Chapter 11

"Told her what?!" Mark stomped his foot angrily. "Noona, I made it clear! Do not tell Eunmi! But why did you?!" He shouted.

"Yah, Mark. She's still older than you. Are you out of your mind?!" Taeil warned Mark, who was causing a scene at the cafeteria.

Mark sat on his chair and rubbed his temples, "I told each and everyone of you... not to tell her..."

"Mark-hyung, sorry..." Jeno looked down and apologized.

Taeyong sighed, "What happened anyways, Mark? You can tell us instead of throwing your rage here." He looked at his brother.

Mark sighed and closed his eyes, "I screwed up, hyung. Big time."

"What did she say?" Seulgi asked.

"She told me that I treat her differently everyday, and I must say it's true. I know it myself." He sat properly and rested his chin on the table. "Jaehyun and Taeyong-hyung kept on telling me to stay away from her so that no one would get hurt. I should have listened to them before. Unlike now, everything's just so..."

He sighed, "Complicated."

Jaehyun stood up and patted Mark's back. "Now that she already knows, I don't see why you two should still stay away from each other."

"But hyung, I screwed up."

"We'll help you!" Irene chanted.

Mark smiled, "Noona, I'm sorry about earlier."

"No biggie, Mark." Irene smiled.

"We'll help you get her." Taeyong stood up. "Well that is, if the brother approves." He looked at Jaehyun.

"Who am I to say no?" Jaehyun said, ruffling Mark's hair.

"Where is Eunmi anyway?" Yeri asked.

"You don't know?" Mark was surprised, and he started to become worried. He turned towards Lucas, who was her seatmate.

The latter shrugged, "She didn't come back."

"Wait what? B-But she... she left the locker room before me... when I t-talked to her..."

"Oh no, this ain't good." Taeyong panicked. "Why don't we spread out and look for her?"

Just then, Winwin entered the cafeteria, panting.

"Sicheng!" Taeyong called him. "Are you alright? Where have you been?"

"H-Hyung... Eunmi... she..." Winwin sat on a chair and Jisung handed him a bottle of water. He drank and continued talking, "She fainted... she's with R-Renjun right now... at the garden..."

The moment Mark heard where she is, he immediately rushed towards the garden, only to see her lying on the ground, and Renjun looking after her. He was also panicking.

"Renjun-ah!" He yelled.

The younger looked at Mark and waved his hand, as if he was saying that he was there.

Mark rushed towards them and carried Eunmi. He went towards the clinic.

The nurse was shocked to see Mark with a panicked expression. "Mark Lee?" She almost freaked out when she saw Eunmi in his arms.

"Jung Eunmi?! Oh God, put her here!" She pointed at the bed.

Mark sat on a nearby chair and watched the nurse examine her. He sighed, nothing's wrong with her, right?

"Mark!" Jaehyun entered the room.

The others entered the room too. Luckily, the clinic was big enough for all of them.

"Winwin, how did you know that Eunmi was there?" Jaehyun asked.

"I was walking with Renjun since he accompanied me to go to our classroom, which was in the building across the garden. We saw Eunmi standing in front of the well." Winwin explained. "Renjun called her so that she could walk with us on our way to the cafeteria. Then she suddenly fainted."

***

"Nothing's wrong with her. She's just stressed out." The school doctor said. "If you don't have any concerns, I'll get going now. She'll wake up when she gets enough energy. Don't worry." She smiled at them and left them alone, the nurse following her.

Mark sat on a chair and sighed, "What the heck happened? Woojae-hyung, is she always like this?" He asked.

Jaehyun slowly shook his head. "It's just now that this happened to her. Maybe she was really stressed out and tired that's why this happened to her?" He looked at his sister who was sleeping.

"I just noticed that we're all here and we skipped classes." Taeyong looked around, starting to do a head count to double check if they were all there.

"That doesn't matter, hyung." Lucas laughed. "Chenle is with us anyways." He looked at Chenle who rolled his eyes at him.

Chenle has a strong connection with the school. If by chance you did anything wrong, as long you'd stick with him, you'll be fine. He's Zhong Chenle after all.

They all noticed that Mark was silent. His hands were clasped and he was looking at the sleeping form of the girl.

Mark stood up and pulled his chair and placed it beside Eunmi's chair. He sighed and gently held her hand so that she wouldn't wake up.

"Yah, I'm sorry..." He whispered. "It's my fault that you're like this..." He sighed. "I should have told you earlier instead of keeping it away from you..."

***

Eunmi's eyes adjusted to the light. The first things she saw when she woke up was her friends inside the room resting like they were the ones who fainted, and Mark holding her hand while they were both asleep.

"M-Mark...?" She asked, her words slurred.

Doyoung looked at her and tapped Kun's shoulder to get his attention. He pointed at Eunmi who was shocked to see Mark seated beside her bed while holding her hand.

"Taeyong-hyung..." Kun called Taeyong's attention.

The latter looked at Eunmi who was still in shock. He stood up and patted Mark's shoulder, who slept while thinking of his excuses, as to what Jisung calls it.

Mark's eyes slowly opened and he was shocked to see him still holding her hand. He flinched and let go of her hand immediately. "I-I... can explain!"

"W-What are you doing here?" She looked away.

Taeyong gestured the others to leave the room. They all stood up and left the clinic one by one.

Yuta closed the door, and the two were left alone. Like when Mark took care of her when she was sick.

"Why are you here?" Eunmi asked, still looking at the window.

This is it, I guess.

"I'm sorry." Mark looked down. "I'm sorry if I shouted at you and treated you like that... I didn't mean it. I know that I treat you differently everyday, and I'm sorry for that..."

Eunmi wasn't responding. Mark sat on her bed which shocked her. "W-What are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry about not telling you that Jiyeon used to be my girlfriend. I'm sorry for lying." He said, holding her hand. To his surprise, she didn't pull her hand away from him.

She looked at him, "Why?"

"H-Huh?"

"I understand that you're apologizing because you shouted at me but why... why are you apologizing for not telling me that you used to date Jiyeon..."

—tbc.
short update bc y not?