Just as Donghyuck grasped the theory that Mark might be innocent and Byeol was the mysterious one, Mark started acting suspiciously again.
Donghyuck returned home tired, barely cautious, so he missed how Mark crept behind him. The older attacked the boy then, his strong arms wrapping themselves around Donghyuck's neck for a headlock. His back and Mark's chest collided, creating the intimacy they used to share last year.
The boy's heart raced because of an unexpected hug, but then the beats started whacking the sound of fear. No one hugs someone by their neck like that!
"M-Mark..." Donghyuck gasped, suddenly freaking out that it was his last day.
"Did you eat my peanut butter?" Mark whispered his hot breath brushing Donghyuck's ear.
Still scared, Donghyuck shook his head, although he did eat it. He just got rid of the jar this morning.
Unexpectedly, Mark let go of Donghyuck and cursed.
"Fuck, then who done it?"
Donghyuck watched how Mark seemed too stressed over the peanut butter than the fact that he scared his friend.
That's what made it hard for Donghyuck to defend Mark. The way Mark professionally walked to him from behind or talked as if he was hinting at something raised Donghyuck's suspicions to the highest. But then Mark did something stupid like the thing with the knife and cake, leaving Donghyuck in confusion.
The boy had no idea what to think anymore. Byeol's body was rotting already and he had no evidence, just stupid thoughts. Well, one fact was that Mark is a killer! But then again, Donghyuck's heart said that he wasn't because he had feelings for that guy. Though his mind was against that too. Donghyuck was thinking critically most of the time, getting rid of his feelings, and so on. At those times Donghyuck noticed many unexplained gaps in Byeol's statement. It started to give him anxiety.
In short, his mind was playing tricks on him. As Donghyuck knew who Mark could be, his mind made him find everything suspicious. But just because he had feelings for the potential killer, he managed to excuse everything.
Especially when one night he woke up with Mark standing in front of his bed. He freaked out and even sat up, thinking that the end of his life was near. But then Mark kneeled in front of Donghyuck's bed and that was when the younger knew that he was fooled once again.
"I'm having nightmares," he confessed in a low tone. "I can't sleep."
"What are you dreaming about?"
"Everything that scares me."
Donghyuck sighed and pulled his blanket down to sit up more comfortably and face Mark, but the older seemed to misunderstand that. Donghyuck saw Mark getting up from the floor and the next thing he did was get into the younger's bed.
"M-Mark!" Donghyuck gasped in surprise.
Pulling the blanket back to cover his and Donghyuck's body, Mark explained:
"No homo, but I need comfort right now."
"I'm not that good when it comes to comforting."
"Your breathing is already comforting."
Wouldn't it comfort Mark more if Donghyuck stopped breathing? That would be what every killer wished. But the way Mark put it wasn't even close to what a killer would say. Yes, it was a bit creepy but a normal phrase to say.
Donghyuck looked around for Byeol, and when he saw that she wasn't there, he gave in to Mark's influence. After all, it was rare for them to share the same bed. A few months back, Donghyuck wouldn't even have the courage to bet with someone that he and his crush will sleep together one day.
"Okay, let's stay like this," Donghyuck stopped opposing and let Mark go closer.
"Thanks."
After like five minutes, Mark tossed his arm over the younger's waist. Donghyuck wasn't sleeping yet, how could he when his crush was right beside him? He felt everything but tried his best not to flinch. Oh, and he had to control his heart. Mark might hear it beating the rhythm of love.
"Your waist is so thin," Mark whispered into Donghyuck's ear.
Surprised, the younger flinched. He feared to turn his head to Mark, though, scared that their faces might touch.
"It was always like this," he muttered, embarrassed.
"No really! You have a really thin waist and your shoulders–"
"Mark, let's sleep," Donghyuck gritted his teeth, getting uncomfortable and flattered by the order's attention at the same time.
"O-okay... But remember. No homo."
Donghyuck swore to God! If Mark abused that phrase one more time, he would stop thinking that his friend really meant it.
The next day, Donghyuck kept a close eye on Mark. He didn't even hide it and let the older know that he was worried. Though the actual reason he was because Donghyuck needed more and more evidence.
As always Mark was doing normal at school. He talked to people, especially girls. Nailed classes and would come to Donghyuck at the lunch break. That day, however, Mark disappeared for five minutes and returned with a good recommendation.
"Why don't we eat outside school?"
Donghyuck agreed. Maybe because he thought they would eat on the bench or at the closest restaurant.
But Mark wanted Donghyuck to get into his car. The boy felt how his heart skipped a beat – friend or not, Donghyuck didn't really want to be alone with Mark when the latter was weird at times. He had already enough that he had to sleep with his one eye open at night, fearing getting stabbed.
"Are you getting in or nah?"
"I thought we're eating right outside the building?"
"No, it's boring. Let's go somewhere else."
Donghyuck cursed at himself for getting in. The words he blamed himself with got worse when Donghyuck noticed that they were moving further from the city center. They drove to a highway where Donghyuck could see trees but no houses.
The boy got anxious.
Nice, you're dead now.
He didn't show it to Mark, though. Donghyuck tried his best not to express it with his body language. What Donghyuck learned from his work with dead people was that killers knew how to read people. That's why they knew what to say not to cause panic and calm the little lamb, then do the otherwise.
However, Mark didn't show anything too. He was calmly driving, looking around and listening to music. In Donghyuck's opinion, Mark was acting like a wanted killer. Creepy and suspicious, but calm and generous that a victim would have a hard time deciding if he was bad or was actually a good person.
Wordlessly Mark drove off further into the woods and that was when Donghyuck couldn't hold himself. And really! If this thing had been like a year ago, he would have asked where they were going a long time ago. Like a normal person.
Donghyuck wanted to appear normal, that's why he expressed a little bit of his concern.
"Woods?" he asked with a chuckle. "What are we gonna do here?"
"Wait."
Mark got out of the car and ran to the car trunk. Now Donghyuck was hella sure that he was dead. Mark was about to get his machete out of his car trunk, wasn't he? Or maybe it was an ax? Knife? Whatever was happening in a killer's head!
Donghyuck began looking around, creating an escape plan. The woods looked thick enough for him to run away if needed. The problem was the car door. As far as he remembered Mark told that the car door on his side opened only from the outside. It was broken at the wrong time!
Seeing that there was no way of escaping that easily, Donghyuck remembered how people usually use self-defense during the assault. If it's a man, one and only rule – crotch is where you should aim. Then eyes.
At the same time, Mark came back. Donghyuck's body was tensed and he was really about to use his feet to kick Mark's most sensitive part! But as soon as Mark sat down, Donghyuck felt flustered when he saw Mark placing down boxes with Chinese food.
"Here, I know you love this."
"Oh..."
Donghyuck couldn't help but awkwardly laugh. What did he even expect? Mark was suspicious and then not suspicious all week!
They ate in silence while staring at nature in front of them. Donghyuck calmed down now as he was sure Mark took him there for casual lunch they could never have on school grounds. It was relaxing, despite Donghyuck's inner feelings that it wasn't the actual reason Mark took him there.
"I feel relaxed with you," Mark spoke all of sudden. "Even the scariest places aren't scary when you're with me."
Donghyuck nearly blushed. What was wrong with him? The potential killer was kind of flirting with him and he was getting affected!
"Are these words the lyrics from your new song?" he teased, avoiding sounding like he took them deeply.
"Oh!" Mark placed his food on his lap and reached for his bag.
Quickly, he pulled out his notebook where he wrote what he just said. Donghyuck laughed. How pure.
But then his eyes caught drawings in Mark's notebook, just on the opposite page than he was writing. Those looked like a self-drawn map with paths. He had X on some places, words written, and little doodles on the side. Those doodles were trees and rocks...
Before Donghyuck could see more, Mark closed his notebook and threw it at the very front, behind the steering wheel.
"I just wanted to say that you're giving me a calm and positive energy," Mark explained. "My mood gets better when I talk to you."
"I feel like a psychologist right now."
"Maybe you are," Mark chuckled. "You seem to know what exactly you need to say to me and I feel way better when you do."
But Donghyuck didn't know if he knew Mark that well. How could he be suspicious and not suspicious at the same time?
The only time Donghyuck calmed down was when Mark drove them back to the dorm.