Final Round ⟨Markhyuck⟩ ||Completed

°Chapter nineteen°

Tw//attempts of ED recovery

While Donghyuck, Mark, and Jeno were after school, Jisung was training with his father and Jaehyun. Meanwhile, Ten was with his best friend Taeyong.

Both adults were speaking about their children and Ten was seeking for a way to help Donghyuck from Taeyong.

"He just doesn't talk to us. I've asked him plenty of times if there was something bothering him, but he would just decline or give an attitude," Ten told Taeyong as they were sitting in a cafe, drinking some coffee for the afternoon.

"He does seem more off than usual, but that's Donghyuck. I don't even know my own kid anymore and I don't even know even know what I did so wrong that he's like this," Ten admitted while Taeyong listened intently.

"Have you tried having a discussion with him about it?" Taeyong asked and Ten immediately nodded his head.

"I tried multiple times with Johnny, but he won't crack," Ten told him, leaning back in the seat of the booth they were sitting at.

"But have you yourself tried having a conversation about it with him? A conversation in which he doesn't feel....how should I say this....threatened?" Taeyong questioned and Ten raised a brow in confusion.

"What do you mean threatened? I don't threaten him at all," Ten spoke with perplexity written all over his face.

"Really? Ten, you told me a little while ago that you informed Donghyuck that if he's not going to tell you what's wrong, you guys are going to put him in therapy," Taeyong stated in a matter of fact.

"Yeah, and?" Ten just doesn't seem to understand right now.

"Ten, that's a threat. You threatened him to speak up or he's going to therapy. That's like telling a child to behave or they'll get in trouble," the older man responded to make Ten understand.

And it was at that moment, Ten realized where he was going wrong with the entire thing. His eyes widened while Taeyong took another sip of his coffee, waiting for Ten to say something.

"Oh shit. But that wasn't my intention! I swear, I just want to help him. I didn't mean it like that," Ten defended, his voice trembling slightly.

"It doesn't matter if you meant it like that or not, it's about how Donghyuck interpreted it. You may have good intentions, but do you think Donghyuck knows that?" Taeyong asked, making Ten really ponder who Donghyuck thinks.

"He has to. How could he not know?"

"Ten are you being serious right now?" Taeyong retorted, starting to get a little annoyed with his best friend.

"I'm not! Help me understand please! You and Jaehyun are so good with the twins. I feel like I'm failing as a parent," Ten confessed and Taeyong only sighed.

"Let me ask you something. And I need you to be completely honest with me and most importantly yourself," Taeyong calmly said.

"Okay, I can do that," Ten nodded his head, awaiting for Taeyong's question.

"Now I don't want to go by what I'm seeing because I don't know what's happening at your home, but are you and Johnny giving Jisung and Donghyuck equal attention?" Taeyong asked, folding his hands in front of him on the table as if he was some sort of cop interrogating criminals.

Ten thought about it for a second, recalling all the moments he and Johnny have shared with Donghyuck. And he'll admit, their weren't that many as they'd mainly be with Jisung. Ten buried his head in his hands, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.