Chapter 8

"Dreams, according to a known dictionary, is a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occuring in one's mind during sleep." Mark paused to look at their teacher.

Eunmi was watching the video on Yeri's phone. Mark was reporting alone in front. Maybe the teacher picked him because he was caught sleeping again.

"You can also dream when you're wide awake, not just when you're asleep. Your ambitions in life could also be called dreams. Dreams can have a different meaning depending on the person who will define it." Mark said, taking a bow.

Before he could take his seat, the teacher asked a question, "Mr. Lee, in your perspective, how would you define dreams?"

Mark looked down and sighed. "Dreams are images or scenarios that out mind creates. Dreams are vivid. For me, a dream can also be an ambition or a wish. For instance, you can dream about a person who you want to be with, or you could dream about a place you've never been to..." Mark said, looking around the room.

Their teacher nodded, "Mhm... in that case, is there a person, place or scenario you constantly dream about?"

Mark looked flustered, obviously, he wasn't prepared for that question. He grinned sheepishly, as his cheeks turned to a light shade of pink. "M-My dream isn't here, though. She's... sick.."

Yeri threw her phone on the couch and squealed as she hit Eunmi's arm repeatedly.

"He likes you, he likes you, HE LIKES YOU!!!" Yeri said, still screaming.

The other girl flinched, "Yah, can you calm down for a while?!"

When the other calmed down, Eunmi sighed. "Yeri-yah, it could mean a lot of things..." She said.

Yeri raised a brow, "Oh yeah, like what?"

"I'm sure he's not referring to me... I-I'm probably not the only one who isn't around... or if that's the case, m-maybe that person belongs to nother class or school..." She looked down.

Yeri held her hand and sighed, "You're hurting... are you alright?"

Eunmi looked at her and forced a smile, "Don't mind me, I'm fine..."

"You like him, do you?" Yeri asked.

The other hesitantly nodded, "I've grown to like him... for a short period of time..." She chuckled bitterly, "Does it even make sense? Is that even possible?"

Yeri hugged her, "Shhhh, it's fine... of course it's possible... in love, nothing's impossible." Yeri broke from the hug to see her friend wiping her tears. "Yah, don't cry..."

***

(this was before Eunmi told Yeri that she likes Mark)

"Mark, can you call the two upstairs? It's dinner." Jaehyun said, ordering Mark to call Yeri and Eunmi who were talking inside her room.

He was about to knock on the door, but Yeri suddenly talked.

"You're hurting... are you alright?" Mark was holding the door knob, but not too tight for it to shake. He knew that Yeri was referring to Eunmi.

He's wondering why she's hurt.

"Don't mind me, I'm fine..." He heard Eunmi say.

It breaks his heart to hear her voice like that. Weak and devastated.

Mark closed his eyes and turned around, heading towards the bathroom. He looked at the mirror and stared at himself.

He sighed and whispered, "You know, Mark? Eunmi is right... you treat her good the first day, and treat her shit the next day. Heck, you don't deserve her..."

He scoffed, "I should just follow Jaehyun-hyung and Taeyong-hyung's advices. If they want me to stay away from her, then... okay, I guess?"

He stepped out of the bathroom and went towards Eunmi's room. He took a deep breath before knocking. "Yeri-yah, Eunmi! Hyungs are already calling you! It's dinner." He said, trying to sound okay.

Knowing that the two heard him, he went downstairs and proceeded towards the dining room.

He sat beside Jisung who was already eating, and across two blank chairs in which he assumes, belongs to Yeri and Eunmi who were still upstairs.

"Oh, Eunmi-noona, are you fine now?" The youngest asked.

Eunmi nodded and smiled at Jisung, "Mhm, feeling better now." She said, referring to Mark, who took care of her earlier.

But the latter wasn't looking at her, he was too engrossed in eating. He didn't even spare Eunmi a glance.

She started to wonder why, why is Mark avoiding her again? After all the things that he told her, here they are... back to square one.

Jisung, Yeri, Taeyong and Jaehyun noticed the heavy atmosphere, especially between the two, who weren't talking to each other.

Taeyong and Jaehyun are used to the two's bickering everyday, and them not bickering is unusual.

"Yeri-yah, why do you seem so quiet?" Jaehyun asked Yeri, although the girl knows who Jaehyun is really referring to.

Jisung looked at his hyung, then to Yeri. "Yeah, I noticed, Yeri-noona..."

Eunmi looked at everyone with confusion, while Mark could only roll his eyes.

He knows that Jaehyun was referring to him and Eunmi.

***

After the awkward dinner, Eunmi went to her room and sat on her bed. She stared at the wall for a couple of minutes then sighed, wondering what's wrong.

She lied down and looked at the ceiling, recalling her and Mark's conversation earlier.

She also remembered how Yeri fangirled in front of her, and it was because of the two of them.

***

It was Saturday and Eunmi got nothing to do. She suddenly remembered about their rehearsal for the program.

She face-palmed, not wanting to see Mark for a while.

"Oppa, I'm going to Mark's house..." She said, standing up from the couch.

Jaehyun raised a brow, "Why?"

"Oppa, we have a practice... and even if I don't want to see him, do I look like I have a choice...?" She sighed.

"Wow, did you two actually fought?" Jaehyun asked.

Although he was pretty sure that the two were fighting yesterday, because they weren't talking to each other, or in his vocabulary, bickering.

She shrugged, "I don't know... as if something's with us anyways." She scoffed.

Jaehyun could hear the hurt in Eunmi's voice. He had warned her a lot of times, and yet she didn't listen. He sighed, "Do you like him?"

"I swear, I don't even know right now..." She shook her head.

Jaehyun sat down, and pulled her sister to seat beside him. "Eunmi-yah, it's impossible that you don't know. You know it, but you just keep on denying it." He sighed, then continued. "I warned you, but of course you won't listen."

"Why do you not want me near him, anyways?" Eunmi asked.

Jaehyun looked away, "You know Eunmi, there are some things that are best left in the past, and best left unanswered and forgotten."

Jaehyun stood up and went to the kitchen, leaving his sister dumbounded.

"Go, and be back before dinner." Jaehyun said, shouting from the kitchen.

***

She was standing in front of the gate, thinking whether to ring the doorbell or not.

Ah, screw it!

She pressed the doorbell, and patiently waited for someone to open it.

After a couple of moments, the door opened, and Taeyong stepped out of the house. "Oh, Eunmi. What brings you here?" He said, opening the gate, and letting the girl in.

"Oppa, is Mark here?" She asked.

"Why?" Taeyong asked, surprised.

"What do you mean 'why?'" She asked again.

"Why are you looking for my brother?"

"Oppa, we have to practice. He told me before leaving yesterday." She said.

Taeyong nodded, "He's in his music room. You know where it is, right?"

The girl nodded. She thanked him and rushed towards the music room. She passed by the shelf which has the picture frames and trophies Mark owned.

She stopped to look at the frames, like what she did the first time she went here. She noticed that there was an empty spot in one of the areas.

She raised a brow, sure that something was there the first time she got here.

She closed her eyes and tried to recall what picture it was, but then her head stared to ache. She just shrugged the thought off and went towards the door.

"Mark, it's me, Eunmi..." She said, knocking.

Mark, on the other hand, was busy scribbling some notes on his notebook. "Come in."

He looked at the door to see Eunmi. He suddenly remembered the practice that he had told her.

"What are you doing?" She asked, sitting on the swivel chair.

"None of your business." He said as he turned his focus back to scribbling notes.

Eunmi sighed, there they go again.

"You're hopeless..." Eunmi muttered under her breath, and she swears, she really need to control her mouth from blurting things that should only be thoughts.

"What?" Mark looked at her who was looking down. "I'm hopeless? Do you know what I've been through? Do you know what happened before? No, right?" He scoffed.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered.

Mark looked at her as she wiped her eyes. Is she crying...?

"W-Why did I bother going here anyways?" She said, standing up, and bowing.

She opened the door and accidentally knocked the trash bin behind it. She glanced at it and saw a lot of crumpled papers. She rushed outside and slammed the door.

Mark looked at the door as he sighs. He regrets not biting his tongue earlier. He should have been careful about everything that he said.

He went towards the bin that Eunmi accidentally knocked over earlier. He bent down and picked up the crumpled pieces of paper and threw them back to the bin.

He put the bin in its proper place and noticed that there was still something lying on the ground.

It was a picture frame.

He lifted it up and stared at it for a while. He smiled bitterly. "Ah, it's been a while."

***

"Eunmi? Where are you going?" Taeyong looked at her who was rushing down the stairs. "...and why are you crying?"

Eunmi stopped on her tracks and wiped her tears away. Taeyong placed his hands on her shoulder and turned her around, he saw her crying. "Yah, why are you crying? Did you and my brother fight?"

She shook her head. "N-no... a-and it's my fault... he's kinda mad..."

Taeyong sighed, "You know, Mark can't stand girls cry because of him." He smiled at her.

She looked at him, "But I'm an exemption?"

—tbc.
Hello, guys! Enjoy the rest of your holidays! Don't forget to eat lots of food and stay hydrated. Have fun! I love you, lovelees!