The day was barely over and I already felt exhausted. How could my morning be so overly dramatic? I had already lost a friend and now I was avoiding yet another guy who was showing up at my doorstep and pleading to have me talk to him.

I didn’t want to bother Chanyeol with this mess that I got myself into but he was the first person I found myself turning to. I wanted to just rip my hair out with the things happening. Everything was just blowing up in my face right now and I had no idea how I was going to handle it.

I didn’t even touch the lunch Chanyeol prepared for me before he got back to his work. I’m at his apartment right now, the only place where I can be sure I was at ease and away from Sehun or Baekhyun. I have been sitting in the middle of the couch, curled up in a pathetic ball, mindlessly staring at the TV screen.

I wasn’t really paying attention to the show. I was more preoccupied looking up at the clock to check the time. It was moving painfully slow. I had been waiting for hours for Chanyeol to be back. I can’t wait. I just wanted him here so bad.

Unknowing pouting at the clock above the TV, I finally moved and got up from the couch. It was already time for dinner now. Admittedly, I have been starving but now is the only time I chose to actually get my lazy up to eat something.

I heaved a long and heavy sigh as I made my way to the kitchen. I stopped by the kitchen door, staring at the lunch Chanyeol made. It was still untouched and now probably really cold for being out for so long. I pressed my lips into a thin line as I walked further into the kitchen. I took a seat on a stool and grabbed the chopsticks on the table.

I didn’t waste any time at all. I shamelessly stuffed my face with Chanyeol, satisfying my grumbling stomach. I wasn’t even sure if I merely ate the food. It disappeared so fast that I was convinced that I vacuumed it. No matter how cold it had gotten, it still tasted very good.

Once I finished, I quickly glanced at the clock before heading to the sink. I washed the dishes with a pout on my face. I kept whining under my breath. “When will that idiot come back?” I murmured to myself as I kept the washed and dried dishes away.

I walked to the fridge expecting to see a stock of alcohol, as any man living alone would probably have but I frowned when I saw none there. I wasn’t always one to like drinking but now, with all the things stressing me out, I thought that I deserved a few drinks to help me forget about them for a while.

Sighing, I reached for some water instead before closing the fridge. After a few gulps, I decided to just buy some alcohol at the convenience store near the apartment building. I walked out and bought the drinks distractedly.

The short trip a little hazy with all the thoughts buzzing in my head. It involved a lot of peeking behind my back and looking up at all the incoming cars coming to check if it was my brother. I deflate every time I find out that it wasn’t him. “What’s taking him so ing long? It’s past dinner time!” I muttered under my breath, rushing to the elevator.

When I got back inside the apartment, I settled down on the couch again and took all the beer bottles out of the plastic bag. I opened my first bottle of the night and stared at it for a while. I silently prayed that it does its job in numbing my brain. Then, I so took a swig. I made a face at the bitter taste and slammed the bottle on the coffee table.

Chanyeol rushed out of the elevator and quickly punched in his door code. The moment he stepped foot inside his apartment, he yelled out an apology for being late and promised to get started on cooking dinner right away.

He took his shoes off hurriedly and stepped into the living room, expecting to see his sister crossing her arms and glaring at him but he was surprised to find the girl sprawled out on the sofa, an empty bottle of alcohol still in her hand.

Chanyeol frowned at that. His eyes swept across the coffee table, his frown deepening when he saw that almost half the bottles she bought were empty now. The man shook his head as he took his jacket off and set his bag down. He neared her, attempting to take the bottle away but couldn’t.

The girl groaned in protest and held onto to it tighter the moment she felt in tugging on it. “Onemoresip!” she slurred, yanking the bottle out of his hold and tipping it into . It was already empty, with no single drop to satisfy the ‘sip’ that she wanted. Her face crumpled in confusion. “Heeeeey! Who drank all my beer?”

She pouted, shaking the bottle and turning it upside down. She peeked into it, murmuring out, “empty” over and over again. Chanyeol pressed his lips into a thin line. He was supposed to be mad at her for drinking like this but with her using it as some sort of a telescope now, looking at him and grinning, he couldn’t help but think she was adorable.

“Oh!” she suddenly said and pointed to him. “My brother’s here. I waited so long for you,” she groaned and kicked her legs childishly. The man wanted to grin back. She was a very adorable drunk but no matter adorable Chanyeol thought she was, he was more worried over her wasting herself like this. He sighed and reached for the bottle again. “Yes, I’m here. Can you give me the bottle?”

The girl’s grin quickly became a pout. She shook the bottle one more time then gave it to Chanyeol. He softly smiled at her as he dumped the bottle into the plastic bag along with all the other empty bottles to throw it away. Chanyeol let out an exasperated sigh, glancing at the girl looking up at him with droopy eyes before he left and walked into the kitchen to trash all the bottles.

He felt a little annoyed actually. He was annoyed about her situation. He was annoyed that she had to go through all this because of some stupid men who claim to ‘love’ her. He scoffed. If they really do, why would they do this to her? Why would they make such a poor and fragile girl go through all these hardships?

“Bastards!” he growled, slamming his palm on the kitchen counter before he went back into the living room to take care of the girl. He’s honestly haven’t seen her this drunk before and it worries him because he didn’t know what to expect.

Carefully, he approached his suddenly very quiet sister. The girl was now hugging her knees to her chest. He called her name out softly but she didn’t respond. Her face was buried into her folded arms. ‘Is she asleep or something?’ Chanyeol thought, his brows scrunching together as he bent down to take a good look at her.

He called her one more time and even shook her shoulder a little. She still didn’t respond. With a sigh, Chanyeol moved closer to carry her into his room but he paused when he heard a faint sniffle. The man quickly sat beside her with his brows knitting even more in worry. “Hey, are you crying?”

And just like that, the girl broke her silence and bawled. She looked up from her arms and threw her arms over Chanyeol shoulders. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her tears streaming down way too fast. His arms wrapped around her automatically. He tried his best to shush her, lifting her frail figure up slightly to have her settle on his lap.

She unwrapped her arms around his shoulder to curled up against him. She hugged her shaking body and closed her eyes shut. “It’s not my fault…” she mumbled in between little hiccu