Venom & Oblivion

Chapter 11

Mark kept silent as he walked along with Jong and Seung to the class. However, their direction was to the washroom first to clean themselves and change their clothes.

"It's been quite a long time since the last time we did such an exercise," Jong commented, "Do you still remember, Seung, that small guy back at our school who always ran away whenever he saw us? There's certainly always a victim around us."

"Yeah. Park Jinyoung is quite different, though. He's got nerves to get back at us. But it's so obvious that he's no experience in fighing. Couldn't even lay a finger on us."

"This isn't the end yet. We're gonna have more fun. Too bad he doesn't seem like a guy who would go around and tell the others that we'd bullied him. That'd have been the fastest way for more people to know about us."

Mark quietly sighed, "What're you doing with his scarf? If it's just nothing to you, give it to me."

Both Jong and Seung looked at Mark with curiosty and then with suspicion.

Mark continued walking with the steady steps and put on a nonchalant face.

"What're you going to do with that?" asked Jong, "Take it and give it back to him?"

Mark took a glance at the too-familiar scarf in Jong's hand and said, "Are you crazy? Why should I? The stripes are quite pretty. Never mind, you can keep it if you want."

Jong eyed the scarf as if appalled, "Me wanting that guy's scarf? I'm thinking of throwing it away. Take it if you're not gonna return it to him."

The scarf was thrusted into Mark's hands and Mark gripped it tightly. The familiar warmth shot through him just at the touch; the memories kept floating back to him and the thought that the scarf, which had been in Jinyoung's possession, was now in his hand, made him long for Jinyoung more.

'It's a gift from my friend', those words haunted him and so did Jinyoung's eyes while he had said those words. He was not Jinyoung's friend, only the past him was.

The sun's rays were falling on Jinyoung and he, at last, stirred and opened his eyes. He was still on the ground and the surrounding was still quiet and deserted.

The pain was stronger than ever and there was no doubt he would not be able to walk. But to remain here on the ground was not an option either.

He had no desire to be questioned by the others, which they would do if they saw him like that. No desire to extend this problem. All he wanted was to be alone and away from those three students.

Biting his lip and letting out a groan, he managed to sit up; his stomach felt too weak to let him sit straight. But he did not let the pain stop him and after a few minutes, he got to his feet and wobbled.

Steeling himself, he picked up the wallet, which was near him, and then his bag, before starting to collect the books, which were scattered all over the place.

After all the things he found on the ground had been put back into the bag, he noticed there was something missing. They had taken nothing from him, but that scarf.

It was the only thing he had had as a token of the friendship between him and Mark. Maybe, they were not meant even to be friends. Everything was gone and only the memories were left.

If there was anything which had been added to that friendship or those memories, it would be scars and they were probably what he would get more as the time went on.

Jinyoung did not linger there long and slinging his bag on his shoulder, made his way to the library. Not to the library exactly but to the rooftop of the library building. No way he was going to return to the class and he would avoid anything that would draw the attention to him.

There were three long benches, which were in a circle, on the rooftop and Jinyoung lay down on one. Finally feeling relieved and letting his body feel the pain all it wanted to.

Once his eyes closed, however, everything that had happened, came back to him. The fact that Mark had been one of them, who had bullied him, was an agonising thing to think of. Was mental suffering not enough that Mark had to torture him physically as well? Tears escaped his closed eyes.

Once Mark was outside the class, he walked away from it in no particular direction. He felt tired of pretending and his heart felt tight to think of what could have happened to Jinyoung after they had left him.

He had attended only the first period and the sight of the empty seat where Jinyoung usually sat, drove all his desire away to continue the classes.

Now, he found his direction or knew where he should go. It was ridiculous to think that Jinyoung might still be on the spot he had been left, after about two hours had already passed. But still he would try his luck.

It was a long way and the whole way he kept his eyes alert to spot Jinyoung among other students. Although it was just another ludicrous attempt.

Sure enough, there was no more Jinyoung at the place everything had happened. For a moment, he inspected the ground and felt quite relieved that there was no trace of blood.

Where could Jinyoung be gone? Perhaps, he was taken to the university hospital by those who had found him. If so, it would be better and less worrying.

Giving up searching for Jinyoung further and rejecting the idea of returning to the class, he headed for the rooftop to free his mind and think of everything that had happened.

He took the stairs to the rooftop but stopped short once he was on the rooftop as there was someone else there already. Not just someone, it was Jinyoung. Mark had wanted to see him but now he could not bring himself nearer to Jinyoung.

All he could do was stare at Jinyoung's lying figure on the bench, with his arm over his forehead and his eyes closed. Maybe asleep or maybe not, Mark thought.

Mark took out the scarf from his bag; staring at Jinyoung and the scarf being in his hand, everything felt again like those high school days when Jinyoung had been always beside him and following him around.

All of those days were gone. He stared at Jinyoung for a long eternal moment, tightening his grip on the scarf, and then slowly retreated his steps down the stairs before Jinyoung noticed his presence.