“-and then he kicked the ball and it flew over the building’s rooftop! Can you believe that!? Over a freaking rooftop, Hyerin! How can anyone do that!?” Chanyeol exclaimed through the phone.

Hyerin was polishing a set of daggers inside her room, her phone sandwiched between her ear and shoulder. “Mhm. Yeah.”

“Oh, and not only that, but he can eat six bowls of rice in one sitting! Even I can’t do that!”

“Right,” Hyerin mumbled distractedly, putting her knives back inside a black miniature duffel bag. “So who are we talking about again?”

Hyerin could practically hear his pout on the other end of the line. “Were you even paying attention to what I was saying? What are you doing anyway?”

“Who, me? Oh, you know. Just…things.” She shrugged. “So why’d you call me again, Chanyeol?”

“Hey!” the boy whined. “You really weren’t listening, were you?”

“I just got a little carried away. Sorry.” She stood up from her bed and hid her black bag inside her walk-in closet.

Chanyeol scoffed. “Never mind,” he mumbled. “Anyway, have you heard about the upcoming event at school?”

“Event?”

“Yeah. Suho and his little minions-”

“You mean the student council?”

“-are organizing like, a formal ball or dance or something. Are you coming?” he asked.

Hyerin’s eyebrows rose. “Really? When is it?”

“I’m not sure but I think it’s in a couple of weeks. So are you?”

Hyerin snorted at the idea. It wasn’t like she had any close friends that would accompany her to such a big event. Although the boys were considered her friends at this point, it wasn’t like they were going to be with her the whole time. Besides, they all had their own group of friends.

“Nah. I don’t want to.”

“What!?” Chanyeol exclaimed. “But why!?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never been to any fancy social gatherings. Well, aside from dad’s business parties that is, but with Yeongnam students? I don’t think any of them even know anything about table etiquette,” she scoffed. Hyerin wasn’t the best when it came to things like that too, but ever since she moved in with her father and was compelled to attend such gatherings, she had picked up quite a few pointers when it came to formality.

“Why? What’s it to you?” she asked.

“M-Me?” Chanyeol stuttered. She was right – wha was it to him? “I don’t know…maybe I just want to see you there or something.”

She laughed. “Really? Does my presence have some kind of effect on you or something?”

He knew she meant it as a joke, but he couldn’t help the blush creeping up on his face. “No!” he denied. “I’m just…you know, just…I just want to-”

“Oh! Hold on Chanyeol,” she interrupted, taking her phone in her hands as another call came up. It was Luhan.

“What the heck,” she mumbled. What could this guy possibly want? “Hey, I gotta go. Luhan’s calling. I’ll talk to you later okay?”

Chanyeol frowned. “Fine.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Bye.”

Hyerin ended the call and answered Luhan. She put the phone to her ear before asking, “What’s up?”

“I’m outside.”

“Huh?”

“I said I’m outside,” he repeated.

Hyerin rushed to her window, and like what Luhan said, he was outside. The boy was standing in front of the gates, his phone stuck in his shoulder as he lifted up the sleeves of his leather jacket.

“What the hell are you doing outside my house, Luhan?”

“Come down.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.” She saw him scowl from far away.

Hyerin shook her head in disbelief and ended the call. She put on a cashmere sweater before heading downstairs and out the door. She opened the gates and stepped outside.

She didn’t get the chance to say anything when Luhan started pulling her towards the street.

“Hey!” she yelled in protest. “What the heck? Where are we going? And why so sudden?”

“We’re going on a date,” Luhan said, winking at her.

“No, seriously," she deadpanned. “Where are we going?”

Luhan turned his head to the front, his grip on her arm loosening but never really letting go. “We are going to Baekhyun’s place.”

“Why?”

“Since my mother is so fond of Baekhyun, I have to drop this off,” he said, lifting up a plastic bag that he was carrying with his other hand. “It’s beef stew," he said, shaking his head. "I swear she loves him more than me.”

“Then why do I have to go?” she asked, confused.

He gave her a boyish grin before heading towards the bus stop. “Is it really necessary to have a reason for everything? Fine then. I want to spend time with you,” he said, taking Hyerin aback. “The others always steal you away and since the weekend is the perfect time to get rid of them, it’s my turn to have you all to myself.”

Hyerin glared at him. “You are crazy-”

“What, is it wrong?” the boy challenged. He looked straight ahead and tried to keep himself from laughing at her.

"Yes," she said, glaring at him. "Last time I checked I wasn't some toy to pass around whenever you all pleased. Girls aren't just some things you take and play with."

"Yet here we are now."

Hyerin bristled at that, making him finally laugh out loud.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, I'm just messing with you," he chuckled, letting go of her hand and casually propping his arm around her shoulders. "I've always wanted to pull those lines off at one point."

Hyerin scoffed. "Why? Are you serious? It's so corny and creepy andy."

Luhan shrugged as they turned a corner. "I don't know. Chicks dig it, maybe?"

"Or maybe it's your internalized misogyny that I can't blame you for having since you were born and raised in a society in which you were led to believe that disrespecting women is okay and perfectly normal?"

Luhan raised his brows and slowly pried his arm off Hyerin's shoulders. "Alrighty now."

Hyerin laughed and walked ahead of him. "That's what I thought."

---

It took them roughly fifteen minutes to get to their destination. They rode the bus getting there and walked half a mile more before arriving at a shabby apartment building located in one of the rougher areas of the city. Luhan lead the way to Baekhyun’s pad, where they climbed up a few stories and walked through long hallways before finally getting there.

Luhan fished out a key from his pocket and proceeded to open the door.

“You have a key to his apartment?”

“Yeah, Tao and I. We’re here almost everyday,” he said, pushing the door open and letting the girl go in first. She hesitantly took a step inside, looking around the place.

The apartment was fairly small and the walls were dull in color. There was a small space for the living room in the center, and a miniature kitchen on the right. To the left was a short narrow hallway that could only lead to his bedroom and bathroom. It was surprisingly clean, seeing that Baekhyun was always so disorganized with his stuff at school.

“He lives alone?” Hyerin asked, taking off her shoes before walking further inside.

“Yup. He moved out of his parents’ house two years ago. He couldn’t really sneak out of the house anymore whenever he had gigs with his band and stuff. By the way, you should watch him perform some time.” He headed towards the kitchen and opened the fridge.

Hyerin sat on a stool in front of the kitchen counter. “So what did his parents say?”

He shrugged, closing the fridge with his foot. He took a glass from the cupboard and poured water into it. “They were pretty cool about it, I think. They visit him once in a while from what I heard.” He slid the glass towards her. She murmured thanks before gulping it down.

“What about you?” she asked, wiping with her sleeve. Luhan sat beside her. “Since you’re going to move out of your house now.”

“I already asked. They were pretty shocked,” he scoffed, resting his elbows on top of the counter. “What with their perfect little son suddenly making such a decision like that.”

“So you’re that kid, huh?”

“What?”

She shrugged. “You know. Those trophy kids that parents always brag about to other parents?”

Luhan shook his head, chuckling. “You have no idea. It’s not really a big deal to my mom, but my dad’s very strict with me. I’m pretty sure he’s against my moving out.”

She noticed his eyes darken, but it slipped away just as quickly as it came. It was soon replaced with a playful grin, and she wondered what it was with this boy that made him so peculiar.

“Well, since we don’t know what time Baekhyun’s coming,” he said, suddenly taking the glass from her hand and closing the distance between them. “Do you feel like doing anything?” he asked in a low voice as he stared directly into her eyes.

Hyerin moved back, eyeing him suspiciously. “Like what?”

“Oh, you know, it can be anything,” he leaned in, “but I prefer something that has to do with…you and me,” he said, whispering the last part.

By now her face was inches from his. "I don't have time for whatever it is you're trying to do, Luhan," she tried saying in a stern matter but failing miserably. Something about the way his breath tickled her cheek was distracting her.  

“Are we on the same page?” Luhan asked in a hushed tone, lifting her chin with his index finger.

“Personal space, please!?” she panicked, pushing the boy away.

Luhan gave her a nonchalant look. “What? I was going to suggest baking cookies for Baekhyun but I guess you thought differently. Oh well.” He stretched out his arms before standing up and headed towards the door.

“W-Where are you going?” she asked, watching him warily.

“Baekhyun isn't going to be home for another thirty minutes or so, so I’m going to the market to buy something for my mom. You can stay here if you want.” He shrugged. “I’ll be back before he gets here.”

Hyerin did nothing but stare as he closed the door behind him, stunned.

“Jesus,” she murmured, standing dumbly in the middle of the living room. She was still devastated by his antics, and for some reason, she felt that Luhan was worse than Kai. How can such a quiet boy who was always just in the sidelines be that playful?

Taking her mind off the issue, she decided to explore Baekhyun’s home.

She went around the kitchen, the living room, into the hallway, the bathroom, until she came upon what can only be Baekhyun’s bedroom.

Hyerin knew that snooping around someone’s property is strongly frowned upon, but she had nothing to do, and it wasn’t like she was going to steal or break anything. She was only going to look.

Without thinking much of it, she twisted the doorknob.

Hyerin’s eyes widened. In contrast to the cleanliness outside, his room was a total mess. Clothes and blank canvases were scattered around the floor, his bed covered in textbooks and CD cases. On top of his desk were paintbrushes and a Ziploc full of guitar picks. The closet door was broken, and inside the drawers were left open.

His room was surprisingly free of posters. Instead, there were paintings.

Ignoring the clutter, she looked around. The sky blue walls were covered with his art pieces, and if it weren’t for the big mess, Baekhyun’s room would have looked like an art exhibit. Each painting on the wall had a different theme—from landscapes and flowers to laughing children and windowpanes. It was amazing.

It took her aback as the thought of him making all these paintings dawned on her. How can Baekhyun make such beautiful artwork like these? How can one person do so much with just a couple of swift motions of their hand? It was like magic.

Completely oblivious to her surroundings, she didn’t notice another presence joining her.

Baekhyun wasn’t that surprised to find her in his bedroom, and it was probably because he was too tired to think too much of it. There was no point in getting angry, but he did feel slightly violated as he watched her gazing so intently at his artwork. This place was his haven, where his paintings resided. And as Hyerin admired them unconsciously, it felt like he was letting someone look into his life.

Nonetheless, he didn’t miss the slight stirring in his chest when he found her in there. Something about the image of the girl standing in the middle of his messy bedroom with the light of the afternoon sun making her hair glow seemed so pretty. It was like a painting on its own.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Hyerin’s eyes widened as she whipped around. There was Baekhyun, leaning comfortably against the doorframe and looking at her with raised eyebrows, arms crossed against his chest.

“I-I am so sorry,” she sputtered, embarrassed of the fact that she got caught red-handed. “Luhan…he brought me here. His mom brought you something. And uh,” she scratched the back of her head, “he left for a short while. He said he’d be back.”

Baekhyun shrugged then nodded slowly. He didn’t move from his position against the doorframe and she didn’t know if she should go or stay.

“So uh,” she looked around, “you made all this?”

“Yes." He adjusted his glasses. "So mind telling me why you’re in my room again? Because as far as I know, whatever you just said wasn't an explanation for why you're here.” He wasn’t going to let it go, although he was honestly fine with it.

“Right,” she sighed, bowing her head. “Sorry, I was too curious,” Hyerin placed her hands behind her back as if to restrain herself from touching anything. “But they’re really pretty,” she mumbled, referring to the paintings.

Baekhyun looked up at his work. “They’re not my best, but they’re okay,” He turned to her and adjusted his glasses. “Which one’s your favorite?”

“My favorite?” She didn’t expect him to ask that. Nonetheless, she looked up at the paintings.

It took her a long time to pick until she came across one that really caught her eye. It was a portrait of a girl with long auburn hair and fair skin. She was really beautiful and had close to perfect features. Her lips were curved into a soft smile and her eyes twinkled in amusement.

Although it was breathtaking the way it is, she couldn’t help but wonder why it was only half of the girl’s face.

Following Hyerin’s train of sight, Baekhyun’s jaw clenched. “Of all the paintings, you had to pick this one?” he chuckled bitterly.

“Why? Is there something wrong with it?” she asked. “Well, it is incomplete.”

“There’s a reason to why that’s unfinished you know.” He stood beside her and stared at the portrait. “How did that even end up there?” he wondered as his eyes roamed on every inch of the canvas.

Hyerin didn't miss the gesture, which made her ask with genuine curiosity, “Who is she?”

“Ex-girlfriend.”

Hyerin turned to him in shock. “Seriously?”

Baekhyun scoffed. “That kind of reaction coming from you makes me feel like you think of me as someone who can’t get a girlfriend.”

Hyerin glared at him before asking, “So what happened?”

“What happens to every failing relationship.” He shrugged, brushing the edge of the canvas. “We drifted apart. But it wasn’t like it was unexpected. I saw it coming. She was opposed to me being in a band and her parents didn't even like me. We were too different.”

He shook his head, prying the canvas off the wall. “She was a gentle, pretty ballerina and I was just a band frontman who likes to paint. She wanted to go to law school and I wanted to go to music school. She has status and I don’t. She has a goal in life and I don’t. She loved me,” he sighed, tossing the painting on his bed, “but not enough to make her stay.”

Hyerin bit the inside of her cheek. What was she supposed to say to something like that?

To her relief, Baekhyun laughed nonchalantly and sat on the edge of his bed. “These paintings have relevance to my life in one way or another, and I’ve shared one with you. It’s so funny how things escalate so quickly. Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago when we were in each other’s throats?” Baekhyun chuckled, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Hyerin leaned back against the wall, shaking her head good-naturedly. “Life is funny sometimes,” she mumbled, sticking her hands inside her pockets. “So what was her name?”

Baekhyun looked up at her with a small smile. “Yoona.”