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6

lizzie's orchestrated rendezvous at the cafe had a less-than-promising start. just as she'd planned, mark and alice were the first to arrive.

mark slowly walked up to alice, who was sitting at a table and staring out the window. "hi," he breathed. 

alice whipped her hair back, facing a wide-eyed mark. "hi," she replied back. "sit down."

they both found themselves awkwardly navigating the void between their virtual exchanges and real-life encounters. mark, usually vivacious in texts, was a bit more reserved, while alice's prowess seemed to shrink within the walls of face-to-face interaction.

the tick of ten minutes felt like an eternity swallowed by silence, broken by alice's discreet phone check. "lizzie is one of the most punctual people i know, where is she?"

mark mirrored her bewilderment, fiddling with his phone. "yeah, none of the boys are answering my calls either. do you think they forgot?" 

alice smiled and shook her head. "knowing my friends, they did this on purpose. and none of them are answering their calls," she sighed knowingly, her gaze fixating on the window by the entrance.

their initial discomfor gradually thawed with exchanged observatios about each other's stature, breaking the tension with a touch of humor.

"you know," mark began, "you're smaller than i thought you were."

this elicited a genuine laugh from alice. before he got a chance to apologize for being so blunt, she replied, "so are you. what's wrong with being only five foot two?"

mark put his hands up in defeat, his mouth opening and closing, not sure what to say. he knew that she wasn't the type of person to take shit from anyone, and this just proved it. 

"i'm sorry, you just look taller in photos!" he defended, hoping that she wouldn't storm away from him. it would result in eternal humiliation from his friends, and that was the last thing he wanted. they would definitely hold it over his head for the rest of his life.

his worry washed away when alice broke out into a series of small giggles. "it's all angles. and my legs are just long compared to my torso, so i look tall. so what about you, marker?"

mark couldn't help but to smile at the new nickname she gave him. "what about me?" he asked. 

"you don't exactly touch the sky either."

"well, that's because i'm only five foot nine."

alice shrugged. "that's still tall to me. by the way, you look good."

mark looked down at what he was wearing. it wasn't anything special. a dark blue hoodie, black pants, and white shoes. but that's when he realized that he had unintentionally matched his outfit with hers.

"oh shit," he chuckled. "i was already out the door when i saw your post, i swear."

alice shook her head, letting the man know that it was okay. maybe she secretly thought it was cute. 

forty-five minutes passed very quickly before mark and alice found themselves amidst a kaleidoscope of personalities converging, a symphony of laughter, and banter woven seamlessly into the fabric of the moment. 

haechan leaned down towards mark and pinched his cheeks mischievously. "you're welcome."

mark slapped haechan's hands away and stood up to confront his six friends, as did alice. both of them bickered with their different friends groups before eventually coming together. 

the six boys high-fived lizzie, who was beaming due to the fact that her plan had been successful. 

"this was your idea?" alice asked her incredulously. "bitch!"

lizzie flipped her hair behind her shoulder and hugged alice. "but you love this bitch, so it's okay."

after everyone had been acquainted with each other, the group clicked. laughter echoed within the cafe's walls, intertwining with the mbient chatter, as though time itself relished in their union. no one would have been able to tell that these people were meeting each other for the first time. even the passersby outside could see the undeniable chemistry. 

as the clock's relentles march signaled the end, goodbyes were exchanged within the bustling streets of vancouver. jiwoo's uproarious laughter over renjun's antics lingered, a testament to the memorable escapades shared in those fleeting moments.

"hey, alice? can i borrow your car for today?" lizzie asked. "my brother has a soccer game and my parents are forcing me to go."

"sure, i'll just get a ride from jiwoo and ahyoung," alice replied, tossing the keys to lizzie without a second thought. 

"thanks, honey."

as alice turned towards jiwoo and ahyoung, the two girls were already in the car. 

"I'M SO SORRY BABE BUT I PROMISED AHYOUNG A DATE AT THREE TODAY!" jiwoo yelled from the driver's seat. 

"you're all good!" alice called back as the couple drove off. "have fun!"

her friends had all sped away, leaving her a midst a sea of excuses from the boys, each concocting reasons to evade offering her a ride.

"yo, they're just assholes," mark remarked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "come on, i'll take you home."

-

"wait why are you getting out?" alice questioned, her gaze curious as she heard the soft thud of mark closing his door.

mark flashed a lighthearted grin. "you never know," he replied, his tone carryig a blend of jest and concern. "there could be some crazy stalker dude waiting for an innocent woman to walk by. i'm just gonna walk you to to your door."

"you're quite the gentleman," alice giggled at his playful chivalry.

as they strolled along the familiar path to her door, an unspoken ease settled between them. mark's watchful eyes, not out of intrusion but more of a quiet fascination, absorbed the nuances of alice's movements. he observed the rhythm of her steps, the graceful sway of her ponytail in sync with her stride, each motion a testament to her poise and dynamism.

once they reached her doorstep, a comfortable silence hung in the air, punctuated only by the subtle sounds of the night. alice turned towards mark, a soft smile gracing her lips as she leaned against the doorframe.

"thanks for the ride," she said, gratitude lacing her words. 

mark returned the smile, his eyes reflecting the camraderie shared throughout the day. "yeah, don't mention. today was a blast, and i'm glad our friends get along."

"we should do this every week," alice suggested with a playful glint in her eyes. "your friends are cool. and jiwoo seems to have a blast bullying them."

"poor renjun," mark chuckled, recalling the dare that jiwoo peer pressured him to do. 

their laughter, a harmonious melody in the quiet of the night, echoed the bond forged in the chaos of the day's events.

"well, I'll see you around," mark said, stepping back, a casual wave accompanying his words.

"you too, bye!" alice waved back, a warmth in her voice that mark never wanted to leave.