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The little boy he had first met and befriended after moving to Korea has become a full-grown (handsome) man now. Mark stares at Donghyuck as the guy rides the old swing in their neighbourhood's children's playground. There are no traces of the chubby cheeks anymore, Donghyuck's jaw is now sharp and his tan skin glows more under the afternoon sun. On the other hand, Mark has always been a skinny child before which is the thing Donghyuck teases about him but then puberty happened that made him taller and gain some muscles.
After staring at his childhood best friend, Mark looks around the playground which is one of the witnesses of his and Donghyuck's friendship. He wonders if he'll be able to wander around the town knowing Donghyuck isn't there anymore when both of them have memories in every part of the place.
"How's the job at SM?" Donghyuck sits at the bench and Mark follows after him. The latter did not answer the question so he repeated it. Donghyuck realizes that Mark looks weirdly preoccupied these days. Maybe because of his work.
"It's fine. Senior producers are cool and kind to me" Mark replies but his eyes never met Donghyuck's. His sunbaenims indeed treat him well as the new producer at SM Entertainment although he did a lot of embarrassing things because of his clumsiness throughout the first week of his new job. Though he rather won't mention that to Donghyuck since it will surely be another subject for the younger's teasing against him.
Then why are you acting so weird? And can't even look straight at me? Donghyuck wants to say out loud but he opts not to.
"It's great then. I'll leave Korea without worries" Donghyuck mutters and that made Mark turn his head towards the younger. Donghyuck is now looking at the clear sky above them, finding serenity in the moving clouds.
There's a pang in Mark's heart. He really didn't want Donghyuck to go out of the country when his feelings for the younger were now crystallized. He worries because it seems like it's too late, falling in love with your best friend was harder than Mark thought.
Hell, he did not even acknowledge what he felt for Donghyuck even after all the boys Donghyuck interacted (flirted) with. There's Renjun who became the other best friend, Jeno from the bar they always go to, Jaemin, the clingy groupmate, and Sungchan who is Donghyuck's favorite hoobae on the soccer team. Mark didn't know that it was jealousy he felt before or maybe he knows, but he doesn't want to admit it to himself because he can't imagine liking Donghyuck, his one and only best friend.
Mark snorts when he realizes he can even list all of the boys Donghyuck wrapped in his fingers (which also includes him). And of course, Donghyuck didn't let that snort pass. "Why? Thinking about getting rid of me finally?"
Mark shakes his head but before he could say a word, Donghyuck cuts him off. "Now you can hook up with many guys and girls as long as you want without me teasing you. It's been a long time for you right? Oh my god, don't tell me you're still hung up on Jaehyun?" The younger one looks at him with a scandalous gaze.
"What the hell, Hyuck? I'm already over Jaehyun and he's now happy with Taeyong. Besides, I have someone I like!" It was already blurted out before Mark could stop himself. He wants to slap his mouth, for blabbing too much.
"You have someone you like and you didn't tell me? When I thought I'm your ultimate best friend but I guess I'm not. Does our 16-year friendship don't matter, Mark?" Mark rolls his eyes. Donghyuck and his dramatics. The younger fake cried and held his chest as if it's hurting.
How am I supposed to say it to you, when it's literally you. The guy I like.
"Tell me when did you meet them? Where? How? I need all the deets before I fly to Australia, Mark!" Donghyuck is now tugging his shirt, just like when they're little whenever Donghyuck wants something. Mark is already used to it even though he always ends up having disheveled hair or rumpled clothes.
"I... I like him. And I was planning to confess and... I need music right? I actually compose songs to use--"
"You composed for him?! Whoever that person is, he must be so lucky huh?" Donghyuck smirks at Mark and the older can feel the cold sweat forming on his forehead.
"Could you help me choose a song when I confess to him?"
"I thought you would never ask, Markie"
Mark ends up taking out his phone that has his compositions about a certain guy he likes. And the said guy took it and held the phone near his ear after pressing the play button. Donghyuck hums as he hears the intro of the first song and his lips form an O shape when Mark starts to sing. He immediately plays the next one after hearing the first song without giving Mark an opinion about it. When a familiar tune registers into Donghyuck's ear, he pauses the song.
"Isn't this the song we made when we were 14 and 15 years old?" Donghyuck looked at Mark and the latter nodded.
"And you finished it and plan to use it to confess?" Donghyuck added. He remembers that the song isn't really finished because they did it just for fun one night.
"Why not? The lyrics you made back then were actually pretty good and I just put some finishing touches" Mark answers.
Fucking Mark Lee. The bastard will use the song I write thinking about him to confess to a guy he likes that is not me.
Donghyuck wants to faint. He's been pining over his oblivious best friend for 7 years and he can't find the will to end it and still wait for Mark.
"What if I don't want to let you use this song?" Donghyuck looks at Mark, challenging.
"Y-you don't want to?"
Of course, I don't want it. It's our song . Donghyuck wants to scream at Mark but he has a lot of self-control not to.
"Nah. Just do whatever you want" Donghyuck can't believe that he blurts out the exact opposite of what he really feels. He must be a masochist or a martyr.
"Okay," Mark said and took out his phone from Donghyuck's hold.
In just a few minutes, the sun will get down and Donghyuck should go back to his house to finish packing his clothes for his early flight tomorrow. He would have finished packing his things now if Mark didn't insist on eating lunch together and walking around the town. And who is Donghyuck to refuse Mark? He's whipped for the guy.
"Let's now go home, Mark. I still need to finish packing and double-check if I brought everything necessary" Donghyuck stands up from the bench.
None of the two was talking while they walked side by side. The backs of their hands are brushing to each other and Mark can't help but to blush whenever it happens. On the other hand, Donghyuck fights the urge to hold Mark's hand and intertwine it to his. They sometimes hold hands while walking before, but it's now different since Donghyuck knows Mark likes someone.
Donghyuck thinks he's pathetic and Mark thinks he's like a fucking high school girl blushing profusely beside her crush.
They both stop when they are in front of Mark's house which is just right beside Donghyuck's. The younger was about to say goodbye when Mark held his arm.
"Wait, Donghyuck"
"Why?" Donghyuck suddenly feels anxious, and he doesn't even know why.
"I forgot to take out the boxes my Mom told me about. Can you help me move it out of the trunk?" Mark looks at his best friend sheepishly and Donghyuck heaves a sigh.
"You're lucky I love Auntie. This is why Auntie loves me more---" Donghyuck blabs as he walks towards the car's trunk and swiftly opens it, only to see a big teddy bear there, a fancy decoration and balloons spelling out the words I love you.
Donghyuck was beyond speechless. His eyes wandered around the decorations and saw the hanging polaroids that contain pictures of him and Mark since they were children up to now that they are both adults.
"What is this Mark?" He turns his back to look at Mark who is now holding a sketchbook, smiling at him.
Mark started to flip the sketchbook and it showed familiar handwriting. It was Mark's, Donghyuck is 100% sure about that and he can't properly breathe right now.
On that day up until now,
We've been friends for 5,844 days.
But instead of being friends,
Can we be more than that?
Tears are building up in Donghyuck's eyes. Mark walks towards him immediately when he sees the younger is about to cry, thinking about all of this as a failure. But Donghyuck meets him halfway with a hug and starts to sob.
"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you, Mark Lee" Donghyuck mutters like a mantra until it is replaced by sniffs. Mark chuckled at that, hugging Donghyuck back as if his life depends on it.
"Don't cry Hyuckie. Don't be so sad to reject me. I'll still be your best friend even if it will be awkward with just a few days... or months''
Donghyuck quickly departs from the hug, looking at Mark ridiculously after he said those words.
"Who said I'm rejecting you? It's already 5,844 and a half days, dumbass!" Donghyuck points to the sky that is dark above them, indicating that the sun already went down and basically half of the day had passed. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to see me more than your best friend?"
Mark gasps. He did not know he was this oblivious. But right now all he can think is the three words need to be out of his chest before it explodes.
"I love you Duckie" Mark whispers to Donghyuck and the younger smiles wide, acknowledging the nickname Mark gave to him when they were 8 years old.
"I love you too Minhyung" Donghyuck replies, remembering the times he called Mark his Korean name when they were little.
Both of them lean to catch each other's lips. Mark grips Donghyuck's waist as he tastes the watermelon balm Donghyuck uses. They are each other's first kiss, it was an accident actually when they were 11 and 12 years old. Back then it was just a smack, a sudden touch of the lips and both of them froze afterward. But right now, it was far away from that as Donghyuck swipes his tongue on Mark's mouth when he parted it. Mark might have elicited a moan not only because of the kiss but also because of Donghyuck's feathery touch on his body.
The harsh wind blew and that made Mark snap back to reality, realizing they were in a public place so he withdrew from the kiss. And if ever their parents saw them in that state, they will have a lot of explaining to do and Mark isn't ready for that. Now, he only wants to spend time with his boyfriend... who will leave tomorrow.
"A-are you still going to Australia?" Donghyuck lifts his head from Mark's shoulder when the older one asks the question.
"Don't ask like that as if I'm going there and I'll never go back. It's just a three-week visit to my Aunt there" The younger laughs more when Mark pouts.
"I know baby but I'll miss you," Mark said and Donghyuck giggled.
"Baby?"
"Y-yeah. Don't like it?"
"Nah. I like the sound of that"