Classes passed by uneventfully the next day. I saw Chanyeol during the assembly but rushed out as fast as I could once the principal dismissed us. We got our Physics paper back and I had two incorrect questions so I spent  the lunch period in the staff room, as the teacher explained the correct answer to me. I was hoping I didn't have to go to singing practice because I didn't want to see Chanyeol. Not because I was still annoyed at him. I was kind of embarrassed because of my outburst.

Dance practice today was different. I didn't stick to my position and just follow along with the rest of them. 

I socialised.

Which for me, is a really big achievement. I can't hold conversations with people other than Chanyeol and D.O for more than five minutes. I get bored. Distracted. But today, people were talking to me and I was actually replying like I was interested. Most of the times, I didn't even have to force it. At the end of the hour, Mrs. Ahn called me aside along with the other three. Jong In, Taemin and Yoona. She gave us a bright smile and started. 

"I am so happy with your performance!" Her smile looked so genuine. I wonder how people could smile so warmly about such trivial things. Maybe I should learn to smile more often. "I want you all to dance as a quartet but Hoseok has already choreographed a solo and we just don't have the time so I'll have to choose only one." She paused for a second. "I've decided on Jong In!" 

"Oh, thank God." I muttered and the rest of them laughed.

"Ah, Baekhyun. I'm not letting you off so easily." What. "I'm going to make you dance solo before you graduate so don't thank God just yet." I made a face but she just awarded me with another smile. "You three can go. Jong In, if you'll stay for another few minutes, we can go over your solo." 

I picked up my bag and told Yoona and Taemin I was leaving. 

"You're going home, man?" Taemin said as we left the room. "Let's go get some bubble tea." 

"I'm not going home right now. I have singing practice." 

"Ah, over achiever." Yoona grinned teasingly. "See you tomorrow." 

I waved goodbye and then trudged to the music room which was down the corridor. It was empty save for Chanyeol and Soo Ji. Apparently the rest of the students had left and Mr. Go wasn't here either. I said a meek hello and put down my bag in one corner. Chanyeol was sitting on the piano bench, fingers poised over the keys and Soo Ji was glaring at me. 

"You're late." I was. Fifteen minutes. It's not like it was my fault, though.

I shrugged. "Let's just start." 

I took out the lyrics that I had printed out because I hadn't bothered to learn the lyrics yet and sat down on the floor. I could feel Chanyeol's eyes on me but I tried to ignore him. 

Which lead to a lot of tension in the room. It was a sort of a cycle. I would mess up a line and then Chanyeol would mess up the note, or Chanyeol would accidentally skip a part and I would jump a few lines. The fourth time it happened, Soo Ji threw her sheets at me and shouted. 

"What are you doing!" And then turned to Chanyeol. "What are you doing?" 

Both of us remained silent but that only aggravated her. "We don't have a lot of time left, you guys. We can't waste sessions everyday." 

"I'm sorry." I mumbled. "Let's start again." 

"No, you two start again." We stared at her blankly until we realised that she was packing up her things. "You are going to stay back for an hour and practice together. Chanyeol can sing my parts." Chanyeol looked ready to protest but Soo Ji continued her rant. "I'm leaving because unlike you two, I take this stuff seriously and unless you guys do too, I am not wasting my time." She moved to the door but whirled around and said, "Do not think for one minute that I won't find out if you guys practiced or not. If either of you leave this room in the next hour, Baekhyun, I will tell your Mom that you skipped school last Thursday and Chanyeol, you.." She paused for a moment. "I know a few people who could challenge your position as the jjang." 

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. "I'm not the jjang." 

"How do you know I skipped school?" I frowned. 

"I know a lot of things." She pulled the door open. "Now get to work!" 

Once she had left, the awkwardness between us only increased. I got up and walked to the window and looked down. I could see Jong In leaving and there were a couple of guards. I guess the teachers were still in the building but right now I was alone with Chanyeol and for some reason, it made me nervous. 

"You can go if you want." I said, still not looking at him.

"It's okay. I have nothing better to do, anyway." 

A minute later, I turned around and leaned against the piano. Chanyeol was giving me a funny look. A look that my Dad got whenever he played the piano. 
"What?" I asked and he shook his head. 

"Nothing." He smiled. "You look nice in the sweats." 

I hadn't changed back into my uniform after dance practice. I was confused because who the hell looks nice when they've just finished an intense hour long dance practice session? 

"Thanks." All of my excellent social skills from an hour ago were gone. I couldn't think of a single thing to say. Should I apologise for how I had acted? Should I just continue our practice and pretend nothing had happened? 

I was saved from having to say anything because Chanyeol grabbed my hand and pulled me on to the bench next to him. I didn't pull away like I had last night so he probably took it as a good sign and started. 

"Baekhyun, I'm sorry I didn't receive your calls on Monday. I had turned down the phone volume and I was with a friend so my phone was in the bag and..." 

"It's fine. I'm sorry I overreacted. I was just freaked out a bit." 

"No, no. It's my fault." He was frowning and his grip on my hand tightened. "I knew what kind of a place Costa was. I should have told you to be careful. I should have gone with you." 

This time I pulled my hand away. "Shush. Stop babying me. You waste too much time worrying." 

"It's my time to waste." He said. It wasn't his words but the way he had said it that rendered me speechless. "I don't want you to get hurt." 

"I didn't get hurt, though." In a feeble attempt to diffuse the tension, I joked. "I hit the guy like this." I gestured punching someone in the guts. "And this." The punch now was higher as if hitting someone's jaw. "I think he got hurt pretty bad. They probably called an ambulance or something after I left." 

Chanyeol laughed, and I realised how much I had missed joking around with him and it had only been two days. I felt a weird tickling sensation in my stomach and wondered if this was what the books described as those raging butterflies. 

I shifted on the bench and ended