-Sehun’s POV-

Chan Yeol hyung and I decided to go downstairs a while after Aerin left us. We shared a lot of things in common, but those things were the ones tearing us apart. It was so annoying how he was attracted to the same girl I was, but I guess we really were interested in the same things. It was a different story where Aerin was concerned though. Not one of us would like to give up on her and I think it would be really heartbreaking for the person she wouldn’t choose in the end. I just hope we’d both have the understanding to cope with it just in case.

“I wonder what the others are doing right now,” Chan Yeol hyung said as we made our way out of the room.

I grinned at him. “Preparing my birthday dinner, what else?”

He shook his head at me, but still, he held that smile on his face. “You’re really full of yourself.”

I chuckled. “You should be preparing with them. Do you hate me that much that you’re not the one orchestrating my parties anymore?”

He rolled his eyes. “Your party this year is boring.”

I scoffed. “I don’t even want one. You were the one who keep on insisting that I should have one.” I clucked my tongue.

“I didn’t know those efforts were unappreciated,” he sulked.

I just laughed. “You know that’s not true.”

He clapped me on the shoulder and we continued walking. As we were nearing the last room by the hallway, we heard laughter coming from inside it. I recognized one to be Aerin. Chan Yeol hyung continued walking, but I yanked him aside by the collar of his shirt to the wall adjacent to the door.

“What?” he demanded, looking confused.

“Shh!” I hissed at him and pointed behind me with my thumb. “They’re talking,” I told him in hushed tones.

“So?”

“Aren’t you interested? I’d bet they’re talking about us,” I said flatly.

“Come to think of it, I can’t. That’s like ridiculous,” I heard Hee Jin say.

Chan Yeol hyung scrunched up his brows and arched a brow at me. “What’s ridiculous?”

As if on cue, Aerin spoke. “You bet it is. She makes me happy. Ha! Can you believe that?”

I leaned on the wall, my eyes widening. That’s what hyung said a while back when she was pretending to be asleep. Hyung frowned, but we both stayed in silence and listened to them talking.

“That’s sweet. I hate sweet.” That was Hee Jin.

“That’s right, but look on the brighter side. I’ve got those two morons right where I wanted them. They’re practically eating from my palm. I didn’t know it would be this easy.”

I felt something grip me on the chest when she said. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

The younger girl laughed. “Chan Yeol and Sehun? So things are working according to your plans?”

“Plan? What plan?” Chan Yeol hyung whispered, his shoulders sinking as he eyed me in confusion. I shook my head at him, not knowing what to say.

We heard Aerin’s laughter from inside the room, sounding off as she said, “Oh yes. In less than the time I was expecting, Sehun and Chan Yeol actually confessed to me.”

“Wow, unnie. That was really easy. You’re such a heartbreaker.”

Heartbreaker. I didn’t have any idea she was still living up to that reputation her classmates at her former school gave her. I was starting to have a very bad feeling about it.

“I think everyone should call me with that title now,” she said smugly.

Hyung shifted uneasily beside me. “Wow,” he whispered. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know.” I sounded worried even to myself.

Hee Jin talked again. “You’re really lucky though. You just nailed the school’s biggest player not to mention your…” She paused then continued. “…mother’s ward. You’ve got big fishes in your hands.”

Big fishes? Who did they think they were talking about? Damn it. It was like they’re saying we’re pieces of meat that they could just take for granted. I glanced at Chan Yeol hyung and saw him leaning against the wall with a blank expression on his face.

“Quite the catch, yes, but they’re a handful. I’m thinking of ending this sooner than I thought of originally. I feel quite bad for tearing their friendship apart, but what can I say, I’m evil this way,” she ridiculed then laughed derisively.

“You got that right.”

Chan Yeol hyung and I just stood still by the wall, staring blankly at the opposite side. I saw his fists clenching tightly as he controlled his breathing. I nudged him on the side, but I couldn’t offer any words of consolation as I, too, felt betrayed.

“But don’t you feel the slightest affection for them? I mean, they’ve been good guys to you basing on what you’ve told me.”

We both tensed up, waiting for her answer, then we both slackened when she said, “Oh they are, but they’re still boys. They’re all the same. I don’t think they’re special at all. They’re just sweet because they’re trying to get what they want, but in actuality, they’re all after one thing.”

“That isn’t true,” Chan Yeol hyung mumbled weakly and I felt really sorry for him. I hurt at her words, too, but I felt an even greater pain for him. He must really love her.

“Love?” Hee Jin said.

“Don’t give me th