-Suho’s POV-

I didn’t know what to make of what I’ve just seen. All of us who were left on the table just either ate quietly or stared right into space. I was doing the latter. Things got out of hand since she couldn’t choose and I think it has taken its turn for the worse, but at some point it was good. I shook my head. That was really confusing. I looked around me and saw Kai and Hee Jin giggling to each other. I guess they’ve recovered from it immediately since they had each other and now they were the ones trapped in their own world of rainbows and butterflies. On the other hand, Baekhyun and D.O. were spacing off just like I was.

I sighed, thinking things through. Aerin definitely failed on this one and it was just another way of saying that it was as pointless as it could get. She planned to hurt them both so they’d at least stay away, that was the goal, but she’s just too weak when it comes to things that involved both Chan Yeol and Sehun. Poor kids. I’d bet all they wanted was to be happy, but then, it shows in their daily deterioration since Sehun’s birthday weekend that they all cared for each other more deeply than they let on or know.

Chan Yeol was very sincere to her and after hearing his rather passionate confession to her, he made it clear to every one of us how he really felt, why he had behaved that way in front of Hee Jin and why he wasn’t giving up at all. Sehun’s reaction to that scene was heart-wrenching. It was like he was seeing his dreams plummet to the ground with a devastating crash.  He cared deeply for Aerin as well. They were probably equals when it came to that. Everything was just made clearer to all of us, the gravity of the situation, the hurt that would come in the end. It’s too out of hand to stop now. There was nothing any of us could do, but to see things unfold before us.

On the other hand, Aerin’s confusion just got fully blown. It wouldn’t be easy for her to choose any one of the two boys. She came to me and Baekhyun, crying about how they’ve bared their feelings for her. She was scared by the mere prospect of it and in turn, did a reckless thing that resulted to their present state. I didn’t have a name for it, but the best word would probably be uncertainty. As long as she wasn’t choosing anyone, they would both have to suffer through the race, hurt one another until she gives the ultimate blow. They would all hurt. The only difference now was that they all are enjoying the hurt, masochists basking under their own pain caused by their own doing. I felt really bad for them. Weren’t love stories supposed to end happily? I guess I was a fool to believe that. After all, fairy tales would be nothing but stories without basis and nothing else.

Now that the two idiots seemed to have forgiven her tactless actions, things were going to be a rollercoaster ride from that time on. They couldn’t resist her as much as she couldn’t do so with them. The odd fact about it was Aerin’s selfishness and thoughtfulness at the same time. She was selfish in the sense that she wouldn’t choose anyone, making it harder for them by making it hang on for too long, but one couldn’t deny her care for both people was also undeniable. She was being selfish because she cared for them. I chuckled to myself. How ironic.

“What was he thinking?” Baekhyun suddenly asked no one in particular.

“Huh?” we all said in chorus. No one was actually paying attention to him.

I arched a brow at him. “What is who thinking?”  My question didn’t even sound certain. I didn’t know what I was asking.

“Chan Yeol,” he answered quite irritated. “He shouldn’t have done that.”

Kai smirked. “It’s evident why he did that.”

D.O. scoffed. “There are downsides to it.”

“Now you doubt Chan Yeol hyung?” the younger boy asked.

“It’s not that, but Aerin isn’t altogether safe with him now that everyone knows about them,” D.O. argued.

That was true, but it wouldn’t be his fault if something like the incident some weeks ago would happen to Aerin again. That was dreadful, but it was possible.

Kai exhaled in exasperation. “That’s given, but now that we all know how much he cares for her, not to mention the consequences of what he just did entailed then maybe he’ll do everything to stop that from happening. Chan Yeol hyung may be happy-go-lucky fool, but you all know how he is once we’re all involved.”

“We also have Sehun to consider,” Baekhyun said. “Both of them are our friends and we can’t be taking sides now.”

Kai arched a brow at him, his ill-tempered self coming out. “Yeah? Then what’s this talk about Chan Yeol hyung’s shortcomings?”

“As far as I know, Sehun doesn’t have any fault yet,” D.O. retorted.

“You’re keeping scores?”

“It’s not –”

“Oh it is!” Kai retorted, but Hee Jin pulled on his sleeve and shook her head at him. He calmed down. “Sorry. I’m not taking any side, but that’s what this is all about. Sehun actually made things complicated by confessing to her after knowing that Chan Yeol hyung was already into her.”

“Hmm. Maybe he was already in love with her before Chan Yeol came into the picture,” I interjected before anyone else could speak. “Not that I’m certain about it.”

“There’s that to consider, too,” Kai gave in. “But we would never know.”

The maknae had known her longer than anyone of us have and Chan Yeol wasn’t an exception, but it didn’t really mean that Sehun already had feeling for her then. There was also the fact that he developed feelings for her because he suddenly saw competition. There were just too many matters to consider and it was confusing, but nonetheless, I nodded and smiled. “So the best we could do is not to argue about whose fault it is because in the end, no one else could solve the problem but them.”

“But the three of them are all so miserable,” Baekhyun commented glumly. “Did you see how Aerin looked like?”

I nodded. “Yes and all we could do is watch them since they all wanted to be involved in it. You’ve heard what Chan Yeol said. He wouldn’t back down and judging by our maknae’s reaction, he wouldn’t either.”

“Poor Aerin had to be caught in the middle of things.” D.O. sighed. “This is depressing.”

“It’s shouldn’t be. We’re their friends, but we shouldn’t be more affected than we should. All we could do is support them without taking sides.”

“Nothing’s changed…” Baekhyun said.

“Right,” D.O. chimed in.

“Let’s promise something to ourselves, shall we?” Kai proposed.

“What promise?” I asked.

“We shouldn’t be affected by it in any way. No matter whom Aerin chooses and no matter what happens between Chan Yeol hyung and Sehun, nothing will change.”

We all nodded.