✔ look !¡ markhyuck

[ ten ]

 - november 2019, autumn

a few weeks after the accident, donghyuck felt way better. mark visited him constantly almost every week and johnny too took care of him lots. overall, donghyuck felt thankful for the situation despite his condition. 

he was then discharged out of the hospital which he was so excited about but sad and scared. scared because he would probably be judged by the white cast on his right leg and bandages covering his eyes. but what bothered him when he just got out of the hospital was school.  

he had to get out of school until he probably can see again or learn everything using the remaining 4 senses of his body. he mostly listens to lectures from the recordings his friends gave him and asked johnny some questions he haven't understand. overall, it was a bit challenging and he went through lots of break down through it. 

although mark wasn't taking care of him as much as he did when donghyuck was still in the hospital, mark sent him his favorite snacks and meals and the boy enjoyed it a lot. mark and johnny's partnership grew as well and their business was setting off great. but only one thing bothered donghyuck much. how was mark's situation? did him leaving really paid off in trying to save his mother? he was scared to ask again as it may trigger mark's anger again. but he was dumb enough to be too curious. 

"you came." donghyuck said with a smile as he heard mark stepping into his house and greeting him with a soft chuckle as the tanned male was sitting on the chair while humming to a song johnny helped him play before he went to the office. johnny approved the fact that mark and donghyuck are getting close as he knew if it weren't for mark, donghyuck would've been a walking ghost. 

"of course, why wouldn't i?" mark said as he placed a plastic bag he bought full of donghyuck's special needs and preferences for snacks. 

"uncle johnny said you were busy with paper works at the office, i didn't want to burden you." see, even mark was confused and a bit taken aback with how much donghyuck had changed for him is such a short time after the met after years of not seeing each other. mark had always thought that donghyuck would hate him when he saw him again but turns out that anger lasted for a couple of weeks only before it washes off like nothing happened. however he thought wrong. 

"my papers can wait. here, have some strawberries." mark handed a bowl of them towards donghyuck who searched around for a bit in order to grab it. he touched the surface of some of the fruits and popped one into his mouth. 

"mark, can i ask you a question?"

"yeah, go ahead."

"did you succeed in saving your mom?" silence overtook the room after donghyuck asked that. the older's heart skipped a beat for a second, surprised by why donghyuck suddenly brought up this topic that he knew was really sensitive to mark. 

"w-why'd you suddenly ask that?" 

"i just feel like... your mom deserves better and i've been hoping everyday for you to get out there and be a hero, even if it means le-"

"leaving you? that's what you're mind is thinking about right now, hyuck? look, you think your like is all about you, huh? i'm not your big brother, i'm not even your family, donghyuck. i'm just some stupid random cold guy who appears in your life in the most miserable time and got close to you for a while just for emotional suppose and then disappear again." dongyuck heard the older standing up and his feet as he flinched, feeling small. he thought it ended there, but mark still continued. 
"and you know what's most disappointed and heart-destroying? the fact that my mother is dead because i was fucking late to get out of that depressing orphanage. you understand now, do you?" 

with that, mark stormed out of donghyuck's house with a bang on the door which had donghyuck jumping on his chair. his heart crumbled into pieces and regretted every single it of word that came out of his mouth. he didn't mean to hurt mark. and he knew what he said was wrong towards him. 

back in bed, donghyuck's mind ran around mark, mark, and mark. nothing else. he felt miserable and useless. he felt annoyed with himself that he can't be quick in thinking rather than talking. yes, he isn't able to see anything and that depressed him the most. but he felt more horrible knowing that this whole time mark was trying to make up his mistake by taking care of donghyuck but all the younger did was to take mark back to his traumatic memories. 

he daydreamed back to when the car crashed him. he was scared, afraid. and thinking of that made his heart beat twice faster. he couldn't help but clench his chest tightly, almost hurting himself even. he was at his lowest that he felt like him living there is just useless as his words towards mark earlier that day. just when he was about the shout in distress, he heard his room door flying open, making a creaking sound that caught his attention. he snapped out of his thoughts and heard the calming voice of his uncle. 

"not asleep yet kiddo? do you need anything?" the older man asked in a soothing voice which had donghyuck wailing in happiness that his uncle was still there for him, either for emotional support or even company. 

"i need a hug, uncle." he spoke softly and johnny chuckled in reply, immediately approaching the younger and pulled him in his embrace, whispering soft and supportive words. 

"everything's going to be okay, hm? i'm here." donghyuck sighed at the words, his chest still hurting at how he was holding back a cry. but a question escaped his mouth as a mumble. 

"am i useless, uncle?"

"why do you say that? you're not! who said you were?"

"myself? i just feel like i'm a burden to everyone i come in contact with. although i may seem loved by my friends, it doesn't mean that majority of them didn't think of me as a burden. i'm blind now, and all the words that come out of my mouth just hurt everyone." the boy slumped onto his uncle's chest which johnny took as donghyuck hiding his face from his uncle. he sighed and let out a breathy chuckle. 

"listen to me, hyuckie. everyone is never a burden. and a person is never perfect, so there is some burden that they may bring to the people around them. but that doesn't mean that burden isn't something that could make a person useless. people who may be a burden to someone can help the other people be more responsible and open minded, like me here. i feel like i'm more attentive to the people around me because of you. i feel like i need to protect them, just like how i protected you." 

"so that means you're saying i'm a burden to you? i knew it." the pinkette mumbled the last sentence which had johnny laughing. 

"no. what i'm saying is, people help people to learn from other people's flaws. it's like a trade, you know? i myself is also learning from you, to not give up even if we have something missing from ourselves and keep on thinking positively. because of this, i feel more energetic and proud of myself for doing simple things." donghyuck's lips slowly curved into a big smile as soon as johnny finished his sentence. he felt full, full of love and care from his uncle that was with him from the very beginning and never gave up on him even after he dropped into this condition. and although now he might not be able to see him, donghyuck knew that johnny was looking at him with the biggest proud smile on his face. he spread his arms around to feel his surrounding a successfully hugged his uncle who immediately returned the hug with a tight one. 

"thank you, uncle." 

"you're always welcome, bud. and don't forget, you have noon classes tomorrow so we can have a little fun in the kitchen. and you will taste test my cooking, alright?" and with that, the younger nodded vigorously with a small giggle. johnny led him to the bed for his nephew to sleep and rest for tomorrow. but inside him, worry also stayed strong. worried about what the doctor's words while donghyuck was still asleep in the hospital room last time. 

"there is a possibility for permanent blindness, mr. suh. we're not sure about it yet, but we'll do some tests. although the results might not be 100% accurate, we'll try our best." 

...