never not ✧ mark lee

24

Among those who turned was someone Dasom recognized as Doyoung, whose face lit up when he saw Nevaeh, waving to her with a smile. She watched as the other girl smiled back and sounded out the word "fighting!" while pumping up a fist softly. He returned her action and then turned back around to dance, and Dasom could only think about how such a small interaction was so adorable.

That's when two more boys stopped dancing, and when they turned around, Dasom saw that it was Mark and who she assumed was Donghyuck with him. He noticed her and looked surprised. Nevertheless, he raised his hand to his forehead, flicking two fingers like a salute to her, and she smiled, waving back to her friend.

She watched as Donghyuck spoke to Mark with a questioning expression, and she could make out Mark mouthing her name. Donghyuck then looked back at her and waved as well, to which she obliged with her own, glad that he seemed okay with her being there.

The last two boys who were dancing then turned after seeing Mark and Donghyuck through the mirror, and they both caught Dasom's eyes.

Wow, Johnny and Jaehyun were hot.

Sweaty and breathing heavily after vigorous practice, the two men looked so fine to Dasom, especially Jaehyun. They both looked at each other before looking back at Dasom, and then she saw Johnny ask, "Desi?" while pointing at her. She nodded, and the two boys smiled at her in greeting.

Johnny's look was friendly, but Jaehyun on the other hand? It could have just been her imagination, but she was sure he had looked her up and down before meeting her eyes.

Thankfully, before she could think of how to react, Nevaeh took her hand and dragged her away from the room.

"Damn girl," she said, as they finally reached a room that was labelled 'Dressing Room: AESPA.' "You really got more than half the ilichils knowing you already."

"I'm memorable like that," Dasom shrugged as they went inside.

"As you should be," Nevaeh agreed, taking out her phone. "Okay, I'm gonna text the other girls and then I'll get started on your makeup."

"A professional artist doing my makeup for free?" Dasom laughed. "A whole dream come true."

The two chatted as Dasom got her face done up by Nevaeh, who was fast, but efficient with her tools. In twenty minutes, Dasom looked so naturally clean and glowy she wouldn't even have realized she was wearing makeup if it wasn't for the eyeliner on her lids and shadow under her eyes.

"Dang, you're good," Dasom commented, examining her face in a handheld mirror. "I feel like I should pay you."

"Just buy me food sometime," Nevaeh winked.

"Deal."

Just then, the door opened, and four girls entered, and Dasom felt like disappearing. It was the members of aespa, and they were even more gorgeous in person than on video. Seriously, the oldest one literally looked like an AI character, there's no way she was real.

"Hey Nev," one of them said in English, giving her a fist-bump. "Time to make us pretty."

"What do you mean?" Dasom said impulsively from her place in the chair at the makeup counter. "Y'all are already so pretty."

The four girls looked down at her as if they had just noticed her.

"Says you!" the same girl said. "Wait, who are you?"

Nevaeh cleared her throat to get all of their attention. "Guys, this is Han Dasom, or Desiree," she introduced her friend. "She's Mark's friend, she's coming to the party tonight."