upstaged || markhyuck

29: painted.

mark walked into the art room the following day carrying a box of gobos and stopped in his tracks.

renjun was looking gloomy and painting his final set piece, with jeno sitting on the floor beside him holding his free hand. the black-haired boy was staring at the smaller boy like he was his entire world, and mark felt like he had walked in on something private.

"oh, hey, hyung," renjun said, blinking. his paintbrush paused on the wood before he jerked his hand away, peppering jeno's upturned face with sky-blue paint.

jeno gave a squeak, dropping renjun's hand to dab at his face, finding tiny splotches of blue paint. "ren-ren!"

"sorry, no-no," he giggled. he attempted to wipe off some of the paint with his fingers but only ended up smudging it over jeno's face.

mark put the box down on the side cupboard, glancing back at the pair who were practically fawning over each other right there.

"um," he said, announcing his presence once more, "have you guys seen donghyuck?"

the two exchanged a glance and shook their heads at mark.

"not since yesterday," renjun mumbled. "when... you know."

"i was there," mark replied, biting his lip. "are you sure you guys haven't seen him? he's usually around the theatre somewhere."

"i haven't," jeno said soberly, looking down.

"well, if you see him," mark trailed off, shoving his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and turning to leave the room.

"wait- hyung," renjun uttered, "i saw him at lunch, but we didn't talk."

"okay," mark muttered, giving a curt nod. then he left the art rooms, wandering backstage.

the black curtains hung heavy in the wings, almost like dark pillars. it was dark in the wings, since school hadn't started yet and no one had bothered to turn the lights on. the house lights were on, the stage illuminated and seats empty. mark ran his fingers down one of the curtains, still thinking of donghyuck.

"is he okay?" he murmured aloud, nervously scratching the side of his thumb as he lingered backstage.

"talking about me, bitch?"

"holy shit, donghyuck," mark gasped, his heart skipping a beat before proceeding to go about a million miles an hour. he turned to see donghyuck standing right behind him, smirking.

"that's certainly a reaction i like," he remarked, sticking a hand in the back pocket of his jeans.

mark opened and closed his mouth but came up with nothing.

"but... were you?" donghyuck said, scratching the back of his neck, "wondering if i was okay, i mean." he suddenly looked awkward, and mark rarely saw him like that.

"uh... yeah," mark stammered. "after yesterday-"

"i noticed that someone took down the ruined posters and replaced them," donghyuck mentioned quietly. he looked back at mark.

"oh, really?" mark said, unconvincingly.

"honestly, i don't know," the peachy-haired boy admitted. "but i will be."

"good," mark said softly. "um, i'm gonna be late, so..."

he awkwardly turned round and started walking across the stage to exit via the stage door.

"i know it was you, hyung!" donghyuck called playfully. "did you keep a poster with my face on for yourself?"

"no!" mark lied as he trudged away.