When Dayoung introduced Melody and Julia to us, it wasn’t my first time meeting Melody, though back then she’d just been Melanie. She had still been as exuberant and feisty as she is now, but back then she’d been rather intimately involved with Nichkhun. Well not long after we met she started seeing him, but before she met him we’d talked a bit.

I remember when we first met, I remember how she’d just walked up to me and smiled, the way she just started talking to me in English. How she just grinned and looked like she would have the world and anything less wouldn’t do. I remember how it had sounded like we would have the world, how in that moment I’d fallen for her instantly.

“Just look at them, they’re all giving us these annoyed looks.” This random girl says while sighing, though she looks rather pleased with the attention. “It’s because we’re both insanely cute, but not Korean. Not to mention talented, far more than them.”

“Sorry?” I say confused not at all understanding what this random, and as stated insanely cute girl is talking about.

Pushing some of her hair behind her ear the girl smiles at me, a very happy and genuine smile. “Sorry, I’m Melanie, and you’re one of the few people that speak English too, it’s just they won’t give me a chance at all to even attempt conversation.” She says motioning to them blatantly.

I blink as I glance around, as said they’re all eyeing us and frowning as they talk to other people in a language we both obviously don’t quite understand yet. “I’m Mark.” I say numbly, the way she just so confidently talks and acts, it’s alluring.

“I know I’ve seen you practice, you’re getting really good and really fast.” Melanie says sincerely. “Took me a lot longer to work the never up to learn how to flip.” She confesses while letting out a sigh. “But you look really cool while flipping and well dancing in general.” She compliments me with the same grin on her face. “Actually, you look really cool in general.”

“Thanks, I’ve seen you dance too,” I say realizing who this girl is, that this is the one that effortlessly dances as she pleases and just as easily refuses to take anything less than the best when we get assessments. “Y-y-you’re really good, well a-a-amazing.” I say stumbling over my words and hating myself for it.

Melanie though doesn’t comment or tease me about it. “Thank you, it means a lot. Most of the people here think I’m not that great because I can’t quite grasp the language yet.” She says while rolling her eyes. “I’ll get it eventually. You’re getting it a lot more than me, I’m jealous.” She just smiles at me as she takes a seat next to me on the ground. “Though, if we’re being honest you’re an amazing dancer and rapper.” Unlike a lot of other people Melanie sits and waits for me to talk. She listens and replies, never one making fun of me for anything.

I watch Melody carefully from my seat on the couch; she’s dancing on stage for Euphonious’ comeback. Julia and she really do make quite the team. Neither shies away from the spotlight on stage, both enjoy the cheers; both pull each other along steadily and happily.

“Their songs are amazing,” BamBam says excitedly next to me, moving along with the songs, “I can’t believe hyung let a girl like her go.” I glance at him warily, Jinyoung lets out a sigh. “I know, I’m not saying it in public, but you have to admit, Melody-sshi is amazing!”

“I wouldn’t say Hyung let her go.” I say carefully glancing at BamBam momentarily. “I think if Melody wanted to let go and end things, it’d be her choice of the matter.”

“She is a force,” Jinyoung agrees. “I remember when she was a trainee at JYPE.”

By now Jaebum is joining in on this too. “Same, she definitely had a lot of people beat with just being her. She was rather fearless, not that she’s changed in the aspect.” He says taking a seat next to BamBam. “Remember when that girl said she had no talent?”

I turn my head as Jinyoung nods his. “I’m not sure who told Melody, but she definitely made a point.”

“When was that?” I ask frowning; not at all remembering that, but then again I tried not to get pulled into drama and once Melody and Nichkhun started dating, I never saw her much. Partly because she wasn’t around much and I avoided seeing her.

“Just before Melody left to SMent, she grabbed the charts with all the assessments, highlighted her ranking than the girls, vocals, rapping, dancing, and variety wise, acting, all of it. She had the girl beat by a large margin. She was top ten if not five in almost all of them.”

“I thought that’s why they traded her.” Jaebum says while frowning to this. “The girl sent a complaint.”

Jinyoung shakes his head as Jackson joins us too. “No, Melody put the transfer request in herself. She left because she wanted to. Well before that girl put her complaint in.”

I get up from the couch as Euphonious’ performance ends; walking into the kitchen I try not to think about Melody, I don’t like her anymore. She’s just a sometimes friend and then just a girl I argue with. It’s frustrating trying to believe that I don’t like her anymore.

“You never did say how you knew Melody and Nichkhun had dated.” Jinyoung says coming behind me, I glance at him and shrug my shoulders.

“I’d seen them around JYPE together,” I say while shrugging my shoulders. In all honesty, it’s the same way I know that they’re dating now. The way Melody just smiles a bit more, the way she bites her lip slightly when Nichkhun comes up, the way she watches him whenever he stops by, how he looks at her.

“I thought you knew Melody when she was at JYPE.” Jinyoung says pressing for more. “I saw you guys talking a lot, that’s why I find it surprising that you don’t get along more now.”

I shrug my shoulders, “We didn’t talk that much, besides I doubt she even remembers that much from JYPE.” I say indifferently as I grab a bottle of water then pass by him and head to my room. It stings that she doesn’t remember me, it hurts that all she can really think of from when she was at JYPE is Nichkhun.

I find myself a bit more bitter thinking that I look like him, that I didn’t have the courage to say more to Melody, that I didn’t have the nerve to really make an impression on her, probably why I’m making such a strong impression now, even if it is a pretty negative one. No matter what, I want Melody to remember me; I don’t want her to forget me again. So maybe I do like her still, maybe I never stopped liking her.

~~~

“It’s weird that they’re getting along so well now.” Jackson mutters to Cheonmi. The latter simply shrugs her shoulders. “I mean they never got along and now suddenly there they are coloring together.”

“Actually I’m drawing you Jackson,” Melody taunts our mutual friend. “I think it’s rather accurate, wouldn’t you say so Marky-Mark?” She asks while nudging me from my spot.

I glance to her paper and let out a rather surprised laugh. “It looks exactly like him.” I say while shaking my head. Melody and Nichkhun broke up, my guess is the same morning that Melody kissed me then left soon after getting ready. She’s been keeping her distance from him, never mentioning him or even bothering to run off to see him when she gets upset, instead she comes and sits next to me and just quietly sits with me. The others gave her strange looks when she does that, but lately it’s been something like this. Melody just wanting to hang out and spending a lot of time with me; she wants to color, listen to music, tease Jackson, anything and she’ll drag me into it. I can’t say I really mind being pulled into her little world.

“How come Cheonmi looks cute and then I’m just an awkward square holding her hand?” Jackson booms as he looks over Melody’s shoulder. His voice brings me out of my thoughts of Melody and back to the now. “I am not that fat!” He protests as Melody happily adds on weight to Jackson. “My jaw isn’t that square!” He continues to complain.

“I think it’s pretty accurate.” Melody teases happily; picking out another crayon to use Melody starts on another picture, mostly because Jackson has taken the old one and criticizes it heavily, while Cheonmi listens with an amused look on her face.

“You have to admit, they’re cute together.” Melody whispers to me, nodding in Jackson and Cheonmi’s direction. The pair still looking at the picture Melody had been working on.

I nod my head smiling at my friends getting along. “Well it helps that they’re now on talking terms.” I mumble quietly.

“Very true,” Mel says smiling at me. “You’re giving me a funny look.” She says after a moment, raising her brow just slightly has she tilts her head to relay her curiosity. “Mark, you’re staring at me.”

“Sorry,” I say looking down at my paper, the doodles I’ve made seemingly random. “Just lost in thought,” I take a quick glance to see Melody focused back on her drawing, this time she’s making an ocean.

“So have you guys picked out costumes?” Cheonmi asks once Jackson has settled down. “Jackson and I are still trying to figure something out.” She says sighing.

Melody not one to miss a chance suggests something, “Peter Pan and Wendy, it’d be too cute!” She gushes completely abandoning her ocean.

“I still like my idea more.” Jackson says pouting, which receives absolutely no sympathy from Cheonmi as she shakes her head in distain. “It isn’t that bad.”

“I’m not going to dress up as a magician’s assistant.” She says firmly. “I like Melody’s idea more.” As they bicker between them I nudge Mel.

“I think we just started a couple’s fight.” She says chuckling; she glances over at me and sticks her tongue out. “So I’ll be committing and bleaching my hair, partly because we’re getting a new concept so it’ll be pretty accurate as far as hair.”

It takes me a minute to realize what she’s talking about. “Are you sure?” I ask frowning worriedly. Melody chuckles and shakes her head. “I’m just saying, you’re pretty cute like this.” I mutter.

“Marky-Mark you’re so cute,” She says teasingly. “But I’ve wanted a change for a while, and besides it’ll be fun, I’ll even let you choose the color I get after being blonde!” She says excitedly. “Well, so long as it isn’t something completely outrageous.” She says nudging me.

I find myself nodding my head, a bit dazed from her personality. Picking my crayon back up I decide to focus back on my doodles, “Are you sure about that?” I ask her meekly. Park of me hates this, we’ve fallen back in to the same relationship we had when she was at JYPE, only for her it seems like the first time. Back to me being the nice guy she talks to, to the guy that’s silently falling for her all over again, or rather, even more.  Back to her being the honest and cheeky cute girl that doesn’t realize just how stunning she is or the weight of what she says.

“Of course, besides, I have absolute trust in you.” She says airily, from the corner of my eye I can see that she is focused on her own drawing again. Melody hums quietly as she colors in some fish.

When I first met Melody she’d still been as exuberant as she is now, she’s still fearless, still open, still the same in a lot of ways, she’s still a lot of things I wish I could be. “I pretty sure I will always will too.”

At this I stop doodling and gawk at Melody, “That’s not something to say so lightly.” I mumble out quietly trying to find words to say that I it’s the same for me.

“Mark,” She says seriously looking up at me, a small smile on her face. “I think we can both say it’s the same. Besides I’m not taking it lightly, I trust you.”

I've had this mostly typed out for a while, just kinda debating when I should post this. I've wanted to do a post all in Mark's POV for a while now,
and this kinda shows the flip side of the relationship for Mark and Melody. Showing that they've actually known each other
for a while.
Anyways, just wanted to update. ^^
Love you my little ducks! <3