A day before the sports day.
Many weird things keep happening to Mark and it was only today that everything just seems off.
A flower vase that was usually kept in place today stays at the edge of the balcony and somehow has good timing to fall at the moment Mark was right below it. Lucky him Jaebum was near and he was quick to notice that.
A drain cover that was never touched by anyone suddenly disappear. Yugyeom and Bambam were there to stop him just in time before he falls right into the hole.
The most obvious event was when Youngjae pulls him out of the toilet before a bucket of water falls onto the toilet seat.
They know something was off and it's not a good choice to leave Mark alone but they can't do anything when all four of them have different classes. That's when things went overboard.
Mark was collecting his things inside his locker when four tall and muscular students surround him.
"Withdraw from the cross country." Said one of them with dark brown hair.
"So those were your bullshits." Mark scoffed at them. "Coward." The next thing he knows, his back and shoulder hurt like hell when one of them shoved him to the locker.
"Let me teach you how to use that stupid mouth of yours." He smirks and was ready to swings his fist to the blonde's face but Mark was quicker to catch it and twist the guy's arm to his back.
"You chose the wrong opponent." He twists his arm harder causing him to groan in pain. The three other guys who were standing by the side pulls him by his arm on both sides. Mark was about to kick their stupid asses when his other saviour of the day came into the picture.
"What in the hell are you guys doing?!" Their heads snapped towards the voice and the four guys make a run for it when they saw it was a teacher.
Mark scoffed at them and slightly squeeze his shoulder that was hurting.
"What was that? Were they ganging up on you?" He looks at the elder who looks worried at him. "Those pieces of shit just got screw loose somewhere."
"I'll deal with them later. Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No don't. I don't think it will last long. They were just being crazy because of tomorrow."
"Are you sure you want to let them off? That's dangerous."
"Don't worry, If anything I'll let you know, but now I got a class to attend, see you later sir." He bows at the man and went away while massaging his sore shoulder. Jackson sighs, worries are eating him up.
That evening, all the students were busy doing the preparations for tomorrow. Jaebum and his friends were moving boxes of mineral water from the storage room to the tents and Mark was having a hard time with that. His shoulder was having it enough. He put the box down on the ground and crouch down behind it. "We'll come back for you Mark, just stay there!" Bambam shouted from the distance as three of them went off first.
"Those assholes." He curses the guys who caused the pain in his shoulder.
He sighs and lifts up the box again but soon it moves into another hand. He looks up, and it was his boyfriend. "Ask for help when you need one." He said, before walking away with the box.
He catches up to the elder and they walk side by side. "Thank you." He said softly.
"You should know how to make use of your boyfriend. Call for him when you need him, don't endure everything alone." He looks at the blonde shortly before looks ahead again.
"Okay. I'm sorry." He pouts and nods.
They arrived at where the other was and Jackson put down the box along with the others.
"Good evening Mr. Wang." Jaebum greets him with a bow and he smiles in return. "You guys done enough for today, don't worry about the other boxes, your math teacher already asked the other students to get it." As if on cue, all four of them falls on their butt.
"Ahhh finally." Yugyeom stretches his long limbs.
Jackson chuckles at his student. He saw Yoongi who was drinking water not too far from them and went to him.
"Oh yeah, didn't you guys find today weird?" Youngjae started. Their conversation was clear enough for Jackson and Yoongi to eavesdrop on them.
"Me too! It feels like everything turned their back on us." Yugyeom immediately agrees.
"I don't think it's us. I think it's Mark." Jaebum butt in. "What do you mean?" Bambam asked him.
"I realized this one thing. Those things that happened today occurred near him and every damn time it happened, we were either away from him or he was seen as if he's alone. Don't you find it peculiar?"
"Maybe it was a coincidence?" Mark voice out.
"Coincidence my ass. I don't know what their motive was but if I see them again with my own eyes imma make sure to rip them apart." Clenching his fist and frowning, Youngjae looks like nothing but an angry puppy.
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"Protective one I'm telling you." Yoongi chuckled at his cute student.
"I do think Jaebum got a point there. Today I saw other kids ganging up on Mark which never happened before." He said to the mint-haired guy beside him.
"Well, It's Mark of all people, of course they would feel threatened. What do you expect?" That caught his attention. "Threatened? But he didn't do anything to them."
"He doesn't but his record does. You don't know how other kids hate it when he joined any competition before because they know there's no chance of winning once Mark Tuan is in it. Especially cross country, he held the best record in our school for years. I'm sure they didn't expect to see him again after how much he's changed after his father died."
Jackson laughs dryly at the statement. "Why do I feel like we are raising a perfect student."
"Because he is. He's one of a kind and thanks to you for bringing back the Mark Tuan that we have been missing. I'm sure you realized this by now that they are putting him under your care completely."
"How can I not? They call me for every damn thing concerning him. How can they call themselves a teacher with such act."
"Well, what about you? Are you sure you are only his teacher?" He leaves with a smirk after making such a remark. Jackson paled at that.
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That night.
Mark was playing with his phone while laying on his stomach on his bed because his shoulder is still hurting. Suddenly his boyfriend came into his room.
Mark turns his head towards him. "You need anything?"
"Yes. You." He took a seat beside the blonde and without a warning, he slides up the younger's shirt. "Wait what are you doing." Mark who freaked out at that immediately sits up and pulls his shirt down.
Jackson laughs at his expression. "Chill I'm not going to rape you or what. I just want to put this on your shoulder." He shows the pain-relieving patches that he brought.
Mark's breathe out in relief. "Gosh don't scare me like that." He turns his back facing the other and slide the neck of his shirt down to his shoulder.
"Aren't you such a pervert? How come you only have those thoughts in your mind." He gently places the patch on the younger's reddened shoulder.
"Tell me who wouldn't if you attack them like that?"
"Touche."
So that was how their night went.
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D-day
Everyone was busy cheering for their teacher as the tennis competition between teachers is going on but It was way too obvious who they were siding, especially the girls, from how loud "Mr. Wang" was thrown in the air.
The cheers became louder when that very person won the round again.
The day went on until now, it was the last event of the day, cross country.
All participants were warming up at the starting point meanwhile the non-participant including teachers were seated at the bleachers, eyes on the participants.
The air horn goes off, and so are the participants.
Some of them has long given up halfway through the race, some are still trying their best and some...are starting their stupid plans to get rid of other participants or maybe, a certain blonde.
He was covered in sweat yet he is still running at a steady pace but the lady luck wasn't on his side as he tripped on a branch that suddenly protruded from the bushes at the roadside, causing him to twist his ankle and fall hard on the asphalt.
"Ow!" He hissed when he felt the shooting pain from the attempt to sit up. He checks himself. A sprained ankle, bleeding knee, scratched arms.
"I swear those assholes never give up." Slowly he gets up on his feet and tries to take a step with it. 'It's not too painful, I guess I could make it.'
"Fine bitches. Two can play this game." His aura is dark his eyes show nothing but passion. "Lemme shove the feeling of losing into your fucking faces." He restarts his running and this time he's not doing it just for the merits but to avenge. He doesn't have reasons to win but he doesn't have reasons to not either.
His leg was giving up on him but he crossed the ribbon just in time before he falls right onto the ground. The students and teachers cheer for his winning but he's feeling far from good. His whole body is aching and his legs are not cooperating anymore. The one and only person who has been standing by the field realized the situation and rush towards him.
He frowns when he saw the other's condition from up close.
"I knew this would happen." He collects the limp body in his arm and heads to the medical office. The cheers quiet down when they saw the small boy sink lifelessly in the guy's arm.
He opens the door only to find it empty. Nevertheless, he places the younger on one of the beds and looks for the first aid kit. He starts with disinfecting the wound on the blonde's arm.
"You should have stopped after getting hurt this bad." He mumbled to himself.
"I'm not letting those bastards get what they want." He looks at the blonde who was looking at him with hazy eyes and a weak smile. He sighs heavily, he wants to scold the younger but he doesn't have the heart to. "There is no end to your stubbornness ain't it?"
"You know me." Slowly he tries to sit up and Jackson helps with placing a pillow behind him for him to leans on. "How was the competition?" He asked the elder.
"Not bad. I guess none of them really participate because they ace it. I won't be placed second for no reason when I'm just a beginner." He moves to the other arm. "I'm a good coach." He smiles proudly and Jackson chuckles at how the younger still managed to look cute with the condition he's in.
The door to the office burst open and in came the nurse. She gasped at the sight of them in there. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry I wasn't here. I went to the toilet for a moment."
She rushes towards the blonde and checks on him. "Where are you hurting?"
"It's okay I got him" Jackson reassured her with a smile. She nods with a smile and let him continue his work.
"But what happened to you young man?" She looks at the blonde. He shrugs, "Let's say some crazy dogs asked for a beating and I granted their wish." She chuckles at his answer.
She was feeling a deja vu, looking at the scene displaying in front of her. Then a light bulb popped up above her head when it hit her.
"Oh right, it was you, the one who fainted before. Only that you were redheaded. I see it's your physics teacher who brought you here again."
"You still remember that?"
"How can I not. It was kind of funny how soon he dealt with a fainted student first out of all things after becoming a teacher." Jackson chuckles, remembering the event.
"You got a point." Well, it's true that he himself didn't expect to face such a situation and it was the first in his whole life.
"I guess you found yourself a promising guardian." She commented and wink at the blonde before heads out of the office.
"And another point goes to her." He said while bandaging up the sprained ankle and the younger snickered at his remark.
"Okay, there you go." He finished up the wrapping and keeps everything neatly inside the container.
"What now? Are we staying here or attend the prize event? I'm feeling like neither." The pain is conquering his body.
"You know what? Let's just ditch the event and go back home. I want to rest as soon as possible." That earned him a little "yay" from the younger. He turns his back facing the other and help Mark to get on his back.
They walk through the empty hallway in comfortable silence. Out of the blue, a kiss landed on the elder's cheek. "That's my thank you for treating my injuries." A broad smile formed on his lips.
It was in this kind of moment that he himself finds it ridiculous how the younger could easily make him have his heart fluttering and gives him butterflies.
'I guess, loving you was beyond my control.'
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Right after they arrived, they took a nice warm shower and cuddles in Jackson's bed. And of course, Jackson helped Mark with everything starting from taking off his shirt, showering and dressing.
Mark was shy at first but he soon gets used to it because he knows that's not gonna be the only time he needs the elder's help.
For the whole week, Jackson has been his hands and legs. He helps him with almost everything and he prevents the younger from moving too much. It was smooth sailing from Mark's point of view, but not Jackson's.
It was hard for him to hold himself back. It would be a lie if all those touching and his boyfriend's smooth and white skin being displayed in front of him countless times doesn't affect him. But he's good at handling those things secretly. If you know what I mean ;)