Howdy!

I have officially downloaded TikToc just for the reason of watching TikTocs...

I really don't know what I have done with my life, but it's cool

Enjoy the new chapter, btw!

Vote and Comment!

AKD

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Mark pulled up at a red light, glancing over at Donghyuck who was biting his lip nervously and looking out the window.

"You alright?" Mark asked, looking at him.

"I should've gone with the dress pants and the baby pink top, right?" Donghyuck asked, fidgeting with his hands, "I don't think this outfit is 'meet your family appropriate'."

He sighed, "Donghyuck, you changed six times! Your clothes aren't going to matter to them."

"I just want them to like me," he said softly.

"You're starting to sound like a real boyfriend," Mark told him, looking back at the traffic light that had just turned green.

"To them I am." Donghyuck reminded him.

"About that," Mark said, his voice turning serious, "My family can never find out that this relationship is fake. They mean everything to me and they can never find out that I lied to them like this."

"Yeah, I totally get it," Donghyuck told him.

"We're going to have to really sell this."

"Is there anything about them I should know?" Donghyuck asked.

Mark pulled up to the driveway and turned the engine off, sighing. "They're...very affectionate."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Donghyuck laughed, looking at Mark. That laugh died down when he saw that Mark wasn't laughing along. "What?"

"They're very touchy-feely," Mark said.

"Okay? And?"

"We need a codeword just in case you feel uncomfortable or need saving," He said, thinking out loud.

"I'm sure I won't need one," Donghyuck said.

"It's better to have it and not need it than not have it and need it."

"That's deep," Donghyuck said, holding back a laugh.

"What about 'potato'?" Mark said.

"Why potato?" Donghyuck asked, incredulously.

"The codeword needs to be something you can use casually in a conversation and potato just seems right."

"How am I going to even bring up potatoes in a conversation, Mark?!" Donghyuck said more than asked, "When was the last time you had a conversation and the word potato even came up in it?!"

"My cousin Jungwoo somehow manages to do it. But point taken."

"There's no need for a codeword." Donghyuck told him, "I can do this."

"I'll be right there next to you," Mark told him.

Donghyuck felt warmth course through his body and he had to stop a slight blush from appearing on his cheeks. Somehow, what mark said had comforted him yet made butterflies appear in his stomach.

But he shook away the thought.

"Thank you," Donghyuck told Mark in a soft voice, unable to meet his eyes.

"Ready?" mark asked in a comforting voice, taking hold of Donghyuck's hand and stroking the back of his hand with his thumb.

Donghyuck nodded, not able to take his eyes off their intertwined hands.

"I'll get the bags," Mark told Donghyuck, opening the car door and going to the booth.

Donghyuck took a deep breath and exited the car, going to the booth to help him.

"I got this," Mark said with a smile, reassuring him.

"What if they think I'm some spoilt actor who makes you do all the work?" Donghyuck said, taking his bag from Mark's hands, "I can take my own bag."

"Stop overthinking," Mark said with a sigh, taking the bag from him, "They're going to like you."

"Yeah, but Mark-" Donghyuck started to say but Mark cut him off.

"You're going to be fine, Donghyuck," Mark said, guiding him to the door, "My family won't bite. Trust me."

Donghyuck bit his lip nervously, hearing the sound of the doorbell echo throughout the house and making his heart beat just a little faster. "You'll be here, right?"

"I'm right next to you," Mark reassured him again, setting the bag down and holding the small of his back.

The door opened and the first thing Donghyuck saw was a man with black hair and a toothy smile.

"Mark! My boy!" he exclaimed, pulling Mark in for a big tight hug.

A pang went through Donghyuck's chest as he tried incredibly hard not to think about the last time he got a hug from his parents. He almost scoffed at how pathetic he was being but he held it in, simply smiling at the sweet exchange.

"Dad," Mark said and Donghyuck could hear the smile from his voice as he tried not to be embarrassed by the exchange, "We have guests."

"Oh, sorry," His Dad said, pulling away from him and looking at Donghyuck, "I'm sorry about that. It's just that we're all so excited to have him back home."

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Lee! I completely understand," Donghyuck said with a polite smile, "It's very nice to meet you! I'm Don-"

"Lee Donghyuck," Mr. Lee said with a smile, "I know. We've heard a lot about you."

"All good things I hope," Donghyuck said, looking at Mark, puzzled. Mark simply shrugged.

"Please come in!" Mr. Lee said, holding the door open.

"You have a beautiful home, Mr. Lee," Donghyuck said, looking around in awe.

The home wasn't big but it wasn't small either. Donghyuck could tell immediately that it was a home and not a house; there was so much warmth and love in here, Donghyuck tried not to get jealous.

"Thank you, son," Mr. Lee said with a smile, "Please, call me Dave ."

Donghyuck simply smiled.

"Is everyone else here yet, Dad?" Mark asked, setting the bags near the foot of the stairs.

"They're in the backyard," Dave said, "Why don't you two go get freshened up and then greet everyone."

"We'll be back," Mark said, grabbing their bags before he started to go up the stairs.

"Oh, Mark?" His dad called out, making him stop mid-step.

"Yeah, Dad?" He asked, turning to face him.

"It's alright if Donghyuck and you sleep in the same room, right?"

"What?" Mark asked, almost losing grip of the bag. "I thought he was sleeping with Jungwoo?"

"That was before your cousin Kun decided to come," His dad told him and then asked, "Is something the matter?"

"No," Mark sighed, "He can sleep in my room too."

"Great!" His dad said with a grin, "I'll see you in a minute."

Mark and Donghyuck walked into his room. Donghyuck stood awkwardly in the middle of the room while Mark closed the door behind them.

"So, uhh, this is my room," Mark said, dropping the bags at the foot of his bed, scratching his neck awkwardly.

"It's not at all what I pictured it," Donghyuck said honestly, looking around at the seemingly normal room.

A double bed was propped up against the wall, adjacent to that was a long wooden desk with a black roller chair and a shelf of messy, unorganized books next to it. In one corner of the room was a television with a PlayStation attached to it.

"What were you expecting?" Mark asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Exo posters and maybe a radio and a black book hidden somewhere," Donghyuck answered honestly.

"One out of three of those things are in here," Mark teased.

"My guess is the black book," Donghyuck said, crossing his arms.

"Who uses black books anymore?" Mark scoffed, "We've digitalized. What era are you living in?"

"I don't see a radio anywhere," Donghyuck said, looking around again.

"That's because we all have speakers now," Mark said, walking to his cupboard and opening it to reveal an Exo poster on the inside.

"From middle school?" Donghyuck asked, walking towards the cupboard, surveying his shirts and the poster that hung on the door.

"High school too," Mark admitted, standing next to Donghyuck.

Donghyuck tried to hold back a smile but failed.

"What is it?" Mark asked smiling at how infectious Donghyuck's smile was, "Why are you smiling?"

"I was just imagining a middle school version of you walking around with Exo blasting and a black book in your hands," he said, sniggering.

"Hey! I was quite the ladies man back then!"

"I'm sure you were, you dork," Donghyuck laughed, making Mark laugh along with him until silence filled the room.

"Hey, I'm sorry about the whole sleep situation. I know I promised that we would be sleeping in separate rooms but-" Mark started to say but got cut off by Donghyuck.

"I mean you did also promise to be by my side the entire time," Donghyuck said trying to reassure him.

Mark let out a little laugh before telling Donghyuck, "Just don't expect me to do that tonight."

"Damn it!" Donghyuck joked, "What's the point of me coming then?"

"The point is that you don't come," Mark punned.

"Shut up!" Donghyuck said, pushing Mark's shoulder, "Let's go get ready."

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Saturday, September 14, 2019

I start tutoring on Monday again...

I'm gonna be making 10 euros an hour!

I'm happy!