She would have escaped. But she couldn't escape her own house. She would have thrown them all out. But not with her mother around. She would have excused herself to return to her studying. But what would that make of the fellow students huddled around her living room? That they were being irresponsible? And that they were disrupting her? She couldn't risk a display of self-righteousness, could she?

And so she settled for the only thing she could do, the only thing that was acceptable to do. Serve them. For as long as she could bear.

Baekhyun nibbled away slice after slice of apple pies. His eyes could not stand to gaze too long at his tight-lipped companions, especially Aya who was also glaring at him. So his eyes wandered around, taking in as much as he could about the house. Furniture, patterns on the walls, family pictures, a single staircase that led to the second floor. And when his eyes were done absorbing them, he repeated the cycle.

Solenn managed to devour only one pie. She might not have intended it, but the glances she threw towards Sehun did not go unnoticed by Aya, which only made Aya want to throw them out all the more.

Sehun, unsurprisingly, was muted and immobile. Long, slender arms were dangled over the divan's backrest. One leg was crossed over the other. Head hung low, he'd be easily mistaken for asleep. He didn't touch one apple pie nor sip one drop of refreshment. He was present but he was not. And Aya didn't understand why he had bothered to hang around when he wasn't going to talk and his presence apparently did little to lift the growing tension.

Thinking she had to do something (as she was the host after all), Aya cleared and straightened her spine. “How is everyone with their—"

“So how are you, Sehun?” Solenn interrupted. She smiled at him, but the devilish intent beneath it was clearly intended for Aya. “I haven’t really had a decent conversation with you since I moved in.”

“Well, is that so?” Aya’s mother suddenly threw in. She settled herself beside Aya and hauled her own glass. The smile she gave was the only genuine expression in the room. “How do you know each other? Sehun here doesn’t talk much but I thought it was only with Aya.”

Baekhyun laughed, in time to receive a glare from Aya. But he persisted. “He doesn’t talk to anybody in school.”

This seemed to amuse Aya’s mother. “Oh? Then how do you manage class activities, dear?”

Sehun lips parted for a moment, but Baekhyun beat him into answering. “He only pairs up with Aya—from what I heard. Uh, we’re not classmates. And for group activities, he groups with her and so he gets to communicate with the rest through her.”

Aya’s scalding glower momentarily vanished when her mother glanced to pass her a smirk. “Is there any specific reason for that?” She was clearly flattered for her own daughter. When she pinned her gaze back on Sehun, Aya was back to murdering Baekhyun with her glares.

To everyone’s surprise, Sehun answered, “Not really.” And to top it all, he had answered with a smile. “I pair up and group with her because she’s the top student. And my groupmates, except Aya, don’t talk to me so I don’t find the need to talk to them either.”

Aya’s mother was about to plunge into another prying assault when the phone blared. She excused herself, smiling at Sehun and patting Aya twice by the shoulder.

The telephone was docked in another room so as soon as her mother was out, Aya stood and dropped all façades at pleasantry. “Enough of this,” she growled. “Everyone, please leave.”

As expected, Baekhyun protested. “But I like it here.”

“And your mother hasn’t dismissed us,” Solenn seconded.

“Well, I am.” Aya sauntered for the door and pulled it open to emphasize the gesture.

Neither Solenn nor Baekhyun made a move to comply. But Sehun did. Quietly. Rigidly. He abandoned his seat and walked towards the door. He paused.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your study time.”

Aya’s cheeks warmed. Not now. “It’s okay.” She ducked her head in hopes of finally seeing one uninvited visitor leave. It should be easier to throw the other two out. She could continue eyeing daggers at Baekhyun until the boy finally gave up and left as well. As for Solenn, there was no reason for her to linger around anymore without Sehun.

But Sehun remained frozen.

Please go now. Please relieve me from this misery. Aya chanted the words in her mind, her feet becoming more fidgety with each second.

What happened next was not among Aya’s short list of wishes. Slowly, gracefully—as gracefully as a seemingly lazy man could manage—Sehun reached over to lock Aya’s chin within his coiled index finger. There was no time for Aya to retract, or to react for that matter. By the next second, she felt her lips being sealed beneath Sehun’s. Her breathing stopped altogether. And by the time Sehun pulled back, her jaw had dropped to the floor.

As if it weren’t enough a display of o