Affinity // (GOT7 Markson)

Chapter One - Vancity

CRASH! A heavy box slammed to the ground as Mark started taping it shut. He had spent the entire week cleaning out his belongings and deciding what he wanted to take with him to Vancouver. Mark was a very well kept and simple guy, so there wasn't much besides books, clothes, and his electronics. He had never traveled anywhere alone before, so it was both nerve wracking and exciting at the same time.

"Hurry up buddy, I want to make it to Vancouver before I die!" Mark's dad shouted from the living room.

"Yeah, just a minute! I'm on the last box." Mark yelled back as he picked up the last box and carried out to the car.

"Are you nervous?" his dad questioned with a huge smile.

"Not really..." Mark shrugged, "It'll be nice to have my own space where I don't have to endure your horrible jokes." he said with a quick smirk.

"Easy, Tuan. Or we'll have a mysterious accident on the way down the coast and they'll find you swimmin' with the fish." his dad chuckled while ruffling Mark's red hair.

Mark laid in the back of the four door SUV with his headphones in while he stared out the window. Trees and power lines blurred passed as he thought about all the things he would have to do once he got settled in his new apartment. He was glad he didn't bring much with him, this move was symbolic in the sense that it meant he was a man; real men take charge of their lives and are independent. He saw the move as a chance to reinvent himself and learn everything he could being alone. The thought of being over a thousand miles away from his family and friends gave Mark a rush - he enjoyed the freedom and anonymity that came along with it. He could finally be who he wanted to be without the watchful eyes of his peers.

The highway seemed to never end, and as they drove along the coast up to Canada, Mark could see people playing on the beach and surfing. He examined the groups of people curiously. There was the typical beach muscle men, the bikini wearing blondes with perfect boobs, and the token fat guy with the hairy chest and newspaper. Things were going to be a lot different for Mark, especially since the weather in Vancouver was almost always rainy and a little chilly during the fall and winter. This wasn't completely a turn off for Mark, as he was more of an autumn kind of guy. He enjoyed wearing layers and scarves, and his pale skin made him a lot more attracted to cloudy weather because there was no risk of burning.

After what seemed like a week of driving, and sitting through song after song of Papa Tuan's '2NE1 playlist' they finally arrived in Vancouver. When they pulled up to a large grey apartment building with a thin steel gate around it, Mark was taken back by the size of it.
"Wow, it really looked a lot smaller in the pictures." he said over his shoulder to his dad.

"Well, try your best not to get lost." his dad shot back, "I'll help you find your unit before we unpack this stuff."

On the way to the elevator Mark noticed a small Asian woman who seemed to be the building's landlord. She was hunched over and standing at about four feet tall, she wore a green visor and a pink floral rain jacket. When she caught sight of Mark she perked up instantly and went waddling over to him.

"Ah, you must be the California boy no doubt. Which is odd cause you're whiter than a ghost. Marcus, was it?" she snapped.

"Eh.. actually.." Mark stammered, "It's just Mark-"

"You know my nephew's name is Marcus." the woman interrupted, "You two would get along so well. Except the fact that he can't get off that damn video game. It'll suck out all his brain cells I tell him, but he still plays it until odd hours of the morning..."

Mark slowly turned his head to his father with a scrunched up face, almost as if to say 'HELP ME.'

Papa Tuan caught on quickly and interjected, "So I'm MARK'S father, Raymond. You must be the landlady?"

The woman paused when dad started talking and gave him a scowl, "Yes, I am Linda. I run the building. Which means NO funny business." she said as she darted her eyes at Mark, "I have eyes and ears everywhere in this place. The Ambassador is my home, and I like to run a tight ship around here."

"Of course. I'll mostly be studying and I am a very quiet person." he said with the most gentle and reassuring face he could muster up.

Linda gave a stout head nod and then waved her hands frantically for the Tuan men to follow her, "You'll be in unit 303. There's a nice young lady across from you, I think she goes to the university as well. Good girl. Maybe you guys will get married."

"Oh, haha I don't know about that..." Mark said hesitantly.

Once Mark got all the boxes into his place, it was time to say goodbye to his father. Papa Tuan had to get back to L.A. as soon as possible, since he didn't get to take much time off work. Being a single dad meant that he needed to work as much as he could to help support Mark and be able to live comfortably himself. The relationship between Mark and his dad was indescribable and only got stronger after the passing of Mark's mom when he was seven. Since then it was just the two of them day in and day out, with dad making immense sacrifices in order to give Mark everything he needed.

After an emotional goodbye Mark found himself completely alone, surrounded by nothing but boxes. The air was calm and the evening sunset was creeping through the living room curtains. As he sat down and took everything in, Mark couldn't help but get misty eyed and lump in his throat. This was it. This was home. He just hoped that he was making the right decision.