Ga Young pushed open the door to her room, sighing quietly to herself as she dragged her tired body to the bed and threw herself on her back onto the mattress. She sighed again and covered her eyes with her arms, recalling this morning’s incident.

She had woken up feeling like she’s just had the best sleep ever and the duvet around her was so warm and comfortable. When she opened her eyes, she stared up at the unfamiliar yet familiar ceiling and blue bedsheets. She frowned, slowly sitting up as she looked around the room and she gasped when realization finally dawned on her.

I’m in Chan’s room! Which means…

Just then, she could hear someone grabbing onto the doorknob and on impulse, she lied back down onto the bed and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She could hear the door opening and closing and the sound of footsteps walking into the room, and she began to sweat nervously underneath the covers when the footsteps stopped. She could tell that it was Chanyeol and the man was staring at her.

Does he know that I’m awake already? Should I sit up again? Oh god, what should I do? How did even end up here?!

When Chanyeol sighed, Ga Young stilled but remained unmoving. She could hear some rustling of clothes and since her head was facing the other side, Chanyeol couldn’t see the frown on her face. She heard him sigh again before the mattress dipped a little on the other side of the bed, and Ga Young had to supress the sudden urge to shout.

“God, this is a mess,” she heard Chanyeol muttering. What is a mess? “Seriously, you're really slow-witted, aren't you?” Slow-witted? Who, me? Wait, is he even talking to me? “Why is this so hard?” he groaned and Ga Young suddenly felt the urge to sit up and comfort him.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and Ga Young froze again. She could hear the door opening and then Baekhyun’s voice reached her ears. “Is she still asleep?” the man asked, voice slightly above whisper. She couldn’t hear Chanyeol’s reply but he guessed that the man must’ve nodded because Baekhyun continued, “Well, the manager will pick us up soon. Go shower while I get the coffee brewed.”

“What about her?”

“Well, she’ll eventually wake up anyway. And she’s going to clean the house too, so might as well just leave her here.”

Chanyeol sighed. “This is so messed up.”

“Hey, it was your call.” What are they even talking about? “Anyway, go shower. And don’t strip in front of her, Yeol. She might be asleep but it’s still unproper.”

Ga Young felt her face flush at that while Chanyeol groaned. “Idiot, I know that. Like as if I would undress in front of her. What if she woke up in the process?”

“Exactly. We don’t want her accidentally seeing your ugly bloated tummy now, do we? She'll be scarred for life!”

Baekhyun cackled (as quietly as he could without 'waking' her up) and she thought she heard something soft making impact against the wall, and she guessed that Chanyeol had probably thrown a pillow at who seemed to have gone out of the room now. She heard Chanyeol sighing again – wow, this guy is going to sigh himself to death – before she felt him standing up from the bed.

“Stupid Baek,” she heard him mumble to himself. “I don’t have a bloated tummy. I have perfectly hot abs.” Ga Young blushed redder when she began to imagine how the man may look. Does he really– damn it, Moon Ga Young. Snap out of it! “Aish this girl, she really loves to sleep in.”

That’s not true, she pouted. I used to but not anymore. Hmph!

“I’m glad some things haven’t changed.”

Ga Young froze at that, thinking that she may have heard it wrong. She could hear the man disappearing into the bathroom and quietly sat up in bed, head turned to stare at the closed bathroom door in confusion. What the hell did he mean by that? When she heard the shower running, she quickly got off the bed and tiptoed out of the room, making sure to silently close the door behind her and tiptoeing down the stairs.

She paused when she heard something in the kitchen, and when she heard Baekhyun silently singing to himself and obviously nowhere in sight, she rushed to the front door and ran back into her house. Her parents had already left by then and Kwang Soo was still not home, so she got to have the time to herself.

Ga Young lifted her arms from her eyes and stared blankly at her ceiling, feeling her brain slowly frizzling with the overthinking. Just what did Chanyeol mean by that? What hasn’t changed?, she wondered and loud out a loud sigh.

Just then, she heard something coming from outside and quickly sat up to listen in. When she heard the sound of a door being slammed close, she knew immediately that the next door neighbours were leaving and quietly peered at them from her window. She saw Baekhyun stepping into the van while Chanyeol was still making his way towards the vehicle, obviously the culprit who had slammed the front door.

Was he pissed because I left without a word?, she wondered. Ayy, impossible. Why would that bother him?

“But he must’ve been the one to put me in his bed last night,” she thought out loud. “And he must’ve carried me up too. And I didn’t even thank him,” she realized and looked out the window.

She ducked down just as Chanyeol’s head turned to her direction, but she could still peer over the frame to see the man staring at her window with a blank look on his face before diving into the van, shutting the door behind him. Once the black van had driven away and out of sight, Ga Young stood up again and sighed.

“What mess did you just put yourself into, Moon Ga Young?”

***

Chen stared at the dazed man sitting across from him. Chanyeol’s posture looked rigid; he had a stone expression on his face, his arms were crossed over his chest and his long legs crossed on top of each other. He was staring at the bottle on the glass table by his foot, but Chen was sure that was not admiring the plastic bottle at all.

He glanced at Baekhyun who was in the middle of getting his hair done. “Baekhyun-ah,” he called out to the other. Baekhyun lifted his head from his phone and raised a brow, their eyes meeting through the mirror. “What’s up with this guy?” he asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to where Chanyeol sat.

Baekhyun flickered his eyes to Chanyeol and shrugged. “He’s just not in the mood, I guess.” he replied.

Yixing, who had been strumming his guitar and mumbling the lyrics to some Chinese song under his breath, paused and glanced at his composing buddy as well. He had never seen Chanyeol acting that way and he’s used to the giant being loud and obnoxious while they were gathered like this.

“Is Chanyeol sick?” he asked Baekhyun, knowing best that the younger would know better about his best friend’s condition.

“He’s fine, hyung. Don’t worry about him.”

“He called me yesterday while I was with Suho hyung,” Sehun suddenly said from the other couch. He was laying with his head on Kai’s lap, while the other had his ears plucked by his earphones, listening to music. Kyungsoo sat on Kai’s other side, fiddling with his phone until Sehun spoke, and he turned to him with a frown.

“You did?”

Baekhyun moved his head away from the stylist’s hands and turned his body a little so he could look at Sehun as well. “And? What did you tell him?”

“He asked me how Suho hyung is doing, so I told him.”

“Did you tell him about the whole dancing thing too?” Chen asked.

“Wait, what about Suho’s dancing?” Yixing asked, looking at Chen, Baekhyun then Sehun, and back. “What am I missing?”

Baekhyun sighed. “Suho hyung won’t be able to dance for a few months.”

“Six months, more or less.” Sehun clarified.

“Damn.”

“He also has to go to rehab,” Kyungsoo added.

“And you told Chanyeol all this?” Chen asked, glancing at Chanyeol who seemed to be oblivious to the conversation going around him. Sehun nodded. “He didn’t take it well, did he?”

“What do you think?”

“Guys, the photoshoot will start in ten minutes!” one of their staff member yelled from the door. “Quickly be done with your hair and get ready to be called to the studio.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Yixing answered for everyone’s behalf.

Everyone started getting up from their seats so they could leave the waiting room, and Xiumin who was doing his hair last, quickly ushered the stylist to be done with his hair already. Baekhyun approached his best friend once he’s done checking his image on the mirror and saw Chanyeol putting on the coat he was given.

“You alright?” he asked and the taller sighed.

“Just like you told Lay hyung, I’m fine, Baekhyun.”

“So you weren’t exactly unaware of the things going on around you,” the shorter noted as they walked side by side to the studio.

“It’s hard not to when your voices were so loud,” Chanyeol pointed out before walking ahead.

Baekhyun sighed as he watched the other walking away, and he turned his head to the right when he felt someone standing beside him. Kyungsoo had his eyes on Chanyeol as well.

“Chanyeol is a whole different person after the incident,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, I hate this new guy.” Baekhyun said and crossed his arms. “I bet even you miss the noisy giant, don’t you?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “That’s what happened when you’re already so used to it.” Baekhyun nodded at that. “Hey, do you know anything about a necklace?”

Baekhyun frowned. “A necklace?”

“Yeah. Chanyeol mentioned something about the necklace the other day, or did I hear that wrong.”

“Ahh… he was talking about the necklace he usually wore.” When Kyungsoo continued giving him a confused look, he explained, “That necklace was given to him by his late grandfather before he passed, and Chanyeol treasured it.”

“And what happened to the necklace?”

“He lost it. Then everything bad started happening, and he thinks it’s because he lost his grandpa’s necklace.”

Kyungsoo sighed. “That’s tough.”

“Yeah… and to think that he’d be in a better mood today after what happened last night,” Baekhyun carelessly commented before walking away.

Kyungsoo frowned. “Wait, what happened last night?”

***

Ga Young had mostly been distracted throughout the whole day even though he’s supposed to have fun shopping with her former roommate. Doyeon was getting tired of talking to herself and catching the other staring ahead. In the end, she dragged Ga Young towards a café in the mall and made her sit at a table for two by the glass window.

“Ouch,” Ga Young hissed when Doyeon finally let go of her arm after dragging her there. “That hurts.”

“It hurts more to find out I’ve been talking to myself the whole freaking day,” Doyeon snapped and the other actually looked remorseful at that. She sighed. “Seriously, bae. What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Lie to me one more time and I’ll throw this little plant at you,” she threatened with her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Ga Young glanced at the small plotted plant on their table and sighed. She knew Doyeon would not hesitate to do it. “I’m just… confused. That’s all.”

“About what?” Ga Young hesitated. “Oh come on, talk!”

“Fine, but if I tell you, I need you to keep this a secret. I’m serious, bae. Tell no one.”

“I promise.”

Ga Young narrowed her eyes into slits but eventually leaned forward to whisper. She stopped Doyeon every time she’s about to squeal or cut her off with a kick under the table, and when it’s happened more than three times, Ga Young threatened not to say more, making her friend plead and promise to be quiet. When she’s finally done, Doyeon leaned back into her seat with a disbelief scoff.

“Wahh… your life has been rather exciting lately, hasn’t it, Moon Gayoung?”

She sighed. “I wouldn’t really call that exciting. Tell no one, Doyeon. I mean it.”

“I won’t. I promised, didn’t I?” Ga Young nodded, confident that Doyeon would do as promised. “But this thing you’re telling me about Chanyeol… even I don’t know how to make of that.”

“It’s confusing!” she exclaimed, gripping at her hair with both hands.

“Hey, leave the hair alone. If you don’t want them, give it to me.” Doyeon scolded her, slapping her hand away from her hair. Ga Young glared at her for that. “What? I love your hair, okay. You should be lucky to have such hair.”

Ga Young groaned. “Doyeon, concentrate! What do I do? I don’t get what’s wrong with that guy. One day he screams at me, and then he’s a nice guy, and then he’s like so confusing!”

“How long has it been since they’ve moved next door anyway?” Doyeon suddenly asked.

“A few weeks now, almost a month maybe. How is that relevant?”

The other shrugged. “That was just me being curious.” Ga Young groaned at that. “Anyway, I have something in mind and it’s going to surprise you.”

“You’re not going to say he likes me or something, are you?” Doyeon said nothing to that. She sighed and gave her a deadpanned look. “Damn, really? Is that what you came up with?”

“Why not?”

“That’s impossible! Doyeon, he’s a–” Ga Young looked around and whispered, “–an idol. There’s no way he’d be interested in me.”

“He’s also human, weirdo. He has feelings and he is allowed to like anyone he wants.” Doyeon pointed out with a roll of her eyes.

“I know that, but it’s impossible. No, I think you’re wrong.”

Doyeon shrugged. “Alright, fine then.”

Ga Young sighed as Doyeon squinted her eyes to read the huge menu at the counter. She merely waved her friend off when Doyeon offered to order something for them, and she leaned back in her chair with a frown on her face.

No, why would Chanyeol like me? It’s impossible. He doesn’t even know me, she thought. But there really is something about this guy. She wasn’t sure why yet, but every time she saw him, she’d have this sense of familiarity with him which she found absurd because she’s never met Chanyeol before this, and she’s sure of that.

But why can’t I shake this feeling off of me then?

Doyeon returned with a buzzer, placing the device on the surface before her arms on the table. “By the way, I have something to tell you.” Ga Young raised a brow at that. “But before that, I need to ask. Do you still want to further your studies like we planned?”

Ga Young sat up at that. “Sure, why not? Why do you ask?”

“Well, I’ve been doing research and I was thinking of doing our masters at the University of Manchester. What do you think?”

Manchester, huh? She smiled. “That sounds like a plan.”

***

Chanyeol woke up with a start. He panted for his breath, feeling his whole body damp with sweat. He brushed the fringe away from his face and stared down at his sweaty palm. He swallowed hard as his breathing finally returned to normal, and he involuntarily closed his eyes again.

He had dreamt of his grandfather and the man had looked disappointed at him. No matter how much Chanyeol apologized to him, the man remained with the same expression on his face and it broke his heart. There was suddenly a bright light coming from behind him, and Chanyeol panicked when he saw his grandfather turning towards it.

“Wait, grandpa! I’m sorry,” he sobbed. “I lost your necklace, and I’m sorry.”

“Chan, stop crying.” his grandfather had said. “You didn’t lose it.”

“What?”

“It’s somewhere close by, Chan. All you have to do is find it.”

And then he was gone, leaving Chanyeol to blindly grab forward, desperate to have him by his side again while screaming for his name. He opened his eyes again but this time he hissed when he felt a pounding in his head. His sight began to get blurry then and he swayed a little before falling onto his side.