Marking Issues | Kang Mira

He's going to leave a mark.

My hands have snuck up to Yeonjun's chest, gripping his hair tightly as I exhale on his neck. The man has me enveloped in his arms; and me being a fragile mess over him like a puppet doll. The stars in my eyes glint radiantly.

When my gaze sweeps over to Yeonjun again and finds his lips grazing on my shoulder, the scene leaves me breathless. The feeling of his teeth nibbling on my skin sends tremors spiral down to my spine.

I look around myself. The soft, brownish glow cast from the campfire engulfs the couples. Fireflies floating in the air emit bright green hues on the grass. I can hear mild chirping sound of birds, the twinkle and tingles of a guiter, and the vibrating noise coming from the festival field far away from us.

"Y-Yeonjun..." my lips tremble as he keeps sucking on my collarbone, his tongue sweeping over and over in a gentle sync. A moan escapes my lips before I gasp. "Oh my, s-stop-"

The man holds me even tighter in his arms, making me to stand steadily with him. An impatient groan leaves his mouth.

"Wait." Yeonjun mutters in a demanding voice. He doesn't raise his head from my shoulder, instead he puts his finger on my lips to shut me up. "I'm not done yet."

My whole body is in a continous rhythm of building and collapsing under his touch. The way his lips rage a war against my skin and bloom purple roses all over it- makes my cheeks flush crimson. It doesn't feel sinful at all; to have all of him for me and he having all of me for him.

Yeonjun lifts his head from my shoulder. I can't see his face at the first time, so I tilt my head to a side. And when I do, my heart skips several beats.

Sweat dripping down to his hair, and wet strands clinging on his forehead. Eyes sparkling like a lost diamond of the ocean, lips looking sleek with thin layers of saliva coated on them. The shade of red of his cheeks defeats any of the ones I have seen until now.

Yeonjun wipes the saliva off his mouth then looks down at me. My lips part as his gaze turns into a playful one, rather than shy.

"It's red." the man cocks his head while looking at my shoulder. "You're all red, Mira."

I press the spot he has kissed for a moment before looking down on it. The swollen marks of his teeth is more visible under the vibrant moonlight. I gasp in surprise.

"You-" immediately, I try to cover it up, but the square-neck gown I'm wearing does nothing close to help. "Yeonjun! In public place-! And you-"

"Relax, Mira." he chuckles at my embarrassed face. The man takes off his coat and swings it over my shoulders. "There you go. All hidden."

The black, silk material hangs below my knees. I wrap it around myself tightly. Yeonjun stares with an undescribable expression written on his face as I do so.

"What?" I manage to ask him without stuttering. His delicate gaze stops roaming on me.

"Well, I just realized something."

"Which is?"

"I will tell you later."

Cocky idiot.

"Say sorry to me." I mumble quietly, half wishing that he will listen and half wishing that he won't listen. Knowingly, Yeonjun grants the first one.

"Why?" there's a layer of such innocence in his voice, that makes me want to strangle him right here.

"Well, you- you marked me! What if someone sees this?" I have this sudden urge to pull my hair out and cry while sitting on the ground. "The girls will send me to jail!"

"They won't!" Yeonjun replies back with his eyes widening in surprise. I bite my upper lip before pushing him away, which makes the man laugh.

"This is not a matter of laughing!" I shoot back with venom in my voice, walking away from him, arms crossed above my chest.

"Mira, Mira! Wait!" Yeonjun catches up to my pace in no time and holds my waist while continuing to walk. I shot him another glare. 

"Okay, okay! I couldn't control myself. Sorry for that!"

"Sorry accepted."

"Really?" Yeonjun speaks with great shock. "I thought you were going to punish me." his lips curl into an evil smirk immediately. "And I wasn't going to say no."

"You gave me an idea."

"Which is?"

"I will tell you later."

"Psst."

Dazzling light of the colorful lanterns shower on us as we enter the festival field again. This time, Yeonjun is beside me; his warm hands intertwined with mine.

"Do you want to eat?"

"Eat what?"

"Anything?"

"I'm full." I reply in a sultry tone. Yeonjun pouts at me, his eyes crinkling up.

"Are you still angry, Mira?"

"Well, who won't be? You tell me." I sigh deeply, but nonetheless, step closer to Yeonjun as if nothing has happened. But suddenly, I halt on my step.

"Mira?" Yeonjun asks anxiously, tilting his head toward me. My eyes start bulging out as I take in the scene over me. His gaze follows mine and the man lets out a loud gasp.

Because only two or three meters in front of us, two groups of very familiar girls and boys have appeared; each of them looking menacing than ever. With a swift pull, Yeonjun ushers me to a side, sliding into a narrow space between two shops.

"Hush, baby." he puts his finger on my lips, looking rather amused to be in this situation. I heave my chest, suddenly forgetting how to breathe.

"B-baby?"

"You're my baby." Yeonjun replies back instantly, grinning.

Slapping my face mentally to stop myself from going crazy, I crane my head to look at the group from here. I can hear them barking quite clearly.

"Then where did Yeonjun- ssi go?" Sarang speaks to Beomgyu, who is also looking at her with equal shock.

"I don't know! But Noona! Where did Noona go?"

"They both disappeared at the same time!" Kai raises his hand, gaining the attention of the confused group of people. Upon hearing him, all of them start looking at each other.

"Gosh, they fooled us?" Soobin blinks rapidly, looking utterly betrayed. His eyes flash "I thought Hyung really meant it when he said that he was going to piss in his pants if we didn't let him use the bathroom."

"I never said that!" Yeonjun whisper- screams with pure horror in his gaze. I chuckle lightly.

"And Mira said she was going to have another croissant. Wow, we really did get fooled." Uhi nods nonchalantly while munching her chips.

"But that gives us even stronger reason to hunt them down!" Beomgyu's voice booms through the air as he rises to his full height. The boy looks seriously angry. "At the first stage, I was going to forgive Hyung for his lie. But now, it's canceled."

"Yes! Let's hunt them down, peasants!" Soobin roars with equal enthusiasm, to which everyone cheers loudly. "Let's make them realize today's not a couple's day!"

"Erm." Taehyun coughs to break into their chatter. He mumbles in a low tone while scratching his nape. "Don't you think it's going a bit too far? I mean, we shouldn't butt our noses into their matter. They are newly married after all-"

"SHUT UP." Beomgyu barks at Taehyun's face, making the latter flinch and step back.

Unabashedly, Soobin divides the group into pairs, and sends them to all directions. He and Taehyun makes their way past the shops we are standing behind.

"They're insane for this! What kind of stupids did I raise?" Yeonjun hollars through his gritted teeth as we step out of the shadows.

"Let's enjoy the festival before they find us." I shrug while taking his hands and starting to drag him onward. Yeonjun fumes in anger all the way. "If I'm told to be honest- yes, they are a little insane. But only a little, though!"

He continues cursing under his breath as we stroll around the fair.

Luckily, the people we are running away from don't emerge in front of us any soon. I hunch over a counter, paying for a box of strawberry sliced cakes while Yeonjun sucks a lemon flavoured lollipop.

"Your tongue's green." I point out as he licks his lips, devouring the sweetness coated on them. Yeonjun walks to the nearby bench and slumps down on it.

"I should had marked you with this tongue then."

"Wha- Yeonjun!" I stamp my foot on the ground, turning red instantly. Comically, steam shots through my ears; is that's possible. "Watch your mouth! Look, only because I'm not saying anything, that doesn't mean-"

"- you're crushing on me. Right?" Yeonjun brings out the lollipop from his mouth and stares at me through the corner of his eyes.

I really want to choke him with my own hands.

Fuming angrily, I walk to him and sit down beside. I look around, alarmed, feeling weary if one of the girl will suddenly jump in front of me and snatch away my box of strawberry cake.

Yeonjun points at somewhere near us, the lollipop held between his lips.

"Look, Mira."

I look at where he's pointing. A little boy sits on the ground, feeding biscuits to a snow white dog which is as tall as him. Behind them, there's a water fountain in the middle of the field.

Something feels off while looking at them. Is it the way the boy's gloomy eyes are roaming over the stray dog? Or is it the way the dog snuggles close to him as if he's the only family it has got? Even I myself haven't seen such a majestic dog with pure white fur in my life.

The biscuit in the boy's hands soon gets finished. The dog starts licking his palm, meaning it's still hungry.

"I will feed it my cake." I rise up to my feet, the box held in my hands. Yeonjun quickly follows me.

We walk to the little boy, now cuddling with the white dog as it keeps licking his face. I crouch down in front of them, maintaining the distance to not creep out the boy.

"Hello! If you don't mind, then you can feed your dog this cake." I hold out the box at him tentatively. The boy looks up at me, his small eyes scrutinising in a second.

"Why?" he tilts his head slowly, gaze turning even smaller. "Why do you want to feed Kikifushi?"

"Kikifushi? Is that your dog's name?" I smile lightly, trying not to shoo him away for thinking I'm a kidnapper or something.

"Why do you want to feed Kikifushi?" the boy asks again in the same dull voice.

Now I look at him clearly. The boy seems around the age of five or six. His raven hair is sticking upward, and has round, angular black eyes. The color of his skin is burnt yellow, pores all over his cheeks, lips pale and dry.

Something twists in my stomach. I turn around to see Yeonjun, who's also staring at the boy with interest.

"Well, I saw that he was licking your hand for more food." I speak quietly. "Dogs like sweet things like cake. So..."

The boy doesn't speak anything, nor takes the box from my hands. He continues staring at me intently while patting his dog's head.

 It sniffs the cake before starting to circle the boy and push him toward me. He thinks for a moment then asks.

"Kikifushi, do you want to eat that cake?"

Kikifushi wiggles his tail excitedly.

"Okay, you can give him that." the boy finally answers. His small, yet judging eyes turn normal.

I take off the lid and pass it to the dog. Kikifushi immediately dives into eating the cake.

"You have... such a beautiful dog." I mutter slowly, my keen gazen fixed at the boy. He's watching Kikifushi eating with full attention, a proud smile on his lips.

"It's not my dog." he mumbles while resting his chin on his knees.

"Ha?" Yeonjun talks for the first time. I see that his lollipop's been finished.

"I said that it's not my dog. I found him over the streets, and he's been following me since then." the boy repeats and pats the dog on his head. "Yes, yes, you can eat, Kikifushi. I'm fine." he mumbles to the dog as it suddenly stops eating and looks at him.

"You two have a good chemistry, though." Yeonjun puts his hands inside the pockets.

"Thanks." the boy mumbles in a low tone.

I get up to my feet. He doesn't look at me anymore. But an eery feeling grows in my chest.

"Mira, let's go." Yeonjun holds my waist, already pulling me with him. "We still have to see the aquarium shop!"

"Y-yeah. Let's go."

"Anything's bothering you?" Yeonjun asks in a concerned tone. I stare at him for a moment before nodding.

"Wait here." I let go of his hand and turn back. Rushing back to the little boy, I get on my knees and ask.

"Where are your parents?"

This time, he doesn't look at me with those dull eyes. Instead, I see tears slowly pool around his gaze, his lips trembling lightly.

"I-I don't know."