Baekhyun withdrew his and the other two’s will to retreat to the loft. The prior discussion regarding the youngest guy has upheld his presumption.

“What does it mean, not Sehun?” He spoke up and referred it to the giant. “What if it’s me, Yeol?”

Chanyeol looked directly at him. “Baek, do we need to get through this?” sighing, then he did.

“We probably should.” Baekhyun replied, gazing at Suzy who started leaning to the door and seemed reluctant to get embroiled.

Not this again.

“Baek,” Chanyeol paused as he was holding the petite shoulder. “I don’t want to be over this kind of situation with any of you guys… Not anymore. Please,” he took a deep breath. “I did mean nothing to offend you, say that it’ll be a problem only with Sehun.”

Baekhyun looked above to the taller, he sensed guilt as Chanyeol was looking remorseful because he thought what he said had in some way upsetting him. At that moment, the one that used to be the center of their attention— and once, was the main reason for they had a stern rivalry, all four of them— asked them to go in because it was rude they have guests already coming. Baekhyun and Chanyeol followed Suzy then, in advance of them stating sorry to each other.

It was the first time in a while Jennie had a great time going to a small house party. She couldn’t even remember the last one— since when did ever she could remember that much— well, she was enjoying for merely having a single company that she was very much attracted and it sparked in her eyes. She was a bit concerned about; Sehun might have caught her because she really couldn’t stop staring at him as they were engrossed in their own conversation.

Jennie learnt that Sehun worked as a lawyer. By way of he was being modest stated himself an associate attorney, it’d took him perhaps another decade to secure as a partner. But, hey, Kai chimed in at them ‘cause he sat on the lounger next to the couch. The tanned guy teased Sehun as he would not be the one talking about it— nonetheless, he gave a hint that his palest pal got more than average— and he already got himself an apartment at high-rise building in the heart of the city. Sehun was still in his twenties, at that point Kai concluded.

That time when Sehun had his impulse to stop his best friend’s babble, Jennie assumed he won’t be interested in dating someone who was even now in college such as her. She eyed Rosé while she occupied in chats with the other two guys and the best friend had subtly winked at her. Already Sehun stirred nearer as Kai lose in their small fight and he plummeted to the couch as well.

“Excuse us, Jennie…” Sehun shifted his view briefly to the girl, referred he was yet bantering with Kai.

She curved her lips and didn’t mind, given that she could identify Sehun’s musky and a bit woody scent. She liked it though, she wouldn’t lie and supposed she might have been ample enthralled of him. Wherein she adored everything she perceived about him in the moment.

In jiff, Sehun restored his position as Jennie moved and was about to fix her hair, afore she grasped he was watching.

“What’s that?”

Sehun directed his index finger, Jennie knew he was pointing to the visible scar on her side forehead.

“I got it from an accident.” she responded.

“Oh,” he observed she was trying to cover it again, loosening her hair. “No, don’t.” Sehun gestured and soon was grabbing her fingers. “If you don’t want to talk about it then fine with me... But, don’t cover it because you think it’ll flaw you… Which it doesn’t, at all.”

He released the grip whilst feeling she was uncomfortable in some way. Perchance she didn’t fancy people who she just acquainted was holding her hand, all of a sudden.

If only Sehun realized, it was the other way round.

In not so later, Jennie felt another detect was near to appear. A fresh-ocean-breeze-like, in place of an individual settled at one other seater next to the center piece. She sensed it was belong to Chanyeol, who said a brief hi and conversed with the others in living space.

At 5, Kai and Suzy rushed to leave the place as they should depart when Taeyong and Johnny were already planning to do so. In which, Chanyeol intended to trail them. His plan was to exit the building with other people, so it might divert him by the thoughts Jennie kept being sociable to Sehun. Chanyeol was already on his feet when Suzy named him as she was holding her bag and Kai engaged with almost the same in arrears.

“Oppa, remember what you promised me this morning?”

Chanyeol wanted to drown his self, if the sink at the place had six feet and two inches depth, which was more than his height. He simpered awkwardly and cursed inside, why should he gave her pledges, particularly to clean every mess that people caused as he was the one arranging the bash.

Whatever, as a man then he gotta stick to his own words.

“Suzy noona, you know that we wish to have babies around… So, can you please make some to my hyung while you’re away?“

Chanyeol merely let a little laugh as Kai proceeded to kick his cousin’s — literally— when the four of them were at the door verge. Suzy waved to the others and Johnny was the last to pass the entrance, following the still bickering Kai and Taeyong, even on their way to the elevator.

“Have fun you guys!” Baekhyun was the one who walked until the threshold and he approached his tallest best friend, once closing the main door.

Even for the slightest glimpse, he knew Chanyeol was not in the best mood to be kidded. In usual, he was at ease to leave the buddy because he was needed to clean the place by himself. However, in such exclusion, Baekhyun began collecting the used paper cups to later be thrown out.

It happened quick, as Jennie and Rosé volunteered to assist them, no matter how much Baekhyun nagged so that they would stay in their seats, acting like mere visitors.

Far ahead, the girls excused themselves after taking not even ten minutes break while Baekhyun was still organizing the dishes. He glanced at Chanyeol, who seemed unwilling to walk them downstairs— say, he was the one who brought them here. Sehun, at the other side, was understanding the older’s signal and finally was doing the deed.

“There you go.”

Baekhyun whistled once the access was closed. Chanyeol side-eyed him to move from his previous position on the kitchen stool, started rummaging Suzy’s refrigerator. The outspoken had gotten he did appear far from being happy.

“Sorry, Yeol… At least, somebody needs to do it.”

Baekhyun continued the mutter as Chanyeol in progress of snacking a chocolate bar.

By the set of steps, right outside the building Jennie caught gazes from Sehun, she didn’t know what was that for. Not that enough for his very cold frontage, Sehun was an enigmatic man at his inner side, itself.

The guy observed Jennie was too close to Rosé that she clung to her, even when they were at the elevator before.

“Rosé,” Sehun called out as he drew nearer to them. “Do you mind if I lend your friend for some time?”

“Sure.” Answered the taller girl, motioning Jennie to fixate at him.

In some days, her roommate would cling to her so much, even they’d be sharing the same bed although they have each bedroom of their own. Yet at some better days, Jennie would go by her own and Rosé would start to get worried if she didn’t update her whereabouts in more than a couple hours.

A smirk plastered on Sehun’s thin lips. Maybe it was the whole, package deal if he wanted to get to know more of this specific soul. But, a man gotta do what a man gotta do then.

“Could you give me your number, Jennie?” Sehun handed his iPhone to the puzzled girl, who later got a nudge by Rosé to take what offered by the guy.

Jennie typed her number cautiously as she sometimes was glancing at Sehun, who was candidly looking at her.

“Next time if I give a call and then I ask Jennie out, would you—“ Sehun has directed his view to Rosé. “— let her go alone with me?”

Rosé beamed as if it was her own triumph. She nodded, a bit excitingly. “Sure, I won’t tag along with you…” she grinned at her best friend.

Jennie has given the impression of unfazed, granting deep inside she was almost tumbling herself in. It was the thing about her, that no one, not even Rosé could identify what exactly she was feeling.

Sehun received his phone back with what he assumed as her number. “You don’t usually write fake numbers, huh?”

“No.” She met his cold eyes. “It really is me.”

“Okay,” he began to input something. “May I know your last name? I have this habit to save everyone’s contact by their full name.”

“It’s Kim, Jennie Kim.”

Sehun let his signature tongue out whilst typing it.

“Now if you excuse me, I may have a very mad friend upstairs because I stay here quite long when I supposed to help him do the cleaning,” he resumed after pocketing the device to his jeans. “Alright Jennie Kim, I guess I’ll be seeing you again soon…”

He started waving and moved backward, facing those girls.

“Hey, wait!”

In that instant, it was Rosé who called, and Sehun halted his way revisiting the loft.

“We’re throwing a party… Tuesday. Since it’s going to be someone’s birthday,”

“Whose birthday is it?” simply asked the guy.

Rosé pointed to the girl next to her. “Jennie’s and that’s why I feel you should come.”

Jennie was returning her roommate’s imprudent declaration. “Since when did you plan this party to me?” she whispered.

“Come on, Jen… I did it for you every year, don’t act all surprise like this.”

“But, I thought you’ll do nothing as for now—“

Her uttering discontinued as Rosé forced her to nod at Sehun, and the guy replied them with another smirk— which Jennie started to feel hooked.

“I’ll drop by after office, then.” Sehun spoke before they parted their ways on that day. “See you!”

Chanyeol couldn’t sleep well for the next day and the one after it. On the second time, it was around seven in the morning when he finally decided to take his guitar out and to play it at the park. He used to do that kind of show stopping action, especially when he was bored after taking a very long— and useless— lecture.

The park itself located near to the university ground, means, it was near to his friends’ place— except Sehun— as he would be going there for their usual morning mealtime. So, it was pretty much the same of going there by now.

“Hi!” A girl’s voice has startled him. In around thirty minutes he was strumming the instrument at one bench below a bent oak tree.

No matter how bad Chanyeol wanted to look away, but he was stuck with his guitar and the other person was already standing in front of him. He didn’t pay much attention that this spot was nearer to somewhere brand new, he didn’t want to remember either.

“Hey…”

What a good morning to me, Chanyeol stuffed it inside his mind.

“I don’t know you like to play around here.” Jennie didn’t seem that sweaty for someone having uneven pace of breath.

Maybe it was the cold breeze to withstand, or, just a mere imagination of him which she always appeared appealing right opposite him. Even with those tracksuits and disorderly hair of hers.

“Sorry, I just never did in a long time… Plus, never at this early.”

“Ah,” Jennie furrowed her brows for a second. “You don’t have to be sorry, you know? It’s not that I own this park or something. You’re always weird by saying most of the sorries—”

“Is that even a plural term of ‘sorry’?” He chuckled yet he wished, she would continue the track faster.

She replied with giggles and Chanyeol was a bit curious why did she looked so happy at that point.

“Alright, I’m going to continue my running…”

Jennie was on set to take another turn, by jiff, she was heading back right where Chanyeol at.

“Hey, I forgot I might have to tell you something…”

Chanyeol merely raised an eyebrow, motioning Jennie to carry on as he crossed his legs, resting an arm on top of his guitar.

“You’re invited to a party that Rosé threw in our apartment tonight.”

An unrhythmical pound Chanyeol felt was rising inside his chest. He replied, “W-why did you suddenly invite me?”

“Because you did invite me and Rose to your friend’s party last Sunday… And there’s no harm to add more and more friends,” Jennie smiled, openly. “Anyway, your friends are welcome too, if they want to join.”

“Is Rose having a birthday today?”

“Nope,” she reacted to him, shaking her head as she was beginning the jog. “It’s actually me.”

It took a couple minutes for Chanyeol to realize, he needed to be up and chase her.

Jennie has contented ever since she was starting the exercise early this morning. Not that it was now her special day, it just something bound to happen that day, she was feeling all excited about it. She played even some upbeat music, those are a bit out of her custom to be her company while jogging.

She was wearing the earpiece as she left the spot where she met the tall guy beforehand. She knew it took not that long for her, until she sensed a quite familiar scent of fresh ocean, as she saw beside and Chanyeol was already pacing next to her.

“Hi,” he was completely lost of his thoughts and, why did he even ran in those jeans?

Jennie wanted to slow down, but Chanyeol riveted her and kept running.

“I just want to say,” she listened to him, releasing the piece which blocked her hearings. “Happy birthday.”

Jennie was bewildered seeing Chanyeol stopped his steps once he was finished stating it. As she took another turn then pass where he was settling on spot and turned out, he was already not there.

---

Later that night, Jennie was busy greeting the invitees, no matter what the party was intended for her. It was passing eight when most of them came and the place has become a full house without warning. Jennie and Rosé’s place was not designed to hold huge amount of people at once, as three-quarter of them was introduced to the birthday girl by Rosé. Needless to say, her roommate was a social butterfly quite contrasting her.

Nobody has even noticed Jennie was exiting the apartment, she couldn’t stand dealing with too much people at one time. Moreover, she kept waiting for a person’s appearance that in more than two hours the party started, have not been showed up yet.

As luck would have it, Sehun did present right to her door, at the point when Jennie succeeded to evade her own dwell. He emerged fine-lookingly even with his work attire and the shirt sleeves been rolled up to his elbow, coat hanging on his broad shoulder.

“Is it hard to find my place?”

Jennie questioned him and the guy responded her with a tasteful grin.

“Nope, you texted me very well by giving the directions…” Sehun caught Jennie’s beam by his appearance and soon, he was handing her a bouquet of rose that has been hiding behind his back. “I don’t know what to get you and I hope you like roses, though,”

“Thanks… And look who I’ve been spending my days with, the biggest Rose I’d ever get—”

Jennie didn’t have time to finish her sentence as Sehun pressed his lips to the side of her temple; right to where it used to hurt and held her many bad recollections.

“Happy birthday, Jennie.” Sehun muttered and somehow his smile has made her focus revolved at him.

A/N: Please enjoy this chapter and leave comments 주세요!!!

xoxo,