Venom & Oblivion

Chapter 2

"Possibly he got shipped to Korea because he had played mute games all the time, back in his home town."

Jinyoung tried not to steal glances at Mark but he did anyway just to check if he was okay. The three students on the seats just behind Mark's, kept uttering provoking words toward Mark. It was a scene all too familiar.

As usual, Mark did not seem to care at all, as if it was not him they were talking about.

Still, considering everything Mark must have gone through in settling down in a country so different from his own, Jinyoung was sorry for him and wished the teacher would walk in very soon so that all of those jeering words would be over.

"Hey, American, have you got laid in your town? What, LA? Left some girlfriends and now getting melancholic about those past relationships?"

It was becoming a normal scene to see them making up questions, which Mark would never answer. Jinyoung sighed. Part of him wanted Mark to retort back or do something about them; but on the other hand, he was certain, things would get more heated if Mark started responding to their words.

"Have you got nothing better than staying mute? Or are you trying to be popular this way? Not a chance, man. You're just a coward who dares not open his mouth."

Jinyoung's eyes fell on Mark's hands clenching into fists and his jaw gritted.

The guys' laughers erupted in the classroom as they played with more words to annoy and make fun of Mark.

Once Jinyoung noticed Mark grabbing his bag, he set his mind on a decision; and taking his bag, he hurried to the corner where Mark was and sat down on the empty seat next to him.

Mark's burning gaze was now directed to him, as if finding its target. Jinyoung smiled weakly, suddenly not sure if he had done the right thing.

"Sorry, I'm going to sit here now," Jinyoung sort of explained. He turned around to the group behind and gave them a disgusted look.

"Can you shut up now? I'm not going to tolerate any of your noise. If you don't mind seeing the principal again, then you can go on."

"As if you would dare!" Kang snorted. But still they got quiet and changed their attention to something else.

"See? It's just so easy," Jinyoung leaned and whispered to Mark, who gave him an unimpressed look.

"Mind if I sit here everyday? This is just an empty seat. Or you can come and sit with me, instead of sitting in front of them," Jinyoung offered.

But Mark turned his face to the front, ignoring Jinyoung's almost pleading eyes.

"Fine. I'll just come and sit here. They always talk shit, don't they?"

Mark made no reply and at last, Jinyoung dropped his one-sided conversation as the teacher entered the class.

The rest was nothing unusual as the teacher explained the stuff so and so till her mouth went dry and giving herself a break, let the students do the exercises and activities.

Everything was just like a routine but for Jinyoung, he had sadly found out that Mark was hardly interested in any of the school stuff.

He was sometimes dozing off, sometimes staring out of the window and sometimes at Jinyoung, just out of curiosity.

Jinyoung tried to keep up with the teachers' detailed explanations but whenever he felt Mark's gaze at him, he would cock his head and raised his brows questioningly.

Of course Mark would never give reasons; he just simply diverted his eyes, not letting their eyes lock longer than needed.

When the last teacher of the day finished the lessons and called it a day, Jinyoung put all of his stuff into his bag and stood up to make his way through the other classmates.

But he glanced at Mark and tried his luck, "Wanna walk to the bus-stop with me? I mean if you're taking the bus."

Jinyoung did not hope much though, but if he really wanted to know, he could just follow Mark wherever he went, and see which transportation he used. As usual, Mark would make n-

"Okay."

Jinyoung blinked in surprise and couldn't believe that Mark had just said something to him. Mark was not affected in the slightest by Jinyoung's dumbfounded reaction; and slinging the bag over his shoulder, led the way.

"You talk after all. Finally you talked to me," Jinyoung voiced out his amazement, as they walked out of the class and towards the gate.

Mark sent him a glare, which was saying Jinyoung was just being unreasonable.

"I'm just glad," Jinyoung reasoned, "Have you perhaps decided to open up to me? I'm willing to listen to anything you want to talk about."

Mark cleared his throat, "I've nothing to talk about. If you're interested in people's personal lives, you've chosen the wrong person."

Jinyoung was awe-stricken now, "Your Korean is really good! If anyone hears you now, they would shut up their lips of making fun of you. Just imagine it!"

Mark snorted, "I don't care whatever they think of me. It just simply doesn't matter."

They were getting near to the bus-stop but Jinyoung wished they were not. He needed to find out about Mark more and all.

"What about friends? Don't you have any friend? You're always alone, that is what makes them find it easy to pick on you."

"I need none," Mark spat, impatience starting to resurface.

"Ah, okay," Jinyoung chanced a glance at Mark, whose lips were firmly pressed together. "Well, I can be that friend you don't need. Life needs companionship. So yeah?"

Mark did not answer, but at least, he had not denied, Jinyoung thought not at all disheartened.

The bus-stop was now quite clear of the students but some were still lingering there, including Jinyoung and Mark, to wait for the bus.

The weather was cold and the wind was chilly. There had been snow that morning. All Jinyoung wanted to do at the moment was go straight home and curl up in bed.

He was so lost in his own plans that he barely noticed Mark beside him was a little shivering from cold. But Mark's grumble let him know about that.

"Have you got no jacket? You should bring it along next time," Jinyoung said.

He looked at Mark's hands rubbing for warmth, and hesitantly reached for them.

"Can I?"

Mark looked at him, puzzled and then his eyes followed Jinyoung's hands. Jinyoung took Mark's hands and kept them between his palms, rubbing them slightly and trying to make them warm.

"That's better now, isn't it?" Jinyoung muttered, smiling.

Mark set his eyes on Jinyoung and stared at him, long, as if doing so, he could find out why Jinyoung was doing all of this and crazy enough to bother about someone like him.