your rhythm - MarkHyuck

- twenty five

When the next day finally came, Mark couldn't think straight. He was currently getting ready for the funeral but the only thing he could think of is how bad of a grandson he was.

Donghyuck wasn't with him since he had to go back to his dormitory but he sure will be attending the funeral because to him, auntie was a lady that gave him life.

"Hi Mark," Donghyuck knocked on the walls slowly before peeking his head to look at his boyfriend. Mark was standing still in front of the mirror with his hands on his black blazer. His eyes were red and puffy.

Donghyuck put down a bouquet of flower he had gotten earlier and made his way towards the older. He wrapped his arms around his waist from behind and rested his head on Mark's back. "We should get going now,"

"But I don't want to go," his hands dropped. Donghyuck let go of the male and turned him around, looking at Mark straight in his eyes. "Mark I know it is hard for you right now but you have to. Let's see her for the last time. Kiss her forehead at least," Donghyuck gave him a smile to reassure him.

In the inside, Donghyuck felt like dying as well. But he had to put up a strong character to help Mark could get over this day.

"Don't you have classes to attend?" He asked but his eyes were still stuck to the mirror. Donghyuck looked around the room to see pictures of the old lady hanged almost everywhere. "That doesn't matter. Come on we don't want to be late," he flashed a weak smile before escorting the male out of the store.

____

"Nana.."

Donghyuck stood behind him to give him space. Mark put his hand on her cheeks and kissed her forehead for the last time. She smelled like roses, calming and heaven-like. A tear rolled down Mark's face upon seeing her pale face.

He still couldn't believe that his grandma had left him. Mark couldn't imagine what life would be like after this. Her business will be closed down, Mark won't have anywhere left to stay in Korea and he will be sent back to Canada.

"Why did you lie to me..?" His teeth gritted. A few nights ago, she told him she would not leave him. And now her lifeless body was in a casket in front of him.

"Mark, let's go," Donghyuck pulled him a bit by his suit. There were more people waiting for their turn to meet the lady for the last time and Mark had been standing there for the past 20 minutes.

Donghyuck noticed how he kept repeating the same phrase over and over again. "Why did you lie to me," that's what Mark said.

After an hour or so, they closed the casket and proceeded to bring it outside to be buried.

Mark was the one to carry a picture of her along the way and Donghyuck watched him from a distance with a few other people.

____

"Why am I like this?"

It was night time and both males just got back from the funeral. It was rather exhausting having to accept the fact that someone they love with their whole heart is gone forever.

Mark stood in front of the closed store with flowers and letters scattered across the entrance. The older male never knew how much his grandmother had done for other people, but he knew that she was had a pure soul.

He couldn't cry though he felt like doing it again. Mark had a heavy weight on his chest just by thinking about her and his past self.

"I'll get going now. See you tomorrow," Donghyuck kissed his cheeks before leaving. The younger gave him space, it seemed like that's what he needed the most.

Mark sat down by the curb and stare at the younger. Looking at him take each step away from him. Soon enough, his figure was out of sight and what's left was him and the night sky. It was silent due to the absence of workers from different stores.

He hugged his legs and put his head on his knees, thinking about the things that he did a few years ago.

Mark was fifteen when life begun to turn around for him. It all started when his best friend, Dean, offered to pay him a good amount of money by doing a simple job.

He was young and naive. At the mention of money, he accepted right away. He thought it would be a simple job and with the money he'll get, he can buy anything he pleases. He even thought of collecting them until he has enough to buy a flight ticket back to Korea. Mark had it all planned out well in his head.

Then one day, Dean gave him three small packets containing white powder. He was confused and didn't know what it was. Mark even wondered how someone would buy such thing at a high price.

He was ordered to pass those packets to a few people scattered around a club. Some were his age, and some were older. Dean then introduced him to a whole team who does the same thing as him but in different places.

After years and months of working for Dean, the mastermind of all things, he finally understood that he was trapped in between his fingers. Mark was blinded by the amount of money he was given until he realized how dark and psychotic his friend was.

Human trafficking, drug selling, run away, you name it. All the crimes were ordered by the man himself, Dean.

Mark knew that his only choice left was to leave Canada in order to escape because his parents will never make him change school.

He had the chance when he saw a poster of the international piano competition. He knew piano was his biggest talent and he used all of it to get sent to Korea.

Where he knew was more safer compared to Canada.

"I fucking hate myself," he hit his head on his knees over and over. How he wished he didn't accept the offer in the first place.

Gahyeon on the other hand, was a part of the team. He called her Gwen but he had always knew her as Gahyeon considering that she was also Korean.

Gahyeon was one of the victims of human trafficking. She did it for money because she never receive enough love from her family. It may sound funny, but it's true. When you don't get enough love from both parental figure, you're basically not being taken care of. Therefore, you find comfort in the most hopeless things such as what had been mentioned just now, selling your own body to people who will use it to satisfy their fantasies.

The problem is 95% of the money were taken by Dean, and the other 5% was given to Gahyeon. At some days, Dean will take all the money and give some to Mark. Gahyeon always stood up for herself, begging for her money, but Dean pushed it away and ignored her. Sometimes, he would beat her up, leaving wounds here and there.

Mark laughed it off.

He was cruel, he knew that.

But at some point, he got back to his senses. By then, he knew it was too late, just like how he escape from Dean. It was too late by now.

Dean is in jail, and soon, he will be too.