TIME ─ JAEYONG

046⸰

donghyuck felt powerless as he wept into the palms of his hands. he couldn't believe he let those sketchy men take mark from out under his fingertips so easily. he was hurt, aching, but was nowhere near as hurt as mark's mother was when she found donghyuck on the porch cried out and dehydrated.

he had to tell her what happened despite the boss threatening him not to. a gun to the head was nothing if it meant getting the correct help in order to find and save mark.

"i knew that bastard taeyong would get our son in trouble!" she shrieked into her husbands' arms. "we have to find him! get the police involved. i can't lose my boy!" mark's father seemed torn on what to do.

donghyuck told them his consequence for confessing; if it were to happen his father didn't want to be the cause of donghyuck's death. his life is just as important as mark's.

"honey listen to me," he took a firm hold of her by her shoulders. "we will get our son back but risking donghyuck's life isn't right. we have to think smart about this and as much as i don't want to say it... we need to have faith in this taeyong kid to save our son."

✿

mark felt out of it after awakening from a slumber he didn't realize he fell into. everything around him was covered in pitch black darkness. he was cold and hungry but thankfully unharmed.

he didn't dare move, too afraid of what he might run into. out of nowhere the lights flickered on. he flinched at the brightness. "why am i here? and who are you!?" when his eyes adjusted he saw he was concealed in a glass box.

the surrounding room was just as bare with the exception of the wooden chair the mysterious man held. the walls were painted a sickly green color, some areas had random patches of red paint, or what mark assumed, hoped, to be paint.

"you're here for a simple reason." the man sat himself down on the chair. "my son ran away with your friend taeyong who committed some serious crimes."

"bull! taeyong would never commit a crime. if anything it was your son! he's the bad influence!" the man hummed.

"i believe they're both bad influences but taeyong is much more of a target to get rid of. he's tainted my son for long enough." mark brought his knees up to his chest. get rid of. he's planning on killing taeyong. "don't worry kid, as long as taeyong complies you'll be set free. we aren't here to hurt you, just use you as leverage."

"what about my parents? they'll notice i'm gone."

"they won't go to the police and even if they do they won't care. you aren't rich nor a priority. always remember that." that stung. knowing you'll never be a priority because of your social status being lower than others. a single tear ran down his cheeks. "oh, did i hurt your feelings?"

when mark shook his head jaehyun's father laughed in pity. there was nothing better than serving justice and making kids cry─ in his sick opinion. "do i have to stay in this room?"

"of course." he scoffed. "there will be someone to bring you food and let you out to use the bathroom every so often. if you're asleep then you miss out so don't sleep too heavily." he winked.

mark felt like an animal. shamed, disgusted and degraded. he started to think his parents were right, he shouldn't have kept taeyong in his life. none of this would have happened.

however, the regret towards taeyong instantly turned to anger towards jaehyun. he's the reason taeyong is in this situation. it all started with him. jung jaehyun is the one who ruined both of their lives when he thought he was making it better.