“I just don’t get it, I mean, now that they need our help to make sure this relationship succeeds you’d think they would try to be friendly. Instead they just think they can take over out lives and go on as if nothing happened.” You said, leaning back against your seat as you were finally able to throw out all the frustrations you had felt ever since all of this had started. You had forgotten that he was going through the same things you were and that made him the only person who could understand how you felt. So far he had patiently listened to all your complaints and even dark words towards your parents and he just silently encouraged you to keep going. He eyed you with a certain intensity which you couldn’t place, but you decided not to think too much of it as you lifted your glass and took another sip of water. He had asked if you wanted something else, something slightly stronger to wash away everything that had been worrying you, but you had declined. No, you didn’t need alcohol to wash away your worries. Besides, you somehow felt as if it was disrespectful towards him. After he had taken the effort to take you out here so you didn’t have to go home after the horrible meet up with your parents he deserved to have sober company. If you’d only take a sip of wine then you’d be drunk, you were a real lightweight, easy to fall and easy to break. 

“I should stop rambling like this because I’m frustrating myself. Why don’t you tell me something about yourself I don’t know yet?” You said instead, deciding to enter the conversation from a different side. Your parents had ruined your evening so far and you weren’t going to let them get into this, how were you supposed to call it? It wasn’t a date, that was one condition you had settled inside of your mind. No, you couldn’t go out with your English teacher, that was illegal. But then how were you supposed to name it? “Isn’t getting to know me against your plan? I thought you wanted to do everything to make sure this marriage would fail?” He asked, and as you reminded yourself of that you remembered very clearly that he had agreed to that. When you had once again informed him that you thought this was a very and idea he had nodded his head and had told you that you were totally right. The two of you didn’t know each other and you had a professional relationship with each other, what you were doing was wrong. Not that you would have approved it if they had picked someone out for you who wasn’t your teacher, then you would have found something else to complain about. There was always something bad about having to marry someone you didn’t love, about forcing someone into marriage. 

“I’m not saying that I don’t want it to fail, but we’re in this together. We have to live together and I think that gives me the right to know a few things about you.” You reminded him, because the thought of having to live with a stranger didn’t exactly appeal to you. Though you knew that you had gotten to know much more about him already during the past few days than others did. Other students had no idea that he had been through such a terrible youth. That was the thing though, you weren’t supposed to know either. “That means that I have the right to know a few things about you too.” He said it playfully, as if he had just been planning to throw your own remark back at him without a good reason, but you knew he meant it. He wasn’t planning to reveal anything of himself if you weren’t going to promise him the same in return. And who were you to blame him? Besides, you didn’t even feel that scared anymore of the thought that he would get to know you better. Maybe it could give you an advantage. The thing was to make your parents believe things were getting better, that you were going to give Baekhyun a chance, until it all broke down in front of them. The first step in all of that would be if the two of you got closer. It seemed like the perfect way out, it was the only way you’d be able to get rid of your parents for a while. “What do you want to know?” You asked, shoving your empty plate away from you as a proof that you were totally ready for his questions. For a few seconds he stayed silent, as if he was seriously thinking about what to ask you so he wouldn’t waste a question on nothing. 

“When did you start having interest in art?” He asked, and out all of the things he could have asked you, you were surprised he picked this one out. You realized you had to pain your brains to think of the answer yourself, almost as if you had forgotten. “I think it all started when I was a little kid. My parents may never had any time for me but wherever they saw the chance to show me off in front of others they did use it. One night they had been invited to the opening of a huge art gallery and they took me with them. Eventually they lost me in the middle of the crowd while they were busy talking to some possible clients. Instead of joining the other kids who were playing a little further ahead, I ran off to look at the paintings. My parents scolded me during the entire ride home but I didn’t regret a thing.” You said and the memory of that night caused a smile to appear on your face. Even though it had been years ago you still remembered that night as if it had been yesterday. The room had been filled with peop