THE LITTLE COPY ⋮ markhyuck

Chapter 𝟰𝟵

That's what happened.

Mark came almost twenty minutes late as he couldn't find the lake, so Dad was angry but didn't lash out as he saw Dongchan. The atmosphere was very awkward as the old man didn't say anything on purpose, and the only one talking was Mark. It was a terrible way of learning how to fish since the teacher (Grandpa this time!) was uncooperative. He just showed Mark the basics and said, "It's the last time I'm showing you this. Remember."

So, Mark remembered and did it on the first try (Daddy knew it because Grandpa didn't say anything). The silence got more intense when Donghyuck's dad told the rules of staying quiet, so the two fished in weird, almost scary silence. It was just three of them at that time, so it was rather boring. Dongchan didn't find anything interesting and kept returning to the two as well. No one talked.

Things changed when another car parked next to Dad's. It turned out his friend came to fish as well (the one that loves alcohol). "You can call him Mr. Kim," Donghyuck said to Dongchan. "Mr. Kim Who Likes Alcohol," the kid rephrased.

Anyway, that friend was quite noisy, so Dad got annoyed right away even when he didn't show it. The newcomer barely even noticed Mark; when he did, he called him Donghyuck. Dad then interfered and said this was his son's man.

"Not a boyfriend or fiance or anything. Just a son's man."

"Weird," Donghee said, but her face showed no surprise.

Donghyuck nodded. It must be Dad's way of coping with the thought.

Mr. Lee's friend then turned everything upside down. He began asking Mark about his job, income, and anything else that was personal. His questions and attitude were the same as everything Donghyuck's Dad was doing, so Mark was well prepared and replied just how he could, with humor.

"What are you doing, interrogating him like crazy?" Mr. Lee barked, and it was the first green flag, apparently.

"I know Dongwook like my son. I practically raised him. I want to know if the groom is good enough for him."

"I don't have a damn kid named Dongwook."

"You know the one I'm talking about."

After a short pause, Mr. Kim got back to Mark again. If, at first, it was believable he really cared for "Dongwook's" good, it turned out that his plans were way different. Mark's answers Mr. Kim compared to the husband of his daughter. He began bragging that the husband was a manager at someplace. You see a way better position than being a teacher.

Mark was getting annoyed at this point. He didn't catch a single fish, and neither did Mr. Lee. Only the unwanted friend kept running his mouth and, surprisingly, caught one.

"It's always like this," Mr. Kim said. "Remember when you said that even the grass is greener in my yard? Well, even the groom is better in my household."

Donghyuck stopped the story.

"He's not really a friend... He's someone Dad keeps around to benefit, and they always argue and compete."

"Our Dad is manipulative," Donghee said uneasily. "It's great we learned how to be immune at times."

Mark gasped, "Oh, so that's why Donghyuck is so good at it too."

"Shhhh!"

Anyway, it seemed that Mr. Kim's comments woke up a beast in Dad. He never said Mr. Kim had it better, at least, not out loud. He only said it to his kids and wife. How did this man know?

"My, you don't even know how good my son-in-law is. In the academic field, your gnome midget snot-nosed groom would totally lose," Dad said, surprising Mark.