"Why can't I go to sleep
and can only see your face?"

- Yoseob & Eunji, Love Day

Soundtrack: (x)

Both Chanyeol’s and Mina’s day started with him fetching her from her apartment at half past eight before they caught the bus to his university. She was already elated, thoughts about yesterday’s incidents disappeared out of her mind completely.

Mina has always dreamed of graduating from high school and enrolling into college. Growing up, she always envied the college girls who would walk by her school, pleased at how matured and sophisticated they looked. Mina was on the verge of applying for colleges when cancer struck her- the idea of college was postponed to later dates before it was scraped off from her future plans altogether.

To be entering the campus premises on a college bus relieved her childhood fantasy- and even if it was just for one day, Mina was contented. One day was so much better than nothing after all.

Mina’s cheeks were tainted with a faint blush when she felt numerous eyes fall on her as she entered the huge classroom. She knew she was an outsider- an unfamiliar face, so she hung her head low. She could hear the whispers coming from all parts of the room, and Mina moved to behind Chanyeol’s back, hiding her face in embarrassment.

“Yah, guys- she’s just a friend of mine from a different faculty. Needed a place to crash- she’s got a five hour gap. Don’t give her that look, jeez...”

Chanyeol wrapped protective arm around her shoulders, pulling her gently to the seats Baekhyun and Jongdae saved for them earlier. Mina blushed harder when she saw his two friends waving shamelessly at her, urging for her to sit in between them.

“Hello, Lee Mina! We missed you!” Baekhyun greeted as she walked over, voice definitely louder than the rest of his peers. She sheepishly waved back, sitting at the chair in between his and Jongdae’s.

“Glad that you could join us, by the way. I’m Jongdae if you haven’t known,” The other boy chimed in, extending a hand generously. Mina was dumbfounded but merely took his handshake, surprised at how welcoming and friendly these two were. Back at the beach, they definitely did not entertain her as much as today (probably because everyone else in the van assumed that both she and Chanyeol were on a date, or so she thought).

“Hey Yeollie, we’re up next,” Yixing, the Chinese boy Mina met the other day appeared behind the crowd with an easy smile on his face. His eyes then noticed her presence and he too, broke into his friendly ways.

“Hi Mina! It’s nice to see you here,” He waved, placing his other arm on Chanyeol’s shoulder. “As much as I’d love to hang around, Chanyeol and I need to fix a composition for next month’s showcase with our instructor. He’s the eccentric looking one,”

He pointed out to a slightly older man standing at the front of the classroom, nonchalantly tuning his guitar. Paying no attention to the chaos that was in the classroom, he continued twisting and turning his guitar to perfection, and Mina felt more at ease- there was no way he would ever notice her unusual presence in his class today, what with the numerous students loitering around with their magnificent instruments.

“Anyway, I need to be with Yixing for a while. Stay with these two, they make good company. And hey, enjoy yourself while you can, alright?”

A soft tap on her shoulder followed by Chanyeol’s voice caught her attention. Mina smiled back, nodding reassuringly. She watched as his large hand left her shoulder before walking away towards the front of the classroom with Yixing, carrying their ridiculously large guitars.

“You’ve got to admit- out friend over there is such a sweet person, isn’t he?” Baekhyun interrupted, leaning close towards her.

Mina jumped. “I… what do you mean?”

“That is exactly what he means. He’s such a sweet person to you. So kind… so polite… so caring… so protective…” Jongdae chimed in, nudging her gently by the side. The smirks on both their faces were enough to confuse Mina, as she looked at the both of them.

“Which, of course gives you ample reason to fall for him, am I right?” Mina blushed into a deep crimson colour as she sunk lower into her seat.

Of course his two best friends had to rub it in her face. Of course they’d know about her confession. Of course Chanyeol would’ve told them.

“Yah Baekhyun ah- way to be subtle,” Jongdae reached out for his friend to jab him in the shoulder. “Oh dear, Mina-yah. Don’t be embarrassed. To be honest, the both of us were kind of expecting this to happen sooner or later anyway. We were just surprised that you made the cut before Chanyeol, that’s all,”

“Do you really like him that much, Mina?” Baekhyun placed his hands underneath his chin, blinking at her.

“I… I don’t know…? Why are we talking about this?”

“Simply because we feel that our good friend is basically stupid for rejecting your confession. And we also think that he wears the same feelings as yours except that he’s Chanyeol and he can get pretty confused with the world… and Baekhyun and I are going to change that,” Jongdae wore a smile so wide and infectious that Mina couldn’t help but smile awkwardly back.

Her gaze landed on the two boys strumming their guitars in front of the classroom, matching to each other’s tunes while being watched by their professor. As he lifted his head and caught her stare, Mina blushed harder, a shy hand waving at him.

She could feel a flutter in her heart when Chanyeol wore a side smile and waved back, and she could almost ignore the snickers made by the two boys sandwiching her.

“You’ll be alright with Yixing, yes?” Chanyeol reassured once more, grasp never leaving her arm.

Mina nodded in return as her hand was placed on his own that held onto her, letting it slip down her arm. “I’ll be fine. I was with Yixing the other day, so nothing could possibly go wrong. And besides, he’s much better company than Jongdae and Baekhyun,” She muttered under her breath, noticing the pair sending them knowing looks.

“I’m sorry you have to deal with the likes of them. And I won’t be long! Help yourself to whatever that’s around here! Get Yixing to pay for you!” Chanyeol called out as he and his other two friends walked in the opposite direction with their own musical instruments.

The three of them needed to meet up with their instructor in regards to their assignments, and Mina felt fortunate that she had Yixing to accompany her while they were gone. He seemed like a very nice person to be around with, and he definitely did not pester her like Baekhyun and Jongdae did.

“So how’s life being a university student so far?” Yixing asked as they scanned the various shops around the food court, hands tucked in his pockets.

“It’s entertaining, to say the least. I had to sit with Baekhyun and Jongdae, so that was quite… interesting,”

“What, they kept teasing you about you and Chanyeol and what happened the other day, didn’t they?”

Mina rolled her eyes,