{ 05 }

“Baekhyun hyung and I will order.” Kai stated. “What do you girls want?”

Sulli immediately picked something out while Haeyoung only smiled. “Anything,” she answered. She’s not really in the mood to play around anymore. All she wants to do right now is to go home, erase the make-up she carefully applied herself, and sleep for two weeks so she won’t have to see Baekhyun again.

“Are you sick?” Baekhyun asked, his brows furrowed. “You look pale.”

She shook her head before pointing him to Kai who was already queuing in front of the cashier. Sulli, on the other hand, engaged her in small talk. “How long have you guys been dating?” She asked good-naturedly.

Haeyoung wanted to flip out at her, but she knew that that would be irrational because Sulli didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not as if being perfect was her mistake. “This is our first date,” she admitted.

Sulli’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry, Haeyoung-ssi! We didn’t know! Maybe you want to kill us right now…”

Haeyoung forced herself to smile. “No, it’s really okay, Sulli-ssi.”

“Ugh. It’s your first date and we wrecked it!” Sulli looked really regretful. “I’m sorry. I hope I can make it up to you, Haeyoung-ssi.” She sincerely said.

Stop being so perfect, then, she wanted to blurt out. Thankfully though, she stopped herself on time when Kai and Baekhyun went back to their table with their orders.

The four of them ate. Haeyoung didn’t even bother trying to meddle in their conversations. Sulli and Kai tries to include her, but she only ditches their attempts with one-liners. She cannot believe that she got reduced to this lump of pathetic mess because of Baekhyun. Maybe it’s true that you really realize how much you like someone when they like someone else in front of you. If it had been the Moon Haeyoung in the past, surely she would do her best to include herself in the conversation even if it means annoying other people. However, she’s in the present, and her heart was thoroughly aching at the moment. It was as if she was being butchered over and over again, and the pain becomes more and more excruciating as each second passes.

“I’m sorry,” she suddenly interrupted, standing up. All three pairs of eyes stared at her in curiosity. “I’m not feeling too well,” she added and let out an awkward smile. “I’ll leave first. It was nice meeting you, Kai-ssi, Sulli-ssi.” She immediately left the restaurant without looking back. She ran to flag down a cab, drowning Baekhyun’s voice along with the others.

She instructed the taxi driver to take her to their house and she quietly sobbed from the backseat. The kind driver silently handed her a box of tissue before going back to driving. “Thank you, ahjussi,” she croaked out before using the tissue.

Needless to say, she was a mess when she reached home. She paid extra to the taxi driver who silently took in her sobs and allowed her to use the whole tissue box.

She got out of the cab and got even sadder because of the rain’s sudden downpour. She didn’t even realize that it had been raining for a while now because she was too engrossed with her own misery.

Haeyoung didn’t even feel the cold on her skin as she walked under the pouring rain. She was about to walk to their gate when she heard someone call out her name. “MOON HAEYOUNG!” A voice roared against the thunder.

She turned her head and she was surprised to see Baekhyun soaking wet in the middle of the rain. He ran to her and hugged her tightly. She wanted him to let go and she flailed but her efforts were futile. She was already too tired from crying and all she managed was a croak, “Let go of me, Baekhyun.”

“No,” he answered and tightened his hold. “I won’t let you go, Haeyoung…”

Hot tears were pooling in her eyes once again. “Stop it, Baekhyun!” She screamed and began pounding on his back. He didn’t let go, though.

“Please stop hurting me…” She pleaded. “I like you, Baekhyun, but I’m not a fool. I know when to stop. Maybe you are Romeo, but I can’t be the substitute Juliet you’re looking for just because the real one’s already taken. I’m unladylike, and I’m obnoxious and rude and I cuss and–”

“–and you are Moon Haeyoung, and I like you.” He finished for her.

Her arms grew limp at his sudden confession. He separated himself from her and lovingly stared at her eyes. They were both soaking wet under the rain, but no one was complaining. “I’m sorry, Haeyoung. I didn’t realize it at all, but Kai and Sulli talked some sense into me.”

-Flashback-

“HAEYOUNG! HAEYOUNG!” Baekhyun shouted but it was too late, Haeyoung’s cab was already far when he finally reached the curb. He worriedly sighed as he went back to the restaurant.

“Won’t you follow her home?” Sulli asked.

He plopped down on the seat next to Kai and he sighed loudly. “Let her be.”

Kai and Sulli looked at each other, speechless because of Baekhyun’s attitude. “What happened to the Byun Baekhyun I know?” Sulli softly questioned. Baekhyun raised his head and met her eyes. “I’ll be honest, Baek. I liked you first even before I loved Kai.” She breathed deeply before continuing. “You’re like, the most approachable person in EXO. But… why…” Confusion was evident in her voice.

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun honestly answered. “I just… become this mean jerk whenever I’m next to her. She tells me she likes me, but I don’t even know if she’s fooling around because she’s always joking.” He exasperatedly admitted.

Silence passed before Kai offered his explanation. “I think you’re just scared, hyung.” Baekhyun looked at him. “You said that Haeyoung-ssi’s always joking around and you’re not sure if she’s serious or not. You’re afraid that maybe she just likes you because you’re a challenge because as you said, you’re a mean jerk when she’s around. What if she doesn’t really like you? What if she just wants to prove that you’ll like her eventually?”

Baekhyun stayed silent, because Kai’s words hit home. “You like her already,” Sulli pointed out. “You’re just not sure if she means what she says.”

He averted his gaze to outside where the rain began to pour. Do I… really like that crazy girl? He questioned himself.

“Hyung, today’s the first time I met Haeyoung-ssi, but I believe she’s a nice girl.” Kai said. “And the hurt in her eyes is definitely real.” Kai looked at the older guy straight in the eyes. “You’ve seen pain, hyung. You know pain. Why can’t you see Haeyoung-ssi’s real feelings?”

That was what he only needed before he ran out of the restaurant and onto his car.

-End of Flashback-

“Is… this… real…?” were the first words that Haeyoung let out.

Baekhyun grinned at her. “I’ll prove to you it is, then,” he said before descending down to her lips. Haeyoung closed her eyes as Baekhyun’s warm lips enclosed over hers, and she felt a unique sensation engulfing her own being. It was as if she was being transported to another world where there is no definite time nor place…

There was only her and Baekhyun.