translucent [markson]

[Thirty One] Broken

"Why are people so rude?" Mark mumbled, angrily scribbling the answer to the math homework in his lap.

"Human nature or something sucky like that." Jackson rested his head on Mark's shoulder and watched Mark do the math problem.

"I can't believe what they're saying about you! Besides the fact that I know Jinyoung is a fucking liar, you would never do anything they're saying you've done." Mark tore his eyes away from his work to look at Jackson, who was sitting on the bed next to him. He wanted to let the moment sink in; Mark and Jackson with notebooks in their laps, Jackson's head on Mark's shoulder, and Mark's left hand on Jackson's knee.

"As long as the people I care about know it's not true, it doesn't matter," Jackson told Mark honestly. Mark just shrugged, causing Jackson's head to bounce on his shoulder. "Besides, you didn't take back what you said. You're still hanging out with me, even after all they've said."

"Of course." Mark turned his head as he was about to kiss the top of Jackson's head, but suddenly Jackson's head moved up and collided with Mark's chin.

"Shit, sorry," Jackson apologised, briefly rubbing Mark's chin where he had hit it. "I just noticed that you solved number fourteen wrong."

"What?" Mark looked at the equation and quickly checked over his work. "What are you talking about?"

"That's a four, not a nine. You misread your own handwriting and it changes all your work after it."

"Damn, you're right," Mark breathed, erasing his answer. "Why do you have to be so annoyingly smart?"

"You're literally smarter than me." Jackson lightly shook his head and turned back to his own work, the sight of the Thai letters immediately giving him a headache.

"You say that while you're reading an extremely difficult language," Mark retorted.

"It's not that hard," Jackson began, getting cut off by Mark throwing his arms in the air.

"Don't even start! You should be proud of yourself, rather than acting like anyone could do what you do. BamBam tried to teach me some Thai and I couldn't get past the first phrase." Mark's tone was almost pissed off, but Jackson knew he was only getting overly emotional over the topic.

"Sorry?" Jackson just watched as Mark rolled his eyes. "I just don't think it's enough reason to get me a scholarship into the school."

"I never knew you had a scholarship," Mark muttered. As someone whose family didn't have much money, a part of Mark felt somewhat angry. Someone who definitely had the money to attend the school had been offered a scholarship when there were people like him who truly needed it, but he didn't let himself express anything.

"Most people don't. A lot of them think I had to buy my way into the school, but I didn't. It doesn't prove much since everyone at the school is so much smarter than me-"

"You know that's not true," Mark cut in. "You're probably one of the most exceptional students I've met here."

"You don't have to lie to me," Jackson deadpanned, softly. He voice dropped even lower as he spoke to himself, "And even if it were true, you'd be one of the only people to believe it."

"Hey, don't talk like that." Mark paused, letting his mind to wander to the rumor that had been floating around. "The things they say about you are absolute bullshit and they're too lazy to realise that you'd never hurt a fly. It's not your fault."

"I suppose. I'm just more caught up in trying to figure out what I did wrong that caused Jinyoung to do that." A small frown fell onto Jackson's lips, and Mark frowned at the fact that his whatever-he-could-call-Jackson was unhappy.