“He called you insufferable.”

Aya nodded.

“Was he being funny?”

Aya shook her head.

“Are you okay with that?”

Aya paused from her tracks, weighed her answer, and sighed longingly before shrugging at Baekhyun who was walking her home. She had sprung out of her classroom the very instant the bell rang for dismissal. She hadn’t spoken to Sehun for the rest of the afternoon; not during Pre-Calculus when they were working in pairs and not during Chemistry when they were conducting group experiments. But it wasn’t because of what happened at lunch. It was because she was too afraid to talk to him.

“Earth to Aya, my sweetheart?”

Aya blinked. “What?”

“I said, are you just going to stand there or do I have to give you a piggyback ride the rest of the way?”

Aya laughed a little and matched Baekhyun’s pace at last. “Sorry, Baek. Just a little spaced out, I guess.”

“Correction, honey,” Baekhyun rolled his eyes. “You’re very spaced out.” He ruffled Aya’s hair when she laughed again. “That Solenn girl’s actually sweet, you know.”

Aya’s smile twisted. “Excuse me?”

“We’re seatmates, although I’d like to think she purposefully chose to sit beside me.” He ignored the tiny slap Aya inflicted upon his upper arm. “Can you believe it? She’s actually the granddaughter of this school’s founders. It makes me wonder why she’s not in the speed class.”

“She’s probably not exemplary enough. But I really don’t care, Baek.”

“Ah, I get it.” Baekhyun sneered. “You’re jealous, aren’t you? Of her and Sehun?”

“Why on earth would I be jealous?”

“Because Sehun disowned you in her presence.”

Baekhyun’s words were a rusty spear to her heart. She managed to mask her disappointment with a playful scoff. “There isn’t exactly room for that, you know, with me and Sehun being classmates while she and he aren’t.”

“You have a point,” Baekhyun surrendered. “But anyway, I think your friend really needs some serious rehab session. Is he depressed or something?”

“My friend,” Aya gulped as her house slowly came into view, “is not depressed.” She pressed a palm to her forehead when she realized who was keeping her parents company while she attended to her council obligations earlier. “But he is surely deranged for suddenly paying my parents a visit! What the—bye, Baek,” she hollered as she jogged the rest of the distance. “Thanks for walking me!”

Sehun had seen Aya walk into the porch so that before Aya could step entirely inside, he had already risen from the divan. Aya’s parents turned to her when she entered.

“Hi, Mom.” Aya kissed her mother and then her father. “Dad, did you eat all of my lasagna again?” She wiped off an imaginary stain on the edge of her father’s lips and frowned.

“Well, I—" Her father scratched his head. Aya only meant it as a joke, but as it turned out, her assumption was correct. “We’ll just order in for you and Sehun here, what do you think?”

“Oh, no please. Thank you.” Sehun bowed his head. “But I am taking Aya out to dinner. I believe I owe her one after helping me out so much earlier during lab.”

“She did?” The pride in Aya’s mother was resonant. Sehun’s smile gleamed; it was so rare that it terrified Aya. “Well, at least she doesn’t have to cook for the both of you now.”

Aya wanted nothing more than to dive in bed and escape in her dreams, but Sehun made sure her wishes weren’t granted—by showing up here, practically announcing to her parents that they were together, and asking her out without the option to say no. All these after he had so heartlessly disowned her. And called her insufferable.

Sehun had taken her hand in his when they exited the house. Aya tolerated this only until they’d reached the main road. She eased out of his touch and locked her arms over her chest. This didn’t faze Sehun.

“I’m not eating, Sehun. Just a heads up.”

“Neither am I.” He halted. Aya didn’t. Only when they were nearing a block away did Aya finally stop. She sighed.

“Sehun, I can’t do this with you.” She had whispered to the wind, but the words found their way into Sehun’s ears. “One moment you’re all dandy, and then you’re arctic. One minute you’re sweet and then you’re a bitter gourd.”

“I’ve always been like this,” Sehun said from a short distance behind.

“Well, I can only tolerate this for so long.”

“You never used to whine about me, Aya. You took me for who I am.”

Aya chuckled airily at this. It was a very selfish declaration, but it was true. It hardly mattered to her however Sehun treated her. It used to never bother her. Maybe because they had taken the next step in their relationship? Maybe because she was now expecting something more from him? Or was it because—

“This is why I didn’t like you hanging out with Byun Baekhyun.” Aya slowly twirled around. Why was he bringing him up again? And why was he so worked up with her friendship with Baekhyun? No, he had no right, especially not when he didn’t even care to fully enlighten her about that Solenn girl.

She was ab