A Kind Thing to Do - Lego Monkie Kid

You Can't Save Me-

Note:
Oof, haven't posted in a hot minute, sorry chat, but chapter 2 is finally out!!! Yay!!!
Be warned, this chapter will contain topics relating to depression and implied self-harm

***

   It's been about a week; if she didn't hate me then, there's no doubt she hates me now.

   Despite Mk's best efforts to maintain a positive outlook on everything, that same thought persisted in their mind like a stubborn weed. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was right. Ever since that day when Mk ran off, Mei had been desperately trying to reach out to them. It had become so continuous that Mk had resorted to shutting off his phone just to have a moment's peace. But the guilt and stress followed him. The burden Mk carried weighed large boulders weighing on his shoulders, one that he couldn't simply shrug off. Any time Mk thought about Mei, his chest tightened and his heart raced. He could almost hear her voice almost scolding him, tainted with disappointment in her friend. Mk was too scared to face her, especially right now, thinking of what she might say after being ghosting for days. So he continued to hide, hoping that the problem would somehow resolve itself without any interaction. But deep down, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he had to talk to her face-to-face.

   "Mk?" a familiar voice snapped Mk out of his thoughts. He was so engrossed in reflecting that he hadn't even noticed Tang's presence. Mk couldn't help but study Tang's face for a moment, noticing his eyebrows pulled ever so slightly downward and his arms crossing over each other, Mk could practically feel the annoyance radiating off of him.

   "O-oh, Mr. Tang! Didn't see you there," Mk apologized with a crooked smile, hastily handing Tang his regular order of noodles promptly. Tang's expression shifted to a more pleased look as he dug into his free meal. With relief briefly washing over him, Mk took a step away from the counter and allowed his eyes to wander, taking in the surroundings he has already familiarized himself with many times over as a way to keep his mind occupied on something, like every insignificant detail the shop had to offer. Tang's eyes kept glancing over at Mk between bites of his food, Mk had even caught his sneaky stare once or twice, only for both of them to immediately turn away. Mk couldn't tell what exactly was going through Tang's head, maybe he wasn't even thinking about something.

   A cough coming from Tang's direction caught Mk's attention immediately. They had hoped the cough was just to clear his throat, but it was clear Tang wanted Mk's attention after giving another, louder cough. Mk slowly turned to the other, giving Tang their attention. "Are you doing alright?" it was a simple, casual question, but the thought of sharing how he was doing only made his anxiousness worse. Mk's gaze lowered to the floor, taking a moment before responding with a shaky voice. "Uhm, not really...I've been avoiding Mei for a couple of days, and I can't get over this feeling that I messed up somehow. I just haven't..." Mk poured out his guilt that he allowed to gradually build up in the back of his mind, but his voice trails off, allowing a deafening silence to fill the room.

   Mk's eyes glanced up at Tang, who met their gaze with a blank stare, the awkwardness and disinterest evident in that moment. Tang broke their eye contact first, "... okayyyyyy, how about you try saying 'I'm good' next time." he mutters, continuing to enjoy his noodles.

   "Oh- yeah." Mk nodded slowly, he watched Tang continue eating, hoping that maybe he would follow that up with some sort of advice. Realizing that was all they were left with, Mk's brows furrowed, their frustration palpable realizing Tang dismissed what Mk felt safe enough to share with a wave of his hand, like it was nothing. It was as if Tang wasn't even listening to him, and Mk couldn't help but wonder if he had made a mistake confiding in him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Tang might not be the best person to turn to in his situation. However, Mk was at a loss as to who else he could reach out to. He desperately needed someone to confide in and help him make sense of his thoughts.