The past five days had been surreal, to say the least. 

Their talks start to become a regular thing and he begins to wonder if he’s finally lost his mind that he’s so desperate for company that he’d accept it from Haru, but he simply can’t deny how much he enjoys spending time with her. Her mere presence warmed his old soul like the sun that gave his wheat fields their golden glow during the day – a sun that he probably would never see again.

It only had been 5 days. 

He couldn't have grown attached to her already.

Baekhyun begins to wonder if he’s starting to feel something more for her than just simple friendship and he quickly squashes the thought from his head. Even if it were true, it simply couldn’t happen and wouldn’t happen.

She is Sehun's girlfriend.

But the more Baekhyun thought about it, the more he decided that he wasn't willing to let go of Haru and at three in the morning he found himself in her room, watching over her peacefully sleeping form.

Getting to know Haru and slowly letting himself unwind had felt real. The camaraderie he'd developed with her had felt real. The burgeoning friendship he sensed between himself and Haru felt real. 
 

Him developing feelings for her had felt real.
 

Baekhyun was swiftly developing a headache, trying to navigate this hedgemaze of feelings. He'd always hated having feelings. 
 

"200 000 won!" Haru shouted gleefully as she passed the GO space again, taking the amount from the banker's pile and carefully adding it to her own substantial amount. She smiled slyly as she passed the dice to him, "Your turn,"

He took a few seconds to compose himself before looking down at the game board. He threw the dice - four spaces, and he found himself landing on one of her properties. 

"Pay your rent," she added, followed by a laughter. "Monopoly's fun,"

As time went on, it was quite obvious to Baekhyun that she's going to win. She had the most valuable piece of property in the game - Gangnam - as well as several other high-ranking pieces, complete with hotels. 

"I hate this," he complained, eyeing at her money stack. was pulled in a crooked smile, "Why? Because I'm winning?" She challenged wryly, moving the stacks possesively to her side. He frowned when she counted her money in front of him, smugly as if to aggravate him. 

"What's so good about being rich?" He snorted, and she looked at him as if he said something stupid.

"Have you ever been poor?" She asked, softy but still amused with his reaction. 

He shook his head, "No," he whispered, the realization hitting him hard. 

"Then you don't know how good it feels to be rich," She chuckled, equal parts of proud and self deprecating. She eyed the fancy chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

The crystals sparkled with the light and looks luxurious.

Her hair was still wet from the morning shower. Her eyes looked wistful and her lips were chapped. Her cheeks were flushed and he could see some small pimples forming on her forehead.

For some reason, he couldn't look away from her. He stares at her intently and she smiled up at him back. Everything looked perfect. It felt like everything is fading away and nothing else mattered. 

She look precious when she smiles. 

Stop it Baek, he chided internally. You're going too deep.

He swallowed, his throat feeling strangely sore. He couldn't exactly refute what he was thinking, and the fact that he was thinking it meant he probably felt similarly, but it still hurt to know the end of this relationship. 

"Let's play Jengka next," she pointed at the wooden block game. He scowled, wrinkling his nose but nodded anyway. 

He knows this streak of happiness won't last long, but he's determined to enjoy it while it lasts. 
//

As Sehun stepped into his office cubicle, he startled a little when he realized that he wasn't alone. "What-"

"Let's get breakfast together." Irene said seriously. "You left me stranded the last time. I had to walk home," she said dramatically. Speechless, he stared at her.

If he were being honest with himself, he expected her to call off the engagement, sure that her pride would be bruised with the way he treated her.

Instead she was there, waiting for him. 

"No," he said curtly, walking past her to his desk. 
"No," she replied back bluntly. 

His expression morphed into something resembling anger as he takes his coat off firmly. He inhaled slowly, as if he's dealing with a toddler. Irene blinked rapidly down at him , although something in his demeanour seemed to have made her terrified slightly.

"Will you consider," she asked again, sounding hopeful. He didn't look happy, but he cut off whatever he'd been about to say, pressing his teeth together so hard his jaw turned white. In fact, for a moment, he looked downright miserable. 

He looked hesitant but nodded a bit. "Okay," he says, his voice clearly indicating the absence of excitement. 
//

Haru reached across to spear her fork into some of Baekhyun's breakfast – a crepe with some sort of berry filling – and he stared at her. Haru blinked, and then grinned, stuffing it into .

“I'm hungry. You have to share,” she said.

He later yelled in outrage as her fork oftenly crowded his plate, trying to get a piece of his breakfast. “Listen, you vulture, if you want crepes, then get your own!” It was too late, though, and by the time her hands cleared away, half of his meal was gone.

He grabbed his fork and retaliated by stealing one of her sausages, and soon, two of them were trying to grab a piece of their food, laughing and shouting. He ducked his head, avoiding her gaze several times, feeling wildly happy.

He spent the rest of the breakfast together with a dumb grin and a blush, as did he whenever they happened to lock eyes across the table
 

miserably, she straightened. "I'm still hungry.”

He smiled, perking up considerably, “What else do you want to eat?"

“Pizza?” 

His eyes went half-lidded with amusement as he smiled at her. He really smiled, as though she were a dear friend. "Okay,” he said. "But I hate pineapples on pizza,"

"What's wrong with pineapples? What's wrong with you people?" She asked, making a face. "Sehun hates pineapples on his pizza too," she said, smiling slightly, as if she recalled a fond memory. 

Baekhyun had fallen silent, silently glaring at her. Flickers of anger touched the corners of his expression before he willed himself to look more normal. Dark brown eyes pour nothing but silence to her, but he isn't smiling anymore. 

He took a deep breath and let it slowly before he replied with forced calm, “You always talk about Sehun,.”

He paused for a moment to let that sink in before he continued in a lighter tone, “It pisses me off,” She could tell he wasn’t happy when he continued darkly, “He's not here, is he?”

Haru looked at him, frowning in concern. "I'm sorry. I didn't-" She stuttered, exhaling slowly, slightly frightened. "I didn't mean to offend you,"

Baekhyun's eyes lingered on Haru for a few moments, but he looked away before he decided to say something.

"It's nothing." He muttered, raising his eyebrows and smiling slightly, giving her a fond smile. "Sehun make life look so easy, you know. He look like he's happy, and when he see something that he think will make him more happy, he just move towards that thing, and," he paused momentarily, "It's brave. He' s always the bravest one, anyway, among all of us.” He summoned a bit of a smile, but couldn't hold it. “Always the one putting himself out there, for better or for worse,"

"And you? What about you?" Haru asked, slightly tilting her head aside. 

"I've always been emotionally volatile," he commented, his teeth flashing a quick smile. "I have difficulty suppressing my emotions and maybe that's why I pretend not to have any at all." He looks down at his hand, and fell silent, wisely, although the look on his face spoke all the volumes for her. 

After spending nearly a minute speechless, she said, softly, "It takes courage to admit things. I don't know what you have gone through, but one day you'll understand, everything that hurt is what made us who we are." She chuckled, easiness seeping back to her voice, "And it's fine to be emotionally dramatic,"

Baekhyun had found his smile again- and his orbs suddenly widen when Haru leans closer, her narrowed eyes peering into his soul, but, fortunately, still unperceptive of his feelings.

"I still want that pizza," she murmured, stealing the cup of coffee from his side before going back to her seat. 
//

They sat in silence for a few moments, neither speaking as the waitress dropped off the coffee and croissants with a cheery greeting that they returned with a cordial nod.

"You don't look like you're enjoying." She commented minutes later, after observing him long and hard. "You don't like the food or is something else bothering you?" A quick glance around told her that no one was close enough to hear them if they kept their voices at a moderate level. "I don't think anyone's watching us,"

She stared at him, awaiting for his response and he lifted his eyebrows, "The food's fine," Sehun answered curtly, casually implying her being the reason of his displeasure. 

She shut her lips thin, realizing what he meant seconds later, before glancing at her surroundings- the coffee shop looked quiet, there were barely any customers. Her eyes then moved to the 2 waitresses at the counter. Both of them giggling privately whenever they steal looks at her tablemate - the Sehun effect, she assumed. Irene shook her head amusedly, before turning back, to look at him. 

He wore a black shirt, his hair styled nicely upwards. His prominent eyebrows looked dark like the night sky and he has a faint scar above his right brow, only is one looked close enough. 

He looked handsome. 

"Stop staring," he drawled, and she realized that she'd been looking at him as she'd traipsed about in her own thoughts. Flushing a bit, she jerked her eyes up to his face, noting that he looked insufferably irritated. His eyes were half-lidded, lending him a slightly predatory look, and she felt her face heat spectacularly. "Sorry," she said, wincing a bit. "I just- you know, I never really seen you smile. Is that weird?"

He said nothing but continued to shred his croissant into small pieces before popping them into his mouth. She grit her teeth a bit as the silence stretched again, becoming awkward.

"How many kids do you want?" She asked him suddenly, out of nowhere, and Sehun choked on his coffee, and spluttered, grabbing at his chest. "What?" He coughed out. 

Irene burst into harder laughter, leaning heavily on the side of the table. "Finally I got your attention on me," She just smiled enigmatically and let a delicate shrug lift her shoulders.

He swallowed down an acrid taste in the back of his throat. "Look. Let's call off this engagement," he said, flatly. "You can tell your father that you don't like me and we can move on, on our separate ways. We don't have to do this."

Irene shot him a guarded look. She swallowed, pressing her hands together, twining her fingers together and squeezing. She knew there was something else, but whatever it was, apparently he wasn't going to tell her.

"You think I'm ugly?"
"No," he said with a faint shake of his head.
"Are you gay?" She asked him, bluntly. 
"No," his jaw tightened. 

She closed her eyes, willing herself to stay calm, "Then what is it? I swear, I've been trying to get close to you, but you're not letting me in. I won't know unless you tell me," She glared, feeling fury start slowly working up her spine. He returned her glare for a few tense moments, and then softened a bit. 

"There's someone else I like," he admitted truthfully. "And I can't see a future without her in it." He ran his hands through his hair, looking harried. She sent him a sharp, probing look, and she tried to keep her expression even. 

She was desperately hoping that he's lying. Something in her eyes flickered, and then disappeared, "You should have told me earlier," She said it casually, and almost wanted to congratulate herself for sounding so normal. 

Instead, he stared at the table vacantly. She expected explanations, like whom and all that, but he just kept silent. 
"I'm sorry," he said gently. His gaze had dropped. 

She folded her hands around the mug, to stop her fingers shaking. She had that hounded look, and she glanced away from him, her eyes growing a little glassy. 
//

They fought for several minutes on who had to be Luigi in Mario Super World before Baekhyun declared the It's Mine So I Get To Be Player One code of conduct. Haru had tried to counter with the But I'm A Guest policy, but had been swiftly shot down as he grabbed the controller and told her to be Luigi or go back to sleep. 

Two hours later, they were bitterly arguing over who had bollocksed up that castle level, neither of them taking their eyes from the screen as they jabbed buttons on their controllers.

Haru, unlike Baekhyun, had never had a game system growing up. Her mother actually cared too much, and thus didn't want her filling her time with 'silly nonsense'.

The rest of the afternoon went delightfully well. They continued playing games, argued over the rules of said games, and talked until late evening. He couldn't remember feeling this carefree or staying up this late with his friends since months ago.

His hand phone on the table rang, and he stood to pick it up. The smile dropped off his face like a lead weight. Instantly, he was more alert, his expression serious. He inhaled a sharp breath and nervousness seep into his spine when he sees the name that appears on his screen. 

Sehun. 

He silently took his phone and went to the farthest side of the living room, occasionally stealing glances behind his back at Haru.

"Sehun," he whispered, feeling incredibly ridiculous of his action. 
"Baek," he greeted at the other end, "How are you?" 

Baekhyun managed to let out a small assurance tone. "How's everything going on there?" He asked, genuinely curious. A flicker of guilt crossed his features, as he awaits for the answer. 

"This and that. This time is the Bae's." Sehun huffed out in annoyance. He was silent for a few moments, before exploding, "I can't see all these people being happy, smiling and holding hands." He sounds conflicted, torn between wistfulness and irritation. "Anyway, where's she?"

Baekhyun swallowed, his eyes flickered once more to the sofa, concern growing on his face.

"She's- she's sleeping, " he lied. 

He seemed to realize what he'd said, and snapped his mouth shut, his jaw working slightly as he inhaled carefully. "You shouldn't talk long. Your father might tap the call," 

"Alright," Sehun said, barely audible, agreeing to him. "Hey Baek. Thank you," he muttered before ending the call.

That was probably the only time he received a soul barring thanks from Sehun.

Baekhyun fell silent at the proclamation, brows drawing together. He was frowning, trying to formulate his thoughts. His mind were racing frantically everywhere but only one thought kept running in loops.

Please don't appear in front of her. Don't take her from me.

When he just stood there, she yelled from the living room, "Are you coming, or not? There's one more game left,"

He started towards the area, walking past and sitting beside her. He seemed to realize what he just did. His face paled a bit when he looked at her. A second ago, his intent had been to be with her but he felt a flicker of guilt, knowing that she'd leave, eventually. It was just a matter of time. 

Haru snuck a glance at him, and saw his face losing its color and his shoulders slumped down in defeat. 

"Well?" she asked, squinting at him sleepily. He looked at her, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown.

"We'll continue tomorrow," she yawned, her hand barely covering . 

Then he looked at it. 

The shiny silver band around her finger.

Those look like wedding bands, he commented once. 

It almost hurt to see that on her finger as if it served as a reminder of who she is to him. 

His bestfriend's girlfriend.

His troubled eyes lifted up to meet hers. "Why do you like Sehun?" He asked, exasperated. 

"Mm?" She responded, before noticing him looking at the ring on her finger. She smiled at it fondly, slightly twisting it around.
"What is it about him that inspires such instant admiration?" He asked again, the thought gnawed on his mind. "I never understood that particular effect of him,"

"He was honest about his feelings," she smiled softly, "He was nice to me." She continued. "And I have a bad habit of falling hopelessly in love with someone because they were kind when everyone else was hurtful and mean," she said, her mind reminiscing her old crush on Lay. 

Baekhyun's eyes flashed. For a moment he looked at her without recognition. He slowly stiffened, his eyes widening slightly as Haru's words really sank in.

Sehun was nice to her.

Baekhyun had been mean and arrogant that it hadn't even occurred to him to examine his behavior for some sort of underlying reason or motive. If he'd knew it would all end up like this, he'd likely to be more transparent with his feelings. 

But that' s the thing with him. Every time he open his heart, it just shatters. Baekhyun wants someone to be there with him at his side, to make his heart bloom into a rose. 

But why is that every time he tries to get close to someone, his heart breaks and the petals start to scatter?

He shrugged, unable to brush it off, and then gave her a good look and winced, sighing. "Good night,"