10

"Baekhyun, why did you come up?" Sohyun asked, as she led him into her room, then taking a chair to sit. She actually felt relieved to see Baekhyun, but yet, surprised.

"Just seeing how you're doing. I didn't know you would still continue to live here, I thought you've moved," Baekhyun said and smiled, while Sohyun smiled back, her heart beating faster. Baekhyun looked at the curtains and shook his head. "It’s so dark, how can you even see the light?" he muttered and drew the curtains open before Sohyun could stop him. "Don't!" Sohyun said as she quickly jumped to her bed, covering her with the blanket.

Baekhyun looked out of the window. "Why? There's nothing," Baekhyun said, as his eyes landed on the opposite house, and he looked at Tao, while Tao looked up, and looked at him, then politely smiled at him, and he smiled back. "I only see a friendly neighbour," Baekhyun said and pulled the covers from Sohyun.

She smiled and sat up, and moved to a position where Tao couldn't see her then sighed in content. "What's wrong?" he asked. Sohyun immediately shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, ah yes, why did you come?" she asked, changing the subject. Baekhyun took out a card and gave it to her. "Invitation card. Engagement party."

Sohyun's eyes rounded in surprise. "En-engagement pa-party?" Sohyun slowly reached for the card, and she opened it. "Byun Baekhyun and Lee JinAh.. Oh you mean you and the prefect in our class during elementary?" Sohyun asked. The name Jinah really rang a bell.

He nodded and smiled. "We're going to have a grand engagement party first. After all, my job involves risk, and seeing that it's quite peaceful now, I'll just hold this engagement party." Sohyun stared at the card.

She felt, happy. She didn't understand. She just felt glad for Baekhyun.

"Alright. I'll try, congrats!" she exclaimed. "JinAh's really lucky to marry such a perfect guy during elementary." She giggled and her gaze lowered down to the card.

She didn't feel jealous. She didn't envy JinAh. In fact, she felt happy for them to be together.

Maybe she just treated Baekhyun as her role model, but not the person she wanted to spend her life with. Just like how a

fan treats the idol with utmost respect.

Yes, that must be it.

Baekhyun looked down at his hand and sighed. "I'm not perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, even me. And sometimes those mistake can just destroy one's life, or just let one person go scot free, just because of one mistake I did." She laughed and asked, "What are you talking about? What mistakes did you do?"

He smiled and shook his head. "If it's possible, drag BT and your sis along," Baekhyun whispered and smiled, and Sohyun nodded her head. "Definitely."

--

Sohyun looked through the files given by Kris, and she flipped through the information, discussing cases with her mentor in his room when just then the door suddenly burst open, and in came a teary eyed Tao who dropped his body onto the sofa, crying and whining as he shouted for Kris’s name. Kris immediately shut the door close and drew the curtains down. “What’s wrong with you Tao?”

Tao could hardly sit up straight, and he could only see Kris’s face upside down as he wailed and whined. “Kris! I’m lovesick!” he yelled and cried, as he burrowed his head into the sofa. He whined and yelled hitting the sofa with all of his might while Kris groaned and sat next to him. “It’s not your first time, and never will be your last,” he said, a comforting sentence he must say.

Sohyun spun her chair to face Tao, seeing his dejected face, his eyebrows knitting together, his smile gone and only having a pout. Kris patted his back, getting him to sit upright as he grabbed a file and gave it to Tao. “Get yourself drunk, or bury yourself in the pile of work you have. Or just play street fighter if you want to,” he said while Tao glared at him, then that fire in his eyes were gone in a split second, replaced by sad eyes.

He shook his head sadly and whined. “Getting a hangover hurts, it doesn’t even help take away my pain. Getting myself into work, will just harm the client since my soul isn’t in the case. Playing street fighter will just get myself stuck in the same level!”

Kris groaned and rolled his eyes. “Then what do you want now?” he asked and Tao hugged him, grinning. “I want a vacation!” he exclaimed and Sohyun blinked. "Vacation?" she repeated.

--

"You are tagging along only because Sohyun and I are on the business trip. But you're not in the business so you can't claim anything from the company." He reminded.

The three of them, Kris, Sohyun, and the lovesick Tao boarded the place as they sat beside each other, with Tao and Kris by the side, and Sohyun in between them.

“I’m sitting in this arrangement because I know Tao will never bother you,” Kris said while Sohyun forced a smile. "Maybe, not."

She looked at Kris, while he flipped through the magazine and she cracked a smile. She didn't know Kris would suddenly look like a girl with just a plain t shirt and bermudas without his hair being gelled up. With those big eyes, ear rings on and bangs that usually belong to a girl, hard to find her mentor a girl. A giant one though. Or maybe a flower boy.

"Didn't know Kris actually look like a girl," she murmured, giggling and she could suddenly feel Tao's gaze on her and she cleared . "On second thought maybe not."

Tao grabbed her shoulder and placed his cheek near hers, nodding his head. "You share the exact same thoughts as me whenever I go lovesick. Sometimes, the other side of me really wants Kris as my girlfriend," he whispered.

Tao hung his head restlessly as he took in a deep breath, then started to whine. “Kris!” he whined, startling Sohyun as she jumped in her seat, whipping her head to face Tao. “Tao, calm down,” Sohyun whispered as Tao pouted, with those passengers giving him the weird look.

Sohyun looked at Tao’s dejected face, and couldn’t help but crack a smile. “I didn’t even know Tao could actually be sad,” she commented while Tao nodded. “I know. I didn’t believe a side of me would actually be exposed,” he said and snuggled closed to Sohyun, wrapping his arms around her right arm while Kris immediately smack his head. “Back off from her. She’s not a soft toy,” he hissed.

Sohyun looked at Tao and couldn’t help but smile at his dejected face.

They stayed silent until Kris slowly drifted off and slept throughout the journey when the plane took off. Sohyun poked Tao’s arm and cocked her head to one side. “Why are you even lovesick? Yesterday I saw packing up and moving into your new-“

She immediately covered , hoping Tao wouldn’t notice, and fortunately he was in his own world, murmuring to himself that he didn’t even know Sohyun was talking.

“I can only blame myself for being too soft hearted, and got cheated by two girls,” he sighed, shaking his head as he reached both arms up, his hands curling into a ball as he screamed. “Yoon! Hye Jin! I miss you!” he said out loud and Sohyun immediately covered his mouth. “Tao!” she hissed and slowly let go. “So, the two victims are Yoon and Hye Jin?” she asked, and Tao slowly nodded his head. Sohun cracked a smile. "Shouldn't you blame yourself from being a two timer?"

Then, he turned his head to face Sohyun as he slowly leaned forward, and Sohyun slowly reclined the seat as his face inched closer. “Sohyun, I’m so glad you would be with me in this trip,” he said, leaning forward even more as their face were just three inches away. “What do you think of me? Am I smart? Handsome? Sweet? Cute?” he asked questions with his face just inching closer and Sohyun gulped when the seat was reclined to the maximum.

She held her breath and stared at him, blinking. "I.. Uhm.."

"Do you like me?"

Just then, Kris grabbed the magazine and smacked Tao’s head. “Yah! You’re just out of love and now you’re going for a new one?" he hissed and shook his head, then started to unbuckled his seat. "Forget it Sohyun, I'll change seats with you,"  he said and placed the magazine back, with his stare not leaving Tao. Kris then focused his attention on Sohyun and frowned. “Please, know some self defence.”

Sohyun nodded her head and heaved a sigh of relief. She patted Tao’s shoulder and smiled meekly. “Sorry, you’re not my cup of tea.”

Kris coughed and cracked a smile at Tao's dejected face while Tao buried his face in his hands and wailed, sobbing. 

--

“Yoon! Hye Jin! I don't hate you!” he yelled, facing the big sea while Kris sighed. “Done with your apologies? Sohyun and I need to meet our clients,” he said and dragged Tao away covering his mouth as his protests were being muffled.

“I wonder if we would be able to go sightseeing,” Sohyun said as she took in a deep breath and grinned. “The air in Sydney is lovely,” she murmured and closed her eyes, the breeze blowing her hair to her side, as she stretched her arms out. “Refreshing."

She quickly caught up with Tao and Kris, while Tao aimlessly wandered about, taking photographs of everything and anything with his camera, then he looked up at the statue and snapped a picture of it. “You two!” he hollered at Kris and Sohyun, catching them off guard. “Get into the picture!” he shouted and they quickly stood in front of the statue, smiling awkwardly at the camera.

Tao rolled his eyes and groaned. “Closer! You two look like statues!” he shouted and Kris took in a deep breath, then placed his arm slowly around Sohyun, bringing her closer. He bit his lip. “Since today is the only relax day, we should relax,” he said and smiled, while Sohyun grinned and nodded.

Tao looked at the picture and quirked his lips. “There’s something missing,” he muttered and looked up at the statue, then back at Kris and Sohyun. “You two! Hug!” he exclaimed while Sohyun’s eyes widened in surprise. “What!” she shrieked and unconsciously took a step away from Kris.

Tao stormed towards their direction and grabbed both of Kris’s arms and wrapped it around Sohyun’s neck, and did the same thing to Sohyun, then knocked their foreheads against each other, having them to groan in pain.

Sohyun looked at Kris and gulped, her cheeks pinking and she smiled awkwardly.

Kris looked into her eyes and his arms around her neck slowly tightened. He smiled sofly and closed his eyes.

Sohyun saw that smile. That warm, friendly smile that came from a cold person. It felt so different yet comforting. Maybe Kris isn't a cold person. Or maybe a cold person has a warm and sunny side of him.

Well, another side of Kris was brought out when he is with Sohyun.

Tao quickly took a shot and grinned. “Perfect! Let’s go!” he exclaimed and led them, while they both shook their heads and rubbed their foreheads, following Tao.

Then, on the way they passed by many tents, and outside of the tents wrote "Magic Crystal Ball with the Appearance of Magic Eye"

Tao tugged on Kris' shirt and he pointed at one of the white tents. "Hey! Let's go in!" he exclaimed and before they could even reply they were already being pulled in by Tao.

When they entered, they saw a woman, wearing a scarf over her head and a purple veil that hid as she bowed. "Welcome, my three guests. Sit," she said. They exchanged looks and shrugged, warily sitting down in front of them, and their eyes were fixed on the crystal ball in front of the table. "What do you want to know about yourself?" she asked.

"Love," Tao immediately replied and the mentor and protege immediately gawked at him, then turned their heads to the front. "Very well. If it is for love, the only person who could see your future in relationships will be behind this door," she said, pointing to the back and they nodded.

The door creaked open, and they were in an enclosed area. It was chilly, and they suddenly felt the temperature dropped, unlike a few minutes ago. In the middle of the room, there was a hole that was at their eye level and a notice board beside them.

Only your eyes will see the future in front of you. Close your eyes for five seconds then open and walk towards the hole. In that hole you would see the person that means the whole world to you.

Tao nodded and urged Sohyun on, while she blinked in surprise and pointed a finger at herself. "Me?" she asked and gulped then closed her eyes, slowly walking forward to the small hole and she opened her eye. "Woah!" she exclaimed and walked back. Tao blinked and bit his lip. "Who did you see? Did you see me?" he asked while Sohyun chuckled. "I saw nobody," she laughed.

Then, it was Kris' turn. He did the same thing like what Sohyun did and he opened his eye, looking through the hole.

Tao looked at him in anticipation. "Who did you see?" he asked, while Kris took a longer time than Sohyun before going back. "I see, you," he pointed at Tao and laughed along with Sohyun while Tao shuddered and shook his head. "Impossible," he said and quickly walked towards the hole.

Within seconds he walked back towards them and he pulled them to his side, walking out of the tent, his face as white as sheet and he gulped. "Let's go."

Kris elbowed him. "What's wrong?" he asked and Tao looked up at him slowly as he took in a shakily breath. "I saw a really fat and ugly ahjumma."

-----