instagram ; lmk ✔️

26

in the chaotic aftermath of the pool incident, mark struggled to assist alice, hindered by his intoxicated state. he resorted to desperate pleas for help, his cries echoing through the backyard.

thankfully, jaehyun, johnny, and jeno, alerted by mark's frantic calls, rushed to their aid, diving into the pool to rescue the pair. as the commotion drew attention, the rest of the party attendees gathered around the pool area.

alice, shivering and wrapped in a towel, found solace in the comfort of jaemin and ahyoung's presence, seeking to distract herself from the terrifying brush with drowning. meanwhile, mark, now somewhat sobered, faced the consequences of his actions, receiving a stern reprimand from johnny and lizzie.

"i didn't know she couldn't swim!" mark pleaded, his voice tinged with regret. "and i said i'm sorry!"

lizzie, clearly upset, questioned mark's irresponsible drinking. "what the hell were you thinking getting drunk like that? for fuck's sake, look at the poor girl."

on the other hand, johnny, despite his disappointment, showed a more understanding side, urging mark to learn from the incident. "at least you know now. keep that in mind."

lizzie looked at johnny and crossed her arms, clearly upset at his "parenting" style. "we're supposed to be mad at him right now," she whispered. 

"lizzie, he's 21, don't act like you haven't made any mistakes. i am mad, but i can also see it from his side."

later, aiko and hyemin, jaehyun and doyoung's girlfriends, approached lizzie and johnny, suggesting the girls retreat to ahyoung and aiwoo's room for the night, while the guys slept in the guest room. jiwoo, providing comfort, handed mark some clothes and directed him to the guest room to change.

alice, now dressed in ahyoung's clothes, found herself nestled between lizzie and aiko, seeking comfort from her friends. 

"i found the 'tom and jerry' dvds!" jiwoo yelled from inside the closet. she threw them to ahyoung and had her put them into the cd player. 

meanwhile, in the guest room, taeyong delivered a firm but slightly more lenient lecture to mark. chenle, renjun, jaemin, and johnny exchanged observations about the situation, johnny expressing curiosity about the entire sequence of events.

with a heavy heart, mark recounted the incident from his perspective, his voice quivering as he shared his overwhelming feelings, the unintentional kiss, and the ensuing chaos that almost led to a tragedy.

"she almost died because of me," mark choked out, his regret palpable.

-

"what even happened?" hyemin's inquiry pierced the charged air, her concern evident.

"bitch, he better not have pushed you," jiwoo chimed in, her protective stance clear. "he can catch these hands if he did."

alice launched into the narrative, her voice holding a blend of uncertainty and revelation as she recounted the events. the story unfolded in vivid detail: mark's inexplicable silence confirming his inebriation, their fateful encounter by the pool's edge, and the unexpected kiss that led to an inadvertent plunge.

"hold up" lizzie interjected, her curiosity tinged with a hint of excitement. "you guys kissed?"

alice nodded hesitantly, unsure of the reaction that revelation might evoke. "well, he kissed me, but yeah."

"okay, i know that i'm slightly angry, but i'm also so excited!" ahyoung laughed. "i mean, fucking finally!"

hyemin's astute observation cut through the conversation, offering a candid solution. "just tell him you like him. i mean, come on, it's obvious that you both have feelings for each other, and i just met you!"

ahyoung nodded in agreement, her encouragement laced with earnestness. "you've got to stop playing with his feelings, alice. He doesn't deserve that."

jiwoo broke her silence with her own revelation. " hate guys, but mark is really an exception. i can guarantee that you're not ever gonna come across another guy like him."

alice mulled over their advice, the weight of their words hanging in the air. she grappled with the delicate balance between preserving their friendship and the prospect of something more, a mosaic of emotions painted across her features.

-

jisung's exclamation echoed through the room, his tone a mix of teasing and genuine surprise. "you finally grew a pair, huh?"

mark, wiping his eyes, playfully reprimanded Haechan with a gentle slap on the chest. "shut up," he chuckled amidst the playful banter.

the room erupted in a cacophony of cheers and rowdy commotion, the boys reveling in the moment with unfiltered enthusiasm, embodying the camaraderie typical of their interactions.

"but guys, I'm not sure she even sees me that way," mark voiced his uncertainty once the fervor had subsided.

doyoung interjected with a practical suggestion. "ask her out officially. go on one date and see if it clicks."

mark hesitated, his mind swirling with conflicting thoughts about the proposition.

haechan, stepping into his role as mark's best friend, adopted a serious tone. "listen, man. forget the jokes. let me lay it out for you. you haven't been able to keep a girl for more than a month and none of them were like alice. alice put aside her own time to enter a dance competition for you. she actually tries to get along with your friends. she has your whole interest in heart. she's special and anyone can see it. you have to grab a chance when you see it. and this one? it's not gonna come again."

"hold on for once second." mark's laughter turned bitter, his doubts surfacing. "her friends most likely hate me because of what happened and as for alice? she probably doesn't even want to see me."

taeil, seizing the moment to redirect the conversation, interjected diplomatically. "alright, clearly nothing's going to change his mind, so maybe let's try to sleep on it."

the gravity in taeil's words, coupled with his seniority among them, carried weight, prompting the group to heed his suggestion without further deliberation. they settled down, the room gradually enveloped by a hushed tranquility as sleep claimed each of them, leaving mark alone with his thoughts in the quietude of the night.