upstaged || markhyuck

01: what an asshole.

"oh my god, i got the fucking lead, eat that bitches!"

mark resisted the urge to face-palm as he carried a box of radio mics through the left wings to the side of the stage. he paused to poke his head around the red curtains that hung on either side, to see a crowd of students around the notice board in the theater.

"i got the lead!"

mark tutted as he caught sight of donghyuck, a drama department regular in the year below him. the boy was pointing at himself, making sure everyone else around knew that he had nabbed the lead role in the musical.

the soft peachy-orange hair marked donghyuck as a drama nerd rather than a jock, though he and his friends were on the school's soccer team and were really popular. and now he'd gotten the lead in the musical. so not fair.

"hey," a soft voice said, drawing mark's attention away from that irritating boy.

"hyung," mark said warmly, smiling at the older man.

"is that all of them?" he asked, gesturing to the box in mark's hands. he had pastel dyed hair that mark couldn't decide if it was lilac or blue, and an accent that made his korean sound really cute.

"yep," mark replied, "i checked them against the inventory."

"that's a great help, thank you," the older said with a sigh, adjusting his white t-shirt, which was tucked into dark gray skinny jeans.

"no problem, chittaphon-hyung," mark said with ease. "i'll bring them through now."

"thanks, again," chittaphon said, winding his lanyard around his fingers before flashing mark a grin. "i have to check the new spotlight that just came in; i'll catch up with you in a minute."

"okay," mark agreed, inclining his head as chittaphon hurried off. he cast his gaze back to the crowd of students, which had started to disperse, with many disappointed that they had been stuck as a chorus member or not made the cut at all.

mark shimmied his long hoodie sleeve up so he could grip the box of mics better, and turned to continue to the back room.

"renjun!" donghyuck's whiny voice was suddenly heard backstage. "i got the lead, you bitch! ya, renjun!"

before mark could react, he was knocked to the ground by a running donghyuck, who paused to see radio mics scattered all over the floor and a shorter boy nearly flat on his back.

"i'm looking for renjun," donghyuck stated.

"maybe you should look where you're going," mark suggested, biting back a more aggressive retort. donghyuck had always grated on his nerves, he'd been a stagehand long enough to experience how much of a diva the younger boy was. even if he was just in the chorus line and at the back for the entire show.

"excuse me?" donghyuck said, his mouth twisting into a sneer. "maybe you should be more careful."

mark sighed and picked himself off the floor, brushing dust of his blue jeans. he might have congratulated donghyuck on getting the lead ten seconds ago, but now he was just pissed.

"these are expensive," he stated, pointing to the small mics on the floor.

donghyuck shrugged.

"okay, get out of here," said mark, crossing his arms over his chest. "you don't need to be backstage."

donghyuck eyed him up and down, stepping closer until mark was staring at the cords of the taller boy's dark green hoodie. he'd forgotten the height difference.

"i just got the lead."

"i know."

"so stop being a little bitch, i have every reason to be backstage," donghyuck snapped, looking down at him.

"renjun's in the art room, you don't have to come through here," mark said lamely, hoping donghyuck would take the hint and leave.

"right," donghyuck replied, stepping back and looking him up and down. "who are you?"

"i'm a stage hand," mark told him. "and if any of these mics are broken, donghyuck, you're paying for them."

donghyuck just gave another dismissive shrug before turning on heel, calling, "renjun!"

mark watched him walk confidently away, down the stairs and through to the art rooms. the small dark haired senior scoffed before stooping to collect up all the fallen mics.

when he tested them all later in the silence of the theatre, his own voice coming through the speakers, muttering, "mic test, one-two, this is mark lee," he almost wished one of the mics had been broken because of donghyuck.

***

"how come you hate him so much, mark?"

"duh, it's because he's a fucking bitch."

"yes, thank you, yeri," mark sighed, laying his head on the desk.

the boy who had asked the question in the first place rolled his eyes, flipping his way brown hair to the side. "yeah, he's hot, though."

another boy nearly gasped, looking offended.

"chan's not happy about that, minhyuk," mark muttered.

"huh?"

"i'm hot!" chan protested. "but i'm not a bitch!"

"you certainly aren't," yeri said with a smirk.

"what-" minhyuk began, only to be interrupted by chan again.

"how come you never say i'm hot?" chan demanded.

"because he's not gay," another student called across the room.

"actually-" minhyuk began.

"anyway, it's not my fault lee donghyuck is a bitch to you, mark," chan said. "you might be annoyed, but-"

"stop seeing the best in people, chan," yeri sighed, tucking her short mousey hair behind one ear. "'cause with lee donghyuck-"

"-the best just ain't there," minhyuk joined in with her.

mark gave a groan, his head still resting on the desk. "'i just got the lead'," he said in a whiny tone, "'i have every reason to be backstage'. oh my god, what an asshole."

"he's on the soccer team, it's practically guaranteed," yeri grunted, turning back to face the front as the teacher wrote another question on the board.

"i wanted to be on the soccer team," chan mumbled.

"you can't kick a ball for shit," minhyuk reminded him, earning a glare from chan.

mark bit back another groan. he'd have to endure lee donghyuck for another two months, and he might just murder him before the show's opening night.

________________________

...it happened

i have fallen down the nct hole (a while back tbh) and donghyuck has taken over my life. oh well

ooh by the way my pentagon book will be up soon :))))

thank u all

taellipses out x