SMILE | NCT Markhyuck

01

'I hate the rain.'

'It leaves me with nothing but bad memories.'

The room was bathed in gloom on a rainy day, the relentless downpour echoing on the ceiling of young Mark's house. Coming back from school to an empty home, he, an only child, couldn't help but loathe the solitude he often found himself in.

"Mom, Dad, when will you be back?" Mark knelt by the window, gripping the phone as if it could somehow expedite his parents' return. His anxiousness was palpable through the phone line.

"We're on our way, honey," his parents assured.

" ..Please" He sniffled, in between his words, " hurry back home"

"Aww, don't cry, Markie" His mother's soft voice reassured him. "You'll be graduating soon, other kids will laugh at you, so don't be afraid. We'll be home soon"

"But..." Mark's grip on the phone cord tightened as he spoke weakly.

" Mom will cook your favorite hamburger tonight, so hang in there a little longer, okay?" This gave the little boy a beam of anticipation, his parents will be home soon and he'll have his favorite food. 

" Okay.."

✨ Skip 2 days later ✨

" I heard it was an accident, they drove over the speed limit" Someone whispered.

" In the rain?" Another person chimed in, "Gosh, that's why I say these foreigners-"

" Shhh! Don't speak so loudly!" A third person cautioned.

" What about the child? He's still in primary school, do they not have any relatives?"

" I heard his mother cut ties with her family when she ran away to Canada with her boyfriend to get married" 

Unfortunately, Mark's hopes were shattered. His parents never returned that fateful afternoon, and he never got to savor his beloved hamburger. In the funeral home, with few attendees, Mark felt a weight of responsibility about what happened to his parents as others spoke ill of them.

'It's my fault... It's all my fault... If only I hadn't called Mom and Dad... If only I hadn't asked them to hurry back... If only I were stronger...'

Mark muttered these self-blaming thoughts through his tears. " Don't cry... Be strong... Don't cry" He wished desperately that it was all just a terrible dream he could awaken from.

"Why?" A little voice spoke. Opening his eyes, Mark looked up surprised at how close the little boy in front of him was to his face. "Why can't you cry?" the boy asked, gently placing his hand on Mark's. Mark felt a sudden wave of comfort wash over him. "I'm Lee Donghyuck, remember?" the boy smiled, and Mark didn't know how to respond except to lower his head and close his eyes. He didn't want pity.

"Let's go home, together," the boy said. Mark looked up to see not just the boy but also his parents, offering him a warm, welcoming smile. From that moment, the Lee family embraced Mark, making him feel like one of their own. Grateful beyond words, they treated him like family, but the warmth of their family was a constant reminder of his own parents... the weight of their absence crushed him. Once he reached of age, he eventually moved back into his family's home and started living alone.