Christmas was approaching quickly in a few days. The college students were already on their holiday break, and even though they were on break, that didn’t mean that anyone had time to meet up.

Here and there, students ran around popular stores and shops to buy gifts for the waited holiday. They didn’t have time to meet up with friends and get caught with what they bought.

Luhan and Soyoung’s case were different though.

Instead of running around stores in Myeongdong, Luhan was just stuck in his room doing nothing in particular. Soyoung, on the other hand, was busy pondering about what she should give as gifts rather than physically going out to buy something.

Last Christmas, and many Christmas in the past, choosing gifts were definitely easy. The people she used to give gifts to were her parents, Zico, Kyung, and Kyung’s mother. There were only five people, but now, adding the twelve boys to her list, she had a total of seventeen gifts she would have to give out. Seventeen gifts were not easy to choose, especially when the gifts were meant for guys.

Kris, who seemed to know this, invited the boys, along with Soyoung, over to his place. The reason was unknown to them, but still, they all gathered up on a cold Saturday morning.

The first to arrive at his place were Kyungsoo, Yixing, and Tao, who came together in one car. Following them came in Suho, Chanyeol, Chen, and Xiumin. Luhan carpooled with Sehun and Kai. Kyung and Zico were after them, and lastly, Baekhyun arrived with Soyoung.

Spotting Soyoung, Luhan’s heart ached. It’s been so long that the two had a decent conversation. Since finding out his feelings for her, Luhan had avoided the female, keeping a fair distance from her. Whether or not Soyoung noticed that Luhan had been avoiding her, he didn’t know. What he did know was the fact that he had missed her dearly, but he couldn’t find the courage to even look her in the eyes or give a small greeting of hello.

“There are a lot of us,” Kris stated the obvious as everyone gathered in his living room. “And Christmas is literally in a week. I doubt any of you have even started sorting out presents for friends and families.”

Even students procrastinate in gift-buying. How saddening. They all had to silently agree.

“Because there are a lot of us, choosing presents for each of us individually will be very difficult.” Kris pulled out a box from behind him. In the box were carefully folded pieces of paper the size of a fortune cookie fortune. “So I decided it’ll be easier if we just choose one person to buy a gift for.”

“We’re doing Secret Santa?” Tao voiced.

“Yes, we are,” the older male nodded before closing the box with its lid. He shook it. “It’ll cost us less money and less of a headache. Does anyone here not know how to play Secret Santa?”

“It’s not that I don’t know how to play it,” Sehun spoke, “but you should go over the rules so I remember clearly.”

Kris nodded. “So how we do this is everyone randomly chooses a name from this box.” He points at the box in front of him. “That person, whose name you drew, is the person you are going to buy a present for, for Christmas. You can’t tell anyone whose name you drew. You have to keep their name a secret, and you must buy their gift on your own time. Until the day we gather up on Christmas, you can’t tell anyone what you bought for your person. By the time the day comes, whether or not you want to remain anonymous, it’ll be up to you, but I highly doubt that’ll happen. We have a lot of big mouths here, so we’ll eventually figure out who drew whose name, and what they got that person. Alright, got it? Anything else I missed?”

When there was no response, Kris gave it a go.

One by one, they each took a folded paper out of the box, going to different areas of the room to glance at whose name they each drew.

There could be shouts of: “YES!” and “NO!”

Basically cheers of victory, with a mix of groans of dislike.

Soyoung unfolded her paper carefully by the corner. She was curious to who she had gotten. She had always loved the idea of Secret Santa but never really got to deal with it firsthand. She was glad that Kris had this event, and she was especially thankful that he thought of this idea. Like he said, this would help a lot with money issues and fewer headaches. The money wasn’t the problem for her, but for sure, she was afraid she didn’t know what every single individual would want for Christmas.

With each intense unfolding she followed, the name showed up nicely on her paper. Soyoung was grateful that Kris had such nice handwriting that she was able to distinguish the name right away, but right when seeing the name, her heart sank.

“Lu Han” – It read.

Her heart sank, not because she was disappointed that she had drawn his name. Soyoung wasn’t disappointed, but rather worried.

Soyoung had, indeed, noticed the gap that formed between her and him. The fact that they never bumped into each other nor did they ever text or call each other, Soyoung knew it wasn’t a coincidence. She knew Luhan was purposely avoiding her, and even though she knew, she couldn’t bring herself to confront him.

Why?

Because she was, truthfully, afraid to. He had been avoiding her since the day Taemin flew back to America. That day was the first time she had seen him cry. Since that day, things had changed for her and Luhan, and she couldn’t help but feel it was her fault.

She must’ve done something awfully wrong and bad to the point where Luhan was avoiding her. Although she thought it over and over again, she couldn’t seem to come up with a logical reason to what she had done, but even so, she didn’t have the courage to ask him, because she was afraid that asking him would end up hurting him even more than it already had. And what she was even more cautious of: She was afraid that asking him would make him hate her.

Soyoung couldn’t risk it, and that was why she let him avoid her. That was why Soyoung didn’t bother Luhan about it, even though she was dying to know.

With a sunken heart, she folded hers back and placed it in her pockets.  

Everyone returned to the middle of the room, some more excited than others.

“Remember, you cannot tell anyone whose name you drew,” Kris reminded. “That’s all I really have to say. If you guys have plans, you guys can leave.”

Luhan was the first to leave, and to sum it all up, he was the only one who left.

There was no said of goodbyes. He left without speaking, leaving everyone stunned by his action.

“Is he okay?” Sehun quietly asked.

“He’s been distant lately, being honest. I tried getting him to go out a few times already, but he didn’t want to go anywhere with me,” Chen replied with a slight shrug.

“His replies are honestly really short these days too.” Kai flipped through his phone to their text messages. “The last time I texted him was a month ago, and that was because he gave me boring replies.”

“He’s been like that since Taemin left Seoul,” Soyoung quietly muttered. Zico, who seated beside her, heard her, and hearing such information wasn’t necessarily pleasant.

“Did Taemin say something to him on the day he left?” Zico wondered out loud.

“Who’s Taemin?” Kyungsoo found himself questioning.

“He’s the son of a business man,” Yixing answered. “I don’t know a lot about him, but during the week that Luhan stayed at my place to help me with my competition album, Taemin stayed with Soyoung at her place. That’s what Luhan told me.”

“Luhan helped you with your album. That was a month ago, wasn’t it?” Suho pondered about the possible outcomes to why the male was being this way. “If Luhan’s been like this for the past month, maybe Taemin really did say something to him.”

“Do you have Taemin’s number?” Kyung nudged the female’s side to which she responded with a nod. “Call him and ask him.”

“He’s been busy lately,” she dejectedly replied.

“Do you keep constant contact with him?” Baekhyun pursed his lips.

Similar to Soyoung, Luhan had avoided Baekhyun also. Of course, like Soyoung, Baekhyun didn’t speak up about it. Baekhyun knew exactly why Luhan had avoided him, and the reason was no different from what it was a month ago. Since their fight about whether Luhan liked Soyoung or not, they haven’t spoken since even though they saw each other here to there. And still, none of the guys notice. Although, this avoidance had been getting on Baekhyun’s nerves lately. There was something awfully wrong, and he was going to get down to business with it. He was going to need to talk to Luhan whether Luhan wanted to talk or not.

“Taemin and I talk here and there, but he’s often busy, so we don’t talk as much as we used to,” Soyoung truthfully answered. She bit her lower lip, nervous.

Now that Zico had asked, Soyoung couldn’t help but wonder also: Did Taemin say something to Luhan that day he left? He did ask for privacy that day.

Baekhyun studied her face carefully. There was something about Soyoung that seemed to throw Baekhyun off. Now that he thought about it, Soyoung had stopped talking about Luhan. She used to always say something about him, whether it was during her free break from school, or texting, or even calling, and now that Baekhyun realized this, he knew there was something going on between Soyoung and Luhan.

“I’ll talk to him sometime soon,” Baekhyun stood up, putting his coat on. He glanced at Soyoung. “Are you ready to go now?”

She raised her brows, the question unexpected. “Go where?”

Baekhyun masked a light laugh with a roll of the eye. “Weren’t you paying attention to me when I talked about the new bubble tea shop down by the KimWon Supermarket? I told you that we’ll go try it out after coming here.”

*He did say that?* Soyoung opened to speak, but nothing came out. She remembered speaking about Christmas, in which she was excited for. She remembered speaking about the exams they all took before they entered holiday break. She remembered speaking about many other things, but she didn’t remember anything about the new bubble tea shop down by the KimWon Supermarket. Defeated, she stood up, putting on her coat as well. Guess she had no choice but to leave with Baekhyun.

With goodbyes, the two left Kris’s house and headed towards their next destination.

“I don’t remember you speaking about any new bubble tea shop,” she honestly spoke while Baekhyun was driving.

“Well, I was,” he lied. Baekhyun knew he shouldn’t be lying, but he needed to lie. As of now, this was the only way he would be able to be with her alone. He needed to speak to her. They both shared a moment of silence before Baekhyun spoke up. “Soyoung, can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” she replied, her gaze out the window. Even though it was cold out, the snow made the scenery very beautiful. “What is it?”

“How are things between you and Luhan?” Although Baekhyun didn’t turn to her to see that she had tensed up at his question, Baekhyun knew it. He could feel the way her body froze up, and the way her gaze was no longer focused on the scenery. Although he didn’t turn to look at her, he knew her enough to know that her mind had drifted to a matter she didn’t want to focus on.

“Well, because there was so much homework this past month, we weren’t able to speak or see each other much,” she replied carefully, yet honestly.

“Tell me about that Taemin guy.” Baekhyun continued on driving. He honestly didn’t care much for the guy himself, but Baekhyun needed to hear something about him to see how Soyoung feels about him. “Is he a cool guy?”

At the mention of Taemin, Soyoung softened. A gentle smile played on her lips. “Yeah, I guess you can say he’s pretty cool. He’s a very funny person, and his company is very delightful.”

Another round of silence passed.

Soyoung wasn’t sure whether or not she should speak more. Something about Baekhyun, at this moment, didn’t seem so inviting. For some odd reason, she was nervous about where this was leading.

“Do you like him?” Baekhyun brought up, stunning the female.

“Did Luhan tell you that?” Soyoung questioned, surprised at his sudden question. Luhan was the only person she had told that she had some type of feelings of Taemin.

Baekhyun furrowed his brows and quickly parked by a nearby mini market. Although Soyoung was confused to why they stopped here, she didn’t question.

“You told Luhan that you like Taemin?” Baekhyun then turned to examine her red face.

Soyoung averted eyes. She could feel the heat getting to her. It was getting hot in the car, or at least, that was what it felt like to Soyoung. It wasn’t often when people ask her who her crush was. She could only nod, and in return, Baekhyun scoffed. His scoff only brought confusion onto the female, and she was slightly offended. Did he not like the fact that Soyoung liked Taemin?

"You shouldn't have done that," he muttered. He closed his eyes, wanting to yell. How can people be so stupid when it came to romance? "Soyoung, do you realize what you have done?"

"Did I do something wrong?" She frowned. Soyoung wasn't catching onto what she had done. Did Baekhyun know what she had done wrong to, the reason to why Luhan had avoided her? What wrong did she do, she really didn't know.

Baekhyun sighed and shook his head. "It's not that you did something wrong. You didn't do anything wrong." He bit his lower lips. "Look, Soyoung, you need to clear up your so-called feelings for Taemin."

"Excuse me?" And offended she was. Just why should she need to? She saw nothing wrong in liking Taemin.

And again, Baekhyun shook his head, cursing himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way." How should he bring it up? How should he tell her that Luhan liked her, even though he never really heard from Luhan himself? The last time he spoke to Luhan, the guy straight up told him that he had no feelings for Soyoung, but Baekhyun definitely knew he did. Come on. It's Baekhyun we're talking about here. He knows everything. "Soyoung, do you really like Taemin? Are your feelings true? I really want you to think things over."

"Why?" Her frown deepened, but that didn't mean she turned his words down. "I mean, I do like him. Of course my feelings for him are true."

And with her answer, Baekhyun knew then how to approach her with Luhan's feelings. He had to take this slow, or else the information wouldn't get to her.

Baekhyun slightly nodded with a slight sigh. He had to take it slow. "Okay, so let's say you do like him. Let me ask you: Why do you like him? What's so great about him?"

And like many times that day, Baekhyun's questions caught her off guard. Just what was it about Taemin that made her like him?

"Well, he's a very kind person," Soyoung started, uneasy about this topic. She felt exposed, but she felt she needed to do this. Plus, it's Baekhyun. One way or another, he would come to know everything. "Taemin's also very considerate, and he's very gentle. When he knows that I'm not comfortable about something, he doesn't force it upon me."

*And forcing it upon you is what I'm doing right now, right?* Baekhyun felt slightly bad that he was doing this to her, but he felt the need to.

"His tone is always soft, and he understands me well," she continued. She wouldn't look up to meet Baekhyun's eyes though, and she kept her gaze on her fiddling fingers. "I often call him and have a nice chat with him. Even though he's not near me, he knows how to make me laugh and smile. When I'm in my room alone with my phone in my hand, he knows how to make me spend my time alone in my room with smiles and laughter. I'm just genuinely happy at the thought of him. Even when he's busy, he finds time to call me and check on me. I just feel like he's the right one for me."

And there was the problem.

Baekhyun found the problem. *She developed an infatuation towards him, because he was there to listen to her and care for her. As for me and the guys, she doesn't find such things towards us because she's used to us and our kindness... But Luhan treats her differently from how we treat her. Taemin's presence is blocking Luhan's, because Taemin's new to her.* He swallowed. This had to be it.

"I don't think he's the right one for you," he muttered. *I don't want him to be the right one for you.* "I mean, you barely get to see him. If he's going to be someone you come to love, wouldn't you want him to be there for you both mentally and physically?"

Soyoung offered a fragile smile. "As of now, for him to be here for my physically is hard for him to do. He doesn't live in Seoul, Baekhyun. I understand that his work comes first. I just need to wait for him."

"That's the problem though, don't you see?" He stressed with a frown. "He puts work first. Not you."

"We've only known each other for a month now. It only makes sense if his work comes first." Soyoung sighed.

"It'll always be like that. Him putting work before you. You may think that it'll change one day, but people like him won't change. They'll keep their routine of putting work before anything." Baekhyun's expression became sorrowfully dark. He seemed broken, and he was surely concerned for her sake. "I would know, Soyoung. Trust me. Taemin will never put you first."

And even though he tried to change her thoughts, Soyoung didn't let him in.

She shook her head in dismay. "He's not like that, Baekhyun. You don't know what he's like, so you can't just judge him in that way. You haven't seen the way he treats me."

"From what I see, he's not here for you, and that's enough for me to know."

"People can live off of a long distance relationship," she fought back, not content with this conversation. This was, surely, their first argument, and it surprised her that this was the topic.

"Some people can, but not everyone can."

"Well, I can, and I will." Soyoung didn't bother to keep her voice down.

The words that left her lips stunned Baekhyun. There was something about her words that didn't seem right, or at least, it made Baekhyun feel iffy about this situation.

"Why do you sound like you're dating him already?" He voiced his thoughts. To his question, Soyoung averted eye contact immediately. The more she tried to avoid his eyes, the more anxious he became. "Are you really dating him?"

"We're not dating... yet," she whispered. She didn't want anyone to know about this. At least not yet, and the fact that she couldn't seem to hide anything from Baekhyun drove her berserk. She sighed in defeat. "We're just showing interest in each other. I like him, and he likes me."

"If he likes you so much, why aren't you guys dating like a normal couple?" He tightened his jaw. Just what was going on in this life?

"I'm just waiting for him. He's really busy right now. There's not much that we can do even if we date." She felt so exposed as of now. She felt as if he was taking off the clothes to her life little by little. This really wasn't the way she wanted him to find out. This wasn't the way she would want anyone to find out about her and Taemin.

"You're going to end up waiting until the day you realize it's too late to take a different path." Baekhyun looked away from her. He couldn't stand looking at her at this moment. She was being naive. She was being stupid. She wasn't taking in the things he was saying; maybe that was what was driving him insane. "Just stop waiting for him. Stop before you even start," he spoke softly. Compared to his tone from earlier, it was much more gentle, and instead of being filled with curiosity, his tone sounded much more concern. "I haven't been in your position, but I know someone who had been, and things were horrible for him, so please, Soyoung, stop this so-called relationship with him."

"Just because you know someone who ended badly, it doesn't mean that I'll follow the same path." She took off her seatbelt and gave him a glance. She didn't want to speak about this right now. "Thanks for your concern, but really, I'll be fine." She pursed her lips and opened the passenger's door. "I don't feel like bubble tea anymore. My house isn't far from here so I'll just walk home. Thanks for the ride."

And without hearing a response, she closed the door and stomped off, ignoring the cold winter wind that was blowing at her face.

She was starting to feel something in her chest; a feeling that she didn't want to feel; the feeling known as guilt, and she didn't know why she was feeling it, so before it could get the best of her, she had to leave.

 

 

 

He glanced at the piece of paper in his hand. So small, yet, made him feel so many different emotions.

'Soyoung' – It read.

Out of all people he could’ve drawn, her name had to be the one he picked up. What is luck.

“I’m going crazy,” he shook his head with a huge sigh, putting the paper on his desk. He rubbed his temples and headed towards his bed before sitting down. Everything had been so complicated for him for the past month. At least it had felt like so.

Coming to admit his true feelings for Soyoung, Luhan knew he wasn’t walking an easy road, especially when this road required a requited-love boulder in the way. It seemed like he would never be able to move that boulder, and it was already too late to turn back as well.

All in all, things just for Luhan.

*When you decide to move towards Soyoung, call me. If I don’t hear a call from you in a week, I’ll take that as my queue to move forward with Soyoung by my side.* He remembered Taemin’s words that day he left. He still hadn’t forgotten those words, but that didn’t mean he took action. In fact, Luhan didn’t give Taemin a call at all since he left, and Luhan was sure that Taemin, by now, had made his move on Soyoung. Not calling Taemin would forever be something Luhan regret, but even if it would be something that he would regret, he was proud of himself. Not calling Taemin  meant that he was giving Soyoung a path she would want to follow. Soyoung liked Taemin. If Taemin really did make her happy, he wasn’t going to stop her from being happy just because of his own selfishness.

Many people may call him dumb, and stupid, and weak, and just about every other word that would point out about how lame he was for not doing something about his feelings towards the girl he truly came to like, but Luhan could care less.

They wouldn’t understand him if they hadn’t been in his position, and for those who had been in his position, only they would know how he felt, and if they understand how he was feeling, they wouldn’t call him such names of stupidity.

Another sigh escaped his lips.

It still made him wonder: Just how did he come from having a long-time crush on Yun Yi to coming to like the girl across the street in a few months?

How was it even possible?

Luhan often wondered about that a lot. Still today, it amazed him how he fell for Soyoung, when usually, it should’ve been the other way around. Usually, the girls fall for him when they befriend him, but Soyoung was able to change all of that around in just a matter of time. What was it about her that was able to capture his heart anyways?

*Her eyes. Her nose. Her lips. Her beauty. Her actions. Her words.* He gulped, listing in his mind. *Her kind heart… Just everything about her.* And like that, the list entered his mind every day to remind him that he was, indeed, in deep trouble. The trouble was the fact that he was too deeply into her, and every day avoiding her hurts him deeply. The pain horrendously.

He clasped his hands together and propped his elbows up on his knees before plating his face into his hands. This unconditional stress from his feelings. It wasn’t even this bad when he liked Yun Yi.

*Why do I have to like you so much?* he thought quietly to himself.

A knock came from his door, bringing him out of his thoughts. His door opened and there stood the person he had dreaded to see but didn’t have the courage to approach.

Byun Baekhyun.

“I can come in, right?” Baekhyun questioned in a soft voice. “Your mom opened the door for me, and she said you were in here, so…”

“Yeah, come in,” Luhan replied with the same gentle tone.

It was awkward, to be honest.

The two haven’t spoken for the past month. Luhan was even surprised that Baekhyun was even here. He had meant to make up with Baekhyun, but he was too much of a coward to apologize to him. It wasn’t even about the pride anymore, but Luhan was ashamed of himself for telling off his good friend. The words he said to Baekhyun the last time they spoke were rather harsh and inhumane.

Baekhyun stepped in, closing the door, and heading to chair beside the desk. Seating himself, he cleared his throat lightly. “So… How is it going? It’s been quite a while.”

Luhan paused to think for a moment. How should he reply? Should he come out with the truth that had been bothering him for the past month, or should he casually answer that he’s fine, like how distant friends were like?

“Things are really bad, but apart from that, things in general are fine,” Luhan responded, glancing down at his fiddling fingers. “So what are you doing here? Not that you’re not welcomed here.”

“I came here to talk to you, if that’s not obvious.” Baekhyun bit his lower lips nervously. He was still unsure about whether or not Luhan was mad at him.

It took some time before Luhan replied, parting his pursed lips, “I’m sorry.”

And his reply threw Baekhyun off guard.

“I shouldn’t have said those things to you back then,” Luhan continued, glancing at Baekhyun. He wanted Baekhyun to see the sincerity of his apology. “I was just really bothered during that time, and I was just really in denial. The words I spat at you at that time, I really didn’t mean them, so I’m sorry for opening old wounds.”

A small smile played on Baekhyun’s lips. “I know you didn’t mean them.” *Even though they did open up wounds that were soon to heal.* “I shouldn’t have brought on that topic to you in the first place when I knew you were uncomfortable with it. I was the one who dug my own grave, but uhm. Well, apology accepted.”

“Saying those things to you when you brought up about my feelings for Soyoung wasn’t acceptable. You don’t have to accept my apology just because you’re kind.” Luhan averted eyes. “I knew that your brother was a touchy topic for you, yet, I played words into your brother’s past relationship when I shouldn’t have.”

“What you said wasn’t wrong though. It’s the truth.” Although it pained Baekhyun to speak about it, he wasn’t afraid to speak about it. “My brother was a fool who died for something not worth dying for… That’s what you said, and it’s not wrong at all.”

Hearing Baekhyun repeat his own cruel words was painful to hear. When Luhan knew that it was hurting Baekhyun to mention his brother, he couldn’t help but regret, and regret, and just regret again. He should have never said that.

“He really was a fool. The past me wouldn’t have agreed, but I’ve grown and matured. I came to accept that the reason he died tragically for was pretty stupid.” Baekhyun managed a smile. “I sincerely accept your apology. Don’t worry about what you’ve said.”

Luhan had no words to say in return. Gosh. He really was the bad guy in everything. Oh lord.

“Enough about last time. I want to ask you something.” Baekhyun massaged his own hands from nervousness. He needed a definite answer for this, and he was sure the answer had changed long since the last time they spoke. “You like Soyoung.”

It came out to be more of a statement rather than a question, but like Baekhyun had expected, Luhan didn’t rage, nor did he show the same amount of dislike he had shown a month of ago. Instead, a fragile smile surpassed itself onto Luhan’s face.

“I shouldn’t have denied it a month ago, because it makes me look really stupid right now,” Luhan indirectly admitted. Baekhyun knew about his feelings towards Soyoung way quicker than Luhan, himself, noticed. There was no point to hide it from Baekhyun.

“You finally admit it.” Hope filled Baekhyun up. This was what he needed. “So you really do like Soyoung.”

Luhan mildly kept silent. So. What now?

“Aren’t you going to tell her about your feelings?” Baekhyun perked up. “I mean, she’s never going to know if you don’t tell her. Some girls need someone to lead them. You need to tell her and show her that you like her for her to know.”

“Why would I tell her?” Luhan shrugged it off. As much as he wanted to tell her, things wouldn’t change, other than the fact that their friendship might just end then. “She likes Taemin, and Taemin shares mutual feelings. I don’t want go between them and create chaos.”

“I don’t think she likes Taemin, Luhan.” Baekhyun pursed his lips. “It’s just pure infatuation. She thinks she truly likes him, but I don’t think she realizes that she doesn’t.”

“How would you know if she really does like him or not better than herself?” Luhan didn’t want to bring his hopes up, that the girl he liked could possibly not be swayed by another guy.

“I don’t know it, but I’m just thinking that she doesn’t like him. I mean, if you think about it, it sorta makes sense, doesn’t it?” He leaned against the chair. “I asked Soyoung what made Taemin so different from the rest of us. She said that the fact that he listens to everything she had to say and the fact that he understands her made him special. If you think about it, don’t you think we’re all like Taemin them? I mean, Tao and the others aren’t too close with her, so they wouldn’t have the time to ask her about how her life was going, but people like me, and you, and Zico, and Kyung even, we’re just like Taemin, right? We listen to what she has to say. We make her laugh, and smile. We keep her happy, yet, she likes Taemin. Don’t you think that sounds fishy?”

“It sounds absolutely normal, you derp,” Luhan threw a side pillow at the guy, in which Baekhyun caught swiftly. “That’s how many relationships start. Just because we’re similar to Taemin in that way doesn’t mean it’s fishy that she doesn’t like us too.”

“It’s normal, but it’s weird!” Baekhyun gave a soft pout. “Think about it. She’s been with Zico and Kyung for the longest time, but she didn’t come to like them. She’s known us for almost a year or so now, and she doesn’t like me. We treat her with kindness, and we know how to adjust things in her life to keep her happy.”

“I lost your point.” Luhan shook his head and lay back against his head board.

“I sorta lost my own point too,” Baekhyun muttered with a sigh. He held the pillow close to his chest and with the other hand, he slid it through his hair, frustrated. “Okay, so what I meant to say was that, I think she only likes Taemin because he’s different from us.”

“You just said we were similar to him.” Luhan rolled his eyes. Just what was Baekhyun going on about anymore?

“Well, we’re similar in terms knowing Soyoung, but we’re different. As in, like, we’re people Soyoung’s used to, but Taemin isn’t, so he’s different from us.” Luhan could sense the frustration Baekhyun was going through just by bringing up the topic. “Taemin’s new to her life, and he came in with rainbows and sunshine. What girl wouldn’t want a boyfriend that approaches her like that? He approached her, indirectly telling her that he is there for her if she ever needs him. I think that’s a prime reason why Soyoung finds herself attracted to Taemin.”

Luhan didn’t budge. The reason sounded rather dull to him, because to Luhan, when you like someone, you just like them. Right?

“I still don’t get your point.” Luhan sighed and sat up again. “Can you tell me another day after thinking it all through? I’m sorta tired right now, so can you leave?”

Baekhyun gave a defeated sigh. He should’ve come more prepared. Oh lord. He didn’t put up a fight and stood up. “I’ll come with a better explanation next time,” he muttered with annoyance. He headed towards the door and opened it, but paused. A question ran through his head, and out his lips. “Luhan, if Soyoung didn’t like Taemin, would you have even told her about your feelings?”

And to this question, Luhan had no answer to. Rather, he didn’t want to answer, and by him keeping quiet, Baekhyun already knew his answer.

*You wouldn’t have told her about your feelings even if she didn’t like Taemin. You sore loser, Luhan.* Baekhyun sighed and zoomed out the room, and with a light good bye to the elder woman on the first floor, he left the house. In front of him was another important house in which secured the person he had a slight argument with for the first time.

Baekhyun stared at Soyoung’s house.

An idea popped into his mind. One idea that filled him with excitement and hope.

A soft smile spread across his face.

“Luhan would have never confessed himself, so I’ll be the one doing it for him.” Baekhyun told himself with determination.

He headed over to his car, got in, and drove away.

He was going to give Soyoung sometime first. Just enough time to let her think things through about why Baekhyun disapproved so much about her soon-to-be relationship with Taemin, and just enough time so that things don’t accelerate to the level of the two actually getting together to form a couple. Before that happens, Baekhyun was determined to help a friend out.

Baekhyun wasn’t going to return to Luhan with a prepared explanation anymore.

He had some work he needed to do.

 

---

 

Author's Note♥:

I didn't feel justice writing this chapter. I felt as if there was something missing, but I can't seem to think of what I'm missing. Eh. Anyways, Baekhyun's being such an angel, or is going to rebel and become the devil? Ha! I'm so glad to have been able to update today! I know some of you are qustioning about Baekhyun now, and about his brother, right? I made a slight story behind Kris, and thought, why not a story behind Baekhyun too? I mean, Baekhyun is an important character for this story, so he obviously needs a story, right? You guys will find out about his story soon! I promise! Oho! It's going to be Christmas in here though! I love writing stories surrounding Christmas. It warms me, really! :' ) I can't wait to write the next chapter! As for the song for this chapter, I couldn't find a song that would perfectly fit , so I just drew a song that I really like. It was hard to choose just one song, but, well, here you go. It's a song sung by A Pink that I truly keep close to heart. But now that I think about it, I think Luhan can really relate to the song itself? Hiding behind the friend label, yes, that's Luhan. Such a cutie :x By the way, Teen Top recently came back, and I just LOVE their album! Did I ever tell you guys that I'm a er for ballad songs? :x Yes, I LOVE ballad songs! It's my favourite genre when it comes down to music. Anyways, so Teen Top just came back, and I LOVE their song Love U. It's currently my favorite song & it warms my heart, really. It just fills me with so much warmth. I saw their performance for that song, which they performed a few months back, and I was so surprised. They sound so beautiful. I fell in love all over again ♡

I just want to express how thankful I am for those of you who commented onthe last chapter, Chapter 39.  Of course, I'm always so thankful for those of you who comments, but I really want to tell you guys right now how touched I am. Reading about you all expressing your frustration with Soyoung and how heart-breaking you feel for Luhan, it really touched my heart. Especially reading about how bad you felt for Luhan & that his tears made you cry, it really touched me that my readers could shed such tears for Luhan, it filled my heart with so much warmth. You all care so much for him, and that's what really touched my heart. Thank you, again, for your beautiful comments! ♡

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