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“My life is an awful cliché.” Donghyuck deadpans, hoping that his glare into Mark Lee’s back would turn into literal daggers and kill him. Seeing Mark in the hallways first thing in the morning both makes and ruins Donghyuck’s day. Most of the time, it ruins it. “The average nobody, in love with the older, cool and popular guy.”
“Oooh, let’s add to it!” Renjun chimes in, too cheerful for it to be a monday morning with sub-zero temperatures. “You’re next door neighbors in the suburbs, and your bedroom windows face each other. Your families are friendly, but you two have only exchanged a couple of words the whole three years you’ve been neighbors.”
The worst part? It’s the truth.
Donghyuck groans, clinging onto his backpack straps like it would give his imaginary daggers more power. “I’m just straight outta Riverdale, and that fucking Taylor Swift music video, except they get some and I don’t.”
“Oh, don’t you guys write each other notes and hold up in front of the glass? Heard it has a high success rate.” Renjun snickers. He’s a sucker for cheesy romance, and has probably read all the YA novels the school library holds. “This is too good, I should make it a story in the school paper—”
“No, you don’t! ” Donghyuck directs his sour stare onto his friend, instead of Miraculous Mark Lee. “I already get picked on for shooting that top 10 shoujo anime on the tv in class ‘cause I forgot to log my iPad off after my presentation, I can’t have another low hit my already pitiful high school career!”
“Now now, drama club vice pres, no need to be so dramatic. I’ll make it anonymous.” When Renjun wiggles his eyebrows, Donghyuck knows he should be scared. Blessed be whoever when the bell rings, and their conversation is ultimately reduced to messages Donghyuck can choose to ignore.
Luck isn’t on Donghyuck’s side in the end, because Jaemin is apparently done with his iMessage-ban and sends a text into their groupchat the minute Donghyuck opens his keynote to work on a project. It’s due tomorrow so he actually needs to finish it, but when Renjun and Jaemin starts going back and forth about Donghyuck’s more than pathetic crush he has to butt in.
rennie boi
hyuck was staring at mark again
with heart eyes
u know the starry ones
[email protected]
when doesnt he lmfao
like
he’s almost more pathetic than jungwoo flunking a grade to graduate w/ yukhei
rennie boi
SJHEKJDHDUH
their frontpage in the paper still hangs in the club room
[email protected]
when will mark and hyuck ever
donghyuck
this is why i dont have ur contact saved na fucking jaemin
also shut UP me n mark will never happen
hes ou tof my l e ag u e ffs
stop ta lkin abt my crush in cLASS teachers read our messages
[email protected]
text properly loser
also they will see ur swearing and ban u from imessages lmaoaoao
donghyuck
too fuckin late for that now i can swear and i’ll be banned
from u guys
causing me misery
Donghyuck goes back to his project, trying to not get too fired up at the messages explaining his infatuation in depth. Renjun is a straight-A student, and if Jaemin put as much effort into analyzing The Scarlet Letter as the words that leave Donghyuck’s mouth about Mark, he probably would be too. Maybe if Donghyuck befriends Yukhei his life will get a little better. One big buffoon is better than two evil minions.
After some more conspiracy theories about Mark, Renjun sends a message that makes Donghyuck flush in embarrassment for something that’s not even going to happen. Damn Mark Lee for having this kind of black magic and casting a bunch of spells on Donghyuck’s miserable vessel of flesh.
rennie boi
imagine if mark read this convo
or any of our convos
[email protected]
we sure talk a lot abt mark huh
donghyuck
and who’s fault is that?
rennie boi
we’re not the ones who’s in loooooove uwu
donghyuck
what if he DID read our messages
i’d be dead lmao uwu
[email protected]
what would u say if he was tho owo
donghyuck
hey mark lee if ur reading this i just want u to know next friday i’m free to go sledding and drink hot chocolate
It isn’t what Donghyuck would really say, because he’s too much of a coward to actually address Mark. One time he had a golden opportunity (they walked to school almost next to each other), but he didn’t even as much as reply to Mark’s ‘good morning’. There was also that day over summer break when both of their families were having backyard barbeques, and while their dads where conversing about grilling techniques over the fence and their moms gossiped about Mrs. Larson across the street, they didn’t as much as say anything to each other besides formal greetings (Donghyuck had been asked to play basketball with Mark and his brother, but Donghyuck would rather live an interaction-free life if it meant he didn’t have to make a fool out of himself in front of Mark Lee).
donghyuck
it’s been Three Whole Minutes
i dont like when u guys shut up
stop shutting up even if i told u too
The class ends without any replies, the next class as well, so Donghyuck sits down at the drama club table during lunch. He barely endures Jungwoo and Yukhei feeding each other soggy uncrustables and unnameable school lunch, but if he’s pretending to be mad at his friends he has to drag it all out.
—
When Thursday comes around, so does the school paper, and Donghyuck knows better than to not go into Renjun’s office during lunch (“Just because you’re the editor-in-chief the clubroom doesn’t have to be your office” “The others only come here for meetings anyways, be quiet”). Renjun is already there, and Donghyuck doesn’t pick up where they left off on the why-is-the-release-day-Thursday debate, but instead sits down in his regular chair and waits for the second part of the Chaotic Duo to make his appearance in silence.
They always look over the paper together, reading news they already know because gossip sure does travel fast, and laughs at unfortunate pictures Renjun has specifically chosen to spite people he or his friends have some sort of beef with. It’s become kind of a tradition. Renjun is especially smile-y today, so Donghyuck knows this week is gonna be good.
Until Renjun opens his mouth.
“Jaemin won’t make it, but I promised to remember what happens down to the smallest detail.” And if that’s not a death sentence, Donghyuck don’t know what is.
“You assholes planned something, and I will leave this room now .” Donghyuck picks up his bag to do just that, but Renjun grabs his arm. Donghyuck is aware one is unable to escape once Renjun gets his hands on them. Why does that innocent looking face belong to an actual pro-wrestler? Life’s many mysteries.
Renjun grins wider when Donghyuck sits back down. “Why don’t we just head right to the good stuff, jump to the reader’s page!”
He swallows thickly, but Donghyuck does as he’s told, slowly turning each and every page until he gets past the middle, where students can leave their own messages and short stories. He reads through a few of them, until his eyes land on something cursed that he never wishes to see ever again.
hey mark lee if ur reading this i just want u to know next friday i’m free to go sledding and drink hot chocolate
- secret admirer
Donghyuck lets out a breath, calm and collected. He closes his eyes, willing all his feelings of utter embarrassment to leave him before he speaks. “Renjun,” Renjun is still smiling when Donghyuck looks up at him, finishing his sentence: “Run.”
“That only works in movies, honey, you’re about as scary as a toothless guinea pig.” The other clicks his tongue, patting Donghyuck’s back instead of bolting off like his life depends on it (which Donghyuck still thinks he should’ve done). “And incase Mark didn’t catch this week’s print, I made sure he would definitely see it!”
Magnificent Mark Lee will definitely see it? At that, if even possible, Donghyuck feels his ears reach a boiling temperature. He gulps, fingers clutching onto the paper as he stutters, “Y-you, uh, how so?”
If Renjun hears Donghyuck’s voice going up a pitch at the end of his question, he doesn’t point it out. “I you know, Jaemin.”
Yeah, Donghyuck is so dead.
“Holy f—” The janitor walks in. “—udge on a Monday morning.”
They patiently wait for the janitor to finish changing the plastic bag in the trash can and lightly sweep the floor, Renjun casually nibbling on the sandwich he’s fished out from a ziplock bag like he currently wasn’t on a crime scene. Donghyuck takes a swig from his gatorade, his throat becoming parched due to his mind reeling with possible and horrible outcomes from his predicament. This definitely tops showing the entire class he was in need of some cute shoujo animes after crying himself through Naruto’s final episodes.
“You better show up next Friday.” Renjun comments, still grinning like it’s Christmas morning. Donghyuck really should’ve dropped him and Jaemin for Yukhei before it was too late. Now, it is.
Donghyuck grumbles, not even wanting to eat his lunch anymore. “And what if I don't? What if Mark never shows up? He doesn’t know it’s from me which is good, ‘cause then he absolutely wouldn’t go, and what if he finds out? And he tells everyone and I have to quit school ‘cause I’m socially inept and—”
“Shut up, dude.” Donghyuck shuts up. “Jaemin will make sure Mark’s going, you know how they’re kind of friends.”
Donghyuck gapes, scandalized. “I didn’t know they’re kind of friends?!”
Renjun sighs, almost fondly, as he ruffles Donghyuck’s hair. It’s a fake gesture, Renjun is a fake mom friend for putting Donghyuck through this hell. “Well, at least you’ll see Mark sledding and having fun, if that counts for anything.”
“It doesn’t.” It does.
—
Doomsday comes sooner rather than later, and Donghyuck weasels himself out of bed after scrolling on his phone for the better part of an hour. It had snowed during the night, a fresh fluffy white layer covering the already white town, and Donghyuck knows the sledding conditions are top tier today. It makes him excited, even if nerves are tying together all sorts of knots in his chest.
He peeks through his window, not trying to be overly creepy, checking if Mark’s awake. The blinds are rolled up, and Mark’s bed is already made, no sign of him in the small part of his room that Donghyuck can see. It’s pathetic, but Donghyuck kind of hopes Mark is out of town with his family since an extra day has been added to the weekend. It’s just Donghyuck’s luck the school found out they had a day off laying around, conveniently using it the day Donghyuck’s sledding-then-hot-chocolate date with Mark was. That gave him a whole day to make a fool out of himself, not half a day. Donghyuck really hopes Mark is out of town.
While getting dressed, Donghyuck makes sure his t-shirt is tucked into his pants because he does not want any snow to get into his pants or shirt. It’s most likely futile, because knowing Jaemin, his shirt will be pulled up and get snow stuffed into it anyway. Especially with this powder snow, Jaemin’s skikk will be lethal.
“Hyuckie, there’s someone at the door for you!” His mom calls, and it’s probably Jaemin and Renjun making sure Donghyuck actually goes to the hill today. He considers his options, knowing he can’t fake sick after Renjun started carrying a thermometer around everywhere, and neither does he want to roll down the stairs in an attempt to break his leg. He broke his arm as a kid, never wants to break anything again. Donghyuck also really wants to go, if not for Mark, but to have fun with his friends. He loathes the cold, but snow is always fun.
Donghyuck sighs in faux defeat and calls back, “Coming!”
After pulling a knitted sweater over his head, he runs downstairs to greet his friends.
“Yo turds, ready to race to death and lose— Mark?!”
“Hey, Donghyuck!” And it is Mark Lee, in a padded jacket and pants in bold colors, a wool headband covering his ears and he looks so good and cute and it’s fucking Marvelous Mark Lee in Donghyuck’s hallway. “Sorry for kinda showing up uninvited, but wanna go sledding?”
“Why?” Donghyuck replies before he can stop himself, but quickly recovers. “I mean, sure, I’m going anyways, so…”
Mark grins, “Cool!” Donghyuck swoons. “My friends can’t just yet, and I really wanted to go asap, and I know you like to race.”
Now, Donghyuck is speechless. Mark knows Donghyuck likes to do sled races. Mark knows something about Donghyuck. Even better: Mark would rather go with Donghyuck than alone, even if it’s a last resort. Donghyuck can’t stop the smile that makes its way onto his face, bright like the sun.
“Ah, I was planning to go with Jaemin and Renjun, if it’s fine with you that they tag along?” Donghyuck asks, although he will gladly cancel on his friends for Mark (he wouldn’t, he needs the support system if he’s going to survive the day).
Mark looks puzzled for a moment, but then shrugs. “I was gonna go with Jaemin and Jeno, and Jaemin said he was gonna drag Renjun along, so I guess we’ll meet them there.”
“Yeah!” Donghyuck tries to be cheery, but just from that, he knows his friends are up to something. This is all a setup, he is aware, but Mark isn’t. They’re going to do something that will leave Donghyuck embarrassed for years, and Mark will avoid Donghyuck like the plague from then on out. “Be right back, breakfast.”
And off he bolts to let panic wash over his face for a second.
“I found the clothes you use when we go skiing and they’re by the door, the sled’s in the garage.” Donghyuck’s mom says as he walks into the kitchen to grab an apple, and Donghyuck accepts his fate like the good son he is. Not that his fate is bad , far from it, besides the fact that this day might end horrendously. Maybe Donghyuck will end up faking sick after a few minutes in the snow after all.
Back in the hallway Donghyuck gets dressed in his winter clothes. They grab his sledding board from the garage, an isopor thing with handles and plastic underneath for great glide. Mark’s is similar, just a little different in shape and color. Then they’re on their way, the fresh snow crunching under their boots as they walk.
The journey to the hill is awkward, something Donghyuck forgot to think about when accepting Mark’s offer. Mark is humming some song, steps cheerful, and Donghyuck is mum and doesn’t know what they can possibly talk about. He can ask if Mark saw the school paper, but that will be embarrassing because Donghyuck would totally slip up and confess and—
“Did you read last weeks school paper?” Mark asks, and Donghyuck almost chokes on a snowflake he breathed in. “The reader’s corner page.”
“Are you casually bringing that up to tell me I’m about to be a third wheel on and wonderful winter date?” Mark laughs at that, which Donghyuck takes as a win. Mark is unaware Donghyuck wrote the awfully cheesy message, so that’s good. For now, at least.
After calming his giggles, Mark replies. “No, but did you read this week’s paper, then?”
“Nope.” Donghyuck hasn’t, and he feels his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. Did Renjun post anything else? Maybe Donghyuck could say he forgot something at home, run to Renjun’s and steal an issue.
“Oh, just wondering.” Mark’s smile is sheepish, and Donghyuck figures he’s just reading between lines, but it’s all blank spaces.
So far, Mark has been nothing but nice and warm, no hidden agenda behind his toothy grins. It’s kind of scary how easy it is to talk to him, even if they’re both being beyond awkward with their smalltalk followed up by a long stretch if silence. Maybe it’s because they don’t really know each other personally— a bright idea pops into Donghyuck’s head.
“What’s your favorite milkshake flavor?” Mark looks taken aback at the question, or maybe just the sudden breach of the quiet.
“Uh, like, mint chocolate?”
Donghyuck makes a noise. “Ew, mine’s regular chocolate. You don’t taint chocolate like that!”
“Hey, don’t shoot it down until you’ve tried it! I don’t usually like mint chocolate, just ice cream and milkshake.” Mark defends, frowning slightly. Donghyuck wants to poke him between his eyebrows, but he doesn’t. “But twenty questions is a good idea. What’s your favorite movie?”
“Pacific Rim, and of course Star Wars.” Donghyuck sighs dreamily. “I can’t wait for my man John Boyega to bless me in Pacific Rim Uprising.”
“Oh damn, same, he’s really great!” Donghyuck tries to decipher if Mark’s outburst is very straight or not.
“What’s your current favorite song?”
Mark seems to think a little about that before replying, even holding his hand up to his chin, which is extremely adorable. “I’ve listened to Finesse a lot, but I guess Location by Khalid is my current favorite.”
And they continue back and forth, Donghyuck’s anime marathons and Mark’s love for eating cereal with orange juice revealed (“That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever imagined” “You have no right to speak since you’ve seen all of One Piece but not Stranger Things”). By the time they reach the hill most people in town use for sledding, they know enough about each other to avoid any form of awkwardness, and there’s no Chaotic Duo in sight. This might end in Donghyuck’s favor.
They first run up the hill, literally runs , and Donghyuck trips Mark who falls face first into the snow. It’s forgiven and forgotten once Mark throws a handful of snow at Donghyuck’s head, effectively shutting up his boisterous laughter. Once lined up at the top of the hill, it’s showtime. They wait for the kids who went before them to get out of the way, deciding the rule of this race is to see who can get the furthest before coming to a halt.
“Loser gets snow in their socks!” Donghyuck taunts, knowing his perfected kick-off can’t possibly make him place last.
“Deal!” Mark replies, then they dually count down before they’re off.
Even if others have gone down the hill before them, snow still lands on their face in heaps, but it doesn’t stop any of them to lean forward to try and push the sled even further, not wanting to get icy socks although they already have. After almost bumping into each other, they finally come to a stop, Mark first and Donghyuck a couple feet away. Donghyuck stands up triumphant, while Mark slouches down on the ground.
“Hah! Eat shit!” Donghyuck hollers as he runs up to Mark, who’s rolling up his pants with no complaints. The fact that he isn’t even putting up a fight somehow makes Donghyuck fall a little deeper into the crush pit.
“You mean eat snow?” He’s obviously steeling himself to soon have freezing ankles, yet Mark is laughing, and Donghyuck can’t do anything but laugh, too. “Apparently it’s bad for you, so I don’t actually wanna.”
“Don’t worry, next race loser gets a face full of snow, mouth not included.” Donghyuck pushes a handful of white powder into Mark’s socks, who lets out a small scream. He continues to scream for about five seconds, and then Donghyuck’s handiwork is done.
“Somehow,” Mark pants as he sits up, a shiver running down his spine. “I don’t believe the last part of that bet.”
He has reason not to, because when Mark wins the next race, he makes sure to get as much snow as possible into Donghyuck’s mouth.
Another race turns into many more, and time flies as they steadily grow colder after lost bets and snow attacks. It’s already past noon when Mark checks his phone (which has been safely tucked into a plastic bag, Donghyuck doesn’t want to look at his own that’s most likely frozen and dead), and there’s been no sign of Jaemin, Renjun, or even Jeno. To Donghyuck, it’s a little disappointing, but hanging out alone with Mark isn’t unwelcome at all.
“Final race?” Mark asks, already picking up his sled. “Loser has to make the other hot chocolate.”
Donghyuck feels his cheeks burn from the cold, but he still beams, picking up his own sled. “Deal.”
He knows it isn’t fair, but Donghyuck hesitates a second before kicking off, making sure he’s on a straight path to bump into Mark. It’s to knock him off his sled so Donghyuck wins, but the impact comes sooner than expected, and they both tumble down the hill, boards following them slowly. They land in a mess of tangled limbs, faces too close, laughter rumbling through them and Donghyuck can’t find it in him it be embarrassed about his fuck up.
Had he known Mark Lee can be this fun, maybe, just maybe , Donghyuck would’ve plucked the courage to talk to him earlier.
“I consider this a tie,” Mark states as he rolls away, standing up to brush snow off his clothes to no avail. “So, like, make each other hot chocolate?”
“Your house or mine?”
—
Mark’s house is similar to Donghyuck’s, his mom’s furniture and styling choices being a tad more minimalistic and modern than Donghyuck’s. It’s still cozy.
They’re currently in the kitchen, and they warm their hands on the water boiler before it gets too hot to hold onto. Once the water is steaming, they both make a mug, hiding ingredients out of sight from each other. It’s silly, Mark can totally see Donghyuck grabbing the honey in his peripheral vision. At least Mark puts whipped cream on the cup Donghyuck is gonna drink from, but it also means Donghyuck can’t playfully complain about how horrible the chocolate tastes, then.
When the drinks are finished, Mark leads the way to his room, mirroring Donghyuck’s in the neighboring house. The walls are a boyish blue, but it’s very Mark, especially with the science and sports posters hanging on the walls. There was also a few trophies on Mark’s desk, which wasn’t unexpected.
“Man, I haven’t had that much fun sledding before!” Mark sighs happily, stretching his arms over his head after placing his cup on the nightstand. Donghyuck holds onto his own as he sits down in Mark’s desk chair, spinning on it once to take in the room again.
“You just haven’t gone with me, that’s all.” He teases, and Mark huffs.
“Oh, great Donghyuck, you have showed me the proper way to handle the coldest of snows.” Donghyuck kicks Mark’s shin, who snickers.
They drink the hot chocolate in peace, besides Donghyuck’s offhand comment on how there were no mini marshmallows. Unable to quite grasp the situation still, Donghyuck sneakily pinches his own thigh every now and then, trying to convince himself it’s not a dream. He wonders if it will be too much to mention how no one had showed up and claimed being Mark’s secret admirer, even if it actually was Donghyuck, but he feels the need to make conversation about it, for some reason.
Thankfully, Mark beats him to it.
“So, uh, I have yesterday’s school paper, if you wanna read it?” Mark points to his desk, and Donghyuck spins a few degrees on his chair so he can turn to it. He just nods as he flips the first page, quickly sweeping over the contents before turning to the next one. “You can just jump to the reader’s page.”
And oh , that sounds oddly familiar. Donghyuck doesn’t think too much about it, making his way to mentioned page, eyes scanning the messages and stories and trying to decipher what could possibly be so interesting for Mark Lee to want him to read it as well. Nothing could’ve possibly prepared Donghyuck for exactly what it was.
hey secret admirer, i really wanna go with you, so i’ll see you then! i’ll pick you up after 10am
- boy next door, Mark Lee
Donghyuck’s face, already red from being outside in the cold, flushes anew. His heart is beating so loudly he knows Mark can hear it, his nails digging into the palm of his hands. He has no idea, no clue, on how to react to this , so he does what he does best. He becomes a potty mouth.
“Fuck.”
“Was that a good f-word or a bad f-word?” Mark has a careful smile on his face, eyes shining, and Donghyuck wants to do anything but snort, but his body fails him.
“I think, maybe, a good f-word.” And yeah, it’s a good feeling that took over his chest a few seconds ago, but there’s still a tiny question burning in his mind. “Don’t get me wrong, I actually kinda feel like dying on the spot from embarrassment, but how did you… figure out?”
“Well, like, you know Jaemin.” It’s all the explanation Donghyuck really needs, but Mark continues. “He and Renjun kinda uh, told me, youhaveapatheticcrushonmeanditwasyouandialsohaveakindacrushonyoutoo?”
Donghyuck stares. “Upload that to SoundCloud, I’m sure someone out there on the internet will understand the flow you just spat.” Mark sputters, and Donghyuck finally caves, ears red as he buries his face in his hands. “I’m gonna end those two.”
“I said,” Mark takes a breath, continuing. “I like you, too, so, uh. Like, yeah.”
Cue Donghyuck’s unfiltered mouth. “I never said I liked you.” Mark deflates a little, expression surprised, and Donghyuck feels his own face crack as he laughs. “I like you, so now it’s fitting to use ‘too’ in your sentence, smartass.”
It’s back to awkward, but different than before, slightly better. They both try to process exactly what’s happened, and Donghyuck pinches his thigh one last time before standing up and sitting next to Mark on his bed. Mark’s hand is clammy, which Donghyuck notices when he places it on top of Donghyuck’s, squeezing lightly.
“Since we agree to like each other, can you stop playing nightcore over your speakers every morning?” Mark requests, smug, and Donghyuck flops down onto the bed while groaning.
They haven’t even started dating, but Donghyuck’s ready for a break up.
—
Monday morning Donghyuck and Mark gets a bunch of snowballs smacked in their faces, as they get caught kissing on the corner of the school building by their friends.