flipped :: markhyuck

26 | dangerously soft

'twenty-six

haechan was horribly conflicted.

he didn't know whether to suffer a few minutes to talk to mark alone, or to never turn up and leave the boy hanging.

although the latter was more appealing, haechan didn't have it in him to leave people alone. he still had a heart, albeit a dangerously soft one.

he walked to the cafeteria for lunch as he weighed out the costs and benefits of each option, before jolting as renjun threw an arm around him from behind.

"you don't look too good," he commented mindlessly, before patting his back. "go grab a table for us. i'll pay for your food today, alright?"

haechan couldn't help but smile. "thanks jun."

renjun only ushered him away, leaving haechan to sit down at the corner of the cafeteria and allow his subconscious to consume him.

suddenly, he saw the chair opposite him be scraped back, and a tray of food was placed on his table. mark sat down and stared at him. "let's talk." 

haechan suddenly wondered why he would ever consider doing him a favour.

"it's not three-thirty," he replied, looking down.

"i couldn't wait."

"what could possibly be this urgent?"

"i think we both know the answer to that question."

silence. 

haechan couldn't respond, merely because he didn't know how to. why would he know the answer? mark sent so many mixed signals that it confused him.

"that spot's reserved," haechan instead said, and mark bit his lip.

"i want to ask you something."

"later, please."

"well, actually i want to ask you out," mark corrected himself with a mutter, but haechan couldn't listen to him. not right now.

"don't," he stated, but mark only looked dead straight at him.

"go to the formal with me."

"mark-"

"i'll organise everything."

"mark-"

"just-"

"no," he breathed, squeezing his fists under the table nervously. "i'm going to say no for the sake of the both of us."

he clenched his jaw. "i'll do double of whatever renjun was going to do."

"that's not possible, because i was going to do absolutely nothing," a voice spoke up behind mark, and he sighed as renjun placed two trays on the table next to him.  

instead of replying, mark looked over at haechan. "you know where i'll be waiting."

he then stood up, grabbed his tray and left, and renjun replaced his seat as he leaned forward and held haechan's hand.

"i'm sorry i took so long, the line was so long and-"

"it's okay," he shook his head. "he's too unpredictable."

renjun smiled. "if it makes you feel any better... i'm okay to give you up if you find someone you want to go with to the formal."

"don't say that," haechan frowned. "as if i'll let someone else be stuck with your embarrassing ass for a few hours."

"so sweet," renjun deadpanned, shoving his tray forward. "eat."

"gladly." haechan chewed a spoonful of rice with his mouth open, and renjun begged him to stop.

and again, the boys secluded themselves in their own bubble, foreign to their school environment as well as any glaring onlookers.