“Sehun ing did that?!” Suho shouted, the vain on his forehead almost popping. He felt so betrayed, he felt lied to and completely used. Was it all an act then? Being shy and polite? He was only putting up a good front to trick Hae Ryung –no, to trick all of them.

“I don’t…” Jongdae trailed as he shook his head. He just couldn’t seem to digest everything that happened. Chanyeol was only quiet while So Eun is busy treating an injured Baekhyun. He was just healing and the bastard, Oh Sehun, who they thought was their friend, brutally hurt him again, physically and emotionally.

Baekhyun felt completely hollow inside. He’s hurt that Hae Ryung thought he started the fight but considering the image he has, anyone would’ve thought the same. His sigh turned into a groan when So Eun pressed the ice pack on his bruise a bit too hard.

She murmured an apology and put the pack down. She was pretty stunned and out of it too. She’s honestly feeling disappointed with her best friend. Hae Ryung should’ve known better. “That little snake! He’s slowly showing his true colors,” Chanyeol finally spoke and got up. The four of them just stared at him as he paced back and forth in the living room. “Now we really have to break them up. I’m not stopping until they do,” he gritted out.

“No,” Baekhyun murmured. Four heads whipped to his direction, their eyes wide. “N-No?” Chanyeol questioned with a furrow of his brows. The boy looked up at him, his eyes unfocused. “No,” he repeated, louder this time. Chanyeol blinked at him then looked at the others for help.

He doesn’t quite understand what Baekhyun wants right now. All of them didn’t understand him actually. “Baekhyun…” So Eun called out softly. Slowly, the boy turned his head to look at her then he shrugged. “She’s chosen, hasn’t she?” Jongdae was about retort to that but Baekhyun got up and quickly said, “You guys should go. Thanks for at least trying to help me.”

“Not so fast, Byun Baekhyun.” They all turned to the voice. It was Kai. They must’ve all been too distracted to even hear him coming into the apartment. The man looked at Baekhyun’s bruised face and shook his head. He sighed, giving Baekhyun a look he has always hated.

He’s quite annoyed that Kai, of all people, would be looking at him so pitifully like this. He quickly turned around. “Leave, all of you!” he said over his shoulder before walking away. Kai just rolled his eyes. “I’ll handle this you guys, just leave before he goes berserk on you.” With that, he jogged into Baekhyun’s room while So Eun and the others reluctantly got up to leave.

Baekhyun heard Kai following him. He attempted to close the door and lock it but Kai was too fast for him. He pushed himself inside the room, glaring at his friend. “What do you think you’re doing now, Baekhyun? You barely even started and you’re giving up already,” Kai spat. Baekhyun only ignored him and walk to his bed.

“Kai, please. I’m too exhausted for this,” he said tiredly as he sank on his bed. Kai can see just how tired he is but he also sees the hurt, the dwindling hope inside of him and he couldn’t stand it. “Baekhyun, I know what happened. Word is traveling fast and I’m sure as hell that Hae Ryung already knows about the truth too. It was just a misunderstanding. You can’t just give up because of something as small as this.”

Baekhyun fell silent. Kai does make sense and Baekhyun’s ringing phone with the name ‘Nabi’ appearing on the screen could be proof that yes, she probably knows what really happened now. He heaved a deep sigh and tucked his phone under his pillow. Kai’s brows were already in an angry furrow. He knew that the guy would snap at him so Baekhyun said, “I won’t give up. I-I probably only said that because I’m still hurt.”

His eyes flickered to Kai’s face and he saw him relax just a little bit. The guy opened his mouth but Baekhyun spoke before he could. “And yes, I’ll talk to her soon but not right now. I just… I need to ease up, okay? At least let me do that.” His eyes are pleading and although Kai preferred that they talk right now to sort things out before it’s too late, he just sighed in defeat and nodded. Baekhyun is usually harder to convince than this so the least he could do for the guy is leave him be for now.

“Fine,” Kai grumbled. Knowing that this is over with, Baekhyun plopped on his bed face first. “Okay. Now, leave,” he said in a muffled tone. Kai chuckled and nodded his head even if Baekhyun couldn’t see him. He opened the door to leave but before stepping out, he additionally said, “Alright, I’ll let you cry like a ing baby then. Bye!” Baekhyun groaned into his pillow and gave Kai the middle finger.

Hae Ryung felt enraged and completely, utterly, horribly dumb. Baekhyun is her best friend. She trusts him more than anyone. She knew him more than anyone yet she’s jumped to a conclusion and accused him of something he didn’t even do. She’s furious at Sehun for playing victim and not telling her right away. Maybe he didn’t even plan to tell her in the first place because she had to hear it from other people!

Time has passed since the incident and she’s just hoping that it isn’t too late yet but she could no longer contact Baekhyun. She left text after text, call after call and still nothing. She even waited for him to drive her back home during that day but of course he didn’t show up.

Now, she’s in front of his door, hoping and praying that he’s here. She finally stopped biting her lip and took a deep breath. As she let it go, her hand rose up to knock on his door. One knock, two knocks, three and still, nothing.

“Baekhyun?” she timidly called. She waited for someone to open the door or to answer her at least but there wasn’t any. Sighing, she continued to speak. “It’s Hae Ryung... I know you’re mad at me but I hope we could talk soon. I just want to apologize properly.”

Hae Ryung tried to knock again. She put her hands on the door and pressed her hear onto it. She didn’t hear any indication that anyone was on the other side at all. Sure, she knows his door code but she wouldn’t want to get in and find nobody there. She frowned, pushing herself away from his door and turning around.

Maybe she could go to Kai’s place? Baekhyun might be there and if he isn’t, at least she could let Kai help her. Hae Ryung was already a fair distance away from his apartment when she suddenly heard a door click open. She stopped dead on her tracks. She isn’t even sure if it was his door but she fervently hoped it was.

“You know my code. I don’t see why you just wouldn’t let yourself in.” A wide smile immediately spread on her face, tears starting to burn behind her eyes. She turned around to see Baekhyun leaning against his doorframe. He didn’t look mad. Hae Ryung couldn’t really read him but she didn’t quite care, as long as her best friend isn’t mad at her.

Her legs sort of moved on their own. She found running to him. The boy pushed himself off the doorframe and caught Hae Ryung in an embrace. “Baekhyun,” she breathed, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck.

“I’m so sorry. I feel horrible for shallowly blaming you when I didn’t even know what really happened,” she choked out through the tears that involuntarily spilled from her eyes. Baekhyun her hair and merely chuckled. “Nabi, you shouldn’t be crying. I’m sorry too, okay? I shouldn’t have avoided you but… you know me.” Hae Ryung smiled and nodded her head. She slightly pulled away to look at him. “Of course, I do. I’m really, really sorry–”

“I can’t forgive you,” he suddenly cut her off. Hae Ryung stiffened, her tears start welling up faster. He has to be joking, right? “I’ll only forgive you if you stop crying and–” he paused just to grin at her. “–if you cook me breakfast. I’m starving.” Hae Ryung let go of the breath she’s been unconsciously holding and slapped the man’s chest. Despite the tears that escaped, she’s laughing at her best friend’s idiotic pouty face. “Sure, I’ll do that for you.”

And just like that, they were both okay again. She fussed over Baekhyun’s bruise and although Baekhyun acts like he’s annoyed; he absolutely loves the rain of concern and affection. They laughed, their noses wrinkled and they playfully stuck their tongues out to each other. Baekhyun complained about the head director but told Hae Ryung that he really was going to change and be a proper student. Of course, he left out the part that it was for her too.

They bantered comfortably as she prepared his breakfast. She was cooking quite a lot which is something Baekhyun didn’t ask for but she says that it was to compensate for blaming him, and then she joked about fattening him up so she could eat him. The man merely rolled his eyes at that. Hae Ryung pouted and he somehow ended up laughing. She was just so adorable for him.

“Oh my god, Byun Baekhyun! I can’t move around properly with you here!” Hae Ryung complained as she walked around him to get to the stove. He didn’t listen. All he did was chuckle and stand next to her again, his arm around her shoulders as she stirred the soup.

Her face was burning. It has been burning more than the food she’s cooking. Baekhyun just wouldn’t leave her side for some reason. “Are you that hungry that you can’t seem to wait and sit still?” she whined in an attempt to distract herself and stop blushing. She felt Baekhyun shrug his shoulders. “I missed you.” Hae Ryung fell silent for a second before she let out a nervous chuckle.

Her heartbeat picked up so fast at those three words. “What are you talking about? We just saw–” Baekhyun just kissed her cheek. Out of nowhere, he just suddenly kissed her. Hae Ryung stiffened, her eyes wide with the suddenness of everything.

She didn’t expect that at all. What has gotten into him? Why is he suddenly like this? Baekhyun rubbed her arm and she finally snapped out of it. She anxiously bit her lip as she continued to cook like nothing happened, ignoring the fluttering of a hundred butterfly wings in her stomach.

She felt like she was floating on a cloud with how happy she was right now. Her smile just wouldn’t leave her lips for some weird reason. When she finished cooking a while ago, she simply stared at Baekhyun. She stared at how adorably he chewed his food, how his little tongue would dart out to the corner of his l