Supernerd! MARK

11 | debby downer's date

Okay, maybe saying that I have a massive crush on Mark Lee is a little bit of an overstatement.

I've had a crazy couple of weeks, and because I've been spending a lot of time with Mark recently, it's safe to assume that my psyche is probably just confused into thinking that I like like him. Plus, it's the first time I'm spending this much time with a boy, so it makes sense, right?

After yesterday night's... events, Mark had brought me over to the police station to make a report before taking me home. It was uneventful for the most part, the detective merely asking me to describe the perpetrator and then thanking me for my bravery and promising that the force would do their best in finding him.

It was whatever, honestly. As traumatic an incident it was, I'm more stuck on how Mark had single-handedly managed to take the burly man down.

"I'm baaack!" Chaerin's shrill voice snaps me out of my reverie, and I accidentally drop my spoon into my bowl of cereal. My roommate lets go of her two duffel bags, the weight thumping against the hardwood floors as she kicks away her sneakers.

'You're eating cereal for lunch?' is the first thing Chaerin asks as she trudges into the kitchen, opening the fridge behind me.

"Cereal is good any time of day." I shrug nonchalantly as I take another bite. "How was the wedding?"

"Snore," Chaerin drawls as she slams the fridge shut, taking a seat beside me on the island counter. She unscrews the bottle of Gatorade before taking a big gulp. "Still don't know who those people are. I think it's my mom's sister's daughter or something... not sure."

"So your cousin?"

Chaerin shrugs before turning to me excitedly. "Enough about me. How was your weekend? Did you go to any cool parties? Hooked up with any hot guys?" She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ha ha," I deadpan. I try to think of an answer, and though I've had quite the weekend, it's not as if I can just literally just go: I got held at knifepoint on Saturday night and Mark Lee somehow managed to save me! And then I spent the night at his place and slept in his arms till the next morning then had a crazy revelation that I like like him so yeah, my weekend was great, Chae!

"I just stayed home. I quite enjoyed the quietness, you know," I choose to lie instead, bringing my hair forward to cover the cut on my neck before Chaerin could notice.

"No you don't." She sticks her tongue at me before standing up, letting out a yawn. "C'mon, let's go for lunch. You need actual food in your system, Yena."

"Fine," I say mindlessly, taking another bite of my cornflakes as I scroll on my phone. Chaerin disappears, and I'm glad that our conversation is over.

Truthfully, it's kind of obvious that both of my roommates have been walking on eggshells ever since my first almost-accident with the truck, and now what more with the gang rumours spreading around, and especially after what happened after Lee Jeno's party, it took quite a lot to convince them that I'd be just fine on my own alone at home for the weekend (which didn't even happen, but that's not the point).

Both Chaerin and Sera are unaware of what really happened the night of the party, and of my second encounter with Spider-Man. I know telling them would only lead to them worrying about me, and even though I know they don't have any ill intentions, I'm tired of being treated like glass.

Plus, it's been a few days, and I've been holding up quite well.

My thumb hovers above my phone screen as I pause to skim through the news article I happened to chance upon on my explore page, something about the recent gang activity that has been circulating the lately.

It turns out that there has been a spike in drug-related offences due to an uprising drug ring, and citizens of Seoul are advised to stay safe. My mind goes back to Saturday at my own encounter, one that doesn't particularly feel real because of how weird it all was.

I brush it off as my mind just purposely wanting to repress the memory, but the gnawing question at the back of my head still remains— how did Mark single-handedly manage to take that guy down?

I lock my phone, not wanting to think about it any further. It's already hard enough for me to come to terms with the fact that I... like Mark, and for him to be staying in my head regardless is bothering me more than it should.

I stand up, putting my bowl in the sink before heading towards my room to get changed. For the first time, it doesn't take Chaerin long to convince me to drag my ass out of the house, for I'm determined to do whatever it takes to get Mark Lee out of my head.

🕸️

"Good work, you two." Professor Qian takes the thumb drive from Mark's hand as he scribbles something down on a piece of paper, presumably to check off our names.

Mark lets out a sigh of relief as I walk with him back to our seats. "Finally," he drawls as he flops on his chair. "Glad that's out of the way."

"With many more to come," I remark.

The both of us fall into a silence, not really having anything to do since Professor Qian is still busy tending to our other classmates at the front of the lecture hall.

"So, I was thinking," Mark says after a while, adjusting his position such that he is facing me. "We should go out to celebrate."

I turn to look at him with raised eyebrows. "Celebrate?"

"Yeah! You know, to mark the completion of our first assignment. We could go to Moon's— my treat."

"Do you celebrate every time you finish an assignment...?" I look at Mark weirdly. "Also, really- Moon's? I already get free stuff at Moon's— in fact, I give you free stuff at Moon's."

"Debby Downer," Mark mutters as he fiddles with his pen, diverting his gaze back to the projector screen, and I almost feel bad at the sight of his pout.

I sigh. "Okay, fine-"

"How about a restaurant?" Mark cuts me off, turning to me again with his wide eyes, a small smile already forming at his lips.

"A-A restaurant?" I reiterate, not really sure if I heard him right. "Like a..."

For some reason, I couldn't find it in me to say the word— you know, the one that begins with the letter d and rhymes with fate. It's right at the tip of my tongue, but I just... can't.

After my sudden revelation last week that I may have a teenie-weensie crush on Mr. Lee beside me, I've been trying not to think of him too much in fear of accidentally manifesting it to become true.

It's working, I think, but the Devil on my shoulder tells me that that's probably because I haven't seen him around until today.

I curse silently under my breath. It's annoying how even my own thoughts aren't on my side at times.

"Okay, yeah, no, that'd be weird," he mutters to himself before I could even say anything.

I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding, and it's definitely because I'm relieved I didn't have to say yes.

"Just tell me later," I say to Mark when feedback from Professor Qian's microphone echoes in the auditorium.

"I have a place," Mark whispers when the lights begin to dim, leaving only the projector screen illuminating the dark room. "I think you'll like it."

—

Short filler, sorryyyyy! I promise the next chapter will be better haha. How is everyone? :-)