Protecting Her {Spin-off from Growing Up}

6 year old Baekhyun; 5 year old Taeyeon:

Baekhyun grumpily walks out from his car, as he watches his mother picking up the boxes. Baekhyun would gladly help her but the boxes were so heavy – too heavy for him to carry. So he only leans on a tree, playing with his shirt as he observes their new house. Baekhyun actually didn’t understand why they need to move into a new house – because he was so used to their old house and it surrounding.

He’s not a social butterfly too and he was a bit scared that he won’t get any new friend. His mother has told him that their neighbor has a daughter just around his age – but no, he didn’t need a girl friend. His eyes then trailed to the person who was talking with her mother. Seems like it was the neighbor and beside the woman, there stand a little girl. Baekhyun furrowed his eyebrow and the girl keep looking at him; he shrugs a bit uncomfortable with her stare.

“Baekhyun, come here!” Baekhyun’s head jerked up when he heard his mother call him and then walked toward her. He stops right beside his mother as the latter’s hands was on his shoulder. “Come on, sweetie, introduce yourself.” Mrs. Byun said and Baekhyun nods gently.

““Hello, my name is Byun Baekhyun.” Baekhyun said and bowed to the two people in front of him before he flashed a smile to both of them. “Oh my god, he is very cute! By the way, do you need help with the boxes? I can help, we can just let the two of them play by their own.” Baekhyun heard Mrs. Kim said and his mother agrees to the offer, and he was left behind with the girl.

He had heard earlier that her name was Taeyeon, since he was secretly eaves dropping on the conversation – not that it was some secret anyway. “Hello!” Taeyeon greeted him rather cheerfully and Baekhyun didn’t know how he should react to her action so he let silence fills the air, and Baekhyun knows that the girl was kind of disappointed by the silence.

“How are you?” This time, she asked him but Baekhyun just didn’t know how to reply so he ignores her. And he leaves her – it’s not like he can talk to her, so he leaves – and he clearly knows that the girl was so disappointed.

Sorry… for ignoring you, but he didn’t look back and just leave her anyway.

7 years old Baekhyun; 6 years old Taeyeon:

“Oppa, come on!” Taeyeon shouted and Baekhyun chuckled a little before he went to her side. He watched her her lollipop and smiled. It was quite some time since Baekhyun finally decides to just play with Taeyeon – the girl keep budging her to do it and when he can’t take it already, he do. It’s not as bad as how he thinks it would be though. Taeyeon was still childish, but at the same time it’s not annoying – well Baekhyun prefer the term cute for her.

“Why are you so excited again?” Baekhyun asked; he didn’t quite catch what the younger girl has been talking about – don’t blame him for staring at her for the whole time. Taeyeon pouted when she knew that Baekhyun wasn’t listening to her.

“I’m excited because I like the park, Oppa. It’s beautiful, don’t you think so? Even if I went there many times, it would never look old to me.” Taeyeon said and Baekhyun chuckles. Isn’t she too matured for a child? Who knows that she can even think as far as that? “But actually, I like the flowers there the most.” Taeyeon said cheerfully and Baekhyun can’t help but smile with her.

“You like flowers?” Baekhyun asked and Taeyeon nods her head. “When I grew up, I want to have many flowers around my house, it would be great. Don’t you think so, Oppa?” Taeyeon asked and Baekhyun nods his head. “I’m not too fond of it but tell me, Tae, what flowers do you like the most?” Baekhyun asked and Taeyeon thinks for a bit. “Baby’s breath!” She screamed and Baekhyun ruffles her hair – even if their height difference was not that much anyway.

Then let me give you thousand bouquet of it… when the times comes

9 years old Baekhyun; 8 years old Taeyeon:

“It’s raining!” Taeyeon screamed in joy and Baekhyun watched her with his weird stare and Taeyeon stops once she notices the stares Baekhyun sent to her and giggles. “Don’t you like the rain, Oppa?” Taeyeon asked and Baekhyun shook his head, but she was still standing under the rain cheerfully.

“No, I don’t. And yah, comeback here! You will catch a cold, Tae.” Baekhyun said but no, he won’t come out from under the roof of the shop near their school but Taeyeon only rolled her eyes and continued dancing under the rain, Baekhyun worriedly watch from afar – which was like 2 meters away, but here, Baekhyun is not under the rain while Taeyeon is; that somehow made them far.

The more Taeyeon stands under the rain, laughing and smiling like a fool – still cute, Baekhyun should say – the more dizzier she got but no, she won’t stop until Baekhyun comes out. That might sound stupid but she wants Baekhyun to actually feel the bliss of rain – and she didn’t get why he dislike rain. “Kim Taeyeon, I swear, if you are not going here then you are so going to get sick! Yah, Kim Tae-” “Byun Baekhyun!” Taeyeon shouted his name back, catching him totally of guard.

Taeyeon rarely calls him by his full name and she must have been so annoyed by him that she starts using so but it’s not his fault that she would get annoyed by his whines – he whines for her better too anyway. He whines for the good of her not the other way around.

“If you don’t come out from there and at least experience one minute under the rain, I won’t go there.” Taeyeon snapped and Baekhyun was contemplating, either he goes there so Taeyeon won’t get sick or he will keep himself dry; the latter sounds better though.

After more minutes wasted with Taeyeon still under the rain and him still under the protection of the roof, Baekhyun finally gets out and starts walking toward her, he won’t mind the rain anymore and towers over Taeyeon who was not sitting on the road – since it was empty – as he covers her with his bag. “Now you’re pale, see, I’m right. You will catch a cold later.” Baekhyun said, grabbing Taeyeon as he helps her get up before dragging her toward the spot he used earlier.

“It’s your fault; it took you so long.” Taeyeon said but hugs Baekhyun – not that the boy minds though. “But I feel cold now.” Taeyeon mumbled and Baekhyun chuckles and ruffles her wet hair. “Let’s stay until the rain stops okay?” He asked and Taeyeon could only nods at him.

Even if we both are soaking wet, how could it be so warm?

11 years old Baekhyun; 10 years old Taeyeon:

“Yah, are you mad at me?” Baekhyun nudged Taeyeon’s arm with his elbow but the girl only ignores him. “Kim Tae, answer me. Are you mad at me?” He asked again and sighed when there was no answer from Taeyeon. The girl was frowning but Baekhyun didn’t know why she was acting like that? What mistake did he make? As far as he remembers, she was also the first one who didn’t even wait for him when the school ends, so why was she mad at him?

“Kim Tae-” “Yes, I’m mad at you.” Taeyeon said, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and now she was pouting. She still refuses to look at him though and Baekhyun thinks she was acting childish. Did she even grow up though? “And why are you mad at me again?” Baekhyun asked but the girl refused to answer. Is she playing hard to get? He gets it, she was mad at him but he swears if the reason was something silly he will get his revenge back since he was so worried right now.

“Taeng, why are you mad at me? I know you have your own reason so let me listen to it.” Baekhyun plead and Taeyeon sighed in defeat before she turns and faces Baekhyun but her gazes quickly shifted from the brown locks of his to the dirty brown ground. “I was… somehow; I don’t like seeing you with that girl.” She answers, biting her lower lip – one habit of her whenever she was nervous.

“What girl- which girl- oh, her.” Baekhyun said when he finally knows who Taeyeon was referring to. “It’s never a big deal, Tae. My father thought I could become good friends with her and he was threatening to never let me play outside again with you if I don’t at least have some good talk with ‘her’.” Baekhyun said and Taeyeon’s beautiful hazelnut locks look deeply into his.

“You sure it’s the truth? You seem to enjoy it as much as the girl does.” Taeyeon whined and pouted while Baekhyun only chuckled and ruffles her hair. “You’re jealous?” He asked and Taeyeon scoffed. “Why would I be?” Taeyeon asked and Baekhyun shrugged. “I don’t know, but you should start to stop acting like that, okay? I won’t leave you, Tae.” Baekhyun said.

Or at least I hope so, and he smiled warmly to her, intertwining their hands together.

13 years old Baekhyun; 12 years old