Chapter I

Love, Mark I N-CITY #1
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Weekday nights were typical for me and I sat by my window with a picture propped up on my knees while the pencil flew over the page softly. The lead was slowly darkening while I emphasized the lines, still not knowing what I was drawing. My window was open and the smell of petrichor wafted to my nostrils making me make a face. I hated the smell of rain. Leaning back against the bed, I suddenly heard a thud from outside and I frowned.

What—

“Oi!”

I closed my eyes.

“Oi! I slipped!” Mark’s voice whispered loudly, his clumsy self trying to cling to the window sill. I rolled my eyes, my best friend being a knock-off version of a prince trying to climb a tower to save a princess. Mark let out a grunt, shoving himself through the window. “Oof—”

And crashed against the floor.

“Mark Lee, you’ve been climbing through my window since you were seven,” I said to him, turning back to my drawing. “What’s up?”

Mark Lee, our university’s very own boy-next-door. Mark was my best friend, the one friend I grew up with because his family moved down the street and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. Without Mark’s knowledge, he has been quite a hot topic these days with the girls. But to me, he was always going to be Mark.

Just Mark.

Mark was already going through my closet and I wanted to ask him what he was doing until he pulled out the red dress he bought me for my birthday. Mark mumbled to himself as he always did and I knew the only choice I had to do was to wait for him to actually try to talk to me. He turned and he threw the dress at me before crossing his arms.

“Party, party!” he exclaimed and my eyes widened, throwing the dress back before lifting my finger to my lips. “Sorry, sorry—” Mark’s voice dropped an octave and he sat on my bed, grabbing my arm. “Party at Johnny’s—”

“On a weekday?” I asked. “Mark, it’s Wednesday! And my brother is in the other room.”

Don’t get me wrong, I was nowhere near uptight. But growing up with parents as doctors and Jung Jaehyun as my brother was enough to make me question all my life decisions. Mark flailed his arms in the air and tried to communicate with me without saying anything, turning on his stupid puppy dog eyes while he clasped his hands together.

He began to pout and I scoffed.

“Don’t you dare—”

“Please, please, please,” he whispered, grabbing my shoulder. “You know I have to have you there! I’m leaving for Canada in a week for that exchange program and you have to spend time with me!”

“Go with Haechan—” I began and cut off by a very loud honk from down the road. My mouth dropped down and Mark blinked at me meekly. “Haechan is in the car, isn’t he? Mark Lee!”

“Oi! What’s taking so long?” I heard Haechan bellow from his sports car parked a block down my house. Oh my god, the least he could do was try to at least be inconspicuous! I threw my hands in the air when another honk sounded and I told Mark to call him to keep it down.

Haechan Lee was probably already drunk. He was Mark’s “buddy” and I met him because of Mark. He was either always drunk or always high, there was no time I have ever seen him sober. Haechan was also incredibly rich and he was loud about it, either driving an expensive car or riding the newest bike model down the street.

The funny thing was, no one ever knew where he got his money from.

“Look, please come. I can’t go with Haechan. What if he gets into a brawl again?” Mark asked and I glared at him, going into the bathroom. I slammed the door shut, beginning to change into the dress when I heard Mark from behind the door. “You’re not mad, are you?”

He knew me and there was no one else in this world who knew me as well as Mark Lee.

He knew I had a soft spot for him and that however mad I was, I could never stay mad at Mark Lee.

Why? It was because he was Mark Lee. 

“Let’s go,” I told him, opening the door. He gave a small joyous dance before proceeding to jump onto my bed to go out the window. “Mark, your shoes—”

“Oh, sorry!” he apologized and I slowly climbed down from my balcony, my dress long enough to make the task easy. I finally leaped down and scampered across my lawn, my eyes going up to see that both my brother and my parent’s bedroom lights were off.

They must be sleeping.

That is how I found myself in Haechan’s car, the male drinking from a plastic cup and I wondered where his flask was. He was already drunk and I pounded my hand against Haechan’s shoulder to tell him to slow down. We have never crashed while Haechan drove, but there was a first time for everything.

“Johnny’s back from Chicago?” I asked Mark who nodded excitedly. I noticed that he was wearing a simple T-shirt and a flannel cardigan, his hair flopping over his big forehead. “You’re here because of a girl, aren’t you?”

I didn’t have to see Mark’s face to know his cheeks tinged pink. Haechan swaggered out of the car with his biker jacket across his shoulder. He complained that he hated the music played and I watched him disappear into the crowd.

I walked into the party, Mark keeping close to me and I had no doubt that the moment he drank, he would leave me to do whatever he came here to do. I was his safety net, there in case he ever was in an uncomfortable situation.

Not like it bothered me. I was pretty much used to it.

Suddenly, I saw Mark’s eyes bulge and he froze. Hands grabbed my shoulder and I have spun around just for me

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BaekhyunnieBun94
#1
Chapter 1: Mark is so cute xD It seems like Mark is regretting his choice of setting his best friend up with Yuta.. and Haechan omg I love him he cracks me up 😂 using the juniors to fetch him his drinks when he’s thirsty so priceless 😂 It’s no joke when the oc said he was always drunk or high!
BaekhyunnieBun94
#2
I’m so excited to read this one too ^.^
caffemelon
#3
Chapter 4: Such a sweet and amazing story!! Their friendship is just so cuteeee, love it <3
blue_izce8 #4
loved Mark's sweet side in this story. its nice to have a bff and a bf all in one ❤
Lemonzest95
#5
Chapter 4: My ♥ this was a really fun and fluffy fic
Lemonzest95
#6
Chapter 1: I'm in for a ride!
lovelyfeisty
#7
Congratulations on highest bid!