Mark
Hey, Aeri
Just letting you know I’ll be at your apartment in about 10-ish minutes
Oh you don’t have to.
Yunjin said she was going to be picking me up
Yeah, so about that….😬😬😬😬
???
Yunjin said she couldn't make it. Something about there being traffic on the way to your complex
So she decided to go straight to the venue and asked me to pick you up
I was already heading that way. Figured I'd save you the subway ride.
Oh…
Cool. See you soon.
Aeri tossed her phone onto the bed and turned back to the mirror.
The black dress hugged her curves like it knew exactly what it was doing. The white fur shawl sat draped over her desk chair, waiting. The silver sandals were already by the door.
Her bold winged eyeliner highlighted her eyes beneath blunt black bangs. Long, straight hair draped over her shoulders, showcasing large spiral silver earrings.
She looked good. Really good.
And now Mark was going to see her.
In this dress.
In his car.
Alone.
Fuck.
She needed air.
Aeri stepped onto the balcony and gripped the railing, letting the cool evening air hit her face. The city hummed below — distant traffic, muffled music from someone's apartment, the occasional laugh drifting up from the courtyard.
The party. Mark. The car ride alone.
Her stomach twisted.
Why did Yunjin bail? Was it really traffic, or was she trying to play matchmaker? And why did Mark agree to pick her up so easily? He didn't have to. He could have said no. He could have told Yunjin to figure it out.
Unless he wanted to.
She exhaled slowly, trying to push the thoughts away. It didn't matter. It was just a car ride. Just a party. Just Mark.
She'd survived him before. She could do it again.
Right?
Her eyes drifted across the courtyard — out of habit now, more than curiosity.
And then she saw him.
Hide stood in his living room, his arms wrapped around a woman Aeri didn't recognize. Not the same one from before. This one was shorter, curvier, with dark hair that spilled over his shoulders as he pulled her close.
The sight hit Aeri somewhere unexpected — a strange mix of jealousy and curiosity tangled together in her chest.
He was completely absorbed in the woman, utterly oblivious to being watched. His hands gripped her waist, drawing her closer as his lips moved against her neck.
Aeri swallowed hard.
She should look away. She knew she should look away.
She didn't.
His lips travelled down the woman's throat, pressing against her skin in a series of soft, sensuous kisses. His hands slid from her waist to her hips, pulling her even tighter against him.
Then his eyes snapped open.
And locked onto Aeri.
He didn't stop. Didn't flinch. Didn't look away. His mouth continued its path down the woman's neck, but his gaze stayed fixed on Aeri — deliberate now, almost challenging.
She gasped softly.
His expression darkened, something unreadable flickering across his face. Surprise? Amusement? Something more complex? He held her gaze as he pushed the woman against the glass door, his hands roaming over her body possessively, his tongue tracing a slow line along her neck.
His eyes never left Aeri's.
A small, dark smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He was enjoying this. Enjoying her watching. Relishing the chance to make her look.
And she did look.
She couldn't stop.
The knock at the door finally snapped her out of it.
"Coming!" she called, voice slightly breathless.
She tore herself away from the balcony and hurried to answer the door.
Mark stood in the hallway, and his eyes widened in awe the moment he saw her.
"Wow," he said breathlessly. "You look amazing."
She gave him a small smile, still shaking off the image of Hide's dark smile. "You're not bad yourself, Mr. Lee."
He looked down at his outfit — a plain light blue shirt with white stripes, white slacks, and brown leather loafers.
"I basically look like every basic rich guy going to golf on a Saturday," he said with a self-deprecating grin.
Aeri cackled, the tension in her chest loosening slightly. “I mean… seeing that you’re almost pushing thirty—”
“Hey, hey. Slow your roll there, Riri,” he shot back, playfully glaring at her even as a smile tugged at his lips. “Just because I was born in the year the Matrix came out doesn’t make me that old.”
Riri…
The nickname hit her like a wave — familiar and intimate and painfully nostalgic. Like nothing had really changed between them.
Like the past year hadn't happened.
“So, shall we go, madam,” Mark said in a terrible British accent.
She rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Let me get my purse and my shawl and then we can go.”
She quickly grabbed her things and put on her heels.
She grabbed her things, slipped on her heels, and paused at the door.
One last glance toward the balcony.
Hide was gone.
She turned back to Mark, who offered his arm with a small, almost shy smile. Aeri linked hers through his and let him lead her out.
The door clicked shut behind them.
There was no denying it now.
Hide knew she was watching.
The venue thrummed with energy the moment they stepped inside.
Warm light spilt across the crowded floor, catching on sequined dresses and polished shoes. People clustered in groups — some laughing, some leaning in close to be heard over the music, some already on their second or third drink. The bass pulsed through the floorboards, vibrating up through Aeri's silver heels.
"Wow, this place is packed," Aeri said, raising her voice over the din.
"Yeah, seems like everyone from the office decided to come out tonight." Mark leaned in slightly, close enough that she could smell his cologne — something familiar, something that tugged at the back of her memory. "This is going to be one hell of a night."
"You're telling me." She turned to look at him, forcing herself to focus on his face instead of the knot forming in her stomach. "Think you'll survive all this?"
One hell of a night, indeed.
Mark shrugged, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "Why not? There's drinks, dancing, possibly some inappropriate office gossip—"
"Really?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." He pressed a hand to his chest, mock-offended. "Didn't you and Yunjin admit to indulging in 'spicy' workplace gossip? Something about who's dating who, who's hooking up with who?"
"No, no, no." Aeri jabbed a finger toward him. "Yunjin indulges in workplace gossip. I'm just an innocent bystander listening against my will."
"Suuuuure, Riri."
"Fuck off, Mork."
Mark laughed — a full, genuine sound that cut through the noise around them. For a moment, it almost felt like old times.
Aeri shook off the thought and scanned the crowd. "Speaking of Yunjin — where is she? You said she came straight here to beat traffic."
As if on cue, a familiar voice cut through the noise behind them.
"There you two are! I've been looking everywhere."
Aeri turned to find Yunjin weaving through the crowd, a half-empty cocktail in one hand and a grin on her face that spelt trouble.
“Eyy, look at you two looking like an expensive couple,” Yunjin said, teasingly.
Both Mark and Aeri’s cheeks turned red and instantly started sputtering words over each other.
“Oh no, no, no,” Aeri shook her hands between awkward giggles.
“I mean, the invite said ‘dress to impress.’ Guess we must have gone overboard,” Mark agreed.
“True,” Yunjin conceded with a nod. “Wouldn’t want to make the new girlfriend jealous. Speaking of, where is she?”
Mark chuckled softly, the mention of his girlfriend bringing a flicker of something... uncertain... to his face.
"Ah, she couldn't make it tonight," he said, rubbing the nape of his neck.
Aeri blinked, her smile frozen in place.
Couldn't make it.
Just a few days ago, they'd broken up. Now, all of a sudden, she couldn't make it? Interesting how the story changed depending on the audience.
“Aww, how come?” Yunjin frowned, disappointed.
"Something came up at work, you know how it is," he answered vaguely.
“Wow, what a bummer.”
Mark nodded, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.
"Yeah, it is. But that's alright," he said, forcing a light laugh. "I told her I'd make sure to have extra fun tonight in her absence."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Yunjin said, nodding in agreement. "No point in moping around just because your girl couldn't make it. Right, Aeri?"
Yunjin looked over at Aeri, her brow furrowing slightly at her lack of response, which was noticeable.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked, her voice soft as she gently touched her arm, as if trying to coax a reaction from you
“Hmm?” Aeri snapped out of her trance. “Oh, I'm fine. I just need some air. Excuse me.”
Yunjin watched her go, a hint of worry in her expression.
"Aeri, wait up," Mark chased after her, leaving Yunjin confused.
Aeri stepped into one of the empty offices, closing the door behind you and taking a moment to breathe. The noise and activity of the party is muffled by the closed door, granting you some much-needed solitude.
The silence of the room is almost soothing, a stark contrast to the noisy chaos of the party outside. Aeri let out a deep sigh, feeling the tension in her shoulders slowly ease as she took a moment to collect her thoughts.
The sound of the door opening startled her, breaking the peaceful quiet. She turned around and saw Mark stepping into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click, giving her a tentative smile.
"You okay?" he asked softly, sounding almost... sheepish?
“I’m fine,” she leaned against the desk, hugging herself. “I just needed some air.”
“And you thought an empty office was a good spot for air?” he mused, arching an eyebrow.
“Well, it’s either this or listening to you lying about your relationship status.”
Mark winced slightly at her response, clearly not expecting such a blunt response. “Oh…”
"Mhm." She pressed her lips into a thin line, finally looking at him. "So which is it, Mark? You ended things between us to be with her. Then you told me you broke up. Now she couldn't make it tonight? Which version am I supposed to believe?"
“I panicked, okay?” Mark sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “It just came out before I could stop myself.”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes at his response.
“I know the way I ended things was unfair to you,” he walked towards her, “And I should've handled it better. You deserved more than that.”
He stopped, towering over her. “I'm sorry.”
The silence stretched between them. Thick. Heavy.
"I still want us to be close," he continued, his voice softer now. "We had a connection, you know? We still do. I can't just pretend that doesn't mean anything to me. And I don't want to lose you completely."
The room fell silent once again. Mark looked at her, a mix of fondness and something more in his eyes: something that's no longer just friendly or playful, a deeper undercurrent beneath his gaze.
Aeri's throat tightened.
She should walk away. She knew she should walk away.
But his eyes were on hers, and his hand was reaching for her face, and his thumb was brushing her cheekbone, and —
God help her — she wasn't moving.
"Mark—"
Mark's lips suddenly covered hers, effectively silencing her words.
She should have pushed him away.
She didn't.
His mouth was warm, familiar, wrong — but her body didn't seem to care. Her hands came up to his chest, not pushing, just... resting there. Hesitating.
He took it as encouragement.
His hand slid to her waist, pulling her closer. She melted into him — just for a second, just for a breath — and in that second, she hated herself.
He broke the kiss momentarily to lift her onto the desk and stand between her legs. His hand found its way into her dress. Aeri gasped softly when she felt his fingers caress her lace panties.
“You’re so wet,” he said huskily against her lips.
She cried out, throwing her head back, when he slid them to touch her wet folds.
Mark took advantage of her exposed neck, his mouth now lavishing attention on her sensitive skin. His lips and teeth worked in tandem, nibbling and sucking at her neck as he continued teasing her wet folds and clit.
The room was filled with her whimpers and Mark's groans and the sound of his lips smacking against her neck.
This is a mistake.
She knew it was a mistake.
But it was Mark. The same Mark who cheered her on when she got her first big story. The same Mark who texted her at 2 AM just to say he was thinking about her. The same Mark who made her feel like she was the only person in the world —
And then his phone rang.
Loud. Sharp. Incessant.
The sound sliced through the haze like a blade.
Mark groaned against her neck, reaching for his pocket. "Ignore it," he murmured, his lips finding her collarbone.
The phone kept ringing.
Aeri blinked, her vision clearing. She looked down at the screen glowing in his hand.
ZAY ❤️
Her blood ran cold.
Zay.
The girlfriend. The one who couldn't make it tonight. The one he was supposedly broken up with.
Except the heart emoji said otherwise.
"Mark." Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Shh," he breathed against her skin.
"Mark." Louder this time. She pushed at his chest — harder now, not hesitating.
He finally pulled back, confused. "What?"
Aeri quickly hopped off the desk and fixed her dress.
“Aeri,” he said. “What’s wrong?”
She looked at him. Really looked at him.
His lips were swollen. His shirt was wrinkled where she'd grabbed it. His eyes were dark with want.
And his phone was still ringing.
"She's still your girlfriend." It wasn't a question.
Mark's face flickered — guilt, panic, something she couldn't name. "Aeri, I can explain—"
"You told me you broke up." Her voice cracked. "You told me it was over. And she's still on your phone with a heart emoji."
"Aeri—"
Aeri let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, my god. I’m such an idiot.”
She moved past him, but Mark quickly reached out, grasping her wrist to stop her. His grip is firm yet gentle, as if he doesn't want to let her go.
"Wait, please," he says, his voice soft and rushed. "Please, just listen to me."
“Listen to you?” I exclaimed in disbelief. “Right after you cheated on your girlfriend with me?”
Mark flinched, her words hitting him like a bucket of cold water. "Just let me explain—”
“No!” She pulled her wrist away. “There is no amount of explaining that can justify this. And I’m not going to be complicit in this.”
She moved closer and pointed a finger at his face, her expression filled with disgust. “Never. Speak to me again.”
She stormed towards the door and slammed it shut on her way out.