wingate gardens -got7 ✓

4- call my name

BEFORE HE HAD TIME TO REALITY check, mark was out of the door and back into the stingey corridor. his eyes flashed around, suddenly nervous as jackson's warnings popped up in his head.

he shook them away, he wasn't a wimp, he could go outside in his own home.

it made him oddly satisfied to think how pissed jackson would be to know he disregarded his instructions. he hurried down the corridor, not quite ridding himself of the fear that he was in danger.

the minute he stepped outside of the building, the world felt alive. there were people, real people, wandering through the courtyard. some chatting to each other, some striding off by themselves and a few who just seemed to stand there, eyes trained on every person who passed.

mark couldn't help the excitement get to him, he had so many neighbors, so many people to talk to. even if he was an introvert, it was nice to have friends and people who cared about him. the only person he had in korea was jackson, and he wasn't sure that jackson was all too fond of him.

he desperately wanted to flag someone down to talk to but they all seemed so busy, footsteps flying over the cobblestones, heading into the various buildings that enclosed wingate.

so instead, he took a moment to take everything in. despite the four towering buildings, lots of light managed to filter into the courtyard, lighting up the whole place and making it look a lot less foreboding than it did last night. the courtyard was lined with thick cobblestones, many of them cracked or wobbly, but still quaint and relatively pretty.

in the centre of the courtyard, was a small square of dying grass, which he hadn't noticed last night. a few people were sat on it, chatting animatedly to one another. he smiled, he hoped he could sit there with some friends soon, even if it was in the middle right where everyone could see you.

he turned his attention to the buildings themselves. aside from the one he had just emerged from which was grimy and dirty, the others looked pretty nice. and after a couple minutes of watching, he figured out which building was which.

it seemed that many people emerged with clean washing or crates of food from the building to his left, so he assumed that was where the canteen and washing machines were. the building ahead of him seemed to be the gym and to the left....

to the left was jackson, storming right for him. so he figured it must've been another block of flats, and where jackson lived.

he gulped, jackson did not look happy.

"what the fuck" jackson shouted as he drew closer, "i told you to say inside."

his eyes were stormy, eyebrows drawn down- he looked insanely angry and he glanced around nervously, suddenly noticing all the eyes on him. apparently his shout had drawn the attention of several people.

"ey jackson," someone shouted, "keep it down, fucker,"

jackson rolled his eyes, "shut your face bambam. this is serious."

mark crossed his arms and turned to face jackson. jackson reached him and shoved his shoulders hard, making mark stumble and fall back, "when i tell you something, listen."

mark glared at him, "you're..not the boss of me, jackson,"

jackson opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by someone else, calling from a remote corner of the courtyard, "yo wang, who is that?"

jackson sighed angrily, "this is exactly what i didn't want." he whispered to mark, teeth gritted.

mark shrugged, "i'm mark." he called back, causing everyone to look at him, whispers breaking out among them.

jackson grabbed his hand, and pulled him close, "don't squirm. we're leaving."

mark tried to twist his hand away but jackson's grip was strong and he found himself being dragged back into the corridor of his building.

once they were in the safety of the corridor, where apparently, none of the other tenants currently were, jackson pulled a hand back and slapped mark across the face.

"mark you fucking idiot," he seethed, "you gave them your name? really?"

the side of mark's face burned and he brought a hand up to it, tears pricking his eyes, "but..they're just my neighbors? can't they know my name?"

"no! i swear i fucking told you this."

"okay....sorry..." mark's face still hurt.

"too late now."