ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ | ᴍᴀʀᴋʜʏᴜᴄᴋ

ᴄᴀʀᴘᴏᴏʟ

As one month went by, another did as well, and then another, and another, and soon a whole year had passed. Graduation was round the corner, everyone was busy with entrance exams, and all of Mark's friends were too engrossed in their own lives to be worrying about the broken friendship between their friends. 

Mark had tried to move on, from whatever he was sad about, he thought about deleting Donghyuck's contact number - an extreme measure but, he assumed it would be the only way to get rid of the younger boy from his life completely. However, he couldn't bring himself to delete it. Mark also cancelled all plans him and his friends had made for after graduation, scared that Donghyuck would be there and that he wouldn't be able to face him.

It was scary, to some extent. Mark was afraid to meet his best friend, or former best friend, to the point that he had changed his entire morning routine so that he wouldn't cross paths with Donghyuck on the way to school. He had spent so many years with Donghyuck, the two sprawled across the floor in Mark's bedroom, counting the spots of paint on the ceiling, and giggling once they got into a tickle battle. But they couldn't do that anymore, and Mark felt queasy at the thought of him doing that with anyone else. 

Letting out a sigh, Mark got up from his bed, holding his head to calm his headache, and grabbed the closest jumper. As it was nearly graduation, he needed to buy a suit for the ceremony, and he had been delaying it because he was too exhausted to do anything at all. Mark opened the door to his house, yelling a response to his mum who asked him where he was going, and then dipped into the warm wind. 

He closed his eyes, embracing himself and then sighed. It had been a long time since he had last gone out of the house for something other than an exam or school. Mark walked down the streets, his eyes fixated on his shoes, and he bumped into a few people, 'excuse me' sitting on the tip of his tongue. 

"Sorry, excuse me." Mark repeated for about the fifth time, but this time, when he saw a familiar pair of red sneakers, Mark raised his eyes, locking them with Donghyuck. "Donghyuck?"

"Oh, you know this guy?" The stranger standing besides Donghyuck spoke up, leaning over his shoulder and shooting Mark confused looks. 

"Yeah." Donghyuck replied, his eyes still on Mark, but his words directed towards the male next to him. "This is Mark hyung." 

"Oh!" The guy clasped his hands together, his eyes shifting between Mark and Donghyuck, before he took a step forward, his body covering half of Donghyuck. "I'm Yukhei, but people call me Lucas."

Mark nodded and was about to shake his hand, when Lucas continued.

"And I'm Donghyuck's soulmate."

What. Mark froze in his spot, his hand barely touching Lucas' and his eyes fixed on Donghyuck, who lowered his head, and he felt a pang in his heart. Of course. Donghyuck would've gotten a soulmate. Why hadn't Mark thought about that? When they broke the bond, Donghyuck must've found a new soulmate, and he must've fallen in love with him. Mark was so stupid to think that Donghyuck was avoiding Mark because of their broken bond. Donghyuck must've been busy talking with his new soulmate, spending time with his new soulmate, loving his new soulmate. 

"Hey, you okay?" Lucas asked, and only then did Mark realise tears were pouring out of his eyes. Stupid eyes, crying when they shouldn't. He managed to ruin his first impression on Donghyuck's soulmate. The only person who was able to make Donghyuck fall in love. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." Mark coughed out, and he avoided Donghyuck's gaze, taking a step back and immediately canceling his plan to buy a suit. He spun on his heels, wiping at his cheeks harshly before running down the street, ignoring the calls he got from Donghyuck. 

He was so stupid to believe that Donghyuck would never fall in love. Of course he would fall in love with his soulmate, but that doesn't mean it would be Mark. He would fall in love with his soulmate, he would share his first kiss with his soulmate, he would go in his first date with his soulmate, and he would happily be in a relationship. 

And then there was Mark. Mark, who had no soulmate, Mark, who was never going to find someone to love. Mark, who would never have anyone to kiss, anyone to go on a date with, or anyone to be in a happy relationship with. 

Mark almost felt envious towards Donghyuck. Donghyuck, the person who didn't even want a soulmate, or simply anyone to love, yet he had a soulmate. On the other hand, Mark, the person who had been waiting for love, waiting for the red string to appear, waiting for someone to love him, had no soulmate. He was going to be alone the rest of his life, whereas Donghyuck was going to love someone, and be happy with someone. 

And Mark didn't know what to expect when he closed the door behind him, waiting for a couple of minutes, but no knock was heard on the door, and Mark was left to cry in his house alone. The sticky note on his fridge from his parents claiming that they had gone out for grocery shopping. 

He wanted Donghyuck to come to him, so that they could clear out any problems between the two, but it went as he assumed it would. Donghyuck never came.