Perfectly Imperfect || Mark Lee

- 11 - Glitch mode

Tuesday

March 22 2022

Mark was alone in the practice room. The others had left a while ago but Mark had arrived late because of a conflicting schedule and figured he should stay a bit longer.

Their upcoming title track Glitch Mode was blasting from the speakers and he was dancing energetically while shouting some adlibs here and there for the right feeling.

Then as he danced he managed to catch a glimpse of a familiar face in the mirror. His eyes lit up as he saw Seoah peeking in from the door behind him. When she acknowledged Mark had seen her they had eye contact for a second through the mirror.

Mark stopped dancing and turned around to face her.  "You're not coming inside?" He wondered.

"Dude I wouldn't dare," Seoah said, still with her head between the door and the frame.

"Come inside" Mark then invited her. Being around Seoah always seemed to make him happy and comfortable. She was also just hilarious sometimes.

"Say no more," she said as she entered the room with a bright smile.

"So what are you doing here?" Mark asked casually, heading to turn off the music so they could actually have a conversation.

"Don't know, I just really love to be here, being up and practicing all night is better than fried chicken, and I love fried chicken" Seoah was rambling on. Mark almost lost track of what she was saying, but Seoah didn't notice that. Mark did notice the hint of sarcasm though. Something was telling him she didn't just love being at the company.

"So you're here by your own free will, because you like to be here?" He concluded what she'd explained, because to Mark that made no sense. She should be tired and rest all the time she could. It seemed like she wanted that too but something made her come here anyway.

"Let's just say that," she said and tried to hide that her smile was forced.

"You feel pressured, don't you?" Mark guessed and he saw immediately on Seoah's face he'd been correct. "Like you need to keep improving for the people to like you" he continued to let Seoah hear how it sounded coming from someone other than her brain. He saw how her face dulled before opening her mouth, just to close it again shortly afterward with no words spoken.

"People are having higher expectations of me since our little stunt, and I don't like that" She admitted at last as she looked down.

Mark hadn't seen Seoah like this before. The always so bright and bubbly Seoah. She'd been joking about how she didn't want Mark to praise her in front of the audience to hear because she didn't want people to have too high expectations, but he hadn't thought she was actually scared of expectations. He'd always envied her confidence and self-esteem since getting to know her. Now he realized there was more inside of her than he'd thought.

Mark just nodded to Seoah's explanation. "Wanna practice together?" He then asked her, hoping he could be of any help.

"If you can help me improve my rap," she said and it seemed like her face brightened up slightly.

Mark smiled. "Of course," he said. " I could teach you my parts for Glitch Mode" he then suggested.

"Cool, let me hear," she said as Mark went to start the music again.

The song came on and Mark went through all his parts one time.

"Oh my god slay," Seoah said in a joking way when Mark was done.

"What?" Mark questioned with a shy laugh.

"You dreamies are really out there making bangers, the song slaps" she continued praising them. "And your rap is 10 out of 10" she added.