June 30, 2015

November 28, 2010

My friend,

I was whining to my mom today for not letting me join the trip to the observatory just because I got a flu over the weekend. However, she called dad for help and that silly old man brought home two packs of glow-in-the-dark stars for me. I was so annoyed because I felt like I was being mocked with the plastic stars and all being the bribe to make me stop from whining, but dad insisted me to trust him that I will surely like them.

He was apparently so smug about it that I quieted down and watched him as he attached each star on the ceiling of my room, aligned to my bed and at the portion of close proximity. Mom was next to me, watching in amusement as dad did his job flawlessly as if he was already an expert in it. Minho, my brother, went inside my room from his sleep, in time to join us in watching the great show dad had promised me. He plopped down between mom and I even though I had warned him about catching the flu from me. He was probably too excited with what was to happen that he didn’t mind getting sick.

Dad told us to close our eyes after sticking everything in places on the ceiling, and warned for us not to peek unless he told us to. I felt him take the spot on my other side later on and on cue he told us to open our eyes and look up. What I saw made me grin so wide that my lips almost hurt from the stretch. My ceiling turned into a blanket of stars shining brightly against the darkness of my room. It was such a beautiful contrast that I could almost compare it to the real thing. Just that this time, it’s my own personal starry night sky in my room and I can always stare at it after such a long day…

“Baekhyun-ah!” My best friend’s deep yet ragged voice booms from not too far, pulling me away from my reverie while reading Miyeon’s fortieth-something letter.

I lower the letter down, slipping it inside my backpack quickly as I can, and straighten myself from my slouched position against the tree I have been leaning on when I see him slowly inching closer to me together with our other friends. They look all so tired from the search yet still excited to finally see me again after the many times I tried hiding away from them previously. And although I have this urge to run away again and hide, I don’t have the heart right now to do that after seeing them smiling because they finally get to see me.

“Goddamn, it’s so hard to get ahold of you, but finally…” My best friend grins as he reaches my spot and then plops himself down next to me on the grass. He heaves out a huge breathe that has been pressing on his chest and slowly tries coming down to calm.

I chuckle and greet the rest when they all give me a pat on the shoulder in acknowledgement before plopping down on the grass around me, the spot we’re in suddenly looking so crowded because of them.

“Baek,” The tower beside me says as he places his arm over my shoulders.

“Yeol.” I utter out his name cautiously, and watch as his lips lifts up to a flashy grin—too flashy that it makes me want to cringe.

He chuckles and then breathes out a sigh of relief. “Thought you also already forgot your best friend’s cool name.”

I snort out and nudge his side in return. “Ya. I was just missing in action for the past three years, not going through amnesia and suddenly forgetting you guys, Park Chanyeol. Tch.” I chide out playfully, making them all laugh.

“Yeah.” Jongdae says as he gives my back a light slap, “You weren’t forgetting but hiding from us.” I throw him a look but he only rolls his eyes knowingly at me. These guys sometimes really know me more than I know myself.

“You think we won’t figure out you’re avoiding us because Chanyeol’s been bugging you to join back the band?” Minseok inquires, peeking from behind Jongdae.

“You’re too obvious, man.” Chanyeol adds as he tries to dishevel my hair to different directions.

I swat his hand away in annoyance and look far ahead. “You are right.” I answer in agreement, “But what’s the point of me going back? You already have someone occupying the space I had left for three years so there’s no reason to—“

“No one ever took your place.” Chanyeol interrupts. “She—how do I explain this…” He says exasperatedly and then directs his gaze to the rest for help.

Jongdae sighs and then says in Chanyeol stead, “What he was trying to say is that it’s different with her and it’s different with you. Our vocalist is really cool but sometimes we still miss you being there.”

“True.” Chanyeol chips in, “It’s better with you because she’s a complete nagger.”

Yixing suddenly reaches out to smack his head and he groans in complaint. “That was rude. She isn’t really like that. Everyone knows.”

“And that hurts!” Chanyeol retaliates back, moves closer towards Yixing in an attempt to smack him back, but Minseok gladly manages to calm him.

“Sorry.” Yixing says, yet it doesn’t look very genuine because he’s grinning while at it.

“Gee… as if you are.” Chanyeol scoffs, their conversation spiking my interest about this mysterious vocalist I am yet to know. “You guys don’t get treated the way she does to me that you don’t have any reason to complain! God knows what I have been through all these years because of her.” He huffs out bitterly.

Jongdae nudges his side and says, “Still, she’s your cousin. She’s just trying to look after you, Yeol.”

I chuckle when I see Chanyeol making a face because everyone seems to disagree with all that he said. He then engulfs me in his arms and begs for back up. “Baek, you see what our friends have become because of that girl?” He cries, as if pleading.

I pull away from him and scrunch up my nose when he tries to get closer again to me. “Your childishness is probably the reason why you don’t get to see what they can see in her.” I utter out to him as I hold him back with a hand to his face when he tries to hug me again.

“You haven’t even experienced her wrath so stop siding with her! I’m your best friend, Baek! At least defend meeeee…” He whines as he continues to invade my personal space.

I continue to block his face with a hand as I turn my attention to the others. Chanyeol starts whining behind about me ignoring him again and all, but I just continue pretending not to hear him. “Where is she anyway?” I ask.

“She… who?” Yixing asks, dumbly.

Jongdae flicks his temple and says, “He was asking about our vocalist you idiot!”

“Tsk. Tsk. How can your memory worsen through the years, Yixing?” Minseok utters while tearing off the petals of a wild flower he has picked up from the ground.

“Oh?” Yixing muses out while rubbing the spot Jongdae had abused. He looks back at me and then smiles sheepishly. “Guess you are yet to know her. She’s not here.”

I frown at what he said. “How so?” I try to sound normal even though I am inwardly dripping off with curiosity about the girl.

Chanyeol suddenly breaks away from my hold and joins in the conversation. “She’s with her freaking boyfriend again. And God knows where they are.” He utters out bitterly while crossing his arms.

Jongdae suddenly bursts out chuckling and starts wagging a finger at Chanyeol, “Yeol, she’s going to get mad at you if you keep saying he’s her boyfriend! I swear! If she’s right here, she’s really going to beat you up!” He tells him in between laughs.

“Tch.” Chanyeol scoffs. “She doesn’t even deny it. So, why would I stop teasing her?”

Minseok throws away the stalk he has completely removed all the petals from and moves closer to our circle in interest to the exchange the rest are having. “Truth! You guys know how much I love her as a sister, but sometimes it’s really suspicious whenever that boy follows her like a lost puppy and she doesn’t even say anything about it nor complain.” He beams.

“You guys,” Yixing blurts out, making us shift our attention to him from behind. He lies back on the grass lazily and then folds his arms behind his head before closing his eyes. “She’s not really in a good mood in the past few days so if you have the decency of grown up guys, stop being such gossips girls right now.”

The others scoffs at the calm Yixing who looks like he doesn’t even give a damn about the things the rest are fussing about this new vocalist of theirs, which happens to be Chanyeol’s cousin, and who has a boyfriend that acts like a puppy around her. I wonder how so he cannot join the rest in gossiping about her. Is it because he doesn’t care at all, or he knows enough not to take interest in what the others are doing, or he’s just being the typical level-headed Yixing?

“Baek! I swear, you won’t even believe who my cousin’s boyfriend is!” My attention shifts back to Chanyeol who’s starting to heat up another talk about his beloved cousin.

“Who?” I dumbly ask, unsure of how to actually react with the conversation he has been stirring.

He moves closer to me and then grins widely in amusement. “Guess who!”

I lean away from him, as I am not comfortable with the lack of space to breathe in with him being so unnecessarily close and the sight of the oddly mischievous sparkle in his eyes. I gulp down the lump in my throat as I hear Minseok and Jongdae say something in between the lines of ‘here he goes again’ and ‘why he’s never gotten so tired o