♪ - Track 3 - First Choice by Gabe Bondoc

It was supposed to be a quiet night at Chaeyoung’s apartment, where the girls would catch up after being away for so long. They each had stories to share, but Chaeyoung decided to keep quiet about Mark until the very end. She had to mention his visit eventually because her roommates needed to know. 

However, once she finally told them about his visit, the apartment went wild. 

“Wait, who the heck is coming tomorrow? A boy? A boy?!”

Eyes were all on Chaeyoung, who was currently curled up in the corner of their living room couch, unable to share any eye contact with them. Finally, her secret was out, and it felt like her roommates were not going to hold back on any comments and questions about this unexpected visitor. 

“There’s a boy coming to our place tomorrow?”

“Do you have a secret boyfriend now, Chaeyoung?”

“Is he cute? What’s his name?”

“Does he have cute friends?”

Lisa and Jennie shot a glare at Jisoo, who had curious eyes and a genuine interest to hear an answer to the last question. Jisoo wasn’t joking when it came to finding a boyfriend, and she was shameless to show her interest in the dating scene again. 

“What? I mean, what if he does? It doesn’t hurt to ask! Maybe his friends are looking for someone,” she said, folding her arms across her chest while a tiny pout formed on her plump lips. 

Lisa rolled her eyes before looking back at Chaeyoung, soon prodding the girl’s arm. It was one of her simplest and softest ways to get Chaeyoung to open up, knowing that she was the shy one out of the four of them. 

“Now come on, Chaeyoung. We have to know who this mysterious guy is, we can’t let a complete stranger in the house. If we're gonna leave you two alone here, we have to at least know who he is.”

Chaeyoung’s eyes widened as she quickly turned to the three of them with a shocked expression and flustered cheeks. 

“You’re leaving me alone here with him? Wait no you can’t do that! Why would you even leave me alone in the first place?”

“Well,” Jennie started off while sitting up and adjusting her position on the couch to turn and face Chaeyoung completely, “we just don’t want to disrupt any peacefulness between you two. And think about it, Chae. I’m sure you just want to be the only girl in his sights tomorrow. It’s not like we’re gonna try to steal him, but lingering eyes from a guy can be well...  heartbreaking at times.” 

A small pout grew on Chaeyoung’s lips, as the thought began to linger in her mind. Sometimes, she couldn’t grasp the idea that boys will be boys. And even if Mark gave off a different feeling compared to the other guys she’s ever met, he was still a boy. 

This was the only problem she had whenever she placed her heart on her sleeve and easily could fall for anything. 

“I guess that’s true, but at least stay nearby? I’ll SOS a call to you guys, in case things get weird. And you definitely should be coming back home whenever you guys want to. I don’t know how long he’s going to stay here too, or when he’s going to come too.”

“Of course, now you have to start telling us things about him! Like first off what is his name?”

Once again, all the questions flooded the room. All the girls started to ask about this mysterious guy, and Chaeyoung tried her best to keep up with all these questions. 

However, she wasn’t the only one who was facing a personal Q&A session. Regardless if it were girls or boys, friends were always curious about someone’s love life. If one friend found someone, then everyone wanted to hear any juicy detail they could get their hands on. 

Which was also happening with Mark, as he and his friends were hanging out at a friend's house for a simple party filled with video games and beer. 

“So let’s get this straight, Mark,” the oldest of the guys, Jaebum, started out while dropping the controller on the couch and reaching for his drink, “you met this girl online? When the heck did you start putting yourself out there? Especially on a dating app?” 

“It’s been a year. But I haven’t really been using it. It was just a passive thing, and I would talk to some girls here and there, but I never was really interested in anyone I was talking to. Except her, she’s a real cutie and I couldn’t help myself.” 

Mark pulled out his phone after a match was finished and the boys were switching out who’d play the next round. His fingers tapped against the screen as he was searching for the app and opened it. All of his friends’ eyes were on him as he was looking for Chaeyoung’s profile, and once it was on screen, everyone’s hands were out to take his phone. 

“Ay ay ay, I was the one who asked him first. Therefore I get first dibs to see who’s the chick that got Mark’s attention.” Jaebum reached for Mark’s phone, eyes scanning the first picture on the screen before swiping through her other pictures. “And damn, you got yourself a cute looking one.”  

“She is a cute one, and the way she talks is even cuter. She’s very expressive, and I’ve never met anyone like that.” Mark calmly explained himself with a lazy smile on his face, almost bragging about the rare find he made throughout the million girls he swiped around on his device.  

Well, who wouldn’t brag about the beautiful catch they made from a dating app? 

“Well, if she has friends, you should let me know. Like bro hook me up, I would like a little shawty next to me since the nights are getting cold.”

Now all eyes were on Jackson, the foolish player of the friends, before throwing curse words at him. He couldn’t help it, he’s been just as lonely just like the rest of them. 

“Well, let him get to step one first, Jackson. If he gets to meet her friends, then maybe you’d get a chance to meet her friends and finding a girlfriend,” the most rational one out of the friends, Jinyoung, explained as he reached for Mark’s phone. Deep down he had the same thoughts as Jackson, but he prioritized his friend’s happiness first. 

“What’s her name, bro?” Yugyeom asked while turning back to the television, wanting to start the next match. 

“Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung Park.” 

“Chaeyoung? That name sounds so familiar. What school does she go to?” BamBam asked as fingers fiddled with the game controller since he could feel his best friend wanting to play. 

“She actually goes to the same university as you do, BamBam. So there’s a good chance you’ve met her before or something.” Mark explained as he watched his phone being passed around and hearing the soft compliments from his buddies. 

“Maybe. Her name sounds so familiar, I probably need to see her face first before I say anything.” 

“Anyways,” Jinyoung started off as his eyes lingered on the screen for a second, “when are you meeting Chaeyoung? Are you going to meet her in a week or something? And where at?”

“Actually, I’m meeting her tomorrow. We’re planning to watch a movie at her apartment and maybe have dinner together.” 

Silence. 

There was no sound made in the room. All eyes were on Mark once more and instantly he felt uncomfortable. Everyone had one thought in mind, making Mark quickly react with hands thrown out in front of him and shaking them furiously. 

“No no no! It’s definitely not what you think! That’s literally all that’s going to happen.” 

“You sure about that bro? Because it’s sounding like you both set up a Netflix and chill kind of date. I know you haven’t dated in a few years, but my dude, she looks innocent,” Jinyoung said with caution woven in his voice. He was the most practical out of the boys, making sure everyone’s conscious were clear. 

“I mean Jinyoung, if he wants to hit it up, then let him hit it up,” Jackson playfully said, earning groans from both the mentioned male and Youngjae. 

“Please do not encourage bad behavior, especially if Mark claims she’s different than all the other girls he’s run into,”  Youngjae added before shaking his head, in shock by this kind of encouragement. 

“Mark has that charm though. He has that ability to persuade a girl to do what he wants. I know him too well, and it’ll come out naturally if he wants it that bad.” 

“Jaebum please, I do not have that charm. I’m not going to encourage anything from her. If she doesn’t want to do something, I will respect that. She’s really different, and I want to actually keep her in my life if I can get the chance.”

Mark reached for his phone and at that moment, his phone buzzed and lit up. He received a message. 

A message from Chaeyoung. 

Hey Mark! I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Just a heads up, it’ll just be us at my apartment. My roommates won’t be back until later that evening. Hope that doesn’t bother you! Still coming over at around 10AM tomorrow? 

A smile on Mark’s lips grew and his friends could see it in his expression; he truly was falling for this girl. 

“Mark, we have to know, what exactly makes Chaeyoung different?” Yugyeom asked as he and the other guys were curious about the same thing. 

“It’s easy,” Mark started off as his eyes slowly trailed away from his phone to look at his friends. “She makes me feel like I can be myself around her. And I mean really be myself. What we talk about and how she makes me feel when we’re talking, it’s all special. I’ve never felt this way before with anybody else.” 

The guys could only chuckle at Mark’s confession. They saw the truth and the sincerity in his words, leading them to quietly pray for his success with this girl. All his friends, both in this friend group and anybody who knew him, wanted him to be happy. After all that he’s been through, he deserved the best. 

That also meant he deserved the best girl that made him feel special, and it looked like Chaeyoung was slowly becoming that person for him. 

“Sounds like you really need to get yourself in shape for tomorrow then, huh?” Jaebum questioned with a smile, reaching over to squeeze Mark’s shoulder. 

Mark simply smiled and nodded before looking down at his phone, thumbs busy tapping to type out his response. 

“Yeah, got any tips to impress her?” 

He wasn’t the only one asking for advice, as Chaeyoung was busy chatting the night away with her roommates. 

“Well Chae, listen,” Jennie started off as hands reached over to hold Chaeyoung’s, “if he says he likes you the way you are when you guys talk, then just be you. I’m sure that’s literally one-hundred percent you. I can NEVER see you putting up a front with someone you’re talking to, even if it’s through a screen.” 

“Yeah, Jennie is right, Chaeyoung. You’re honestly a lovely girl and you should always stay true to yourself. You know how you complain all the time about those guys who you met before him? How they’d always act like these sweet guys until you said no to doing something you weren’t comfortable with?”

“Yeah, what about that?” Chaeyoung asked Jisoo. 

“What Jisoo is getting at is that you wouldn’t want to do the same thing to Mark, right?” Lisa chimed in with a smile. 

Before Chaeyoung could add in anything else, she heard a familiar noise ring briefly in the room. She jutted for a second, hands quickly reaching for her phone that was sitting on their coffee table. The screen had one name flashing in front of her, and instantly a smile grew on her lips.  

“Is that…?” Jennie slowly trailed off as she and the other girls’ lips curled upwards for cheeky smiles. The girls could only squeal in excitement, making Chaeyoung shy. Her cheeks were flushed and she could only pout while gently pushing her friends away. 

“Stop!” Chaeyoung whined as her eyes glanced at her screen and fingers were busy opening her phone. “It’s just a message from Mark, jeez.” 

The girls couldn’t help but giggle more, finding how endearing Chaeyoung was acting. They’ve seen her flustered whenever it comes to guys before and they can’t help but sometimes. They found it adorable and would find any way they could to get her to react that way. 

While her roommates were busy whispering teasing words, Chaeyoung was busy reading Mark’s message. 

That’s fine, Chaeyoung. Whatever works for you, I’ll work with you. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow too. I’ve been dreaming about us finally meeting and our first date, and it’s finally coming true tomorrow. 10AM tomorrow and hopefully there won’t be a lot of traffic too. 

A soft giggle escaped her lips, and fingers tapped quickly against the screen as she was replying back to him. 

Alrightie! Just keep me updated as usual. Are we going to video call tonight? Sleep together too? 

Send. 

“Okay, now that you’re done texting him, tell us what makes him so special, Chae?” Jennie said with a bright smile, soon reaching for her to lace their arms together and pulling her closer. 

“Yes, tell us. He’s special enough to come to our apartment as your guys’ first meeting and date. We have to know how the heck did you agree on inviting him over,” Lisa added before all eyes were on the interrogated girl. 

“Well…” Chaeyoung started off, glancing at her friends for a brief second as she collected her thoughts. “He’s just different. When we started texting, it just felt natural. Then he called me, and we were talking about anything and everything. It went from simple topics to hard conversations, but it all was just so comfortable with him. And then our phone calls every night turned into video calls every night, and we just enjoyed each other’s company. Sometimes we’d just have each other on video call while we do something before we actually talk, and his presence alone is amazing. And…”

Chaeyoung paused for a moment and noticed that she was rambling about Mark. She glanced at her friends to see their eyes glistening with interest and wide smiles. Nervousness shook in her body and she curled up almost in a ball, letting out a whining noise since she was officially embarrassed.  

“No, continue, Chaeyoung!” Jisoo demanded, wanting to hear the rest of the story. 

“No! You guys are making me feel embarrassed!” Chaeyoung whined, peeking out of her own embrace while eyes searched for theirs. 

“It’s just really cute and sweet how you’re rambling about him. And the way you light up when you’re talking about him is too cute. We’ve just never seen you like this,” Jennie explained, gently shaking the shy girl. She wanted her to feel comfortable sharing, even if they were all somewhat teasing her through their excitement. 

“And we’re just happy for you, Chaeyoung. We want you to be happy!” Lisa said, now prodding the girl’s arm with her pointer finger. “Continue telling us about him. We can listen to you all night about him.” 

Before she could continue, another ding came from her phone, meaning Mark replied to her. She quickly read his message, earning groans from her friends since they had to wait once again. 

Yes, we’re definitely sleeping together tonight. I’m about to leave my friend’s place, and I live only a few blocks away from them. I’ll call you in 30 minutes? 

With a smile, Chaeyoung quickly typed out her response so that she could get back to her friends. 

Alrightie sounds perfect! Take your time getting home, okay? Drive safely and message me when you’re home. I’m talking with my roommates right now, so I don’t want to abruptly leave them when you call me. 

Once she was done typing, Chaeyoung slipped her phone into her back pocket of her jeans. It was a sign that she would put all her attention on her friends, which got them excited for the rest of the night. 

“He’s going to call me in about thirty minutes.” 

“Well, you got thirty minutes to continue telling us more about him!” Lisa said with excitement, which earned nods from Jisoo and Jennie. 

“Well… what else do you wanna know? Or should I continue where I left off?”

“Just talk,” Jisoo said quickly with a smile. “Tell us anything and everything you want to tell us.” 

A soft giggle escaped Chaeyoung’s lips before she continued to talk about Mark. She was rambling with rosy cheeks. Her heart was pounding since the thought of him could easily make her feel this way. It was obvious to her friends that she was falling for him fast, and it was exciting to see her express herself this way. 

However, they were silently worried that Mark would be like the other guys she had met before. With Chaeyoung so excited to finally meet Mark, they didn’t want to see her heartbroken. 

Minutes quickly passed and soon enough Chaeyoung received a message from Mark. As she was finishing her sentence, she pulled her phone out to read what the message was. 

Hey Chaeyoung. I just got home. I’ll get ready for bed and I’ll call you in ten minutes? 

She couldn’t help but giggle, soon typing out her reply. 

Yes! I’ll go get ready for bed too. Whoever gets done first just sends a message who’s done and the other just starts the call when they’re finished, okay? See you soon <3

“He’s home now. So, I’m going to go get ready for bed.” 

The announcement made her friends whine, slowly letting go of Chaeyoung so that she could get up. 

“If we don’t see you tomorrow morning, just know you can call us and we’ll run to you,” Jennie said. 

“Thanks you guys, that really means a lot to me. I’ll see you all tomorrow night and fill you in on everything. Goodnight!” 

Chaeyoung puckered her lips, sending them kisses before letting out a soft giggle and making her way to the bathroom. The girls watched her leave before continuing to chit-chat in the living room, not wanting to let their night end so early. 

Whenever Chaeyoung and Mark were going to video call before going to bed, she would always rush her night time routine. She never wanted to make him wait for her, as she hated the feeling for anybody waiting for her. 

So, she quickly washed her face in a rush, spilling water almost everywhere around the sink. She patted her face dry rapidly in hopes that her face would dry faster that way. Finally, brushing her teeth would be quick and almost hilarious for anybody to see, since she would bounce in place to make time fly by faster in her mind. 

Finishing up in the bathroom, Chaeyoung scurried to her room. She said her last goodnights before shutting the door, being in her own space. She stripped out of her clothes within a second, chucking each piece of clothing in the laundry basket at the corner of her room. She dashed to her bed to slip on her usual sleeping attire of a tank top and sleeping shorts. 

Chaeyoung was scrambling around, nervous and excited to see Mark on screen soon. 

“Hey calm down in there! He can wait! Don’t hurt yourself in there!” 

Jisoo’s soft scolding only made Chaeyoung embarrassed and left the other girls giggling from the other room. 

“Sorry! Goodnight!” 

Ding!

Chaeyoung’s eyes fluttered as she heard the familiar message tone. It was a sign that Mark was ready for their call. Quickly Chaeyoung grabbed her laptop, making sure it was plugged in and placed it on her bed. After she turned it on and went to the video calling app they used, she looked at her reflection in the mirror across the room. She ran her slender fingers through her soft locks, a soft pout forming on her lips. 

“It’s okay, you look good. Besides, you’re going to bed. He’s not going to care if you look gorgeous or not.” 

And with that, Chaeyoung sat on her bed and hit the call button. The dialing tone was playing as she got comfortable in bed, lying underneath her blanket and getting her laptop settled so that it wouldn’t fall off the bed once she fell asleep. 

The black screen flickered and she could see bits of his bedroom wall since the lights were off in his room. She could only see his pillow and a part of his blanket thrown to the side messily. And that was it, those were the only things she could see on screen.

Her heart raced for a moment when she didn’t see him, and she jolted up slightly and leaned her face closer to the screen. Her eyes wandered around to look for him. 

Soon enough, his face quickly came into view with his bright smile, and Chaeyoung couldn’t help but giggle softly. 

“Hey Chaeyoung,” Mark said with a bright smile, soon his entire body on the screen as he got into bed. 

“Hi Mark, how was hanging out with your friends?” 

She slowly slid back into bed, pulling her blanket up to her shoulders as she made herself comfortable again. 

“It was good. They all asked about you, since I told them about our date tomorrow.”

Instantly Chaeyoung blushed. He called it a date. No, he called it a date out loud. Hearing him say that word only made Chaeyoung’s heart flutter a bit. 

“That’s the same thing with my roommates. When I told them you were coming over, they asked about you. It was pretty entertaining.” 

“Really? I hope you said a lot of good things about me.” 

Chaeyoung could only chuckle, her bottom lip slipping between her teeth to hold back a smile as she nodded her head. 

“Of course I did, Mark. You’re pretty special to me.” 

Silence filled the room, and all that was seen on the screen was Mark’s brown eyes glistening from the bright light of his laptop and his dazzling smile. The sight was breathtaking, and it only made Chaeyoung’s heart race faster and this warm feeling inside of her grow. 

“Well, know that you’re pretty special to me Chaeyoung. Never forget that.” 

“I won’t, I promise.” 

“Now then,” Mark sighed out as he pulled his own blanket up to his shoulders. “Let’s go to bed? We have a busy day tomorrow, and I want it to come sooner.” 

Chaeyoung let out a soft giggle, quickly nodding her head in agreement. 

“Alrightie. Goodnight, Mark. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow, Chaeyoung. Goodnight, sweet dreams beautiful.” 

Saying their last words for the night, they both looked at each other in silence. They exchanged a soft smile and took in the moment, and this always happened before Chaeyoung would let her eyes close and fall asleep quickly. Mark would watch her peaceful moments for a minute before falling asleep as well. 

This was their daily routine, falling asleep together with screens between each other. It was something they got used to, and they loved it completely. 

However, they hoped that tomorrow would change this routine, where screens would be replaced with each other so they could sleep next to each other every night instead. 

Another update and another author note! First off, Happy New Year, everybody! I hope you spent the holidays with those you love, and I wish you the best for this upcoming new year. I'm so sorry it's been so long for this chapter to get published. School started up when I last updated, and it's been pretty busy. School break was also really busy, so sorry that I couldn't update so much during then too. However! I'm getting better with time management, and I wanted to make more time writing chapters for this story. I made a New Year's resolution to put a chapter at least once a month. I'll keep myself accountable to that! Thank you all for reading my story and sticking to this story! <3 I hope to see you all soon!