Chapter 13                            

Yu An.

"Just act as usual okay?"

That's what Baekhyun told us yesterday. But I can't seem to do it. I'm worried about what might happen to him.

"I'm not dying okay? Yet."

"Baekhyun!" He chuckles and grabs the bottle of water in my hand.

"My record?" He asks.

"Still a no." I reply and sigh. He smiles and pats me on my head. He sat on the bench and pats the side beside him. I sat next to him and watch the others as they run. "Why did you say that you'll think about the surgery?"

"He said the chances are 80-20. That means there's a twenty percent that I might not make it out of that room." He puts down the bottle and chuckle. I gasp when his hand took mine and kisses it. "I have a strong urge to stay alive when I discovered you rejected him."

I flush. "You.. You knew?"

"Yeah. Chanyeol told me last night. He said 'Do you need some motivation on taking that surgery? Here's one. Yu An rejected me so stay alive. Don't die on me right now.' I laughed so hard on that. I guess we formed a love triangle that instant."

"Baekhyun!"

He laughs and stand. "But I'm serious though Yu An. I know you're holding back because of your father." He's face turned serious and he faces me. "Just so you know, when I told you I love you, I really do. And that includes all of you. Even what might happen if your father knows about it."

"You don't understand. He's going to do everything that he wants and he's going to take you all away from me again."

"I know that possibility. And you should also know that giving up is not an answer for me right now."

"Baekhyun.."

"Now then, we don't have time to worry about that don't we?"

I tilt my head in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Today's the 26th. Tomorrow is 27. Did that ring any bell?"

"27- Oh!"

"I guess it did." He chuckles. "So have any plans?"

"No actually.."

I was completely distracted with everything and I forgot Chanyeol's birthday. Just when I asked them that we should celebrate it differently this year. Maybe I'll ask him so that I can get an idea.

"You're done?" Yeon Hee says.

"Mm! Sorry for the wait!" Baekhyun replied. "Tomorrow is the long awaited day of Chan! We'll be doing his party at the Nam's family resto! So you both be there on time okay? We'll start at six!"

I hear Chanyeol sigh. "I told you I don't need parties."

"But Yu An gave so much to thought for it! Would you want to waste all of that?"

"She did?" Chanyeol looks at me and I looked away. This is so embarrassing. I just want this year's birthday to be different for him. "I... I guess I can just go and eat."

"Hey tall guy, you change your mind quickly don't you?" Yeon Hee teased and I chuckle.

"I just.. don't want it to be wasted okay?!"

"Okay, understood."

"Yeon Hee!!"

Baekhyun and Yeon Hee chuckles and walks ahead as Chanyeol gets ticked off. He sighs in defeat and faced me. Oh that's right, the gift.

"Chanyeol, what would you like as a gift?"

"Gift?" His face looked gloomy all of a sudden. "That's bothersome Yu An. No need to give me one."

"But I want to!" Oh my. I said that with too much enthusiasm. "I..I mean, this is the first time you will be celebrating your birthday with us."

"Hm.. you're right. Then," he lifts his finger and pointed at me. "You'll be enough."

"Me?" I pointed at myself. After a while, we both realized what he just said and we both flushed.

"N..N..N..No! I d..d..did...didn't mean it like that Yu An! No!! DEFINITELY NOT!"

"O..Of course! Haha! Ha..Ha.."

This is definitely embarrassing..

"L..Let's go?"

"Ye..Yeah." He replied. When I started walking I felt something on my hand. It's his hand.

"Wha-"

"About the gift, I'll give it a thought. After all it will be coming from you."

I know tomorrow will be his day, but he's making me feel like it's mine.

"Alright! Now I would just like to greet the group of moms who made it tonight! Gooood Evening~ and that counts you too Mom!" Baekhyun says and we all sigh.

I smile. It's great that he's alive despite of his condition. It's great to see him like this. I place the plates on the table and Chanyeol followed me with the cups on his hand.

"You sure are happy looking at him don't you?"

I chuckle. "He's happy right now because it's your day! Isn't he cute?"

"He's showing the feelings of jealousy Yu An." Yeon Hee says. "I am right am I tall guy?"

I look at Chanyeol and waited. He's not denying it.

"See? He is." Yeon Hee sits on the booth leaving me and him. I stare at him and he's staring back at me.

"S..She's just joking. Don't misunderstand her haha!"

"What is there to misunderstand in the first place?"

I suddenly felt an urge to hit myself with this tray all of a sudden. I have to get hold of myself.

No falling anymore Yu An.

I sigh and sat beside Yeon Hee and my brother. "Hm? Yu An you're red-"

"Don't-even-go-further." I say glaring at him.

"O..Okay. Why do you have to look so scary anyway?"

The party started and fortunately, I was able to distract myself with the games. It's getting harder and harder to avoid Chanyeol and not fall for him any harder. I have to forget about it all. Just like how he asked me to do. Besides, it's his day today. I have to try my best and not to ruin this.

"Alright! Now time for the gift giving~ me first!" Baekhyun volunteered himself and grabbed the box next to him. "Here Chan! Happy Birthday!"

"I told you Baek, there's no need for this-"

"You're very much welcome! Now open it!!" I chuckle. Chanyeol never learns huh?

He sighs in defeat and unboxed the gift. "Oh? Running shoes huh?"

Chanyeol's eyes are sparkling as how we see him. I guess he's happy with Baekhyun's gift.

"Thank you.." he said teary eyed.

"I got it again! I always give you the best present do I?"

"Tsk. Full of himself." I hear Yeon Hee whisper.

"Y..Yeon Hee?"

"Me next." She says. I know that she's competitive, but not on this extent. "Here you go tall guy."

She tosses a paper bag to him and Chanyeol catches it. He opens it and his eyes sparkled again. "R..Running shorts?"

"I saw you looking through them at the magazine."

"T..Thank you!!"

I smile. It's great that he's enjoying their gifts. "Okay next! Yu!" My brother points.

"Ah yes! Here's m- huh?"

"What's wrong?" Chanyeol asks.

"My present. I think I left it at home.. I was so focused on getting here on time.." Talk about a big failure. "I'll just go back to take it."

"I'll go with you."

"Huh? U..Uh no need!"

"It's dark already. Let's go and get it."

"But.."

"It's fine dear. We'll set up the cake while you get it." Mom says.

"Okay."

We both walk back to our house and Chanyeol waited downstairs as I pick it up upstairs. When I get down, he's staring at a picture of me when I was a kid. He noticed me and placed the frame down.

"Did you get it?"

"Mm. Are you looking at that?"

He smiles and nods. "Mm. You look very cute."

I flush. Stop heart. We can't react to that. "H..Here."

"Oh, thanks."

"Um.. about the present, I was really hoping that you can tell me what you would like. So for the meantime, I got you that.."

"I'm still thinking about it." He replies and started opening the present. "Dream catcher?"

"D..Do you not like it after all? I really don't know what you would like so I think that would be good. I mean, you're still unclear of what your dream is right? So I thought maybe if you dream about it, you'll be more clearer about it.."

He smiles and looks at the dream catcher. "I love it. Thank you Yu An."

Good thing that I was walking behind him when we go back to the restaurant. He opens the door for me and I followed.

"Oh, did you guys get it?" Baekhyun asks.

"Yeah. She got me a dream catcher." Chanyeol replied showing him my gift.

"That's nice." Baekhyun smiles. "Now sit down! We're going to light you cake!"

"Alright, alright."

I'm quite lost again. I don't know what to do with this feelings of mine. I'm so confused. I like Chanyeol. A lot. But whenever Baekhyun's close, I don't know if what I am feeling is at the same wavelength as how I feel towards Chanyeol. But whenever I am with Chanyeol, I feel like I'm in cloud nine. I never feel worse when I'm with him because he always lifts me up.

I can't.

Even if I like him more than Baekhyun, I can't like him. Because I know that Dad will hurt him. Just like how he took my first friend away from me. I know it's no use looking for Han Bin now because his Dad is a huge competition for Dad. If he discovers that I know his whereabouts or if I am interacting with him again, he'll hurt him to take him away from my life again.

Even if now's different, I don't want to have a reason to be able for those who are important to me now to be taken away from me again. I have to protect it.

"Yu An!"

"Huh? Yes?"

"What's with you? I've been calling you for quite a while." Yeon Hee says.

"Sorry. What is it?"

"I'm going to go now."

"Oh, I'll walk you to the bus stop."

She smiles. "Okay."

We both headed out and began walking. "Hey Yu, is something wrong? Did something happen when you're with Chanyeol earlier?"

"N..No it's not that. It's just.."

"Just?" She tilts her head to the side in confusion.

"Yeon Hee, I can't feel like this. I think I'm falling harder and harder for him every second."

"Is the reason why you're holding back your Dad?" I stop on my tracks. She hit me right on the spot. "I guess I'm right based on your reaction."

"I can't lose him now Yeon Hee. I know he'll do everything to not make us meet again. And me not meeting or seeing Chanyeol, I just.."

"Is there even a reason why you both shouldn't meet?"

"There might be, once Dad meets him."

"Might. Yu An, your head right now is full of what ifs." She walks closer to me and pinched my cheeks playfully. "Remember Yu, the future is not important. You can always change the future with the present. And you deserve to be happy. You always look out for others. You're very thoughtful. You should also think more of yourself okay?"

"Yeon Hee." I smiled. She always know the right words to say for me to feel better.

"Oh, the bus is here. I'll see you at the final practice then?"

"Mm." She climbs on the bus and I called her for the last time. "Yeon Hee, thank you!"

She smiles and waves me goodbye. I walk back by myself home when I saw Chanyeol on the post. I stop. My heart is acting up again. This is too much really.

"Yu An."

"H..Hey. Why are you here?"

He looks down, scratching the back of his neck. "Baekhyun told me to walk you home. It's dark already."

"O..Oh. But I'll be fine. My house is not far anyway."

"We live in front of each other you know?"

"Oh, right." We both chuckle.

"Are you uncomfortable with me? Lately that's what I've been feeling. You stutter when you talk, you don't look me in the eye anymore."

I'm surprised. I don't even noticed all of that. Have I been doing that unconsciously?

"Yu An? What's wrong?" He was about to touch me when I flinched and moved away. Why did I do that? "I'm right aren't I?"

"N..No!" I grab his hand. I don't want him to misunderstand. "It's not that Chanyeol! Believe me! It's just.. I don't know. I'm so messed up right now."

He smiles and pats my head. "Well if that's not it, I won't force you to tell me. What's important to me is that you're not feeling any discomfort towards me."

We continued walking and before we know it, we arrived. "Oh? We're here."

"Already.." he says. I look at him and I think he's quite disappointed.

"Chanyeol?"

"Can I walk you until your door?"

"Huh?"

"Please?"

I chuckle. "If you wish." We both enter our gate and then to our door. "Well, here we are."

"Mm."

"Chan? What's wrong?"

"Ft.."

"Sorry?" Just then I remembered something. "Oh that's right. Don't forget about the gift that you want okay? Well goodnig-"

I gasp when he grabs me by my hand and I felt something. He's.. kissing me. He then let go of me and shuts the door close.

"I already got it." He said on the other side. "Yu An, I've been wanting to say this again and I know this is wrong but I will still say this. I love you. I love you so much."

I hear footsteps disappearing and our gate closing. He left.

My fingertips meet my lips. I can still feel his against mine.