— 3 years ago
winter

"But why me?"

"Because you're the only one I trust."

Mark sighed and Jeno just laughed at the sight of his friend having a hard time. He couldn't say no to Jeno's request. He wanted to be someone reliable, someone his juniors could run to for help.

"Why not Renjun though? I mean, he's had experience with the girl, right?"

"Well, I wouldn't say it was a good one."

"Donghyuck?"

"Never had a girlfriend."

"Chenle?"

"Really, hyung? Romance is a foreign word to him. And don't even think of mentioning Jisung's name."

Mark scratched his head and smacked his frozen lips with his tongue. Due to not-so-unforseen circumstances, he was the only person Jeno could ask advice from.

"Jaemin?"

"He's the girl's bestfriend. He'd probably be all overprotective and tell me to back off."

"Then why don't you do so? You said you don't like her right?"

Jeno went silent for a moment and pondered. Indeed, it was easy for Mark to say since he wasn't in Jeno's position but he wasn't entirely wrong. Yet something had been confusing Jeno as to why he couldn't reject the girl.

"I," he said with uncertainty, "I'll try."

"Bet you won't."

"I just can't for some odd reason."

"Maybe you do like her."

"I'm sure I don't, hyung. I've never fallen in love before."

Mark pat his back in comfort. It looked quite pitiful for boys their age to have no experience in such things. Jeno also pat Mark's back, comforting each other.

"How about this," Mark spoke up after a while, "since you've never fallen in love before, why not try dating her? You know, just for experience?"

Jeno shrugged.

"It's sounds weird if you put it that way."

"What's weird?"

"It's like I'm using her."

Mark was left with his mouth open. That certain term hadn't crossed his mind when he suggested an idea to Jeno.

"No," Mark convinced himself, "no you're not using her. You could like, fall in love with her after a few dates you know? Maybe. I don't know."

It wasn't difficult for Mark to give advice to his peers but giving some to his bestfriends was something he had to make sure he did it perfectly.

"Hyung, what am I gonna do?"

Jeno pretended to tear up yet his frustration was real. He had never bumped into these kinds of circumstances before and so he's dead nervous.

"Listen to me," Mark pulled the younger to face him, "just do what you think your heart wants you to do. Don't let anyone dictate what your heart should do."

"And here I am, asking you to dictate my actions."

Mark let out a hearty laugh and lightly slapped Jeno's shoulder. He screamed out of frustration due to his incapability to help out his younger friend.

"Just give it a try, man. Giving things a shot can help you add on your experience tank."

"I," Jeno smiled bitterly, "I guess I should."

"That's my bro."

Mark pulled out his fist and Jeno bumped it with his. They smiled, assured that things would, maybe, go smooth as they both have imagined.

They walked quietly around Mark's neighborhood and started consuming their thoughts with the future to come. It brought them a hint of worry yet each other's presence helped extinguish it.

"But wow, hyung," Jeno spoke after a long silence, "you're pretty good with giving advice. Whether it's about friendship or this, this... relationship thing."

Mark chuckled and crossed his arms as if he was boasting about the said ability. Minutes ago, he had encountered hurdles in giving advice but now that someone complimented him, he easily forgot about those.

"Relationships? From friends to flings to flirts to girlfriends and boyfriends." He said.

"How hard could it be?"

Mark bluffed.