cryptic | Mark Lee

4

Sleep never came for the two seated at the kitchen table. They spent the entirety of dawn talking, Taeyong soon becoming more and more fond of the young girl.

She had somehow managed to gain the trust of one of the most ruthless mafia leaders in the country.

The two talked about difficulties they had been facing; Aera with graduation and college acceptances coming up, and Taeyong with his "business" and him gaining more responsibility within it. Although the two had nothing in common, it was comforting to have someone just listen without trying to advise them or interrupt at every moment.

"Does Mark work with you?" she asks seemingly out of nowhere.

"He does. Why?"

"Just wondering, he's really smart but he never even applied to university."

"How did you know he never applied?" Taeyong asks.

"Jisung told me, he said his whole group are probably never going to college. I was just curious what they planned to do after."

Aera wasn't best friends with Dream, but she was close to Haechan and Jisung. Haechan because of their physics class, and Jisung because they were in advanced dance together. They bonded since Jisung was the youngest in the class and Aera was the new kid when she entered.

"Are you close with all of Dream?" he asks not fully paying attention to his words.

"They call themselves Dream even outside of school?" she asks with a growing smile.

Taeyong just laughs, shaking his head at the younger girl who was definitely going to make fun of Jisung and Haechan about it later.

"No I'm not close with Dream." she teases the name. "Just Haechan and Jisung, I doubt the rest of them even know my name. Mark didn't."

"Mark is," he tries to find the right word. "Mark."

"Who would've known?" sarcasm drips from her tone. "You know 14 different girls asked him to the last school dance, and he said no to all of them."

"That's Mark." Taeyong smiles. "Jaehyun tried to kiss him on the cheek and he almost jumped out a window trying to get away."

They both laugh at the extent he'd go through to get away from someone.

"I'm shocked he didn't just run out of the room while I was cleaning up his cut."

They were close together, but he didn't look uncomfortable. At least she didn't think he was.

"Did he really let you?" Taeyong asks. "That's kinda hard to believe."

"Asks him yourself, guess i'm just built different." she jokes.

Suddenly 3 loud knocks were coming from the front door. Taeyong springs to action, his reflexes working faster than his head as he peeks through a window in the living room.

A few of the members were awake as well and already taking positions around the room, ready to attack.

"What are you guys doing?" Aera asks, almost laughing at the sight in front of her.

She walks to the door opening it before anyone was able to stop her and is immediately tackled... into a bear hug.

"Kai!" she cheers excitedly.

She could recognize his knocking pattern, and knew who it was the minute she heard it.

"Aera how are- what?" Kai looks around the room being greeted by shocked, but familiar faces. "What's happening?"

"Kai?" Johnny asks his jaw on the floor.

What is the main fighter in EXO doing at the front door? And why does he seem so friendly with Aera?

"You guys know each other?" she asks innocently looking at all of them.

The looks between them cause a pit to form in Aera's stomach. It was a look of familiarity, one she didn't like.

"You've got to be kidding me?" she sighs and takes a seat on the nearest couch while rubbing her temples.

"Kai, please tell me you don't know who this is?" Jaehyun asks.

Kai nervously looks around the room. He turns to Aera.

"Zhang Aera, what did you do?"

-:-:-: