"i'm back from school!" the 18-year-old announced, kicking his shoes off next to the front door as he threw his backpack on the floor, making it slide next to the sofa. "anyone home?" he added, not receiving an answer right away.

"i'm here, mark!"

the teenager smiled, heading towards the kitchen from where he had heard the voice of his mother.

"hey mom, i finished early." mark declared, greeting his mother who was carefully ordering the plates inside the cupboard.

"i thought you would have stayed with your friends." the adult replied.

"aren't you happy to see me?" mark raised a brow, crossing his arms over his chest.

"of course, i am, markie, you know that!"

mark's mother made sure the plates were well-organized before turning around and embracing her son in a hug.

"i'm happy you came home early." she added, ruffling the boy's raven hair.

"mom! i'm 18." mark groaned, suffocated by the love of his mother.

"and? i am your mother, i can hug you whenever i want!" his mother protested, tightening the hug even more. "plus, you're getting old, meaning you'll find yourself a beautiful girl and forget about me to stay with her..."

mark rolled his eyes, this time embracing his mother as well.

he knew how sad she could get sometimes, and how much love she needed.

the last thing mark wanted was to make her sad, and make her think he didn't reciprocate her love.

mark's mother, jane, had known a very painful divorce six years ago, and since then, she had been doing everything around the house to make sure her children were doing okay.

being a single mom was a very tough job, and mark could see that.

and it honestly pained him to know she could think he would run away as soon as he'd get himself a girlfriend.

"mom, you know i won't do that..." mark reassured her.

"i hope so." she chuckled, letting go her son with a smile. "would you like to help me clean the kitchen? or do you have way more interesting things to do?"

"trust me, i'd prefer cleaning the house rather than doing my homework." mark sighed. "but sadly, it's mandatory."

"sure, good luck with your homework then." jane nodded. "and don't hesitate to come and help me when you're done."

"yes!"

mark walked back to the living room, fetching his backpack before walking to his own bedroom.

he threw the bag next to his desk, similarly to what he had done a few minutes before, in the living room. mark was quick to his at his desk, pulling out the few copybooks that were in his bag for him to work. however, he checked his phone one last time before spending his next hours working hard on lessons he didn't even want to learn.

mark unlocked his phone, smiling when he saw the notifications of the group chat he and his friends had made.

crackheads

johnny, taeyong, yuta, ten, doyoung, jaehyun, jungwoo, mark

yuta

how about going out tonight?

doyoung

only if taeil can come too

yuta

oh no please

not this old man

doyoung

the old man is with me right now

and he told me to hit you tomorrow

jaehyun

going out?

where?

yuta

sorry taeil

ily<3

johnny

ten and i can't come

yuta

either a bar or one of our houses

and yeah

johnny and ten too busy fucking

johnny

can you stop with our sex life please?

we're having a date

yuta

in a motel surely

jaehyun

lmaoooooo

but true

yuta

anywayyyy

who would want to come tonight?

mark

i need to ask my mom

but she will say yes

jaehyun

great

so, yuta, mark, doyoung, taeil

and taeyong said he would come too

he's next to me

yuta

and jungwoo hasn't seen the messages

as always

JUNGWOOOO

whenever you see this

tell us if you're coming!!

mark was startled when the door of his room opened.

"maria! can't you knock on the door?!" mark groaned, putting his phone on his desk.

"there is no 'knock before entering' sign on your door. how can i know?" the little girl in the doorframe asked, tilting her head to the side. this was maria, mark's 8-year-old sister.

"this doesn't need to be written. it's a rule." mark rolled his eyes.

"cool. can you come in my room?" she asked, changing subject.

"i can't, i'm doing my homework." mark replied, opening one of his copybooks to at least pretend that he was busy with his work.

"you were on your phone when i came here." she raised a brow suspiciously.

"i was asking my friends for the homework." mark justified.

"but i need your help..." the little girl whined.

mark looked at her, sighing in despair when he saw tears forming in her eyes.

she was an annoying little human, but mark had to admit she was cute when pouting.

"okay, i'm coming." he tsked, standing up and following maria who was now jumping in happiness.

the teenager followed his sister in the corridor and to her room, a bright pink princess paradise, filled with plushies and dolls.

"i need help opening butterfly." maria told, handing mark a plastic box in which was resting a barbie doll wearing a butterfly costume.

"do you have scissors?" mark asked, looking at the doll his sister had apparently named butterfly.

"here."

mark easily opened the box and pulled the doll out, combing her hair back quickly before handing her to his sister who clapped her hands happily.

"thank you, mark!" she exclaimed, plopping on the floor and pulling another doll up. "hello! my name is butterfly!" she added, playing with her dolls under mark's stare.

mark raised a brow, not quite understanding the concept of playing with dolls.

what was even their purpose?

"hello butterfly! my name is haechan!" the little girl continued. "and i'm summer!"

"maria?" mark called, his brows furrowing.

"what?"

"since when do you have this doll?" he asked, crouching and picking up a male doll with blonde hair. don't get him wrong, he didn't really care about his sister's dolls, but he was wondering where she had gotten that one, because he didn't recall their mother offering her that one. maria had been mad the last time jane had offered her a male doll, but here she was, playing with one.

"haechan? someone gave him to me." she replied, snatching the doll from her brother's hand. "he's beautiful, isn't he?" she added, using her pointer finger to arrange his blonde hair.

mark stared at the plastic doll, his tanned skin, his blonde hair and his inhumane features.

he was looking like a simple doll, but weren't all dolls supposed to be beautiful?

"yeah, he's just a doll." mark replied before leaving his sister's room.