Requester
SMTownR


Pairing
(Got7) Mark Tuan x Ara Li (OC)


Genres
Romance, Angst, Fluff



Plot
Mark and Ara shares a love hate relationship. Everyone around them sees that they are attracted to each other except for themselves. Mark's friends tries to set them uo but things go wrong bcuz it only leads tge two to fight but eventually they realize that they like each other.

Author
Charlot1081

    Mark cracked his neck.  He closed his eyes and sat back in his chair as he has been studying for what seemed like an eternity, but was only four hours.  Study, study, study.. He muttered his mantra in his head.  Study to get good grades; make good grades to have good marks; have good marks to be hired in a good position; be in a good position to get a profit; have a profit to support yourself and family.  His father's words chanted in his head.

Turning his head toward the window, he sees that his neighbor's bedroom light is on too.  He held his chin, knowing that the girl beside him was like his worst enemy.  All she ever does is belittle him, but in reality, there is no belittlement. 

Both of them are struggling to be the first in the class.  And so things have gotten competitive.  Don't even mention that their friends think they're dating.  They say things like, "You hate each other so much that you love each other." 

Ara shakes her head as she sits back from her textbook.  She put her pencil on her notebook and turned off the smooth jazz that was playing on her phone.  She exhaled audibly as she was thinking about how well she will do on the final exam.  If she'll be a match against the one and only Mark Tuan.  Speaking of which, her eyes drift to the window across from hers.  The lights are definitely on.  She huffed, mad as they had the same idea.

At the same moment, the two stand up and open their blinds all the way.  "Woah."  They both held their mouths in shock.

Ara was first to break the mirroring of them as she opened her window.  Mark followed suit soon after though.  "What are you doing?"  She asked.

"Studying..  Let me guess, you're studying too?"  He asked, there only being a small distance between the houses. 

The girl simply nodded and moved her chair to sit by the window.  "Which section are you on?"  Ara asked, curious as to how excelled he is compared to her.

"I've started on chapter seven in literature, but I'm beat."  Mark chuckled.  "I think I'll probably be done for tonight."  He said.

She nodded.  "I'm still in the math section."  She laughed pathetically.

"Do.. you need any help?"  He asked.

"You would seriously aid your enemy?"  She asked in disbelief.  "Anyway, no, Mark Tuan.  Stop boasting your intelligence."  She said, slamming her window closed.

Mark watched as her curtains then covered her room once more.  He sighed and turned off his lights, closing his eyes and giving his mind and body the rest it needed.  It was one o'clock in the morning after all.

***

Ara holds her backpack straps as she steps off of the bus.  She walked onto the high school grounds and saw a familiar male looking around.  She smirks, knowing that he's waiting for her so that they can walk to their first class together.  She nonchalantly hides in the crowd of students.

His eyes are set on the gate, so he didn't notice that the girl walked around until she was behind him when she let out the sudden "Boo!"  The male screamed louder than a monkey, causing some other students to have mini heart attacks.

The male looked at her with wide eyes.  "Seriously, Ara?!"  He said, holding his heart as if the Grim Reaper was about to take it.

She just chuckled.  "Seriously, Jinyoung, this is the third time I've scared you this week."  She hooked their arms, brushing off the fact that Jinyoung's heart is about ready to explode.  "You ought to know by now that three is the lucky number."  She winked.

Jinyoung sighed and walked with her.  "I really hate you, you know that?" He muttered, looking off to the side.

"Uhuh, I know."  Ara walked into the building with him.  "Anyway, you know that Mark guy.. Ugh, he's so annoying." She grumbled.

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow.  "What did he do this time?  Flirt?"  He asked, taking his key out of his pocket to open his locker.

She simply put in her combination to open her locker.  "I was studying last night, and he had the audacity to ask me if I wanted help."  She huffed, stuffing her things inside the small cavity.

"And.. that's bad?"  Jinyoung asked, checking out his side profile in the mirror on the locker door.

"He thinks that I'm not smart enough to do things on my own."  She rolled her eyes.

Jinyoung chuckled.  "That's cute..  I can just imagine you two chatting at your windows in the middle of the night."  He said, closing the locker. 

"Cute..?"  She narrowed her eyes. 

"Cute.."  Jinyoung confirmed before seeing two males pass by.  "Jae!  Hold up!"  He called out, walking up to Jaebum.  "I thought I said that we would wear our new shoes on Thursday."  He pouted.

Jaebum folded his arms.  "Uhuh, guess what day it is?"  He said.

Jinyoung raised his eyebrows before looking at his phone.  "Shoot.. I was wondering why the lunch lady gave us meatloaf on Tuesday.."

"Dude,"  Mark looked at him seriously, "you've been living a day behind?"  He asked.

Jinyoung sighed and scratched his temple.  "I suppose so.."  He put his phone away when Ara joined the boys. 

"So hey,"  Jaebum put his arm around Mark with a teasing smile, "I heard that you two were talking until late last night, you know how romantic that is?"  He chuckled.

Mark and Ara look at each other with confused eyes.  "Jinyoung, how the heck did you already tell Jaebum what I told you?"  She asked.

"It's the mysteries of magic, my lady."  Jinyoung replied with a little smirk.

Mark rolled his eyes.  "Whatever, I don't see how you guys find it cute or romantic."  He said.  "I'm going in."  He pointed to the classroom.

Ara followed him, not even informing the other two that she was leaving.  This left the best friends to smirk at each other.  As if reading each other's minds, they nodded and started laughing.

"They seriously need to go on a date."  Jaebum said as he shook his head.

Jinyoung hummed and leaned back against the wall.  "That they do, and I think I know how to get them together."  He said, getting an interested look from the other.

"The suspense, Jinyoung.."  Jaebum held his temples jokingly.

"We should tell them that the teacher wants them to do some extra activities."  Jinyoung started with his plot.  "They will meet and be surprised and stuff."  He put his hands in the air as if he's imagining the scene playing in front of him.

Jaebum snapped his finger.  "They'll be confused, and then there will be a table with food on it."  He said.

"Uhuh, you get it."  Jinyoung smiled evilly.  "We'll prepare a nice, little dinner, and bam!  Their first date."  He finished the plan.

Jaebum folded his arms with an approving smile.  "I like it."  He nodded.

***

Jaebum walked alongside Mark as they slowly made their way off of the school campus.  Mark happened to see Ara at the gate and stopped as Jinyoung was walking with her.  Jaebum's eyes trailed to see what Mark was looking at, and smirked as he put his arm around the other male's shoulder.

"Ara's a nice girl, isn't she?"  Jaebum asked as they walked slower so as to not catch up with the other two.

Mark shrugged and watched the other students leave the gate.  "I suppose.. I like how she's not in your face like the other girls around here."  He said, turning the opposite way of his house.

He rather not see Ara for a couple more hours.  Instead, he walks with Jaebum to go to their favorite ice cream parlor.  "Her giggles are cute though."  He commented, taking out his wallet in preparation of buying them some frozen sweets.

"You know, our math teacher pulled me aside earlier today."  Jaebum started, his plot working when Mark gave him an interested eyebrow.  "He was saying how he's been wanting to talk to you about a recent competition, it could really help you with your record."  He winked, pointing at the strawberry ice cream that was behind the glass counter.

Mark looked at him with eager eyes.  "You're serious?  I mean, we're talking about a math competition?"  He asked.

"Of course I'm serious."  Jaebum replied.  "Teacher Park said that he wanted to give his top student the opportunity to go against some of the smartest kids in the neighboring high schools."  He said.

Mark couldn't believe it.  "Woah.. So I'm the top student?"  He asked, pointing at his chest.

"That's what it seemed like, right?"  Jaebum put up an eyebrow with a smirk. 

The worker on the other side handed the boys their ice creams.  They bowed before walking to their usual table.  "I have nothing to worry about then, Ara is already second place."  He smiled.  "With this competition, wow.."  He looked at his ice cream with amazed eyes.

Jaebum hummed.  "The teacher said for you to meet him in study room four tomorrow evening if you're interested."  He mentioned, smirking inwardly as Mark seemed to be all in.

When they left the gate, Ara sighed at Jinyoung's arm around her.  She didn't mind her best friend being close to her, but something in her made her wish it was someone else.  Her mind wandered to how it would be if Mark were to be walking home with her.  Her head snapped to the gate and saw Jaebum and Mark going the opposite way.

Ara sighed.  "What's up?"  Jinyoung asked.

"They're going to the parlor again."  She said, looking ahead.

Jinyoung shrugged and looked at her.  "So?"  He asked, not seeing why she would be concerned.  Perhaps she didn't want him to have too many sweets?

"He should invite us once."  She folded her arms.

Jinyoung chuckled.  "You're too cute, you know that?"  He nudged her a little.

"For seriously, he could get me chocolate and I would probably be quiet."  She said, thinking about eating ice cream as a friend group. 

The thought of them all getting along didn't make Ara upset.  She just knows that she doesn't want to go alone with Mark.  She wants the comfort of Jinyoung and Jaebum, her besties. 

"Hey,"  Jinyoung got her attention as he slowed their pace, "so teacher Park pulled me aside earlier today."  He mentioned, getting a concerned look from the girl.

"He didn't catch you chewing gum, right?"  She asked.  "I didn't even see your jaw moving today."  She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Jinyoung chuckled and waved his hand.  "No, that's not it."  He said.

"So?" 

"So he said that he wanted to talk to you."  He said, looking at the clouds rather than the girl.  "There is a math competition coming up, and he wants his top student joining."  He continued.

Ara widened her eyes.  "I'm his top student?"  She asked in surprise.  "Wow!  To think, me in a competition!"  She said excitedly.

Jinyoung hummed.  "It would look good on that record of yours."  He said.

"That it would,"  She agreed, "I'll tell him I'll join."  She said, taking her phone out.

Jinyoung fought grabbing her phone.  "Oh, he said that you can just meet him in study room four if you're interested."  He looked down at her.

She had a skeptical look.  Nonetheless, she put her phone back in her pocket.  "When do I meet him?"  She asked.

"Tomorrow after all of the classes are done."  Jinyoung answered.  "He just wants to register you, it shouldn't take too long."   He continued.

Ara nodded and then spotted her house.  "I'm going inside."  She pointed.  "See you tomorrow."  She waved.

Once she was in the house, Jinyoung sighed.  He took out his phone and pressed on Jaebum's number.  "It's done."  They said at the same time.

***

Mark closed his textbook and looked at his watch.  Excitement filled his body as he knew that he was going to enter an important contest.  He puts his books away and stands up.  He casually walked through the hall of students that were finished with their classes too.  He didn't see Jinyoung or Jaebum like he usually did.  He also didn't see Ara anywhere. 

It did concern him a little, as they usually meet up after classes are finished.  He brushed it aside as their classes were just running later.  He went upstairs to the study rooms.  The hallway was empty, making his arrival to the room easy.  There were two ways to enter the study hall.

Two hands go on the doorknob.  Mark looks up from the knob to the owner of the smaller hand.  He was surprised to see Ara; Ara was surprised to see Mark.

He coughed a little to open the door for her.  They walk in together and see that teacher Park isn't inside.  Rather, there are two cup of noodles on the table.

"What..?"  Ara was first to break the silence.

"What are you doing here?"  Mark asked, putting his bag on the floor.

She looked up and down at him with a scoff.  "I could ask the same thing."  She folded her arms.

"Teacher Park said he wanted to enter his best student in a competition."  Mark explained his reason.

"The nerve!"  She looked angrily at him.  "He didn't invite you, he invited me." 

Mark let out an aggravated sigh, which Ara mocked.  "He said his top student, he called me his top student."  He held his chest with his eyebrows furrowed in fury.

"No, he called me his top student!"  She shouted back at him.  "How can you be on the top of any class?  All you do is space out during the whole class!"  She mentioned.

Mark huffed.  "Maybe if you stopped looking at me, I wouldn't let my mind drift off!"  He shouted back.

"Don't tell me what to do, I'll look at you all day!"  She clenched her fists and looked angrily into his eyes.

Mark's ears had steam coming out by now, and Ara was no different.  "Why do you even look at me?!"  He asked.

"Because you're so darn handsome!"  She spoke before thinking.

Silence was brought after that.  Her lips were pursed and his eyes were wide.  It's like their blinking was insync and their breathing too.  "I mean-"  They both said.

He coughed a little and she looked down.  Their eyes wander to the cup of noodles on the table followed by the drinks.  "Who told you teacher Park wanted you?"  Mark asked.

"Jaebum.."  She answered.  "You?" 

"Jinyoung.."  He said.

Ara sighed.  "They tricked us.."  She muttered.

"Well.. I mean.."  Mark sighed.  "I should have known it was too good to be true.."  He said.

They look at each other once more.  "I didn't know I was that handsome."  He said.

Ara blushed a little.  "Well.. you are.."  She said.

"Aside from the academics,"  Mark started, "you're.. a pretty sweet girl."  He said shyly.

She looked up at him, searching his eyes.  "I suppose we should eat.."  She said.

"First.. date?"  He asked.

She folded her arms, trying to put up a tough act.  "Fine.. But don't think because we're all lovey-dovey that I'll go easy on you in class."  She said.

Mark chuckled.  "You better believe I won't go easy on you either."

They laughed together for a moment before going to the table.  Hiding behind some furniture, the boys who set up the date let out their breaths silently and wiped the sweat on their foreheads.

It's a little bit longer, aye?
They just needed to argue.  But too bad for ther ebeing no competition tho.
Jae and Jinyoung are at it again trying to set them up XD

<3