“Yes, Uncle Jay. I’ll be back before midnight.” Ariel said on the phone. She nodded her head at Uncle Jay’s responses. “Yes, I’m still alive.” She eyed Chanyeol who was sitting in front of her at Celestial Cafe. “None of his fans killed me.. yet.”

Chanyeol shot her a look but Ariel gave him a smile to say that she was kidding. 

“Oh my gosh, Uncle Jay, I’ll be home before midnight! What are you going to do? Put a tracking device on me?” Ariel sarcastically mentioned before she ended the call. She placed her phone on the table as she wrapped her hands around her smoothie. 

“Protective uncle again?” Chanyeol asked, taking a sip of his coffee. 

Ariel nodded her head as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “He thinks I’m going to be dead.”

“Why?”

“Your promposal is everywhere online.”

Chanyeol raised a brow. “And that means..?”

Ariel let out a tiny smile as she leaned forward to peck him on the lips. “You’re the best boyfriend ever.”

“The best one you’ve ever had?”

“You’re the only boyfriend I’ve ever had.”

“What about Kai?”

“We weren’t really dating, you know that.” Ariel replied, taking a sip of her mango smoothie. “It was all fake.” She set her cup back on the table. “Besides, I think he has a thing for Sojin.”

“Sojin?” Chanyeol furrowed his brows. “Since when?”

Ariel sighed as she played with the straw in her cup. “He said he needs to figure some ‘things’ out. But I can already tell that they both like each other. They just deny it.”

Chanyeol thought to himself, He’s still getting over you, Ariel. 

“I don’t know,” Ariel said, interrupting Chanyeol’s train of thought. “I ship them. SoIn or JongJin?”

“What’s our couple name?” 

Ariel cocked her head to the side. “Sojin calls us Cha-Young.” Just then, Ariel’s phone began ringing. She checked the screen and left it alone as she ignored the call. “Daniel and Luke likes Chaniel. I don’t-“ Her phone vibrated again but this time it was a text message. “Leave me alone.” Ariel flipped her phone so the screen would be facing the table surface. 

Chanyeol stared at her phone with a puzzled look. “Something wrong babe?”

Ariel shook her head timidly. “Nothing’s wrong.” Then her phone buzzed three times again. Chanyeol took note of the irritated look on her face. “Nothing?”

Ariel held her phone and proceeded to turn it off to make it stop distracting her. “Sooyeon keeps bothering me.”

“Your step mother?” Chanyeol asked. 

“She’s nowhere near a mother to me. She’s just an annoying witch.” 

“Why is she calling?”

“She keeps sending me every single detail about my baby brother.”

Yes, Sooyeon finally had her baby, Dongwoo, and kept nagging Ariel about him. Ariel was fine with it at first with all the pictures Sooyeon sent her. But now, Sooyeon literally informs Ariel of every single detail about him. Ariel does not want to know that Dongwoo pooped and peed on the floor. Tmi. 

“It’s annoying.” Ariel stated, frowning when she realized she drank all of her smoothie. “She wants me to visit him but I don’t like to see her face as well.”

“What if I go with you?” Chanyeol suggested. “I like babies.”

“You would really go with me?” 

“Yeah, you’re my girlfriend. Why not?” Chanyeol bobbed his head up and down as he stood up from his chair. “Let’s go.”

“Hello?” Ariel’s voice echoed throughout her father’s house. She took off her shoes and tucked her feet into the house slippers as Chanyeol did the same. “ donor?”

Chanyeol nudged her arm, sending Ariel a message to not say that because it was rude in his world. 

Ariel heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes. “Father?”

No one answered. 

Ariel stepped further into the apartment with Chanyeol trailing behind her. She lifted her hand to the wall of the living room and pressed the light switch on. “Hello?” Ariel walked around the apartment, ducking her head in the kitchen and the hallway which led to the bedrooms. She turned around with her arms crossed against her chest. “I don’t think anyone’s home.” She shrugged her shoulders as she walked back to their shoes. “We wasted 30 minutes driving here.” They slipped their shoes back on and left. 

Once they sat in the car, it was nearing time for Ariel to get before Uncle Jay sent out a search party. 

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Chanyeol asked as they were nearing her house. 

“Salon then charity event, remember?”

To showcase Crescendo’s musicality, Uncle Jay scheduled a charity event where Ariel will perform various songs with other artists and it would be broadcasted for the public to call in with donations. 

Ariel turned to face Chanyeol. “Are you going to watch me?”

Chanyeol turned his head to Ariel to show her a smile before returning his attention to the road. “Of course.” The car came to a stop as they arrived in front of the house. “We’re here.”

Ariel held out her pinky. “Promise you’ll tell me what you think of my performance. I’m doing a few covers and I didn’t have time to practice it as much as I wanted to because of the fan meeting and Daniel’s deb-“

Chanyeol cut her off by placing his lips on her’s. He pulled apart from her and rested his forehead on her’s. “You’ll do fine. You always do.”

Ariel nodded her head slightly as she exhaled a tired sigh. “I should stop blabbering huh?”

“Yes.”

Ariel let out an amused smile at his answer. The couple stayed in that position for a few minutes and gazed at each other. Silence surrounded them as they took in each other’s presence. Chanyeol’s eyes traveled to Ariel’s rosy lips. As if her lips were magnetic, Chanyeol captured her lips passionately. He placed one hand behind her head and the other on the car seat. The kiss was nothing like their innocent kisses. This one was mesmerizing for Ariel. 

Chanyeol’s lips molded with Ariel’s. Chanyeol swiped his tongue against her bottom lip, wanting an entrance which Ariel complied as their tongues explored each other’s mouth. Unconsciously, Ariel latched onto Chanyeol’s shirt, pulling him closer to her chest. She wrapped her hands around his neck as their bodies. Chanyeol leaned in more and more, soon both of them were in the passenger seat area with Ariel’s back pressed against the door. 

Curse Ariel for deciding to wear a buttoned up dress. The top button became ed by Chanyeol but Ariel was too occupied in their make out session that she undid the second button. 

They both pulled apart, needing air. Faces inches apart as they both intensely gazed at each other. 

Ariel turned her head to the side as she unwrapped her arms from his neck and re-buttoned her dress. “We should, um, stop.”

Chanyeol climbed back to the driver seat as he agreed. “Sorry, I-I just,-“

“Feeling ually frustrated?” 

Chanyeol chuckled at her blunt answer. “I guess you can say that.”

A knock on the car door window from Chanyeol’s side caught each of them in surprise. Like a deer in headlights, Chanyeol rolled the window down to see Ara. 

“You’re home already, Ariel?”

“Y-Yeah. We just arrived.” Ariel stuttered. 

Ara stood up straighter since she was crouching down to meet the couple at eye level. “Well? Are you going to get out of the car or?”

“Oh.” Ariel muttered to herself. She turned to Chanyeol and flashed him a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.” Chanyeol repeated to assure Ariel. 

Ariel stepped out of the car and walked around to be side by side with Ara. She watched Chanyeol back out of the driveway and began walking up to the doorstep. 

“Late shift at the hospital?” Ariel asked, to cover up the silence. 

Ara nodded her head at the question with a tired sigh. “Yeah. I’m exhausted.”

“So am I.” Ariel said as they were nearing the front door.

“You look tired.” Ara took out her house keys and began to insert the correct key into the key slot. “I wonder why..” She said with a smirk. 

Ariel furrowed her brows upon hearing that last part from Ara. “What-“

“I know you two were making out.”

Ariel’s eyes widened at the information. “What?”

“Oh don’t play dumb. I saw the windows getting foggy and the car was slightly moving.”

Ariel’s jaw dropped at the realization. “Ara, I- We- Nothing happ-“

Ara pushed the door opened and the two walked into the house. “I’m not going to lecture you.” She said as she took off her shoes and tucked her feet into her slippers. 

Ariel did the same as well. “You’re not?” Phew, close call. I did not want to hear the talk. Again. 

“But I am putting you on birth control. Goodnight Ariel!” Ara waved her hand off, leaving Ariel dumbfounded, and walked towards the stairs. “Hormonal teenagers.” She huffed out. 

“Chanyeol! Come on, Ariel’s going to be on any minute!” Suho shouted from the living room. All the members gathered around the TV to watch the charity performance, well mainly to watch Ariel because Chanyeol told them to. 

The hosts of the event, Goo Hara, Leeteuk, and Lee DongHae, were shown on the screen as they said:

“Next up, we will have the beauty princess of the nation, Ariel Choi.” Hara stated as she looked up to the camera. 

“Stay tune for Ariel’s performance after these messages.” DongHae added as the program switched to advertisements. 

“Yah, Park C