I fell in love with Mark for the same reasons! I feel as though my high school life was the best part of my life for love and relationships, and even though Mark and the rest of the cast are not teenagers anymore, I feel as though Mark is that teenager who's very playful and brightens up your day with mischief and jokes!~
A partner of mines' personality is really close to how Mark portrays himself in the story and that's how I fell in love with this big lion.