ACROSS THE BALCONY

Chapter 2

Being his best friend for almost fully 3 years, Jaemin more than knows when is The Mark Lee in his best state or his any other state. Today, he finds the guy who usually will give no shit when a random stranger student accidentally bumps his arm in the coridor, is now unnecessarily glaring to the innocent stranger and just two seconds away from throwing a curse to them. It's lucky he has the school's angel smile Jaemin by his side that he takes the responsibility to mutter a sorry to the stranger in the most polite accent before he drags his bestfriend to their usual table in school's cafetaria.

The younger guy sighs while slumping his body to the chair, as the older sits himself in front of him, doesn't aware the younger tries to meet their gaze in every chance. That's when Jaemin pushes his lunch plate to Mark's, making the soup in Mark's plate splashes to his shirt a little.

"What the fuck?" Mark finally sets his gaze to his friend.

Jaemin gives him an irritated look, "No, you what the fuck. You're being an asshole since early in the morning and now look how you're just one second away from killing your bestfriend just because of a few dirt on your clothes."

Mark silently sighs. He mumbles a quiet "Sorry" as he darts his gaze away to his lunch, fingers playing with his spoon, not having any interest to scoop the mash potato to his mouth at all.

He knows Jaemin was right, most of the time he is, but he'll never bother to admit that out loud, especially today when he is not in the mood to explain himself to the younger. He just barely have enough sleep, the exam week is getting closer and so is the basketball match. His coach gives him quite unnecessary pressure than the other player as he is the captain of the team, and being the fully capable boy he is, he uses the weekend to practice his basketball skill more in the nearest park to his home instead of being lazy in his room and recharging his energy for the next week's full activities. And that is enough to give him some stress as a young general teenage boy.

Or maybe his stress is coming from something else.

Maybe his stress is also formed in a light endearing giggle voice, coming from different table across his favourite's one in this crowd of the cafetaria. Maybe his stress is a human embodiment of something beautiful and pretty face and cute bangs and long shiny hair. It's only his side face that Mark can see from his seat now, but it scares him how his heart drumming so loud to his ears he think he might deaf. He wishes he is fast enough to slap himself mentally before it's actually the voice of Jaemin's hands slapping his own forehead that makes him snapped to reality.

"It's her again, right?" The younger asks more politely than he usually does. Mark wishes he doesn't know where this conversation will lead them to. But still gives him answer, anyway.

"No." Mark tries to sound chill. He is not totally lying anyway, he is serious about the pressure he got for the exam week and the match.

"Let me guess it," Jaemin insists.

"I said no."

"You finally asked her to go to the prom but unfortunately she already found a hot handsome guy to be her date so she damped you away." Jaemin says in an annoying tone, then pointing his fork to Mark's face, "That's why you looks so horrible because you felt more unwanted and cried like a baby in your room for the entire weekend."

Well, Mark did feel like he was unwanted a litle when he finally locked himself in his room that night, but he didn't cry like a baby, his manly mature image couldn't relate that sentence Jaemin just threw at him. So instead of showing an immature brokenheart teenage boy image to his bestfriend, he puts his spoon down then lift his plate as he stands, ready to make the most fake excuse to the younger, "I need to get my phone in my locker."