The sun was bright in the sky by the time Taeyong led his group of first years out onto the street and towards the first event of the week. He'd cautioned his first years, who followed after him like little ducklings, that they should always stay inside the crosswalk lines because the town liked to fine people for jaywalking.

Mark trudged along with Jeno and Jaemin, offhandedly listening to their conversation about the courses they had in common as business majors. Renjun and Haechan were far ahead harassing Jaehyun with a barrage of questions. While Yuta trailed behind the group of students, making small talk with Maria, who twirled her blonde hair and giggled quite obnoxiously, like she purposely wanted her fellow students to hear.

Mark glanced over his shoulder towards the pair. His eyes widened as they immediately made contact with Yuta's own piercing pair. The silver haired boy gave him a tightlipped smile and then turned towards Maria again.

Mark swallowed thickly and sped up his pace, leaving Jaemin and Jeno to trail after him. 

The first event was situated in the basement of the university library. The students from the Dream Residence and the 127 building were rotating through events together. The groups settled on the ground around random piles of markers and paint, curiously chattering among themselves. The icebreakers proceeded to walk around the room, giving out white t-shirts with the school logo on them for the students to decorate.

Despite his roommates' insistence that he join the activity, Mark had found a snug corner of the room and rested his back against the wall. He was close enough to join in a few conversations if he wanted, but also far enough to be left alone. 

And he was alone, well, that is until he felt someone settle against the wall beside him.

His view of his dirty converse shoelaces, which he had been fiddling with, was obstructed by a black nail polish clad hand, holding out a purple marker. 

Mark shifted his attention from his shoelaces onto the person next to him and was startled by the sight of Yuta, lounging against the wall beside him. The older's legs were crossed at the ankles, as he lazily waved the marker in front of Mark again.

"Not joining in on the fun?" the older boy questioned, as he pulled a red and a yellow marker out of his pocket to place with the purple marker on the floor between the two of them. 

Mark gulped and shook his head gently, "nah, it's not really my scene." He breathed out slowly, forcing his shoulders to relax. 

"Fair enough," Yuta responded, glancing out across the newly formed cliques, "if you don't want to, can I decorate your shirt for you?"

Mark shrugged at the question and nodded towards his shirt that laid outstretched and untouched on the floor in front of him, "have at it my dude."

Yuta grinned, flashing a blindingly bright smile at Mark, shuffled forward towards the shirt, and uncapped the purple marker.

"Ok, kiddo, what kind of stuff do you like? Wanna make it seem authentic, like you did it yourself," he voiced out, as he glanced at Mark and then looked down to squint at the shirt, as if sizing up his canvas. 

Mark glanced at the older boy, eyes tracing the slope of his nose down to his lips that were pursed in concentration. 

"Umm, I dunno, maybe a book or something," he spoke hesitantly, eyes falling down from the older boy's lips towards the t-shirt again.

"Really? A book?" Yuta looked up at him incredulously, "I'll have you know that as a world class artist, I would rather not waste my talent on drawing a book."

Mark stiffened beside him, mouth opening and closing as he tried to find the right words to say. He hoped he hadn't offended the silver haired boy. 

Realizing his joke had not landed and taking in the younger's frazzled appearance, Yuta broke into peels of laughter. 

"Chill Markie, it was just a joke," the older man forced out between giggles and gasps for air.

Mark's eyes widened further at the nickname, balling the ends of his shirt sleeves into his hands. Embarrassed and flushed, he twisted his upper body towards the elder, trying to salvage his dignity. 

But any thought within his head shriveled away completely when he caught sight of a flash of metal. God, was that a tongue piercing.

His head whipped around the room, feeling warm from all the eyes resting on him due to the sheer volume of Yuta's laughter. He curled his shoulders inwards.

Yuta's giggles eventually subsided and as if struck by sudden inspiration, he placed the purple marker onto the shirt. He drew out an oval, with four triangles. 

Once done, Yuta leaned back onto his palms and grinned at Mark, a hint that the teasing was not done yet reflected in his eyes. 

"A fish," he gestured towards the shirt with a sweep of his hand, "since you always seem to flounder for words around me."

Silence settled briefly between the two, before Yuta tacked on a teasing, "what do you think Markie Sharkie?" 

The older stared at Mark waiting for a response, eyes glowing with mirth and practically begging for praise.

"Uh, thanks," Mark spluttered and then nodded, still too stunned by the other boy's laughter (and tongue piercing, good god).

Yuta popped the lid back onto the marker, pushed himself up off the ground and shrugged, "No problem kiddo." 

Mark's eyes trailed after the older boy as he sauntere