I've just received one of the quickest welcomes from her as she disappears back into the kitchen.  I haven't even got the chance to search into her eyes and find out what's wrong.  The feeling that something is not right is growing ever so strong just now.  By the time dinner is served, I take my seat next Baekhyun and opposite of Gayeon, leaving Taeyeon diagonal to me.  I inhale the savoury scent of the food on the table, "Smells wonderful."

"Yep, Gayeon will definitely make a great wife someday." Taeyeon laughs.

I glance at Gayeon when she gives a few coughs, obviously embarrassed about Taeyeon's comment.

"This is just awesome that you two actually know each other.  So for how long did you know each other?" Taeyeon asks with enthusiasm.

"For several years, I guess," I reply. "Gayeon, your cooking has never failed me yet."

"Still as charming as I first met you, Mr. Park." She smiles. "So how are things with you and Krystal?"

"Krystal?  Hey bro, I thought you..."

"We broke up a long time ago," I beat Baekhyun to it.  "You know me.  I change girlfriends every now and then."

I don't know why I've said that.  Baekhyun gives me a confused look.  Well yeah, bro, I'm just as confused.

"Same old Chanyeol." Gayeon chuckles.

"Hey, did you two ever dated?" Taeyeon asks out of the blue.

"No.  No way.  Not in a million years," Gayeon responds. "Friends just don't date friends.  That's an unwritten rule."

Hey!  I'm not that bad!  I catch her glancing my way and then quickly turning back to Taeyeon again.

"Yeah...an 'unwritten' rule.  Didn't you know that?" I question Taeyeon.

"What kind of rule is that?  Baekhyun and I were friends, and we're a happy couple now.  Aren't we, my dear?"

"Of course we are, you silly, honey bunny," with that, Baekhyun lightly kisses Taeyeon's lips.

"Oh come on, now!  We're eating here."  I act as if I was about to puke.  "Do that in your own time."

"Whatever." Taeyeon rolls her eyes.  "Really, I seriously think you two will look great as a couple.  A cute couple.  It's too bad you two don't date 'friends'."

"Screw the 'friend' rule," Baekhyun says, putting a shock expression onto Gayeon's face.  "You two are not dating anyone else right now anyways.  We're not planning to waste our night here just to talk 'friend' philosophy with you two."

"You're not dating?" Gayeon suddenly asks.

"Of course he's not..."

"Just shut it, Baekhyun..." I whisper. "Yeah, I'm not at the moment.  Interested?"

"Oh, just save your charms for someone who cares." She laughs.  I can't help but notice how elegant her eyelashes look.  Man, am I obsessed with eyelashes these days?  "You know that our definitions of relationship are extremely different."

I can prove her wrong.

"Oh yeah, whatever happened to Park Minwoo?" I ask.

Suddenly the dining room is consumed by silence.  I know I shouldn't have done that, but the words just slip as if a volcano has erupted.

"Jealousy..." I hear Taeyeon whispers to Baekhyun.

'I am not jealous!' I want to shout.  Women...they think they're 'know-it-alls', especially in Taeyeon's case.  I deeply pity Baekhyun.

"He's not my Mr. Right and I'm not his Mrs. Right," she responds, taking a sip out of her glass of white wine.

"Took you long enough to figure that out," I mutter.

"Excuse me?" she asks, seemingly uncertain of what I mean.  Is she's playing dumb or something?

Damn it!  What's wrong with me?

"Hey Chanyeol, I heard you're a game designer.  So what's new this season?" Taeyeon asks, changing the subject.  For once, I am thankful for her existence.

"Same old, same old.  Nothing's really new this season for games.  As usual, big name game consoles are gonna come out this Christmas.  It's going to steal a lot of businesses," I continue, "So game-wise, my latest creation 'The Dare Treasure' would have to be on hold until late spring when the game console hype dies down."

This is how the rest of the dinner goes.  We all chat a little bit about our life, and I realize that Gayeon has discovered her sarcastic side during the past two years.  Her new sense of humour just adds a dash of spice to her beauty that I've never knew possible.  In the past, although she loved to laugh, she was never the one to entertain others with words.  Her rather 'graceful' coordination often amuses me.  I remember how she used to pout cutely when she found out that she has to work overtime.

Baekhyun and I sit lazily on the couch, surfing channels after dinner, while Gayeon and Taeyeon clean the dishes.  I might be stating the obvious that she is somewhat avoiding me, but she is and I...I just don't get it.  She chooses to help Taeyeon with the dishes instead of here, talking to me.  We, at least, are considered as long-time friends, right?  It's not even her house anyways -- she's just a guest...unless she is avoiding me.  I recalled something similar like this happened before when she was still with that lack-witted, Park Minwoo.  Baekhyun's laughter at the television interrupts my thoughts.

"Can you tune it down a bit?" I ask.

"Oh come on, the show is hilarious!" Baekhyun responds.

I look at the television and back at Baekhyun -- He's an idiot.

"I never saw Gayeon like this before, she seemed kind of pissed....And you," he continues, "you are like a roller coaster ever since you step in this house.  One moment you are cool, and the next you blow up like some jealous fool.  If I didn't know any better, I say you like Gayeon...A lot. Wait, do you?"

So she isn't being sarcastic?  God damn it!  What if she hears it?  I punch hard on Baekhyun's arm, making him wince.

"I don't." I glare at him. "I...What if she heard?"

"Ow...are you actually freaking out over a girl?"

"No," I reply firmly.  Why should I be?

"Then don't act like you are...dear god!" Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "You're leaving already, Gayeonnie?"

"Yeah," she replies, then smiling quite awkwardly at me. "Nice to see you again, Chanyeol."

"Actually," I respond, "I should be going as well.  Why don't I go downstairs with you."

"Sure..." she hesitates.

After the door shuts, she has been looking at everywhere else but me.  Am I really that bad looking?

"You're okay, Gayeon?" I ask.

"I'm fine," she answers as she reaches for the button to the main floor in the elevator.

I glance at her several times but she avoids every eye contact, like on purpose.  She speeds up her pace once we reach the main floor.

"Are you avoiding me?" I finally manage to ask.

She stops.  I catch up to her.

"Answer me, Song Gayeon," I demand. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"What makes you think that, my dear friend?" She looks up to me with those two beautiful round eyes.

"I don't know," I reply, "maybe because it is painfully obvious?"

"Look, stars!" She points to the sky.  I look up.

It's rare to still have stars hanging gracefully upon the sky during this time of the year.  For a while we both just stand still, appreciating the stars.  The cool mist brushes gently across our faces.  At this moment, I feel like it is back in the old days when we didn't have to say a single word because in our heart, we already knew.

"Hey Gayeon," I speak up, breaking the silence. "Was your father ever a thief?"

"What..." She raises her eyebrow at me, with a smile playing on her lips. "Of course not."

"Oh my bad," I reply, suddenly amused, "because I thought he must have stolen the stars from the sky and put them in as your eyes.  Your eyes are like the stars upon the sky."

"Oh Chanyeol, I have enough charms from you for one day." She laughs. "Save it for your girlfriends."

The unexplainable tension quickly eases as we walk down the silver pavement, reflecting the soft moonlight.

"If I was never your friend to being with..." I say, uncertain of where I'm getting at myself. "Do you think I would be your boyfriend type?"

She stops.

"No.  I don't think so," she answers, sounding more serious than I anticipated.  "As I said before, our definitions of relationship are too different."

"How different?" I challenge, not caring that I might be pushing her on the edge.  If she falls, I'll be there to catch her.

"Well, I like to take relationships seriously, while you...you don't," she replies.

"Then maybe, you don't know me as well as you think you do." I say, now standing in front of her. "Maybe we could try it just like what Taeyeon and Baekhyun said."

At this moment, I am almost certain that she wants it as bad as I do.  Just to give it a try.

"Park Chanyeol!" she gasps.  Not a reaction I expected.  "What do you take me for?  One of your disposable girlfriends?  I can't believe you!"

"Hey, I was just suggesting..."

"I hate you."

"What?"  Hate me?

"Don't put up that stupid act, you heard me clear -- I hate you.  I hate the way you treat relationships and I hate the way you treat me!"

I am shocked, really shocked.  She walks away, leaving me in the darkest and coldest spot of the pavement.  She didn't really mean that, did she?

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Author's Note:  Well, that's what he thinks...but what about what she really thinks throughout this night?  Find out in the next chapter la! =D