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Baby StepsOST: (Please play) Hello - Seohyun ft. Eric Nam
"Hera! I have a big problem!"
Upon hearing his voice, Hera closed the book she's been reading peacefully to face her bestfriend who sounded like he's between life and death.
"What's your problem, Baekhyun-ah?"
"Yah, I'm still older than you!" Baekhyun sat beside her and showed his million watt smile, that didn't fail to make her heart flutter.
"I think... I have a crush!"
Hera's eyes widened and then she raised her eyebrow at him, "That's it? That's your problem?" She scoffed and opened her book to resume reading but Baekhyun stole the book from her.
"Baek, I don't think having a crush is a big problem. Give me my book before I lose my patience and kick you."
He frowned, "It's a problem! She's so pretty." Baekhyun looked like an idiot dreaming while describing her, "Her long hair, thin lips, and pointy nose... the way she smiled after reading a paragraph from her novel, the way she curled her hair behind her ear..." She heard him sighing, "You wouldn't understand. You're boyish that's why you wouldn't get me."
Hera was taken aback. She felt irritated about what she heard. She's boyish? She had a crush with her bestfriend ever since they met. Baekhyun was her first friend that's why she dressed and acted boyishly to match him. She didn't think he would think of her that way.
"I do that too while reading. You're just not looking..."
"What?" Baekhyun leaned closer and smiled at her. She couldn't take the closeness and pushed away his face. "So would you help me?"
Hera didn't know why she nodded. Maybe it's because she wanted to help genuinely or maybe because she couldn't say no to him.
"Really??!" Now he sounded so excited.
She smiled and nodded again. Even though it kinda hurt her feelings, she couldn't bear to see him sad and it was very selfish of her to keep him.
"So how would you help me?"
The bell rang. Hera patted her friend's shoulder and stood up to go to her next class. "I'll tell you later if I have a plan already."
-
"So... did you have a plan?"
The two of them were currently having lunch at the cafeteria and she was about to eat her pasta when he brought it up again.
She nodded, finished her food and packed some of her leftovers. After that, she brought out her notebook where she wrote her plan while having class awhile ago.
Baekhyun took the notebook and scanned the content. "Six steps on how to get a girl by Hera...?" She proudly smiled and sipped her juice.
"Are you sure about this? Seriously?" He laughed. She wanted to feel offended but she remembered how he sees her, "I'm sure, Baek. I'm still a girl no matter how boyish I would be in your eyes."
Baekhyun paused and held her hand, "I'm sorry, Hera. I didn't mean..."
"Save it." She took her hand from his and began looking at the notebook. "So... are you willing to do this or not?"
"Sure. But these are just baby steps! It's only six steps!"
Hera chuckled, "Yes, baby steps. That's what you really need. One step at a time! You know what? You really didn't need these steps if you have the courage. You only needed one and I'm sure everything would follow."
Baekhyun frowned, "What's that?"
"You just need to say hello."
"As if that's easy." He groaned and then sat straight when he saw her at the corner of th cafeteria. "Gosh, there she is!"
Hera followed where he was looking and saw her. Ah, she's really pretty, Hera thought to her self. And then she stood up, grabbed Baekhyun from his seat and dragged him towards her.
"What are you doing?!"
"Step one: Approach her nicely. And that's what we're going to do right now."
The girl was still eating when the two of them appeared in front of her. She looked up and saw Hera smiling. "What's the matter?"
"Ah, my friend and I haven't had our lunch yet. And the cafeteria was really packed, do you mind if we share the table with you?"
The girl smiled, "Sure. No problem."
Hera looked back at Baekhyun and smirked, Step one: success.
Both of them settled down and Hera brought out some of her packed food. Baekhyun was still awkward and quiet that's why she decided to proceed to Step two. Engage small talks.
"So, uhm... What's your name?" Hera started a conversation to kill the awkwardness.
"I'm Aeri. Kim Aeri." She smiled and continued to eat.
"I'm Hera, Ji Hera." She pointed at herself and then introduced her bestfriend. "And this is Baekhyun, Byun Baekhyun."
"Nice to meet you, Hera... Baekhyun."
Hera looked at Baekhyun and he looked like an idiot beside her, hiding his smile and his faint blush just because she mentioned his name. She wanted to roll her eyes but it would ruin the moment.
"What class are you in?"
"I'm at class 4-2"
"Oh you're a senior?!" Hera gasped. She really didn't think she's older than them, she didn't even look like it. Aeri smiled shyly and just resumed eating.
"We're at class 3-1. Just a year under you." Hera didn't want to end the conversation like that so she thought of something to talk about, "Aeri unnie, do you like to sing?"
Aeri paused from eating and nodded timidly. Hera clapped her hands, "Perfect! My bestfriend here is a great singer." Her voice kinda cracked at the end because it's like she's really selling him to Aeri.
"Really?"
Baekhyun just nodded shyly when his bestfriend nudged him. "I'm a member of the glee club."
"Oh gosh! I'm a member too! I just joined late because I'm not very sure if I can really sing that good but hey... we're both members!" Aeri's suddenly excited and said too many words. "I got too excited, didn't I?"
Hera shook her head and then stood up, "I'll just look for more food to eat. You're both on the same club, feel free to talk, okay?"
Baekhyun and Aeri nodded. Hera smiled at her and gave a meaningful look at him while mouthing, continue talking. Step two: success.
Looking back at them, Baekhyun started to be himself and talked to her. Hera smiled but then her heart was hurting. She just sold him to another girl. Without looking back, she just walked out of the cafeteria and texted him that she already went back to class.
Hera avoided her bestfriend the entire day. Every time he would try to approach her, she would pretend to be busy. When their teacher was asking for someone to deliver some papers to the faculty, she volunteered to do it. Until it was end of the class, she hurriedly went home and didn't look back at Baekhyun.
The next day, she was feeling great again. She cried buckets while eating her favorite ice cream last night. It made her feeling okay again and she's ready to face Baekhyun. Speaking of him, he was waiting for her at the gates.
"I had to do something important yesterday. Sorry for ignoring you."
"Be thankful that you're my bestfriend." Baekhyun said while pinching her cheek.
She patted his hand away and asked him how did it go yesterday. They began walking to class as he started to spill the details.
"We just talked about things. About being her friend whenever there's a club meeting. I told her, no problem and then we went back to class."
"That's it?"
He nodded. She laughed and then noticed Aeri struggling with her books. She couldn't open the door and hold her books at the same time. Hera nudged Baekhyun and tipped her head at Aeri's direction.
"Step three: Be a gentleman. Go!" She pushed him towards her direction and hid herself behind the school pillar.
Baekhyun opened the door for Aeri and she muttered thanks. He even offered to carry her books but Aeri refused so they settled on carrying both of the books together. He looked at Hera's direction and did a quick thumbs up before focusing his attention at Aeri.
Hera smiled and shook her head. At that same time, a guy was rushing to get to the door as if looking for someone and bumped into her. She fell down and some of her things scattered on the floor. The guy apologized and helped her with her things. Hera checked her bag and noticed something's missing. The guy noticed a hairtie and picked it before she did. Hera tried to get her hairtie but the guy was way taller than her.
"Could you give my hairtie back?"
"Only if you would tell me your name. I'm Oh Sehun, a senior."
Hera scoffed. She didn't have the time to chitchat because she needed to be in class. "I'm Hera, a junior."
"So you're younger than me? Interesting."
"Sunbae, would you give my hairtie back? It's precious to me, okay?"
The bell rang. Some students were already rushing to go to their rooms.
"I'm going to give this back to you, if you would meet me at the cafe near the school later after class."
Hera's jaw dropped. "W-wait!"
But Sehun went ahead and waved his hand with the hairtie, "See you!"
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