On your Mark

"Happy birthday, Mark!" as she blow me a virtual flying kiss.

Oops, a disclaimer. 

It's Kang Mina, after all. Virtual flying kisses are normal for us, the best of friends.

Or are we really just best friends?

I was in quarantine today and I can't celebrate my natal day so well.

The heck, COVID-19.

The NCT Dream concert which is supposed to take place last July 29 to 31 is canceled and I miss our fan meeting in Japan that is happening today until tomorrow, August 3, all because I tested positive for COVID-19.

Haaiisst.

Anyway, this day could probably turn out pretty well still because-

"How are you going to celebrate your birthday, then?" I heard Mina asking me through FaceTime.

I jolted awake from my hatred of COVID with the sound of her angelic voice yet my brain stopped suddenly the moment I realized she was pouting at the other end.

Geez. That aegyo had me-

"Maarrrkk? Are you even alive?" she complained.

Oh, yeah, wait. Sorry, Mina but you're driving me nuts.

I cleared my voice.

"Guess, I'm just going to talk to someone to help me pass time. Someone like, hmm, you, you know." 

Like, what?

I panicked about what I just said to her that I ended coughing my lungs out.

I heard her laughing and I took a deep breath. Good thing that she seemed not to get what I meant about what I just said.

Guess, I'm still safe with my feelin-

"..but if you're not on quarantine? I think you won't even take my call,"and she rolled her eyes.

Shoot. Why does she look even prettier rolling her eyes?

"Oh, look, Mina, that's not true. Remember? I was in the middle of preparing for our series of concerts in Japan earlier this year when you called and didn't I just took it? We even talked for, like, half an hour-"

She is about to butt in but I continued.

"...and hey, during our promotions for Beatbox in KBS, you called me and I also took it even though we're about to go on stage in a couple of minutes, right?"

She smiled. 

"Oh, haha. Okay, but that's after when I complained in January this year about you not properly chatting or talking to me since the Hello Future era. That's way back June of 2021." and she pouted again.

Like, seriously, Mina? Stop pouting and doing aegyo. I can't seem to breathe, like, I'll gonna die asphyxiated.

"So, Mark, what about we hang out after your quarantine?"

Wait, what?

"... you know, just catching up with each other. We'll go visit Seolli Skywalk and or Namsan Park."

Geez.

"..or maybe you like me to take the train and just go visit you at SM Entertainment? We'll have coffee together, like that?"

Feels like I'm in dreamland with her proposal, huh?

I gulped again. Yeah, Mina, why so pretty-

"Maaarkk? You're spacing out again." I heard her complaining once more.

"Oh, sorry. You're so good at distracting m-"

"What? I'm distracting you?"

Isn't that the case, though?

"No, I mean, I just got distracted and all. But, yeah, I'd like to try to visit Seolli Skywalk with you." I suddenly felt my heart beating at a higher rate than normal.

"So, okay. Seolli Skywalk." and I saw her, turning her head to her right, and then she said, "I think I'm going to say goodbye, for now, Mark because my Mom is calling me for dinner, but I probably would call you back before I go to sleep later. Happy, birthday once again!" and she blew another batch of virtual flying kiss.

That. Mina.

Ending our FaceTime, I never realized I was holding my breath while talking to her, and I was nervous.

When was my quarantine going to end, anyway?

Seolli Skywalk, yeah?

I'll mark that.