My Bully, My Love | NCT Mark

05| What The Heck Are You Doing Here?

"Ahhh!" shrieked Irene as she was startled by the silhouette of a person huddled by the water tap. Fear coursed through her body as she recognized who it was, causing her to tremble with unease.

Was this it? Was this how she was going to go out? She always thought she would die doing the thing she loved the most, eating her favorite seaweed soup and then possibly choking on it... The frightened girl quickly shook the thought out of her head; she still had a little fight in her. "I'll scream!" She tilted her chin defiantly, fighting back tears.

"Relax, I wouldn't touch you even if you begged me to," reassured Mark, wrinkling his nose with a slight cringe. His eyes darted over Irene's shoulder and into the distance, toward the crying Mina seated behind where Irene had been, closely watching her as she was comforted by the girls around her. Irene's sharp sense caught onto his curious stares. Was he here to torment Mina again? Or could he actually be concerned?

"Are you here to cause trouble for Mina, once more?" Irene questioned sharply, scrutinizing his every reaction.

"W-who?... Oh, was that her name?" Mark feigned distraction, stretching his arms randomly to divert her attention.

"Or are you here because you were genuinely worried?" Irene finished her words with a smirk, wondering where this newfound strength came from to confront someone like Mark. She must be crazy.

However, Mark's subtle shrug in response to her final words was enough for Irene to suspect his true intentions. That boy is up to no good. There was no surprise there.

"W-what are you talking about? Who would care about a runt like her?" he hissed. This small person must be out of their mind, Mark thought.

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After what felt like an eternity, Mina's first day of school finally came to an end. She let out a deep sigh of relief as the steaming water ran down her tired body.

Every inch of her felt heavy and sore.

Once again, she sighed, staring at the rectangular tiles plastered all over the commute shower floor as they blurred from the tears streaming down her face. This day had been dreadful. She already hated it here, she wanted to go home.

She wanted her mum...

She stood motionless, crying in the same spot for what seemed like hours.

Great, now her eyes were swollen, she thought as she rubbed them, feeling the itchiness intensify.

"Well, are you going to put on a show for me?" a voice came from behind her as she walked out, draped in nothing but a towel.

"Oh my god, what the heck are you doing here?" Mina exclaimed, dismayed to see Mark once again.

He rose from one of the benches placed by the entrance of the commute showers and slowly approached her with a towel wrapped over his shoulder and his hands tucked away in his pocket the entire time. Despite that, his gaze made her feel exposed as if he were undressing her with his eyes.

"Gross, my eyes are up here," Mina emphasized, desperately attempting to shield herself with the towel wrapped around her body. All she received in response was his infuriating smirk. She couldn't stand it.

He glanced at her face one last time, briefly scanning her body before turning around and disappearing into the shower room.