The path of their destination known this time.

∞

​​​​​​

A silence of the students in the classroom except one being; standing behind the rostrum was Baekhyun giving his presentation of the given topic with his hand gestures, and way of presenting his project confidently and in a way that everyone was invested in it; in him like the most smartest person in the classroom that he, in fact, was without a doubt. 

A doubt even Iseul couldn't doubt; her eyes focused on his presentation and him, but in a way that she was learning something from him, he was good at being in his given work, and everything that comes with his brain and other activities, but along with learning from him, and someone whom she wants to exceed in those things, he had become someone more than it; he wasn't a stranger classmate whom she had had debates, and scores competitions, or even banters. 

He had become someone whom she had gone through the security room in a hide to get his name out of the blames; why? She was blank but she was sure there was something surprising and shocking in the answer and she didn't want to know about it; she wasn't ready to face it, not when she was all in the messed up life of hers. 

Yet this guy finds every chance of making her react; infuriate, excited, and hurt that he had done earlier because of his words but he was more by his own condition and she didn't like it. 

And right now she couldn't stop looking away from him; the shine of his silver hair took her attention every freaking time like a beautiful glow but now she couldn't stop admiring his looks like almost every girl does and Iseul hated to be in the admirers yet couldn't shoo it away. 

Not after he had actually listened to her words to come to the Dean office when she was showing them the actual footage. 

Damn this boy. 

Her heart jumped the second he met her eyes during the presentation and he didn't look away but continued talking enough that Iseul felt her cheeks heating up to look down with a pretense of rechecking her presentation since she was next; unaware of his lips curving in a subtle smile. 

A round of applause after he finished his presentation and Iseul had walked past his figure without glancing at Baekhyun that he found confusing but understandable as he took his seat beside Kang-min giving him a impressive nod but Baekhyun's attention was ahead; on the princess, standing behind the rostrum as he leaned back comfortably on his chair to listen to her presentation with his forefinger on his lips through the elbow support on the armchair. 

His eyes concentrated on her way of presenting her topic; different from his but he liked to watch how she presents her version that's different but applies the same method which he had acknowledged was a part of her brilliant brains; this princess was a frigging smart girl, and she has been presenting it from the time he had known her. 

Yet apart from that, her eyes had been having their own way of presenting like the subtle gesture of her twisting lips while her hair in a ponytail; he still wasn't known to her love for her long curls and there was no doubt her looking enchanting with it, and right now he was realizing that apart from her brains, he was admiring her whole existence. 

The conclusion behind it was unknown and he was afraid of being known to it; emotions that could bring destruction into his life, and his purpose were locked in his heart but she was unlocking it slowly. 

And he had to stop it but how was he able to do it when locking eyes with her had flinched his entire system yet he didn't want to look away like right now. 

She rolled her eyes away and he had his scoff to himself with a bite of his threatening smile on his lips. 

The presentation was done with a round of applause and professor's praise as Iseul smiled at him before walking to her seat clearly ignoring his entire existence as she smiled at Ji-eun's proud smile; the class was over as students slowly began to drift where Iseul was packing her belongings until a familiar figure had stood over her. 

“Iseul.” 

Her heart thud but she ignored him to hear his scoff. “Are you being serious, princess?” 

She didn't answer and shoved her pouch in her backpack but her breath hitched at his sudden movement of closing their distance until he had leaned down; his hand on the desk before her, another one holding her chair's headrest to feel the proximity of his face closer to her. 

“Aren't your ears working?”

Iseul looked ahead to find the students looking at the sight with amusement that had her feeling embarrassed enough to feel warm as she turned to glare at him yet he continued his deep stare into her eyes; somehow softening before she stood up abruptly. “What is wrong with you?” 

“Oh, I thought something was wrong with your ears and eyes,” He trailed off, standing up straight as he gave a sarcastic smirk. “And they are finally working.” 

Iseul rolled her eyes to walk past him only for him to block her way and again, and she looked at him to find him staring at her seriously but his eyes held a strange softness before his arm slightly extended in the air beside her waist as a male classmate almost bumped into her that Baekhyun had given a narrowed look where he gave them a quick shrug of apologetic nod. 

“What do you want now?” 

He heard her and turned to her while his lips. “I want to talk.” 

“About?” 

“Being allies?” 

“There's no allies anymore.” 

Iseul was quick to walk past his figure leaving Ji-eun to give Baekhyun an empathetic nod which he completely ignored to follow the girl outside the classroom not forgetting to notice the best of luck thumbs up from Kang-min. 

“Stop there, Jeon Iseul.” 

Iseul heard him behind her as she was unlocking her bicycle. “I don't want to, Byun Baekhyun.” 

“Will you just listen to me for once?” 

He never brought himself to listen to his pleas after the people he thought were his own didn't listen; talked behind his back, gave him names but here he was doing it only to be heard to the person he somehow believed he'd be heard and his insides relieved the moment she turned to him with a patient look; holding the handles of her bicycle. 

“Whoever I have asked for help never really helped me even made fun of my pleas,” He his lips, his insides churning at those memories when he had asked people to believe in his father but no one did, only made him feel like he was at fault for believing in his father and a deep breath left his lips, “So, when you tried to help me, I couldn't believe it, and it just felt really foreign at having something I have given up long back, and I said harsh words that you didn't deserve to hear from me, especially, from me but I'm thankful for your help, Iseul.” 

Iseul was surprised; shocked, Baekhyun was being thankful, and explaining his reasons to her that he wasn't obliged but did because he had done wrong to her in one way where her heart wanted to reach out to listen to his pain more realizing how hard he had been going through in his life but she couldn't do it; she didn't have that right. 

“Come with me.” 

She turned around and Baekhyun looked at her confusingly. “Where?” 

“Let's teach you how to ride a bicycle, Silver head.” 

He had rolled his eyes with a smile as the next minute, their backs were walking down the path together with a hint of smiles on their lips and flutters in their hearts. 

“What about allies?” 

“Let's make you one then.” 

“We are in this together.” 

_______________

8:36 am 

The warm ray of daylight coursed through the dewy glass wall of their room by the gone rain; the ray went through the eyes of the slumbering woman, and Iseul's closed eyes squinted in a disturbance, as she shifted to lay on her side to feel the rays direct thudding to her eyes as a silent grumble left her lips yet a familiar scent hit her nose in a drowning fragrance until her mind was waking up to the world.

Her eyes fluttered opened, and the first sight she found was her husband's view; somehow breathtaking, her eyes blinked, blankly, as her eyes stared at his sleeping self in a seated position on the one-seat sofa in their room by the glass wall, and his head tilted towards her as his silver tresses shone through the daylight glistening his face in another shine. 

He appeared ethereal yet again. 

Somehow a sight she didn't want to look away. 

Her thoughts were realized, and the moments from last night coursed through her mind, and Iseul immediately sat up to realize her under the duvet, sleeping on Baekhyun's right-side of the bed, on his pillow, to feel the slight pain in her legs, and feet and body from the continuous walk last night, until the flashbacks hit her; him finding her the way she had yearned for him, her outburst, and him holding her sobbing self in his arms but she had heard his sniffles too. 

He had poured out his pain silently in her arms; her heart in a pleasant warmth, yet in a pierce of guilt still. 

“Why did I do that?” 

She mumbled, recalling the way she had hugged him in the rain, as her cheeks heated up to her pale face with a crimson shade behind her hammering heartbeat, as she rubbed her face with a silent grumble in an embarrassment of her actions to run a hand through her hair with a slight grimace for letting it wet, and not washing it properly, because it could damage it and it was the never-thing she needed in her life. 

Her hand slightly slid to her side of the bed to feel it a bit cold; faintly soaked. 

She was brought home unconscious; she recalled holding his hand, and asking him to take her home. 

He had carried her again. 

“Damn you, Jeon Iseul.” 

Iseul cursed herself at her actions; odd, because she was used to do her own things, was enough reliable on herself, yet she was letting her guard down around him, and letting him do whatever he wanted, but it wasn't good for her; she needed to stay on her feet, so she wouldn't get used to the reliability and the emotions it could brings afterwards. 

She feared it; she couldn't do it, not to him again or she might ruin it again. 

He didn't deserve it; not her. 

A painful pierce right through her heart, and a deep sigh left her lips before his low groan erupted for her to look at him, and realized his uncomfortable position as her eyes softened, yet wistful, “Why is he sleeping uncomfortably here instead of the room?” Yet the next second, she had got out of the bed with a silent wince of her painful legs, and stood in front of him silently and staring at him in the shine of his daylight, her eyes held an unknown enchantment at his sight, to trace his dressing of his nightwear; black sweatpants. 

Her eyes traced to his left-hand with a piercing emotion at his injury. 

Her fingers brushing through the side of his palm on the armchair; bandaged, the silver ring of their wedding shone through the daylight along with hers to look at him again, he appeared peacefully soft with his hair down, yet not, as a frown of disturbance appeared on his face for her to raise her left-hand to hover his face to cover the warm ray from his eyes as his frown eased, and a ease coursed through her heart like her softening eyes. 

The back of her hand touched his forehead for a fever-check since he was also drenched for someone who hated it but fortunately he wasn't where her fingers almost brushed his hair from his eyes only to halt; her actions being realized, and she immediately retreated her hand to her chest in an unpleasant pierce. 

She shouldn't; he is considerate enough but her heart, and mind was still not able to let go of the pain she had caused him. 

Not now; maybe not ever and she can't feel those emotions again. 

She had to keep her heart hard like she has been from the past nine years. 

“Baekhyun.”

Yet his name came out soft; a gulp of her lumping throat, to hear his soft hum, and it swelled her heart in a chill to her system as she frowned, poking his shoulder gently, she was supposed to be hard on him, like before but it was different this time, the hatred was no longer in her heart for him, or maybe, there never was, or she was blinded by the fear of her facades but she can't let him see through her. 

He always read her eyes and her actions. 

Damn it, why was he good at it seeing through when she was also good at hiding it? 

“Baekhyun, get your up.”

He was uncomfortable; he should sleep comfortably at least. 

His eyes opened with a disturbed squint but the moment he looked at her, his droopy eyes rounded in a slight sparkle and concern, warming her heart as he sat up straight, his eyes looking up at her softly. 

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

Her heart fluttered; now that the wall against him was broken, his every action was swirling her mind, and heart, and she hated it because she didn't want to feel it again. 

Yet a nod of hers firmly. “I'm fine,” She paused, as he kept staring at her deeply; unwavering again, “Why are you sleeping here instead of the room downstairs?” 

“Oh, I thought you might need something so I sat here; didn't realize that I slept.”

Baekhyun yawned, covering his mouth, before threading his fingers through his hair in a soft mess where Iseul's heart softened at his actions to realize her actions with annoyance. 

“You didn't have to.”

Baekhyun stared at her in confusion; her actions hadn't changed, and he wasn't surprised but did he expect a well-mannered and not bratty Iseul in the early morning? 

Damn, he really went into delusion. 

“I wanted to; I wouldn't have it otherwise.”

He declared; he could've stayed overnight if needed for her as he his lips. “You were drenched; could've had fever but gladly, not.”

Iseul stood silent; unable to react to his actions because they were confusing, and she didn't want to drive her mind towards that certain emotion because heck, he'd be having those emotions after causing him pain. 

Until the realization hit her; she looked at herself to find her in her long one piece silk black nighty.  

“My clothes,” Her eyes sharpened at him. “Who changed my clothes?” 

Baekhyun stared at her; he should tell her the actual thing but damn, teasing his wife is freaking fun not to do it, as he hummed, slowly, leaning back to the sofa with his legs spread that she was standing before with her crossed arms in an authoritative gaze, looking goddamn y even in the early morning in just a long piece; he leaned his elbow on the armchair to place his fingers on his lips. 

“Who do you think, sweetheart?” 

His one eyebrow raised, seated comfortably with confidence, and that goddamn eyebrow was now distracting her mind. 

“You?” Her heart thud; eyes hardened. “You changed my clothes?”

“There's no one here beside me; I'm your husband, can't I, sweetheart?” 

Baekhyun's lips curled in a playful smirk; those beautiful glaring eyes again, and that tempting bite of her lips again, jolting a warmth within him, as he gulped, until he found her pacing to the bed, and a grab of the cushion with a hard throw towards him as he immediately ducked down with a held back chuckle left his lips as the moment he sat up to find her throwing another one towards him. 

“Sweetheart-” 

“Don't sweetheart me!” 

Iseul threw the pillow towards him; he caught it, standing up, throwing it on the sofa with that annoying likable chuckle, as she threw another one for him to dodge it with his tilted head, and his eyes met hers in a warm gaze of intensity, as he stepped towards her for Iseul to grab another pillow but before she could throw it, he was already standing closer to her proximity in a towering her figure manner. 

Her heart thud, and warmed at his closeness; this time she couldn't deny it but she couldn't drown into it either. 

Letting loose the pillow on the bed; she turned around to walk past, only to feel a tug from the tips of her tresses as she immediately held the side of her nape with a yelp; a confusion, as the morning of their after wedding crossed with the same moment, but it was his buttons, and he was wearing a hoodie, as her heart thud again in the realization to feel the gentle tug for her to bite her lips in a warmth. 

She tilted her head to him; there he was, holding the tips of her hair silently yet so deep that her body warmed, as she held her hair from the middle part with a sharpening gaze towards him to pull it back, but he held it firmly instead, his eyes unwavering, and warm. 

“Let go of my hair, Baekhyun.”

“Make me, sweetheart.”

His voice deep like his intense eyes; a step closer and her heartbeat quickened, as she tried to pull it back only to be pulled towards him by his sudden gentle pull; Baekhyun was careful with her hair known to her love for it, but he wanted her closer because he could notice her actions of avoidance again. 

He could understand but he didn't want it. 

“What do you want?” 

Iseul questioned; he was standing closer now to feel his warmth as she met his eyes holding an intensity yet softness towards her for her heart to swell, as Baekhyun found a glint of wistful glint in her soft eyes, tightening his heart, to look at her rosy lips. 

“You.”

Iseul's eyes widened; her eyes glancing at his lips with a warmth to meet his eyes through her warm cheeks. “What?” 

“To listen to me.”

Her eyes squinted at his familiar actions. 

“Avoidance is not a solution, Iseul.”

Iseul's eyes eased; surprised, yet not at him for reading her eyes again, as if he saw through her concern, and action where her own eyes bored into his, wistfully. 

“So, what's the solution, Baekhyun?”

“Facing it; not running away from it, and letting go of it.”

His forehead almost leaned against hers; his hold on her hair loosened yet threaded his fingers through it softly as if it was becoming his favorite thing to do, while his eyes bored into hers with an empathetic emotion for her, and for himself; them. 

The cruelty they were parted for had brought them together like this; it was to seep a calm through their chaos. 

“Even if it is painful?” 

Iseul questioned; not for her but him, as her hand holding the middle part of her hair had brushed to his injured one as right now, he was in her mind, and sight, and heart in a pain, as Baekhyun's heart warmed at her action to thread his fingers through hers by the strands while staring at her softly as if understanding her words. 

“Especially if it is painful.”

“I'm sorry,” She uttered; her eyes were sorrowful, and almost glassy. “I know; sorry isn't enough for my actions, and you don't have to forgive me, not until you feel like it.”

“Will you also forgive yourself?” 

His hand was resting on her waist, holding her still, and his words affirmed, as she stared at him silently, unable to answer it. 

“You didn't change my clothes.”

Baekhyun gave her a look; her way of changing the subject, but surprised at her words as his forehead creased. “You knew?” 

“I know you wouldn't; I would've slit your throat otherwise, darling.”

There she was; the grumpy and gorgeous wife of his with her authoritative threats as he nodded, “Madre did,” He trailed off, his fingers caressing her hair softly by the threads of his fingers to slightly bring them closer to his lips, and nose for the enchanting fragrance as her hammered at his actions to lean back immediately with her squinted eyes. “So, it was your ridiculous play?” 

Baekhyun let her hair go with a gentle caress; a nonchalantly playful shrug and she pushed his chest with a threatening smile on her lips. 

“So mature of you, darling.”

A chuckle left his lips and her heart rhythmic. 

“What's so funny?” 

Her tone sharp again but he was nonchalant; she found him seated back on the sofa, with a question striking her mind about last night's incident, as she paced to him barefoot, only feel a knot in her right-knee as a wince left her lips for him to look at her alert, as she almost bent over to hold it but he held her hand instead, pulling her towards him as a silent squeal escaped her lips to end up standing between his legs; her one hand on his nape as his breath hitched at her fluttering touch of a warmth to find her other hand holding the armchair; her figure hovering over him.

Her right-knee beside his thigh on the sofa; his hands holding either side of her waist and his forehead brushing hers softly. 

Their close figures shone through the daylight from the glass wall in an enchanting sight. 

“Are you alright?” 

His whisper fanned against her lips; nose almost brushing through his, and her chest warmed, as she met his eyes in an intense glow of the daylight, a shade of brown in a golden light, like how it was glistening his profile but his eyes were doing something; she looked down, realizing their position in a warmth yet felt his deep eyes on her. 

“Yeah, it's just a cramp in my leg.”

She couldn't tell him the sudden knot in her right-knee yet unaware of him being aware of her scar now but her heart hammered, the moment he had his hand slid down from her waist to her hip slowly to place it on her thigh beside his thigh, her system warmed in a chill and her lips parted at the sensation, while his eyes glanced at her lips, to feel her nails slightly firming on his nape as his system warmed. 

“Here?” He trailed off, leaning closer while his palm slid to the side of her thigh in a heating manner, “Here?” His head tilted, so his warmth fanned closer to her lips while her breath uneven at his actions like his warm gaze on her lips to glance at his lips back in a searing warmth until he slid his palm a bit up for her breath to hitch to dig her nails unconsciously on his nape more with another one on the armchair firmed tightly while his fingers gave a light squeeze to her waist. 

A slight smirk curled his lips at her action, tremendously. “Here?” 

“Where do you think you're touching?!” 

Iseul pushed his hand down; her eyes narrowed at him to find a warmth of intensity in them, he was so close, and she couldn't lean back, not how he had been looking at her so intensely, she couldn't, as she glanced at his lips to find him doing the same with a gulp, damn it, she had to get away as she straightened herself only to feel him wounding her waist in a hold, and an instant pull down as the next thing she found herself on his lap. 

“What the hell?” 

Iseul opted to get up only for Baekhyun to tighten his grip on her; his palm on her right thigh with a gentle hold, yet it burned her skin, unaware of his heart doing a cartwheel at her closeness; her being so close to keep holding her, to embrace her, and how he almost lost his sanity yet again because he was aware of his feelings; his acceptance. 

He couldn't get away from her now. 

Not how she's been looking at him; there was no resentment, but a warmth that he used to discern was now vivid yet a hesitation was still there that was understandable so he couldn't push past his actions yet her eyes looking at him in a narrowed glint but an innocenc