On Saturday evening, Chanyeol arrived at 6pm sharp to pick Baekhyun up in his white Audi. Baekhyun felt so self-conscious beside Chanyeol, who was dressed in an expensive, smartly tailored suit. Baekhyun looked and felt so shabby in comparison to the ever glorious Park Chanyeol. He was wearing a second-hand suit from the thrift store down the street, which was old and slightly too big for Baekhyun.

If there was one redeeming feature about his entire outfit, it would be his sapphire cufflinks. It was a pity, for it definitely deserved to be worn on a much better suit. Baekhyun sighed internally and wondered for the umpteenth time if he had made a mistake in accepting Chanyeol’s invitation.

“You look amazing,” Chanyeol grinned widely, feeling his heart do a somersault at the sight in front of him. His eyes went wide with appreciation as he looked Baekhyun up and down approvingly. Sure, his suit looked like it had seen better days, but Baekhyun managed to pull it off perfectly. Top it off with Baekhyun’s perfectly slicked back hair which exposed his smooth forehead, and he looked just like a prince that had walked out of the pages of a manga.

“Thanks. You don’t look too shabby yourself either,” Baekhyun replied with a genuine smile on his face. He had the strangest urge to reach out and touch Chanyeol’s fiery red hair, which he thought suited the free-spirited and cheerful male perfectly.

“What can I say? I’ve been blessed with amazing DNA since the day I was born.”

Baekhyun chuckled. This was the suave and confident Park Chanyeol that Baekhyun was used to—a far cry from the whimpering, vulnerable male that he had been during the storm. In a way, the storm had brought the two of them closer together, and Baekhyun still could not get the kiss out of his mind. The memory replayed again and again in his mind, torturing him day and night.

He wondered if Chanyeol thought about the kiss as much as he did, but sadly concluded that kisses probably didn’t mean much to a playboy like him.

--

When they arrived, the party was already teeming with guests.  Baekhyun surveyed his surroundings, feeling slightly overwhelmed and displaced. He had never been a huge fan of formal parties, where everyone dressed immaculately in their finest suits and dresses, and stood around making awkward but mandatory small talk.

Baekhyun noted that the party extended to the outdoor garden, which was decorated tastefully in gold and silver streamers. Servers in bow ties went around with their platters of drinks, and there was a long buffet table in the middle of the room. A few couples were dancing to the smooth, classical music played by the mini orchestra. The orchestra immediately consumed Baekhyun’s attention. He shut his eyes and allowed himself to bask in the music.

“Chanyeol!”

A group of people waved excitedly at Chanyeol, momentarily breaking Baekhyun’s concentration.

“Make yourself at home and go get some food. I’ll be back with you shortly,” Chanyeol said, patting Baekhyun’s back affectionately. Before Baekhyun could respond, Chanyeol had already left.

Baekhyun grabbed a bright-red cocktail and made his way to an inconspicuous corner of the room. He leaned against the wall and sipped his drink quietly. It felt a little awkward as everyone was either in pairs or in groups, and he yearned to have someone to talk to as well. However, he reminded himself that it would be better if he did not draw too much attention to himself.

Being alone wasn’t too bad. It felt really nice to simply soak in the luxurious and lively atmosphere. He shut his eyes once again to listen to the orchestra.

Vivaldi’s Concerto in A Minor.

“Too fast,” Baekhyun muttered to himself, twitching in irritation when he heard the violin play a wrong note. He shook his head and opened his eyes, only to see Oh Sehun standing in front of him. Baekhyun stifled a surprised yelp. Sehun always had an uncanny knack of appearing at the randomest times.

“What are you doing here all alone? Did lover boy ditch you to go have fun with some pretty ladies?” Sehun smirked.

“He’s from the host family so it’s understandable that he has to go entertain his guests,” Baekhyun shrugged nonchalantly.

“Not so nice of him to leave you alone in this dark, lonely corner when he was the one who invited you to the party though.”

“I’m fine,” Baekhyun snapped. He did not know why, but it seemed as though Sehun was deliberately trying to agitate him. He downed the last of his cocktail in one gulp.

“If you say so,” Sehun hummed. He leaned his back against the wall beside Baekhyun and the two of them stood in silence for a while, soaking in the atmosphere.

Baekhyun returned to staring at the orchestra, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Do you miss playing?” Sehun asked softly.

“I want to snatch the bow out of the violinist’s hands. I don’t think he knows what he’s doing.”

“Really? It sounds great to me though,” Sehun laughed. Baekhyun had always been serious whenever it came to the subject of music.

Baekhyun affixed Sehun with an offended, are-you-kidding-me look. “His tempo is off and he’s holding his bow at such a strange angle. Haven’t you noticed? It has been annoying me ever since I stepped foot in this place.”

“Not everyone knows music like you do.” Sehun sighed, rolling his eyes. “Look at me—6 years of piano lessons clearly hasn’t done me any good.”

Baekhyun laughed, thinking of all the times that Sehun’s piano teachers had quit in tears. As rich as Sehun’s family was, no amount of money could get them a piano teacher patient enough to teach him.

A server passed by and Baekhyun quickly grabbed himself another glass of cocktail. This was going to be a long evening.

--

Chanyeol craned his neck to look around the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Baekhyun. He had left Baekhyun to go greet his friends, thinking that it would only