-

Chanyeol had no consciousness of his surroundings ever since that night it all fell apart. “You’ve been staying at home for a week now. What’s wrong?” Jongin asked as he sat down on the armchair at the living room, diagonally beside the couch Chanyeol was on.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun—coming out of the kitchen with a glass of water, already dressed up neatly for the night—agreed, “We kinda miss your pedo smile.” No movement came out of Chanyeol, not even the slightest bit of it. “What’s the matter?”

Chanyeol rose up to a sitting position and finally told them, “I broke up with Sooyoung.”

Jongin nodded ever so slightly as he said, “Ah . . . so that’s why.”

“But why?” Baekhyun asked. A few seconds later he added, “Is it because of that singer girl you’re so interested in?

“It was for the best,” Chanyeol told them in a very low voice.

“So, what now?” Jongin asked. “Are you gonna—”

“I don’t know.” Chanyeol just shrugged and then went back to lying down on the old couch just as worn out as his heart.

“Then what do you get out of it? You lost both Sooyoung and the other girl now, didn’t you?” Jongin said. Chanyeol shrugged again while his eyes trailed the crack lines on the ceiling.

“It’s like you broke up with Sooyoung for nothing, then,” Baekhyun added.

Jongin nodded in agreement. “If you really do like that singer girl, you should go after her.” After a second of composing the sentence in his mind, he finally uttered it, “Do it so no love would go to waste.”

“You don’t even know what you’re saying, don’t you?” Baekhyun narrowed his eyes at Jongin who shrugged.

 “It doesn’t seem like she wants to talk to me.” Chanyeol had been trying to reach out to her only to no avail; his calls remained unanswered and his messages were left with no reply. “It seems like I’m not even worth anything anymore in her eyes.”

“Stop being so melancholic you giant,” Baekhyun hit Chanyeol’s head hard and the latter showed no more of a reaction than a piece of stick, “Fight for that girl if you really really do have feelings for her.”

Once again Chanyeol rose up and he stared into the pitch black screen of their turned-off television. After a pretty long span of staring, he finally made his mind up. “I guess I should.”

“Don’t guess,” Baekhyun told him, “You have to be sure.”

“I should!” Chanyeol exclaimed before he got on his feet and marched to the bathroom to have his first shower in a week.

When Jongin was sure that Chanyeol had entered the bathroom and had the door closed, he said to Baekhyun, “See? I told you he’s not going to last long with that high school girl.”

“Indeed,” Baekhyun agreed, “He was just desperate and when he saw Sooyoung at his school, he knew she’d be easy to get.”

Jongin heaved a sigh and then said, “Nonchalant girls are so not for him.”

“I kinda feel bad for that Sooyoung, though,” Baekhyun replied.

“So do I. But that’s love you know.”

“Said the boy who never truly understands the concept of love.” Baekhyun then laughed whilst Jongin sneered at him. “I’ll be going now, then.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ve got a date with my Taengoo~” Baekhyun made his way to the foyer to put his shoes on.

“Who the hell is Taengoo?” Jongin cried out. But Baekhyun had already slipped out of the door and was already walking to the elevator.

-

After a long span of sitting all day at home doing nothing but staring at the TV until his eyes dried out, Chanyeol found himself standing so close to the café which was already packed with customers. If he were to walk up to the entrance, he’s sure he’d be greeted by Naeun who would probably tell him that he’d have to wait to get a table.

He paced back and forth, thinking whether he should try and find a way to get inside, or to just turn around and walk back home.

‘Come on, Park Chanyeol! You’re this close already so why should you walk away?’ His heart told him. Yet his brain argued that, ‘Eunji wouldn’t even want to talk to you, just get your lonely home.’

Chanyeol felt like someone who didn’t deserve a second chance after realizing how bad the thing he had done was, but looking at the girl who was smiling on the stage as she greeted her audience made him change his mind—he’d fight for that second chance.

Though, he should literally wait for awhile to get to her since she’s singing on stage now.

It was already half past midnight when the waitress at the door said good-bye to their last customer and Chanyeol had just come back from his aimless wandering around Hongdae—just to kill time with as he wait for Eunji to finish her job.

He walked up the entrance and told the waitress, “I’m here to see Jeong Eunji.” She wasn’t Naeun, of course she didn’t know who Chanyeol was. “I’m her friend.”

“Okay,” she said.”Please wait while I get her.” Just when she’s about to turn around, Eunji showed up alone. “Oh! There she is.” The waitress approached Eunji and greeted her as she walked pass her. Then she left the two in an awkward situation.

“Hey,” Chanyeol managed in what sounded like a mutter. Eunji only nodded once without looking back into his eyes. “How have you been?”

“Just fine,” Eunji replied in a voice just as small and low as his. “You?”

“Same,” he quickly replied, “I guess . . .” and then trailed off. “Can I walk you home?”

Eunji looked away and be hesitant for a brief moment and then eventually gave him her answer which was just a mumbled, “Yeah.”

They walked side by side in silence, the awkward one, and none of the two liked it. Especially Chanyeol, who can’t stay still for just a second. He’d slide his hands into his jeans pocket for a couple of seconds before pulling it out to scratch the back of his head. A little while later he’d cross his arms before running his fingers through his hair to straighten them.

Until they arrived outside Eunji’s apartment building and until he can’t take the coldness of the ice anymore did he become brave enough to say, “Now that I’m not attached to anyone anymore, can we start all over again? From zero?”

Eunji stopped her feet and was still for a moment. ‘Does that mean that he had . . .’ She slowly turned to face Chanyeol who had completely swiveled around so only his back was what she could see. “What the—”

“Hi!” Chanyeol turned with a wide grin that reminded Eunji of a fictional character on a movie she used to watch with Minki when they were little, “I’m Park Chanyeol. Nice to meet you.”

They exchanged stares for a long while. Eunji sighed hard at Chanyeol’s attempt but she appreciated his effort. “Park Chanyeol, you—”

“I saw your performance earlier and I was so awestruck at your singing,” he cut her off, “I think you’re amazing. And you’re drop dead gorgeous.” Eunji pursed her lips to hide the smile she couldn’t hold in. “Do you wanna grab lunch with me if you’re not busy tomorrow?”

“I—”

“Hey, Jeong Eunji!” The owner of the name sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

A figure with black hoodie, black cargo hat, and also black mask was jogging toward Eunji’s direction and she could easily guess who it was. ‘Cause who else would wear that attire besides him? “Oh God . . .” She muttered. And who else would be running out of her apartment complex in the middle of the night wearing that attire besides him?

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow at the figure that was now already standing in front of Eunji. “Where have you been? I was just about to leave,” that figure said.

“Oh, that’s good,” Eunji replied with a face straighter than the pavement underneath. He rolled his eyes hard at the girl’s reply.

“Then I’m gonna stay for two hours tomorrow to make u