friends with benefits || nct

<07>

I wasn't quite sure why I didn't tell Ten about my run-in with Mark. After all, Mark knew about me now. But it seemed pointless, I reasoned. Mark had probably brushed it off as a weird dream by now. And it was seriously doubtful I would run into Mark one-on-one ever again.

I would eat my words a month later.

Ten had invited me to the recording studio. He wanted to share the demo for a new NCT track - aka, if anyone found out that I, a third-party, had heard exclusive demos, we'd get into so much fucking trouble.

I tried to bounce my head to the beat, but apparently I was off because Ten paused the music and burst out laughing.

"God, you're ruining the experience, Yingyue."

"Fuck off, Ten." I flung my legs onto the ottoman. "Not all of us are blessed with the ability to count beats."

"It's literally one-two-three-four."

"It's the five-six-seven-eight that fucks me up." I shoved his bucket hat over his eyes and he laughed.

Adjusting his hat, he watched me from beneath his eyelashes. Then he smacked my leg and asked, "So what's up?"

I busied myself with a strand of hair. "What d'ya mean?"

"C'mon, fondu. We've been friends for too long. Of course I'm gonna notice when something's bothering you."

I forced an exhale. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"Too late for that. Now tell me, bitch." His giggle made me laugh.

"Fine. It's just - I guess I still don't understand why you can't tell the members about me."

It wasn't a complete lie. I really didn't understand the secrecy. Hiding me from the staff - that made perfect sense. But the members themselves? I knew for a fact one of them smoked, and I had my suspicions that some were dating. Surely they'd keep me secret alongside their own.

Not to mention I was kinda driving myself nuts with the knowledge that Mark knew about me but Ten didn't know that Mark knew. And if all the members knew of my existence, it'd be a load off.

He released a sigh and rubbed at his eyes. "Yingyue, you know how this industry is. You know how shitty these contracts can be. If news about you got out somehow, we'd never be able to do this again." He gestured to the studio. "Just listen to music and bash each other.

"I'd lose my best friend. And I can't - I don't want that to happen." His eye contact was intense. "That's why no one can know."

I bit my lip, almost too hard.

Well, shit - too late.

"Okay," I lied, "no one will know."

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

After all these years, I had it down-pat how to blend in with the SM staff: black mask, no makeup, straightened hair, black jacket, jeans, white shoes. It was like some unspoken uniform. And so that's exactly what I wore as I left the building.

I heard footsteps on the stairs. I kept my head down and pulled my collar up. I curled in, hoping to become a shadow, a fly on the wall.

Despite how tempted I was to peek at whomever I passed on the stairs, I didn't. I just stared at my feet and marched on.

But a voice said, "Oh, hey!"

They trotted down to me. My heart was in my throat, and I swallowed hard.

Now whispering, "Yingyue."

Eyes threatening to fall out of my skull, I looked at them. I took a step back, slamming into the wall. "Mark!"

He gave a small wave.

I grabbed his hand, and he winced - must've been holding on too tight. I got close to his face and whispered through clenched teeth, "What the hell are you doing?"

His eyes darted about, brows lowered. "Um, saying hi?"

Groaning, I peered around. My gaze locked on the security camera hung in the stairwell. Lips pursed and still holding his hand, I dragged him behind me. I hugged the outer wall in hopes of keeping us at least partially hidden from the cameras.

At the women's bathroom, I shoved him inside. "Whoa," he exclaimed, stumbling, as I checked beneath the stalls. Coast clear, I grabbed the wet floor sign and propped it up directly before the door to deter people.

I thrust my finger in his face. "No."

His eyes got all big and round and cute and -

Fuck. I wasn't supposed to be thinking about how cute Mark was while I threatened him in the ladies' bathroom.