Leina’s POV:

  “So… what something?”

  I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear Kyungsoo’s voice. “B-bwo?”

  He doesn’t look up from his piece of paper. “Baekhyun hyung said he needs to talk to the other guy about something. So they know each other?”

  “A-ani,” I reply, looking everywhere but him. “I think it’s… uh… about Violet…”

  “Jung In?”

  I take a deep breath. “Jason Lee threatened to expose her and Sehun sunbaenim’s relationship, so I guess Baekhyun sunbaenim is just going to – “

  “Warn him.”

  “More like over a shark’s den, but yeah.”

  “Please, hyung will just throw him into one.”

  “I know, right?” I start laughing, and then Kyungsoo joins in, and magically, it feels like we’re back at one of this times, years ago, when we would laugh over stuff only we found hilarious, but a few seconds later our laughter dies and transforms into a thick fog of awkwardness.

  I haven’t heard him laugh for what feels like a million years. I miss hearing it, and I miss talking to him casually like we just did.

  I miss him.

  “I missed you.”

  At first I assume it’s me who said that, who let slip those three dangerous words, but as I see Kyungsoo’s face and his sad, sad smile, I realize it wasn’t me.

  It was him.

  “I missed you, Leina. A lot. How… how was Canada?”

  How was Canada? How was Canada?! He just admitted he knows it’s me but all he asks first is how is Canada?!

  “It was… fine.” I’m so angry I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to tell him that my heart ached every single second thinking of him, how the pain of wanting to see him stabbed my heart like a butcher’s knife, and here we are, finally seeing each other again, talking about goddamn Canada.

  Maybe he heard the anger strained in my voice. “Leina…” he breathes my name the way he always would when he knew I’m on the verge of emotionally breaking down, but this time his voice brought back so many overwhelming memories and tugged my heart in different directions, making it hard to breathe. “I’m really, really sorry.”

  Sorry for what? For pretending to not recognize me? For not even sparing me a look yesterday? Or for asking such a lame question like ‘how was Canada?’

  "I know you must be throwing fireballs at me in your head right now, Leina,” Kyungsoo says, “and I know you must be really, really angry because I… I might not have given you the welcome you anticipated yesterday…”

  The welcome I anticipated yesterday? You mean the one where your eyes would lighten up when you see me and run to me and hug me so tight I won’t want you to ever let go of me again? Or do you mean the one where we’ll both cry because we see each other again and say mushy stuff like ‘I’ve missed you every living second’?

  I can’t say that, despite the urge. The only word that comes out from my mouth is a ‘How?’

  Kyungsoo looks utterly relieved to hear me speak, but then confused. “How what?”

  “How… how do you know? About the words that just made themselves a roller coaster in my head?”

  “Because,” Kyungsoo replies slowly, a sweet, sweet smile that melts my insides appearing on his face. “I always know everything about you, Leina.”

  “Then – “

  “I knew it was you that day at the front door.” Kyungsoo puts the paper in his hand down and sighs. “I knew it was you the moment I saw you.”

  “Then why?” I can’t hold my tears any longer. “Why did you…”

  “Mianhae.”

  “I want an explanation, not an apology.”

  Kyungsoo even has the nerve to smile. “You’ve changed, Leina. More stronger and braver now.”

  “Don’t change the subject, Do Kyungsoo!” I’m almost yelling, every emotion in me threatening to break loose. “Do you know how devastated I was when I thought you didn’t remember me?! Do you know how much pain I’ve gone through to finally see you but you… you… do you even know I used to – “

  “Ne.” He doesn’t seem surprised to see me this… furious. “I know how you used to feel for me.”

  My tears stop immediately, but I can’t speak. I’m too… shocked.

  “And I won’t lie to you, Leina. The feelings were mutual.”

  Even more shocked, when his words sink into my brain.

  He used to like me, too.

  He used to like me.

  Bewilderment courses through my whole body as I ask, “Then what about now – “

  Before I can ask him the most important question, before I can make sure that what he just said is true, my phone chirps the same time Kyungsoo’s does. I want to ignore it, but a rearing feeling in my stomach tells me that the message just sent to me is somehow important. Or so to say, an emergency. And we both got it at the same time, which couldn’t be a mere coincidence.

  Kyungsoo and I momentarily forget about the conversation I have been waiting for years as we turn on our phones at the same time and read our messages. And when I do, when my blood in my veins run cold, I know again that my gut was right.

  ‘Leina unnie? You might have to come here now. It’s Baek oppa.’

  I dash out the room without any hesitation.

    Author’s POV:

  “So you’re Jason Lee.”

  An end of Jason’s mouth twirks up. “Heard of me before?”

  “Your reputation of being the women’s man is hard to ignore.” Baekhyun feels satisfied at the drop of Jason’s smirk, but his satisfaction only lasts for a second before Jason grins.

  “Ah, I see Violet has told you about our lovely first encounter.”

  Baekhyun clenches his teeth. “I wouldn’t call it lovely if I were Vi.”

  Jason tilts his head. “So the rumors are true. You really are protective over her.”

  “Of course I am.” Baekhyun takes a step forward. “And if I were you, I would stay away from her.” He isn’t a teensy bit discouraged by his disadvantage of height; instead, Baekhyun feels a flame of fire start burning violently inside of him. This boy… this boy standing in front of him looking calmer as ever, literally reeks of bad news. He disliked him the moment he locked eyes with Jason’s pitch-black ones, and after hearing his voice and the way he talks…

  “A little bit over protective over someone else’s girlfriend, eh Baekhyun-ssi?”

  Oh, now Baekhyun hates Jason.

  “It’s none of your business,” he hisses.

  Jason holds up his hands as if surrendering, a mocking expression on his face. “I’m just being a concerned colleague here; after all, I’m going to be in the same project as you.”

  “You – “

  “But I also can’t help but notice the sadness in Violet whenever she talks about you.”

  Baekhyun can feel his clenched fists shaking, his arms shaking, his whole body shaking. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Jason smirks. “Oh, really? You mean you don’t know that Violet knows you still love her and just can’t get over her?” He doesn’t stop when Baekhyun’s breathing stops and eyes widen. “You mean you don’t know I’m talking about the fact that Violet is feeling so much pain inside because she hates seeing you restrain your true heart and run away every time Sehun and her touch each other?”

  “Enough – “

  “Or do you mean you don’t know that I’m talking about how, deep down inside her heart, Violet wishes you could just get over your sad, pitiful heart and leave her and Sehun alone – “

  “I said ENOUGH!”

  After a blinding flash of swirling anger and fury, Baekhyun doesn’t realize what he’s doing until he sees the look of expected shock in Jason’s eyes so close to his own face, his fist, and then Jason sprawled back on the floor, one hand covering his left corner of his mouth.

  He doesn’t realize what he has done until he sees the blood on his right fist.

  The swinging of doors, muffled screams and rushed footsteps echo in Baekhyun’s mind, but he can only focus on one particular voice, the voice that says she needs to contact Leina and EXO, the voice that calls his name in a way that he knows no one else can compare to, in his heart.

  “Baekhyun oppa!”

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[Author's Note] HEY GUYSSSSS. SO summer school for me ends this Friday yayyyyy so I might be able to update again in less than a week!! And then... I'll be going on a cruise so maybe hiatus for just a week~ Unless I can update... on the sea? LOL HAHAHAHAHA.

 See you guys soon<333333333 AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR SUBSCRIBING AND COMMENTING AND UPVOTING!!! Hope you'll all enjoy this story <3<3<3

P.S. I estimate that this story won't be long. 3 I feel miserable making Baek sad... T___T