"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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"are you feeling uhhh....okayer now?" rina joined mark in the kitchen who was getting himself a chilled glass of oat milk. she dropped little dandruff on the floor and the cat went straight to his feeding bowl to eat his dinner.
closing the fridge, mark nonchalantly disregarded rina's presence. the kitchen was dimly lit, with the only light coming from the microwave oven and a small light that sat on the countertop alongside a vase of tulips.
rina timidly pleaded, "could you please grace me with your conversation?"
"do you ever shut up?" mark quipped at her formalities, rolling his eyes.
sitting on a tall stool, rina huffed, "well, i happen to possess a natural talent for incessant chatter, thank you very much."
mark stared at her, looking uninterested.
"d-do you really not recall anything? like at all?" rina muttered, breaking the silence.
"–did none of it hold any significance for you?" rina rested her head on the table, nervously fiddling with her fingers.
mark halted in his tracks, "what are you saying?"
"forget it" rina sighed, deflating her earlier intensity.
"weirdo", mark rolls his eyes yet again.
as the microwave let off a resonating ding, mark got his reheated pizza and left.
ahh... it hadn't always been like this, or at least not eight years ago.
(flashback)
today is 26th of august, the year is 2015
"markles sparkles!" little rina pouted, panting for breath.
"for someone so small, you've managed to invent a hundred nicknames for me" mark scoffed, though deep down he loved each and every moniker the girl had bestowed upon him, no matter how nonsensical they seemed.
the two lay still on the grassy meadow, embracing the dampness of a sunday morning's dew against their backs. "next thursday is the grand recital. will you be there for me?" mark turned to face rina.
little rina gripped little mark's hand, nodding with adoration for the said boy, "of course, i wouldn't dare to miss it, prodigy!"
"wait! stay right here; i'll fetch something from home," rina exclaimed excitedly, dashing towards their house to get the orange and blue loom bands she had diligently crafted for him the night before. it was a vibrant starburst friendship loom bracelet—a labor of love that had kept her awake all night, watching tutorials on youtube.
it had better be worth it.
after five minutes, rina returned.
mark was now perched on the grass, waiting.
rina sat before him, covering his eyes with her tiny hands. mark peeked through the gaps between her fingers. "are you ready for your present?"
"yay!! present~", he clapped his hands in anticipation.
"okay, open you hands baby~", rina happily chirps.
mark obediently revealed his hands, and in an instant, a bracelet tumbled down into his waiting palms.
mark's eyes sparkled in glee, "thank you so much riri!" he hugged the girl and kissed the top of her head in a tender manner. "i'm going to wear this on the day of my recital!"
bashfully, rina concealed her blushing cheeks behind the cascade of her lustrous hair.
"consider yourself adored, my darling!" she playfully tousled mark's locks, placing a gentle pat upon his head.
ahhh, childhood lovers turned enemies.
what happened to her sweetheart? what destiny befell them?
(end of flashback)
the morning sun heralded a new day, finding mark and haechan still asleep in their shared room.
"min- hyung!" haechan vigorously shook mark from his sleep, though he himself remained drowsy.
"mmmh", mark groaned, stirring reluctantly from his deep sleep. the heaviness in his limbs seemed to weigh him down, anchoring him to the bed.
"good heavens, you're on fire!" haechan exclaimed, pressing his hand against mark's forehead as though it was a skillet atop a stove.
"bro you're burning, help– do you want me to call mom?" haechan panicked, concern tugging at the corners of his voice.
he pulled the blanket over mark and turned off the air conditioning. "are you able to get up?"
"i'm fine hyuck, don't worry about me, you're gonna be late to school", mark reassured him, his voice groggy– "this is nothing."
"wait a moment!" haechan called out for mrs. lee, but she was nowhere to be found, presumably having left for work early.
"ayyo rina!"
"–come get a pail of water and a small towel, bring fever medicine too here in mark's room, quick!"
rina swiftly gathered all the items haechan had requested and arranged them on mark's desk as instructed.
"what happened?" rina asked, her face filled with concern as she looked at mark.
"maybe you should call in sick," haechan suggested. "mark needs you right now.."
"i cannot afford to skip classes today; i mustn't miss the chance to audition for the prestigious honor festivals...you know how much i've been waiting for this..", he continues.
"it's fine, i'll stay here", rina said, nodding in understanding.
"go get ready for school, hyuck, this is just common fever, i will take care of him", rina tells him.
"are you sure?" haechan asked, seeking confirmation from his sister.
"i am", the girl replies.
"okay, i'll be going now, ri", haechan hugged rina and went to take a shower.
"mark?" rina carefully removes the blanket from his face.
rina's heart broke at the sight of a very sick mark.
"please drink some water mark," rina urged him, her voice soft and caring.
mark nodded weakly and took small sips of the water.
"lie down for me, and i'll place this damp cloth on your forehead. it will help reduce your temperature a bit," rina explained, wetting the cloth and gently placing it on mark's forehead. "i'll prepare something warm for you in the kitchen. you shouldn't take medicine on an empty stomach, okay?"
