THE LITTLE COPY ⋮ markhyuck

Chapter 𝟯𝟲

Donghyuck hurriedly unlocked the door and stepped inside as fast as he could. As expected, Mark followed closely behind, and the younger panicked when he remembered his condition—he was disheveled and sweaty, but most importantly—he smelled like fish!

Drawing back and smiling apologetically, he said, "Don't go that close. I-I don't smell really good."

"I don't feel anything."

"You're lying. I was there when Dad killed and disemboweled the fish. Therefore, I stink."

Mark didn't show anything particular in his expression and added no comments about the smell. Instead, he joked.

"Nyx will love you."

"She sure will."

They walked further into the apartment, but Donghyuck had no plans to watch the movie right away. First, he wanted to wash up.

"I'll be right back. Feel free to do whatever you want."

Donghyuck ran to his room to gather some indoor clothes, then rushed to the bathroom, where he showered, trying to get rid of the smell. As he did all that, he had a brief thought of washing up more thoroughly, but then felt his face getting red and scolded him. He didn't invite Mark to that! What the hell was wrong with him?

"So, what did you bring?" Donghyuck asked, drying his hair as he stepped back into the living room.

He found Mark standing in front of the TV, hands in his pockets as he watched the news reporter talking about stocks. He looked very domestic, in casual clothes, with no ties or formal trousers. The stance and the concentration on a freaking screen created a picture of a dad, and Donghyuck couldn't get it out of his head even when he nearly slapped himself.

The fact that Mark didn't even hear the question made him more dad-like. It wasn't like he noticed Nyx was rubbing her head on his legs.

"What did you bring?" Donghyuck asked again, finally getting Mark's attention.

"Oh, sorry," the older grabbed the remote control and put the volume down. Then he approached his bag, nearly tripping over Nyx as he just noticed her. "Your cat is very clingy, by the way. I tried sitting, but she insisted to lie on me, so I had to stand."

"She's indeed clingy. Just wait until I sit down," Donghyuck joked, already aware of what would happen.

Mark pulled out a few books with colorful covers. There were also exercise books that gained Donghyuck's attention the most. He sat on the sofa, picking a few and checking them out.

"Practising reading books is great since he'd have to read them for the following twelve years and, I hope, even longer. That's why I brought various ones. But we also shouldn't forget our technologies! I looked it up and found a few audiobooks for a kid like him. People consider them the alternative to reading, and it's also a good choice. I'll send you them later just when I get the license."

Donghyuck looked at all of that treasure, thanking the older in surprise. But when Mark mentioned license, he suddenly faced reality.

"Hyung, I'm very thankful for this, but... I can't help but ask you a question... Is it because you care about a child struggling with dyslexia or because he's your... son?"

"Should I be honest? Both," Mark said confidently. "A child with such a struggle shouldn't be left ignored. He needs proper care whenever it comes to learning things. I know what it means, Donghyuck. My parents knew what dyslexia was, but there was still something they overlooked, and I had to do it myself. Learning two languages is already difficult, but when you're dyslexic, it's even harder. If I didn't get myself together when I was younger and didn't seek help, I wouldn't even have attended the university."