Hallmark (Marked Series #3) | NCT Mark AU Fiction

Chapter Sixteen

The Losing End: The Last Challenge

"M-Mark!"

"We were just," Johnny looks around. "You know, talking about how happy you'd be if you heard about, uh,"

"About the song Nami recently made for you!"

"Song?" He frowns and leaves his bag over an empty chair. "You guys look so tensed and it makes it obvious that you people are lying." His eyes dart back to me and he gets even more suspicious. "What the heck are you guys screaming about when I got here?"

"Actually—"

"Can you guys," I cut Taeyong off and turned to Mark. "Let me talk to Mark for a few minutes?" At that, the lads walked out of the door leaving me and Mark inside the room alone and silent. I gulped before he made his way towards me and holds my by the arms.

"What's wrong?"

"The next challenge is already posted."

He blinks for a few times. "Oh, really? Let's check it out th—"

Before he could bring out his phone, I stopped him and said, "And I want you to know that I'll do it no matter what."

"So you've seen it?"

I looked down and nodded.

"Okay. What is it?"

I looked back up to him with a small smile. "Dancing."

He froze. He looked like he was taking in the information longer than I though. "But you—"

"I'll do it, Mark. I'll be fine."

He looks at me. "Will you be really fine?" He asked again so I nod. "But your ankle – won't it be dangerous to use it with so much power? The usual power you have whenever you get on the dance floor? You have a bad habit of showing off when you're dancing, princess."

I chuckled. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

He laughs along. "No. I'm just saying you start dominating when you dance. It's like you were made to be there and you just nail even the simplest choreography. Oh!" He suddenly wraps his arms around my waist which made my eyes widen. "Can you just dance like clapping steps, then you steps side to side and—"

"You're asking me to dance like a nursery student when I just told you I don't want to lose to one of your exes in something I was once proud of?" I raised a brow at him in disbelief. "No, Mark!" I exclaimed and pushed myself away from him but he doesn't let go of my waist. "I won't lose to your ex even if it means breaking my foot for the rest of my life."

"You love me that much?"

My smile faded when I realized what he just said. I looked at him flustered and I could feel the rush of my blood over my cheeks. "W— I mean,"

"I get it, princess. Stop acting pressured. I know you're not ready and you're not yet at that stage of affection towards me. It's okay. I'm not forcing you to say those words and I'll wait for you to actually say it."

I gulped. He took the words right out of my mouth.

"Do you really have to do this, Nami?"

I looked at Mark with the most nervous smile I have ever flashed. I nodded as he brushes his fingers over my cheeks. "Taeyong taught me the easiest choreography he could possibly do, the slowest dance I have ever encountered in my entire life and I will hate him forever for that. I told him not to consider the consequences but he still did."

He looks at me with full of worry. "You know you don't have to do any of this."

I smiled at him weakly. "But I have to let you go if I don't win and I don't want that."

"Everyone knows I'll come back to you either way."

"Doesn't change the fact that I have to let you go."

He chuckled, cupping my face with his hands before giving me a quick peck over my forehead. "You're so stubborn princess."

"I know."

Just like the usual, the setup was fancier this time. It was the last challenge after all. My heart was beating out of my chest. I couldn't breathe properly ever since the competition started. "The first person who will perform for us will be," the host draws a paper from a box. "Ms. Xiaochen!"

She was flawless. Her moves were smooth and it was too perfect to be true. I couldn't even speak or recall my routine because I was too captivated by her beautiful dancing with her beautiful doll-like face. She was like a goddess in her forest, like she was filming a movie or something. I felt so small now that I watched her complete performance. That was straight up downgrading on my part.

"What a way to start the evening! But now, let' give it up for MESPA High's pride in dancing for years, Nami Fukuyama!"

I did my routines right. I did them without overthinking like how I usually do when I dance for competitions. I wish that translated well enough for the audience to see. I worked hard on it even if it wasn't my very best. I had to consider a lot of things before I accept the terms of this competition. Dancing. I should have seen this coming. I should have known it wouldn't be a competition without dancing.

"And the winner is, Ms. Xiaochen!"

I smiled bitterly and clapped my hands together and I didn't realize that Mark suddenly pulls me over his chest and gives me a really warm, tight hug. "You did well, princess."