The ringing yet again cut to that stupid robotic voice telling him to leave a message.
Mark was sick of hearing it; he wanted to hear Jackson instead. He wished the younger would pick up.
He stayed on the line and listened to the robot give her few lines, waiting for the high pitched tone to pierce his eardrums for the eight time.
Or maybe it was more; Mark wasn't counting how many calls to the same number he had made.
"Jackson, we still need to talk. Please come back. I'm sorry."
He let out a shaky breath, his eyes welling up yet again.
"I miss you."
He quickly hung up before he said anything else cheesy, allowing a few tears to roll down his cheeks. He'd already done most of his crying though, he was too tired to continue, especially after having to hold it in during class.
He quickly wiped away the tears and looked down at his phone that displayed Jackson's contact. His thumb hung over the word "Call" as he debated on whether or not he should keep harassing Jackson like this.
The younger probably put his phone on 'Do Not Disturb' or something, but if that was the case, then Mark found no point in continuing to blow up his phone. He obviously had no intention of answering.
He groaned in frustration, throwing the device across his bed. He felt like the biggest moron on Earth. How could he ruin something so good in his life?
His chest ached thinking about Jackson, especially while being drowned in his sheets and scent that filled the room, along with being surrounded by his clothes and other belongings that littered the room; reminders of Jackson just everywhere. A reminder of the person he had carelessly hurt for his own benefits.
It was upsetting to think about. Mark didn't want to think about it. He needed to get some air, it felt way too stuffy in their small dorm.
He was able to drag himself off the bed and out of the dorm, shuffling down the hallway to the exit. His chest tightened as he passed by Jinyoung's room; knowing that behind that wooden door were the two innocent people who had gotten hurt because of him. He had to rush by, else he would start crying again.
He stepped out of the dorm building into the fresh air, taking a breath of the cool afternoon breeze that blew through campus. He mindlessly walked anywhere, no plan of where he was going; he just needed to kill time and spend it thinking about something else.
But ignoring his thoughts about Jackson was nearly impossible, so he thought about Jackson the majority of his walk.
He eventually found himself on a desolate path with no students littered about. Just empty. Aside from a figure sitting on a bench in the distance.
Mark planned on just passing through, but as he drew closer, he recognized the person who sat with their legs folded under them while writing something down.
Jarbum happened to glance up just as Mark was walking by. His brows rose as he watched the elder approach, a smile growing on his lips. He obviously had no idea what had happened.
"Hey Mark. How did things go-" Jaebum cut himself off as Mark approached and he was able to take a closer look at the elder. "...you look awful."
"I'm fine." Mark replied, keeping his head down to hide his puffy eyes and drab complexion.
Jaebum shook his head. "Don't lie. Come here."
The younger patted the empty space beside him, the invitation waiting for Mark to take it. The elder stared at the seat for a few seconds before sighing and complying, lowering himself next to the roomate of one of the people who currently wanted nothing to do with him.
