"Morning, Mark!" Renjun smiled, catching up with his friend.
Mark simply nodded, continued to walk without facing Renjun. He didn't mean to avoid him but that was exactly what he was doing.
Renjun tilted his head, wondering was was bothering is friend. "Are you.. okay?" He asked, placing a hand on Mark's shoulder.
Mark smacked Renjun's hand away. "I'm fine," Mark replied.
Renjun was quite taken aback when Mark did so. He knew about his grumpy moods in the morning but it was different, "You don't seem fine," Renjun insisted.
"Just leave me alone! Why is that so hard? Just go and be with Donghyuck, I don't need you here!" Mark snapped, walking ahead of Renjun before he could react.
"Donghyuck?" Renjun said, not knowing how they could be related in the reason Mark was upset.
"Yeah?" Donghyuck emerged from behind the shorter male.
"Did you see that?" Renjun asked, he was far more worried about Mark than to be surprised at Donghyuck's sudden appearance.
"See what?" Donghyuck asked, not knowing what Renjun was talking about.
"Never mind.."
——————
"Hey!" Donghyuck smiled at Mark who was resting his head on his table,
Mark didn't answer. He didn't bother looking at him.
"He's been like that all morning," Renjun whispered, his frown still on his face.
"Why?" Donghyuck asked. Renjun simply shrugged, not knowing the reason either.
"Mark, are you okay?" Donghyuck asked softly, leaning closer to the older one.
Mark went weak at how soft and gentle Donghyuck's voice was. It was calming and soothing to his ears, it was the cure to almost everything.
Almost everything.
Mark pushed him away which caused Donghyuck to almost lose his balance.
"I'm fine, I don't need anyone to baby me!" He yelled before he resumed resting his head on his table.
Donghyuck wasn't satisfied and was clearly unhappy. "Well, you're acting like you need someone to!"
"Donghyuck, don't," Renjun whispered, trying to stop the male from arguing with Mark.
"Mark, I'm just worried about you—"
"Why don't you worry about Renjun instead?" Mark asked,
He sat up from his seat and tucked his hands into his pockets. He quickly made his way towards the exit,
Donghyuck went to stop him and that was when,
"What is that on Mark's head?"
"Was that always there?"
"Is that why he keeps wearing something over his head?"
Donghyuck realised how much he screwed up when he saw the hood in his hands and off Mark's head.
The classroom began to fill with whispers about Mark and the flower on his head.
Donghyuck stared at the back of Mark's neck, noticing the small flowers which were beginning to wither.
"What happened to it?" Donghyuck thought, more worried about the dying flower.
"Let go of me!" Mark exclaimed which silenced the entire room. His roar echoing in the classroom.
Donghyuck slowly released his grip off the hood,
Mark wore it and stormed out of the room, slamming the door in the process.
He felt embarrassed but his heart had hurt more due to the event yesterday. He wasn't against Donghyuck dating someone else, of course he wasn't. He wanted him to be happy.
But if he didn't love him, then why did he kiss him?
It made him feel used and stupid, he hated it. He rushed to elsewhere far from anyone. He didn't want to be seen. He wanted to disappear.
Renjun, on the other hand, was even more confused and shocked. He only stood there, not knowing what to do.
The class continued on with their own set of work. Acting as if nothing had just happened,
"Renjun? Are you okay?" Jeno asked, noticing how silent he became.
"Mark keeps talking about me and Donghyuck, I don't.. understand," Renjun couldn't fix the puzzle and it frustrated him,
Jeno remembered the event yesterday when he bumped into Mark. "Actually, he—"
"Did you all see that?" Donghyuck interrupted,
"See what?" Jaemin asked,
"The flower.."
"It's withering,"
——————
"When did this even happen?" Jisung asked, unaware of the situation affecting the older ones.
"Just this morning, Mark was all unhappy and it just got worse," Renjun briefly explained, pushing his food aside he for he hadn't any appetite.
"Are you sure nothing happened while me and Renjun was gone?" Donghyuck asked,
Everyone shook their heads with nothing helpful to pass onto them.
"Why is he acting like that? What's more, the smaller flowers are withering," Donghyuck added, pouring in anger.
"Well, I did once mention that it does grow around you.. Maybe it was just withering because you avoided him for the past week?" Jaemin said, hoping his theory was correct.
"Then why is he avoiding me now?" Donghyuck sipped his chocolate milk angrily.
Donghyuck looked over at Renjun who was just as concerned as he was. "Does he like Renjun?" Donghyuck thought,
At that simple thought, Donghyuck's theory began to branch out. Maybe it was withering because he was jealous of both of them yesterday, Mark was also close to Renjun so it was a possibility.
Renjun was also there whenever the flower grew or at least, he never noticed when it didn't.
But if he did, then why did they kiss? Was he just trying to make Donghyuck feel better?
"Renjun, maybe you should go talk to him," Donghyuck said with a fake smile,
"Me? Why me?" Renjun asked while pointing at himself. He didn't understand the idea when Donghyuck could've gone and done it himself.
"You're Mark's best friend," Donghyuck simply concluded.
Renjun tilted his head, not understanding Donghyuck's sudden wishes.
"Donghyuck, you should instead." Renjun pushed the job towards his friend,
"No, you should,"
"But it'll be more meaningful if it came from you,"
"You're his best friend, I'm just.. a friend,"
"No, you're not. Yo—"
"Renjun, just go talk to Mark because I'm worried about him and I know he'll run away from me!" Donghyuck yelled, causing a small scene.
Renjun fell silent and gulped hardly. "Donghyuck—"
"Wait.. He's avoiding me, right?" Donghyuck asked, settling down after he had come to a realisation.
Renjun was quick to deny, "What? No-"
"Do you think that's why.."
"It's dying?"
"That's why Mark is upset?"
"Because of me?"