-Friends-

I stare at the interviewer, who I now have forgotten the name of, and feel more confronted than I hoped to form this interview. What did she just ask? Who am I dating? Baekhyun or am I back with Kim Bum…or with my new manager?!

Walking in today, I was fully prepared to be asked about Kim Bum. Of course they were going to ask about him! I was spotted taking a stroll in the park with him! But what I was not expecting was mentions of Baekhyun or my manager! What am I supposed to do with that!

“I’m sorry, what?”

“There was a tip, that an anonymous person gave us, that you and Byun Baekhyun of EXO were spending a lot of time together, is this true?”

I frown. “What…”

I feel a hand on my shoulder and I take a second to take my eyes off the now nervous looking interviewer. Jin Ho stands over me, smiling down at me. “Hey…”

Jin Ho pats my shoulder but looks over at the lady. “I was told no one was going to record any more than her answer regarding Kim Bum…” He eyes her down in a polite by stern way. He may be a cutie, but he knows how to handle things.

The interviewer clears . “Of course, that was off the record. Sorry, Lim Taehee-Ssi.” She bows slightly. Kim Ji Yoen, that’s her name…

I nod. “It’s fine.” MY manager pats my shoulder one last time before moving away again. The absence calming and reassuring presence leaving me a little nervous again.

“Let me ask again, please. The real question, Are you currently working things out with Kim Bum?”

“No.” I look at her sternly. “There is nothing to work out. I am not looking to date him. Anyone, I mean.” I feel my lip twitch and I force down my feelings as my mind skips to Baekhyun’s face. ‘What the hell…next question! Next question!’

Kim Ji Yoen-Ssi smiles and claps her hands ready. “So, what is next for Lim Taehee-Ssi?” I sigh, welcoming the uncomforting topic.

The rest of the interview was a breeze and by the end of the day, the magazine is out.

Fast.

Though, to my horror. They added my slip up.

“Oppa!” I almost scream while reading it. I hold the page up to his surprised face. If I had the mind to talk a photo, it would be a internet sensation. The y face he had sure can distort into some weird expressions. Too bad I was so busy hyperventilating over the text.

Okay, maybe that's an overstatement, but not by much.

“Look! They wrote it all!” I tear the magazine back to me. “After they mention the talk with Ki Bum It says, ‘Young Taehee-Ssi might have let loose on some secret interest!’ then it quotes me… ‘There is nothing to work out, I am not looking to date him…’ then they’ve left it like I was meaning there is someone else!” I glare at the page, wishing I could burn it with the fire of my anger. “I don’t want to deal with this again!”

Jin Ho comes close and pulls me into a hug. “Calm down, Taehee-Ya. I can fix this. We both can. Nothing is happening, they didn’t mention anyone else and they didn’t say anything more than that. It’s just fluff, like magazines always write.”

I sigh into my chest. “But…” ‘…it’s not just fluff though…’

“I know you’ve gotten close with Baekhyun-Ah, but if you don’t want people to think these things, then you need to be more careful…”

“I can’t believe someone gave them a tip…and what, no photo to prove it?!” I snort and pull away from Jin Ho. “What s…”

Jin Ho laughs and rubs my head. “Yeah. Come on, let my buy you some dinner and we can finish for the day, what do you say?”

I smile. “Deal!”

“Is that your phone?” Jin Ho frowns and looks around the room. How did he hear that!

I duck down and find my bag tucked under his desk. “It’s Baekhyun…” I say softly, suddenly feeling very awkward announcing that.

Jin Ho waves his hand at me. “Answer it. I’ll stick around for a little longer…so come back in if you still want to get some food.” He smiles at me before I rush out the door, swiping the answer button.

“Hello?”

“Oh, hey. I was about to give up…” Baekhyun laughs on the other end. Something sounds a little off with him. “How are you?”

“Yeah…okay…you?” Why do I sound so off?!

Baekhyun takes a second. “I’m good…where are you? At the company?”

“Yeah…just finishing up. What about you?” ‘We are so formal…what the hell…’

“I didn’t come in today…Hey…I was wondering if you wanted to get some dinner later?”

I bite my lips, suddenly remembering why I can’t go to dinner with him…or my manager! I have plans tonight… “I’m sorry…I actually have plans tonight.”

“Oh.”

I frown. “But I can hang out for a little…”

“I can meet you at the company…might be safer…”

‘Safer?’

“Oh…yeah sure. Meet you here…”

“I’ll be ten…”

“Sure. See you-” The dial tone rings in my ear. “…soon…” Again, I frown. ‘Is he angry at me?’

To save from standing in the hall way of the manager’s area, I wander through the company. Some people stop and say hi, Lee Taemin even asks if I wanted to get some coffee with him and Minho. As much as I would love to hang out with two of the guys from SHINee, I said I had to meet someone.

It’s not until a handsome man with large pointy eyes stops me that I decide to stick around…

“Hey, are you looking for Baekhyun-Ah?”

I nods at Xiumin, feeling a little weird that I haven’t really spoken to him more than a few seconds of passing acknowledgements in the halls and when I meet up with Baekhyun in the company.

Xiumin smiles and points the way he came. “He just got here. Try the practice room…”

I feel the obviousness come to me. He always said if we are to meet, usually it would be at the practice room. That's where we have been meeting up as of late…

I bow to the older man in front of me, feeling like I need to be very polite since he is, not only my elder, but Baekhyuns, too. “Thank you very much, Sunbaenim…”

“Don’t! Let’s be friends!” He pats my shoulder and smiles. “I have to go, but head down there. I think he is there.”

I thank him again and rush off, hoping that Baekhyun hasn’t been waiting too long. I obviously wasn’t watching the time well enough!

 The door to the room is shut, like it usually is, but this time I don’t feel like I can open it. Why am I feeling like something is wrong… like something is making it hard to face him? It’s not like I did anything wrong, right? It’s obvious that he would have seen that interview… he texted me, asking me about how it went after…I didn’t answer. Is that why?! It can’t be! He wouldn’t be pissed over that! Or is it because of the weird wording…like I am looking to date someone else… Why would he be pissed over that! It’s not like we’re dating…or that we want too… it’s-

“Are you gonna go in?” I flinch at the voice and Baekhyuns hand slides in beside my face. “It’s not locked…” He pushes the door from behind me and I walk in robotically.

I internally curse at myself and try to force out my words before I make this more awkward.

“Sorry. I was just thinking…spacing out, I guess.”

Baekhyun had followed me in, closed the door and taken a seat on the long black couch by the time I build up the courage, that I am still confused as to why I need it, to turn around and face him. “You got here quickly.”

“Not really.”

I feel my chest constrict. What is happening? “Ah…is everything okay?”

“Yeah. How was today?”

“Fine. The woman asked some weird stuff. They had to take a lot out…”

“About Kim Bum-Ssi?” He says and looks away a little.

I frown. “Yeah, about Kim Bum…” I decide that sitting next to him would be a good idea. It feels to separate standing away.

Baekhyun shrugs. “Anyone else?”

“What?”

He turns to me and looks over my face before setting on my eyes. Were his eyes always this strong and deep? I feel his hand on my arm, sliding down to my hand that is by his side. Why is my hand so close to him anyway…?

“Did they ask about anyone else?”

I feel my heart pounding in my chest harder and heavier the longer he holds me. I don’t know who long we sit there, staring at each other, but it feels like hours before he smiles.

“Don’t worry about it, I was being stupid…” He lets me go and move back, grinning. “I had it in my head that maybe you and Kim Bum really were making amends. I saw those photos...and well…” He rubs his head roughly. “…I shouldn’t buy into photos…I know who it can be…” He turns to me. “But…I think I have my answer, right?” He reaches to me again, and just as my heart rate starting head back in the more causal rhythm, he kicks it back up. His fingers brush some hair from my face. “See you later?”

I can’t do anything but nod.

“Your phone buzzed, Taehee-Ya…” Baekhyun grins and pulls it from my hand. I was holding it? “It’s…Ah. It’s Kim Bum...” Baekhyun hands the phone back and stands. “Sorry…it came up on the screen, that's all…”

I look down and see that it shows the text. Why do I have that setting on?! He is asking to meet at our place at 8…

“No, that's not…” I shoot up to stand with him. “I haven’t been to that place in so long…” Wrong. “I don’t want to go…” No. “I’m not seeing him…” I start again, panic talking over and stopping me from forming sentences. “I can’t…”

“Taehee…” Baekhyun grabs my shoulders and holds me still, bring my attention back and making me realise that I’m shaking. Why am I panicking so much?! He smiles softly. “You don’t need to explain…” He shrugs and drops his hands awkwardly. “We’re friends, right…you can see whoever you want…” His lip twitches and he laughs weirdly. “Ah, this is still weird…” He laughs again and rubs his face hard. “I should go…you have things to do, right?”

“Baekhyun…”

“Nah it’s cool…I understand. We’re friends…I said that already, so yeah…” He blows out air from his full cheeks then comes close. Too close. “Taehee…” he pauses, looking down at my lips momentarily. “…I don’t know what you are doing tonight, but I wish you would stay…” Baekhyun breaks my brain with those words. Those words are not words that friends say to each other. Not how he said it.

I swallow thickly. “…I…can’t…” I struggle to get those words out, let alone anymore to explain why. “…I-”

Baekhyun nods and rubs his mouth, looking away. “That’s fine, hey…” He offers a smile and steps away. “I was hoping to catch Jongdae before he leaves for the night, so I need to head off…” He heads to the door. “I’ll talk to you later…or something…” He leaves. Just…closes the door. Leaving me alone and very confused.

I just stand there, staring. Until tears start to fall and I quickly call Shin Hye before I break down.

After some drinks, prep talking and verbally forsaking men –to help bring me out of the slump-, we stand in front of the mirror admiring ourselves. Shin Hye is looking smoking hot in her tight -pink dress and simple white heels, her makeup light save for her deep red lips. My best friend really is a goddess sometimes…

I grin at my reflection. A dark red dress, hugging me loosely and showing off my very thin waist. I am pretty proud of my tiny waist. It makes my average s and regular sized look very good when I choose to show them off.  My legs, long for my short height, are almost completely on display, all but a few short inches the dress covers…barely. I can look pretty y on occasion, too.

This is one of those occasions.

“I don’t like the shoes, Tae…” Shin Hye kicks the other pair she brought with her to me. “The black ones are better… too much red going on.”

I nod and swap the dark red ones I’m wearing for the black. Done. “Is my makeup too dark?” I eye the Smokey eyes and even deeper red than Shin Hye’s.

“y vampire Tae is my favourite Tae.” Shin Hye pretends to run her hand down my body. “If you’re not careful I might pounce on you!” She laughs at herself and heads to the door. “You ready for this! I am so ready!” She calls and pulls me out, my lightly buzzed brain finding my feet in time before I am flat on the ground.

We head out to get in the ride Shin Hye organized and we head to the club. I grin out the window, thinking about how very ready I am to get drunk and dance all night, free of Kim Bum talk and free of Baekhyun…everything.

“Can I have you phone, Tae?” Shin Hye asks, taking the mobile out of my bag as she speaks. I wave her off and focus on the street outside, loving the feel of the breeze flying in. Shin Hye giggles loudly. “Thank you later!” She says vaguely and puts my phone back. “We’re almost there, Tae! Get your drinking pants on! This is gonna be awesome!”

I grin and cry out with her, feeling the vibes and getting excited with her. This is going to be awesome!

<sup>A/N
I hope the way I am posting now is okay. :D 
I feel like it was just going to take too long to get them out otherwise and I really 
wanted to get more started....so this is what I have so far...
It's obivous I'm not the best at keeping the postings on regular days of the week, so instead of
limiting myself to certain days (that I will not be able to maintain, let's be honest) I think I should just say
that I will try to get two JB chapters out during the begnning of the week and the Baekhyun Chapters during the end. 
Also a heads up, I'm from Australia, so it's currenty 12:36am on Friday morning. So Yeah... the end of the week is looming

I will be back (Hopefully tomorrow) with the second Baekhyun Chapter of the week.
Thank  you <3</sup>