Thanks to his rush hours earlier, Mark's work is all done and he could eat his kimbap while brooding in peace. While he chews on it, he eyes the dimension around him.
The workroom is honestly like an apartment room with a larger work space. He and Donghyuck sometimes spent the night on the twin beds kept there when work is really hectic. They also have adequate provisional resources, Donghyuck keeps a stack of ramyun in the kitchenette, but Mark can never touch the kitchen. It's a rule they've established since they were roommates in high school. They'd fought about it at first.
"I don't want you to burn the office, Mark."
"That toast thing was one time, Donghyuck."
"And has your cooking skill improved now?" Donghyuck had asked him with sharp eyes, and if anyone sees them without listening to the conversation would think it's a serious matter at work because they're discussing this with great will to defend their opinions.
Mark had liked to think that he can cook instant ramyun while Donghyuck hadn't, however,
"I, I can try," he had wavered then.
"You're the secretary, Mark. You can make your underlings make you ramyun." Donghyuck nagged him and frankly, Mark hadn't won over him verbally once (not many has, in his defence). He really wants to one day, but that wasn't his day.
Mark had sulked even if Donghyuck had cooked jjapaghetti for him then. A boss doesn't usually do that but Mark was very spoiled and he thinks Donghyuck cooking is normal.
Mark had a kaleidoscope of it on the next day, which happens to be Saturday. He almost went to work.
"Wait, y'all haven't had Donghyuck cook for you?" Mark had asked incredulously in the canteen when he was with some of the 127 squad.
"Are you nuts, Mark?" Johnny had remarked.
"He just cooks often and I thought-"
"Which boss cooks for their employees, even if there's a kitchen in their room? I think you're too used to your weird relationship with Donghyuck that you forget he's a proper and decent boss outside the haven of your workroom." Doyoung had mocked him.
Mark was blushing when Jaehyun patted his shoulder. "Well, he isn't very conventional sometimes and I know you've been rooming together that he cooked for you, but I think you still need to appreciate his cooking."
Mark had listened to them and faced Donghyuck with reluctance, that day ended with a (bro) hug.
They don't actually fight that often, contrary to what people think, and it's not only because Mark is just his secretary (at this point, their positions don't even matter anymore. Mark calls Donghyuck names sometimes while arguing.) A fortune teller once told them when Donghyuck gets them on a date (Donghyuck's word, not Mark's) on high school, that the pair had a very good synergy.
Mark remembers how Donghyuck's eyes were sparkling and he smiled so beautifully. It was that day Mark starts to have a seedling of feeling for Donghyuck, but it was only really cultivated since they're working together. Or more specifically, after their first and last real fight since they'd worked together.
It comes almost as a shock to everyone that a recycling company which should be a loss-making business such as NCT is becoming one of the nation's most renowned factory as well as brand and feeding almost a thousand workers.
Mark believes, other than their work ethic and developed technology (Jaemin is unbelievably smart in spite of his usual drunken-like behaviour), it's all owing to Donghyuck and a few of their colleagues' bright mind that signed a contract with Star Museum Entertainment. The oldest, most powerful of its kind, led by Lee Soo Man who's now Donghyuck's drinking friend.
No one was exactly sure what goes on the mind of Donghyuck on the 19th of July 2010 when he suddenly summoned the president, head departments, and the stockholders of NCT. And it was wreaking havoc when he played SHINee's Lucifer on the company's old Samsung TV and said, "I'll make a deal with SM entertainment."
Mark had been on the opposing team along with most. The idea was outrageous, and SM was known not to send their idols anywhere, except for the one group that had fascinated Donghyuck, which is SHINee.
That had been Mark and Donghyuck's biggest fight from even back in high school when they were mortal enemies. Their colleagues had called it the infamous Markhyuck Summer Fight, an inside joke to the veterans in the company.
Anyways, as the two biggest figures in the company were unreliable, the company was on the brink of its fall. With their investors withdrawing money so as not to be involved with the SM project, the company is losing capital. Donghyuck loaned a lot of money from the bank without asking for Mark's opinion and ignoring Hansol, their treasurer's warning. He quit after that along with a few people, especially the girls like Ko Eunji.
Fortunately, the 127 team joined forces with The Dream Team, even when the two factions were always on each others' necks trying to compete on sales.
They made a group for all the company's big shots made a group chat excluding the CEO and the secretary under the name of project Empathy. In short, they locked their bosses on their small office until they made up with lots of ugly sobbings.
Now, Mark and Donghyuck are inseparable and confide in each other more than anyone else, but they also value the team very much. NCT is growing so much better with their partnership with SM that lets them produce limited stuff official merchandise which is always a success, since SM artists' fans will buy anything from their idols.
"Oh god, it's 3 PM already."
Mark sighs as he tries to force shut down his brain from recollecting. He can't, though. Once he gets home, he can't help but gets reminded of Donghyuck several times.
Notifications
Donghyuck (5 messages)
Empathy (12 messages)
Donghyuck
Donghyuck
Markie
My secretary
R u ok
Don't do all the works ok let others earn their pay
And ur coming to get meat right
Apparently, his boss checks up on him. It's not a rare occurrence, Mark just doesn't need it right now. Mark works, but it doesn't distract him well enough. He does probably need meat, but not with Donghyuck.
Empathy (21)
Doyoung
Jaehyun treat me to lunch god I'm tired
The interns fucking suck
Jeno
Don't insult Mark's girl
Doyoung
Why do I always get the unproductive unable to be insulted ones
Johnny
For the record ur like far from being unproductive
U just have too much work
Doyoung
I do. So whoever have lunch with me. Treat me the way I deserve
Donghyuck
Aight let's go to get some Mosori
Whoever get there I'll treat u
Jungwoo
OMG ILL EAT WELL
Jaehyun
Oh I just open this thank god I just woke up
Taeyong
Jaehyun it's 2 PM
Jaehyun
Ur point?
Then he declines the Empathy group's lunch invitation because Donghyuck is there, obviously.
Donghyuck
You
No sorry ate
Mark quickly closes the tab, right before he gets notifications from his boss. It gets drowned quickly by Empathy members' listing their names into the sudden meet up for meat. Some are in and some excuse themselves. Mark is going to follow suit.
Empathy (21)
You
Have fun yall
---
Doyoung and Jaehyun came out of the latter's sleek black car to find Ten, Yuta, Jungwoo, Donghyuck, Chenle and Renjun.
"There's not as many people as I thought," Doyoung remarked. "In fact, I wouldn't have applied three layers of concealers if we weren't gathering a lot of people."
Chenle gasped. "You have applied three layers of concealers and still look like an anorexic zombie?"
Doyoung actually hisses and Yuta has the audacity to laugh at him. Jaehyun pulls the chair out for the fatigued head department and he sits down with a thud.
"So," Donghyuck smiles slyly and it's a cue for Doyoung to wince, "since I'm treating y'all today, I'd like you to do a little something."
The workers look rather taken aback, aside from Renjun. Even Jaehyun, who's very laid-back and smiles giddily at catastrophes looks rather concerned. "What is it?"
On the other hand, Chenle looks thoroughly entertained. "Oh, I love it when we wreak havoc!" And Ten happily cuddles the young master at his words.
Operation Capture Mark Lees Hearteu ♡♡♡ (9)
Ten
God who named this