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43.

"Noona... it can't be... can it?" Jisung asks, burying his sobs into Jieun's shoulder.

Unmoving, Jieun lets Jisung break down, her own tears flowing unrestricted. Mark's face and words still fresh in her mind. She is unable to tear her eyes away from the flames in front of her. 

'No one's harming you or Jisung. Not when I can protect you.' 

She watches everything burn down, with a piercing agony that she is unable to even utter a sound. 'If I'm not there in the next 2 minutes, then leave.' Swallowing the tears that choke her up, she steels her emotions and pulls away from Jisung. "Get in the car, Ji."

Jisung's shaky breaths don't stop. His tears don't stop. But still, he wipes his running nose and purses his trembling lips. He looks back one last time, marking the scene in his heart before rushing inside the car.

Jieun is doing no better but she knows, now is not the time. They are coming after her and Jisung. So, she accelerates forward, a deathly grip on the steering wheel while stealing heavy glances at the home she's leaving behind, through the side view mirror. 

No, the brick structure doesn't matter to her. Her heart's grieving for the person she has to leave to behind. A person who felt like home. Mark. Jungwoo's best friend. Someone who has always been by her side for as long as she can remember. 

'I'll be right behind you.'

Mark had always acted more like the older-brother figure that they used to wish for in Jungwoo. He was always there to protect Jisung from Jungwoo, the bullies, Irene... There were times she wondered how their dad knew whenever she was punished by their mom. But she knew it was Mark. It was his way of protecting her because he had no other power to confront his friend's mom.

'Your watermelon boy loves you, Eun.'

He was the very first friend she made. She still remembers how she would save watermelons every summer because she knew they were his favourite. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing his eyes light up at the thought of eating watermelons while watching horror movies. 

'I made a promise to myself.'

Each memory, each moment runs through her. 

'Markie! Come on, I saved you watermelons.'

'That's your best? You know there are better nicknames, right?'

'You have a problem watermelon boy?'

'Dude seriously?'

'Why, watermelons always remind me of you. I even save them diligently for you. How ungrateful.'

'Alright, alright. I'll be your watermelon boy then.'

'From henceforth, Mark Lee, do you agree to spend every summer eating watermelons?'

'I do. And do you, Park Jieun, agree to give me company? You can't leave me to suffer through Chenle's horror movie marathons alone.'

'I do! It's a sealed promise, okay?'

 'Yeah. Always." 

She doesn't know what feels heavier, that Mark had secrets he couldn't share, that he was carrying a burden she couldn't help with or the fact that she was probably the cause of both, his burden and sacrifice.

"Noona... he would be safe right? It's Mark hyung after all."

Jieun presses her lips together in an effort to stop her voice from betraying her. But little did she know, her red eyes, running nose, and the fresh tears every other minute had long ago conveyed the weight of the situation.