The Cold Curse | MarkHyuck

Chapter 21:

"... What?"

Haechan was confused with what Mark meant unless he meant it that way. Mark panicked, he thought that Haechan didn't like him in that way at all. Mark just went with the flow but his flow wasn't really that flowing.

His emotions were all over the place.

"What do you mean we're destined to be together?"
"... L-like as best friends! Like- Yeah! I promised to come back, right?"

Haechan didn't respond as he thought of all the subtle hints that Mark gave him. Mark literally took off his shirt in front of him and proceeded to ask him if he liked his "body" which Haechan truly liked but he couldn't respond because he thought Mark wasn't that kind of person. Those awkward moments with all of the accidental touching and the awkward silence truly meant something.

Now that Mark told him about how they were destined to be together and how he stutters while he was trying to explain himself, Haechan realized Mark liked him back.

He looked at Mark as they stared at each other for a long minute.

Haechan had a surprised look while Mark had the look of being actually terrified. Mark was afraid that Haechan would turn him down or worse... end his friendship with him.

"Haechan-"

Mark was cut off by Haechan cupping his face. Haechan wasn't sure of what he's doing but he's finally going to kiss Mark. It was going to be Haechan's first actual kiss with Mark and his whole life. Mark, however, had multiple kisses since he was a bit of a "popular boy" in Vancouver but all of those meant nothing.

All he wanted for a kiss were Haechan's lips.

"I've been waiting to do this."
"Haechan?-"

Mark was cut off once again but with Haechan pressing his lips against his. Mark was very surprised with what was happening. Haechan kissing him? That was all he wanted the moment he stepped in Korea once again. Mark puts both of his arms around Haechan's waist, in relief that Haechan liked him the same way he does.

Mark almost cried at how he remembered all of the memories with Haechan since childhood and... well... now.

Haechan took a moment to look at him, still shocked with what he's doing to Mark.

"... I-I'm sorry... Am I doing something wrong, Mark?"
"You're not doing anything wrong. You're just driving me even more crazy."

Mark says, kissing Haechan once again. Mark was too wild that Haechan got to the point of lying down on his bed with Mark above him. Haechan was truly in love with Mark and he thought that nothing can go wrong ever again after this night.

Mark was very in love with Haechan and he wants to be with him, too.

Another day rises as Haechan awakens from his deep sleep, panicking instantly when he sees Mark sleeping beside him.

"Oh, god. What do I do?"

Haechan mumbled as he looked around, thinking of all the things he's done to Mark. He remembered everything that he has done and they weren't the things that he usually does everyday. Kissing Mark? That is literally one of the things that he's never done in his whole life until now... What other things were more intense than a kiss?

Haechan was having a wild internal crisis and he hasn't even eaten breakfast yet.

Meanwhile, Jaemin awakens from his sleep as he wonders why Mark wasn't in their shared room yet. He walks out of his room, still half-awake with all of that heavy sleeping as he sees Jeno smiling at him. Jeno thought Jaemin looked adorable with messy hair.

"... Good morning..."
"You look too adorable right now."
"... Well... What can you do? That's just me..."

Jeno shook his head at Jaemin's confident but half-asleep response.

"... Have you seen Mark?"
"... No, why?"
"You see, we're roommates... Yet he didn't sleep in our shared room last night."
"..."

Jeno thought about it and Jaemin was actually right. They never noticed Mark after Haechan stormed his way to his room because he was frustrated at Renjun. Then, the two of them stared at each other with wide eyes.

They both realized that Mark's two last destinations were the kitchen and... Haechan's room.

"... Do you know something?"
"... Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Well, what are you thinking?"
"I think those two nutmegs slept with each other last night.."
"You think so?"
"... Well, there's one way to find out."

These two princes of mischief had to beg Areum that they should go with her while Areum gives Haechan breakfast.

"Breakfast is here, your highness-"
"PLEASE LEAVE IT ON THE TABLE, MRS. AREUM."

The two heard Haechan's panicked tone as they laughed, knowing that they were right with what they guessed. Haechan was terribly trying to hide Mark in his blankets which awakened Mark in the most surprising way possible.

"Haechan-"
"JENO AND JAEMIN KNEW."
"... About what?-"
"ABOUT US SLEEPING TOGETHER."
"... Oh... Well, don't worry. It's a normal thing-"
"For the love of god, I've never slept with anyone at all-"
"Well, now... you slept with me and it's all fine, Haechan... Besides, your beauty took my breath away last night... or should I say took YOUR breath away-"
"SHUT IT, MARK."

~

Whenever Jisung had time alone for himself, he saw things that other people couldn't see. Those were the times when he felt scared after being such a rude bloodthirsty prince. That's why he didn't like it when he's about to sleep the night away.

That's right, he couldn't sleep at all.

When he sees how these dark and hollow figures mouthing the rudest words that offended him the most, he feels scared. He feels so scared that those were the only moments when he couldn't use his abilities to protect himself. Those figures aren't real.

They were all just in his head.

Jisung crouches down on his bed, closing his eyes shut and making himself believe that he doesn't hear the unknown things the figures tell him. He covers his ears but he can still hear what they were saying. He was scared of what was happening to him.

Nobody in the palace knew about his situation.

When the murmurs stopped, he finally opened his eyes as he looked straight into the mirror in front of him. Shockingly, his reflection gave him an evil smile... when he never smiled at all. He walked slowly towards the mirror, staring at his reflection's eyes.

Jisung didn't know what to do when these types of situations happened to him.

"You know you're going to end up a villain, right?"
"... Yes..."
"Don't you want to be a hero for once, Jisung? You're pathetic if you chose to be the villain."
"... I know... I know that what I'm doing is wrong."
"Well, stop doing this! You're making yourself suffer."

His reflection said as Jisung was close to agreeing with him. Suddenly, two figures that looked exactly like his father and his mother showed up behind him.

"If you don't kill Haechan, you're going to be a disappointment. Don't you want to make your parents proud, Jisung?"

His "father" told him as Jisung looked back at his reflection.

"Don't listen to him, Jisung. That's not your father. That's just a fragment of your mind, Jisung."

His reflection told him with a stern and cold voice. Jisung couldn't decide since the "father figure" is convincing him because of his accurate looks while the reflection of himself was also convincing because that was his conscience.

Jisung was on the verge of crying again as his reflection and his "father" kept trying to convince him.

He hits the mirror with his fist balled up as everything turns normal again.

"What's going on with me? Am I going crazy?"