.

Mark never had time to unpack yesterday, so all of his clothes are haphazardly shoved into his bag. He still manages to find a good enough outfit, however. Checking himself out in the mirror, he smiles with satisfaction at his outfit combo of a white tee, black skinny jeans and distressed converse. He completes the outfit with a snapback and a grey flannel shirt which he ties loosely around his waist.