Mark

Mark is an incredibly kind man who seeks validation from others. Even though he grew up with a loving family, he always wanted to have close friends. Mark is soft-spoken and timid, which makes others want to take advantage of him. Of course, Mark does his best to be careful, but a part of him also dislikes himself for not being able to develop close friendships. It's difficult for him to accept this part of himself.

Mark grew up with parents who spoiled him with love and gets along with his older sister. Whenever he was with his family, he came off as someone who's energetic and friendly, though in reality he's an incredibly nervous kid. Mark developed anxiety when he started attending middle school, and even though he managed to make friends in school, somehow he felt that there was a void in his heart. It was confusing for Mark, but he slowly realized that it was because he wanted people's validation.

Mark loved having friends, but every time he does something nice for his friends, his friends take advantage of him and use him for their benefit. Since Mark was known to be a goody-two-shoes, whenever his friends wanted to do something rebellious, Mark would always sit out as he was afraid of getting in trouble. After all, he was already treated like he was a problem child by the teachers just because of the group of friends he had. Some of the teachers would be harsh on him and whenever he didn't do well on a quiz, the teachers would dig at him. Mark would always end up in the washroom stall, wiping his tears off.

One time, his school decided to schedule a field trip and Mark joined the trip, hoping to spend time with his friends. However, as soon as he got out of the bus, his friends went off on their own and Mark lost sight of them. Mark went to explore on his own, feeling betrayed and wondering if it was his fault for setting boundaries. Just then, he bumped into a boy from a different school. When he first saw him, he found him attractive. Suddenly, Mark asked him if he wanted to hang out with him. He explained that his friends abandoned him and he didn't want to explore the exhibitions on his own, but then apologized and said he doesn't have to join him if he doesn't want to. The boy smiled, agreeing to join him. For the first time, Mark fell in love.

The boy's name is Justine and for the first time, Mark didn't feel empty hanging out with someone. They had a lot of similar interests and the two of them would even listen to music on Mark's MP3 player while walking or taking breaks. Justine then suggested they go to a souvenir shop, and they bought each other matching bracelets. Even though it was such a simple design, Mark felt happy with their matching bracelets. When it was time for students to leave, Mark was disappointed to say goodbye to Justine. They gave each other a warm hug, and waved at each other goodbye when Mark got in his bus. After the trip, Mark thought a lot about Justine and wondered if he'll ever see him again, forgetting the fact that social media exists.

Mark's unfulfilling school days went on and after he graduated, he slowly lost touch with his old friend group, and he wasn't sad about it. Though there are times when he wondered if things could have been different, had he changed the way he acted. Mark attended college and got a part-time job at a media production company. When he arrived at his first work day, he immediately recognized one of the employees in his team. One of the employees is Justine, and Mark didn't show his surprise as he didn't want to bring unnecessary attention. When it was break time, Mark approached Justine and asked him if he remembers him. Luckily, Justine remembered him, and the two became closer, with Mark's romantic feelings still lingering.