String to my heart ♪ Mark Lee

♪ 43

Every day you seem too far away
Every timе you do, I tell myself
I'm waiting right here
Every night I see you in my heart
Every time I do, I end up crying
When I call you in the darkness

♪

Late at night, the NCT Dream dorm buzzed with energy.

The plan for Mark's surprise birthday celebration was in full swing and it was a secret that everyone was determined to keep from the unsuspecting leader.

Hannah, Jihye, and Jaejin had joined forces with the members of Dream to pull off the perfect birthday surprise. What was supposed to be a casual late night hangout was in reality, an elaborate setup with much more in store than Mark could ever imagine.

Hannah leaned over a pile of balloons and streamers, her voice a mix of excitement and tension.
"Make sure Mark doesn't get any hint, if he starts suspecting then we're doomed." she warned, her voice low but filled with excitement.

Jisung replied.
"Don't worry, we're pros at this by now. Besides, Mark isn't the type to catch on quickly." He chuckled, though his hands were busy tying a knot on the last set of balloons.

"Well, let's hope you're right." Hannah said, a bit of nervousness sneaking into her tone.

Renjun reassured her.
"Relax Hannah, We've got it covered. He won't suspect a thing. Just focus on keeping him occupied."

"Fine, fine," she laughed.

"But if he figures it out, I'm blaming you two!"

Meanwhile, Jaejin and Jihye had arrived at the dorm earlier to assist Chenle and Haechan in baking a cake.

Well, "assist" was a loose term, as they were mostly making a mess. Jihye mischievously sprinkled flour on Jaejin's face, which led to him retaliating by tossing a handful of sugar at her.

They erupted into laughter, despite Chenle's increasingly frantic attempts to control the chaos.

"Guys!" Chenle groaned, trying to hold back a smile as flour puffed into the air.
"We're not having a food fight, at least not until the cake is in the oven!"

Haechan, leaning against the counter, watched with a smirk.
"You two are worse than the maknaes," he teased, pointing at Jihye and Jaejin.
"I'm starting to think I should've left you out of this."

Jaejin, grinning, shot back.
"Admit it Haechan, without us this party would be boring."

"Yeah, we're the life of this surprise" Jihye added, sticking out her tongue at Haechan.

"Uh-huh sure" Haechan said, shaking his head but clearly amused.
"Let's just make sure Mark doesn't walk into a warzone."

As the cake finally made its way into the oven, the conversation shifted back to the upcoming surprise.

"Do you think Mark will cry?" Jihye asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Oh, he's definitely going to cry," Jaejin said with a smirk.
"I can already picture it."

Haechan grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Mark? Cry? He'll probably start with that confused, squinty eyed look and then act all embarrassed when we sing."

Chenle chimed in.
"He'll try to play it cool, but we all know he's a softie."

"He always tries to pretend like there is something in his eye." Haechan said.

Back at the dorm, Hannah and Renjun were hanging the final decorations streamers, balloons, and a massive banner that read "Happy Birthday, Mark!" The dorm felt festive, glowing with colorful lights and the energy of anticipation.