RIBS, NCT DREAM

SIXTEEN

MARK TEXTED HIS MOM THAT HE WAS ON THE WAY HOME FOR DINNER. He arrived at his front door, but paced around because of his nerves. Mark whispered, "Fuck it," to himself before unlocking the door and entering in his home.

"Hey Mom," He yelled.

"Hey Mark!" His mom yelled back, coming out of the kitchen. He looked at his mom, seeing her kind eyes and her messy shirt, which he predicted was due to cooking. "How's Taeyong?"

"Good. I'm going to drop my bag off and I'll come back down soon. Is dad home?"

"Yeah honey, he's in the bathroom. He'll be out by the time you come back down."

Mark didn't want to be dramatic, but to him this felt like the only moment he would have before shit hit the fan.

"Thanks mom. Love you." Mark smiled at his mom.

"Love you too, bun."

Mark made his way up the stairs into his room.

His room was painfully boring. It was a small, white room, with all the things necessary, such as a desk, dresser, and more. The only signs of Mark's personality was the guitar in the corner of the room and basketball awards on top of his dresser.

Mark grabbed an empty bag he could use. In case things went south, he wanted to be able to at least have some of his stuff with him when he would leave for Taeyong's place.

He stuffed some clothes, his laptop, and chargers. He took pictures of him and his family and friends. Mark stared at the picture of him, his mom, and dad that they took when they went on vacation last year. The three smiled big at the camera. Mark felt tears form in his eyes when he realized that this could lead to the potential downfall of his family.

Mark felt guilty. His older brother, Johnny, already had some problems with his parents. As soon as he turned a legal age, he had left the household and moved to Korea. Occasionally, Mark would text him, catching up and asking how he's doing. Johnny would always answer back, which Mark was grateful for. He loved his older brother and was worried Johnny would hate him, even though Mark never really knew what happened with Johnny.

"Mark! Come down before dinner gets cold!" His mom yelled from downstairs.

"Coming!" He wiped the tears that fell down his face, when did those fall?

Mark took a deep breath and went down. Mark dropped his bag by the staircase. Making his way to the dining table, he sat in the seat across from his mom while his dad sat at the end of the table.

"Hey dad,"

"Hey champ."

The family ate dinner and chatted, as they always did. His mom talked about the annoying customer at work, dad talked about the new business proposal, and Mark felt like throwing up the whole time.

"Honey? Are you alright? You've been quiet the whole dinner," His mom asked, worried.

"Yeah. I'm just, just stressed."

"Stressed? About what, son?" His dad asked, having the same worried expression as his mom.

Now, with having both worried stares faced at him, Mark felt like he couldn't keep it all in.

"I'm gay." Mark said.

There was a long moment of silence, and Mark was suffocating.

"Anyone going to say anything?" He forced out a laugh, not wanting the silence to go on for any longer.

"You don't know what you're saying, son. Stupid technology is teaching the youth the wrong things these day-" His dad started.

"No, I do know what I'm saying. I know you have a problem with this and that's why I didn't want to tell you, but I want to start being honest with myself a-"

"Enough!" His dad yelled, slamming his fists on the table. "I will not accept a gay son."

Mark felt bile build up from the back of his throat, "Well, then looks like I'm not your son anymore." He stood up, the chair screeching as it was pushed back. "Thanks for dinner. I'll get going now."

Before he could leave, his dad held onto his wrist, "And where do you think you're going? You are going to stay here and we are going to fix you."

"Fuck off." He forcibly removed his wrist from his dads grip, and he heard his mom gasp, "There is nothing for you to fix. I don't know why you feel this way about gay people, but I don't want to be living here if this is how you'll act around me now. I'm still your son, I'm still your Mark."

"Honey, maybe you should sit back down, and we'll talk it out." His mom pleaded.

"You're going to make me feel like shit for something I cannot control. It's funny how you're letting this affect our family. It's funny how after losing your first son, you're so willing to lose your second." Mark scoffed at the end.

"Fuck off with your homophobic ass. Fuck off." He shoved his finger in his dads chest.

Mark grabbed his bag by the staircase and left, slamming the door.

Mark made his way down the street to Taeyong's. Realizing he lost his family, he cried. He cried, and cried, and cried.

When Mark somehow made it to the house, he knocked on the door. Taeyong opened the door and at the sight of the younger with tear streaks down his face, he pulled Mark into a hug.

"It's okay, Mark," He whispered, "it's going to be okay."

Mark sobbed harder into Taeyong's shoulder, gripping Taeyong's shirt as if it was his lifeline, as if, if he let go, he'd fall.

Mark went to bed that night, feeling empty and cold.