Nouf was glumly staring on the calendar she has on her phone at 3 in the morning. She just couldn’t go back to sleep and she’s sincerely jealous on how other people are dwelling on in their dreams at the moment. She blames it all on her insomnia because it just randomly strikes her like this.

One.

Two.

Three.

“Okay, so my flight’s on the third day.” She reminds herself as she starts engulfing the fact of heading back to her normal life with only Chen on her side. It’s a need and she really need to wake up from this trance she’s been hooked up whether she likes it or not.

She only has two days left. Just two more days to bring everything back that way as it was before her life got knotted to everything here in Macau. Fix everything the exact way as it was before. But there’s this thing Nouf’s sure she cannot bring back anymore. Her feelings. Her affection for Chanyeol, she couldn’t bring herself back to the Nouf before who sees Chanyeol as his enemy. The Nouf before who sees Chanyeol as nothing.

She sure does love Chanyeol. In fact, it already has a mark on her heart and she’s afraid she might just conserve and keep that illicit mark in her until she dies.

Her life has never been this intricate. She hates to admit how this guy who had first invalidly took property of her existence now turned to be the possessor of her innocent heart.

She can't completely comprehend her own feelings. Chanyeol's a light. That's what she agreed to herself. Like in a blanket of darkness, he's the glowing and overwhelming sun. In the midst of a vast chasm, he's a fortress to hold on to. And when sheets of coldness freeze you to death, he'll be the warm coat to embrace you.

It feels quite odd to have these thoughts immersing right through her mind. And she knows she has to go back to sleep now.

“Has someone already told you that you really are beautiful?” Kai seductively mumbles before planting a light kiss on the back of her palm. “Because I gladly want to be the first to tell you that."

“Yah! Snap it out Kai!! You’re scaring her.” Baekhyun pretended to punch him in his chest, earning a fake grimace from the younger one.

Nouf woke up a bit later that day because of the sudden assail of her insomnia so the coffee and cream duo has to haul her through the bathroom just to get herself ready for the dinner she’ll be in.

“WHAT??!! DINNER?? CHANYEOL?? ME??!” The two men have to cover their ears because how she hollered that morning was seriously loud. Like really loud, the receptionist on the ground floor must have heard her.

“He didn’t really gave the full details. He only left us a note saying we need to get you ready because he’s going to introduce you to someone special to him.”

That was all she got and she doesn’t exactly know what and how to feel. Is she supposed to be anxious? Mad?  Sad? Nervous? Excited? Happy?

But the last two ones would just raise her hopes up so it’ll be deleted from her choices then.

Good thing, Baekhyun was the one to bring her to the place because she knows Baekhyun never leaves her without a cheer and remarkable or helpful words.

Baekhyun rushed to the other side of the car as soon as he gets himself off first to open it for her and her.

“I couldn’t really blame Kai for admiring you. You look stunning.” Baekhyun mumbles and controls the tone of his voice not to show how much he really admires her too seeing as she watchfully gets out of the car.

Nouf was wearing a white dress. Just a simple white dress with ruffling laces as its hem. Kai and Sehun made sure she’ll wear something she’ll look really pretty and at the same time modest. The bottom of the dress was self conserving, covering her knees, while the top part was a wide circled neck revealing partly her collar bones because her hair was neatly tied up, and with see-through fabric as its sleeves up to her wrist.

“Uhm..Thanks?” Both of them cracked a laugh.

“Can’t you really have the dinner with us?” Nouf tries using her lame pout technique despite of her knowledge that it never worked with anyone before.

“Stop that.” Baekhyun pretends to be mad by the way she pouts her lips.

“It’s just Chanyeol you know. You don’t have anything to worry about.” He assures and Nouf wanted to say it’s because she’s going to see Chanyeol that makes her this nervous. It’s not that she’s nervous of whom will she be  introduced. In fact she doesn’t think that much regarding that agenda. It’s facing Chanyeol again that makes her really nervous. She’s afraid she might just start assuming things again. She really thought her remaining two days would pass without a tinge of Chanyeol’s presence but here he is again. Suddenly throwing bombs in her  almost serene feelings.

“Go now. He’s waiting inside.” Baekhyun gives her a light pat on her head that almost made her feel secure. Nouf nods after that before finally turning her back to be engulfed by the upcoming series of events.

The soft hum of violin from the inside starts playing in her ears and her eyes were already starting to adjust in the glowing chandelier hanging from inside when she hears Baekhyun exclaims.

 “Take care of my buddy!!”

What? Really? Even Baek? Nouf whines mentally at the thought that almost everyone tells her the same exact thing. All of them want her for Park Chanyeol. If Nouf wasn’t really trying to protect herself she might just fly in too much happiness from hearing those supports from the people close to Chanyeol. But she isn’t. She  doesn’t want to hurt herself even more when time comes.

-

“Hey.” Chanyeol almost stopped breathing when her eyes caught a stunningly gorgeous damsel who was wearing a simple white dress. Simplicity indeed is beauty. He thought.

He swiftly reaches his hand in offer which was accepted after a couple blinks. And Chanyeol made that as a signal to hook Nouf’s arm on his. His lungs weren’t functioning properly that he has to breathe deeply when he finished leading her in her seat.

Chanyeol sits on the chair across her and there he gets the time to stare at her when the latter’s attention was affixed on the live performing orchestral band on stage. She missed this face so much. He wants to tell her. But this isn’t the right time and he knows just when is that right time, so he just needs to control himself for now.

“—days?” Chanyeol was then squirmed to reality when he noticed Nouf’s questioninig look on him. “What?” He only caught the last word.

“I said where have you been these past few days? I mean I don’t want it to sound different. I’m just..you know..Curious maybe? Since, you know I’m staying at your place but then you’re nowhere to be seen.” She tried not to sound nosy.

“Oh about that. Haven’t Kai and Sehun told you?” He scratches his head. I knew she’s going to ask me this.

“About your family?”

“Y-Yes.” Chanyeol was starting to play with the hem of his black coat thinking what other reason he is going to feed her if she continues asking him regarding his absenteeism and such. He doesn’t want to screw up his plan this early. And luckily his savior finally arrived.

-

He looks perfectly perfect. Nouf almost shrieked when a tall man in black coat beams and halts her thought. She hisses mentally on how Chanyeol gets to exceed her definition of perfect. Or maybe her standard’s just low or maybe not, perhaps just average compare to others, for this guy to go beyond it.

Nouf has to work on her mental cues the moment Chanyeol reached out a hand to offer her. Good thing she has found the right response of pressing her own hand to his. And she has to fix herself again, when Chanyeol just casually hooked her arm in his. She mentally curses why is Chanyeol torturing her this much. He doesn’t have any ideas on how much fireworks inside her chest is she having the moment he did that. She couldn’t contain it anymore.  She would literally burst with just a few more fuses.

Find a distraction, hurry!

A person who gets to eat there would never overlook the live performing orchestral band, and that’s what served as Nouf’s distraction. It’s working for now and Nouf has to take a very deep breath to finally have a diverting thought.

She really is  trying so so hard, but she hasn’t even reached even a minute when her heart already made a sign of giving up. Damn! Why is he melting me with that stare? She endlessly whines mentally.

The first piece of the band cues its end but Chanyeol still is melting her with that look she doesn’t want to describe.

This is so unfair. I miss him so bad but I can’t have my chance to stare on his perfect face.

“May I  ask where have you been these past few days?” She attempts to break his trance and luckily it did succeed.

Nouf chuckled mentally on his reaction. He seemed stunned and god Nouf has to keep herself because she really misses this guy. It’s been days since she last saw him.

 She firmly fights herself though. She knew this would happen, her being too much attracted to him again. She knows she has to triple her power of resistance not to notice how perfectly perfect this guy is.

Once thing that Nouf haven’t fixed in her brain was the plan Chanyeol has for that night.

“Who am I going to be introduced?” She asked Baekhyun earlier while they’re on their way.
“Family? I’m not sure. But I heard his older brother’s coming to Macau today. I’m not just sure of the time.”

Nouf was actually expecting to see a he, but her shoulders almost fell down when she saw a she.

“Jul!! You look stunning in that dress.” Chanyeol teases  before standing up to help her sit on the empty seat in between them.

“Stop that. I am a fashion icon; it’s my duty to look good in everything I wear.” She replied before batting her eyelashes

“Uhm Nouf I would like you to meet Jul, Macau’s in demand star— And fashion icon!” Jul cuts out. Chanyeol laughed from her childish act before continuing the introduction.

In demand star. Fashion action.Okay this is too much for me to feel intimidated.

If Chanyeol’s stare was melting her a few moments ago, she now thinks she’ll just shrink in a second just by hearing Jul’s titles.

I have nothing compared to that.  She degradingly affirms to herself.

What is she to a she?

What is a student to a celebrity?

What is  a Nouf to a Jul?

Ahh~ She whines agains. So what if she’s prettier? So what if she’s a celebrity? So what if she’s Macau’s in demand star? So what if she’s perfect? So what if she’s dating Chanyeol?

As if she really cares. But she has to admit it the last thing kind of hurts. It makes her want to go home and hide under her sheets. She’s nothing compare to her.

She’s not even assuming. She never did. But it hurts. It hurts so much to see Chanyeol with a perfectly perfect lady with him.

“So you’re Nouf?” Jul pulls one of the corners of her lips before darting Chanyeol an interesting look.

Nouf has to nod on that. “You know my Chanyeollie here tells me a lot of things about  you.” Nouf doesn’t even care because that word of possession and that pet name churns a great agitation inside her.

“R-Really— Jul!! Isn’t that a Beethoven piece? You’re favorite?!” Nouf was already stabbing to death when it was Chanyeol to cut her off.

“OMG!! It is!! I never thought they’ll play it tonight!” She clasped her hands in excitement, and Nouf mentally doubts to dwell peacefully tonight.

The dinner was way too long that Nouf thought she might just finish making her school projects with the time three of them have spent. Most likely, just the two of them have spent since it’s just actually them two who talked most of the time. Nouf gets to talk though, but it was just some simple random information Jul asked. Like where is she studying at and what course is she taking. The rest of the time was left for the two of them to exchange humorous stories that Nouf laughed in pretend.

So this is it? He makes me go in this dinner just to slap on my face that I am nothing compare Jul? That I am just simply in a reverie to actually think that maybe Chanyeol likes me? Well, DAMN you Chanyeol. You just succeeded CONGRATULATIONS!!

Nouf badly wants to tell that to him. She badly wants to shake his hand and say “Thank you for shattering my heat into teeny tiny pieces now let me say goodbye", but she chose not to.

She really hates herself to feel such. She’s in no position. She’s just some random who gets her life intertwined on Park Chanyeol’s just because of a stupid auction.

She just wants to go back to Seoul now. This just suddenly makes her yearn for Chen’s embrace. She wants to go back now. This trip. This place. Park Chanyeol. She wants to forget it all. She wants to go back and not to remember how she got herself into Chanyeol’s life anymore. But even the thought of forgetting triggers an enormous surge of pain inside. 

-

“Bad thing Suho’s flight was moved.” Jul’s frown turned to be a grimace when Chanyeol pinched her very precious pointy nose. “He’ll be here tomorrow. So stop pouting~”

 “Ya!! Not that one!” She pries his hands away before rubbing his lovely nose.

“I like her.” Jul suddenly blurts, staring on Nouf’s figure inside Chanyeol’s car.

“I know you would.” He says proudly as if he had a glimpse of what will happen tonight.

“But I really think she felt a little bit out casted a while ago though. The way she pretends to laugh on my hilarious stories? So much obvious. She’s jealous.” Jul mimics Nouf’s laugh.

“You think so?"

“I know so! I’m a lady just to inform you!”

“And why would she?” And it was when Jul chooses to answer her phone call. “I don’t know go find out!” She whispers back before pressing her phone against one of her ears and motioning the lad of her leave.

Chanyeol asked himself a couple of times before he finally decided to enter his car with a damsel in distress waiting inside.

Was she really jealous?

a/n: IDEK WHAT TO DO ANYMORE CAN SOMEONE HELP ME.