For: dorktaemin

Partner: NCT U's Mark

Mark glanced back at Liza who was sitting on the bleachers right behind Haechan who was two seats away from him. He was sitting in next to Winwin, who was right in between the two boys.

He watched as Liza laughed at Haechan’s jokes and hit his back, out of breath. Haechan knows I like her. What is he doing?

The group of six friends were at the last football game, the Homecoming Game, to cheer on Jaehyun.

Jaehyun squinted his eyes and searched the bleachers. Hanna and Eunbyul eagerly waved at him. Jaehyun spotted them and smiled while waving back.

“Go Captain Jung!” Liza hollered.

Mark smiled at her enthusiasm before facing forward before he got caught staring.

When it was halftime, Liza got up from her seat. "I have to go to the bathroom.”

Mark got ready to stand up but Haechan beat him to it. “Me too. I’ll go with you.”

Mark sat back down and balled his fists as he watched his best friend and crush walk down the bleachers.
 

When they came back, Hanna and Eunbyul went to the bathroom, leaving Liza and the three guys. Mark tried his best to talk to her and make her laugh but Haechan was getting most of her laughs.

Mark huffed and faced forward when the girls came back. He tensed up when he heard Liza’s laugh right behind him. Is she sitting behind me now? He looked at the two other girls who were sitting behind Haechan and Winwin.

Yes! She’s finally away from Haechan. Mark didn’t talk to her but he felt relieved knowing that she wasn’t near Haechan.

The game soon ended with SM Academy winning. They ran over to Jaehyun who walked out of the locker room.

“Congratulations!”

“Thanks.” Jaehyun fist bumped Haechan.
 

He spotted Liza and his face lit up. “You actually came! I thought you didn’t get football.”

Liza shrugged, “I decided to give it a try for you. It’s not bad.”

Jaehyun ruffled her hair and opened her arms to hug her but she ducked away. “Gross, you’re all sweaty.”

Everyone laughed.

“Hey, do you want to go get ice cream as a celebration?” Winwin suggested and smiled when he heard cheers from his friends. “Let’s go!”

They sat down in the corner of a McDonald’s, their soft serves and eating their mcflurries.
 

“This isn’t the celebratory ice cream I was thinking about.” Eunbyul frowned.

Winwin nudged her, “Ice cream is still ice cream. What? Did you expect some fancy Baskin Robbin’s?”
 

“Yeah! That’s way better than-” Winwin shoved his spoon of oreo ice cream in , earning a sound of protest.
 

Liza laughed and her cone. After she was done, she got up to go to the bathroom.

Mark didn’t want to lose his chance this time and ran after her. “Liza.”

She turned around.
 

“Do you have a ride home?”

“I can call my dad.”
 

“I can drive you home.”
 

Liza smiled, not suspecting anything at all. “Okay! Thanks, friend.” She went into the bathroom, leaving Mark with a frown on his face. Friend.
 

Mark rolled the windows down at a stop light to breathe.

It has been only five minutes since they left the McDonald’s parking lot and he was already suffocating as his heart beat nervously.

“Ooh, I love this song.” Liza turned the volume up and snag along.

Mark smiled, hearing her sweet voice. “Do you remember this song? You showed it to me.”
 

Liza looked at him. “I did?” She thought for a second and clapped her hands. “Oh yeah! Two years ago, I remember. This was my favorite song then.”

And now it’s mine.
 

She kept singing along to MC Mong’s What Could I Do and spread her right arm out into the crisp, midnight air.

They both got out of the car when they reached her house.

“Thanks, Mark. See you on Monday.”

Mark bit his lower lip and took his hands out of his jean pockets. “Liza! Wait.”

Liza turned around and tilted her head.

“I….” Mark’s hands started to get clammy. “I want to tell you something.”

Liza walked up to him. “What? Is it something bad?”
 

“Can we sit somewhere?”

“Sure.”

Liza sat down next to Mark on the front steps of her house.

Liza saw the nervous look on his face and nudged him with a grin. “What is it? You’re scaring me, Mark.”

“I like you.” Liza’s smile faded. “What?”

Mark finally looked into her eyes that were now wide and confused. “I like you, Liza. I liked you ever since sophomore year. Ever since you sat next to me in history. When we sang Some together at the karaoke bar, when we went to the Americana and the Grove, when we went to get your nails done at Haechan’s mom’s place, when we went to Ktown and ate patbingsoo. All this time, I liked you, and I still do.”

Liza stayed silent for a moment before scoffing and smirking. Mark’s lips went dry.

She shook her head with the smirk still on her face. “I can’t believe it. I guess the world doesn’t want us to be together.”

Mark furrowed his brows. “What?”

Liza looked at him with sad eyes. “I liked you.”

Mark’s shoulder lifted but fell when she continued. “I liked you in sophomore year too. But that’s the thing. I liked you. Not anymore.”

Mark was at a loss of words.

“I stopped once junior year started because I thought I didn’t have a chance. And it seemed like you liked Eunbyul so I gave up.”

“I was too late.”

Liza touched his shoulder. “Mark-”

“If I confessed a year ago, in junior year, would you have confessed back? Would we have been dating?”

“Mark.”

Mark stood up and looked everywhere but her. “I think I should go now. See you on Monday, Liza.”

He walked to his car and Liza let him. What would she say if she stopped him? Her feelings for him were gone and now she was starting to like someone else.

Mark gripped his steering wheel and turned off his old favorite song.