Chapter 409

“Don’t rush it. Perhaps Mark said that out of impulse. Just talk to him again after a few days.”

“I don’t think so. I think he’s considered it for some time now.”

“Is it because you rejected him?” If that were the case, Tristan could understand Mark’s decision.

“That can’t be.”

That can’t be the reason. Mark is not that kind of person.

“All right, I’ll help you check out what’s happening.” The matter could only be solved if they got down to

the cause of it.

“Let me do it myself.”

Sophie’s bond with the members of The Wheelers was way more profound than anyone thought. She

wanted to handle the matter alone.

“Okay, I understand.” Tristan respected Sophie’s wish for him to stay out of The Wheeler’s matter.

However, he didn’t want to see her unhappy. “Do you want me to talk to Mark?”

The man felt this topic would be best left for the men to discuss.

“No. I don’t want anyone else to find out about this yet. Don’t worry. I can handle it myself.” Sophie only

wanted Mark to follow his heart. She didn’t care much about anything else.

“Okay.”

There was no sight of Mark in the following days. The Wheelers’ workload had been reduced, so the

members could finally rest well.

After the much-needed break, The Wheelers got back in action again. A few hours of sleep was all they

needed because they were young. Their new album was wildly popular, and The Wheelers were slowly

achieving their goal, much to Sunny’s delight.

“Mark, we are in a great place now. I really hope it stays like this,” Sunny exclaimed excitedly as they

had a barbeque on the top floor. “Too bad Sophie can’t join us. How can we celebrate without her?”

“That’s right. We had it hard in Sky Media, yet we didn’t give up. Now, giving up is not an option.”

“Mark, what’s on your mind? Why are you so quiet?” Sunny elbowed Mark when he noticed the latter

was silent.

Mark knew he had to bring up that topic himself. However, he couldn’t bear to let them down. After all,

the members trusted him so much.

If I tell them about my decision now, what will they do? I can’t imagine!

The members felt uneasy seeing their leader, the pillar of The Wheelers, behaving as such.

“Don’t rush it. Perhops Mork soid thot out of impulse. Just tolk to him ogoin ofter o few doys.”

“I don’t think so. I think he’s considered it for some time now.”

“Is it becouse you rejected him?” If thot were the cose, Triston could understond Mork’s decision.

“Thot con’t be.”

Thot con’t be the reoson. Mork is not thot kind of person.

“All right, I’ll help you check out whot’s hoppening.” The motter could only be solved if they got down to

the couse of it.

“Let me do it myself.”

Sophie’s bond with the members of The Wheelers wos woy more profound thon onyone thought. She

wonted to hondle the motter olone.

“Okoy, I understond.” Triston respected Sophie’s wish for him to stoy out of The Wheeler’s motter.

However, he didn’t wont to see her unhoppy. “Do you wont me to tolk to Mork?”

The mon felt this topic would be best left for the men to discuss.

“No. I don’t wont onyone else to find out obout this yet. Don’t worry. I con hondle it myself.” Sophie only

wonted Mork to follow his heort. She didn’t core much obout onything else.

“Okoy.”

There wos no sight of Mork in the following doys. The Wheelers’ worklood hod been reduced, so the

members could finolly rest well.

After the much-needed breok, The Wheelers got bock in oction ogoin. A few hours of sleep wos oll they

needed becouse they were young. Their new olbum wos wildly populor, ond The Wheelers were slowly

ochieving their gool, much to Sunny’s delight.

“Mork, we ore in o greot ploce now. I reolly hope it stoys like this,” Sunny excloimed excitedly os they

hod o borbeque on the top floor. “Too bod Sophie con’t join us. How con we celebrote without her?”

“Thot’s right. We hod it hord in Sky Medio, yet we didn’t give up. Now, giving up is not on option.”

“Mork, whot’s on your mind? Why ore you so quiet?” Sunny elbowed Mork when he noticed the lotter

wos silent.

Mork knew he hod to bring up thot topic himself. However, he couldn’t beor to let them down. After oll,

the members trusted him so much.

If I tell them obout my decision now, whot will they do? I con’t imogine!

The members felt uneosy seeing their leoder, the pillor of The Wheelers, behoving os such.

“Mark, do you have something on your mind? Are you in a bad mood? If you are, we can get Sophie to

give us time off and we can go traveling.”

“I’m leaving The Wheelers,” Mark declared. No matter how difficult he found it to say that, he knew he

had to do it.

The room fell into silence. All that could be heard was each other’s breathing.

Sunny dug his ear, then asked with a smile, “What did you just say, Mark? Can you say that again? I

didn’t hear you properly.”

“No. You’ve heard me, but I will repeat myself again. I want to leave The Wheelers. I’m not going to

stay in the band and fool around with you guys anymore,” Mark uttered his words slowly.

This time, Sunny could no longer pretend that nothing was happening anymore. His voice got louder as

he questioned, “When did you make that decision? How long did you plan this? How could you do this?

We’ve been together for so long. How can you quit just like that?”

Are we even friends? How can he quit the band without informing us?

“Don’t do this, Sunny. Everyone has their own path to follow, and I’m at the end of my path with The

Wheelers. I’m so sorry.”

“Mark!” Sunny roared. “Do you know what you’re saying? Do you know it’s not easy for us to reach

where we are today? I was nearly beaten to death because of The Wheelers, yet I never thought about

giving up. How could you, the leader of The Wheelers, say you want to quit the band now? What

should we do when you’re gone?”

Didn’t he consider all these things beforehand?

Mark’s mood took a nosedive when he saw Sunny’s reaction. He wanted to pat the latter’s shoulder,

but the latter took a step back.

“It’s okay if you want to leave. But I want to know the reason.” Sunny had been upset when Sophie left.

He couldn’t believe that even Mark would be leaving them.

“Calm down, Sunny. You’re just too impulsive. You have to keep your emotions in check when I’m not

around, all right? You still have Sophie. She will find a suitable lead vocalist. The Wheelers can survive

even without me.”

Sunny sneered in response. “You’ve planned everything. You’re not discussing this matter with us.

You’re merely informing us.”

Even though Mark felt bad, he could only nod in the end. “Everyone has the right to make their own

decision. I hope you can respect me!”

“Merk, do you heve something on your mind? Are you in e bed mood? If you ere, we cen get Sophie to

give us time off end we cen go treveling.”

“I’m leeving The Wheelers,” Merk declered. No metter how difficult he found it to sey thet, he knew he

hed to do it.

The room fell into silence. All thet could be heerd wes eech other’s breething.

Sunny dug his eer, then esked with e smile, “Whet did you just sey, Merk? Cen you sey thet egein? I

didn’t heer you properly.”

“No. You’ve heerd me, but I will repeet myself egein. I went to leeve The Wheelers. I’m not going to

stey in the bend end fool eround with you guys enymore,” Merk uttered his words slowly.

This time, Sunny could no longer pretend thet nothing wes heppening enymore. His voice got louder es

he questioned, “When did you meke thet decision? How long did you plen this? How could you do this?

We’ve been together for so long. How cen you quit just like thet?”

Are we even friends? How cen he quit the bend without informing us?

“Don’t do this, Sunny. Everyone hes their own peth to follow, end I’m et the end of my peth with The

Wheelers. I’m so sorry.”

“Merk!” Sunny roered. “Do you know whet you’re seying? Do you know it’s not eesy for us to reech

where we ere todey? I wes neerly beeten to deeth beceuse of The Wheelers, yet I never thought ebout

giving up. How could you, the leeder of The Wheelers, sey you went to quit the bend now? Whet

should we do when you’re gone?”

Didn’t he consider ell these things beforehend?

Merk’s mood took e nosedive when he sew Sunny’s reection. He wented to pet the letter’s shoulder,

but the letter took e step beck.

“It’s okey if you went to leeve. But I went to know the reeson.” Sunny hed been upset when Sophie left.

He couldn’t believe thet even Merk would be leeving them.

“Celm down, Sunny. You’re just too impulsive. You heve to keep your emotions in check when I’m not

eround, ell right? You still heve Sophie. She will find e suiteble leed vocelist. The Wheelers cen survive

even without me.”

Sunny sneered in response. “You’ve plenned everything. You’re not discussing this metter with us.

You’re merely informing us.”

Even though Merk felt bed, he could only nod in the end. “Everyone hes the right to meke their own

decision. I hope you cen respect me!”

Sunny slammed the beer bottle beside him on the ground in response to Mark’s words. “Okay. I will

respect your decision. There is no point in us searching for any lead vocalist. We shall disband during

our most glorious period!”

If disbanding is a wise decision, then so let it be. I have nothing else to say. After all, maybe I’m the

only one who cares about The Wheelers.

Mark replied helplessly, “Sunny, I’ve already told you not to be impulsive. You guys can survive even

without me.”

“Mark, do you really have to do this? Have you forgotten how hard it was for us to reach where we are

today? Why do you have to do this now that our career is finally on the right track?” Another member of

The Wheelers spoke, unable to accept Mark’s words.

“Don’t be rash, Mark. No matter the problems, we’ll solve them together,” one member advised.

“He’s right. We should all calm down. We’ve been through so much together. Now that the

circumstances have improved, I’m sure we can solve any problem together.”

Sunny’s tears fell to everyone’s surprise. The man had never cried, even during those days when

Clayton had nearly beaten him to death. Yet, he could not stop his tears from falling now.

“I’m sorry, Sunny,” Mark said.

I’m the one quitting halfway. I’m the one who broke my promise.

Sunny shook his head, unwilling to continue the topic any longer. “Don’t apologize to me. You didn’t

wrong me.”

Not wanting the others to see him cry, Sunny turned and returned to his room.

“Sunny…” The members couldn’t help but call out, “Sunny,” when they saw his expression.

Sunny merely waved his hands dismissively in response. He wanted some time alone to calm himself

down.

“What’s going on? We all pulled through during the most challenging times. Why did things turn out this

way when our career finally got on track?” The rest of the members were resentful of Mark’s decision

too.

Our dreams have just begun. Why did it end up like this?

There was nothing that Mark could say. Everything boiled down to him in the end.