“Channie!”

Chanyeol looked up from the magazine he was reading and found himself smiling so wide at what he saw. It was Baekhyun and he was smiling.

He let out a relieved sigh and pointed a finger at his best friend, “So, I see you’re back to your normal self now. What happened?”

Baekhyun just shrugged and plopped himself on the sofa beside Chanyeol. “Nothing much…”

Chanyeol threw a look of disbelief which Baekhyun responded with a grin. “Something’s fishy…” He trailed off and looked at Baekhyun carefully.

Just yesterday night, he was sulking and talking about something close to suicide. He has known Baekhyun since he was four and it was the first time he saw him acting like that. Baekhyun is the kind of person who always has a wide grin plastered on his face. He isn’t the type who needs some cheering up, he was always the one who cheers other people up. Chanyeol cannot believe that he was acting like that because of some girl…

Chanyeol tried to hide his sad smile as he finally realized the mystery behind Baekhyun’s sudden change of mood. They got back together again.

“You’re back with Yiseul again?” He pretended to scan the pages of the magazine, only to stop after hearing Baekhyun’s enthusiastic reply.

“How did you know?” Baekhyun attacked him with a hug and ruffled his already messy hair. “Park Chanyeol, you really are my best friend. You can read me so well.”

Of course, Chanyeol can read Baekhyun well. They were not best friends for nothing, after all. This made Chanyeol wonder if Baekhyun can read him well too. He wondered if Baekhyun can see through him as clear as crystal too. He wondered if his best friend can sense the sadness that he felt with his ‘good’ news.

It made him feel guilty. It really did but Chanyeol really did not like Baekhyun’s girlfriend at all. He despises her as much as he loves Baekhyun. She’s as fake as plastic, as untrue as the boy who cried wolf and more evil than any evil person Chanyeol can think of. He wasn’t really the type who hates on people for a long time but this was about Baekhyun we’re talking about. Baekhyun who has been his best friend since forever. Baekhyun who has a fragile heart. And Baekhyun who he will never let anyone hurt again.

That’s exactly why he cannot tell Baekhyun the true colors of his girlfriend. He cannot let himself break his best friend’s heart.

“Yah!” Baekhyun poked Chanyeol’s head playfully. “Why does it seem like you’re not happy with it?”

Chanyeol flashed the most convincing smile he can make and hugged Baekhyun back. “Of course, Baekkie. I’m always happy if you’re happy.”

----

A million thoughts occupied your mind as you headed home. Someone from school actually smiled at you today. It was the first time someone did that and it made you feel unnecessarily happy. You quickly shook all these thoughts away as you remembered what he had said about your grandmother. Your grandmother! What has she told him? He probably told him so much embarrassing things to make him flustered like that!

You quickly shook these thoughts away and let out a frustrated sigh. Why were you even so worked up because of this guy? What’s so different about him anyway? Yeah, he’s good looking and all but he’s probably just one of those stuck-up kingkas who constantly make fun of you. Yes, he talked to you and if he was really like the other kids in your school, he would have thrown your phone away which he didn’t do but that’s just because you had his phone with you.

You convinced yourself to not think about him anymore and headed straight to your room without asking your grandmother what she had said through the phone. Your grandmother was just probably excited because she assumed that this guy was your friend but unfortunately for your grandmother and for you, he wasn’t.

You threw yourself on your bed and stared at your glowing in the dark stars. You were about to doze off when you heard the familiar sound of babies crying. Your eyes shot wide open as you opened your phone just to find a message from the same stranger who has texted you last night.

You were about to stand up to do a little happy dance when you realized how pathetic that is. You did not really expect him to reply again after what happened last night but now that he did, you became so happy that even you, yourself were shocked at your own feelings.

From: XXXXXXXXXXX

Do you know why dolphins cry?

His unexpected message startled you a bit. Why was he suddenly talking about dolphins? Did he mistaken you as his friend, Bacon again?

To: XXXXXXXXXXX

I don't really know why.

From: XXXXXXXXXXX

Because they feel so lonely and they want their thoughts to be heard.

To:XXXXXXXXXXX

Why are you still talking to me...Didn't I told you that I'm not Bacon?

From:XXXXXXXXXXX

Because just like the dolphins, I feel lonely and I wanted my thoughts to be heard. Can't you listen to this dolphin's cry just for one night?

You wanted to tell him that you can listen to his thoughts as long as he want. You wanted to tell him how happy you are that someone is talking to you again. You wanted to tell this stranger that you were also a lonely dolphin, waiting for someone to listen to your cry and join you.

To:XXXXXXXXXXX

Lonely? But don't you have your friend Bacon with you?

From:XXXXXXXXXXX

I don't want to bother him with my dolphin cries. :(

To:XXXXXXXXXXX

So you're bothering me? >.<

From:XXXXXXXXXXX

Yes. Can't I? :D

Can't he? Strangely enough, instead of getting annoyed by his reply, you find yourself enjoying it. You want him to bother you as much as he wants. You just want to talk to someone.

To:XXXXXXXXXXX

Not really. Let's be dolphins together. :)

You exchanged stories about your troubles in life and it shocked you how open you were being with each other. He told you about not being able to tell his best friend that his girlfriend was deceiving him and you told him about your loneliness. Maybe those are the perks of being strangers. You can easily say what you are feeling without getting scared. He doesn't know you and you don't know him. He cannot possibly tell everyone you know what you told him because he does not even know them in the first place.

To:XXXXXXXXXXX

Wait,I haven't actually asked you what your name was.

From:XXXXXXXXXXX

Happy Virus! Call me Happy Virus ^_^

To:XXXXXXXXXXX

Happy Virus? That doesn't sound like a real name...

From:XXXXXXXXXXX

Because it isn't, pabo!! Hahahhahaha.

To:XXXXXXXXXXX

Why aren't you telling me your real name? :(

From:XXXXXXXXXXX

Because you're still a stranger and wouldn't it be fun if we use codenames, dolphin-chingu?

Dolphin-chingu? Chingu. Chingu. Chingu.

Chingu.

The word was a normal word that any other person out there says so easily but why did it affect you so hard? Chingu? That two single syllable word hit you like a hard rock and you did not want to seem more pathetic than you already were but you cannot stop the tears that have already escaped your eyes like water falls.

You have a friend now. Your very first friend. You don't really know him personally but having someone to talk to so freely made you so happy, the happiest you have been since your parents died.

To: Happy Virus

Okay, Happy Virus. Call me SS then!

To be honest, you were never near the lines of being creative and SS is the only codename you could think of. SS were your initials; Song Saerin but it could be anything, really. It could be So Social, So Simple or even, Solution Set...

From: Happy Virus

SS? Do you mean you’re Super y? ;)

To: Happy Virus

YAH! Happy Virus! :(

You let out a loud yawn as sleep started to get to you. Now that you have a friend, who knows what sunshine, rainbows and sweetness tomorrow could bring for you.