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

Chapter 34. Paradox

After our summer festival adventure, the following week was quiet and peaceful. Everything was really going great for me so far, and I hoped it did for Elizabeth too.

Ever since Donghyuck helped me figure out my true feelings for her, I was more determined to make her happy.

And to make her mine.

I was already planning to confess to her, and I've asked my friends to help me out with it. They were happy for me when I finally told them about it, and they were really supportive.

"We're really happy for you, Mark."

They told me.

"Yeah. You've really changed so much, and I can't believe it'll only take that one girl you promised to marry in the future to change you."

I was surprised too. I didn't see it coming. I didn't know that after eleven years, I'd see that little girl again and I'd fall for her all over again, just like I did when we were kids.

But I was also happy. I was happy that the little girl I proposed to turned out to be Elizabeth. I was so happy that my soulmate was her. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I was just so in love with her.

After the summer festival, I was even more obvious about my feelings for her. I got a little more sweeter, a little more clingy, and a little more loving towards her.

I think she noticed it, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it on the first few days of that week.

I even let her see my phone wallpaper that Wednesday, when she asked me to AirDrop the photos from the summer festival. It felt both so exciting and nerve-wracking to let her know that she was on my wallpaper.

Not to mention, my passcode was her initials, which I thought would make sense since I was just so in love with her.

I was hoping she'd get the hint.

I think she did, but she chose to ignore it. I did see her cheeks turn rapidly into pink, though.

On Thursday that week, I kept the "boyfriend act" inside and outside school. I pretended to be her boyfriend, though I wouldn't call it pretending because I practically felt like it already.

I decided to tease her a little for the whole day that day. She was very cute whenever she's annoyed, especially when I call her "babe" because she doesn't like it.

She'd glare at me every time and I'd just laugh at her because she was so adorable.

"For the last time, stop calling me that. It sounds so weird." She groaned as she went out of the room with Renjun.

Their Homeroom class ended a few minutes later than the rest of us.

We all chuckled at her cuteness. She really wasn't used to being treated like that.

"I'm sorry, babe. You're too cute, I can't stop calling you that." I teased her one more time, poking the top of her head.

"Ugh."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop. For now." I grinned at her, and she just rolled her eyes while groaning.

We all went home peacefully that day.

On Friday, something unexpected happened. It was like the universe knew just what Elizabeth had on her bucket list, because her number 27 was checked off.

There was a new movie being filmed at our school that day. The crew went early in the morning, so when we arrived, we found so many students gathered in the school quad.

Both Elizabeth and I didn't know about it. According to Donghyuck, it was announced on the week when we were both in Canada, and they forgot to mention it.