SPIDERMAN 2: MARK LEE

10

Boom!

There was a sharp clap of thunder that echoed throughout the entire street. As one flaw lit up the sky, there was an audible gasp from me and Jaemin, clearly stunned by this severe weather.

Venom: Uh oh... Loud noises! Abort! Get in!

With a nervous chuckle, I turned to look at Jaemin. "Yeah, I don't think the rain would be stopping any soon. I don't think you should go right now either, so please, let's just get in." I said with a hint of protectiveness in my tone.

He was Jaehyun's little brother... And because Jaehyun protected me, protecting Jaemin was mandatory.

Jaemin and I entered my mansion, where the large space of the foyer provided us with ample room to move around. We remained near the doorway and tidied up our appearances. We took off our jackets and hung them on the hooks nearby the entryway. As I took a deep breath as an attempt to shake off the dampness in the air, I turned over and noticed Jaemin taking the opportunity to look around the foyer with a curious face, taking in its splendour.

I couldn't help but smile.

He looked just like Jaehyun.

I was assuming that the mansion wasn't empty today. And I was right. My brother was present, like always, considering he did most of his "music work" in here.

"JM! Glad to see you're home-" Taeil just ambled out of the kitchen and proceeded down the long corridor. He had to stop himself from speaking when he realised I had company. "Oh- Oh my." Taeil shifted his gaze at Jaemin and me. He smiled. "Ooh, who might this be?"

I scratched my nape and flashed a timid smile. "Just a friend. He's gonna have to stay here for a while until the rain calms down."

Jaemin bowed a bit with politeness. "Thank you both for letting me stay. I really appreciate it."

Taeil nodded his head enthusiastically and clapped his hands together. "Of course! This is actually a perfecting time for a guest! Taeyong, Naomi and I are making kimchi jjigae! It would be pleasant if you'd join after we finish. It wouldn't take too long." He bounced on his spot a bit and pivoted from his stance. "Oh! I should get you guys something to dry yourselves with. I will be back."

Taeil didn't wait for a response, he just dashed down the corridor.

Taeyong, Taeil and... Naomi? What on earth was she doing here? Well, not that it was something unusual as they all do just stop by here sometimes without notice. I presumed she skipped school. Just like me.

There was silence in the foyer. Both Jaemin and I gazed at each other and smiled awkwardly.

"Oh, you could go inside the living room and make yourself at home." I suggested. I pointed my hand toward the entrance of the living room, beckoning him to move. "I'll just stay here and wait for the towel."

Jaemin could sense a tad of awkwardness hanging in the air, so he figured staying here wasn't ideal, so he did as I said. With a calm and intrigued demeanor, he headed inside the living room and inspected every inch of the mansion, seeming interested about the interior design. Almost everybody who stepped in here were. Nothing new.

I pulled my phone out and quickly wrote a message to Mark: "Dude, you're not gonna believe who I stumbled upon! Call me asap. Love you!❤️"

Once I pressed the send button, I was immediately jolted back to reality and saw my brother scuttling down the corridor with two small towers in his hands. I exhaled sharply, a bit irritated by the shock he put me in, before slipping my phone back into my pocket.