Everything does not make sense to Baekhyun anymore, or maybe he is just lacking intelligence or common sense? Either way, he hates how he cannot wholly understand what has been happening in his life recently.

First, the dating news of Chanyeol and Kibum that broke out without any heads up (at least no one warned him before). Sure both actors have worked together in a movie before so there might be some built-up chemistry between them that might lead them to like each other for real. But Baekhyun never knew that Chanyeol was seeing someone, particularly someone with the name Kim Kibum, or maybe he was too oblivious?

Second, Seoul Land’s Sky-X incident. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were about to set off for the fly when suddenly the actor kissed him and proudly screamed his love for him, all while Kibum was down there waiting for them. The boy wanted to believe that it was just because of the adrenaline and the confessed love was just platonic one, but with the way his best friend never letting go of his hand even after the ride ended, even after the dinner together with Kibum and Junmyeon in an Italian restaurant, even after the four of them arrived at his home, he could not stop asking himself does Chanyeol love me for real? Moreover, it was Baekhyun’s first kiss and, if he remembers correctly, he told the taller male that he wanted his first kiss to be his prince charming’s special way to prove their love for him. So, is Park Chanyeol the prince charming of Byun Baekhyun? But who knows how many times has Chanyeol kissed Kibum, too?

Third, Chanyeol still acts indifferently around Baekhyun who is his best friend (in which he has claimed to in public as well), as if the kiss and the confession never happened in the first place. He still calls Baekhyun every morning and comes over to the boy’s house after his schedules end. Or sometimes, he just suddenly appears in Minseok’s coffee shop (with or without Kibum), gaining huge interest from the shop’s customers and even the random passersby.

Baekhyun wants to believe that, no, he is not in a sappy television drama about friendship love becoming real, but a small part in his heart just keeps telling him so (or maybe it is just his tiny, selfish ego).

Alas, Chanyeol is still dating Kibum, right?

✾✾✾

The accidental meeting of Sehun and Chanyeol on a cloudy day of April is totally unpredicted.

Chanyeol is waiting for his change after paying for his Strawberry Bubble Tea (he purchased it for Baekhyun) when someone suddenly blurts Chanyeol hyung? from behind. He looks over his shoulder only to see that it is just Sehun, Baekhyun’s one and only ex-boyfriend. He has not forgiven the younger male, yes, but his anger towards the blonde has transformed into dull annoyance whenever he sees the younger male.

“Long time no see you in flesh, hyung,” Sehun smirks, or is it just his usual tipped smile?

“Hello to you, too,” Chanyeol curtly replies before thanking the cashier for the change. He is about to just take his leave when a strong hand grips his elbow.

“Baekhyun has realized it, hyung.”

No further elaboration about the it is provided, but the actor perfectly knows what the boy is talking about. And so with a small smile and a nod of his head, he replies. “I know. Michi has told me the same thing.”

“So, how long is this chaos going to be? I hope you did not agree for it to last for long. You should never have hurt Baekhyun in the first place, hyung.”

Chanyeol is momentarily confused by the question but then he remembers that Sehun’s cousins, Oh Hayoung and Oh Seungah, are in the showbiz as well. Therefore, he must have an idea or two about what is happening between him and Kibum.

“I know Baekhyun is no longer my business but, please, that boy deserves his happiness,” the pained expression on Sehun’s face is a very rare sight to see. “And the whole world knows that you are the epitome of his happiness.”

“I…”

“Goodluck, hyung. Baekhyun is still waiting for you, but do not make him wait for far too long.”

Chanyeol scoffs. “Do not lecture me. I know what I am doing.”

“Then did you know that Baekhyun came up to me and cried his eyes out after you mindlessly screamed that you loved him?”

“What?!”

“Guess not.”

Chanyeol is contemplating between probing the tall blond to spill the truth and just killing himself because he made his best friend cry when the vibration from his back pocket startles him. Pulling his phone out, he sees that the aforementioned boy in their conversation is calling. And as Chanyeol swipes his thumb over the screen to pick up the call and greets him with hello, Baekhyun, he may or may not have seen the smug smirk on Sehun’s face.

✾✾✾

“Happy birthday, Baekhyun!”

Similar to last year’s celebration, Chanyeol is nowhere to see during the party again. But different from last year, the older male is surely not going to come to the Byun’s house because right now he is filming for some solo singer’s music video in Instanbul.

Kibum, however, is present on his birthday celebration instead.

Michi had the greatest shock in her entire life when she opened the door to a widely smiling Kibum earlier, dressed in glamorous clothes that are more appropriate to be worn for some Hollywood celebrity’s birthday and holding a big red box in his arms. In her malfunctioning-brain state, she bluntly asked what he was doing at the Byun’s house, in which he casually answered with a Chanyeol hyung told me to come on his behalf and I brought my birthday present for Baekhyun!

The thought of calling Kyungsoo, a friend in her cooking class, crossed her mind because dude, your favorite actor is breathing in my house! but she did not want to make Baekhyun hate her for inviting someone he had no relation with, so she threw the idea out of the window in a heartbeat.

But anyway, everyone is enjoying the party now.

In Baekhyun’s case, rather than being astonished that Kibum is in his house, he is more surprised that Jongdae knows about his birthday and is now eating a piece of his strawberry flavoured birthday cake with Kibum at the end of the dining table, chatting like old friends. When he asked how Jongdae could know about his birthday a few minutes ago, the highschooler just smugly uttered the power of Kimjong brothers as his answer and did not explain any further. Well, whatever.

Unlike his birthday party last year, the celebration this year is only attended by Michi and the small circles of Baekhyun’s friends, which are Sehun, Luhan, Minseok, and yes Kibum plus Jongdae as well. Baekhyun’s parents live far in the States with his older brother so they are out of question. They have sent their birthday presents for him, though.

Baekhyun is busy talking animatedly with Luhan and Michi when Kibum suddenly shouts his name, waving his phone in the air. The young actor’s Chanyeol hyung wants to talk to you successfully makes his heart drop because Chanyeol is calling you and not me?

“He said he could not reach you on Skype, and that you did not pick up his Line and Kakaotalk calls,” Kibum informs as he hands his phone to the birthday boy, and soon enough he can see Chanyeol’s big grin through the video call. “My phone is fully charged, so have no worries. Talk as long as you please.”

Baekhyun thanks him (after realizing that his phone has been in Michi’s room all this time since she borrowed it to play Tap Sonic this afternoon) before making his way up to his room when nobody can disturb him. Once he is comfortable on his bed, he greets his best friend with his signature sweet smile and crescent eyes. “Hi.”

“Merhaba, Baekhyun!”

The once sweet smile drops from his face and is now replaced by a scrunched up nose. “Just because you are in Istanbul, it does not mean you can go all Turkish on me.”

“Oops, sorry?” Chanyeol’s face does not show apology at all, not even the slightest. “So you could go all Tagalog with me when you were having your holiday with your parents in the Philippines but I am not allowed to greet you in Turkish while I am in Istanbul? You pretty much understand Turkish while I had no single idea about Tagalog at that moment other than some curses, mind you.”

“Touché,” and the heart-stopping smile is back again. “How are you over there?”

“I am pretty good. The food is awesome, really! We should come here together someday.”

“Ha. Pay for my plane tickets.”

“Anything for you, baby.”

Baekhyun’s heart does some somersaults at the lovely tone and thanks God the front camera of Kibum’s phone cannot properly show how scarlet his cheeks are now. “Shut up.”

It takes more than ten seconds for Chanyeol to stop laughing. “Doğum günün kutlu olsun, my Tinkerbaek! Mükemmel bir yıl geçirmeni dilerim!”

“Hyung,” the birthday boy lets out an annoyed groan at the Turkish sentences. He took some language classes back then in high school (just because languages attracted him in a way other lessons did not), and Turkish was one of them, but right now he does not really want to force his brain to be the live version of Google Translate.

“Why? I am sure you know what it means.”

“I am too lazy to think,” Baekhyun sighs as he lies flat on his back, hair sprawled on his fluffy pillow and his right hand holding the phone up in the air. “but I think it is something along the lines of happy birthday and you hoping for me to have a wonderful year ahead.”

“That is my Baekhyun!”

Both of them laugh and the rest of the conversation consists of Chanyeol telling Baekhyun how beautiful Istanbul is and what he has done in that city other than filming for a music video and blah blah blah. Baekhyun is getting more and more excited about Istanbul just by listening to the golden brown haired male’s story, and he hopes someday he can really be there, too.

Preferably just the two of them.

Sounds like a honeymoon.

“Oh, Baekhyun.”

“Hm?”

“I am sorry I cannot be there on your birthday. I broke the promise of always present on your upcoming birthdays I made last year. I am deeply sorry.”

If only Chanyeol were here, Baekhyun would immediately wrap his arms around the taller male to assure him that— “It is okay. Yeminler bozulmak içindir.”

Baekhyun is certain that his best friend does not know what his last sentence means, hence the confidence in saying it. That is why when the actor gives him a lopsided smile and hurt is all over his handsome face, Baekhyun is kind of taken aback.

What he does not know is that the sentence is what Chanyeol learned first from an Istanbul crew the moment he landed on the wonderful city.

Promises are made to be broken.

✾✾✾

Being Park Chanyeol’s best friend for years does not mean that Byun Baekhyun can easily adapt to the title of Actor Park’s best friend easily. He is still not used with all the attention given by everyone who knows Actor Park. And by everyone, he means all the journalists as well.

Two days after his birthday, Baekhyun wakes up to Michi’s ear-pitching squeal and a sudden weigh on his thighs. Spurting out endless curses in his head for his disturbed beauty sleep, he grumpily opens his eyes and finds a grinning Michi sitting on his thickest body part. “What?”

“You did not tell me you had a date with Chanyeol oppa, you midget!”

“What date?” Baekhyun’s voice is still rough from sleep and his brain is still not working properly, so he pretty much has no idea about what his cousin is fussing about.

Michi tsks but a smile soon creeps up its way to her face as she reads the article from the weekly magazine in her hands out loud for Baekhyun. “Park Chanyeol went on a date with Kim Kibum at Seoul Land. His best friend, Baekhyun, and his manager, Kim Junmyeon, were also seen to have fun with them at the famous amusement park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do.”

A chuckle slips out from Baekhyun’s lips as he rolls on his side without warning, causing his cousin to fall on his bed. “You should be ashamed for your bachelor degree in university, Michi.”

“Huh?”

“You cannot understand what you read.”

Michi narrows her eyes, feeling offended. “What do you mean, Baekdumb?”

“It is clearly stated that Chanyeol went on a date with Kibum. He did not go on a date with me, stupid.”

“But you were there!”

“So what?” Baekhyun asks back, sitting up to stretch his slender arms over his head. “His manager was also there.”

“Ugh, whatever,” the girl surrenders. She knows something happened at Seoul Land because someone told her about that, and now she wants the confirmation. But considering Baekhyun’s grumpy self is taking over the boy right now, she has to try another approach. “Hey, Baekhyun.”

“What?” Baekhyun snaps, but his voice is muffled against the soft pillow he buries his face into.

“Is Seoul Land better than Lotte World?”

The sleepy boy lifts his head up from the pillow with knitted eyebrows. He has expected his cousin to bug him to no end about his date with Chanyeol, but he definitely did not expect this. A shade of pink tints his cheeks as he compares the two amusement parks with a flashback of the kiss playing in his head. “Uh… Seoul Land.”

Michi’s lips instantly form a smirk but she quickly hides it by equally pulls another corner of her lips upward. It is still crystal clear in her mind how up until two years ago, he would always answer that Lotte World was far better than any amusement park in Korea because of this, this, and this, and she would agree because Lotte World was indeed her favorite amusement park. “Oh yeah? Something can beat the awesomeness of Lotte World’s Adventure and Magic Island arena?” Come on, Baekhyun. Spill it.

“Umm, well…” Baekhyun gulps and looks at anything but his cousin’s eyes, purposely avoiding it in fear of getting caught that he is hiding a special reason behind his answer. He then sits up straight, quirking his lips and focusing on the girl’s ponytail. “Seoul Land has Shot Drop.”

Ha. This is fun. “But as far as I know, Shot Drop is not as high as Gyro Drop, right?”

“Yes,” the boy drags the y sound. “Shot Drop is just about 52 meters high.”

“Then what makes it better than Gyro Drop which is 70 meters high?”

Baekhyun bits his upper lip and Michi mentally smirks in triumphant because she knows damn well what that habit means. “Seoul Land has… umm, it has… Dokkaebi Wind? Yeah, that. It does 360 degree rotations and rotates rapidly for seven rounds, creating a large circle which is like a tornado. It is cool.”

“Better than Lotte World’s Gyro Swing?” and before Baekhyun can say anything, Michi adds in. “I heard Seoul Land has this Sky-X ride. Is it recommended?”

Baekhyun’s heart thumps loudly as he tries to not seem affected by the mention of the scandalous ride. But, who is he to kid though; his cheeks and chest have gone all warm by now. Heck, after the kiss happened, Baekhyun will easily blush or stutter just by the single mention of Park Chanyeol or Sky-X.

“Is it?” the girl presses further, already seeing her victory. “Did you try it when you came to Seoul Land with Chanyeol oppa?”

“I—I… Yeah, I did.”

“Was it that scary to the extent that you have to stutter like this just by remembering the thrill?”

“N—no!”

“Then?”

It is when Baekhyun takes a close look at his cousin’s expression that he realizes the mischievous smile and— “You knew it!”

“I knew what?” she feigns innocence but the twitch in the right corner of her lips gives it away.

“Michi, you—” Baekhyun lunges forward to strangle his cousin but she is fast enough to jump off from the bed. “Yah! You come here!”

“SOMEONE GOT HIS FIRST KISS ALREADY!” Michi cries loudly as she runs out of her cousin’s room, leaving him fuming because of the embarrassment. Her boisterous laugh downstairs is still heard by Baekhyun from his room on the second floor, making him feel more and more embarrassed.

Baekhyun should really hunt down the deity in Heaven who was in charge of inserting an annoying Michi to the Byun family.

✾✾✾

“Come again tomorrow, ahjumma!” Minseok cheerily shouts to a middle-aged woman in knee-length floral dress who is on her way out of the coffee shop, a cup of hot Americano in her right hand. He is just about to go to the restroom when the corner of his eye catches the sight of someone bumping onto the elder. He double gasps because, one, the hot drink is spilled on the pretty dress as the impact of the bump, and two, the one who bumped onto her is no other than Kim Kibum. Minseok just stands behind the counter, too shocked to react, and just lets himself see how the young actor continuously bows to the ahjumma before rushing into the coffee shop with a handsome boy in shades trailing behind him.

“Stop following me!” Kibum angrily shouts once he is inside the coffee shop. It is a good thing that there are only six customers (and they all are in their 40ish, Minseok thinks) in that cozy place, or else several fanaccounts would have been posted by now. “Jonghyun, please! I do not want to see you!”

“Just hear me out!” the other boy with black hair, Jonghyun, shouts back with equally loud voice.

Minseok is considering closing his coffee shop for the day.

“What? What do I need to hear from you? Do I need to hear another lie that he—”

“He is just a friend, Kibum!”

“I am not buying that anymore,” Kibum harshly shoves Jonghyun’s shoulders with his palms before approaching a frightened Minseok. “Minseok, where is Baekhyun?”

“B—Baekhyun?”

“Yes, him. Where is he?”

As if on cue, Baekhyun shows up from behind the storage room’s door, bringing a sack of coffee beans in his arms. Once he puts it down near the brewing machine, he is greeted with two pair of eyes looking at him with different emotions. He takes a step backward in reflex, not having any single clue about what is happening. “What?”

Kibum is the first to react. He quickly rounds the counter and grabs the barista’s wrist. “I need to talk to you.”

A clueless Baekhyun has no choice other than letting himself be dragged to the rooftop of the coffee shop by an upset Kibum. When the two of them arrive there, Kibum quickly locks the door and takes a seat on one of the benches provided by Minseok for the customers who want to have some fresh air while enjoying their drinks. He slams his fist on the wooden table before burying his face in his palms, and sure enough a sobbing sound is soon heard.

Baekhyun’s eyes widen in panic because dammit, I am not good with crying people so with hesitant steps and nervous gulps, he approaches the fashionable actor and sits across him. He clears his throat before slowly reaching out his hand to touch Kibum’s arm. “Mind to tell me what happened?”

“Jonghyun is a jerk!” Kibum explodes in between his sobs. “I hate him so much, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun blinks. “Who is Jonghyun?”

“The boy with me earlier.”

Oh. “What did he do?”

It takes the whole four minutes of sobbing and hiccupping for Kibum to be able to calm down. He then messes his perfectly styled hair in frustration. “I caught him dancing with someone else in our favorite nightclub.”

Baekhyun’s eyebrows meet in the middle of his forehead. Our favorite nightclub?

“They looked so intimate but he said they were just friends. Ha. Friends my .”

Wait. Why is it a problem?

”I have told him to just wait for seven months, Baek, se-ven-months. It is not that long, right?”

Seven months are long, duh.

“He agreed, but then look at what he did. He ran to someone else’s arms. I have caught him red-handed more than four times already. Tsk, hormonal bastard.”

Why is it a big deal to you?

“Ha. I should have just broken up with him the first time I caught him grinding his body on that Jinki guy two months ago.”

WAIT. WHAT?! Baekhyun’s amber eyes are now filled with nothing but confusion and bewilderment. Should have broken up? Two months ago? You were already in a relationship with Chanyeol at that time!

“I was stupid for thinking that I could trust him,” hot tears roll down on Kibum’s cheeks again and he hastily wipes it away with the back of his hands. “I should have known that he was not the one.”

Baekhyun just remains silent but he keeps his stare on Kibum, brain working extra hard right now to absorb everything the actor has said.

Seeing how the beautiful barista shows no reaction, Kibum then pokes his chubby cheek only to have it slapped away. “What—”

“Who the hell do you think you are, huh?”

“Baek—”

Baekhyun stands up with the obvious burning anger in his amber eyes. “Do you think you can just go cheating on your boyfriend like that?”

“Huh?”

“Do you think Chanyeol would be okay if one day he found out about you cheating on him with that Jonghyun guy?”

The two males lock stare for about ten seconds before Kibum bursts out into laughter, arms pressed against his hurting stomach caused by laughing too hard. “Oh God! Hahaha—right—haha! I forgot I have not told you—hahahahaha!”

The chestnut brown haired boy scoots away in fear of Kibum going nuts for real.

“Oh, Baekhyun,” Kibum wipes the tears in the corner of his eyes, letting out a fit of amused chuckles. “I bet you are still clueless. I am sorry I forgot that you did not know about the deal.”

Can someone please turn the light on because, holycow, I do not like being left in the dark. “What deal?”

Kibum shuts up in a heartbeat, eyes fixed on Baekhyun’s as he weighs the pros and contras of telling the other about the deal. The boy is so clueless yet he is obviously the direct victim of the deal. After a while, he figures that with Baekhyun knowing or not about it, the deal will stay the same. “Nevermind.”

“Kibum, what deal?”

“I am sorry I cannot tell you,” Kibum flashes him a thin smile before having this faraway look on his unusually serene face.

The warm breeze that signals the end of spring blows past them and Baekhyun lets his eyes flutter close, enjoying the warmth he is going to miss once summer rolls around. The sun is setting over the horizon, creating a pleasantly beautiful hue everyone in this world a