bully; yugbam

[part four]

"A-ar-are you new h-he-here?" Yugyeom asks.

Mark shakes his head. "A-are y-you?"

Yugyeom shakes his head as well. "H-how c-co-come I've n-ne-never s-se-seen you b-be-before?"

"I-I d-don't k-know," Mark chuckles, shrugging. He takes out a yogurt, handing one to Yugyeom. The silver-haired smiles, grabbing it. "T-th-thank y-you."

Mark nods. "H-how c-come I-I've n-never s-seen y-you b-before?"

"M-may-maybe i-it's b-be-because I-I'm not t-th-that p-popular," Yugyeom replies. "N-no-not e-every-everyone k-kn-knows I-I e-exist."

"T-the s-same g-goes t-to me," Mark sighs. "B-but I-I s-sort o-of g-got p-popular l-last y-year."

"H-ho-how?"

"J-Jackson W-Wang a-asked m-me o-out," Mark replies in a quiet voice shyly, his cheeks tinting red.

Yugyeom's eyes widen. "T-th-the J-Ja-Jackson W-Wa-Wang a-as-asked you out?!"

Mark nods, squealing a little and squirming. "B-but I-I d-declined a-at f-first b-because I-I t-thought h-he w-was j-just a-asking m-me o-out b-because o-of a-a d-dare. D-days l-later, I-I f-found o-out h-he w-wasn't, a-and w-we b-became a-a c-couple."

"Aww," Yugyeom coos. "How l-lo-long h-ha-have you guys b-be-been t-to-together?"

"A-about a-a y-year...?" 

"G-go-good for you, h-hy-hyung." Yugyeom smiles, licking the spoonful of yogurt.

"D-do y-you h-have a-a g-girlfriend o-or b-boyfriend, G-Gyeom?" 

"N-no. A-an-and I w-wo-wouldn't c-ca-care if I n-ne-never d-di-did."

"W-why?"

"L-lo-love is j-ju-just a w-wa-waste of t-ti-time. You g-ge-get w-wi-with s-some-someone f-fo-for a w-wh-while, a-an-and t-th-then you two b-br-break up. W-wa-waste of t-ti-time."

"N-not a-all l-love i-is a-a w-waste o-of t-time. Y-you'll f-find t-the r-right o-one o-one day, I-I'm s-sure o-of i-it."

Yugyeom lets out a soft, small smile. He knows Mark means what he said, but he doesn't know if he would ever meet the right one.

--

Yugyeom is surprised he doesn't see Mark after that. He tries to look for him everywhere, but can't find him. He even asks a few people—school staff, specifically—but they say there isn't a student named Mark Tuan. Yugyeom finds it weird but thinks maybe Mark hasn't applied yet, and they don't know he is attending.

Yugyeom sighs as he walks down the halls of the school, surprised that a familiar raven-haired male with pink dye at the tips isn't coming for him. But to be honest, he is sort of relieved. He doesn't want to bump into Kunpimook and doesn't want another beating. He is hurt enough.

Yugyeom walks out of the school, starting to walk home. He really hopes his uncle isn't there yet. Especially after what happened yesterday. He wants to avoid his uncle all costs but knows he will speak with him eventually. What happened yesterday isn't the first time it happened. It's happened about eight times already, and eventually, Yugyeom will have to talk to his uncle.

--

Yugyeom hesitantly pushes the front door open, biting his lower lip as he glances around the house, looking for a familiar male. He sighs in relief once he realizes the older male is nowhere in sight. 

Taking off his backpack, Yugyeom walks upstairs, taking out his homework. He sits criss-cross on his bed to start working on his homework.

--

About 11:34 in the night, Yugyeom is woken up when the front door opens. He groans, yawning as he gets up, walking out of his room. He checks over the stair railing and sees his uncle drunkily trying to take off his shoes. Yugyeom sighs, walking down the stairs and toward his uncle.

He takes off his uncle's coat and helps him take off his shoes. After everything is settled, Yugyeom helps his uncle walk upstairs, whilst he mutters some drunken slurs.

"Hey, you look just like my brother," he slurs, giggling. "You're pretty, too."

"U-un-uncle, you're d-dr-drunk," Yugyeom sighs as he and the said male walk into his uncle's room. "You d-do-don't k-kn-know w-wh-what you're s-sa-saying."

"Of course I do," he huffs defensively, letting his nephew lay him down on the bed. His eyes tear up as Yugyeom covers him with bedsheets. "Ah, my brother was so kind, handsome, and beautiful. Just like you, Yugyeom. You remind me so much of my brother. That's why I do the things I do to you. I love you, nephew."

Yugyeom's eyes tear up, but he quickly wipes them away, sniffing. "U-un-uncle, s-st-stop t-ta-talking. You're d-dr-drunk—you d-do-don't k-know w-wh-what you're s-sa-saying."

"I-I do!!" his uncle yells, pouting. "You look exactly like my brother, and you act like him, too. Oh, how I wish he wasn't dead. Did you kill him, Yugyeom?"

"W-wh-why w-wo-would I-I k-ki-kill my o-ow-own f-fa-father?" 

"You're stuttering."

"I-I w-wa-was b-bo-born w-wi-with it."

"Oh, yeah."

Yugyeom rolls his eyes. He walks toward the door, his hand hovering above the light switch. "Go to s-sl-sleep, u-un-uncle."

The male nods, saluting. Yugyeom lets out a small chuckle before he turns off the light, closing the door behind him.