Supernerd! MARK

30 | finally there

It's nice to be in the midst of the hustle and bustle of campus, seeing students rush out from their lectures with their half-zipped bags almost falling off their shoulders as they try to make it to their next class, to half-awake zombies snoozing on the benches outside the auditoriums as they wait for the previous lectures to end.

Even then, I'm able to hear the loud bickering coming from Haechan and Chaerin as they walk in front of me, and life almost feels normal again.

Mark hums a mindless tune from beside me as we keep a distance from the pair in front of us, not wanting to be caught in yet another one of their catfights.

I had coincidentally bumped into Mark as I was waiting for Chaerin outside her lecture hall, him waiting for Haechan. It was my first time seeing him after the night he spent at my apartment, and while it did immediately send my body into a fit of jitters, I am fortunately saved by my own thoughts when the auditorium door before us swings open, revealing both Haechan and Chaerin whom, to no surprise, are the first ones out of the class. Hence, the four of us eventually settled on going for lunch together as a group (though it was more of Haechan making the decision for us with Chaerin whining about not wanting to be in the presence of the 'son of the Devil' himself any more than she should be).

Still, I don't mind.

In fact, I find hearing the pair argue about how a dog should properly wear pants rather amusing.

Caught up in Haechan's claim about how the right answer should be 'on all fours', I almost miss Mark's fingers graze against mine.

Despite that, the action still causes my heart to thump dangerously, and I don't dare to look at him in fear of embarrassing myself for overreacting at a mere accident.

I brush it off, now opting to focus on the (lack of) space between us that is already beginning to make my palms sweat.

After our... moment, a few days ago, Mark and I have still yet to talk about, well— us. It's obvious how the both of us are just simply too awkward with the idea of love and have no idea how to actually approach it, which is fine, because at least now I know that one thing's for sure.

Mark loves me back.

His fingers brush mine again, this time his touch lingering on my skin, and I start to wonder if the first time was even an accident at all. My question is soon answered when Mark slowly loops his fingers around mine, eventually enveloping his big hand around my small one in a warm embrace.

It instantaneously brings a blush to my face, and I dare to steal a peek at him. I see the same tinge of pink playing on his cheeks when I look up, and Mark gives me an equally shy smile as he glances back down at me.

I bite my lip as I look down at our intertwined hands— my hand looks good in his, and feels so much better.

In the midst of me indulging in this blissful feeling, the duo in front of us suddenly halts in their tracks, causing Mark and I to almost bump into their backs.

"What are you doing here?" Haechan asks aloud, and that is when I notice the two men standing before my friends.

The shorter one is in a dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the taller one in a black leather jacket. The one thing they have in common, however, is the chain that hangs around their necks, a badge suspended from it.

Seoul Police Department.

"We received a tip that there have been some dealings of the Gold Dust drug here in campus." The shorter one with almond eyes answers Haechan, disregarding his rude tone earlier.