At the End of Summer || Mark Lee (NCT)

Chapter 4. New Girl

"Yeah. Her."

Donghyuck got out from behind the tree and walked over to her.

"Hey, what are you doing? Hyuck, come back here!" I whispered loudly at him.

He was already too far from me, so I also got out from behind the tree and followed him.

"Hey, what are you doing out here alone?" He asked her.

She got startled a bit, suddenly sitting up. I was just behind Donghyuck, not yet showing myself.

"I—I was just hanging ou—"

She stopped talking when she saw me.

Donghyuck then looked at me.

I eyed him, trying to tell him through mental telepathy that he shouldn't have done that. Then he looked back at her.

He must've felt the awkward atmosphere between us because he suddenly scratched the back of his head and slightly chuckled. Then he cleared his throat.

"It's cold out here. Why don't you go home with us? Mark will take you home."

"What?" We both said in unison.

"What? It's cold and it's already late. Girls shouldn't be out here alone at this time of the night." He said.

Donghyuck wasn't usually like this when it comes to girls. Especially to girls that he doesn't like.

Oh, wait.

"It's okay. I can go home on my own. Besides, I don't think Mark would wanna take me home anyway," she said, her voice lowering at the last sentence.

But I clearly heard her.

When I looked at her, she was looking somewhere else.

"Look, Elizabeth. It's freezing out here, and it's already late. It's not safe for a girl like you to be all alone here. Who knows what might happen to you, so just go home with us. Your parents are probably worried about you, and Mark wouldn't mind."

I was shocked with Donghyuck at the moment that I was utterly speechless. I slightly nudged him, silently telling him that it's not a good idea, but he just gave me a look.

What is happening to Hyuck right now? It's like Jeno 2.0, but worse.

New Girl was also speechless, but I can sense that she was deliberating whether to say yes or no.

"Um... Alri—"

"Okay! Let's go." Donghyuck smiled warmly at her.

What the heck, dude?! Don't tell me you like her now too?!

I sighed, not knowing what to feel about the sudden turn of events. I then propped myself up on my bike, getting ready. I looked at her with a blank face, not knowing what to do.

I must've been staring for too long because she suddenly cleared her throat.

"Um. I'll just... walk."

She said, and then started walking. But Donghyuck stopped her, holding her right arm.

"What? No. Hop on to Mark's bike. He's taking you home. Safely." Donghyuck said, eyeing me when he said the word "safely."

I rolled my eyes.

I can't believe you're doing this to me, Hyuck.

"Err, no thanks. I'd rather walk." She said.

"Uh, Hyuck. Are you sur—"

"No. You're not walking home, and you're obviously not gonna ride on my skateboard. So get on Mark's bike already because he's taking you home."