"Nayeon, I can't believe you!" Came the whining, masculine voice from the front door, as the owner of the voice leaned against the door frame, backpack slung over one shoulder. Sighing deeply to himself, Byun Baekhyun ran a hand through his light brown hair, messing it up just the way he liked it. It was a rare occasion for Jeung Nayeon to ever be ready on time for school, and this was certainly not one of those days.

Said girl bounded down the stairs while pulling down her skirt; she always found it a bit too short for her liking. "Sorry Baekhyun!" She yelled as she disappeared into the kitchen, coming back with an apple in her hand, and ran to the front door. She skidded to a stop next to the eighteen-year-old boy, stumbling as she put on the shoes while giving him her usual sheepish smile.

"I'm still waiting for the day when you will be ready before my arrival," Baekhyun quipped, earning a slap on the shoulder. Nayeon pushed her friend out of the house, closing the door behind them. She bit into the apple, munching with a shrug as Baekhyun lightly chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Tomorrow. I will be waiting for you tomorrow," she replied, although her words came out slightly muffled.

"Oh god, finish eating before you talk, stupid," the boy groaned, hitting her on the head with his hand. A sly grin creeped up on his face as he stared at her, and before she could duck away, he proceeded to ruffle her hair, something he had been doing since befriending her, and now it had become a habit for him. What could he say, she just had extremely poor reflexes.

"Not again, Baekhyun!"

The rest of the walk to school turned into a run as Byun Baekhyun slipped away from Nayeon, sprinting ahead, not stopping till they reached the main gates of the school. He turned around to see the girl gasping for breath, while he stood with his arms folded across his chest, smirking at her. Did he mention that she was quite unfit? "Jeung Nayeon. You need to exercise," he ordered, his voice clearly mocking her as she glared up at him. "Well, it's not my fault you're taller and have longer strides," she mumbled, loud enough for him to hear as she planted her hands on her hips, chin turned away defiantly. Baekhyun laughed, his eyes squinting into the shape of two tiny crescent moons while his mouth formed a rectangle, showing two straight rows of gleaming white teeth.

"Are you trying to be mad at me? How cute. You know that's impossible," he commented, lightly pinching her cheeks before grabbing her arm, leading her inside. With a huff, Nayeon threw away the apple's core into a nearby trashcan, wiping her slightly sticky hand on her sleeveless sweater. The girl was never a stickler for cleanliness. As the guy dragged her inside the school's building, she found herself staring at his back. She was glad he hadn't bothered to look at her face after pinching her cheeks; she was sure it must have turned a bright shade of pink.

Yes, Jeung Nayeon's love story -- or rather, crush story -- was as clichéd as it could get.

It hadn't been too long since they had met. Nayeon had transferred to Baekhyun's school during her first year of high school. She had always been a shy, quiet, but honest girl, and the cheerful boy had instantly taken a liking to her. Every day, he would try to make her talk more, and after a few weeks, she had finally begun to open up, towards him as well as others. He had even introduced her to his friends -- loud, mischievous high school boys -- but she had always been the closest with Baekhyun.

She could still remember thinking how persistent and annoying the boy was, and she had had no idea in the beginning why he would want to befriend someone like her: a new admission, loner, someone the other girls hated. It was almost like he had made it his life's mission to pester her, till she had finally given in. Only then had she begun to realise how fun it was to spend time with Byun Baekhyun, the joker of the class. Despite whatever the others said about him, to her, he was like a cute little puppy, one you couldn't help but fall in love with. There was never a moment when he wouldn't make her laugh due to his antics. He always made sure she never felt alone, and it wasn't too long before she started to notice these little gestures of kindness, the little niceties he did. Of course, at times, he was a pain in the , but that just made him more likeable.

Baekhyun was the only one who had helped her come out of the little shell of insecurity around her, so it was hardly a surprise to her when she fell in love with him. Of course, she knew whatever he did was just him being kind towards a friend. Nayeon was his best friend, and she planned to keep their relationship that way for as long as she could.

"Nayeon? Nayeon! You're daydreaming again!" The brunet snapped his fingers right in front of her nose as soon as they had stopped outside their classroom, causing the girl to jump and look up at him. "Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of yours. And then I wonder if I even want to know," he muttered, shaking his head as he walked with her inside class after letting go of her arm. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Nayeon trudged over to her assigned seat next to his, dumping her bag on the desk as she sat down. She could see Baekhyun peering at her out of the corner of an eye, and as she turned her head slightly to look at him, he gave her one of his sickly sweet smiles. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he wanted something from her, and she sighed loudly, putting a hand to her forehead before speaking. "What is it now?"

He gave a sheepish chuckle; that deep, resounding laugh that she had come to love over the years. "Could you lend me 500 won?" He asked, followed by a familiar look that she could recognise any day. "Don't tell me you lost another bet!" She exclaimed, tilting her head back as her gaze swept heavenwards.

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Jongdae said that he would defeat Kim Minseok in arm wrestling, of course I bet against it!"

Her eyes narrowed, wandering over to Baekhyun, who was beginning to resemble a pitiful puppy by now. "Kim Minseok? Isn't he our senior and in the school soccer team?" She asked, confused.

"That's him. Not to forget the basketball team as well."

"Are you kidding me? Jongdae beat someone like him in arm wrestling?" One could hear the tone of incredulity in her voice as she stared wide-eyed at the guy.

"Don't ask me, I have absolutely no idea how he did it! He just sent me a picture right now to prove it." Baekhyun his phone ahead, holding it out to Nayeon, who took it in her hand, squinting at the photo on the screen. There was Jongdae to the left, grinning like a madman as he held a fist up in victory, while their senior stood a few steps behind him, an apologetic grin thrown towards the camera even as his face was laced with disbelief.

"So? You'll lend me the money, right?" Baekhyun asked, looking at her expectantly while bouncing like a five-year-old on his seat. Her shoulders slumped as she sighed again, returning his phone. "Fine. But I swear this is going to be the last time," she huffed, giving him a stern look, one which he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "That's what you had said the last time, too." He grinned before going back to his phone, laughing and shaking his head at something.

She had tried and failed to understand why her best friend kept making some or the other bet with Kim Jongdae, that guy would always have some trick up his sleeve to make the other one lose. No matter how sneaky he was, however, he was Baekhyun's closest friend, along with the insanely tall Park Chanyeol, and she could never make herself dislike any of them.

Speak of the devil, she thought, her eyes drifting over to the door as said closest friends walked in, making a beeline towards where she and Baekhyun were sitting. Nayeon returned Chanyeol's cheery wave with one of her own, folding her hands over the desk as she kept her attention on the boys' chatter.

"You know you owe me, right, Baek?" Asked the shorter one as he leaned over Nayeon's desk while keeping his gaze fixed on Baekhyun, his lips twisted up into a smirk. He received a scoff in return, followed by a roll of the eyes as Baekhyun looked away. "I know, I read the message right now. She will pay you for now," he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the girl, earning a merry laugh from Jongdae, while she just looked away in annoyance.

"You amaze me, Nayeon," Jongdae stated, nudging her lightly on the shoulder. "If it were any other girl, she would have stopped hanging out with him long ago." With this, he exchanged a look with Chanyeol, nodding discreetly as the latter's eyebrows rose in understanding. Bless Baekhyun for being occupied with his phone.

The school day seemed to drag on for longer than usual, so the final ringing of the bell felt like music to everyone's ears. Nayeon, like the others, wasted no time in packing up her bag, hurriedly tossing her notebooks and pencil case inside before slinging it over her shoulder as she dashed out of the classroom, only to feel a hand gripping her arm rather tightly. Unaware, she let out a small yelp, turning around quickly. She let out the breath she had been holding when she saw it was just Baekhyun, loosening up as she adjusted the strap of her bag with her free hand. "What is it, Baekhyun?" She asked, blinking up at him in confusion.

"Come here for a while," came his reply as she was dragged back inside the empty class; she guessed everyone had been in a hurry.

"Is there any problem?" She inquired worriedly, her brows knitting together. She always knew what he was up to, but this time, he was just confusing her. Even for lunch, he hadn't sat with her, and she had just watched from her table as he talked in hushed whispers with Chanyeol and Jongdae to a side of the cafeteria. It had almost felt like a top secret, confidential meeting to her.

In response, Baekhyun silently let go of her arm as he made her stand in front of the teacher's desk, clamping his hands down on her shoulders to keep her from escaping.

Not even a couple seconds had passed as they entered the cafeteria, than Baekhyun was marched off to one side by the other two boys, leaving Nayeon standing at the door, confusion etched on her face as she blinked at the trio. Baekhyun wasn't even given the opportunity to say anything as Chanyeol blurted out, "We bet that you cannot kiss Nayeon. But if you do, we'll do your homework for a week." All the shorter boy could do was stare in shock at him and Jongdae, before clearing his throat rather loudly. "That's a good joke, Chanyeol, but I'm hungry right now and I want to eat."

"Am I hearing things?" Jongdae chuckled as she shook his head, proceeding to smirk at his light brown haired friend. "Since when did Byun Baekhyun ever refuse a bet?" His smile only widened as Baekhyun sent a glare his way, and he merely shrugged.

"Look, she is your best friend, so just think of it as a friendly kiss or something," he explained even as the other guy's eyes widened in bewilderment. "No, no, Jongdae, a kiss between a guy and a girl can never be just friendly!" Baekhyun whispered back, trying his best to slink out of the awkward situation.

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't like you in that way, Baek," Chanyeol said softly in his deep voice, shrugging. "She won't mind. Go for it."

"Unless... you claim that you're willing to lose the bet?" Jongdae teased, raising his eyebrows mockingly as he grinned.

"Fine. I'll do it. Get ready to do my homework, you two," Baekhyun said; he was definitely not going to lose this bet.

In hindsight, Baekhyun realised that accepting the bet had been anything but a good idea. Yes, he did think of Nayeon as just a friend, but that didn't mean he was not nervous. He threw a small smile her way to make her feel at ease, his eyes wandering over her face as he took in her 'lost puppy' expression. Whatever it was about her face, he found himself getting more confident at every passing second, and took a deep breath before leaning down, his eyes lingering on her lips. A faint smile stayed on his face until he gazed into her eyes, and that was what made him freeze. She was.... crying?

Nayeon's utterly puzzled mind was finding it difficult to comprehend what was happening. Why is he leaning towards me? was the only question on her mind as she watched him, her heart racing as she finally realised he was going to kiss her. She couldn't have been happier at the thought, but it was at that moment that she saw Jongdae and Chanyeol who were peeking from the door, not even bothering to keep themselves hidden. It took her only a few seconds to realise that this was another one of their stupid bets, and without warning, tears sprang to her eyes, threatening to fall out.

"Nayeon, why are you crying?" Baekhyun asked, his face showing worry as he leaned a few inches back, lightly shaking her by the shoulders.

The tears escaped her eyes, tumbling down her cheeks as she snapped out of it, finding just enough strength to push him away, before running out of the classroom, leaving a wide-eyed Baekhyun staring after her.

Four days had passed since that incident, but Nayeon still refused to talk to him. What had he done wrong? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand why she had reacted the way she had. He had made every attempt to talk to her, he had tried asking her about it, but all he got was silence. She was back to ignoring him, exactly like how she had done when she had newly transferred to his school. Except this time, it hurt. It hurt him a lot more than he had ever thought it would. He had also caught the looks Chanyeol and Jongdae would give him; he knew they had no idea why things had taken such a 180-degree turn, but there was nothing they could have done. Since Baekhyun was the one who knew her best, they would leave it to him.

Baekhyun hadn't realised how used he was to the girl being with him. He hadn't realised how, at times, he took her presence for granted. But now, her presence was all he craved for. He terribly missed her smiles, her laughter, her whining. How she would laugh at the smallest of jokes he cracked, ones that would make his other friends roll their eyes at the absurdity. It was her shy nature, her honesty that had attracted him towards her.

She had been his best friend, but did she deserve to be something more? Did an idiot like him deserve a friend like her?

Baekhyun had decided that he would go back to being the annoying, persistent boy. He would do anything he could to get her attention. Once school ended on the fifth day, he raced after Nayeon, managing to grab a hold of her just as she walked out of the classroom. He refused to let go of her arm even as she tried to pull away, thankful that the hallways were relatively empty. "Let me go, Baekhyun." Her voice was level and calm as she spoke, her gaze fixed ahead of her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, forcefully making her turn around. Even then, she did not meet his eyes, staring down at her shoes all the while. He sighed deeply, pulling her closer. "Not before you tell me what's wrong."

Nayeon shook her head defiantly, her gaze almost burning a hole in her shoes as she kept her head bent low. She could hear Baekhyun sigh again, and before she could even think of looking at him, he had bent down to her height.

"Please, Nayeon. I want to know why you cried."

He was doing it again. Using his soft, soothing voice to calm her down, and she could feel the tears stinging her eyes. I really hate crying in front of him. She blinked furiously to keep the tears from falling again, sniffing as she shifted her gaze to his shoes. "I don't like being played with, Baekhyun," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. He stayed silent, but she knew he had heard everything. Taking this as her cue, she continued speaking. "I don't care what kind of silly bets you have with the other boys, but please, don't use me for any of them!" Her voice began to rise with every word she uttered, her eyes shut tightly as she balled her hands into fists, feeling the nails digging into her palms.

Nayeon didn't need to look at him to know that she had shocked him; he probably hadn't expected her to find out about the bet. She could feel his hold on her arm and shoulder loosening slightly, and she willed herself to look at him and speak. "Don't you understand? I love you, goddamnit!" She cried as she finally met his gaze, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she glared at him.

All Baekhyun gave her as an answer was a light grasp of her chin with his thumb and index finger as he leaned closer to her, hastily planting his lips on hers. All it took was her confession for him to realise how much he really loved her; he realised this love had been there all along, he had just needed a stimulant. He could feel Nayeon resisting at first, but he had tried his best to pour out his feelings through the kiss, and very soon, he felt her responding to it. Their lips fit perfectly together, leaving him wondering why he hadn't done this sooner. Better late than never, I guess, he thought as he finally pulled away, his eyes full of love and adoration as he gazed at her. Her eyes still held a bit of uncertainty, though, and he reached forward with his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs.

"I might have won it, but I definitely didn't do this for the bet," Baekhyun said, a hint of a smile on his face as he went in for another kiss, and Nayeon knew he was not lying.

Okay, so... I think it's pretty obvious that I at writing romance ahaha. That explains the cringeworthy, awkward kissing scene.

I apologise, ugh.

Anyway, please tell me what you think of it! I would love to read your comments~ ^u^