05

“Still, you and hyung shouldn’t date,” Baekhyun added, snapping me out of my daze. I blinked and looked at him. “You’re too much like siblings.”

“Wae, wae, wae?” I asked. “We’re not related, he could fall in love with me. I stopped seeing him as a brother and more as a man. Why can’t he do the same and see me as a woman?”

“Because it’s Chanyeol and he considers you his little sister,” he answered simply, as if that said it all. “I don't know how else to put it…but you know it yourself, Nara. I won’t lie and say it kills me that you two won’t end up together but…I also hate seeing you upset over him.”

“I can’t help the way I feel,” I told him.

“Neither can he,” he replied gently. I looked over at Chanyeol and felt a smile touch my face. What Baekhyun said made perfect sense. It was unfair of me to expect Chanyeol to change his feelings for me when I couldn’t change mine for him, and like Baekhyun couldn't change his for me.  

That didn’t mean I had to like it, though.

“Hasn’t anyone ever taught you that whispering is rude?” Jessica asked. Her voice sliced through all conversations, making everyone look at us. I knew Baekhyun saw the spaghetti strand on Mr Park’s face when he pressed his lips tightly together, just like me.

“Something funny?” Mrs Jung asked, feigning casualness but I sensed the heat behind her words. “Please, share.”

“A-aniyo,” I said, clearing my throat. “Nothing’s funny.” I glanced at Mr Park and threw a hand over my mouth, muffling a chortle. I winced, knowing I’d just dug myself a deeper grave. I cleared my throat again, trying hard not to laugh again. “N-nothing’s f-funny.”

“Eung,” Baekhyun agreed, sniggering silently. 

“You’re being very rude, Nara,” Mr Park said, “this isn’t like you at all.”

“Ajussi…on your face,” I pointed at his cheek. I had to be the one to tell it because if Baekhyun did, we’d be in even bigger trouble. “You have spaghetti on your face, ajussi.”

“Mwoya?” the older man blinked. He scratched his face and the strand of pasta fell off, landing back on his plate. A silence stretched out.

Then, laughter erupted around the table. Baekhyun threw his head back and guffawed, whilst I buried my face in his shoulder, chortling mercilessly. Even Jessica was laughing, breaking her cold front.

She was kind of like Sehun, except she was rude and Sehun wasn’t. Sehun was also mysterious, whereas she was sort of annoying…

Okay, so maybe she wasn’t anything like Sehun.

“I like this girl,” Mr Jung laughed, nodding at me. I blushed and lifted my head from Baekhyun’s shoulder. Finally, everyone settled down and got back to eating, after Mrs Park got her husband a clean plate. “Are you two dating?”

“Mwoya?” I furrowed my brows, glancing at Baekhyun. “Us? Aniyo, we’re just friends.”

“Her fault, not mine,” Baekhyun joked and I rolled my eyes, nudging him playfully. “We’re Chanyeol hyung’s best friends. The three amigos.”

“The three musketeers,” I added.

“The three stooges,” Chanyeol quipped and the three of us chuckled. He turned to Mr Jung. “We’ve  known each other since we were kids. Kim Nara has been my best friend since I was seven and Byun Baekhyun has been my best friend since I was…twelve, I think?”

“That’s a lot of history,” Mrs Jung commented. “I can’t help but wonder why you and Nara didn’t end up dating.” I choked on air and Baekhyun patted my back. Krystal awkwardly cleared .

“Ah, um, uh…yeah,” I muttered, scratching my head. “Me and oppa are very close.” I emphasised a bit more: “Closer than anyone, really. I’m his favourite.”

“Tone it down,” Baekhyun coughed into his fist.

“But, um, we’re just friends,” I finished. “Best friends.” So maybe I was a bit jealous and a tad possessive. Who could blame me?”

“For years I actually thought they would end up together,” Mrs Park said, laughing. This was getting more and more awkward. “I already consider Nara a daughter, since she’s the only girl Chanyeol has ever had in the—”

“Can you stop being so insensitive to Krystal and her family?” Mr Park asked calmly, though his voice was laced with annoyance. “We all love Nara but the matter of the fact is that she’s not with Chanyeol. They’re not in love, Chanyeol and Krystal are. Accept it, Haeun-ah.”

“Maybe you should reconsider your tone with me, Chungho-ya,” Mrs Park replied, equally as softly and lethally. “We have guests, don’t act up now.” He slammed his cutlery down and looked at her ludicrously.

“Me? Act up? You’re the one—”

“Are you kidding me right now!?” Chanyeol exclaimed as he slammed his own cutlery down and got to his feet. “I’m done with this. I’m done with all of this.”

“Chanyeol-ah—”

“No, eomma, I’m sick and tired of you two constantly fighting,” he snapped and the entire table fell silent. Park Chanyeol did not raise his voice, he did not snap and he certainly did not get angry at anyone, let alone his parents. “If you hate each other so much, frickin’ divorce already! God knows it would relieve everyone else.”

“Chanyeol!” Mrs Park gasped.

“Oppa, sit down~” Krystal whined, tugging on his arm.

“You better watch the way you speak to us, young man!” Mr Park barked. “What the hell has gotten into you, Yeol-ah? This is so unlike you, speaking out like that.”

“What’s gotten…what’s gotten into me?” Chanyeol scoffed incredulously. “How am I supposed to act when my parents fight nonstop and then expect me to be okay with it? How am I supposed to be happy if the two people that gave birth to me throw hate at each other?”

“Chanyeol-ah, marriage is a very complex thing,” his mother sighed. “It sometimes wears you out and drives you crazy. It’s not all sunshine and roses.”

“It’s also not all storms and thorns,” Baekhyun piped in.

“Baekhyun, you wouldn’t understand, you live in a single parent home,” she said, waving him off. His jaw tightened and the atmosphere seemed to darken further. “This is a matter only married couples will understand. Matt and Jamie, you two fight like this, too, right?”

The Jungs looked at each other then shook their heads.

“Never like this,” Mrs Jung said.

“Funny, you have to actually spend time together to argue,” Jessica quipped, chewing nonchalantly on a strip of kimchi. “You know, like an actual married couple rather than business partners.”

“Maybe you should take a nap, Jessica, honey,” Mrs Jung suggested stiffly. “You do get cranky when you’re tired.”

“I’m not tired.”

“But you are annoying,” Mr Jung snapped. He then took a deep breath and plastered a fake smile on his face. “The point is—”

“The point is, this dinner is over and I’m out of here,” Chanyeol concluded before storming out. Baekhyun and I exchanged knowing looks before getting to our feet. I should have known it was not going to be a smooth exit.

“Next time you upset hyung, I won’t keep my mouth shut,” Baekhyun told the Parks. Their eyes widened and Mr Park stood up.

“Yah, Byun Baekhyun, have you no respect for your elders?” he demanded.

“No, but I have respect for the dead,” he said, nodding. “Next time you upset Chanyeol, I’ll show you a whole lot of respect.” He then bowed mockingly. “Thanks for the dinner. I won’t be coming again and I doubt Nara or Chanyeol will be either. Annyeong!”

“That…that little punk!” Mrs Park gasped as Baekhyun practically skipped out of the room. “Kim Nara, why is he like this?”

“Because like me, he cares very much for Channie oppa,” I told her. “And, like me, he wishes you didn’t ruin Chanyeol’s day with your pathetic arguing. It’s really affecting him.”

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, “Yah, Kim Nara! What is it with kids these days and their bad attitudes?”

“Maybe you should stop blaming things on everyone else and accept that you and your husband are in the wrong,” I suggested then turned to Mr and Mrs Jung. “Mianhe for the awkward meal. I would say it’s not usually like this but the Parks always argue, Baekhyun and I always back Chanyeol up and…yeah. It was…something…meeting you. Annyeonghaseyo~” I bowed then fled the room.

Shouting and arguing followed me up the stairs but I cut it off, or at least muffled it, by entering Chanyeol’s room and shutting the door behind me. The window was open and I walked over to it, crawling out on the protruding roof outside Chanyeol’s room. I knew my two best friends would be sitting there.

And they were.

“Don’t cry, hyung,” Baekhyun murmured as he wrapped an arm around Chanyeol and patted him supportively. “You know me and Nara are here for you, no matter what, no matter when…we’re a team, alright? It doesn’t matter if your parents fight or if your relationship with Krystal is weird as ,” Chanyeol shot him a look but Baekhyun went on, “none of that matters. What matters is that you’re our best friend and we’d do anything for you. We love you, alright?”

Chanyeol nodded, “Alright.” He looked at him and smiled through his tears, “Thanks, Baek. It really means a lot to me for you to…support me like this. Thanks. I love you guys, too. More than you’ll ever know.”

“Yo, no problem, man!” Baekhyun grinned, patting him on the back some more. “What are best friends for?” I decided to jump in then, sitting myself down on Chanyeol’s other side. He looked at me and grinned.

“Don’t forget about me,” I said, smirking.

“How coul