The drive back to the campus was as exhausting physically as it was mentally for Mark. He was going through all the memories he had and made that have the little short freshman in it. The first time he found out that Donghyuck is the same Donghyuck he liked back in high school was during a training session where Donghyuck didn't have his contacts on and wore glasses instead. Jaemin was the one that points it out and Donghyuck felt so stupid for not noticing it until that time. From that point forward, he began treating Donghyuck a little differently from the other reps that supposed to take care of. The freshman still looks as adorable as he was in high school. Initially, Mark thought that the two "Donghyucks" just look alike, but "they" end up being the same person. That made confessing a little awkward since Mark was rude and a little mean up to that point. 

"You better do something before he runs away from you again," Renjun told him.

"Tighten your grasp or else he might fall in another man's arm," Jaemin warned with a smirk.

Mark ended up buying Donghyuck a pink milk and asked Renjun and Jaemin to give it to Donghyuck that day. Of course, the freshman just thought the older males were being nice to him. And that wasn't the only time he bought pink milk for Donghyuck. On the day that Donghyuck was supposed to buy Mark sushi, Mark bought some pink milk to apologize to Donghyuck for not going, but he wanted it to be a surprise. The only surprise he got was that Jeno had swooped in and took Donghyuck away that day. He watched the two of them walked away with the pink milk hidden behind his back.

Back at the hotel, Mark didn't sleep with Joy was because he wanted to change his usual way. He finally got a chance with Donghyuck after their separation. It hurts a lot when Donghyuck indirectly confess to him at the beach before they had to return to the school. Everything was so obvious and clear in hindsight. Mark wanted to slap himself for not noticing it earlier. He hopes he can fix it.

"Still thinking about Donghyuck?" Renjun turned his body to look at Mark front the front seat. 

"Do you think he's still the same Donghyuck as he was in high school?" Mark asked back.

"Does it matter?" Jaemin replied with a strange stern voice while driving. This was weird since Jaemin never used that voice. "Whether he is liked how he used to be or not, what matters is how you feel about him now."

"Just tell him how you feel," Renjun commented. "You've been holding it in for so long. Why hesitate? Can be that hard to let it out?"

"But it not that easy for me..."

"Not said it'll be easy, but you still have to do it if you want a result," Jaemin sighed. They made a left turn on an intersection. " It's like a test. You rather want to answer it to the best of your ability and earn that F or that A instead of not trying at all and wonder if it could be an F or an A. You already let him go once. Are you gonna waste the chance to be with him again?"

While Mark dwelled on the question in Jaemin's car, Donghyuck sat silently in his own bubble in Jeno's car. Chenle and Jeno were both worries about the silent freshman. He was in deep thought about everything and the sound of his phone was the only thing that broke that train of thoughts.

From: Mark 

*Picture

It was the picture of the note that Donghyuck written last year when he was about to confess to Mark. He dropped it after running away from the classroom that he eavesdropped on Mark and his friends' conversation. A smile appeared on his face for some reason. Knowing Mark has kept that note brought a warm to Donghyuck's heart and a calmness to his mind. Chenle saw the smile too but choose to not say anything about it.

From: Mark 

I want to have dinner with you tonight.

If yes, then <3

If no, then you are ordered by me to have dinner with me tonight. Since you are still my servant <3

It said you read it, don't ignore me. Or else I will read the note out loud during the talent show. ;)

From: Donghyuck

Damn you, Vernon.

From: Mark

KKKKKKKKKK!

From: Donghyuck

You think it's funny?

From: Mark

No, but I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner.

From: Donghyuck

Just stop

From: Mark

Tell me how I can make it better.

I don't want to let you go anymore.

Why did you run away at that time?

I've been waiting for you... waiting for so long.

From: Donghyuck

Because you said you have no interest in any guy.

From: Mark

You're not just any guy.

Jaemin was putting me under pressure, please understand.

But I don't care anymore. I want to be with you.

With the quietness of Mark and the continuous beeping of messages from his phone, Renjun and Jaemin could already guess what's going on and they are happy for their boss/friend. The poor guy had been in the dump since Donghyuck ran away for a long time and this is his salvation. 

"Someone finally smiles genuinely," Renjun commented.

"Donghyuck answered my message, how can I not?"

"So it's official? Over the phone? How tacky," Renjun teased his friend so more. This was one of the rare occasion that he got the chance to make fun of his boss. Jaemin nodded in agreement.

"At least, now, he can hold Donghyuck," Jaemin smiled teasingly. "Better grabbed onto that freshman tight."

"Just wait and see..." That earned Mark an exclamation of "Oh" from his two friends. "But I haven't officially claimed him yet so one step at a time. However, he will not be single for long."

"WAHHHHHH!" 

The excitement in the car still ran high as the trio of medical students pulled up to the school's parking lot. Jaemin managed to park safely before Mark jumped out of the car to look for Jeno's car. Mark was sure that Jeno left before he did. As he continued his search, an unexpected occurrence showed herself again.

"Mark, you're back!" Joy, the female rep that asked Mark to help her move furniture back at the hotel, walked over with a smile on her face. "Want to grab something to eat?"

"Shouldn't you do that with your friends since you girls just got back?" Mark tried to politely decline her offer because there's only one thing in his mind right now and it certainly isn't grabbing something to eat with her.

"I just want to have dinner with you," She held onto his arm. 

It was bad timing because Jeno's car just happened to pull up right next to Jaemin's. From where the car is parked, it was a clear view of Mark standing next to Joy. Mark prioritized his options. "I gonna go now."

He ran to Jeno's car without looking back and was met with Chenle instead of Donghyuck. "Oh hyung, is something the matter?"

"Where's Donghyuck?"

"Oh, he's..." Chenle looked back into the car but the door on the other side was opened. "... Not here."

Mark saw the opened door as well and followed the possible pathway. Donghyuck pulled his luggage from the car and furiously walked back to his dorm room. Luckily, Mark managed to catch up to him and stopped him. Just for insurance, Mark took the luggage and held it behind his back so Donghyuck has to stay to talk to him. "Where are you going?"

"Don't talk to me!" Donghyuck tried to get the luggage back.

"Calm down..." The sophomore knew exactly why his freshman was mad but he couldn't hide his smile because angry Donghyuck is a cute Donghyuck.

"I said don't talk to me and give me back my stuff!" 

"Are you still upset?"

"Of course, you knew that I like you but you didn't say anything."

Apparently, Donghyuck didn't see Joy hold Mark's arm so the sophomore chooses not to say anything about it. One problem at a time. "How could I know you are still into me?"

That caused him to receive a kick.

 "That hurt!"

"You deserve it!" Donghyuck pouted.

"Ok, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you."

"I don't understand why I have to confess first, so annoying."

Mark thought angry Donghyuck is cute but a pouty Donghyuck is cuter. He could get used to this. "Calm down, cutie."

"Just leave me alone for a while and give me back my luggage," Donghyuck tried to grab the luggage again but Mark stops him.

"Grab some food with me first!"

"Don't want to!"

"Like I said earlier, if yes, then we go. If no, I ordered you to go as my servant," The sophomore knew it was an abuse of power but he couldn't help himself. "It'll be my treat."

"...I want sushi!"

That's how they end up going to a sushi bar for their first "date". After they went back to their dorm to change, the two of them meet up at a sushi bar near the school campus for dinner. At least Mark counted it as a first date in his mind. Donghyuck could eat a lot but he could eat a lot more when someone else is paying. The sophomore didn't mind.

"You're not gonna eat?" Donghyuck asked after he went through his second plate of rolls. 

Mark looked down at his barely touched plate. "I'm full... just by looking at you."

"Eww!" The freshman rolled his eyes at the cheesiness but his inside felt a little funny from hearing that. "Don't you dare say that to other people from now on."

The taller sophomore watched the freshman eat fondly as he took a drink of his soda. With the number of foods that Donghyuck had been eating, he will get fat but that didn't make Mark feel any differently. Now that they are sitting across from each other, Mark could get a nice view of Donghyuck's face. Obvious, he looks better than he had in high school so he must have taken care of himself during that one year period. 

"You take care of yourself?"

"For someone..." Donghyuck answered shyly.

"Me?" Mark concluded.

"...Yes... Stop smiling so much!"

"I don't usually smile a lot."

"I know, but now you are doing it too much," The freshman replied. 

"For someone," The sophomore answered.

"How sweet..."

"Only for you."

"Are you sure?" Donghyuck raised an eyebrow. "Don't make me remind you of what a Casanova you were in the past. You're nice to everyone."

"Haven't you realized that I treat you differently from other people?"

"Are you chasing after me now?

"No , Sherlock!"

Donghyuck couldn't hide the smile on his face. For the rest of the three plates that Donghyuck, the younger force Mark to feed him and they managed to act more couply-ly with each other than usual. The day went down as a permanent memory for the two of them. Of course, that wasn't enough lovey-dovey for Mark so he has to bother his soon-to-be-boyfriend again the next morning.

Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz

"... Who is this?" Donghyuck answered the phone in his usual morning voice. Rough and groggy.

"It's your boyfriend," Mark replied. "Open the door."

Donghyuck shot straight up from his bed. He looked at himself to see if he was decent and he was. However, his bed is a little messy and there are mangas spread out all over the coffee table. Mountains of textbooks piled themselves on Donghyuck's desk. In his opinion, his room had never been messier.

"I will break in if you don't open," The sophomore teased from the other side of the phone and the other side of the door.

With quick steps, the freshman jumped out of bed and almost broke his face. He ran to the door in fear that it would be broken down. When he opened it, Donghyuck was presented with the sight of a royally handsome Mark, who's wearing a charming smile. The sophomore is wearing a clean white buttoned shirt with black pants and slick black shoes, which was a bit formal compared to Donghyuck's plain t-shirt and shorts. The older male invited himself into Donghyuck's room.

"Hold on Mark hyung, who said you can come in?" Donghyuck tried to block the older male with wide arms and legs but he got a hug out of it and got carried back to the bed.

"I like the sound of that," Mark placed Donghyuck down. "'Mark hyung' sound nice."

"Don't change the subject," The freshman pushed the warm off of him, hesitantly. "Should you be going to class? I have sleep to attend to."

"I still got some time."

"Then hang out in your own room."

"I'm lonely," Mark pouted.

To avoid being infected by Mark's captivation, Donghyuck looked for something else to change the subject. "Take off your shoes!"

Mark did just that and he looked up at Donghyuck expectantly. To make it worse, he sat on Donghyuck's bed even though the couch was right near him. "Anything else you want me to take off?"

Donghyuck processed the question for a moment before realizing what the sophomore was implying. His face turn bit red. "S-Shut up! You interrupted my sleep!"

"Oh, then go back to sleep... I don't mind."

"How can I sleep now with a stranger in my room?"

"Then maybe we should get to know each other better."

Donghyuck speechless at Mark's shameless flirting. Part of him hates it because Mark's words are making him cringe and jittery at the same time. The other part wants to hear more and jumps on Mark right now because the sophomore is sitting with his legs wide open and leaning back on his arms. Donghyuck didn't notice Mark looking around his room. He also didn't notice that Mark spotted the shrine he has on top of his drawer.

"What's that?" 

Donghyuck followed Mark's line of sight and saw the shrine as well but it was to late to hide anything now. The freshman ran over to use his body as a shield to cover the shrine of Mark. He couldn't believe he let the person in the person walked into his room without hiding these first.

"Move," Mark looked at Donghyuck with a teasing smile.

"No," Donghyuck bluntly answered.

"Or else..."

"You wouldn't dare to do anything to me!"

The sophomore really wasn't gonna do anything but since Donghyuck challenged him, the inner playboy came out. Mark picked up Donghyuck again and threw him onto his stomach on the bed. Before the freshman could get up, the older male had already crawled onto the bed and their body is mere centimeters from touching. Donghyuck shut his eyes tight as he feels Mark's breath on his neck and their thighs touching. 

It's getting hot in here. What's more surprising? Mark found out about the Mark shrine or my ability to always end it on a cliffhanger. You know that's why you come back. I'm the devil spawn, aren't I?

Anyway, no new news. Something for you guys to look forward to in the future, there would be scenes in book 2 (aka season 2). Emphasize on the s at the end of scenes. In book 2, Pha (Mark's character) asked Wayo (Donghyuck's character) to have three (maybe five) time during a particular night and Wayo agree. That would be a great scene for me to write. kkkkk

Anyway, comments and tell me what you like or dislike. Or you find any mistake. Like most of you already know, there's a Verkwan version of the same story if you are a Verkwan fan like I am.

FIGHTING!!!