'You're out rather late,' Luhan said as he held an umbrella over Chanyeol's head. 'The rain isn't fun when you're by yourself this late at night- especially without an umbrella.'

It was past midnight and the rain had shown no sign of stopping. You were long gone but Chanyeol remained outside- alone, wet and cold.

'And although the wet Romeo-esque look will work for some, you kind of just look like a tall, drenched, homeless guy.'

'Hyung...'

'What happened?' Luhan asked cautiously, 'Haneul came home over two hours ago. Why didn't you two come back together?'

Luhan was getting soaked and so Chanyeol grabbed the umbrella and held it over his hyung's head, allowing the rain to seep into his already seeping clothes and hair. 'Hyung, I told her.'

Luhan's eyebrows shot up. 'You told her you like her?'

Chanyeol nodded, 'I had to, hyung. Kai and D.O both like her and they've told her. On top of that, D.O's kissed her. Twice.'

Luhan noticed Chanyeol clench his fists tightly. 'Are you jealous of that or something?' 

'Hyung, just help me get over her.' Chanyeol said, sighing, 'if I can get over her now then it won't be too bad when she rejects me, right?'

'You just confessed, Chanyeol.' Luhan said, tilting the umbrella so that it'd cover him, 'You can't do that. You can't just confess then try and get over the girl.'

'She'll never choose me, hyung.' Chanyeol said

'Your reasoning is pathetic.'

'Just tell me: how did you get over her?'

'With difficulty, Chanyeol, okay? It was hard- really hard. Being away from it all helped a lot but you're hardly going to leave. Where would you go? Your parents' place? Pur-lease.'

Chanyeol began to cry, 'hyung, why the hell does it hurt so much? I have to get married to someone I don't want to and she was telling me to give it a go.'

Luhan shrugged, 'Chan-'

'She told me to date the girl!'

'Is that what Chen was mumbling about in his sleep last night then? He kept talking about your parents crashing his wedding.'

'My marriage partner is Seohee.'

'Well that complicates things hugely.'

'Nicely deduced, hyung.' Chanyeol said sarcastically, 'I would never have figured that out myself.'

'So that's why he punched you. He thought you had done something to her.'

'Yeah,' Chanyeol sighed, 'when in fact, I'm the one trying to figure out this mess. She can't do anything about it.'

'Why not?'

'I'm in more of a position to disobey my parents, let's put it that way.'

'Chen knows now though, doesn't he?'

Chanyeol nodded, 'Baekhyun told him yesterday and then when I came home, Chen was waiting for me in our room.'

'At least you won't be getting surprise punches anymore. That's promising, right?'

'Easy for you to say, hyung. You're not the one forever being hit.' Chanyeol glared at his elder, 'you even hit me.'

Luhan laughed, 'that's true.'

Without realising it, Luhan had managed to walk Chanyeol out of the university campus and onto the streets. They had come to a small convenience store and taking out his ID card, Luhan purchased a couple of cans of beer.

'Alcohol? Really? Hyung, I'm not that distraught.'

Luhan nodded, 'we're going to need to think of a plan, aren't we? In this case, I think the crazier the plan, the better.'

Sitting down under the tarpaulin roof that sheltered the tiny shop, Luhan was the first to crack open the can of beer.

'It's late, hyung,' Chanyeol said, 'what if Haneul's waiting up for me?'

Luhan rolled his eyes. 'You just said she would never pick you and now you're assuming she'll be waiting up for you to get back home.'

'A guy can still hope, hyung.'

Luhan shoved a can in Chanyeol's face, the frothy liquid splashing out onto his fingers.

'Just drink and get brainstorming.'

 

It wasn't long until Chanyeol was muttering all sorts of incomprehensible things to both himself and Luhan, who groaned like he'd rather kill himself than listen to Chanyeol anymore.

'Chanyeol, it's been over an hour and all you've told me is how much money your parents made in the last 3 years-' Luhan said, '-in detail! No offence but I really don't care. For someone who hates their parents, you certainly keep tabs on their every move.'

'Hyung, it's almost 3AM! What if Haneul-'

'Oh shut up about Haneul for just a moment!' Luhan groaned, 'let's work out what to do about you and Seohee! Because nothing can happen between you and Haneul until you're single and ready to mingle again!'

'But...' Chanyeol whined, 'I am single.' He held up his fist to Luhan.'Forever alone buddies forever, hyung.'

'You're nuts if you think I'm fist bumping to that.' Chanyeol sighed and let his chin drop from his propped up wrists to the wet surface of the table. Luhan finished the last drop of his second can of beer and stood up abruptly, fist pumping the air. Chanyeol looked up wearily.

'I've got it! Chanyeol, holy cow, I've got something!'

'Is it crazy?'

'Of course it's crazy! It's the product of two beers in the early morning- if that doesn't spell crazy then I don't know what does.'

'What is it? Your plan? Is it going to work?'

'You and Seohee both want to get out of this, right?'

'Hyung, don't ask stupid questions.'

'If you both have girlfriends and boyfriends then they can't possibly ask you to get hitched' Luhan reasoned, 'that's a fair reason not to go ahead with the wedding, right?'

'I guess so. But you're forgetting the teeny, tiny fact that I don't have a girlfriend. We can hardly go and find someone to pretend to be my girlfriend either.'

'Why not?'

'Can you imagine putting up a notice in the bulletin around campus? WANTED: a girl with the theatrical capability to pose as Park Chanyeol's girlfriend and fool his parents. Failure to convince them of your 'legitimate' relationship shall result in ruining a perfectly fitting couple consisting of a certain Kim Jongdae and Seohee. You must be able to live with this guilt for the rest of your life.'

'Fair enough, I see your point.' Luhan nodded, 'but we could ask Haneul to be your girlfriend for the day? She'd do it for sure.'

Chanyeol slammed his can down onto the table. 'No!'

'Why not now?'

'I'll... I'll get too attached. And then it'll hurt once the pretending is over,' he said, 'so no, not her. She can't know about this either, hyung'

'This might be a good move though. Perhaps, after a day of pretending, she'll really like the idea of you two together?' Luhan suggested, 'you know, like she'll realise how much she likes having you as her boyfriend?'

'And if she doesn't like it but I do, what am I supposed to do?'

'Chanyeol, give it some benefit of doubt.'

'Hyung, I know I'm a guy but I'm sensitive. If she doesn't want to be with me, I'd rather not lift my hopes by having her act like my girlfriend for a day.'

'Then who should we ask?'

'Maddie? She's close to us now.'

'You think Baekhyun would let you near his dearly beloved Maddie?' Luhan smirked, 'he gets touchy when I so much as just mention her name.'

'That's true. All he does is talk about her and how much he likes her.'

'I think we can rule Mrs Future Byun Baekhyun out.'

'You don't know that they're going to get married, hyung.'

Luhan raised his eyebrows. 'Chanyeol, think about it.'

Chanyeol took a few seconds to think clearly before nodding slowly in agreement. 'Okay, yes. Let's rule Maddie out. That'd probably be for the best.'

'How about Ah Ri?' 

'Ah Ri?' Chanyeol repeated, slightly surprised by the suggestion, 'I'm not close with her. Wouldn't it be a bit weird?'

'I'm sure it'd be okay if I just ask it as a favour.'

'A favour?' A smile crept up on Chanyeol's face as he began grinning like an idiot. 'You're close enough to be asking favours?'

It took one hit to his head for Luhan to assume power again and it left the younger clutching his hair. 'Oh shut up, Chanyeol.'

It didn't stop him from beaming creepily again. 'If you can get Ah Ri in on the plan then fine- but she isn't allowed to tell Haneul under any circumstances.'

'I'll make sure I tell her that but if she spills, there's nothing I can do about it.'

 

---

 

The clock told you it was past 3AM and you silently crept out of bed and over to your shut bedroom door. Lying flat on the ground whilst taking care not to let your foot end up in Huiling's face, you looked under the crack. At the far side of the dorm, you still couldn't see Chanyeol's shoes. Gently getting up and cursing when your knees clicked loudly stirring the sleeping Huiling, you pushed open your door and walked out. No one was sitting outside awake which you were thankful for. You snuck over to Baekhyun and Chanyeol's room- also known as the terror zone, the pig sty, game city, the bombsite, death in a room, the biggest hole ever and the dungeon. Teasing the door open as quietly as possible, you noticed Baekhyun sleeping soundly, his phone dangling off the bed by the headphones in his ears. The lamp beside him was on but turned down to the dimmest and you looked over to Chanyeol's bed, hoping you were mistaken and that he'd been home for hours. 

You hadn't wanted to leave him but after he kissed you, you stood there for a while. He had run off, suddenly afraid or scared and you didn't run after him. Thinking about it now and it being 3AM with the weather absolutely bucketing it down, you sort of regretted not chasing after him. Maybe he was lost. Maybe he was dead. 

'Haneul? You look like you've seen a ghost.'

You shrieked as Baekhyun lifted his head and took out his headphones. 

'You're worried too?' he said, 'want to stay here until he comes back?'

You nodded and looked around, trying to find somewhere to sit. It amazed you that someone like Baekhyun who voluntarily took over laundry duty could live in a room piled high with clothes. It wasn't just Chanyeol's clothes either. Baekhyun was just as guilty as he was. Chuckling, Baekhyun lifted his duvet and patted the spot beside him. The boys had almost all learnt to wear a form of pajamas, now realising that having a girl around meant no more sleeping topless and in boxers.

'It's warmer in my bed than in Chanyeol's. Mine's probably a hell lot more cleaner too. I'm pretty sure I saw him eating in bed yesterday.'

You hopped in and Baekhyun sat up cross legged. You noted his silky trousers and pointed to them. They looked like something that would cost no more than a couple of cents in a cheap Chinese market.

'Those are interesting.'

'Maddie got them for me.' Baekhyun said proudly, 'they're kind of ugly but I'll wear it because they're from her. I got my own back though.'

'How?'

'I gave her a really childish and ugly hat and made her wear it for the entire date. It had a fish tail coming out of the back of it. '

'Bet she hated you. Where on earth did you even find that?'

'Sehun's closet.'

'Wow.'

'Drama students, eh?'

You grinned, 'totally.'

 

As the night wore on and you grew tired, Baekhyun climbed out of the bed to let you sleep alone. He decided not to bother trying to move you back to your own room so hopped out and into the bed opposite the one he was in. He eased the pillow under your head and replaced it with the pillow from the other bed, doing the same with the duvet covering you. Finally, he opened the drawer of the bedside table and took out the photo of Chanyeol and Jiyoung that he had hidden. Re-placing it on the table, he quickly texted Chanyeol before sliding into his real, own bed where he had turned over the stuck up photos of him and Maddie together.

Someone was worried about you so expect a surprise in your bed when you get home. Don't try and tell me I'm not the greatest friend ever.

 

 

 

---

My dearest readers, I have left you for too long! What's it been? Like... over two weeks? I'm finally back from my month long holiday (back in London baby!!!) and I finally have my laptop back! Yay for being able to update like normal now! Yay! Yay! Yay! The holiday was great and I got loads done. I've bought supplies for Project Hard Copy regarding the pretty packaging etc. I've pretty much found the print shop I'm going to use. I've mapped out the design of all the books and started brain-storming ideas for the cover. Honestly, I am so so excited. Realistically, the copies will probably be available around Christmas time- good news for those with not enough money to buy for themselves or no bank card!

I had the most amazing holiday- thank you to everyone I met in Singapore! I learnt so much about life in another country and it was so just so great hearing real talk from people that live there. I had this pre-conceived perception of Singapore and now, I have a much more realistic view. It's been such a great experience and I definitely want to meet you all again next year (as well as the others I wasn't able to see this time round!!)

EXO have won 4 times with Growl since my last update I believe and my UK readers recieved GCSE results today (and SG readers recieved O-Levels?) so today is a happy happy day! An update from me to celebrate EXO's amazing success! Apologies for the immense shortness of this update. You guys deserve a lot more but the next chapter will be a biggie for ya'll!