Baekhyun is busy reading several articles that his staff wrote for the special issue of their magazine that they will release next month when he noticed his fingers. His nails are getting long and he remembered the time when Yixing borrowed a nail clipper from a nearby salon and held his hand and cut the broken nail.

Ah, speaking of that guy. He didn’t see Yixing for a couple of days now. Things have been busy at work because they released a new magazine issue a few days ago. Now that he has free time, he can visit the older guy. But for now, he will try to finish reading the remaining articles left for their special issue magazine.

He looked at Viva Polo’s door when he heard the sound of wind chime that is attached to the door. Indication of someone entering the café restaurant. Baekhyun could feel his heart being overwhelmed with happiness when he saw Yixing come in. He was in his usual garb, minus the book. Maybe Yixing felt someone is looking at him so he glanced at Baekhyun’s direction.

His heart cannot stop beating so fast. He cannot help but smile at Yixing. That slowly faded when the man went to the counter to order instead of greeting him. Baekhyun instantly felt the rejection and sadness in his heart.

What did I do? Why are you like that, Yixing?

 Baekhyun doesn’t remember saying or doing anything that could make the older man upset because he wasn’t able to visit his house these past few days. It seems like he did something wrong even if he’s just minding his own business. But he didn’t do anything wrong. He’s ready to annoy Yixing again when the other guy sat down on the chair in front of him. His plan suddenly vanished out of thin air.

“Hey there, stranger.” Yixing said.

He’s in the middle of hating Yixing but just a single word—well, okay, maybe three words—his feeling of being annoyed at Yixing is suddenly gone. Darn it! Why are his feelings inconsistent towards the older guy? He should be mad at him. But why is he feeling giddy, excited, and feeling every other emotion out there? He’s just feeling that way when Yixing is beside him. Baekhyun bit his bottom lip.

“What do you need, Yixing?”

“I was waiting for you at my home. It’s been a few days yet you’re still not coming.”

“W-waiting for me?” Baekhyun’s spirit lifted.

“Yeah. You still haven’t got my payment for my clothes that you brought to the laundry shop.” Yixing noisily sipped his iced coffee mix. “Don’t you have any plans of getting it? It’s okay, I don’t refuse free stuff.”

Baekhyun’s shoulders dropped with what he just heard. He’s not complaining. He cannot think of anything to say to retort to Yixing. His mind just refused to work. He just stared at Yixing. Why does he always forgive him so easily even if he always make him upset?

“Okay, that’s just my treat.” Baekhyun said and placed his chin over his hand with his elbow propped on the table. “Don’t worry about it.”

“But I’m still worried. Especially because it seems like you are holding a grudge about it.”

“Whatever. It’s still my treat. If you want to pay, it’s your choice. But I’m not obligating you to pay.”

Baekhyun looked outside the glass wall and watched the residents of their condominium complex. Kids, parents, friends, lovers—everyone has a companion, has a partner. While him… He almost bumped his face on the table when Yixing unexpectedly swatted his arm.

“What the f—“ He almost cursed at Yixing but stopped when he remembered there are kids inside the café.

“It’s not good for the business if you’re looking gloomy. The unlucky spirits will inhabit this place.”

“The owner of this café is already rich. It’s not bad for his fortune to be reduced once in a while.” Baekhyun returned to his original position. “If you swipe my arm again, I will punch you.”

“You seem grumpy today.” Yixing quipped.

“You seem talkative today.”

Yixing just shrugged. “I have always been talkative. I’m just lazy to talk and talk constantly.”

“Or, maybe you just don’t want to talk to me.”

“Really? So, why am I wasting my time talking to you now?”

“Wasting time?” Baekhyun felt sad. Yixing thinks he’s just wasting his time when he talks to him. “If you’re just wasting your time, why don’t you just leave and let me on my own?”

Yixing didn’t answer him. But he still remained on his seat. “I heard about Jackson.” He said. “You went on a date twice.”

“I’m not his type.”

“That’s not what he said to me.”

Baekhyun just sighed. Even if he doesn’t want to tell Yixing how his date with Jackson went because of his disappointment that he is feeling right now, he knows that Yixing deserves to have an explanation. After all, he was the one who made an effort to find him a date. “I just don’t want to go out with him again. It’s pointless to continue our dates.”

“You’ve only gone out twice.”

“I know. I just know that nothing will happen even if we go out of dates for ten years.”

“You don’t like him?”

“I like him. But… I’m looking for something.”

“Like what?”

“Something. I just can’t point it out because I myself am not so sure.” Plus this weird feeling that I have towards you. Baekhyun wanted to add and stared at Yixing. He knew it was impossible but he could actually hear his heart thumping. He removed Yixing’s eyeglasses.

“What are you doing?” Yixing asked.

“I just want to know something.”

“And that is?”

“Why is it that every time I look at you, you become more handsome?” Baekhyun carded his fingers on Yixing’s messy hair. “Your hair is soft. I never imagined it this way…” Yixing didn’t even get angry or made a move to get away from him so he just continued feeling his soft hair with his fingers. There are still so many things that he didn’t know about him so he shouldn’t judge the older man based on what he is just seeing outside.

“Yixing, I’m so sorry.” Baekhyun tried to move his chair away from the table because he might do something embarrassing. Like kissing the hell out of Yixing for being just… him. “I easily judged you even though I didn’t know you that well. And I messed up your life for the simplest reason that wasn’t even your fault. I’m sorry. My life was just messed up because of my stupid love life. I’m sorry too for not entertaining your cousin whom you spent your time and effort in contacting just to go out on a date with me. I don’t even know what is happening to me. I’m looking for a man who will love me but I was the one who’s running away when they managed to go near me. I must be really crazy.”

“No, you’re not.” Yixing took back his eyeglasses from him and brushed up his hair. He inspected his eyeglasses but he didn’t put it back on.

Baekhyun’s fragile heart gave in an instant. He just let himself feel whatever weird feeling he has in his heart right now.

“So, you’re not going out with Jackson again?” Yixing asked.

“Huh?”

“I told you not to say ‘huh’ anymore.” Yixing bit his straw to suppress his smile. “You look stupid.”

Darn! He looks so cute! “O-oh, okay.” And he felt good even with that thumping of his heart. Maybe because Yixing praised him. Well, kind of praised him.

“Well?”

“Huh?”

Yixing smiled. Take note, he wasn’t even cracking a joke yet. Ah! He was so proud of himself. And he was just so into Yixing!

“Hey, look! The grumpy hermit of our neighborhood just smiled!”

“Wow, that’s so amazing!”

“Whose fault was that?”

“It was Baekhyun!”

“Finally! Baekhyun will have a love life! Yeah! I won!”

“Is he and Yixing the Hermit are a couple now? Yeah! I won as well!”

He and Yixing simultaneously looked at the people who were talking. And they noticed that they were being watched by everyone who is inside the café. It includes his friends Kyungsoo and his husband Chanyeol, and Sehun who is beside his fiancé Jongin. Everyone is smiling at them. It seems like the scene between him and Yixing was a great victory.

“You’re placing bet on us?” Baekhyun asked his friends Kyungsoo and Sehun who are exchanging money. The two just grinned at him. “You’re awful!”

 “At least, you’re still pleased.” Kyungsoo jibed.

“Shut up!” But they were right. Baekhyun can’t help but smile. “You’re still awful. All of you…”

“Just kiss already! Hurry up so that we can all go home!” His neighbors quipped.

Baekhyun just shook his head and turned to Yixing. “Just don’t mind them. They’re just bored.”

“I know.” Yixing stood up from his chair. “I have to go.”

“You’re going?”

“I still have work to do. See you around.” Yixing bid goodbye to the people inside the café who cannot hide their disappointment as well.

“I lost because there’s no kissing scene.”

“Me too.”

“They left us hanging.”

“There’s no happy ending if there’s no kissing scene. Baekhyun, you have to pounce on Yixing. Quick!”

Baekhyun just exaggeratedly frowned at the one who made that remark. His face was instantly covered in sadness as he watch Yixing’s figure walking away.

“Follow him.” Chanyeol encouraged. “Don’t just let Yixing hyung go away from you.”

“He’s right.” Kyungsoo seconded. “Or else others might take him.”

“Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun scolded the younger.

“What? It’s true though. When my husband ran away from me, I followed him wherever he went. Look at us now, we’re happily married. No guts, no glory when it comes to love.” Kyungsoo looked at their neighbors. “Am I right?”

Their neighbors agreed.

“Whatever.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes at them.

Sehun walked towards him. “Hyung, you’re the one who’s rushing to get a love life. There’s Yixing hyung already. Nerd but handsome. Smart and he looks like he has a good job.”

“He’s a music producer.” Jongin commented. “He doesn’t just have a good job, it was profitable as well.”

“Really?” Sehun asked.

“Yeah. My company had a partnership with SM Entertainment for endorsement last month. That’s when I found out he’s the one responsible for the hit songs of EXO and basically other groups in their agency.”

Some of the teenagers quietly screamed  at the mention of the most famous boy group in South Korea. They all looked amazed.

“So, Baekhyun, what else are you waiting for? Go ahead, follow Yixing. Don’t let him go away.”

“Kyungsoo, it’s not that easy.”

“What’s so hard with that?”

“I’m not his type.”

“And you believed it?”

“Of course. Yixing wouldn’t lie when it comes to things like that.”

“He’s shy. He would always lie when it comes to his feelings.”

A couple of people smiled and looked away when they heard those words. Based on their reaction, it sparked a little hope in his heart.

“It doesn’t really matter if he likes you or not.” Kyungsoo said. “What matters is do you have feelings for him?”

Baekhyun cannot answer. Does he really like Yixing? Is that enough for him to follow their advice and go after the man? He smiled. Yeah, he liked Yixing. That’s why he stood up and went out of the café.

“You can do it, Baekhyun!”

“Good luck!”

“Yes! I won!”

“Me too! Yay!”

Baekhyun just laughed while walking towards the direction where Yixing went. The encouragement from the people inside Viva Polo greatly helped him. He felt giddy and excited. He can feel the loud thumping of his heart. It’s the first time that he felt that way. Before, when he see a man that he likes, he will approach them and introduce himself and the excitement and adrenaline will be gone. But this time it’s different. Yixing is different. The longer that he knows the man, the greater the excitement that he feels. He cannot stop the curiosity that he feels for the most elusive member of their neighborhood.

But the most beautiful thing that happened when he met Yixing is that he realized that he is not a shallow person. That he can look past someone’s appearance. He knows that he liked Yixing not because of his appearance. What he liked about the guy is… well he doesn’t know yet. It seems weird but he feels that way. He’s not sure what’s with Yixing that managed to attract him. He just likes him. Period.

When he’s passing by the playground, he came across three children who were running around. The two boys were the sons of the owner of the condominium complex and the president of their homeowners association, Leeteuk. While the other girl is the daughter of the actor Choi Minho who also lives in their neighborhood.

“Did you see Yixing pass by here?” he asked the children.

The three stopped running and looked at him intently. Then they looked at each other.

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. It seems like the kids are hesitating whether they would answer him or not. “I will treat you chocolate brownies at Viva Polo if you tell me where Yixing went.”

The kids’ eyes shone.

Bingo! “Well?”

“There.” The three children pointed at three different directions. The other boy even pointed at the sky.

“Where?” Baekhyun asked again.

The three looked at each other again.

“Should we tell him?” One of the two boys said.

“No.” The other boy said. “He will get angry.”

“Yeah. He will get angry when we say that we saw Uncle Yixing with another girl.”

“There’s… someone with Yixing?” Baekhyun felt that his gut was punched at what he heard.

“Oh, no! You made mister sad, Lucas!”

Baekhyun just looked at Lucas. There’s no trace of regret on his cute face. Baekhyun felt something heavy on his chest. Yixing was with another woman.

“They went there.” The little girl said and pointed at the direction heading towards the main road.

“Thanks.” Baekhyun smiled at them. He walked towards the opposite direction.

“You won’t follow him?”

He looked at the children. “No, I won’t. Thank you for your help. Go ahead, you can continue playing.”

“But you’re sad, mister.”

Baekhyun just gave them a forced smile and continued walking towards the direction of his home. “No, I don’t like him enough to follow him.” He said to himself. “But why is that… I’m feeling so sad?”

Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry for ending this chapter with angst. I just updated and left you all with a sad chapter :( Anyways, Baekhyun's solo album is coming and I'm sure it's gonna be one hell of an album with the producers that he worked with. A few days ago, I was so happy because even if it's just a small comment on instagram, we still had our BaekXing moment. Baekhyun posted about Yixing's new EP Honey and look what Yixing commented:

That's right! He called Baekhyun his baby ❤❤❤ It just shows that Baekhyun and Yixing's relationship is as deep as we thought. Anyways, let's all support Yixing's new album, Baekhyun's new album, and Chanyeol and Sehun's upcoming album ❤