Supernerd! MARK

16 | the reveal

I walk back to the science block, though my feet are heavy as I drag myself through the hallways. I'm trying to buy myself some time as I think of what I'm supposed to say to Mark when I reach him— what if he finds me weird? What if he really just needs to be left alone in order to focus on his work and my presence there would do nothing but bother him?

I stare at the vending machine club sandwich I bought for Mark in my hands, and I almost laugh at how pathetic I'm being.

"Yena?" I look up to see Haechan, stood before me with his hockey bag slung over his shoulders. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I-" I quickly hide the sandwich behind my back. I clear my throat, knowing there's no way to get myself out of this situation. "I'm... here to see Mark. Do you know where the science lab is?"

At this, Haechan lifts his brow suggestively, to which I frown at. "Do not say anything. I'm just here to give him food because he's unwell. That's it! Nothing else." I quickly walk past him, not wanting him to see how hard I'm blushing.

Haechan sniggers from behind me. "Good thing I'm here to pick him up, then. Wait up!"

I stay quiet as we walk side by side, but I can feel Haechan glance down to me. "Why are you so in denial about having a crush on my roommate?" He asks, though this time his voice is devoid of any amusement.

"I don't," I immediately answer back, though my response only comes off as defensive, if anything. At this rate, I'm not sure if I'm just trying to convince the people around me, or myself.

"It's not a bad thing, you know," Haechan states. "To come to terms with your own feelings."

"Yeah? Is that why you aren't telling my best friend that you're hopelessly in love with her?" I blurt.

We stop walking in the middle of the hallway, and for the first time Haechan looks at me with a serious look on his face. He scoffs humourlessly, turning his head to the side as he pokes his cheek with his tongue. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Lee Haechan," I answer before sighing. "Fine, if I admit that I like Mark, would you admit that you like Chaerin?"

Haechan chuckles at my proposition. "What gave it away?"

"You stopped calling me pretty," I say bluntly, and Haechan laughs loudly. "Some time after Lee Jeno's party. You probably already liked Chaerin from way before, but something happened then, didn't it?"

"For what it's worth, I still think you're pretty, Yena."

I roll my eyes. "Not the point."

We continue walking, and Haechan seems deep in thought as he thinks of his next words. "If only you were this in touch with your feelings as you are with mine."

We stop in front of the science lab, and I give Haechan a look, signalling that we'll continue this conversation later. I push the door open, expecting to see Mark hunched over his workbench, but what I see instead causes me to drop my sandwich to the floor.

Mark has his back to us, seemingly not noticing our presence just yet as he ruffles his messy hair. The window he is facing is wide open, but that is the last thing I'm focused on, for my attention is solely directed on his back— or rather, his entire body, decked out in red and blue spandex with a mask hanging from his fingertips.

Mark Lee is Spider-Man.

Mark Lee is fucking Spider-Man.

"Shit," I hear Haechan mutter from beside me. "Shit. Shit."