in my own summer | norenmin

chapter 12 | for once, he's here

mark felt a little lost when he arrived at the studio. he simply entered the building to get away from the warm air and glanced around, unsure. he fishes his phone from his pocket and goes to text donghyuck, but turns out, he didn't need to.

donghyuck emerges from behind a wall, his lips stretching into a smile once his eyes land on him. he wasn't wearing anything too impressive like the leather jacket he had worn when they first met, but mark admired the basic t-shirt and joggers nonetheless and his hair simply pushed back.

"sorry i couldn't look more neat for you," donghyuck says apologetically. mark looks surprised in reaction from his comment.

"what? you look fine," mark retorts with a small smile. his phone slips back into his pocket.

"you flatter me," donghyuck smiles well. "come on."

he leads mark into one of the rooms down the hall on the left, the room empty except for the two of them. donghyuck gestures for them to sit at two chairs right next to each other.

"minho was here, but he left way earlier," donghyuck tells him, leaning back into the comfortable chair as his eyes close. "we kept making last minute changes to the song...i wanted to sound perfect. for you."

mark felt his face warm up, his cheeks going pink. who is he to talk, saying "you flatter me"?

covering his cheeks with his hands, he simply mumbles, "oh."

"yeah," donghyuck grabs of pair of plugged in headphones. "here. i want your opinion on it."

mark puts them on over his ears and when he glances over at donghyuck, the other starts playing it.

then, a honeyed voice fills his ears loud and clearly, along with the gentle strum of a guitar.

is there something in the air? is that a spell you cast on me?
i'm aware they say love at first sight isn't real, but i'm starting to reconsider
i'm starting to see the appeal of this fantasy

maybe it's the look in your eyes and the smile that spreads across your face
maybe it's the sound of your voice and the style you own that's drawing me in
maybe it's the idea of you, buildin' up in my head
so scared to talk to you, to embarrass myself
i'd rather admire you instead

mark listened to it silently, letting himself get lost among the gentle singing of the music. he felt like he was back in that bar, sitting at the table with his friends although they didn't seem to be there, just shadows in the background that surrounded him. all he could focus on was the soft light shining down onto the stage and the voice of the siren as donghyuck sang into the mic.

it's you
it's always you now

he had him in a tight grasp and wasn't going to let him go.

you make me nervous
you make my heart beat faster
you make my eyes lock onto you and no one else

mark feels a little compelled to get up from his seat and join him, and let the song and the sound of his voice carry his body along.

i want to turn us into more
but, oh, how can i that?
when it's you

his eyes flutter open once more as donghyuck gingerly slides the headphones from his ears, looking a little apprehensive. "...so?"