Mark’s Playlist for Terrible Songs to Sing Terribly To

Surfin’ Safari-The Beach Boys

“Let’s go surfin’ now….”

“Jesus Jeno why do you sound like a pelican giving birth to a hippo?”

“Excuse you but I happen to have the voice of an angel.”

“And the face of Satan too.”

“Shut up Donghyuck.”

*******************

The next part of the trip went exactly as how Mark had originally intended it to be: just 4 friends, driving through nature, and singing along to the music. Jeno and Renjun would be in the front, listening to everything from Coldplay to Glen Campbell on the radio and singing at the top of their lungs. Donghyuck would have the windows slightly open as he looked outside, the wind blowing his hair away while Mark checked out the map they pasted on the side of the van, highlighting the spots they managed to visit.

“You know,” Renjun almost screamed over the sound of Earth, Wind and Fire before Jeno turned down the volume. “We still have time for one more pit stop before we head back.”

“What’s the rush?” Donghyuck asked, creeping over to the front seat.

“Prom. It’s in 5 days.” Jeno bopped to the song, his head swinging left and right. “It’s the biggest night of our senior year.”

“You’re going?” Donghyuck asked Mark, who was busy tapping his feet to the disco song.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“What?” Donghyuck looked at him weirdly. “How could you not decide? It’s either yes or no.”

“I didn’t want to go because I didn’t have a date.”

“So go find someone.”

“But I…”

“Hang on,” Donghyuck held a hand up as he whipped his phone out from his pocket. He gasped at the caller and reached to shut the music off.

“Say do you…HEY!!!”

“Shhh!!!” Donghyuck slapped Renjun on the chest harshly. “It’s my brother!!”

“Don’t slap my baby!”

“Shut up!! Hello?” Donghyuck answered the call. “Hey Jaehyun, what’s up?”

“Jaehyun’s calling?” Mark asked, joining them in the front, narrowly avoiding his head getting bumped into again as Jeno swerved to take a corner.

“I’m on the road bro, what do you want?” Donghyuck asked. His face suddenly lit up a little, and a smile creeped on his face. “Really?!?!? That’s amazing!”

“What’s amazing?”

“It’ll take us a couple of hours to get to you.”

“We’re going where?”

“I’ll call you when we’re almost there.” Donghyuck said, ending the conversation a few seconds later. “My brother called. His university is having their annual Midsummer Music Fest and he asked if we wanted to come.”

“What’s a Midsummer Music Fest?” Renjun asked.

“It’s a big summer music festival with food, games and tons of different musicians. Think Coachella and Woodstock but smaller and less muddy.”

“That sounds like fun!”

“Don’t these festivals need tickets?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Donghyuck smiled. “If he’s inviting, that means he’s got the hook up, if you know what I mean.”

“I don’t see any reason why we can’t join then.” Mark shrugged. “Do you know who is performing?”

“Somebody by the name of EXO.”

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH

“What the Jeno!!!” Renjun screamed as the van came to a screeching halt on road and almost threw him through the windscreen glass.

“What did you say?!?!?”

“He said what the you…”

“Not that!!! I meant the one before!!”

“I said someone by the name of EXO is coming.” Donghyuck answered.

Jeno and Mark looked at each other with wide eyes before screaming their heads off and arms flailing around like broken eagles. “AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Hang on hang on!!” Donghyuck screamed over them, clasping one hand over Mark’s mouth. “What are you screaming for?”

“It’s EXO!!! Are you ing kidding me?!?!?! EXO is coming!!!!”

“Who’s EXO?” Renjun asked plainly. His boyfriend shot him a look and he reeled back in confusion.

“You. Don’t. Know. Who. Is. EXO? I’m insulted. Are you even my boyfriend?”

“Like I said, who’s EXO?”

“Like, only the greatest indie group of all time!” Mark rolled his eyes as if Donghyuck and Renjun were cavemen resurrected from ice. “You have never heard of them?!”

“I’M CREEPING IN YOUR HEART BABE!!” Jeno and Mark sang, dancing awkwardly in the van, doing a move like they were trying to wipe their crotches. Donghyuck and Renjun looked at each other and shrugged.

“How could you not know them?! That is impossible! How can you live without blessing yourself to the sound of God Chen and his spicy vocals?!” Mark grabbed Donghyuck’s shoulders.

“Or Master Baekhyun and his honey like tone? Or Saviour Xiumin and his epic high notes?”

“Or King D.O and his heavenly R&B whiskey voice?!” Mark sighed deeply, his eyes turning into googly pink hearts.

“Mark, don’t forget about the Maestro of Rap Park Chanyeol!!”

“Or the Lord Sehun and his epic SHAWTY IMMA PARTY TILL THE SUN DOWN!”

“Emperor Kai and his hypnotic eyes…”

“How about Lay, the Ruler of body waves?”

“And last but not least…”

“COMMANDER SUHO AND HIS ARMY OF WARRIORS HERE TO SLAAAAAAAAAY US!!!” Mark and Jeno pumped two fists in the air, like they were praying to a higher god.

“Why do they sound like an extreme version of the Greek God council?” Renjun laughed, pulling his boyfriend’s collar to reign the wild fanboy horse in. “We get it. You guys are big fans.”

“This is my dream! To see EXO live in concert!” Jeno breathed fast. “It’s happening!! I can’t believe it! I get to see my gods, my angels, my….”

HOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!

“GET OUT OF THE WAY YOU ERS!!!”

“DON’T SCREAM AT ME FOR APPRECIATING MY KINGS YOU S!!” Jeno yelled back.

“Excuse me,” Renjun chuckled awkwardly as he grabbed Jeno by the neck, apologising for holding up the traffic behind them. “I’m sorry guys, we’ll be moving. Get driving Jeno.”

“But he…”

“Drive or you will never see EXO again because I will kill you.”

It’s hard to argue with that. Jeno started the van and they moved on again.

*******************

“I love this place already.” Donghyuck tapped his feet to the music of the Bee Gees in The Chili Pond, the restaurant Jaehyun had asked them to meet him in. They were already impressed by the name, but the restaurant interior was decked out to look like a retro American dinner, with its classic black and white tiles on the floor, red, leather seats by the bar and in the booth, an old-fashioned jukebox that still works and posters of famous American stars like Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra.

“Take note Jeno and Renjun,” Mark swayed to the beat of Staying Alive. “You guys will probably go to lots of these kinds of restaurants in America.”

“I’m excited already.” Renjun laughed, sipping his coke. “Look! Someone’s coming in!”

“Bro!” Donghyuck waved. Mark turned and saw Jaehyun, carrying his backpack and a wide smile with a blue snapback on his head. Something in his heart skipped a little.

“Hey there! Hey Mark!”

“Guys, this is my brother Jaehyun. That’s Jeno and Renjun.”

“Nice to meet everyone.” Jaehyun smiled warmly. “How was your trip so far?”

“We went skinny dipping, met an heiress who fixed the van, almost got lost in the woods in the rain, danced in a crumbling mansion with a falling ceiling. It was ing awesome.” Donghyuck grinned.

“Damn, that sounds like fun!” Jaehyun laughed. “I wish I had the time to do stuff like that.”

“You never went on a road trip before?” Jeno asked, stirring his drink.

“I’m planning to. I actually got the idea from Mark when he told me about it.” Jaehyun pointed at Mark. “It’s an awesome thing to do with your friends.”

“Yeah it’s been a wild ride. Literally.” Mark smiled. “We did the craziest things. You wouldn’t believe it if we told you.”

“Try me,” Jaehyun wriggled his eyebrows playfully. “There isn’t a thing in this world that is illegal and NCT U doesn’t have. What is it? Weed? Alcohol?”

“I’m not telling you,” Donghyuck stuck his tongue out. “You’re just going to tell mum.”

“I swear I won’t say anything. Brother’s secret.” Jaehyun pressed a finger to his lips. “Why? Have you…” he looked at Donghyuck teasingly and Donghyuck blushed bright red, slapping his elder brother.

“No!! Don’t be ridiculous!”

“Really? So you and Mark haven’t….”

“Shut up. We’re not together.” Donghyuck snapped curtly.

“You’re not?” Jaehyun looked at Mark in surprise. “Well, perhaps these things take time eh?”

There’s an awkward silence in the booth as Donghyuck and Mark avoided eye contact. Luckily, Jaehyun the ever-chipper person did not notice it at all and resumed talking. “The concert starts tomorrow, but the festival has started today. We’ve got food stalls everywhere, souvenirs to sell, games to play, it’s going to be fun.”

“Thank you so much for inviting us. Mark and I have waited a lifetime to see EXO in person!” Jeno squealed.

“You guys are fans! Oh my god so am I!!” Jaehyun gave them a high five and Donghyuck groaned loudly.

“Oh god not you too.”

“Why? Am I too old to be a part of your hipster stuff?” Jaehyun elbowed his younger brother.

“Yes, everything you touch you make it uncool.”

“Hey, it’s not like I’m old and decrepit.” Jaehyun pouted. “There’s still college man! You know, they say that you really learn how to be an adult in college. Though in my opinion, you never really learn anything except how to write 14 pages in one night.”

“Is college life really stressful?” Renjun asked.

“That depends. It’s not all that different from high school, but you’re expected to pick up the slack. No one is going to babysit you through everything.” Jaehyun explained. “I’ve got someone coming here that you have got to meet. Just stay right here.”

“Your brother is really cool.” Jeno said. “So how come you are not?”

“Because I got the brains while he has the body.” Donghyuck smirked. “Yeah, I guess he’s alright though.”

“You’re lucky. I grew up as an only child. I wish I had one.” Renjun pouted. “Oh, he’s coming back in.”

“Guys, I want you to meet Kim Doyoung,” Jaehyun beamed, showing off his friend next to him. “He’s my boyfriend.”

Both Mark and Donghyuck spit out their drinks in each other’s faces like a broken fountain, causing soda to spray everywhere.

“BOYFRIEND?!?!”

*******************

“You didn’t need to shower spray everyone with coke.” Jeno rolled his eyes, handing Mark some more tissues in the men’s bathroom.

“Excuse me but I have known my brother all this time and he did not say a word about a boyfriend.” Donghyuck snapped, wiping his neck with Renjun’s napkin. “I used to think he was straight.”

“Whatever. Are you guys done?”

“Just about.” Mark nodded. The boys exited the bathroom and headed back to the booth. Mark smiled at Doyoung and bowed his head apologetically. “We are so sorry about causing such a scene.”

“It’s alright.” Doyoung smiled back politely. “I understand it must be a big shock.”

“Bro, why didn’t you tell me?” Donghyuck asked Jaehyun.

“I didn’t want to say anything until things became serious. It’s a big move introducing your boyfriend to your family.” Jaehyun held Doyoung’s hand tightly. Mark couldn’t help but notice the way Doyoung squeezed Jaehyun’s fingers back.

“Well, I’m glad to have met you. I’m his brother, Donghyuck. This is Mark, Jeno and Renjun.”

“It’s nice to meet you all.” Doyoung beamed this time, his eyes curving upwards in little crescents. He reminded Mark of a bunny, like a human reincarnation of the animal. “Are you guys excited for the festival?”

“Mark and Jeno are huge fans of EXO.” Jaehyun said.

“Then you guys are in for the best time of your life.” Doyoung laughed. “Come on, we’ll show you around the university.”

*******************

Everybody has a particular image of college or university, depending on where you are from and how old you are. Mark had always imagined university to be a huge bustling place with students all over, professors roaming all about with books in their hands as they had to class. NCT U wasn’t that far off from his imagination, but it was festival season. Who gives a flying about studying? Stalls selling food were all over the campus. Students laid out blankets on the lawn, lazily lying underneath the trees. There was a random guy dancing to Beyoncé in a Superman costume. There were a group of students kicking a ball, some playing chess on the steps of the main building, and professors smoking in one corner.

“Wow.”

“It’s big huh?” Doyoung laughed. “I felt that way too when I first came here.”

“It’s pretty cool.” Mark looked around in awe. Somebody was rolling by on a skateboard. He gave Mark a nod as he proceeded to zip by on his skateboard.

“That’s the gang from Sports Science. Over there underneath the trees are the Literature students. And our gang is here,” Jaehyun bought them over to a stall where you hit metal cans with a ball. “That’s Sicheng, Lucas, Kun and Jungwoo.”

“Hello!” Sicheng grinned. “You must be Jaehyun’s friends!”

“Yeah, this is my brother Donghyuck, my neighbour Mark and their friends Jeno and Renjun.”

“Wanna play?” Lucas handed them a ball. “It’s easy. Try to hit the ball.”

Jeno shrugged awkwardly as he took the ball. He hit one of the cans and everyone cheered for him.

“This is fun!”

“There’s more where that came from.” Doyoung smiled. “The festival is just beginning.”

*******************

“I can’t feel my legs.” Donghyuck complained as they slumped on the couch in Jaehyun’s dorm. He gave up the living room for his four guests and laid out mattresses on the floor for them. They spent the whole afternoon playing games, eating junk food and they even had pizza together for dinner at The Chili Pond. The boys were so full they could hardly move.

“That was the best pizza ever made.” Jeno smiled, his lips unconsciously. “If this is what university feels like then sign me up.”

“You did.” Mark laughed, coming out with a toothbrush in his mouth. “Did you guys try the cotton candy we had?”

“Not a fan of that stuff but the fried bananas were awesome!” Renjun said.

“How about that giant corndog?” Donghyuck grinned. “That was the biggest thing I have ever put in my mouth.”

“That’s what he said.” Donghyuck threw a pillow at Renjun and they all laughed loudly.

“Come on guys, let’s not make too much noise.” Mark shook his head. “Tomorrow is the concert.”

“Right, let’s get some sleep. We’ve got an exciting day tomorrow!” Jeno said. “EXO, EXO, E-X-O…”

“Do that again and I’ll slap you in your sleep.” Renjun complained.

“Okay guys good night!” Mark shut the lights off and laid down next to Renjun, his head plopping down on the pillow. His eyelids were heavy, and pretty soon he could hear Donghyuck’s soft snore. He was just about to fall asleep, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Hmmm?”

“You’re awake?”

“What is it Renjun?”

“It’s just…” Renjun whispered. “I heard you and Jeno fighting the night before we left Scarwood.”

“Oh.” Mark rubbed his arms self-consciously, remembering their heated argument in the bathroom.

“Did you guys make up?”

“Sort of. We just kind of…move on.”

“Jeno really does care for you, you know.” Renjun said. “The first thing he told me when we decided to move to America was that he was going to miss you.”

“Really?”

Renjun nodded. “I know things haven’t been quite the same since we started dating, and I’m sorry about that. Sometimes I feel like…” he swallowed thickly. “Like maybe I’m ruining everything. Maybe I’m the one breaking your friendship.”

“No no, don’t say that.” Mark hushed. “It’s not you, it’s me. Jeno was right, I have been selfish all this time, thinking he was all mine and everything would go according to how I want it. He’s so much happier with you. He really is.”

Renjun and Mark shared a tender moment, smiling softly. “I can deal with you guys moving. I just need the time, that’s all. And you are a really good friend of mine. You have been the calm amongst the havoc on this trip. I can’t imagine the ery we would have ended up in if it wasn’t for you. I think we would be in jail by now.”

“Jail is a tough word. Maybe prosecuted.” Renjun laughed softly. “Jeno is lucky to have a friend like you who is so loyal.”

“He’s lucky to have a boyfriend who is so understanding.”

“So he’s the lucky bastard isn’t he?” Renjun teased softly. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

“It will be our secret.”

“Deal.” Renjun and Mark did a pinkie swear to seal the deal. Renjun turned back to face Jeno, inching closer to his boyfriend. Mark eyed the couple and smiled. Jeno and Renjun are in love, and he was stupid to think he had any power in stopping that love, or that he should be doing it all.

Mark looked up at the dark ceiling above him and closed his eyes. Jeno was right. It was time for him to grow up.

A/N: In case you don't know, yes I am a huge EXO-L and I am ready to be snatched by their repackage XD