Ephemera

thirty one

Chapter 31

"It's early in the morning, what the hell are you guys doing here?" Mark said once he saw his younger friends (he calls them dreamies) huddled up in the living room.

"Wow, is that how you greet someone a good morning?" Haechan rolled his eyes. "Good morning to you too, Mark-hyung. We're here because Taeyong-hyung and Jaehyun-hyung said so."

"What the heck are you doing here?"

"Wow, is that how you greet someone a good morning?"

Mark shrugged the thought off. He suddenly remembered the day he and his brother had breakfast at Eunmi's house. When she just got down and greeted Jaehyun as the "most handsome brother on Earth"

Mark sighed, "Where's my brother?" He asked Renjun and Jisung who were playing video games.

"He's at the kitchen, talking to Jaehyun-hyung." Jisung said, while his eyes are locked on the tv screen.

Mark froze when Jisung said that his brother was talking to Jaehyun. Could it be... He sighed and went to the kitchen.

"Oh, you're here." Jaehyun said.

His brother turned around and saw Mark who was standing by the door. "Yeah, hi hyung..."

"Mark, whatever happens... please be careful of what you'll say, okay? Please think twice before throwing words, hm?" Taeyong gave him a worried look. "Eunmi is here..."

Mark placed the glass on the table loudly— too loud for his brother's liking. "I know, hyung. I'm not blind and stupid. I know she's here."

"Calm down, okay? Remember what I said, Mark... You two should talk things out." Taeyong said.

"Renjun-ah! Guys, time to eat now!" Jaehyun called the others who were at the living room.

They sat on their chairs and started eating, even without Eunmi.

"Where is noona?" Jeno asked.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Jeno stood up from his place and opened the door.

Mark's heartbeat started to beat faster than usual. He feels like it would burst out anytime.

"Good morning, guys!!" She greeted cheerfully. She was wearing a plain shirt and leggings. She was smiling brightly, not knowing what might happen when the two of them talks.

"Good morning, noona!" The younger ones greeted.

Her eyes traveled to Mark who was eating silently. It seemed like her throat went dry. "G-Good morning, Mark..."

Mark? Where's 'Minhyungie' Mark just shrugged the thought off and continued eating, not even bothering to greet her back.

She just sighed and sat on her chair and started eating.

The two would awkwardly cough and steal glances to each other. Well, mostly on Eunmi's part. They were still dating, right?

The atmosphere was constantly dropping. Mark was just eating, and she wasn't even eating. She was just poking her food, not bothering to eat.

Taeyong sighed and stood up, "You two, I'm tired of hearing your sighs. I suggest you two talk and we'll be eating at the living room." He gestured the others to follow him, and they did. He was the oldest there, after all.

"M-Min—Mark...." She awkwardly started.

Mark just gave her a cold stare, which actually scared her, but Mark couldn't give a single damn about it now.

"H-How are you?" She asked.

Mark placed his utensils on the table which made the girl in front of him flinch. "What do you think? How am I?" He asked.

She looked down, her tears immediately fell from her eyes. "I-I'm sorry..." She wiped her tears away. "I-I'm sorry if I left without telling you... I-I... just couldn't—"

"What? What crap will you tell me now? That you couldn't leave me?! Heck, you did, and I was an idiot for thinking that long distance relationship would work! Our distance isn't even that far away!" He said, looking at the person in front of him. She was crying, and he wanted to wipe those tears, but he just couldn't. Not now.

"I... I'm sorry..." Were the only words that came out of her mouth.

"Yes, I would wait.... I waited... Do you know how hard it is to wait for someone who doesn't know you still exist?!" Mark wiped the tears that escaped his eyes. "I'm doing my job as Murev's president, but heck here's that side of me thinking... what if she replies... what if she finally got time to call me back? Will Eunmi this, Eunmi that..." Mark was sobbing at this moment, and yet he couldn't care less.

"Everything was all about you!" He pointed at Eunmi who was looking down. "There wasn't any moment that I didn't think of you! Is she alright? Is she fine? Is she eating well? Did she find someone better than me? Does she still love me? Every day.... every goddamn day... I ask myself those questions..."

"Until one day, they got me impeached. One day, I woke up, boom! I'm not murev's president anymore! I lost the job I want! I never resigned! They removed me! And you wanna know why?! Because I was texting you, who never replied, instead of doing my job... and now... If you think that's it... well... they kicked me out of the band too, until I get my shit back together, because 'I wasn't being myself.'" He quoted the words in the air while laughing bitterly.

She could see the pain in his eyes. "They made me stop doing what I want. Music?" He shook his head. "...It isn't my thing now."

"And now... I ask myself... was everything worth it? Was everything... worth the wait?" Mark shook his head while crying. "I tried to hold on, Eunmi... T-Trust me... I tried..."

"I'm sorry..." Mark started. "I'm sorry, but... this isn't working anymore.... it never did, in the first place, And even if it hurts...I have to let you go..."

Her eyes widened as her vision started to get blurry. She could feel pain panging in her chest. She couldn't even say a thing.

Mark stood up and went to his room, not even bothering to finish his breakfast.

She just moved her plate away, placed her arms on the table, and sobbed. She could feel someone patting her back, she peeked at who it was and saw her brother and Renjun.

She immediately stood up and hugged her brother.

Jaehyun hugged her tight and rubbed her back, "Shhh.... everything's gonna be okay..."

"Noona, don't cry..." Renjun was the closest to Eunmi, that's why he knows how hurt the older was.

Jaehyun pulled from the hug and cupped his sister's face. He looked at his sister in the eye, "You've been through a lot... and this isn't the end, okay?" He smiled at her.

"You've been through a lot... and this isn't the end, okay?"

Her brother's words echoed in her head. She just nodded and wiped her tears away.

"I never expected that it would hurt like this..." She said.

"It's love." Renjun shrugged. "You have to get hurt one way or another." He sighed.

She playfully hit Renjun's arm, "You already confessed? What happened?"

Renjun smiled, "I'm still waiting for her answer."

—tbc.
Dear Renjun. Soon.