The small boy with a mop of brown hair stared dreamily into space. “Yah. Byun Bacon.”

A girl with soft features took a seat beside him, imitating the way he sat down, legs crossed, head supported by his elbows that were resting on the table. The boy called ‘bacon’ merely gave a content hum as a response.

“What are you looking at?” she asked, craning her neck to see what has been keeping the boy preoccupied. It took her a solid minute to see what he’s been looking at, until she saw it.

 

Oh.

 

The girl was so tiny she nearly thought the guy in front of her was talking by himself until he shifted his body and reveal the body that was slightly shorter than her, but a million times skinnier. It looks like you could squeeze and snap her body in half if you wanted to, she was too skinny.

Her hair was an unnatural blonde color. I wish she knew that blonde looks horrible on her, she mused to herself. Her face was porcelain white, her eyes wide with unnaturally long eyelashes, oh wow, fake eyelashes, and her pink lips was plush and inviting.

The sight made her shudder in disgust. Another Barbie doll, I should’ve guessed.

 

“Baek.”

 

“Did you see that? Man, those looks amazing” Baekhyun said dreamily. She sighed and returned her gaze towards the girl. “Her name’s Mina,” she said, her expression looking almost bored. “And those s looks really fake. Like, really. How much that kind of plastic surgery costs, again?” she muttered lowly, but enough for him to hear.

Baekhyun snorted and shoved her shoulder. “Stop being a jealous .”

She dropped her jaws in mortification. “I’m not!” she retorted. “Whatever you say, baby,” Baekhyun said airily, waving her aside so can have a better look at the girl named Mina. Mina caught his eye and flashed him a smile and a wink which nearly made him giggle and gush like a girl. But that didn’t stop him from grabbing his best friend beside him and shook her like a doll.

“OMGSHESMILEDANDWINKEDATMEICOULDDIEANDGOTOHEAVENNOW” he whispered urgently to her. She pinched him hard, making him yelp.

 

“ you, bi-“

“Please refrain from using vulgar words in my class, Mr. Byun, or detention awaits you.” The teacher snapped at him as she walked into the classroom. Silence ensued as she swept her eyes around the classroom and nodded with satisfaction to herself. “It seems like everyone is here, so I can start my lessons now”

Mina gave Baekhyun another smile as she flipped open her textbook. Baekhyun grabbed his best friend’s arm again urgently. “I want you to set me up”

 

She tucked a lock of hair behind one ear and scoffed lightly. “With whom? The surgically enhanced Barbie doll?” the girl sneered. Baekhyun frowned, but nodded. “Yep. Her”

“Arasso your high-ing-ness. Now shut up and let me study.”

 

It was a pleasant silence for five minutes until Baekhyun spoke up again. “Yah, Mari.” He whispered urgently.

Mari answered with a resigned sigh. “What now?”

 

He answered with a dreamy voice. “You know what, if you go to the plastic surgery too, I bet you’ll look much better than her.” There was a loud sounding slap as the thick history textbook met the back of Baekhyun’s head that made every head turns towards their direction.

 

“THE -“

 

“Mr. Byun, Ms. Kwon. Detention after school”

 

 

 

 

She has been standing in front of the mirror for a long time now. Poking and pulling at her skin, looking for flaws that made her ugly.

 

Should I reconsider doing that plastic surgery?

 

The girl pouted and jumped on her bed, landing flat on her front and flailed her feet around as a sign of frustration. She flipped around to be on her back and pouted at the ceiling.

 

Will surgery make Baekhyun notice me?

 

She pursed her lips and scrunched her eyebrows until they almost connected. “Maybe I should try it using Photoshop first” she said to herself, dragging her laptop towards her and choosing a decent photo of her to start editing.

She airbrushed, enhanced and cleaned up her features until it somewhat resembled the Barbie doll Mina she claimed as plastic this morning. Closing one eye, she saved the picture and typed up a quick, ‘do I look okay?’ before sending it to Baekhyun, crossing her fingers as she did so.

The boy replied ten minutes later, making her jumped at her laptop in anticipation.

 

LOL. WTF. OMFG. ROFL.

YOU LOOK LIKE A RETARD. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

Her face fell and her cheeks burn in embarrassment. A small chime filled the room as the screen flashed a notification from Baekhyun.

 

I’M POSTING THIS ON MY SNS ACCOUNT. XD

 

She groaned loudly before replying with ‘DO THAT AND YOU DIE’ then burying herself under her covers, along with her self-esteem that has long ago had hit the ground.

 

 

 

She had been harboring a crush on him for a long time now. She didn’t know how the feelings started.

It just happened.

Being the complete chicken she was, she kept her feelings bottled up inside.

Why, do you ask?

 

Baekhyun flopped down onto the empty seat beside her, beaming and breathless. “Guess who scored a date with that girl in class 2-B!” he exclaimed loudly, raising both his arms high above his head.

She refrained the compelling urge to snort, resorting into a half-hearted shrug instead. “It may or may not be Byun Baekhyun”

 

Baekhyun pouted. “You’re no fun!”

She sighed. “Who is it now? Ami? Yoona? Hyemi?” she rattled off some random names.

There was silence as he tried to remember exactly what the girl’s name is. “Hana? Hani? Haneul? Well, either one, but that’s not important right now”

“My best friend, ladies and gentlemen” she said mockingly.

“Oh shut up. You know what? I’m starting to question myself about your uality. Since you never had a boyfriend..” he trailed off.

 

“Are you saying that I’m a lesbian?” she mocked outrage. Baekhyun raised both his arms in defense. “Nooo I never said that!”

She huffed. “Good. Because I’m straight”

 

“You want me to find someone for you?” he asked gently. She shook, a pained feeling washing over her. “No thanks. I already had someone.”

 

His eyes brightened. “Really? Who?”

 

She sighed and closed her eyes. “Just someone.”

 

He folded his arms above his chest and stared quizzically at her. Feeling self-conscious, she averted her eyes. “You’re not telling me~” Baekhyun whined.

The girl sighed and got up from her seat. “I don’t have anything to tell you Baek”

The sounds of his protesting whines reached her ears. “At least tell me his name so I can go give him a death threat!”

 

How can I tell you when it’s been you all along?, she thought sadly. Despite that, she forced a bright smile onto her face. “I can’t. He never know I existed anyway.”

 

And Baekhyun stared confusedly at her back, as she left him alone with her books to keep him company.

 

 

 

“So how does the date go?” she asked, not looking away from the phone in her hand. The boy beside her shrugged. “The same. It was boring. She was boring.” He said coolly.

She sighed. “What are you sighing about?” he asked, confused.

 

“You.” Came the simple answer.

 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, indicating he could care less on her cryptic answer. “Hey. Can you do me a favor?” Without even waiting to hear her reply, he continued, “Take Ahri to the mall. Apparently she wants to go ‘window shopping’,”

 

“No. It’s your date after all”

 

To be quite honest, she was so done in helping Baekhyun and all of his stupid favors. But even if she really didn’t want to, she just can’t seem to say no.

 

Not when he’s like that. Baekhyun was clearly pouting and making puppy dog eyes at her refusal. Somehow her ears caught some distant giggles and whispers ‘Oh, I wish I can take puppy Baek home with me’.

 

No. Just no.

 

So, for the hundredth time, or was it thousandth?, (she doesn’t keep track) the girl found herself complying to him. Again.

 

“Fine. But promise me that this will be the last time you asked me to help you Baek” she insisted at him.

Baekhyun grinned displaying a showcase of his brilliant set of teeth, while nodding along like an obedient puppy. “Of course!” he chimed.

 

It was perfectly clear then that both she and Baekhyun knows that neither of them are sticking to the promise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“But Baekhyun promised that he’ll take me to the mall!”

 

The girl rubbed circles on her temples with her fingers, attempting to calm herself down. “Well apparently he had something else to do, so he told me to come instead.”

“So? He could just tell me!” the other girl said, flailing her hands into the air like the drama queen she is. “I don’t want to go with, err, you” she exclaimed, not really subtle about voicing out her thoughts. Mari tapped her foot on the pavement impatiently, growing more and more irritated by the second.

“Fine. I’ll just go home” she snapped, turning around to leave.

“No, wait” Ahri grabbed her arm just as she was about to leave. “I could do with a partner anyway”

 

 

“By partner you don’t mean the one who gives you constructive criticism right? Instead, she’s the one who had to carry all the s that you bought.”

 

“Of course,” Ahri said, inspecting her long shiny nails for possible chips. “Well, forgive me when I said this, not that I’m sorry, but obviously, you don’t look like you could give me some constructive criticism anyway. I mean, what’s with your fashion and all…”her voice trailed off as she sneak a glance at the girl beside her.

 

Mari clapped her hands enthusiastically. “Somehow you managed to make that sounds insulting. Although it’s fine since I know you didn’t mean too” she answered back with equal sarcasm and smiled angelically back at her. The other girl rolled her eyes and flipped her hair back.

 

“Geez. Now I know why you never had a boyfriend.” Mari stopped and glared at the girl who was staring down at her nails again.

“You’re too blunt. And sarcastic. And the list could go on and on and on.” She said and twirled around to face her.

 

“But,” she stopped and smiled sickeningly sweet at her. “The real reason that you never seem to find someone to call your own, is because the fact that you’re too hung up over a certain someone who will never be yours.”

“No I didn’t” she countered. “Yes you are. Don’t even try to deny it. Because it’s too obvious.”

She gripped the shopping bags tighter, composing her face in a calm façade.

 

“The girls at school used to talk about you, you know.” Ahri continued, her voice a bit softer now. “They said you’re hopeless, falling in love with your own best friend, and haven’t been able to like anyone else rather than him. In short, they’re making fun of you.”

“You think the same too?” she asked, her voice small. Ahri shook her head. “I think it’s sad, but I could totally relate to that.”

 

“Why?”

 

Ahri laughed and suddenly linked their arms together. “Do you know why I suddenly asked Baekhyun out?”

 

Mari shook her head in amazement. This girl is extremely bipolar.

 

“Because I’m just like you. I like my own best friend too.” She beamed at her.

Mari opened to say something, but her voice failed her as no sounds came out and she suddenly found her world turned black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Good morning!” Baekhyun chimed, dumping his backpack on his usual seat. “Morning” she replied, not taking her eyes off the book in her hands. “You look pale,” he commented. Mari shrugged. “I’m probably exhausted, don’t worry”

Baekhyun pouted at her answer, then suddenly brightened up as he spotted Ahri entering the class. “How was your shopping trip with Ahri yesterday?”

Mari shrugged. “She’s a . But she’s okay” she said, smiling to herself as she replayed back yesterday conversation in her mind.

 

“Mari”

 

Ahri stood in front of her table, looking at her in concern. “Are you okay?”

 

Feigning ignorance, she nodded and pretended to shoo her away. “Why wouldn’t I be? And why do you ask?”

“Well yesterday you suddenly decided to pass out when I was talking to you and I was the one who had to send you home and sit beside you until you woke up, so yeah, I had to ask.”

 

Baekhyun stared at Mari as if she had grown two extra pair of hands. “You passed out? Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

The girl pressed her fingers to her temples. “It’s just exhaustion.” She muttered loud enough for them to hear. Ahri nodded uncertainly and patted her shoulder. “Okay, I’ll just, go back to my seat then” she finished awkwardly, not before giving her one last stare. She nodded, ignoring the stare and shooed her away.

 

Mari inwardly sighed as Baekhyun decided to baby her around the rest of the school period, saying that he felt bad he didn’t know that she was sick, and want to make it up for her. Her mind went back to the stare Ahri was giving her that morning. The stare speaks concerns and also worry. It’s also as if Ahri had something else to tell her, which she was very sure she won’t like to hear.

 

It scares her.

 

 

 

She ran away from Ahri after that incident. She was afraid if the girl brought up the topic again.

But Ahri managed to corner her one day when she went to the girl’s bathroom. “You’re avoiding me,” she whined. “What do you want?”

 

“I want to talk about the other day, but I figured that you won’t like it.”

 

Mari crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, it’s true. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Ahri looked at her, concerned. “I take that Baekhyun doesn’t know about this?”

 

Mari gave her a small smile and shook her head. “I don’t even know how to break this to him myself. Maybe it’s better if he didn’t know. How’s it going between you and him?” she asked as a sudden change of topic, him referring to Ahri’s best friend.

Ahri sighed, and pouted. “I’ll planning to tell him tomorrow. But let’s not talk about me. Are you even planning to tell him soon?”

 

Mari grinned. “Nah. I’ll just keep it to myself. I can’t risk it if we suddenly goes awkward and when he rejected my confession.”

 

 

 

“Hey Baek.” She greeted him when she got back from the bathroom. The boy nodded, not sparing her a glance. “Baek-“

 

“I’m sorry babe, but I can’t go home with you today. Heerin told me to walk her home today”

 

She blinked. “Oh. Okay.”

“I’ll make it up to you tomorrow okay?” he grinned. The girl smiled lightly and she nodded. “Tomorrow, the usual, alright?”

Baekhyun took out his books as the teacher comes in. “Oh, and babe? You need to eat up okay? You’re so pale right now”

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been two hour and no sign of Baekhyun. She sighed as her mind contemplated whether to stay or leave.

As if sensing her frustrations, her phone rang, begging to be picked up.

 

“Hey”

 

She wrinkled her brows as she heard Baekhyun’s heavy breathings at the end of the line. “Hey. Are you alright?”

She heard his sharp intake of breath. “Yes. I’m fine.”

She nodded uncertainly, even if she knew he wouldn’t see them. “So….Where’re you?”

 

“Ah about that.. Can we reschedule? Heerin asked me to accompany her to the vet today.” Baekhyun said apologetically. The girl sighed, already expecting this. “Mkay.” She muttered.

 

“I’m really really sorry!”

 

She forced a smile back onto her face. “That’s fine. Really.”

Before he hung up, she heard him mutter an apology once again. “I’ll make it up for you alright? I promise”

And when the call finally ended, a sorrow smile spread across her face.

 

Promise, she mouthed to herself. She hated the way the word came out from her lips. She hated the way it makes you get your hopes up for nothing.

 

And she hated it most if Baekhyun was the one who said it.

 

Because Byun Baekhyun rarely keeps with his promises.

 

 

 

 

 

“You promised.” She hissed angrily. The person in front of her patted her hand on the table.

“I’m really sorry but there’s nothing I could do” he said apologetically. She scrunched up her eyebrows in anger and took her hand from the table, curling them in a fist over her chest.

 

“You promised me! You said there was a cure! You said that I’ll be alright! You promised that I won’t die!” she cried out loud, creating a scene.

 

“I’m really sorry, but the last time I’ve checked the cancer cells are benignant. It’s completely beyond me how the cancer managed to grow in a more rapid pace than before.”

The girl hides her face behind her hands. Sighing audibly, the doctor continued. “I’m really sorry to tell you this, my dear, but don’t worry, I’ll try to find a cure for you.”

 

“Stop sugarcoating your words and start telling me the truth.” She said, looking anywhere but the doctor’s face.

The man sitting behind the desk in front of her sighed again, pushing glasses back on his nose. “You need to undergo a surgery to remove the cancerous mass of cells.”

“And will that cure me of this illness?”

 

She sat back with her hands clutching tightly at the hem of her skirt, looking straight at the doctor’s face as she spoke.

 

There was silence.

 

And by looking at the middle-aged man’s expression, she finally received the answer she was looking for.

 

 

 

 

 

“Where have you been? I called you but you never once picked up! You didn’t reply to any of my text messages either!”

She dumped her bag on the table and sighed. “I’m sorry”

 

Baekhyun glanced at her, a worried expression plastered on his face. “Are you alright? You’re pale,” he exclaimed, placing a hand on her forehead.

 

She let out a tired sigh, removing his hand away gently. “I’m okay.”

 

“No you’re not” he stated, his brows furrowed in worry. Her heart fluttered seeing this side of Baekhyun. The caring side of him she rarely gets to see.  Flashing him a small smile, she assured him that she was okay.

“Wait in front of the gate when the school ends. I’ll send you home”

 

 

Baekhyun was actually sticking to his promise.

She walked slowly after her last class for the day ended, not wanting to be disappointed if Baekhyun ditched her the with a last minute’s notice, as usually did. But then a grinning Baekhyun greeted her sight as she finally arrived at the gate. “Oh you’re here” she blurted.

 

“What do you mean by that?” he pouted, which she find disturbingly cute. “I thought you’re not coming” she answered coolly. Baekhyun pouted again. “I promised you, didn’t I? Plus, I missed you!” he chirped happily, hugging her body close to him.

 

Her breath hitched, and didn’t go unnoticed by him. Hugging her closer, he asked concerned. “You okay?”

 

She let out a breath she didn’t even knew she was holding. “I missed you too”

 

Baekhyun smiled. “It’s been a long time since I spend my time with you!” he exclaimed. She smiled lightly. “Of course. You spend too much time with those girls instead of me. I’m disappointed in you” she replied jokingly.

 

“You could never compare to all those girls” he said, now holding her hand in his. “Really?” she asked playfully, bumping into his shoulder.

 

“Really” Baekhyun grinned, poking her temple with his finger.

 

 

 

 

 

“Since there’s no school tomorrow, and I’m free tomorrow, how about I take you out for dinner?” he suggested, as they were sitting calmly, eating ice creams on the sidewalk.

She her spoon clean, savoring the sweet taste of strawberry that still lingers in before answering.

“Sure. Where to?”

Baekhyun placed his empty cup of ice cream aside, pouting and tapping his lower lips, deep in thought. His eyes sparkled and he grinned at her, which she returned gladly. “How about the usual place? We haven’t been there in ages”

She squinted one eye shut while looking at him. Pulling up the corners of to form a smile, she replied.

“Sure”

 

 

 

She gently pushed the heavy curtains aside and slides the windows’ catch to open them, letting streams of sunlight illuminates the otherwise dark rom. The girl smiled softly to herself as a soft breeze blew into that room and she felt like as if she had fallen into a trance when she felt the breeze softly playing with the strands of her hair.

 

Her peaceful trance was interrupted by the shrill sound of her ringtone, indicating that someone was calling her. Her lips curved into a wide smile as she recognized the caller was her favorite person on earth. 

 

"Hey! What's up? You're picking me up tonight, right?"

 

"Ah, about tonight.." the caller's voice at the end of the line falters. Which didn't go pass her. Her wide smile however never dropped from her face. "What about tonight? Don't tell me you're bailing me out, again." She a bit. 

"Actually, yeah. I'm calling to say that I can't make it tonight. I got umm, stuff, to attend to" he replied lamely.

 

The smile never once dropped. "Oh. You got stuff to attend to. Okay. Cool."

"Yeah. Hey. Can you do me a favor? Like, can you hook me up with that gorgeous babe in your Biology class?"

Keeping the light hearted tone in her voice, she replied coolly. 

 

"Sure. Whatever you want."

 

 

 

Mari didn’t come to school that week.

And it worries him. She never missed school for more than three days. All his call when straight into the voicemail, his text messages ignored. He even went to her house to see her, but nobody opened the door for him.

It was all too weird. And it puzzles him.

 

“Where have you been?” he asked her as soon as she sank into her usual seat. There were tired bags under her eyes, the bb cream doing a poor job at concealing it. The girl looks way thinner than the last time he saw her. “Are you alright?” he her head comfortingly.

She gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Never better”

 

 

The girl was the epitome of beauty. She stood at her full height of 5’4, her long brown hair wavy and caressed her body in a way that would made anyone goes green with envy. Her skin was crystal clear, with thin lips and big, doll like eyes framed with thick lashes. Her body was to die for, slender and fit, with curves that could make any man go crazy.

She was popular, always having her usual sidekicks constantly at her side, her loyal followers trailing behind her like puppies. Her voice was soft and childlike, her tinkling laughter always captivated anyone who were there to hear them.

 

Needless to say, she was perfect.

 

Mari stared forlornly at the back of the said girl’s head in Biology. Insecurities grabbed at her heart. Swallowing all her stupid thoughts away, she braced herself and gently tapped the girl’s shoulder. The girl, who was currently having a conversation with her seatmate, paused and turned to give her a small smile. She held up a hand, as a gesture for Mari to wait for a bit until she finished talking to the person beside her.

 

“Yes?” her voice had a gentle lilt to it, and Mari couldn’t help but wanting to hear the pleasant voice again. “My friend wants to get to know you”

 

The girl blinked cutely and smiled at her. “Oh? Who?”

Mari gave her a small smile. “Byun Baekhyun”

 

“Really?” the girl asked, cupping her cheeks in her palms as she stared expectantly at her. “Yeah. And he discreetly asked me to get your number, haha” Mari said, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

The pretty girl smiled again, laughing slightly. “So he wants my number?”

 

Mari grinned. “Yeah. If that’s not a problem for you.”

Silently, she chanted in her heart. Please say no, please say no, please say-

 

“Wait a bit, I’ll jot it down for you.”

Dang it.

She faked a relieved smile as she watch the girl wrote down her number.

 

 

010-xxx xxxx

Choi Hyera

 

She stared down at the slip of paper Hyera gave to her at the end of the Biology class, and sighed.

 

God how much she was starting to hate the name Choi Hyera now.

 

 

 

“Here,” she handed him a slip of paper containing a series of number and a name underneath. “What is this?” Baekhyun asked, confused.

“Didn’t you told me to hook you up with the girl in my Biology class?” she asked and raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh, her?” he smiled brightly. “Thanks babe!” he said and ruffled her hair affectionately. The girl smiled back at him when actually she wanted no more than to rip the paper out of his grasp and shred it into nothingness.

 

But all she could do was see the way Baekhyun hold the paper like it’s his most prized possession on earth. 

 

 

 

 

She thought maybe Baekhyun was going to chicken out and never to call the number she gave him few days ago.

Fat chance.

 

The next day Baekhyun came to school with a blinding smile on his face.

 

“What is wrong with you?” she asked, blinking her eyes at the sight of the overly happy Baekhyun in front of her.

“Guess who managed to get Choi Hyera as his girlfriend?”

Mari bit back a frown. Plastering a fake smile on her face, she patted him softly on his back, muttering soft enough he could barely hear them. “Good for you.”

 

 

It was sheer fate that brought her to the back of the school gym that afternoon. She was walking mindlessly on her own during lunch, Baekhyun nowhere to be found. Ever since he snagged himself a hot girlfriend, he was spending less and less time with her.

Everything seems to revolve around Hyera nowadays. When she tried asking him out for bubble teas or ice creams, he would decline, saying that Hyera would kill him if she saw him with another girl.

 

She never saw Hyera as the jealous type.

 

And sometimes she managed to invite him out for a simple outing with her, a trip to the movies, the library, or even dinner at her house.

Baekhyun agreed, but bailed out the last minute, spouting excuses and apologizing again and again.

 

It’s an endless cycle. She’d asked him out, he’d say yes, then he called at the last minute to turn her down. And then he’ll apologize. He’ll promise to make it up for her. Then he’ll forget. And it goes all over again.

Even though she tried hard, even promised herself that this will be the last time, the last time to forgive him, to give him a chance, she just can’t.

 

She’s too attached to stay away.

 

 

 

 

“Baekhyun’s cute”

The familiar voice stopped Mari in her tracks. She tiptoed and peeked her head out a bit, just enough to see what was going on.

 

She saw Hyera, and two of her faithful companion, sitting leisurely on the soft patch of grass, gossiping amongst themselves.

 

“Are you even planning to go steady with him?” her friend asked, smirking at her. Hyera laughed and tilted her head to the side. “He’s a cute little guy, it’ll be a shame to let him go though.”

The three of them giggled and Mari frowned, not quite getting the joke.

 

“Yah, stop avoiding the question. Do you even love him?”

 

Hyera laughed at this question. “Of course! Not.” She exclaimed, and all three girls laughter broke out again.

“I was just playing with him. You know how I never settle down with one guy, right?” Hyera said, giggles filling in between each words.

 

A twig snapped, and the three heads turned in the sound’s direction.

 

“Is it true?”

Hyera looked at the trembling girl in front of her coldly. “Well I see that someone have been eavesdropping on our conversations!” she sneered coldly.

 

“Shut up” Mari snapped with the same level of ice. “What did you said just now, is it true?”

 

Hyera inspected her shiny nails for possible chips. “Oh . My nail’s broken” she whimpered to herself.

 

Mari breathed out angrily. “Yah. Answer me!”

Hyera sighed, looking back at her broken nail one last time sadly, before returning the gaze to a still fuming Mari.

 

“If I say yes, what will you do?”

 

 

 

 

Mari woke up feeling like someone had conveniently smashed her head using a sledgehammer. Groaning, she struggled to sit up straight on the bed, blinking confusedly as a strip of yellow paper obscured her view.

 

Peeling the yellow post-it from her forehead, she blinked her blurry eyesight until they clears, and she was able to read what was written on it.

 

Hyera told me you fainted while talking to her, so she called me to take you home. I would love to wait until you wake up, but I promised Hyera that I’ll accompany her today. Sorry. Get well soon.

Love, B.

 

She sighed. Looking at the wall clock, she discovered that it was time to get ready to school. So, with a sullen face, she got up and got dressed.

 

“Morning babe!”

 

“What’re you doing here?”

Baekhyun pouted. “I’m picking you up so that we can go to school together!”

 

Mari looked at him, unconvinced. “What about Hyera?”

 

Baekhyun sighed. “I told her that I’m going to walk you to school instead.”

Mari kept her silence as she bent down to tie her shoelaces. “Okay.”

 

“Look, Hyera told me you had a fight with her yesterday.”

Mari kept her eyes on her shoelaces. “Mmm-hmm” she murmured.

 

“She told me you were shouting at her and said stuff.” He said, waiting for her reaction. Mari kept her blank face on and locked her front door. She turned and started to walk briskly when she was done, not caring enough to check whether Baekhyun was following her or not.

 

Baekhyun jogged to beside her. “You’re not going to say anything?”

 

Mari shrugged. “It’s pointless.”

They resumed walking in silence, and Baekhyun swore that it was the most awkward moments in his life.

 

 

He tried to open up the topic again, to no avail. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. “Look, I don’t know what’s the problem between you two, but from what Hyera said, it’s clearly your fault, so can you please apologize to her?” he blurted.

“So this is what all this about?” she asked coldly. Surprised by her tone, he stepped back. “What?”

 

“I’m not going to apologize since it’s not my fault.”

 

Baekhyun sighed. “Don’t be such a brat”

“I’m not.”

 

 They arrived at the school with an awkward air around them. Sighing, she turned to face him.

 

“Baekhyunnie!”

Hyera hugged his arm like you would do to a teddy bear. Spotting Mari beside him, she morphed her expression into something that somewhat resembled sadness. “Oh, Mari annyeong”

 

She kept her face indifferent. “Hey, I’m sorry” Hyera sighed, pouting at her lack of response.

“It’s not her fault yet she apologized,” Baekhyun chided gently. Mari frowned and snapped. “You didn’t even hear my side of the story yet you still believe in her?”

 

“Hey,”

 

“Fine, I’m sorry.” She blurted out the words. “Are you satisfied now?”

Mari turned to leave, managing to catch the smug look on Hyera’s face as she was smirking at her. Curling her lips in a frown, she shook her head and walked away.

.

 

 

 

“Hey wait!”

Mari turned to face a panting Baekhyun behind her. “What?”

 

“Where have you been?”

 

Mari raised an eyebrow. The bags under her eyes had darkened visibly and her face has got a lot thinner. “You didn’t come to school, you didn’t pick up my calls, you didn’t reply to any of my text messages”

Mari nodded, urging him to continue. “I got...worried. And concerned.”

 

The girl sighed. “I’ve been fine. Just sick.”

Baekhyun’s face contorted into a frown. “Really? Are you okay now?” Mari smiled. “I’m fine.”

 

“Stop lying.”

 

“I’m not. Excuse me, but I have a class to go to.” Mari said calmly, pushing him aside.

 

Later in the afternoon, Baekhyun received a text message from Mari, asking him whether he wants to accompany her to the hospital for a check-up.

He instantly replied with a yes, completely forgotten that he had a date with Hyera the same evening.

 

“Hey, you came” she smiled softly as he arrived at the front gate after school ended. Baekhyun smiled. “Of course. I said yes, didn’t I?”

“Usually you would ditch me at the last minute, so let’s just say I’m not really expecting you to turn up.”

 

Baekhyun bit his lips. “I’m sorry”

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a bad friend to you. I always ignore you and left you alone. I’m sorry”

 

Mari smiled again. “It’s okay,” she said, her voice sounded a little distant.

 

 

 

“Can you wait here for a bit? I’ll be quick, I promise” Mari said to him when they arrived at the hospital lobby. “You don’t want me to go with you?” he asked, concerned. Mari smiled. “No, it’s fine. Just wait here.”

Baekhyun replied with a light nod, walking to an empty seat he laid his eyes on. He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be with Hyera, but then shook his head. He switched his phone off, just in case. Just this once. He’s going to stick with Mari.

 

 

 

 

 

“Hey Baek. Do you love Hyera?”

 

Baekhyun gave her a small shrug. “Yeah.”

Mari smiled, already expecting the answer. “Oh look, it’s raining.” She said softly. True to her words, the rain started to pour down on them, on everything. Both of them quickly seek shelter under an empty bus stop.

“Why did you ask?” Baekhyun questioned her.

“Do you still remember when I said that I have a crush on someone?” Mari mused.

 

“Yeah. Who is he?”

 

Mari smiled to herself. “You.”

 

Baekhyun turned to stare at the girl who was still wearing the soft smile on her face. “What?”

 

“I like you.”

 

 

“But, but. I have Hyera! And I’m your bestfriend!” he exclaimed. Mari smiled sadly. “I know. Relax, I’m just kidding about liking you.” She laughed weakly and hugged her own body. “Sometimes, Baekhyun ah, things doesn’t go as you wanted it to be”

Baekhyun kept silent as he lets Mari continue with her ramblings. “I know s you don’t know, Baekhyun.”

 

“Such as?”

“Such as, there are some people who won’t live to see tomorrow,” she said softly. Like me, she thought to herself. “And some people who was cheating, or be cheated on their loved ones.”

 

Baekhyun scratched his head in confusion. “What are you implying?”

 

Mari kept silence for a few minutes, closing her eyes shut and leaning against the wall of the bus stop. “Would you believe me if I said Hyera was cheating on you?”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you remember when I had a fight with her? Apparently I overheard her talking to her minions about you.”

 

Baekhyun curled his fist. “No, don’t continue.”

 

“And one of them was asking her to see whether if she loved you, and if she was considering about having a steady relationship with you.”

 

“Please, shut up.” Baekhyun said shakily.

 

“And do you know what she said?”

 

“No.” He said in anguish.

 

“She said that she was just playing with you. And that she never liked you in the first place.”

 

“Shut up!” Baekhyun exploded. Mari stared at his livid face for a second, and chuckled to herself. “I knew that you would take the news like this.”

 

“Is this some kind of a joke to you? This is not funny okay?” he snapped. Mari turned to face him. “Do I look like I’m joking? I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a long time Baekhyun, but I know you won’t take this calmly.”

 

“Of course I wouldn’t! How would you feel if someone was talking bad about your boyfriend?” he said loudly. Mari shook her head. “I understand, but really, I had to tell you about this. Even though I know you won’t believe any of it”

 

Baekhyun hissed angrily. “Hell yeah I won’t! You know what? all this, I’m going home” he said. “I didn’t know you were this kind of person, Mari” he sneered.

 

Mari turned her face so as not to look at him. It pained her. “What kind of person?” she asked quietly.

 

“The person who was willing to destroy other people relationships. You’re a monster.”

 

Mari tightly shut her eyes, not willing to let the tears escape. “Baekhyun ah. I don’t care what you thought of me, and I knew that you won’t take this news lightly. I know you probably doesn’t believe in every single that I said.”

She drew a ragged breath, grabbing hold of the hem of his jacket so as not to let him leave. “But I wanted you to know about it. It’s entirely up to you whether to believe it or not. But, when it happens, remember that I told you so.”

 

Baekhyun scoffed. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Mari released the hold she had on his jacket.

“Can you do me one last favor?” Baekhyun whispered quietly. Mari nodded. “Sure, fire away. “

 

“I don’t want to see your face anymore”

 

 

Mari got up and went out of the safety of the bus stop, getting herself drenched by the rain almost instantly. “I promise you that you won’t see my face anymore, Baek. Annyeong”

 

 

 

 

 

Mari kept to her promise. Never once he saw her after that. It has been a month and a half after their confrontation.

And never once he saw her come to school. He had to admit, he was angry at first, but he could never stay angry at her for so long. He was sorely tempted to whip out his phone and flood her phone with his calls and texts, but he was fairly sure she wouldn’t reply.

 

Because Mari was not one to break her promises. She wasn’t like him.

 

Looking back, he’d realized he’d been such an to her this whole time. He ignored his own best friend, whom he had known ever since he was small, for a chick he just known for a few months.

 

His relationship with Hyera has finally ended, Hyera finally deciding to dump him with the same words he’d heard from Mari a month and a half ago. He took it fairly well, only a bit bitter since he realized that Mari was right again.

 

“Uhm, Miss, can I know the reason why Mari’s not coming to school?” he asked the secretary one time. The secretary smiled kindly at him and shook her head. “I’m sorry boy, this is a private information. I’m not supposed to be telling you this.”

 

Baekhyun shook his head dejectedly, remembering the time when he was refused by the school’s secretary. Only then he’d realized he’d been walking around Mari’s neighborhood. Mustering up his courage, he went up the familiar steps and knocked on the wooden door.

 

Silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You have to be admitted in the ward by this week, your health is rapidly deteriorating, is only fair that you have to be in the hospital’s confinement for us to take care of you.”

 

Mari stared blankly at the doctor in front of her. “I understand. I’ll come tomorrow then”

 

The doctor nodded, saying that he’ll have a room ready for her to reside by tomorrow. “Oh, Mari. About the operation, you do know that there’s a low chance of success rate, are you sure you still wanted to continue with it?”

 

Mari nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

 

The doctor gave her another nod. “Good. Then I’ll schedule your operations a month and a half from now on.”

 

 

“Here’s the jar that you requested. Oh, and this pen.” The nurse kindly handed her the said items, smiling warmly at her in the process. “Thank you,” she said in a hoarse voice.

 

The nurse smiled kindly at her, ruffling her hair softly. “No problem dear.”

 

Mari cleared and called the nurse who was just about to leave. “Unnie.”

 

“If I’m no longer here, can you pass this jar to this boy?” she asked her, showing her a photograph of Baekhyun she kept in her bedside table. The nurse took the picture, memorizing the face before returning it back at her. “Sure. What’s his name?” she asked quietly, smiling sadly at her.

“Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun.”

 

 

 

 

“Baekhyun ah” came a phone call early Saturday morning. Baekhyun answered groggily into the receiver. “Yes?”

 

“It’s Mari’s mother here.”

Baekhyun sat up straight on his bed. “Yeah. Is everything okay?”

 

He heard soft sniffles at the end of the line. “Can you come to the hospital now? It’s Mari.”

Muttering a quick reply, he dashed out of bed and quickly got dressed.

 

He had a bad feeling about this.

 

 

 

 

He could feel the heavy atmosphere as soon as he arrived. Mari’s mother hugged him as soon as she spotted him at the side. “Auntie, where’s Mari?” he asked softly, like a child. Her mother sobbed at hearing the name.

 

He felt somebody patting his shoulder and he turned to saw Mari’s father. His eyes were red rimmed and he look tired. “Go inside, son. She’s in there.” Her father tried to smile but it turned out to be more like a grimace.

 

Wasting no time, he made his way into the room.

 

 

 

“No.”

 

He couldn’t believe his eyes.

 

 

 

Baekhyun was sitting alone on the guest chairs across the hospital corridor, trying to wrap his head around the news he’d just got.

 

“She had cancer. And she’s in her final stage”

 

“She had a surgery to remove the cancer, but it failed.”

 

“I’m sorry but I can’t save your best friend’s life.”

 

 

He can’t believe it.

His best friend since he was a child, gone. In a blink of an eye.

 

There was still a lot of things he didn’t get to say to her.

 

He didn’t even get to tell her that he was sorry.

 

He didn't get to tell her that he loved her. 

 

 

“Hey, are you Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun looked up and saw a nurse smiling kindly down at him. Baekhyun nodded, not trusting himself enough to speak. He was close to breaking down right then and there.

 

“Mari told me to give you this.”

 

She handed him a medium sized glass jar filled with colorful stars and a small scroll of paper tied with a pink ribbon at the very top. “Thank you” Baekhyun murmured.

 

The nurse smiled at him and patted his head. “Baekhyun-sshi, it’s completely fine if you wanted to cry. Just let it all out.”

Baekhyun kept a blank face. The nurse patted his head one last time, and left. “I’ll be going first.”

 

 

 

 

He shakily took of the lid of the jar, picking up the small scroll of paper and unraveling it up.

 

“Baekhyun ah,” he reads.

“If you’re reading this then you must know that I’m no longer here. Yes, I died. And I’m sorry that I kept my sickness away from you. But I don’t want you to worry about me.

Hey, try unraveling every stars in this jar. There’s a message I’ve written to you in every single one of them. Open the red one last, okay? I only want you to read it once you’ve finished reading everything else.”

 

Baekhyun drew a shaky breath. “Love, Mari”

 

He peeked into the jar and sure enough, there’s a single red star amongst other colorful ones. He picked it out and placed it aside, obeying her wishes.

Slowly, he picked up a random star, and started to unravel it.

 

I wish Baekhyun would know how much I missed him.

 

Intrigued, he picked up another star.

 

I wish for Baekhyun to know that I forgive him. For everything he said.

 

He felt his eyes water, and sure enough, tears started coming out from his eyes.

 

I want Baekhyun to study hard, so that he could achieve his dreams.

 

I want Baekhyun to eat well, so he wouldn’t get sick.

 

I wish Baekhyun would get a girl who loves him as he is. Someone who’ll love him unconditionally.

 

Babo, Baekhyun thought. How could I love someone else’s that’s not you?

 

I wish that Baekhyun will never be sad.

 

I wish that Baekhyun will know how much I cherish him, and how much I’m grateful for having him as a friend.

 

 

 

It was hours when Baekhyun finally got down to the last remaining stars in the jar. The other slips of paper were neatly arranged in a pile next to him.

 

I wish that I didn’t have cancer.

 

I wish that the surgery went well.

 

I wish I could be alive again, so that I could see you, Baek.

 

 

Baekhyun’s tears was blinding him now. He kept wiping them but then a fresh stream of tears kept running out again.

With a shaky hands he picked up the last star, the red one, unraveling it.

 

And then he cried. Hard.

 

I wish I dared to tell you that I love you, Byun Baekhyun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

Finally I updated! *throws confetti*

u.u I know I promised to update earlier but college is being a real pain, and I got busy finishing up assignments. 

To marygracejoie who requested this, I hope you're happy!  ^^

Pardon my language and grammatical errors, english is not my native language. 

 

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