-

“Yes, Sooyoungie?” Chanyeol eventually said into the phone after ignoring it on purpose though he was just staring blankly into thin air for the past hour. The sky hovering above him as he started to make his way through the lawn of his campus building was already dim—as it had been for the past hour—and he was ready to depart for home.

“What took you so long!?” Sooyoung was exclaiming, that was normal; Sooyoung was exclaiming with a hint of wary in her voice, that wasn’t. Moreover, she didn’t address Chanyeol with the usual ‘oppa.’

“W-what’s wrong!?” Chanyeol stopped his pace and waited for an answer. He suddenly felt bad for not answering the call right when he was supposed to.

“Can you please come?” Her voice went lower and hushed. “Please.” The terror she felt was seeping out of the phone and Chanyeol felt it along with her.

“Where are you now!?” It was then Chanyeol’s turn to exclaim. Sooyoung told him where she was and he quickly took a mental note of her location which was just around the corner. “I’ll be there.” Chanyeol took off from his spot and his recue journey begun.

-

At the end of a poorly-lit alley, Chanyeol spotted Sooyoung’s figure, shakily standing on the spot between him and another unknown dark figure behind her. “Oppa . . .” Sooyoung muttered.

“Ah, Sooyoungie!” Chanyeol, grinning widely, ran to her without much ado. He tried not to show any sign of fear and the girl’s hand in his and placed another one on her back, escorting her away from whatever possible danger there might be.

“Are you okay?” He asked when he was sure that the stranger from before wasn’t following them. “Gosh, Sooyoung,” his worry ceased down a bit knowing that she was okay, “What are you even doing there? It’s almost nine!”

“I was doing an English project at my friend’s house,” she answered. Chanyeol could feel her trembling on the palm he placed on her shoulder. “Come here.” He pulled her into a big, warm, bear hug.

“I’m so scared.” Her voice came out muffled on his chest.

“You don’t have to anymore,” he replied as he caressed her hair. “It’s okay now. I’ll take you home.” They walked side by side toward the bus station; not even once Chanyeol let go of his grip on Sooyoung’s hand.

As they settled down inside the bus, Sooyoung’s head instantly dropped on her boyfriend’s shoulder and fell asleep. Just like that. Then a sigh escaped Chanyeol’s mouth. It wasn’t that he hated the weight he had to prop on his shoulder; he was relieved that Sooyoung could go home unscratched. He glanced at their intertwined hands and then rested his head against the top of hers, feeling the soft strands of her hair brushing against his cheek.

‘Why have I thought of hurting you . . . ?’

-

“Sooyoungie.” Chanyeol softly said her name while he gently shook her body. “We’re close.” Sooyoung opened her eyes and then looked up at him who already had a smile plastered for her.

“Thank you,” she said as she did too. Chanyeol pressed the bell and the two prepared to board off the vehicle. He walked her inside her apartment building and Sooyoung told him, “You don’t have to walk me until my door.”

“Are you sure?” ‘Wait. No,’ Chanyeol thought. ‘I’m supposed to insist on walking her to her door.’ “It’s okay. Let me do so.”

“No, oppa, I’m serious,” she said, the expression she had emphasized the words she said.

“Very well, then,” Chanyeol replied. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Sooyoung waved as she back-walked into the elevator, “And thank you.” He waved back, and waved, and waved. Just before the door closed completely, Sooyoung held them back and it reopened. The girl jogged lightly toward Chanyeol and stood on her tiptoe to reward him with a small peck on the cheek. She quickly turned away and ran back into the elevator, wanting to run away and hide her extreme blushing from the guy as quickly as possible. Chanyeol chuckled and shook his head at the ground. Though brief, the feeling of her lips still lingered.

He was just about to open the glass doors and exit the building when another person on the other side grabbed a hold of it first and opened it ahead of him. “Good evening,” Chanyeol greeted when he looked up, or down, at an ahjumma.

“Good evening, young man.” She offered him a smile and he returned it. His expression went as straight and plain as a board when the half-a-century woman had walked passed him. Just as he slid his hands into his coat pocket, a voice he rarely heard yet he remembered so much faintly called his name out.

“Park Chanyeol.” The giant elf looked for the source of the voice, hoping that he wasn’t being delusional—and hoping that it won’t be another unknown ahjumma who just happened to know his name. “Park Chanyeol, hey!”

“Jeong Eunji?” His eyes widened in surprised, his heart palpitated in excitement, and he was struggling to catch his breath. That was just how meeting Eunji made him like.

“Do you live here?” She asked, walking toward him with a wide smile.

“Uhm . . .” ‘I don’t. But my girlfriend does,’ wasn’t an answer he should be giving her. So he went with, “No. My cousin lives here,” instead. ‘It doesn’t matter how good you are at keeping lies, Park Chanyeol.’ Eunji was bound to find out, eventually.

“Really? Cool!” Eunji replied. “I live here.”

‘,’ Chanyeol instantaneously thought. ‘Just. .’

“You do?”

“Yeah.” She nodded along with her answer. ‘FUUUUUU—’ Then Eunji pulled up the edge of her sleeve and glanced at the watch, “If it’s not too late for you, do you wanna drop by at my place?”

‘Hell, yeah, I’d love to!’

Chanyeol opened his mouth to answer but Eunji cut him off, saying, “But I don’t think my place is in the condition to have guests over . . . so what about the convenience store nearby?” She gestured outside.

‘As long as it’s with you,’ Chanyeol thought as he grinned.

“Yeah, sure.” He shrugged, trying to keep his cook and look cool.

The sound of bell chimed throughout the store when they both entered. “I’m going to get kimbap,” Eunji informed Chanyeol before making her way toward the shelf at the back of the store with a variety of what she wanted in it.

Since Chanyeol had had dinner—for once, a real meal—before, he only picked a bag of chips and a can of soda and then headed straight for the cashier where Eunji already was. The cashier scanned the items and then said aloud the total amount. “It’s okay,” Chanyeol said as he stopped Eunji from getting her wallet, “I’ll pay.”

“Nah.” Eunji argued. She pulled her wallet out from the small compartment in her backpack.

“No, please, don’t.” He held Eunji’s wrist and they exchanged stares for a short span of time but seemed long enough to annoy the cashier boy. A sigh escaped Eunji before she proceeded to close her wallet and let Chanyeol pay for their items. Once they were done with arguing who to pay and eventually paying, they went to sit on one of the white plastic chairs provided outside and Eunji’s hand dove into the plastic bag to grab one of the kimbaps right away.

When Chanyeol looked up from his can, a view of struggling Eunji greeted him. “Do you need help to open that?” He offered, laughing a little.

Eunji sounded a grunt and then handed the kimbap in defeat. “Why can’t I open that thing!?”

She wasn’t addressing the question to anyone and wasn’t expecting any answer but Chanyeol answered, “I bet this is your first time having kimbap.”

“I’ve had it quite a few times,” she replied. “But I always have someone else open it f