Intricate: The Beginning of Us| MARKNOMINHYUCK(bxbxbxb)

16: The word compl-icated

Jaemin

"Jaemin. Na Jaemin. Jaemin-ah," I could hear a voice call out next to me. 

I try to open my eyes but they refuse to co-operate, my eyelids too heavy to lift up. Instead, I nuzzle closer to where I was resting, saying something incoherent which I'm sure was something along the lines of '5 more minutes.'

A couple of seconds later, however, the sound of the school bell made me jump awake. "Shit," I curse in surprise. 

"Finally you're up." I snap my head to my right to see Mark-Hyung sitting on a chair next to the bed I was currently laying in, disappointment etched onto his face and I felt myself grow smaller under his gaze.

I rub the back of my nape, looking at my lap in shame. "Wh- why are you here?"

Mark sighs, throwing me my backpack and standing up, looking down at me as I sat up. I had never seen him like this and it made me shiver slightly. "Mrs. Kim grew worried after you didn't come back to class after thirty minutes so she send me to look for you," he glances back at me, his eyes looking at me with the intensity that just made me want to dig a hole six feet underground just for me to crawl into. "You should have gone back to class to inform Mrs. Kim you would like to rest or asked Ms. Kwon if she could call Mrs. Kim to tell her you'd be here. You had me worried," he tells me with a soft gaze. He glances back, "I knew I would find you here but I found it extremely odd to have also found Lee Jeno in the bed next to yours, the curtains wide open," he says sharply, almost making me wince, "Then I went back to the classroom to explain to Mrs. Kim that you were feeling ill and that you had to stay in the nurse's office until the end of the day. She let me stay with you as well, taking all your stuff with me."

There's something certain that I have gathered from this scenario and that is that I never want to see Mark Lee like this. The way he looked at me almost gives me the impression he wants to kill me. Not good. Definitely not good, I conclude. 

But I didn't exactly understand why he was like this. I was simply in the infirmary room and Jeno happened to be there at the same time and when I had fallen asleep, the curtains were closed so I have no idea why they were open when he got there.

He begins to walk away and I got the hint that he wants me to follow and so I quickly slid off the bed and take my backpack in my hands.

He sighs, stopping abruptly in the empty hallway and turning to look at me which almost made me run into him. "Look, Jaemin, I just thought... I don't know, that you liked me and I think that I made my intentions pretty clear. I don't know what to feel, what to think about finding out that you followed Jeno to the infirmary room when that's totally uncalled for."

My heart clenches at the hurt in his voice and his explanation. This is how I know I could never be in a relationship with all three of them. They've never even considered a relationship like the one that I want. 

He was jealous and caused a misunderstanding without even asking me anything prior. He was just letting himself be led on by what he saw.

"I'm... I'm sorry Hyung," was all I was able to say, looking down at my fidgeting feet, my hands on either side of me clenching into fists. 

He sighs one more time before he takes both of my hands into his, making me unclench them as he takes them tenderly. At just that gesture, I melt and I mentally curse myself for that. "It's just that I really like you Jaemin, I need to know if you do too." There was some nervousness in his voice and all I wanted to do was squeeze his hands and reassure him that I do.

But I couldn't.

Instead, I take my hands off his. I take a glimpse at his face which I completely regret afterward. It looked utterly disappointed and hurt. "It's complicated, I'm sorry," I said, my voice trembling before walking away. 

Mark

Complicated.

That word is kind of funny when you think about it.

There's part of the word complete on it then they added -iated. Compl and iated. Those two words are basically opposites. The word complete means that all the pieces are there, that everything necessary is there. Meanwhile, complicated means that there are complications, that a piece is missing. 

A scoff at my own thoughts, walking through the office and out of the school. I see the faint figure of Jaemin walking and even from the distance I could tell he was agitated, dull even, but I still felt confused by what he had said. Mad, even?

I got inside my car and let out a deep breath. I lean my head back on the headrest, closing my eyes, trying to calm myself but then the scenario from before Jaemin woke up came to me and I hit the steering wheel. 

35 minutes before...

"Mark, Jaemin has taken half of the class in the infirmary," Mrs. Kim said with furrowed eyebrows after passing out half of the worksheets and I had finished with my half.

I glanced at his seat which was indeed still empty. "Should I go check on him?" 

"Please do so Mark," she nods and I head out without another word. 

I nodded at her and quickly got on my feet, calmly walking out of the classroom before going to the nurse's office, concern going through me. It was normal when people got to rest in the infirmary room but for some reason, I got so inevitably worried because it was Jaemin this time that was there. 

 "Uh, excuse me?" I said, calling the attention of Ms. Park, the secretary, who gave me a sweet smile as a response. "Have you seen a boy with pink hair? He came to the nurse's office a couple of minutes ago, I got sent to check up on him. He should be easy to spot," I laughed.

"Oh, yes, he's still in there. You can go in," she answered, pointing to the nurse's office which was a couple of meters from her desk. I bowed to her before heading over there, knocking on the door, then turning the knob, and walking in.

I was surprised when I walked in. I didn't see the school nurse, Ms. Kwon, there. Instead, I spotted Lee Jeno sitting on one of the beds, looking intently at the one next to him and I could only furrow my eyebrows at that. 

He looked to the side I was on at the sound of the door closing and he smirked as soon as we made eye contact.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, walking closer to them. 

"Having a party, you?" He rolled his eyes and I do as well. 

"Okay, better question, what are you and Jaemin doing here."

"Not your business," he answered blankly, no more sarcasm or snark in his tone as he subtly pulled onto the sleeve of his hoodie and hopped out of the bed. 

"Leave, then."

Jeno scoffed, standing up and settling right in front of me. "Jaemin was the one that chose to stay here," he shrugged, the smug grin returning to his face as he glanced at the sleeping boy. 

"Stay away from him," I tell him through gritted teeth, shoving him hard though not enough to make him fall. 

His eyes became full of amusement as he walked closer to me, his face and mine only a centimeter away but I stood my ground, looking unfazed. He leaned next to my face, right next to my ear, "I don't think that's what he wants," he whispered tauntingly. When we make eye contact again, I glare and his smirk simply widens. 

Fucking bastard.