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Ever since five, Mark's Mom would always tell him that he's been guided by an angel named Haechan. Even though he cannot see him by his face, Haechan will always be the sunkissed, auburn colored hair boy in Mark's mind. He sometimes draw him on his sheets of papers and paste it to his album full of different stick-figures of his friend.
Whenever Mark is alone, he always draw Haechan to make him happy. He always practice to draw from stick figures into something more-like human (in his opinion). He always stick it into his album but this time, he stick it into his wall.
"Haechan-ah.. Where are you?" A seven year old Mark called out when he saw that the drawing he made was missing. He looked everywhere he could possibly look at but the perfect drawing of his friend is really missing. He was about to cry when a voice answered him from behind.
"I'm here, Mark!" Mark shivered. A sun-kissed boy with auburn hair and heart shaped lips appeared right in front of him. He's wearing a green jumpsuit, round glasses and red shoes which is exactly alike to what he had drawn. "You're.. human?" Little Mark asked in confusion but the boy standing in front of him gave him a cheeky grin.
"You need a playmate, right? I'm here now, Mark." And they did played.
And played.
And played.
Not only that, Haechan became Mark's bestfriend.
More than just a playmate.
Haechan was there when Mark needs to transfer school. Haechan was there when Mark needs braces. Haechan was there when Mark found out that his Mom is ill and that she needs to be treated out of the country. Haechan joined Mark when Mark and his family went to Canada. Haechan was there when Mark's mother died in cancer. Haechan was there when Mark had to go back to Korea. Haechan was there when Mark finally went to middle school and study. Haechan was there when Mark got new friends from school. Haechan was there when Mark graduated middle school. Haechan was there when Mark is so scared to enter high school and tried to comfort him that it's okay. Haechan was there when Mark had his first day of classes in high school and meet new good friends. Haechan was there when Mark is having a crush on a girl named Soojung. Haechan was there to tell Mark to man up and confess. Haechan was there when Mark had his first kiss. Haechan was there to comfort Mark when he and his girlfriend broke up. Haechan was there when Mark told him that he's going to graduate.
Haechan was always there for him but his visibility is slowly fading away.
I guess, he don't need me anymore. Haechan thought and went back to his own place.
One day before Mark's eighteenth birthday, Mark woke up with a piece of drawing sheet fell on his face. He scanned the whole drawing and he recognized it as his very first humane drawing of Haechan. He smiled at the thought of his bestfriend and called him out to see him. But, the figure didn't show up and this made Mark worry.
On the day before his birthday, Mark called Haechan again. This time, he's crying. He clutched the sheet of paper into his heart and cried his heart out. "Don't leave me, Haechan, please?" But no figure of Haechan could be seen anywhere.
His birthday came so early for him that he woke up at two in the morning. He felt someone backhugging him and he turned around to look at that person. He was surprised and happy to see his bestfriend, Haechan smiling all sweetly with more mature image of him.
"I missed you." Mark whispered and Haechan just smiled.
"Please don't leave me." Mark pleaded but Haechan removed his hands from his waist.
"I'm sorry, Mark. But I have to leave." Haechan told him but Mark shook his head to disapprove. "Please, don't."
"I can't stay here anymore."
"But why?"
"You don't need me anymore."
"That's not true. I need you more." Mark sat up from his position to face Haechan, who is also in his sitting position. He grabbed his bestfriend's cheeks and pulled him into a sweet kiss. "I love you, Haechan. I can't stand it if you leave me."
"But I can't. I'm not real." Haechan told him and this made Mark's eyes wide.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm just always here in your head, Mark. I'm not real." Mark denied it and clutched his head. Haechan's visibility is slowly fading away which Mark cried in panic. "Don't leave me, Haechan.. please?"
"I'm sorry, Mark but you need to grow up." Haechan left Mark permanently.
Five years later, Mark became famous author of the book "Here's To Never Growing Up". It is about a boy who is afraid of growing up only to find that he needs to for him to make a better person.
He was holding a fansigning event when a sheet of drawing like he drew when he was seven years old appeared on his table.
"Can you sign this one for me please?" Mark cannot believe at what he had seen. His auburn hair, his sun-kissed skin, his beautiful heartshaped lips and his cute little glasses..
"Sure. What is your name?"
"Just write To Donghyuck. Lee Donghyuck." Mark did signed and also wrote his number.
"Just in case.." Mark said in defense but the auburn hair smiled sweetly at him.
"... Just in case that I need you someday? Thank you. I'll definitely call you." The auburn haired man winked at him.
Mark swore that his heart bursted after that.