Supernerd! MARK

"Come on. You're so slow." Mark impatiently offers his hand to me, shaking it as though asking me to take it.

I ignore him, taking the inclined step up towards where he is standing. "Not every one is at fit as you, Mark," I utter in annoyance.

"It's not even that high up!" He says defensively as we now walk side by side, Mark leading the way to whatever it is he wanted to show me.

I had let Mark convince me to take me to his 'special' place, though I'm not sure what's so special about being surrounded by bugs and wet mud squishing under your feet.

"Ah." Mark rests his hands on his hip as he stretches his back, facing the view of the city below us.

Admittedly, the place is beautiful. It isn't the most comfortable, what more with Mark's idea of a picnic mat being a flimsy piece of cardboard, but I'm trying to convince myself that it isn't the environment that matters, but the company.

He flops down on the cardboard, unzipping his Jansport bag to take out two cans of beer.

"Doraemon much?" I ask as I sit next to him. Mark grins as he turns to me, passing me a can to which I take. Our fingers brush slightly, and I turn back to the view quickly, not wanting to accidentally embarrass myself in front of him.

"So?" Mark asks as he leans against his palms, turning his head to look at me. "Pretty, right?"

"It is, yeah," I admit, glancing at him before I gaze down to the city lights below us. "I never really realised how noisy Seoul actually is until now."

"Right? I come here a lot if I'm ever in need of some peace and quiet. It's hard being Haechan's roommate sometimes."

To this, I scoff. "He's not that bad."

"Uhuh." Mark shakes his head, refuting my statement. "He's the absolute worst."

I let a smile grace my lips, feeling myself ease into the calmness of the atmosphere. We fall into a silence for a while, letting the crickets around us talk amongst themselves.

"So," Mark starts after a while, popping open his can before turning to me, raising his beer. "To us?"

My mouth runs dry when I turn to look at him, waiting for me expectantly to clink my can with his. But for some reason, I can't find it in me to move.

Mark looks so handsome under the dim street lamps that surround us, dark shadows accentuating his sharp features. His hair looks soft to the touch despite being messily hidden away under his beanie, the long strands sticking out and touching the back of his nape. His round eyes hold galaxies in them, an endless pool of honey glistening and glimmering in the moonlight, and I find it difficult to look away.

"Yena?" He calls out, and I snap out of my reverie. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah," I answer, though my voice comes out as a strained whisper. I'm hoping to God that Mark isn't able to see the blush I'm sure is already on my cheeks right now. I raise my beer, touching it with his. "To us."

Mark grins sloppily before taking a sip. He lets out a satisfied sigh before turning back to the view. "Thanks for doing this with me. Being alone is nice, but having company isn't so bad either."

I smile to myself before taking a sip of my beverage, eager to let the alcohol calm my nerves. We end up sitting in a comfortable silence for a while more, but even despite our lack of conversation, I find myself treasuring my time with Mark a lot more.

"Why did you move back to Canada? After middle school?" I ask after a while, the random question suddenly popping into my head.

Mark is silent as he thinks of a response. "My dad travels a lot for work, so when his company decided to send him back to Canada, he wanted all of us to move with him. I went to high school there but always knew that my heart belonged in Seoul. So after graduating, I moved back here for college."

He has his eyes on the view, giving me a clear view of his side profile as I rest my cheek on my crossed arms, hugging my knees. Mark always looks lost in thought whenever he talks about himself, his passions, as though his mind never really stops running.

He suddenly turns to me. "What about you?"

"Hm?"

"What was high school like for you? Were you still the cute kid in pigtails who proposed to other children with ring pops?" He teases.

At this, my cheeks flare up as I quickly turn away. "What the hell," I mutter. "I thought we agreed to forget about that?"

"I don't think so," Mark muses. "I'm joking, Yena. If it makes you feel better, thinking about it now, I would've accepted your proposal... if you weren't so scary."

"I wasn't scary!" I exclaim defensively, Mark breaking out into a fit of giggles.

"Dude, you were literally the queen of the sandpit! All the kids were afraid of you." Mark grins. "Though I have to say, I am quite honoured that you chose me out of all people to be your king."

I groan as I bury my face into my arms. "Mark, stop."

Mark chuckles, and soon I feel a hand caressing the back of my head. My heart stutters at the sudden gesture, and I couldn't be more glad that my face is out of sight right now.

"You coerced me into a fake wedding, Yena," Mark continues teasingly, his hand leaving me. "Dude, you kissed me before I even knew what a kiss was."

"Okay, Peterpan," I mutter as I lift my head, not wanting to partake in the conversation anymore. I was kind of hoping he wouldn't mention that, the memory far too embarrassing for me to want to relive it. "I'm sorry for stealing your first kiss, alright?"

Mark stops laughing, his lips now settled into a gentle smile as he looks at me. "Nah. I'm glad it was you."

Mark's cheeks were tinged a light pink, effects of what I assume is from the alcohol. Mine, on the other hand, is not. I clear my throat slightly, letting my hair fall to cover my cheeks as I take another sip from my beer, just for the mere sake of needing something to busy myself with.

The sky suddenly echoes with a rumble, signalling that it's probably going to rain soon.

"I should get you home," Mark sighs as he stands up, dusting off his jeans before offering his hand to me.

This time, I accept his help, letting his calloused fingers wrap around mine as he pulls me up. Mark wastes no time in dusting off the dry leaves and twigs that had stuck to my jacket from our time there, focused on cleaning me up.

He even goes as far as to pick something off my hair, his lips tugging up into an easy smile as he holds it between his fingers. "Hey, a dandelion. Make a wish?"

I almost scoff, but upon seeing the genuine excitement on his face, my heart melts. I close my eyes, initially with the purpose of just going along with it, but as I remember Mark's round eyes gazing into mine, my mind instantly utters out a wish I wasn't even aware existed.

Opening my eyes once again, I blow the dandelion, the fluff flying off into the air before eventually disappearing.

"What did you wish for?"

"It won't come true if I tell you, Mark."

"Fair," he agrees before picking up his bag, folding the dirty cardboard into two before disposing it at the rubbish bin next to us. "Ready to go?"

I nod. This time, Mark doesn't bother to offer his hand, instead wrapping it around mine like second nature.

I know that he merely has the intention of not wanting me to slip off the muddy tracks, but as I stare at his back as we make our way downhill, I can't help but to wish that it meant something else.

—

This is one of my favourite chapters I've ever written. :-) What do you think Yena's wish was?