Chapter 43

It's been two days since Haejin got discharged, and according to her members, she isn't doing any better.

She's constantly locking herself inside her room. She's not eating. She's not talking to anyone— even Mark nor Jisung and Chenle.

Ever since they broke up, she haven't talked to anyone.

She's alone in her room, looking at their pictures in her phone. She smiled bitterly. The picture of them she posted on her account last month was the topic on the internet for a few weeks. It gained a lot of attention to the point that it has already surpassed 3 million likes.

"How is Haejin?" Mark asked Eunji.

Eunji sighed and shook her head, "She's not doing any better, oppa. We really need your help in convincing her to leave her room."

"What?"

"You're the only person who can talk to her. She won't listen to any of us.." Eunji said, looking down.

"Alright, I'll talk to her, okay?" Mark said, rushing towards Haejin's room.

Mark knocked, and he's starting to get goosebumps since he couldn't hear anything inside Haejin's room.

"Haejin-ah? It's Mark... Can we talk?" Mark didn't get any response, so he assumed that it's okay for him to go inside.

He opened the door, and surprisingly, her room was in total order. She was lying down, her eyes red. She was looking at nothingness.

Mark sighed and closed the door, "Hi, Haejin-ah..." He approached her.

Haejin looked at him, "Hi, Mark..." She smiled weakly.

Mark sat on her bed, "How are you feeling?"

"I don't know... I don't want to feel anything..." Haejin said, sitting down, her elbow on her knees, supporting her head.

Mark sighed, "Don't be like that, okay? Come on, let's go out. What do you want to do?" He asked.

"I'll just stay here..." Haejin said. "I don't want to go anywhere."

"Please, you need to go out. Eunji told me that you never left the room. Have you eaten? They told me that you're not eating." Mark said.

"What? Lies. I'm eating." Haejin said, looking away.

"When did you eat your last meal?" Mark aksed.

"A-At the hospital..." She answered silently.

"Hospital? See?! Haejin-ah, that was two days ago! You haven't eaten for two days! Come on, take a bath and we'll go out, we'll do anything you like." Mark said.

"No buts, Haejin. You better move. Or I'm telling Jinhyung."

Haejin sighed and complied. Mark smiled when Haejin followed what he said.

He sighed and left Haejin's room.

"What did she say?" Eunji asked.

"I suggest you don't talk to her yet. We're going outside, don't worry, she's fine." Mark smiled.

Eunji sighed with relief, "Oh thank goodness! I thought she was going to kill herself!" She said.

"She won't do it, she'll never." Mark said.

A few moments later, Haejin finally went outside and the members were in shock when they finally saw her.

They were about to ask her a lot of questions, but they remembered that Mark told them not to talk to her yet.

"Let's go?" Mark asked.

Haejin nodded.

****

They were at the park, strolling. Mark just brought her there since it's an open place, so she could breathe properly.

"How are you feeling?" Mark asked.

"Hurt, but fine. I'll be fine." She said, smiling weakly.

"Yah, we're not wearing any disguises. Act properly, people might see you crying." Mark said, stopping when he saw that Haejin was crying again.

"Who gives a damn? I don't." Haejin chuckled.

"I do. People might think that I was the one who hurt you." Mark said, wiping her tears.

"Do you still love him?" Mark asked.

Haejin looked down and slowly nodded, "I do.. I really do..."

"Then why did you broke up with him?" Mark asked.

"We're better off without each other." She answered with a sigh.

****

They were eating, and for the nth time today, Haejin was zoning out.

"Oppa... I'm planning to go back to Canada..." She said, sighing.

Mark's eyes widened. Hell no! The plan might not work! "What? Y-You mean... you're leaving Girls' Avenue?" He said, and he's mentally praying that she'll say no.

Haejin shook her head, Mark sighed in relief. "I'm just gonna take a vacation. Plus, we don't have any schedules. I also miss Jinhyung-oppa, eomma and appa.." She said.

"Are you sure about that? Or are you just running away from everything?" Mark asked.

"You know that I don't want to run away from my problems, but please, let me. Just this one.." She said, looking down.

Mark sighed, "When are you planning to leave?"

"Next week..." She said.

****

"Haejin's planning to go to Canada." Mark said, entering Dream's dorm.

"What?" Renjun asked, not believing what he's hearing.

"I basically took her out earlier since she's not doing any better. She didn't eat for two straight days." Mark said, rubbing his temples.

Jisungn scoffed, "Talk about Haejin, hyung. There's also someone who's eyes are bloodshot." He said, sighing.

"How's Jaemin?" Mark asked.

"Not doing good, but better." Renjun asked.

"Have you guys talked to him?" Mark asked.

"Jisung did." Jeno shrugged.

"What did he say?" Mark asked.

"Hyung keeps on saying that he misses Haejin. He also wanted to talk to her, but I said that Haejin is not with me." Jisung answered.

"Oh boy, what do I have to do to these two?" Mark sighed.

****

The next day, they pleaded— more like dragged Jaemin out of the dorm.

"Yah, where are we going?" jaemin asked them.

"Just chill, hyung. We'll just stay at the practice room." Chenle said.

Once they arrived, the rest of NCT were shocked upon seeing Jaemin's devastated look.

"Yah, Jaemin-ah, what happened to you?!" Taeyong said, immediately rushing towards him.

"Hyung, I'm okay." Jaemin answered.

"You don't look okay to me." Taeyong said.

"Have you been crying for the past two days?" Taeil asked him.

He looked down.

"Jaemin-ah, you're not like that. Come on, where's our positivity angel?" Johnny asked, patting his back.

Jaemin wanted to hide the smile that crept out of his face. What Johnny told him made him smile.

"We told you, right? We'll help you." Jaehyun said.