fyi i removed all the underlined words bc some phrases were too hard to put in story context lmao
🕸
❝ the sunset looks nice. ❞
that day, everyone seemed different to mark. especially jisung, who uttered the words he had never uttered before.
jisung was never one to marvel at the sun, or even snow. he never took the initiative to even glance out the window every now and then at the change of seasons. he was a strange child, but everyone still adored him to bits.
mark saw the caretaker walking their way, towards the balcony where all their faces were stained with orange streaks of warmth. but he felt his hands turn all cold when he met eyes with the caretaker.
he shoved his hands in his pockets and watched, a weird feeling churning in his stomach arising. jisung, beside him, stared down and got ready to be called out, but he didn't, much to his surprise.
" jeno, can i talk with you? "
all eyes shifted onto jeno, who was beyond confused, but nodded anyway.
" yes, sir. "
the two left the balcony, and the comfortable warmth they felt moments ago returned. mark involuntarily let out a sigh of relief, when he felt a light tug on his sleeve.
" hyung, what's going to happen to jeno? "
mark shrugged at jisung's words, feeling worried all of a sudden. he stroked his locks of dirty blonde hair, and seeing jisung shiver a bit only concerned him more.
" is something wrong? "
but jisung didn't give a reply, instead he pulled himself out from under mark's arm and heading towards jeno's room afterwards, where both jeno and the caretaker were.
upon facing a locked door, he knocked it thrice timidly, and there was silence before a faint, " come in. " was heard.
jisung did as told, but it felt as though he was forced to enter, like it was more of a demand than an offer. his feet shuffled on their own accord towards the two who were seated across from each other at the table.
jisung saw the caretaker pick out something from his pocket again. this time, it was a sealed packet of plastic, and in it contained two pieces of gum.
he ripped the packet open and handed each to them.
" eat. "
jeno spared a panicked glance in jisung's direction, but jisung didn't catch it at all. he was staring forward the whole time, into blank space, as the piece of gum touched his lips and rolled into his mouth.
jeno stared at him, and then at the caretaker, and wondered why jisung was so obedient to everything he said. he knew that there was obviously something strange about this whole situation, but he didn't really have an alternative choice to do otherwise.
and so, jeno let his eyelids fall shut as he bit down on his piece of gum the moment it entered his mouth. but what he failed to realize was that in that moment, the caretaker and jisung were gone.
