Mark, Lucas, Xiaojun and Hendery sat around a table in the half-finished dining area of what will be the Suit of Spades' quarters in the mansion. It's almost finished, only a few details and some furniture are missing now.
Somehow Hendery had convinced everyone that a great way to pass time until dinner would be a game of Monopoly. At one point Kun walked by them, he didn't stop other than to sigh at them in (not-very-) slight disappointment. It wasn't surprising, they were being loud and a-bit-too-violent.
In the middle of Mark and Lucas arguing about how much Lucas needed to pay, Mark's phone dinged from where he had left it on the side of the table.
"It's Changbin." Xiaojun informed, effectively shushing the argument.
"He texts you? Personally?" Lucas stared at Mark with semi-wide eyes. "Since when?"
"Jealous?" Hendery asked and Lucas just stuck his tongue out at him to answer.
"Since last month." Mark answered and reached out for his phone. "What did he say?" Xiaojun handed it over.
"Something about you having a minute."
Mark looked at the screen and sure enough Changbin asked if he had a minute to talk. "This might be perfect."
"For Diamonds?" Mark nodded to confirm.
"Continue without me if you want."
"I'm taking his stuff!" He heard Lucas yell when he had walked off, followed by protests from the other two. "Best friend privileges!"
Seo Changbin
Hi Mark, do you have a minute to talk?
Sure
Give me two minutes and I can call you?
Perfect, thanks
After closing the door to his room after he had entered, Mark called Changbin and sat down on his bed, putting the call on speaker before putting it on his thigh.
It didn't take many signals for the call to connect. "Hi."
"Hi, what's on your mind?"
Changbin was quiet for a few moments. "The funeral."
"Did you talk to your parents again?"
"I was going to but they talked to me first. They explained how we had to go to show respect because of how he had died, my cousin that is. Apparently he was shot by a stray bullet on the way home." Mark hummed to show he was listening in the short pause. "I feel like they're telling me everything they can to get me to go, to not feel guilty or something. And I still don't know how to feel about it."
"It's a strange situation, I have to give you that." Mark heard a small chuckle and let the corners of his lips raise a little as well. "I would tell you to just go, to make it easy, like you won't lose anything from it. Other than a day, or however long it is. But at the same time I understand why you don't want to go.
"Meeting relatives you barely know is strange and awkward enough, meeting ones you have never seen in your life, and at a funeral no less, won't be easier, or less strange. The only way out of it is, unfortunately, to talk to your parents." Mark spoke softly and not too fast. "Making them understand that you gain nothing from going. What you feel about it is understandable, and a valid reason."
"They just won't listen to me." Changbin sighed. "They've already made up their minds." His voice comes out stressed and tired.
"I never said it would be easy. If they won't listen, it's up to you to make them." Mark scooted further away from the headboard to lay down. "It could be as 'simple' as not letting them interrupt you or talking over them."
"Easier said than done." A breath, similar to a chuckle, left Changbin.
"I know, going against your parents is never easy. But they should want to listen to you just like you want to listen to them."
"Yeah. Maybe."
"Scrap the 'maybe', it's not gonna change anything." Mark let a smile show again. "When is it? Can you blame school or something?"
"No, it's when school's out." Changbin let out yet another sigh and it sounds like he is either getting up or sitting down. "You don't happen to have a party or something in early July?"
"Maybe, actually. Like the first, or the following weekend."
"It's a week early, the funeral is the seventh, and I'm not sure they would let me miss a funeral for a party."
"Good point." Mark let out with a way-too-genuine smile. "I still think, even if it's hard, that the best option is to talk to them."
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Deck of Cards 2016 | NCT
Fanfiction"Deck of Cards (DoC) is a mafia group located in and around Seoul, South Korea. The group was first seen in spring of 2016. As of 2020 DoC has 19 active members (cards). DoC is split into units (suits), the four suits of a deck of cards: hearts, clu...
