"dude you're like pressing the wrong keys! that is not how you play the piano, stupid"
"𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬, 𝘪 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶."
in which music major mark lee gets involved with baddie rina the ballerina...
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mark glanced at the fruit basket, anticipation building as he unwrapped the brown paper covering the contents. to his surprise, there were not just one, but two enormous watermelons, which he couldn't help but describe as colossal. excitement surged through him, and he clapped his hands in delight. grabbing a knife, he carefully scored the watermelon, his eagerness evident. haechan, engrossed in the television, was startled by mark's girlish squeal of joy.
"mom knew watermelons are your favorite," haechan chuckled, amused by his friend's adoration.
"hyuck, please thank your mom for me!" mark chirped, spitting out the seeds onto a clean tissue with a grin.
"yuh i'll text her later," haechan replied, getting himself a slice of the juicy fruit.
mina called out to minhyung from the kitchen.
"minhyung baby, help rina set the table! i'm busy flipping the pancakes"
"but mommy!" mark whined, dreading being near rina. her presence was unbearable to him.
with a heavy heart, mark reluctantly made his way to the dining area. rina was already there, diligently wiping the tables, intentionally avoiding eye contact with mark. she focused on arranging the plates on the table, attempting to distance herself. mark could sense her avoidance, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
he approached the cupboard and retrieved a pitcher, filling it with water. moving to the fridge, he grabbed some ice spheres and dropped them into the pitcher with a satisfying splash. adding a packet of powdered kool-aid, he stirred the mixture with a long spoon.
after setting the cutlery, rina picked up the remaining watermelon that mark had enjoyed earlier and decided to slice it. her index finger was still tender, reminding her of the recent injury. she carefully cut the watermelon into mini popsicle-shaped slices, arranging them in a rectangular tray. she washed the berries from the fruit basket and placed them beside the watermelon.
mark couldn't help but observe rina as she worked. a twinge of guilt tugged at his heart for being too harsh on her. but he justified his actions, believing that she deserved it. she was the reason why he was left unconscious in the hospital for three days anyway- why he wasn't able to attend his precious recital. due to his concussion, he had no recollection of anything before the accident. if only he had known what awaited him, he would have refrained from joining them. rina wouldn't have accidentally fractured his arm, and their paths could have intertwined in friendship. but what's done is done, and yet he couldn't bring himself to fully forgive her?
rina glanced back at mark, noticing his gaze upon her. she wasn't wearing her usual bold eyeliner look that day. it felt strange to see her without her signature winged liner. the absence of her dramatic makeup made her look adorable, accentuating her doe eyes and making them appear larger with her lash extentions. she had an angelic quality that mark couldn't deny, but he pushed those thoughts aside.
"umm, is there something on my face?" rina asked softly, deliberately avoiding direct eye contact.
"yeah, no, silly. you have flour on your face," mark blurted out quickly, worried that she might have caught him staring, afraid she would misconstrue his intentions.
"oh, it must be from when i was making the batter" rina immediately rubbed her face with force. "awch," she winced in pain as her injured nail accidentally scraped her face.
"you alright?" mark hid his worry with a cold front.
"yes, don't worry", she quickly replied.
"as if, i don't really care, just asked for the sake of formalities. we would be stuck in this house for a month, i'm just trying to be more accomodating" he stares at her coldly.
her heart stung with pain. ouch, she thought, feeling the emotional blow. however, a twisted part of her wished for him to treat her this way, to make it absolutely clear that she was unwanted and should not harbor any hope for his affection. deep down, she clung to the fading hope that his words as a twelve-year-old held some truth. yet, acknowledging that hope would only make her a foolish dreamer, for mark was no longer the same child she had once known. he must've hit his head too hard.
♬
"amen!" mrs. lee exclaimed with a warm smile, urging the kids to dig into the delicious spread laid out before them. the sight of her son and his friends enjoying the meal made the house feel a little less lonely. ever since her husband, mark's father, had departed from their lives, she had faced the challenges of raising mark all by herself. despite the difficulties, she had nurtured a child prodigy. mark displayed exceptional talent in playing musical instruments, with the piano being his favorite. he had undoubtedly inherited his musical aptitude from his mother.
"by the way, how will you three go to school tomorrow? the office needs me, i don't think i could drive you kids."
"it's okay, i'll be driving us, ma", mark replied, his words were muffled by the bites of airy pancakes adorned with a medley of berries, that were stuffed inside his mouth.
"these are amazing!" he exclaimed, his mouth full, as he gave a thumbs-up to his mom.
"rina made them, i was just the one to cook them!" mina chimed in happily, taking a bite of her own pancake. "oh would you share me your recipe one day, dear", she playfully winks at the girl.
"gladly", she flashed mrs. lee a toothy grin.
mark glanced at rina and, although his initial response was an eye roll driven by annoyance, it was quickly followed by a different reaction. the pancakes were simply too delish, nearly evoking a moan of pleasure from him.
rina frowned momentarily at his reaction but quickly transformed it into a lopsided smile when her brother kindly placed a slice of watermelon onto her plate. "thanks!", she poked him by the side.
