SMILE | NCT Markhyuck

05

Seated under a large window that bathed the room in soothing reddish-orange sunlight, the two boys sat across from each other at a desk in the library, where they had decided to stay for extra tutoring. Donghyuck quietly focused on his reading for his classes, while Mark nervously fidgeted with his work, stealing occasional glances at the boy in front of him. It wasn't his first tutoring session with Donghyuck, nor was it their first time studying in the library. However, it was the first time they were alone, which explained Mark's restlessness. The quiet was overwhelming, making it hard for him to concentrate. Mark took one more timid look at Donghyuck, only to find that Donghyuck was already gazing back at him.

"Are you stuck on a question?" Donghyuck asked.

"Ah, no. I'm almost done," Mark replied, his eyes glued to his book, his ears tinged with a blush.

"Alright, let's see..." Donghyuck calmly reviewed the paperwork Mark had been working on. "Oh wow! You got them all right. Good job, Mark!" He praised.

"T-Thanks," Mark said, looking away and scratching his head, embarrassed by the compliments.

"Come on, you should be happy about this!" Donghyuck leaned in, resting his chin on his fist as he fixed a longing gaze on Mark's flushed face. "You're really not the smiling type, huh?"

"There's no reason to smile," Mark declared, his eyes darting around the library, avoiding direct eye contact.

"You know, you'd be more popular if you smiled more often." Mark pouted in defense of Donghyuck's statement, causing the tan boy to giggle. "It'll be easier for you to make friends too!"

"It doesn't matter, you're good enough for me"

"There you go again." Donghyuck playfully rolled his eyes as he began packing up his belongings.

"By the way, aren't you busy with student council?" Mark inquired as they made their way out of the library.

"Not as busy as you might think. How about you? What about basketball practice? Is it okay for you to skip?"

"The captain made an exception for me. I don't have to show up all the time, that's how much of an ace I am at the game." Mark playfully mimicked dribbling an imaginary basketball and made an imaginary hoop shot, eliciting laughter from both of them.

"Wow, it got dark pretty fast," Donghyuck observed. "Want to come over? Mom misses you."

"Oh, sure. Your family has been so supportive since the incident with my parents. I want to be able to take care of myself so that my parents will be at ease—"

Mark was interrupted as Donghyuck playfully squeezed his cheeks, coaxing a smile from him. "As expected, you look so much better with a smile! Don't overthink things, just smile, silly." Mark's heart skipped a beat.

"Okay okay, I got it. Don't do that again. Geez," Mark said, looking away, hiding his red cheeks.

"Hehe, looks like I found another weakness of yours," Donghyuck teased.

✨✨✨

The two friends walked through the quiet school halls and reached their lockers to put away their belongings.

"I don't get why you smile so much," Mark remarked as he rummaged through his locker, which was on the opposite side, facing Donghyuck's locker.

"And why don't you like to smile at all-- Ah?" Donghyuck stopped midsentence. Inside his locker, he found a red envelope sealed with a heart. Mark instinctively walked over to Donghyuck's locker. "Is this..."

"...A love letter," Mark finished Donghyuck's sentence.

"W-what? Wait, I'm not ready for this!" Donghyuck stepped back in panic. "I'm definitely not ready."

"..Well good for you." Mark congratulated with a lingering feeling of bitterness.

"Eh? What's wrong?"

"No, nothing," Mark replied, frowning, before turning back to his locker.

"Ha, could it be...Mark, are you...jealous?" 

Shocked by the word, Mark cringed. "I'm not!" But he was.

"Well, this is probably a misunderstanding and it might not even be a love letter," Donghyuck said with a smile as he placed the letter in his bag. " besides, you're very handsome, Mark. I'm sure you'll get one sooner or later"

"That's not what's bothering me," Mark muttered under his breath.

"What, did you say something?" 

"Nope. Nothing" 

"Come on, let's go home for now."