payback. markhyuck

twenty-five.

it's almost midnight, mark is supposed to be resting as early as possible because it's finally weekends but here he is, pacing back and forth inside his room for the past hour.

he can't sleep to put it simply. he tried to, but he was just laying down on his bed for hours while having an eye contest with the ceiling because his eyes just won't close.

groaning, he stopped his tracks to reach for his phone that is placed on his nightstand before dialing a number he never initiated on dialing first.

"mark?!" the sound of an enthusiastic voice was soon heard from the other line.

"jeno." mark called the latter's name back but his voice sounded calmer.

"woah!" jeno exclaims once again, "you never called me first, now look at you! calling me in the middle of the night—did you miss me—"

the older groans as he brushes his fingers through his hair, "gosh, how can you still have this much energy?

"well, i'm at a bar right now, but what's up?"

oh, as usual. mark thought to himself. "uh... i need to ask you a question—but don't read too much about this."

"um... okay?" jeno trails his words off. he finds mark's words suspicious, "and what is it?"

"i was just wondering, how do you ask someone out?" mark slowly asks, his voice sounding a little too small but jeno still managed to hear this clear on his end. "well, you know, because you've dated before and you also probably know a lot about this and uh..."

jeno's lips started to form into a small smirk, thankfully mark is not in front of him to see it. "is this what's keeping you up late at night?"

"didn't i just tell you not to read too much about the question?" mark asked back, "and no! what are you saying?"

the older sounded a little too defensive to jeno's liking.

"well let's see..." jeno started, although he was still not fully convinced and, at the same time, confused about the older's question, "it's really easier than it sounds. i just ask someone out directly but it takes a lot of courage to do it."

meanwhile, mark is just slowly nodding his head as the younger kept talking. for the first time, both of them aren't bantering in the call like how it usually goes.

"i just walk up to them and go, 'hey are you free this weekend?' or 'can i take you out?' but it really depends on the current atmosphere." he finishes.

"i see, i see." mark replies, sounding like a kid that just got a small lecturing from their parents.

jeno lets out a quiet chuckle when he heard the older. he sounded a little too interested in this topic as for the first time, he sounded polite on the call.

after a moment of silence, jeno fakes a cough on the other line to remind the older that they're still in a call, "so..." he said, dragging his word, "when are you asking them out?"

"maybe next weekend...?" mark mindlessly replied, as he was still busy dozing off.

"so, you are asking someone out?!" jeno's eyes widens, shouting a little too loud on the speaker.