Different Lives {Slow Updates}

Chapter 4

They continued pursuing me as I crossed a a green light, cars honking as they found it weird for a girl and four buff men in suits running across the street. Mark was no where to be seen but my phone continued to vibrate in my pocket.

Sorry Mark, I'll explain later... Deep down, I knew it wasn't good to keep secrets from people but then again, this was something big. I ran into a park where there were people walking their dogs and immediately I lost the men as they intervened with the dog owners. I jumped into a nearby white Sedan and sighed, my heart pounding at 150bpm.

"So they found you," Taejun stated, driving down Hongdae.

"Not only that," I sucked in a load full of air, "I was with one of my friends when it happened."

"Just tell them it was loan sharks or something believable," he briefly looked at me before staring back ahead, "we can't get your friends involved, its enough already having the North Korean government after you."

I took out my phone.

36 missed calls from Mark
15 messages from Mark
18 messages from JB
9 missed calls from Bam Bam
22 messages from Jackson

I bit my lip and slid the Samsung Galaxy S4 back into my pocket. Tae's right, I can't get any of my friends involved. Especially not Mark, Jackson or Bam Bam, their families are overseas.

"Hey short-stack, smile a little." I looked up at Taejun who offered me his cup of coffee, "If they're truly your friends, they'd at least be able to take one lie right?"

But I told one too many already.

I inhaled before unlocking the door to my house, ready to be bombarded with questions. Instead, I was engulfed into hugs and wet tears that soaked my shirt.

"Oh gosh we were so worried," JB was the first to pull back, eyebrows knotted as his eyes gave off that sincere look. "You don't know how long we've been waiting for you to come home."

"When Mark explained what happened we all were fired up," Jackson explained with slightly red eyes. The two younger ones continued to hug me, sobbing and drowning in their tears.

"Sorry for making you worry," I patted Yugyeom's back and pinched Bam Bam's cheek.

"Mark's out looking for you," said Youngjae and I immediately sprung up, "he hasn't came back yet." Putting on my shoes, I ran out of the house in desperation.

It was raining, and the night sky was a deep dark blue hue, thunder clouds blocked the moon from appearing. Mark where are you? I stood under a tree for a brief moment and sent him a text but got no response. I ran around, calling out his name but the sound of the pouring rain and thunder drowned it out.

It was almost midnight and the others texted me to come home but I couldn't, the guilt deep down in my heart wouldn't let me. I wanted to cry, frustrated by how fast time was passing by yet no progress was being made.

"Skylar...!" a faint yell came from behind me. Turning around, I saw a dampened Mark, calling out for me in worry.

"MARK!" I ran up to him, embracing him while crying. "I'm so, so sorry."

I could feel his arms tighten, "Damn it, where were you? I was worried sick!" I could hear the crack in his voice. "I went looking for you after those men came. I told everyone and they were so scared, Bam-"

"I know and I'm really sorry." I cut him off. "Can... Can we please just go home?"