locking the door of his apartment, donghyuck was immediately met by a honk of a car, making donghyuck jump on his spot for a second. 

"baby!" someone shouted, as the window of the car rolls down. finally getting a clearer view, the younger's face immediately brightened, "hurry!"

the younger nodded, holding tightly on the strap of his backpack, he marched towards the vehicle, "hi." donghyuck greeted, "since when did you start calling me baby?" only been weeks since they were dating and mark's already giving him pet names?

"oh i'm sorry... d-do you not like it—"

"mark, i'm just playing!" donghyuck told, reaching for the older's hand, as he intertwines them, "you should start calling me that now." he rubbed his cheeks on the back of mark's hand like a cat, smiling like he just won in life—well technically he did.

he won the person everyone has been crazy in his school, that's the best price, right?

"cmon, we're going to be late." the younger pats the older's thigh when he saw mark just staring at him with heart eyes.

------

"bet donghyuck's going to be late, again." jaemin said, his head resting on the desk, "my morning feels so boring without him." jaemin looked at renjun, who's sitting beside him, and gave him a pout, obviously trying to be cute.

"he's been coming to school late, these days," renjun comments, placing his chin on his palms. "and I also noticed that he arrives in school just before mark lee does."

jeno peaked up to his seat, as he raised his brows towards the two males sitting in front of him, "mark that famous student in this school and donghyuck?" he questioned and both of them nodded, "is there something going... you know—between them..?"

they both released a gasp, with jaemin dramatically slapping his hands on his mouth. "nah," renjun's surprised reaction immediately fades away, as he shakes his head, "do you even heard what he said on the call?"

"that mark has hated him?" jeno asked, squinting his eyes, "but what if that hate turns into... love." jeno looked up with a smile, throwing his hands in the air.

"you two are thinking too much." jaemin immediately snapped the two with their own thoughts, "whether there's going on between them or not, i'd be happy with him."

the younger shrugs, following with renjun and jeno's nod, agreeing with what the younger said.

just then, their room teacher walks in, getting ready to start their class. renjun, jaemin and jeno looked at each other for the last time with their brows furrowed.

is donghyuck really late, or is he going to skip classes, all three of them thought.

dropping his tray on the table, johnny looked around the table, looking for someone. "did mark not come to school today?" he asked jaehyun that is sitting in front of him.

"isn't he always with you?" jaehyun asked back, also looking around when he didn't see a single sign of mark lee around the table.

johnny is quick to deny, shaking his head, "i actually thought he was going to come late but he's still not in school."

"hey," yangyang whispered, leaning his head forward, "i've been seeing donghyuck and mark arriving to school at the same time."

ten raised his brows, looking around to see the other's reaction, but they just had the same reaction as him, "and?"

"what do you mean 'and?', look here," he quickly swallows his food, "what i mean is... like—what if they're you know..?"

"dating." jaehyun clapped his hands, finally getting the memo, as johnny and ten left confused.

"arriving in school in the same time, means they're dating already?" ten questioned, letting out a chuckle.

sooner or later, the group in the table heard gasps and whispers from students sitting not too far from the table, breaking their conversation, as they looked at the direction where all of the students are looking.

"oh, look do we have here."

-----

"we arrived so late," said donghyuck, as the older parked his car. looking out of the window he saw students walking out of their classrooms, meaning they arrived around lunchtime, yep, they did arrive late. "you should head out first, they're going to see us together."

weeks of dating, meaning weeks of hiding their relationship. it was donghyuck's decision, at first mark doesn't like that because he did want everyone that he's in love and dating donghyuck, but the younger has been begging him to not say it to everyone, or at least not yet.

mark and donghyuck's friends don't know anything about what's going on between them, but little do they know, jaemin, renjun and jeno is a detective and been suspicious about them.

we can say yangyang too—but his friends don't believe whatever he says.

"no, we're coming together." the older simply said, taking the keys out and placing them in his pockets. he made his way out of the vehicle, but donghyuck on the other side, stayed on his seat, following mark with his eyes.

he opened donghyuck's side of the door, "donghyuck, cmon." he shoots donghyuck a smile, reaching for donghyuck's hands.

"b-but if they—"

"trust me." mark understands that donghyuck's scared, scared that girls who are crazy over mark will do anything just make him and donghyuck break anything that is going on between them.

"fine," he nods, looking away, "but i'll just walk behind you."

mark's smile grew bigger and gave donghyuck a nod. finally getting out of the car, they headed towards the building.

"mark?" donghyuck looked up to the older confused, "mark, what are you doing? they're looking at us." he whisper-shouted, trying his best to get his hands out of the mark's grip.

he thought that they agreed that donghyuck's just going to walk behind mark and pretend like they don't know each other but why's mark suddenly holding his hand? exactly donghyuck's question right now.

it's lunchtime right now, meaning a lot of students are just wandering around the school or in the building, and their situation right now isn't helping. at first, just two or three people are looking at them, but as more, they walk, more and more attention they're gaining from students.

"let them look sunshine." mark looked down to the younger who's face are looking down, but if you look closely you can see donghyuck's cheeks getting redder and redder.

so at first, it was baby and now sunshine? donghyuck thought, if mark keeps going on with these names, then he's actually just going to blow up any second.

walking straight to the cafeteria, they're immediately met by stares, as gaps and whispers are heard. on the other hand, mark didn't even try to hide their clasp hands together, walking like nothings happening.

as donghyuck finally spots his friends, he tugged mark's sleeves, "mark, can i please sit with jaemin's." the younger whispered.

mark nods, detaching their hands together only to ruffle the younger's hair. donghyuck felt uncomfortable from the stares that a lot of students are giving them right now, and he understands that.

seeing donghyuck sitting comfortably with his friends, he immediately walks towards the table where he saw johnny. and as soon as he walks in front kf them, he's immediately met by teasing noises and playful slaps.

"see? i told y'all!" yangyang clapped his hands, standing up, looking at everyone like he just won something.

"what did i miss?" he asked, looking at yangyang with confused brows, as he heard what the younger said.

"i told them that there's something going between you and donghyuck," yangyang told, pausing just to take a deep breath, "and i was right." he crossed his arms, puffing his chest.

mark only release a chuckle and sat beside johnny, "so you guys are thing, now, huh?"

it is clearly obvious for yangyang, but these three just don't believe him.

"well... not really a thing," mark pouted, looking down on his hands, "i-i'm still not his boyfriend."

all of them looked at each other with wide eyes after hearing what mark just said, "emergency! our mark lee is sad!" jaehyun mouthed.

"hey, i heard that." mark looked up, frowning, but all of them just found it cute instead.

"shoot your shot, now." ten comments, "let's say there is something going on between you two, but you guys aren't officially each others yet. now quit being a coward and ask him to be your boyfriend."

mark just looked like ten like a kid, while swiftly nodding his head. he'll do it, he can do this, mark chants inside his head.

"woah, so mature." johnny teased, poking ten's sides.

"so you skipped first class because of this, i see." jaemin started, not trying to make eye contact with the younger.

"it's not like that!" donghyuck quickly denies, looking jaemin with a pout, "i actually woke up late and met traffic." he explains, but jaemin's still not looking at him, "are you... m-mad?"

renjun clicked his tongue, "nah, he can't bring himself to be upset with you."

"dammit renjun," jaemin's mouth finally broke into a smile, giving renjun a slap, a playful one. "you know me too well."

finally looking at donghyuck beside him, "also i'm not mad, it's just i miss seeing you in mornings."

"but are you and mark, you know..." jeno's here with this question again, "together?"

donghyuck pouts after hearing the older's questions, as he fiddles with his hands, "no..." he trailed his words, "well at least... not yet?"