1.2
❝ so you dreamt about this place? this basketball court? ❞ renjun calmly dribbles the ball with the palm of his hand, as they go against each other in a game of four versus three.
❝ i dreamt about being here. i dreamt about playing. ❞ chenle quickly shifts towards the latter, attempting to strike his focus astray. ❝ i dreamt about winning. ❞
❝ false! ❞ donghyuck prances from behind, easily stealing the ball. he runs to the side of court without any interest of passing it.
❝ donghyuck-ah!—❞ jaemin calls him out to pass it along to him.
but the latter didn't listen. he shoots a three pointer from the side, unshaken by the awkward angle. the ball easily falls into the ring.
❝ no need to lie about your dreams, cabbage. ❞ donghyuck smirks. ❝ it's obvious that i'm gonna win. ❞
jaemin laughs. ❝ you do realize that you and chenle are in the same team, right? ❞
❝ rookie mistake. i don't play teams. ❞ donghyuck points out. ❝ he might have assumed me winning as a team achievement. another rookie mistake, by the way. ❞
renjun sneers. ❝ is he always like this? ❞
jaemin shrugs. ❝ trust me, you'd get used to it. ❞
❝ you know, i used to think that i was good at sports, ❞ mark voice cracks, desperate for air. ❝ but ever since i started playing with you guys, let's just say i'm.. a standardized version of failure. ❞
❝ this isn't the first time you played sports with us? ❞ jisung's eyes brighten, filled with hope.
❝ oh yes, as far as i'm concerned. we did lots of outdoor activities, too many even— i almost injured my back because of that one bicycle ride—❞ he coughs to stop himself. ❝ anyway, i've gotten used to the fact that i'm not the best in the bunch. do you guys usually play together after school, or..? ❞
❝ please, i really have no time to do that after school, ❞ renjun sighs. ❝ wah, now i can't bare to think of all the extra classes i'm gonna miss, after this crazy catastrophe. ❞
jeno sneers. ❝ also, bold of you to assume i have friends. ❞
❝ yah, lee jeno! ❞ mark throws the ball with no directions, simply because he's offended by the latter's statement. ❝ don't say things like that! i am most certainly your friend! ❞
donghyuck grabs the ball that was last left by mark and scores another point. ❝ i'm not. ❞
❝ don't need for the constant reminder, but thank you. ❞ jeno rolls his eyes in insult.
❝ wow, guys. we definitely gotta work out on our teamwork. ❞ mark stares at the both of them in disbelief. ❝ i knew you weren't the best of friends, but i didn't know you guys were this distanced with each other, i am seriously baffled. ❞
❝ i didn't come here to make friends? i just want to make sure that i go home. ❞ donghyuck snaps at him.
❝ and you will, ❞ mark heads towards him slowly, his eyes shifting at the ball the latter is dribbling. ❝ but there's no way you could do it yourself. we have to go through it. together. ❞
for a moment, donghyuck freezes to reminisce his sentence. but also in that short moment, mark swiftly steals the ball from donghyuck's grip, dribbling it cross-court. "jeno!"
hearing his name getting called, jeno quickly grabs the ball passed by the latter, and after that he finishes it off with a perfect lay-up, gaining two points for the team.
❝ perfect! ❞ mark claps his hand excitedly. ❝ see? that's teamplay! ❞
jisung and renjun happily cheer for the team, giving jeno a simple high five. jeno shows off a crescent smile for such simple gesture, his cheeks redden in embarrassment. he isn't used to such friendly acts.
donghyuck avoids any more eye contact, putting his attention back to the game as if nothing just happened. jaemin puts his hand at his friend's shoulder, calming him. ❝ take it with a grain of salt. perhaps there are things you must improve from yourself. ❞
he scowls. ❝ i just wanna go home, jaemin-ah. ❞
❝ you've brought this upon yourself. if we didn't sneak out from the tour group, we might as well wouldn't meet this guy. ❞
❝ he gets into my nerves, you know that? ❞ donghyuck glances at mark, the boy they are purposely talking about behind his back. ❝ unfortunately, i don't think the others feel the same. ❞
jaemin knows donghyuck's hunch is probably correct because from the looks of it, the other boys are starting to get used of this uninvited stranger called mark. they enjoy his chatters, they reply with enthusiasm, and most importantly: they trust him. he's also starting to gain jaemin's trust, though he might sound a bit peculiar at times, but jaemin nonetheless has found him harmless.
not donghyuck, though. he sees the negative side of everyone.
❝ why do you trust people that easily? ❞ donghyuck asks in a low voice. ❝ how do you do it? ❞
jaemin shrugs. ❝ i just ... imagine that they're just as clueless as i am. sometimes you got to trust people, hyuck-ah, even if that means you'll be letting your guard down. ❞
chenle does a under ring shoot, gaining another point for the team. ❝ yah, looks like we won! ❞
❝ yo, nice shot, lele! ❞ jaemin rushes towards him to give him a high-five. ❝ you did well too, lee donghyuck! i for one, enjoyed becoming our team's number one hypeman. ❞
❝ now that we have our fun, ❞ renjun grabs a bottle of water from the counter, gulping it in without asking permission. ❝ shall we discuss our plans for today? what's the mission? ❞
mark chuckles at his sudden change of topic. ❝ huang renjun, always ready for everything. you heard the big hyung! let's talk about it as we get some rest. ❞
❝ how old are you, mark-ssi? ❞ jisung asks curiously.
❝ i'm really really older than i look. ❞ he answers. ❝ i really haven't counted my real age for like, decades, but i assume i'm 20? yeah, let's just say i'm 20. ❞
❝ so can we call you, hyung? ❞ jisung asks with a smile.
❝ do you really need to ask? ❞ mark giggles. ❝ of course! that's always what you call me, anyway. ❞
❝ mark-hyung, ❞ jeno feels the name in his lips. ❝ i like it. ❞
❝ so.. shall we expose your artifact, lele?❞ mark turns to the latter.
❝ i didn't take much, honestly. ❞ he grabs a camera and a moderate-sized hourglass from his bag, showing it off to everyone. ❝ these are the ones i recognize. ❞
❝ what's the hourglass for? ❞ jeno asks.
❝ it seems like i must return it back to a red room. ❞ he answers, gathering the information he got from his dream. ❝ and to get to this red room, we must follow the rockets. follow the rockets, we head towards the sea. there we find what we're looking for. ❞
❝ the sea? ❞ renjun peeks outside the window. ❝ i don't see anything from here.. it must be far away from where we are right now. ❞
❝ of course it is, ❞ chenle says, stating the obvious. ❝ we won't be able to get there by foot. we have to use a car. ❞
❝ car? ❞ jaemin sneers. ❝ i don't even have money to order taxi and you expect us to go by car?❞
❝ does mark-hyung have one? ❞ jisung asks.
mark shakes his head. ❝ i don't even have license. ❞
chenle purses his lips. ❝ so.. what now? ❞
❝ well, i see a few cars parking across the street. ❞ renjun informs them. ❝ it's like, some sort of a local carwash. ❞
❝ and what are you suggesting, renjun-ah? ❞ jaemin can't help but smile.
❝ i mean.. ❞ renjun mumbles. ❝ if it's in chenle's dream, then we have no choice but to do it.. right? ❞
❝ you're suggesting that we steal a car? ❞ donghyuck for the first time irks a small smile. ❝ wow. i really assumed you were a saint. ❞
❝ but now that you suggested it, i may have remembered a couple of scenes of me washing a car in my dream. ❞ chenle opens up. ❝ i'm being absolutely serious here— i remember getting soaked in water. ❞
❝ maybe it's just you peeing in your sleep. ❞ jisung grins.
❝ yah, i did not! ❞
❝ well, i wouldn't rule out the possibility of us stealing cars... ❞ mark hums. ❝ anyone up for the verdict? ❞
an unwanted silence embraces the room. donghyuck slowly raises his hand.
❝ yes! donghyuck? ❞ mark looks extremely delighted to see the latter participating in the conversation.
❝ um, as the smartest and cleverest person in this room here, ❞ donghyuck starts off easily with his overwhelming confidence. ❝ i think i have just the plan. ❞
—
heheheehe we go up~
10 votes for next chapter, i think i might go on quite regularly for this one but let's just hope that this productivity continues on!!
- yuehwa
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