The Bends » Mark Lee

Ten

Hana looked up at her College Application for University College Cork and looked at the pile of Applications Soonbok had in front of her. For some reason, Soonbok and Yoogeun both had around ten applications in front of them, while Hana had only four. She bit her lip before sighing.

„What is it, Han?" Soonbok asked and pushed a strand of hair off her face and warming up her neck, before putting down her pen. „It's weird." Hana started, „You and Yoogeun have so many Applications and here I am with my lousy Irish University Applications." The Irish lass complained and Soonbok laughed. „I know it'll be grand if you could apply with Yoogeun and me but your parents want you to be healthy. And so do I." Soonbok announced and Hana nodded and looked back at one of the brochures her mum had handed her. The National University of Ireland in Galway didn't look too bad, but just the thought of leaving everything behind once again made her feel sick to the stomach.

The worst was that she had to leave Mark behind. Now, that she had figured out her feelings and was almost courageous enough to confess, she couldn't just leave.

„Where is Mark, by the way?" Hana suddenly asked and looked up. The friends were sitting in the library as the classroom was too loud after Seo Mina had announced she would leave for Julliard as soon as she finished the final exams. The school had scouted her at one of her concerts and offered her a place to study and she immediately had excepted it.

Everyone was proud of their classmate, but Mina had already fought with her boyfriend about that, which was one of the reasons Mark was late to the library. Mina's boyfriend was one of Mark's best friends and since he was crying Mark decided to cheer the Junior up.

Just as Hana wanted to ask about the Canadian lad again the library door opened, once again, and Mark entered the room. He had dark rings under his eyes and carried a pile of sheets and a basketball. He waved towards his friends before sitting down next to Hana and putting his College Applications on the table. „I'll be back in a second. I'm just tidying up the ball." He announced quietly and Hana nodded when her eyes landed on one of Marks applications.

She held her breath when she read the name and the address of the University. „What is this?" She asked herself and looked if anyone was watching her. Yoogeun and Soonbok were both too busy on filling out their applications and Mark was already out of the library again so Hana quickly grabbed the first page of the application and stared at it in fear.

„The University of British Columbia?" She gulped and felt a lump in her throat before she went through the other applications. All of Mark's University Applications were for Colleges in Canada? Hana pushed the papers away from herself and clenched the fabric over her chest before fishing her inhaler out of her pocket and inhaling some of her medicine.

Soonbok saw her doing so and took a glimpse at Mark's documents. She opened her mouth to say something but Mark already came back, a worried look on his face when he saw Hana fidgeting with her inhaler. „Do you need help, Han?" He asked carefully and Hana shook her head vigorously and looked at her Application.

The rest of the afternoon was spent quietly. The teenagers quietly filling out their applications until Yoogeun got tired and started playing with Soonbok's hair, which soon annoyed the girl and makes her smack his face. The sound of the slap of Soonbok's hand on Yoogeun's forehead, made Hana flinch and look over to her best friend. „What are the two of you doing?" She asked and Yoogeun sighed. „I'm bored. I filled out these applications even though I know I probably won't even get a chance." He sighed and Hana rolled her eyes and closed her pen and carefully put her applications back into her bag pack, glancing over to Mark who was just filling out one for Vancouver. Hana quickly looked away.

„We can go and get Boba if you like. I haven't had Boba in ages." Hana smiled and Yoogeun cheered and tidied up his place. Hana looked over to Mark. „Would you like to join us?" She asked and saw Mark hiding the header of his application. Hana's heart hunted a little at that act.

„I would love to, but I have to cheer up a friend. Mina is going to New York after all." He sighed and Hana nodded, watching him tidy up his stuff carefully so no one could see the Colleges he was applying for.

„I see." Hana said before adding in English, „I hope your friend feels better soon. It's not easy to leave his loved ones behind, but the one left behind probably feels as bad as she does." She then took her bag and rushed out of the library, feeling tears prick at the corner of her eyes.

Soonbok and Yoogeun caught up to her soon enough and they started walking to the closest Boba shop they had in the area of their school. Soonbok asked Yoogeun to walk a bit further so she could have a word with Hana and after getting a kiss Yoogeun started walking in front of the girls, leaving them in peace.

„It seems Mark is going back to Canada." Soonbok started and Hana nodded, too hurt to say something as the lump in her throat made it hard for her to breathe. She had her inhaler in her hand in case she needed to use it.

„How are you feeling? Now, that both of you seem to leave Korea after finishing Highschool?" Soonbok continued and Hana shook her head. „To be honest, I just feel horrible. I thought I could confess and spend the last few months here together with him before properly saying goodbye and leaving my first love behind. But now he is leaving as well. And he is acting so secretive about it. It hurts." Hana complained and clenched her chest.

„He's not our friend for that long. And maybe he just doesn't want to burden us with him leaving to Canada." Soonbok tried but Hana shook her head. „He's leaving and he doesn't want us to know." Hana sighed when they finally arrived at the Boba shop. Yoogeun was already inside and had ordered two Boba's for him and Soonbok. Hana went inside and looked at the variety of teas and bubbles they had but for some reason, nothing appealed to her so she simply took a Lemon Tea with Mango Bobas. The three of them sat down while drinking their Boba's and Yoogeun glanced over to Hana who was still playing with her inhaler in her hand.

„Are your lungs bad again?" He asked carefully but Hana shook her head. „Just in case." She answered shortly and the tall boy nodded.

When Hana came home this evening, her mother had already cooked something typical Irish and Hyejin was sitting in front of the television, watching a Korean Kids Show and laughing at the parts she could understand.

„Hyejin has already had dinner. Dad and I will take her to the Sauna afterwards. Do you want to tag along?" Audrey asked her daughter who seemed a little too quiet today. Hana shook her head. „I want to sleep early today." She answered and her mother nodded, sitting down next to her watching her eat the Irish Stew. „You hadn't had this in a long time, right?" Audrey smiled when she saw her daughter eating the good food with a smile on her face. Hana nodded and smiled.

After dinner, Hana went to take a shower and then sat down on her and Hoseok's computer.

„What was the name again?" Hana asked herself before typing in „Universities in British Columbia" into Naver.

As soon as she had typed it in, a list of Colleges was popping up in front of her. And then she did something incredibly stupid. She printed out at least ten applications for colleges in Canada. She didn't even know why she did that, but something in her heart told her she had to at least try to stay with Mark somehow. And as her parents didn't want her to stay in a city, where the fine dust was really high lately, she decided (really spontaneously) that she wanted to go to Canada.

When Hoseok came home that night, he saw his sister sitting at the kitchen table, a box of peanuts next to her and a bunch of perfectly filled out applications to Canadian Universities next to her. Hoseok sighed seeing this but he knew he couldn't stop his sister from doing something stupid like this. If her parents didn't want to let her be in Korea, where the guy she liked live, she would want to go as far as possible from these parents.

Hoseok carefully woke Hana up and Hana looked at him with big eyes, when she realized Hoseok had seen the applications. „Please don't tell Mum and Dad!" Hana begged when she tidied up her stuff. „This is really important to me, okay?" Hana tried to explain but Hoseok only nodded. „Don't worry. I won't tell Mum and Dad. But only if you go to sleep now." Hoseok said and Hana nodded, and hugged her brother carefully before rushing into her room and immediately going to sleep.

Now she just had to hope Mark had applied at the same colleges and in the same area as her.