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⚾❄️🎁🦌
Mark is a baseball player; The best; The MVP; The ace of the Sticker University’s Vampires. Today is their final game of the season against Dream University’s Tigers. Nothing could’ve been much more than anticipating other than the game, which will happen the day before Christmas Eve.
And that day is happening right now; December 23rd, 6 pm kst at the SMCU Baseball stadium.
The bleachers are packed. On the left people are wearing Red and Black; on the right, people are wearing Green and Violet. Everyone is cheering on their teams, wagging balloons, waving flags, and holding banners up.
In the locker room of the SUV, Mark and his team are doing warm-ups, shaking the impending nervousness and adrenaline in their veins.
The coach enters the room. “Alright! Get ready in two minutes! Remember, play well, enjoy the game, and be careful out in the field. Okay?!”
“Okay, coach!!”
“Alright! Let’s go, Vampires!”
The game horn roars, the game begins.
Long story short, Mark made two home runs, making the team win the game.
Everyone cheered, jumped, and roared in delight at the amazing game both teams made. After the shaking of hands and exchanging congratulations, the Sticker University team is asked to walk to the platform to receive their trophy and say a few words. As team captain, Mark steps forward to the microphone, holding the trophy.
He gives a humble message to thank everyone that cheered on them and also to everyone that watched the game, his team, their coach, and all of the members of the other team and their coach for another great game. And then he continues to deliver a very special message.
“Um, excuse me, everyone, can I get a little of your time? I, I have something important to say. Um, so I made a bet with someone, and that someone is among the bleachers. That bet is that if I won they’ll owe me a special request. So . . .” Mark trails, his breathing audible on the speakers through his mic that he is holding in his chest. His eyes trail among the bleachers, and a wide smile forms on his lips as he catches the pair of eyes he’s been looking at the whole entire game.
“Will you be the red nose to my Rudolf?”
. . . . . . .
The awkward silence of the crowd, the second-hand embarrassment from the members, and the snickering of the other players fill the air. Mark is confused with the reactions, but he still maintains eye contact with the one person among the sea of people in the bleachers, blushing in disbelief and shyness.
And a nod is all it takes for Mark to feel like he has won the world cup.
⚾❄️🎁🦌
“You’re really bad at asking me on dates,” Donghyuck says as he unwraps his arms around Mark’s waist and hops off his date’s bike.
“They all worked well, though,” Mark replies with the charmingly annoying smirk that Donghyuck wishes he could have the willpower to slap off of Mark’s face. But, oh boy, all he has is the soft spot to fall more in love.
“So, see you at the ball tomorrow?”
“Good question, Mark, hm maybe if you asked me a better question other than being a red dot.”
Mark chuckles, endeared with the teasing remarks. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it again.”
He hops off of his bike and stands, hands in the pocket of his jacket. Picture the classic scene where two characters standing, facing each other by the front yard of a house while snow falls in the background and Mistletoe is softly playing.
“Will you be the ribbon to my box?”
“Try again.”
“Um, will you be the star on top of my Christmas tree?”
“Hmmm, nice implication that you would like me to be on top of you, but I do will prefer to be the gift that you will unwrap under your Christmas tree.”
All of a sudden, the air starts to be warm as knowing glints of the eyes and playful grins are exchanged.
Mark cleared his throat, keeping himself and his head in an appropriate state of thinking. “So, see you tomorrow?”
Donghyuck steps forward while keeping the grin, then he places a hand on Mark’s shoulder, eliciting a shiver on the spine of the other.
“See you tomorrow, Rudolf,” he playfully said before leaving a light, short kiss on Mark’s nose. “Congratulations again on winning the game. I’m proud of you,” Donghyuck says under his breath.
Mark Lee surely never felt so lucky to ever lose and fall head over heels to a sunflower even in the middle of winter.
“I’ll make sure to unwrap you well tomorrow,” Mark whispers back like a promise.