This is the final part of the 3-part birthday shot I made to celebrate my birthday and the birthday of my second EXO-K bias, Byun Baekhyun. =]

The soundtrack for this finale is one of my personal favorites.

"I Got Your Back" by Jay Park.

Enjoy reading. =]

= = = = = = 

Chun Kyuhee, the self-professed queenka of ChoRae University and High School who is the daughter of one of the most prominent names in the law scene, smirked at me evilly upon seeing my scared expression. She had about three girls behind her, which I believe are her wingwomen, for they are the ones who are always beside Kyuhee-sshi when she bullies me.

And that was starting from about two years back.

"So, I see that you've done your part, Shirin-sshi. You didn't go to my Baekhyun Oppa's birthday party." She began in a low and smooth voice, which was rightfully fitting her devious and scheming personality.

You see, she's one of the many girls of ChoRae who are hopelessly in love with Byun Baekhyun. Though, with her riches and exceptional beauty, she has an advantage among the many others. She can get close to Baekhyun-ah by buying her way through classes, paying up extra so that she'll have all of her classes with the poor guy.

Pretty stalker-ish, but then, that's what love does to people, I guess.

"Good thing you didn't, because if you did as much as attempt to go, you would've been the most sorry guest there." She finished with finality, before taking me by the hair and holding me by the shoulder, pushing me harshly to the lockers. I hissed in pain as the metal made painful contact with my back, and a soft whimper escaped my lips.

"Poor poor nerdy. She'll never have a shot at life anymore." She teasingly said this to me, before releasing me with force.

I had already managed to make myself stand properly again before a sudden pain stabbed me at the back, and I felt myself being pushed to the lockers again. But this time, nobody was holding me down because Kyuhee-sshi had only pushed me harshly again, without managing any hold to restrain me.

But I wasn't anticipating what had happened next.

"Yah."

A familiar voice halted all movements and despite my grimace because of the pain by my back, I looked towards the direction of the voice...

... and my eyes widened.

"What the hell did you just do to Shirin-ah?" His enraged voice echoed throughout the almost empty hallways, and it caused the girls to turn around and show shocked expressions at his words.

"Sh-Sh-Sh-Shirin-ah?!"

"Neh. What the hell did you just do to her?" He asked again in a strikingly calm voice, in spite of the intense context of his sentence.

"We... We just made her move because we were passing by the halls. She was in our way." Kyuhee-sshi finally had the strength to speak back to him, but her face contorted in guilt when a smirk lined his lips.

"By the way I saw it, you grabbed her by the hair and pushed her harshly to the lockers. Or are my eyes deceiving me already?" He retorted, and as pure fear rushed through my veins, I made a move to speak, but was cut off by the next sentences from him.

"I thought that the people who like me know what is right and wrong in this world. They don't prey on the innocent and the pacifists. They see behind beautiful masks and see the decayed interior of the so-called pretty people, and opt to just live the simple and happy life. I guess I expected too much from my so-called fans."

"Baekhyun Oppa---"

"Don't you DARE call me Oppa with that tone of voice and that style of speaking. It makes me sick. If all my fans are just like you who bully and hurt those who do not deserve to be, then I'd rather not have fans at all." He cut Kyuhee-sshi off when she tried to explain herself.

I couldn't take it anymore. He shouldn't do this.

It will wreck his reputation if this goes on.

I must do something.

As he was about to rush towards the girls, I quickly placed myself in front of him and held him by the shoulders.

"Baekhyun-sshi... Please stop this. I was the one who was getting in their way. It was just right for me to be pushed like that." I forced the words out of my mouth before bringing my hands down and proceeding to walk away.

"But Shirin-ah, I---"

He could speak no longer as I quickened my steps from a walk to a run.

I had to get away from him.

I just have to.

= = =

"Baekhyun Oppa---"

"I told you to STOP CALLING ME OPPA! I already told you that it makes me sick just listening to you say it!"

 My anger got the best of me as I shouted in front of Chun Kyuhee, who now had tears in her eyes. She was trembling, scared, apalled. So were her companions.

But in the silence of the hallways that loomed over us, I felt nothing but guilt because I had been the one who is numb and unobservant.

Shirin-ah was bullied, was hurt, was tossed just like that. But she made no effort to tell it to me, because of what... my reputation?

How can I be that unaware of what is happening to my bestfriend?

"From now on, I forbid any of you to approach Shirin-ah. The moment I get news that you so much as lay a finger on her hair, I. WILL. GET YOU." I threatened as my breaths picked up frequency, and I clenched my jaws tightly.

"What is she to you for you to defend her like this, anyway?!"

Kyuhee-sshi finally had enough, and just HAD to ask the question.

Shirin-ah will kill me because of this.

But if retaining my reputation would mean that she must separate from me, then I'd rather throw away everything I built up for myself out the window, just so I could stay with her and protect her from the hurt she experiences.

"She's my bestfriend... and the woman I love with all my heart."

= = =

"Shirin-ah! Wait up!"

Baekhyun-ah's voice echoed throughout the hallways, but I paid no attention to it and just increased my steps even more.

I don't want to see him, at least not now. I don't want to talk to him, or I'll break down. I don't want him to call me because I might let everything out.

I just couldn't face him right now.

I had already gone through the doors of the indoor garden and managed to get a distance away from the door when strong arms wrapped themselves around my waist, and I felt a strong force making me collide with a masculine body behind me.

"Stop it, Shirin-ah. Please."

I struggled against Baekhyun-ah's hold even as he said this, and the tears behind my eyes began building up as I exerted all efforts to break free from him.

"Let go of me, Baekhyun-sshi. Let---!"

"I WON'T!"

All the breath I had inside my body just whooshed out of me when he cried out, and I felt his hold on me become even tighter.

"I won't, Shirin-ah, okay?! Just accept it! I just won't let you go!" He continued to exclaim to my back, his voice pained and breaking.

"I won't let you go even if you struggle, and even if you beg. I won't let you go even if you begin to hate me. I won't ever have it in myself to just let you leave like this." From such an agitated state, Baekhyun-ah's voice hushed down, but the pain was still coating his voice.

"Baekhyun-sshi---"

"Stop calling me formally! You KNOW how close we really are. Don't take even THAT away from me."

My eyes widened, and I immediately turned around at this statement from my best friend.

And as I finally had a look at his depressed expression, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine.

"Have you ever asked me if I wanted you to call me formally? Have you ever tried to find out if I was fully happy being the most popular guy in school? Or did you try to understand that despite the popularity, there's still a part of me missing something?" He had asked me after he pulled back, instead opting to press his forehead to mine.

"No. You never did any of it. You assumed that just being on the top is enough for me, and forgot that young boy who had watched you bright-eyed as you played piano about fifteen years ago. You forgot that what that boy wanted wasn't the reputation you pushed onto him. He just wanted to see you."

My chest tightened as I heard Baekhyun-ah say these words, and with that, the gates of my tears opened.

"Stop this, Baekhyun-ah. Everything is as it should be. You enjoying the limelight, and me fading in the background. It had already been enough for me that we were friends in secret... and I asked for nothing more. If I did, I might just lose everything."

Warmth spread over me as Baekhyun-ah held me in his arms. My tears were making his top wet already, but he didn't seem to mind.

"It was already enough for you that we were friends in secret... but for me, it was nowhere close to sufficient." He began saying, and I tried to push against him to release me, the fear invading in my heart.

This just CAN'T be happening.

"I wanted us to be friends in public. I wanted people to see you going to my house. I wanted people to know that I always stopped by your place and constantly tried to get the fondness of your parents. I wanted people to know that we aren't just strangers to each other."

I knew where this was going.

"I wanted to actually pick you up, bring you to school and back. I wanted to put roses inside your locker last Valentines, and the ten others before that. I wanted to bring you to the backstage of the auditorium back when I had a piano session for the school festival. I wanted to sing to you during music class. I wanted to court you."

If I was surprised earlier, then the shock just gripped me alive the instant he finished speaking. I was stuttering when I asked him what I really wanted to know.

"Y-Y-Y-You wanted to c-c-c-court me?!"

With a nod and a soft chuckle, he let the tip of his nose trace the outline of mine, his eyes closing momentarily as he did so. I couldn't help but close my eyes at the action, too. Chills ran down my spine as the heat travelled through my system, and I felt my knees weakening. Luckily, his arms held me in an embrace much more different than the one earlier, for this one was more gentle and less restraining.

"I'd naturally want to court an amazing girl like you, which I had proven when I sneaked up on you in your music room fifteen years ago. You might think that you are no match to the girls around, but I'm telling you... It's the other way around for me. They're nothing compared to you. That's why, I suggest you let yourself fall for me and be more than my best friend. That would be compensation for you not attending my birthday."

A gasp escaped me as Baekhyun took my face in his hands and made me stare straight into his eyes.

"Can't I just stop this pretense already? I'm tired of acting like you're nothing to me. I'm tired of acting like I didn't love you for about fifteen years..." He began to say, his thumb running over the skin of my cheek.

"... and heck am I tired of acting like I don't love you even now."

When he pressed his lips to mine once again, I found myself giving in to what was the reality that I didn't have an idea about.

I'm in love with my best friend.

And I'm scared of accepting him because of who he is and who I am.

But he's in love with me, too.

So, what's next for us?

 "But, Baekhyun-ah... you weren't the only one in love for fifteen years." I whispered to my best friend who was looking at me softly, lovingly. My cheeks grew pink at my own words, and I bit my lower lip gently to try to contain my blush.

"I began to love you ever since you sneaked up on me, too."

A smile crept up on Baekhyun-ah's lips as I said those words, and I didn't stop him when he pressed his lips to mine once more.