"So, Mark, do you really not recognize me or are you just ignoring your childhood best friend?"
When her best friend moved to Korea to become an idol, their contact died down and they soon started living lives completely separate from one another...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Were you that eager to take me back to your room, Markie?" Gyuri asked as she closed the door behind her as they entered Mark's room.
"What- dude, no- I just wanted to hang out with you," Mark said as he looked over his shoulder. Gyuri playfully crossed her arms and smirked.
"Awww," she cooed, tilting her head, "you wanted some quality time with me."
"Dude," Mark chuckled, sitting down on his bed. He shook his head and arranged some pillows to sit against. "Am I not allowed to? I haven't seen you in years, it's only fair I want to spend time with you,"
"Of course that's allowed. I'm glad to be worthy of your time, Mark Lee."
He raised a brow and she chuckled. She joined him on the bed, comfortably positioning herself against some pillows.
"I really wonder what we would've been doing if we were both still in Canada," Mark said. Gyuri nodded in agreement, letting her mind wander to home and their friendship back then. She imagined they would have gone through high school together while their relationship only got stronger as they both grew into adults. They would have shared stress, laughter, sadness, and love with each other like they always had.
"We would probably hang out at the farm every day," Gyuri smiled and saw Mark's eyes light up.
"Oh my- dude... the farm! Woah," he exclaimed. "I miss that place."
"Same. It's been so long. I really want to go home again soon."
"Are you gonna go home for the holidays?"
Gyuri shrugged. "Probably. I usually do, but I didn't go during the pandemic."
Mark hummed in understanding and stared at the ceiling. "I really want to go back home, man. I miss Canada."
Gyuri watched him and noticed the hint of longing in his eyes. Longing for home. No matter how much at home he felt here in Korea, his family and childhood belonged in Canada. That's where he grew up, the place that shaped him to be the person that he was now. Because of his job, it was even harder to visit home. Nearly impossible, really, besides the occasional concerts that would take place in North America.
Gyuri technically was free to go home whenever she wanted. Sure, it would have to line up with her uni schedules, but she had nobody telling her not to go. He, on the other hand, had a much more intense job that required him to be in Seoul almost 24/7. A day off was a luxury, and a week off was a miracle.
Gyuri had tons of respect for Mark because of this. The idol life was tough for all, but his being in so many different groups and playing such a big role made his daily life even more hectic and Gyuri couldn't imagine the weight he carried on his shoulders. It didn't seem like he was struggling, as he always was so bright and chill about it all. She admired him for that, among other things.
