it's almost midnight, mark is supposed to be resting as early as possible because it's finally weekends but here he is, pacing back and forth inside his room for the past hour.

he can't sleep to put it simply. he tried to, but he was just laying down on his bed for hours while having an eye contest with the ceiling because his eyes just won't close.

groaning, he stopped his tracks to reach for his phone that is placed on his nightstand before dialing a number he never initiated on dialing first.

"mark?!" the sound of an enthusiastic voice was soon heard from the other line.

"jeno." mark called the latter's name back but his voice sounded calmer.

"woah!" jeno exclaims once again, "you never called me first, now look at you! calling me in the middle of the night—did you miss me—"

the older groans as he brushes his fingers through his hair, "gosh, how can you still have this much energy?

"well, i'm at a bar right now, but what's up?"

oh, as usual. mark thought to himself. "uh... i need to ask you a question—but don't read too much about this."

"um... okay?" jeno trails his words off. he finds mark's words suspicious, "and what is it?"

"i was just wondering, how do you ask someone out?" mark slowly asks, his voice sounding a little too small but jeno still managed to hear this clear on his end. "well, you know, because you've dated before and you also probably know a lot about this and uh..."

jeno's lips started to form into a small smirk, thankfully mark is not in front of him to see it. "is this what's keeping you up late at night?"

"didn't i just tell you not to read too much about the question?" mark asked back, "and no! what are you saying?"

the older sounded a little too defensive to jeno's liking.

"well let's see..." jeno started, although he was still not fully convinced and, at the same time, confused about the older's question, "it's really easier than it sounds. i just ask someone out directly but it takes a lot of courage to do it."

meanwhile, mark is just slowly nodding his head as the younger kept talking. for the first time, both of them aren't bantering in the call like how it usually goes.

"i just walk up to them and go, 'hey are you free this weekend?' or 'can i take you out?' but it really depends on the current atmosphere." he finishes.

"i see, i see." mark replies, sounding like a kid that just got a small lecturing from their parents.

jeno lets out a quiet chuckle when he heard the older. he sounded a little too interested in this topic as for the first time, he sounded polite on the call.

after a moment of silence, jeno fakes a cough on the other line to remind the older that they're still in a call, "so..." he said, dragging his word, "when are you asking them out?"

"maybe next weekend...?" mark mindlessly replied, as he was still busy dozing off.

"so, you are asking someone out?!" jeno's eyes widens, shouting a little too loud on the speaker.

this caused mark to finally snap out of his thoughts. he just registered what the younger said earlier, which made him frown, "i told you i'm not—"

"oh, shut it mark lee. i already caught you!"

mark heard the younger laugh on the other line which made him roll his eyes.

jeno already had an idea of who mark is going to ask out. it's pretty obvious at this point. even a person that has a single-digit IQ can already tell who mark is madly in love with. "you're asking donghyuck out, aren't you?"

"yes."

donghyuck hesitantly replied while looking back to the three in front of him. he received nothing but just stares and gasps from them.

yes, jungwoo, renjun, and jaemin are back to raid his apartment. well, their sole purpose in donghyuck's place is just to catch up as they weren't with the tanned male for almost the whole week.

which leads us to here, donghyuck suddenly telling them how things are going on between him and the ceo. although, he didn't tell them details such as them fucking, as he's not ready to tell about that event to them yet.

"so you're telling me he came to your apartment?" jaemin said, still trying to wrap his head around the statement he just heard.

donghyuck just then slowly nods as a yes.

renjun gasps, too dramatically, "what happened after?"

"uh..." donghyuck trails off as he tries to avoid his friends' gazes, "he told me like me?"

the next thing donghyuck heard was loud gasps with a mix of cheers from his friends. he also saw jungwoo and renjun hugging each other as if they just saw their soccer team gain a score.

he rubbed his nape before releasing an awkward chuckle, "you guys are so dramatic." he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"renjun's plan worked!" jungwoo exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. oh, the plan. the plan they called stupid, actually worked. "okay, then what did you say next?"

all three of them looked at the male with full anticipation, hoping to get a proper answer from him.

but donghyuck only gave them a blank stare as his brows furrowed at jungwoo's question. "am i... supposed to say something...?" he slowly asks as he tilts his head.

the three of them frowned. "what do you mean?" jaemin asked back, still feeling lost.

"hold on... so you're saying—" jungwoo paused before running his fingers through in frustration, "you didn't say something?!"

donghyuck nodded.

"then what did you do?!" renjun blurts, also feeling frustrated with donghyuck, "do you even like him?—or you just rejected him?"

"what?! of course not, i like him so much!" the tanned male quickly defends. how can he reject such fine a man? "i... i just asked him if i can kiss him!"

"donghyuck, that's not how you tell people you like them back!" renjun scolded. "if you like them you tell them directly how you feel, not giving them random hints!"

the three only looked at donghyuck in front of them with disbelief—eyes wide open as their mouth fell open.

donghyuck, confused, just froze on his spot. this whole time he thought he already made it clear about how he felt the moment he asked mark if he can kiss him. they even fucked after that! turns out, he has to confess his feelings toward mark?

"does he think i rejected him?" donghyuck continues to ask, while unconsciously biting his nails.

"obviously!" jungwoo threw his hands in the air, still not believing what he was hearing right now.

this just made him press his lips into a thin line. that's obviously not true. he has already developed feelings towards the ceo way before mark can even confess to him. "b-but i always kiss him and uh... hug him! he can't think that way—i even told him i'm paying him back!"

"no, you're just giving him false hope." jaemin finally butts in, "look donghyuck, if you like him, tell him directly. you can't just keep giving him these random affections. he probably thinks it doesn't mean anything—or even worse, he might think you're just using him."

the tanned male stares into a daze for a few seconds as he registers what jaemin had said. he's right. he can't just keep hugging and kissing his ceo if there isn't sometimes going on between them because it's confusing.

"okay, then." donghyuck perked up, feeling a little confident, "i'll ask him out the moment i see him!" he nods with his words.

renjun shook his head before pinching his bridge nose, "you tell him you like him first."

"i'll tell him i like him first!" donghyuck stands corrected, "and then, i'll ask him out."

———

maybe that's why. that's why whenever donghyuck initiates any affection towards the superior, he always feels some sort of feeling that mark is hesitant to touch him. it's because he feels confused.

he's been acting like he was just giving him hints that lead to nowhere.

and he just can't believe he didn't notice this any sooner. it took him a lot of scolding from his friends to come into his senses.

another day soon started. but as quickly as it started, it also ended just as quickly. because for the whole day, donghyuck couldn't focus on the files he was supposed to be working on since he was too busy creating a script on how he was going to confess to mark.

well, he doesn't want to mess everything up.

with every step donghyuck makes towards the ceo's door, he can feel his heart beating twice as normal. he doesn't want to take his step back and run away—even though that's what his legs have been wanting to do.

mark brushes his hair back in frustration as he stands in the middle of his office. he lets out a breath before looking up at his wall clock.

eight pm. he knows donghyuck is already done with his work, and best believe he's going to enter his office any second. and that's what mark is nervous about.

yes, after jeno managed to trap him with his questions, he did admit that he is going to ask donghyuck out.

i mean, what can go wrong?

he just wanted all this confusion to stop.

if donghyuck says no to him, then that's it, rejection. he doesn't like him back like he was assuming the whole time. but that's impossible, right? because if donghyuck doesn't feel the same way as him he wouldn't be doing all these affections to him.

he's still holding onto that one hope, and he wouldn't let go of it until he can hear the rejection from donghyuck himself.

donghyuck finally knocked on the door, and as usual, he received a small 'come in' from the superior.

he was expecting to see the older sitting down on his chair in front of his computer with thousands of papers and files but instead, mark was standing in the middle of his room—hair disheveled and sweaty as he looks like he was running inside his office.

his brows furrowed slightly but didn't question it further. he came here for a reason and that's exactly what he's going to do.

"donghyuck..." the ceo breathes out, with a small smile.

"h-hi..." the younger stutters, looking down.

an awkward wall suddenly aroused in between them. both of them were just awkwardly fiddling with their fingers or rubbing their napes.

"are you h-heading home?" mark asks, assuming that that's why the younger is here.

donghyuck, still fiddling with his fingers, nods his head a little, "i'm about to." he trailed off, "are you?"

"uh yeah, i was just waiting for you." the older replied.

the younger nodded his head once again as a blush crept up on his cheeks. say it. oh god, just say it. the moment their conversation started, that's what donghyuck has been chanting inside his head.

"then, i'll just go grab my things." gosh, why did i say that? donghyuck turned around ready to leave the door and smack the shit out of his face when a voice stopped him.

they're alone in mark's office right now, is mark just going to let this opportunity go to waste? it's now or never.

"donghyuck," the said name turned around after hearing his name being called. mark continued to rub his nape while walking closer to his secretary. "i-i just wanted to ask you something..."

yeah, me too. "yes?" donghyuck brows perked up.

"would you—" mark paused, rubbing his palms together as he just feels all sorts of feelings inside of him. without, realizing it, his legs are slowly dragging himself towards the younger, "would you like to go out with me?"

"yes." almost immediately, mark heard an answer from donghyuck which caught him off guard. he was about to avert his gaze away the moment he closed his mouth but donghyuck's reply was faster.

both of them froze on their spot, astounded by what just happened. shock was the only thing painted on their faces.

donghyuck surprised himself with how quickly he replied, and the superior's question. well, he was the one who was supposed to ask him that. meanwhile, as surprised as mark was, a small smile just made its way to his lips.

he wasn't going go to face rejection after. all this time he thought he doesn't have any chance but seeing how donghyuck said yes to him without thinking twice just said otherwise.

the younger quickly averts his gaze away in attempt to hide his red cheeks. but mark had already tugged his chin so they can maintain eye contact.

donghyuck is quick to notice that mark is also blushing like crazy. "cute." the older said, softly swiping his thumb across donghyuck's skin.

this is too much for donghyuck and for all you know, he could explode any second now. "so... w-when?" donghyuck cleared his throat to gain the confidence he had earlier.

"whenever you're free, donghyuck." mark told while his eyes are busy scanning the latter's features.

the younger couldn't take it anymore. his lips bloomed into a big smile and buried his face on mark's chest. oh no, what is mark doing to him. 

mark breathes out a chuckle, his hand making it way to ruffle the latter's soft hair. "no fixed date yet?"

donghyuck looked up before shaking his head, "this weekend." he mumbles.

"you're free this weekend?" mark asks, and he instantly received a small nod from donghyuck, "it's settled then."