“No.”

“But why?”

“I’m not doing it.”

“Oh, come on!” you plead while shaking Kai’s right arm. You swear you’re going to pull his arm out at this rate. “Be a nice guy!”

“I am being a nice guy. And stop shaking me,” he instructs, his left hand setting his iPod aside after it is wired to the stereo at the corner of the dance studio. “Nice guys don’t lie.”

“You’re unbelievable,” you sigh and let go of his toned arm.

“No, you are,” he says, walking pass you and to the center of the room. From the way he’s walking, you’re kind of expecting him to snap his fingers and the lights to go off.

“It’s not hard,” you cross your arms. “Not for you.” Kai knows very well what you’re talking about. Indeed, he’s good in acting. He’s always dramatic, and he surely does manage to put on a blank face constantly to brush his fans away. Crushes.

“Look, I’m not going to sit at a table with a girl—“

“—four.”

He continues stretching his arms, warming up and almost ignoring you, getting ready for his dance session. “Right,” he plays the music with a click on the remote control and throws it at you. You look down at the remote control in your hands, thinking what are you suppose to do with this. “I’m not sitting at a table with four girls so they can teach me my homework while I shake my head to every question, acting like I’m incapable to do Calculus.”

“They’re nice,” you insist, not giving up soon. He will crack soon. “Don’t you think you should meet more new people? Other than just hanging out with me?”

“What’s wrong with just hanging out with you?” he stands on his right foot only, his left leg bent upwards. “I like you.”

You like to think he didn’t mean it in another way. He will never think of you that way. “I appreciate that but you clearly know you’re capable of having more people to hang with. I don’t have a choice.”

“You do have a choice.” He turns to you abruptly. “Look, I know you don’t want to talk about her but I assure you not all girls will turn out like her. But it’s not like it matters, you already have Baekhyun,” he says casually. You’re not entirely sure but you think you see Kai’s eyes seem glossier than before, as though there are tears welling up.

“Well, I’m sorry.” You walk towards the stereo and put the remote control above it. You find yourself walking to the exit, your hand already on the doorknob. “Since I already have Baekhyun then maybe there’s more of a reason for you to meet someone new,” you say rebelliously and turn the knob. That’s how you guys talk to each other after all. It hurts sometime but you guys know all these teasing and mean words don’t mean anything by the end of the day.

“What time?” you manage to catch him say that before walking out the room.

“Do you think I’ve gone too far this time?” You lean towards Baekhyun who is sitting in front of you. You peek through the space made between Baekhyun’s arms and the table, trying to see how Kai is doing. The girls seem dangerous. You don’t trust any girls with Kai.

“I don’t think Kai would mind.” Baekhyun slowly turns to take a glance at Kai’s table but you stop him. Kai need not know you two are spying on him. Or them. “Why are you so worried?”

“Do you think he can see us?” you ask. The last thing you want is Kai to get angry.

Baekhyun chuckles, “I think the whole library can see us.”

You hit his hand, “Not funny,” you comment and go back to your spying. “This is weird. Kai is smiling. Wait, is he laughing? Is that a laugh?”

What is he doing? He shouldn’t be smiling!Where is the cool blank expression you are expecting?

Baekhyun shifts his body which manages to block your view of Kai’s table. You sit up immediately, motioning him to move but he didn’t. He his head, “You know,” he then leans forward, “if I didn’t know better, I think you like him.”

NO.

You throw your hands up and lean back to your chair. “Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?” No, I don’t like Kai. “I’m worried those girls will jump onto him and tear him apart so they get to share Kai among themselves. Each having a part of him.”

Baekhyun eye you suspiciously and you give him a weird look.

“I don’t like him,” you pause, “in that way.”

I like you.

“What?” he leans closer. , did you just say that out loud?

Crap. Hell. Say something. “I mean, I like you-ukuleles.” Ukeleles? “Yeah! They are so adorable. Like… like mini guitars!” You decide to stop. You have to. You sound so stupid even to your own ears.

“I like pianos.” Baekhyun states and you thank God for making Baekhyun born blur.

You nod and quickly take another glance at Kai’s direction. He’s still in one piece. He better stay in one piece.

“Want to come over my place tomorrow?”

You are taken aback. You look at Baekhyun confusingly who is looking quite fidgety. “I’m sorry but did you just invite me to your house?”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to. Or if you’re busy,” he replies quickly. Of course you’re not busy. Pft, you’ll clear your whole day for him. A whole week. “My mum was pestering me to invite you over for the past few days.”

Oh, his mum, you sigh. Not him.

“She likes you,” he adds.

She likes you.

“Riles?” Baekhyun waves his right hand in front of your face and you snap out from your thoughts.

“How’s life as spies?” Kai appears behind Baekhyun suddenly. He looks at you then to Baekhyun, “Ssup?” he asks casually.

Baekhyun smiles and shakes his head. “Riles is just worried for you. She was supposed to be meeting the president of her club but he’s not here.”

“And you?” Kai pulls a chair next to Baekhyun and sits down. “Don’t you have some choir practice?”

Baekhyun shrugs, “I don’t feel like going.”

“Right,” Kai says and turn back to you. “You’re right. They are nice.”

You take a glance at the table they are sitting. It looks the same just that Kai isn’t there anymore. The girls still look as crazy over Kai’s presence. “I’m always right,” you scoff.

“Then why are you here?” Kai