Song: Everyday With You by Chanyeol

(a continuation of the previous chapter, March)

Yuna was met with the deepest smiles and dimples of the tall, muscular guy anticipating her approach.

“Chanyeol, what are you doing here?” Yuna smiled as she asked.

“Is your father fine? I went as soon as I got the chance,” he had a concerned face.

“A few broken bones but on the road to recovery. Nothing to worry about.”

“Are you sure? But he fell off the stairs. That’s what Mrs. Won said.”

“Yes. He’s doing better now.”

Chanyeol pursed his lips. “Is everything fine? Are you okay?”

Baekhyun saw him squeezing her arm quickly and Yuna did not move away.

He simply does it effortlessly.

“I’m fine. Thank you for asking,” Yuna studied him carefully, not believing how he showed up out of nowhere. At the same time, she felt flustered of having to entertain two of her friends now.

“Have you eaten? I got you some food,” he kept smiling.

“We had street food,” she pointed back to the direction leading to the town.

“Street food? Have rice and soup,” Chanyeol peeked through his plastic bag.

“I will,” Yuna smiled.

“You had me worried when you didn’t show up the first two hours at work,” Chanyeol said. “You were…more late than usual.”

She chuckled. “Sorry I didn’t have time to tell you and Seulgi anymore.”

Chanyeol smiled and brushed his hand on her arm once again. “No need to apologize. I’m just happy to see you, to be honest. Mrs. Won’s sunshine was gone for a day.”

Yuna only smiled while feeling his cold hand on her skin.

Baekhyun kept staring blankly on the floor. The way Chanyeol would converse with Yuna was too relaxed, unscripted and natural.

Unlike him, who blurts out lame and awkward lines, and gathers his entire energy to come up with a decent sentence and express himself.

The lady cleared . “W-why are you here again? You didn’t tell me you’re coming. You surprised me.”

“I knew you’d prepare for it if I tell you. And I didn’t want to be a burden to you anymore,” his line of sight then turned to Baekhyun, who was standing not too far.

Yuna noticed him studying her companion.

“This is my good friend from work—“ Yuna introduced the man she’s with, but Chanyeol interrupted her.

“Byun Baekhyun. Everyone in the industry knows who he is,” Chanyeol smiled and approached him.

“To be honest, I didn’t know who he was at first,” Yuna recalled with a hint of embarrassment. “He’s helped a lot with the situation.”

The tall man secretly examined the guy in front of him. He’s heard about him, basically the smartest guy of his generation.

Baekhyun was as simple as it can get with his touristy ‘I love Gangneung’ shirt, tattered jeans and dirty sneakers. He wasn’t wearing any watch too.

“Park Chanyeol,” he extended a hand to introduce himself.

“Oh,” Baekhyun wiped his hands on his pants, probably dirty from all the street food he had. “Byun Baekhyun.”

Both men shook hands.

“I heard a lot of good things about you,” Chanyeol complimented him. “I didn’t expect that Yuna’s friend from work would be none other than you, the Byun Baekhyun. It’s a pleasure meeting you like this.”

Baekhyun didn’t know what to say as he was overwhelmed with Chanyeol’s intimidating presence. He only wore casual clothes and his hair was all over the place but he still exudes this air of elegance and poise.

Why is it that he is the Byun Baekhyun and yet he feels ridiculously nervous facing his man?

“What a small world. I…I never thought Dara’s good friend will be friends with Yuna too,” was all he was able to say.

Chanyeol tried his best to hide a frown as he didn’t want to be related to that family anymore. How he wanted to bury the memory of her forever.

“You know the princess?” Yuna asked.

“Ah y-yes. A bit…” Chanyeol started stuttering.

“She reports to Oh Sehun now, too,” Baekhyun said.

“Your boss is Oh Sehun?” Chanyeol’s eyes widened.

“Yes. I am his temporary assistant.”

Baekhyun noticed Chanyeol forming fists with his hands the moment he mentioned the couple’s names.

“I didn’t know. This is my first time hearing this,” Chanyeol said, trying to loosen up.

“I didn’t think it was worth saying. It’s only a temporary job, anyways,” Yuna responded.

Wow, Dara, even up to this, you will still have a hold on me? Chanyeol thought to himself.

“Let’s go? The soup might be getting cold. You have to eat too,” she offered. “We can have it in my parents’ house.”

Baekhyun saw Yuna walking a bit faster to keep up with Chanyeol’s wider strides.

For a while he observed both, how Yuna would turn her head whenever she would converse with Chanyeol. He noticed that she was indeed, paying more attention to him.

He was tall and had a strong build, and she was petite and delicate. It seemed like Chanyeol was the type who could protect her from anything thrown towards her path.

Why wouldn’t he be this way? Chanyeol is a member of the yangban and even if he is disowned by the family, is still a chaebol son.

While he…is frail and doesn’t lift weights even if his life depended on it.

And she also offered her house without thinking twice to Chanyeol, as if he had been there numerous times in the past.

He felt like an onlooker to the couple. He started feeling out of place until Yuna called him.

“Hey, are you okay, Baek?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Join us. I was wondering why you’ve become so quiet over there,” she gestured him so he can walk the same line as them.

“No, I’m good,” he tried smiling.

She walked slower so she is in the middle of both men, but her conversation was still with the talkative Chanyeol.

“I brought my motorbike going here as I wanted to hurry to get to you right away,” Baekhyun heard him murmuring softly.

“You shouldn’t have, Chanyeol. I have Baekhyun here to help me out anyways,” she glanced at Baekhyun, and smiled at him gently.

“I want to be present, still,” Chanyeol smiled.

---------------------------------------------

“I’m not hungry anymore,” Baekhyun declined Yuna’s offer to eat the food Chanyeol brought.

The three of them sat down the floor as Yuna placed the bowls and utensils in front.

“Even a little?” Yuna asked.

“I’m good.”

Chanyeol kept looking around her small residence. “I like it here. It’s breezy.”

Yuna shook her head. “It’s small and it’s got nothing. You surely don’t live in this kind of place.”

“My apartment is like this too. I’ll show you next time,” he offered.

Baekhyun stared at Chanyeol. How can he blurt these things out so easily?

Is he making a move on her? In front of him?

For sure Chanyeol knows why he’s there, right?

Seriously?

“I’m sure Seulgi and Mrs. Won are curious to see your place too,” Yuna responded.

Chanyeol only smiled forcefully.

“So where did you stay while you were here, Mr. Byun?” he asked