Baekhyun’s P.O.V:

 

Baekhyun had somehow safely returned to the university dorms after being lost for what seemed like an eternity. He owed it to the handsome bartender that comforted him, and he made a mental note to thank him for the next time they met. It was past after 9 o’clock when Baekhyun arrived, and usually, there would be many students hanging around the hallways. That night, however, the students seemed to prefer to stay inside because the hallways were deserted. Baekhyun wasn’t unsettled by its emptiness, unlike the dark streets that led to the bright and colorful bar. He knew the dorms like the back of his hand, so he walked with ease as he made his way to his room.

Finally, Baekhyun arrived home. He opened the door and let out a relieved sigh, both content that he was safe and sound, and that his day was coming to an end. It had been terribly long, to the point that Baekhyun wasn’t sure if he relaxed at all in between all the events. He was taking off his shoes when he noticed that the lights and the television were . Baekhyun frowned as he thought that he definitely turned them off before leaving… then he remembered Luhan must’ve been there.

Immediately after he remembered, Luhan met him at the entrance of the room. His arms were crossed as one hand held a bottle of beer that was half drunk. Luhan looked sternly at Baekhyun, ready to scold him for arriving late and for him making worry, but it quickly faded away. “Baekhyun?” Luhan said worriedly as he stopped crossing his arms and placed his free hand on the latter’s shoulders. The more Baekhyun looked at Luhan, the more he wished he could smile through his despair so that he wouldn’t continue worrying the latter… but his will to smile was weak, and he couldn’t pretend in front of Luhan. Baekhyun never could, anyways, because Luhan saw right through him.

Then, Baekhyun began to cry loudly like a child who had lost their favorite toy. His cries grew as he thought back to his last conversation with Kai earlier in the day. Everything about their conversation frustrated him, especially when Kai explained why they were breaking up. It felt like Baekhyun hadn’t been enough like he hadn’t given Kai his everything when clearly, he had… it was unfair to Baekhyun, and to the new person in Kai’s life. The latter probably didn’t know the truth, that Kai had fallen in love while still seeing someone else. If only Baekhyun had punched his (handsome) face when he had the chance, Baekhyun mused to himself amidst the tears.

He had wanted to cry during the conversation, but Baekhyun would’ve been mortified to have cried in front of him. A part of Baekhyun proudly patted himself on the back for holding back the wave of tears despite everything. He still had some dignity left.

Contrary to when Baekhyun was crying at the bar, he didn’t mind crying aloud in front of Luhan in his room. Firstly, Baekhyun knew that the latter would never judge him for it; they had seen each other cry many times before, so there were no barriers between them. Baekhyun wouldn’t have to needlessly worry about looking like a wreck because Luhan couldn’t care less about it. Lastly, his dorm was private contrary to the bar; nobody would stare at you or question you why you were crying. A part of Baekhyun had been glad when the bartender hadn’t inquired him about the reason he was crying. He was private about these types of topics, and he wouldn’t have felt comfortable explaining himself to a stranger.

Luhan enveloped Baekhyun in a hug then, and Baekhyun hugged back.

They had developed this routine over the years when one of them would have a breakdown. While the other would cry and say everything he wanted, the sane one would listen until the end and give their opinion. Then they would both rant about it and try to look at the bright side of things. Since back then they couldn’t drink, their beer back then was ice cream with all kinds of snacks on the side. Now, they replaced the ice cream for the beer (the snacks on the side remained the same because they’re both always hungry after complaining and crying). Then they would get comfortable on the couch and have a long marathon of movies (of any genre. Sometimes they were chick flicks. Other times were comedies or anime movies) until one of them decided to call the day. This always seemed to work for them, and this time was no exception.

When Baekhyun calmed down and stopped crying, Luhan backed away from him with a small smile. The latter gently placed a hair behind Baekhyun’s ear with his free hand, and said, “So, who do I gotta slap?”

Baekhyun laughed for the first time that day as he wiped away the tears. Luhan laughed along too, though he had been slightly serious about the question. Nevertheless, the latter separated himself from Baekhyun and led him to the small living room. There, the television was and next to it was a stack of movies Baekhyun and Luhan had brought together over the years. Baekhyun noticed that Luhan had bought enough beer to last them days (if they didn’t drink it before then).

Luhan wordlessly gave Baekhyun a beer, which he gladly took, and they started drinking together. After two or three swigs, they settled themselves at Baekhyun’s old and dirty couch, that undoubtedly someone had used before he had moved in. It was a nasty thought, but it was far away when Baekhyun finally looked at Luhan, frowning and slightly pink. The latter stayed quiet, knowing that Baekhyun was going to start their routine by ranting about it. Baekhyun’s words were slow, but not slurred; he spoke clearly enough that it hadn’t seemed like he had been drinking, “Can you believe… that he, freaking Kai, fell in love with someone else while dating me?”

Baekhyun knew that Luhan was shocked at the news without looking at him. The latter’s mouth had fallen open in shock as he stopped holding the beer, put it on the floor, and placed his hand on his mouth. Soon, shock turned to anger when Luhan thought about what Baekhyun must’ve felt when Kai explained to him his feelings. No wonder Baekhyun had sounded so devastated earlier when they were on the phone, why Baekhyun had cried the way he did… He couldn’t believe that he had even trusted Kai with Baekhyun; Kai had looked sincere to him, but perhaps it’s as the saying goes.

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

“That son of a .” Luhan was livid, his face redder than Baekhyun had ever seen before.

Baekhyun scoffed out of bitterness, and said, “I know, right? ing .” He took another sip of his beer and continued, but his words were dripping with disbelief and anguish rather than bitterness. “I can’t believe I even liked him… I mean, I was so crazy about him. Surely, you remember, too?”

Luhan nodded, remembering how Baekhyun looked like when he saw Kai passing by. He also remembered how Baekhyun looked like when Kai accepted his confession a few months earlier. Baekhyun had been so happy when it happened, that they went to celebrate because Hell, he had earned it. Despite the hardships that Baekhyun encountered while striving for Kai’s heart, he was both stubborn and persistent about it. He hadn’t given up, and Luhan had been happy for him to see it pay off… Luhan disliked acting biased, but it was hard considering the state Baekhyun was in. “That son of a ,” Luhan muttered under his breath once more. Baekhyun placed his beer on the floor before looking at the ceiling, feeling his eyes glossier than before…

Tears were beginning to fall again as Baekhyun blinked several times and passed a hand through his hair. A part of him just couldn’t believe that Kai would do that to him behind his back. Hadn’t they established before to be honest with each other because they both believed that to be in a relationship, there needs to be communication? Hadn’t it been Kai the one who suggested it to Baekhyun? Instead of ignoring Baekhyun’s calls, ditching their dates at last minute, making him feel lonelier, Kai should’ve been truthful with him. Baekhyun had been unreserved about his thoughts and feelings with Kai since the beginning, even during the break-up! They’ve known each other for over a year, which might not be as much as Baekhyun would’ve liked, but it was something. It would’ve meant the world to Baekhyun if Kai had been frank with him…

“But you know what? I can’t just put all the blame on him.” Baekhyun started to say, his voice hoarse from crying. He then had his hands on his face, covering it in shame because he knew he was acting pitiful. Up until then, Baekhyun was avoiding the truth of the other side of the coin, but it needed to be said. He needed to face judgment against himself as well, “Because I did notice something was off. Instead, I just… kept quiet about it. In the end, I’m just as much of a coward as he was.”

Several heartbeats passed, and Luhan hugged Baekhyun again, providing his shoulder for the latter to cry on. Luhan felt his shoulder gradually get wet from the tears, but he didn’t mind. As Baekhyun continued to cry, Luhan started to pet his head slowly and comfortingly. There was silence for a moment as Luhan waited to see if Baekhyun would continue with his rant, but when he didn’t, the former knew that it was his turn to talk now.

Luhan stopped hugging Baekhyun and gently wiped his tears for him, before starting to say, “While it’s a good thing that you know what you did wrong this time, so that the next time you’re in a relationship you don’t do it again,” Luhan paused a bit, thinking. “It still doesn’t change the fact that he cheated on you, and that makes him a huge .”

Baekhyun chuckled as he sniffed. Luhan smiled at the latter and continued, encouraged that Baekhyun was taking his speech better than he thought, “But don’t just focus on that. Take this as an opportunity to continue exploring, to meet new people… I know it might difficult to do so, especially during the first few days, but think of it as a new beginning for you, Baekhyun. Rather than obsessing with the thought that he’s happy with his new, uh, whatever, you need to prove to him that he’s missing out on a lot. For that to happen, you need to prioritize your happiness. You must be selfish from now on because your heart isn’t a toy… it’s a part of you, and that’s extremely valuable.”

Baekhyun took in Luhan’s monologue, wanting to engrave it to his soul so that he remembers it from now on. Everything that the latter said made sense, especially the last part; Baekhyun was certain that it was something easily forgotten by many people despite how essential it was to be remembered. Once again Luhan proved to Baekhyun how mature and wise he could be during these types of situations. Suddenly, Baekhyun was glad to have Luhan by his side as a friend… because as cheesy as it sounded, he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done if it hadn’t been for him.

Minutes passed, and Baekhyun looked at his beer that had been long forgotten on the floor. Then he looked at Luhan, who was waiting expectantly for him to say something. However, the truth was that Baekhyun had nothing to add or to say or to retort in regard Luhan’s speech; he couldn’t have said it better than Luhan. Baekhyun smiled sheepishly, feeling a bit awkward now when he spoke up, “I’m suddenly craving for some ice cream.”

It wasn’t an inappropriate comment, though, because Luhan accepted it and laughed at Baekhyun’s face. Luhan began to stand up when he offered Baekhyun a hand, “Honestly? Same. I’ve been hungry since halfway the conversation.”

Baekhyun stood up and felt much better than before than when he entered his room. He smiled widely at a joke that Luhan made as he took his hoddie with him. They closed the room as they walked towards the exit, trying to keep their voices low but failing at it; Luhan kept making jokes, and Baekhyun kept laughing his off. It didn’t matter whether it was past 9 o’clock or if the hallways were empty, because this time, Baekhyun was accompanied by his best friend. All of Baekhyun’s previous thoughts related to Kai were temporarily replaced by fond memories of him and Luhan hanging out…

 

---

 

Chanyeol’s P.O.V:

 

Chanyeol left his work feeling a bit better than when he had arrived earlier. It was thanks to a certain magenta-haired cutie, who had wanted to cheer Chanyeol up as thanks for the beer he received. A part of Chanyeol was still marveling at the fact that a stranger cared enough about him to help him; to the point that Chanyeol considered it as the Highlight of the Day… but another, small part of him was still drowning in depressing thoughts, that even the magenta-haired cutie couldn’t do anything about. Not unless the latter was a magical genie so that he could grant Chanyeol three wishes...

He shook the thought away, embarrassed at how miserable he sounded.

As a result, Chanyeol decided to buy some ramen at the convenience store. He didn’t usually eat ramen so late at night, much less eat ramen before returning to the university dorms, but tonight was an exception. When he arrived at the convenience store, there weren’t many people, which was understandable. It was past 11 o’clock when Chanyeol left his work, and usually, around then, the streets and the stores were desolate and solitary. People were scarce, and the ones that out were better left alone unless you knew how to defend yourself (just in case). Besides, it was turning out to be a chilly night.

Passing by aisles, Chanyeol looked over them quickly until he stopped abruptly. He was finally in the ramen section, and without hesitating, he grabbed the spiciest ramen there was. Chanyeol stood there as he decided whether to buy four packs of the ramen or to buy four packs of the ramen with some milk on the side. He couldn’t remember if he needed to buy more milk… it, Chanyeol thought. He’s going with the latter.

He paid the cashier and continued towards the dorm. Chanyeol kept his breathing steady as he speed-walked past the obscure buildings that he once recognized. The sound of his bag rustling against him was somewhat comforting in the eerie silence of the night. Although it was a small distraction, Chanyeol focused on it rather than focusing on the lack of sounds.

When he finally arrived at the dorms, Chanyeol let out a relieved sigh. A part of him felt glad that his day would finally be over, while another part of him felt so wasted (even though he hadn’t drunk anything). Chanyeol could see himself flopping on his comfortable bunk bed, pulling the covers over his head, and then disappearing completely. It sounded like music to his ears… but then Chanyeol’s vision shifted, and a familiar face popped up with a goofy smile. He knew then that it would be impossible for his vision to happen without adjusting to that person.

The reason why Chanyeol had bought four ramen packs of ramen was that he shared his room with his friend Jongdae (but he preferred to be called Chen). Both males had met the other at the beginning of university when they took the same class and sat next to each other. They had gotten along so well with one another, that they discussed sharing a room at the dorms. As a result, they established several policies so that they kept their room organized and under control; one of those policies was buying materials in pairs so that they could share evenly with each other.

The first thing that Chanyeol saw after taking off his shoes was Chen lying down on the floor, playing with his 3DS. The latter looked frustrated as he muttered something incoherently, his eyes focused on the game. He gave no indication of having noticed Chanyeol’s presence in the room. Furthermore, the floor was cluttered with snacks that Chen had eaten, most likely, as he played with his game. It was obvious to Chanyeol that Chen hadn’t bothered to clean up the room despite knowing Chanyeol’s habit of cleaning their room. They had even established a cleaning policy thanks to Chanyeol’s insistence on the subject… not that it’s been as effective as he would’ve liked. Still, Chanyeol wasn’t in the mood to scold Chen for it, so he settled with a somewhat passive-aggressive attitude towards him.

Chanyeol passed by Chen without greeting him, realizing that he was acting petty for no real reason. It’s not like it was the first time it’s happened before, but perhaps it was precisely because of that… because it wasn’t the first time it’s happened, Chanyeol was starting to get tired of repeating himself to Chen… except that he knew the real reason why it was affecting him more than usual. Chanyeol’s heart suddenly felt constricted, like someone had taken hold of his heart and squeezed it.

(He made a mental note to properly apologize to Chen and to remind him to clean later. No, he wasn’t getting off the hook so easily.)

Chanyeol was silent as he unloaded his dinner at the small kitchen counter their room had. For a moment, the only sounds that filled the room were the rapid button smashing coming from Chen’s direction and the opening of a pack of ramen.

Then the rapid button smashing stopped altogether. Chen finally looked away from the video game and acknowledged Chanyeol’s presence, but his eyes were narrowed in suspicion. Even though Chanyeol felt Chen’s stare on him, he couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes because he knew what was coming. “You haven’t eaten, have you.” The latter stated accusingly rather than asking as he put away his 3DS. His words carried a hidden meaning that Chanyeol picked up immediately.

“No… I haven’t.” Chanyeol confirmed slowly as he pointed to the uncooked ramen, “But I’m about to. Care to join?”

Chen continued eyeing him dubiously before answering him carefully, “No, thank you. Listen, is everything okay? Did something happen?”

It scared Chanyeol how on point Chen’s intuition could be during important times. It also impressed him even more because of how Chen usually behaves. The latter was someone that gave the impression of not caring about certain details because he would much rather be invested in a video game. However, despite wanting to invest most of his time in games, Chen paid attention to the small details that Chanyeol wouldn’t have pegged him to notice, much less care for. Therefore, it was useless to lie to Chen.

Chanyeol smiled, but not because he was content, “Yeah, something happened. How did you know this time?”

“You’ve usually eaten by now,” Chen explained, the previous suspicion gone and instead replaced by worry. “Plus, you don’t really eat ramen.”

Chanyeol shrugged as an answer, mentally debating whether he should update Chen about his situation with Kyungsoo or not. There shouldn’t be any reason for him to hesitate; on the contrary, Chanyeol should be sharing his problems. For one thing, Chen already knew about his pathetic crush on Kyungsoo (to which the former screeched once when they were talking about it, “How could anyone not know about it when it’s so obvious?), and supported it nevertheless. Chen went as far to dropping hints around Kyungsoo, setting them up on supposed dates, and giving Chanyeol advice that he would never apply to in real life. If anything, Chen kept Chanyeol sane most of the time, because there have been far too many instances when Chanyeol just couldn’t anymore. They haven’t known each other for so long, but Chen has done so much already for Chanyeol… that there shouldn’t be any reason for him to hesitate.

But Chanyeol hesitated anyways, and he’s not entirely sure why. It’s not fair to Chen after everything they’ve been through in such short time… so Chanyeol gathered his voice and told him. Chanyeol’s voice shook at first, the unpleasant thoughts he tried keeping away were easily coming undone the more he talked about it. They were bathing him in ill-natured thoughts as the water level continued rising until he was suffocating and needed air. For several heartbeats, Chanyeol thought that it wouldn’t end, that he would continue struggling for something unreachable and impossible to hold on to… the only moment when he began to feel like he could breathe again was when Chen held his shoulders and shook him out of the illusion.

Effectively, Chanyeol focused on Chen’s eyes and noticed the tears forming in the former’s. There was a silent understanding between them as they hugged each other tightly, a rare moment of affection between the two roommates. Chanyeol tried to never cry around other people, only when he was alone because he believed it to be intimate and private; to let someone see you at one of your most vulnerable states… essentially, you were trusting the person with a part of you, and Chanyeol was selective of whom to share that with. Part of him wished he wasn’t because it would certainly be simpler for him to contribute to relationships. People have misunderstood him in the past due to it, including Chen, but the latter has learned from those experiences. Perhaps one-day Chanyeol would be able to do so around Chen when he felt sufficiently comfortable, but for now, he could count on Chen to cry for him at times like these. He understood well that sometimes, words were rendered useless by actions, and that was more than fine for him.

After several heartbeats, they stopped hugging and Chanyeol watched as Chen wiped away his shiny tears. Silence comfortably overtook them, but Chen’s mind was whirling with ideas and thoughts that could help make his roommate feel better. He wanted to help him somehow, to get his mind off things even if it was just for a short while and it was temporary happiness. Anything was better than letting Chanyeol retreat to his harmful mind, that continued torturing him with memories of Kyungsoo… A smile appeared on his face, the revelation on the tip of his tongue as he stood up excitedly, “Dude! You know what we could do?”

By then Chanyeol had stood up to continue cooking his food, the prior mood over the moment they stopped embracing each other. Although he appeared to be uninterested in the scheme that was unfolding in Chen’s head, he gestured with his free hand at the latter to continue what he was going to say. “We should go to that party tomorrow!” Chen exclaimed as he earned a bewildered glance from Chanyeol, and he immediately comprehended why. He also knew what Chanyeol would reply to his suggestion.

"Uh, since when do we go to parties?” Chanyeol asked as he stopped what he was doing once more, turning around to see Chen pumping his fists in excitement. He couldn’t remember the last time he attended a party with his friend and not just a family party… and unless you counted those, then he never went to one. Kyungsoo had never been the type to go to parties, and neither had Chanyeol been.

“Since tomorrow,” Chen answered as he crossed his arms smugly, even though what he had said wasn’t clever. Chanyeol rolled his eyes in annoyance as he resumed cooking his ramen, ignoring the latter in the process. He understood that the Chen brought up the party to distract him, and although the effort was taken into consideration, he wasn’t sure about it. Not only would it be a new situation for Chanyeol to be in, but there were also chances that he could bump into Kyungsoo (even though he knew that the latter disliked parties as much as him). The opportunities were slim, but with his luck, then it was most likely to happen… Just like that, Chanyeol had been reduced to a timid university student who was frightened to experience unfamiliar settings by none other than himself, and he hated it so much. He wanted to break away from the chains of insecurities and gloominess that have been holding him back for a while now.

There wasn’t any reason for him to decline to go to the party.

“You know what?” Chanyeol interrupted Chen’s whining about how lonely he would be if he went alone to the party, “Let’s go to the party. Why the hell not?”

They fist pumped each other as Chen enthusiastically hollered a hell-yeah, !

Okay, so Chen wasn’t just a friend to Chanyeol despite what he might say… he was his best friend and saying that they were only roommates would be a huge understatement (and offensive, even).

They began to settle down once Chanyeol finished cooking his ramen. He sat down at the small round table they both tipped in to buy for the dorm and began to eat with Chen accompanying him. It was the only furniture that looked to be brand new, standing out amongst the older desks from their houses and the bunk beds that were already there when they arrived. The lighting above them was dim, not by choice, but because of lack of motivation to change the lightbulb. Chanyeol ate as Chen sighed dreamily, resting his head on his hands and gaze distant. “Do you think Byun Baekhyun will be there?” the latter asked, hiding his face out of embarrassment and his voice muffled slightly. It was the first time Chen brought up the name in a conversation even though he had been debating whether to bring it up to Chanyeol for the past week. It’s been gnawing him ever since he first saw the lovely boy, and he just needed to share his thoughts with someone… and that someone had been Chanyeol.

Chanyeol continued munching his ramen before managing to voice his question, an eyebrow raised in amusement. It was the first time he heard that name since he began his university life. “Um, who?”

“Byun Baekhyun! Only like the cutest guy there is!” Chen exclaimed before he continued to sigh longingly. He shouldn’t be surprised that Chanyeol had no clue as to who Byun Baekhyun was, considering he was eyeing Kyungsoo all the while. Chen admired that about Chanyeol, the way he was loyal and unwavering to his unrequired crush; it surprised him at times. Not many people handle going through the same situation as he was, certainly not him… yet, Chanyeol withstood it for years, and he’s not sure how the heck. In any case, Chen knew that it would be a matter of time that Chanyeol would fall in love again (despite what the latter might say). Perhaps it was for the best that he didn’t know who Byun Baekhyun was, in case that the impossible were to happen; they meet and fall in love with each other like a scene in an anime. Then again, it was Chanyeol, and he usually doesn’t pay attention to anything shorter than him. Chen shrugged it off for now as he continued talking about the party instead…

They talked about the clothing they should wear tomorrow (“Plaid shirt or nah?”), about the appropriate time they should arrive (Chen stressed they can’t be the first ones to arrive), and about who could come with them (“Maybe Kris?”). They continued talking about boys and video games and about the university as Chanyeol washed up the plates he dirtied. He laughed at one of the many jokes Chen said, and as a result, Chanyeol quickly forgot why he was depressed in the first place thanks to his best friend.

 

---

 

Baekhyun’s P.O.V:

 

Baekhyun and Luhan were just leaving the ice cream parlor that was at the students’ center of their university, their bellies filled with the delicious dessert they had eaten. The boys laughed as they remembered the faces of the employees, staring at them in disbelief when they kept ordering ice cream after ice cream. The best part of the experience was that, although the student center wasn’t bubbling with students, as usual, there were few students hanging out there. There weren’t many people, just as the strange roads Baekhyun walked earlier on, but there was a noticeable difference in the air. It helped clear his mind from the troubling matters from today… Being able to fool around with Luhan like this, by eating ice cream and talking about nonsense, felt relieving after a long and tiresome day.

As the pair of the males strode back to their room, Luhan briefly stopped walking and grabbing Baekhyun’s arm. “Hey, are you going to the party tomorrow?” Luhan asked slowly, looking as if he had just remembered something of importance and was testing out waters, and he was. Any other day, Baekhyun might’ve gone to the party, eager to be entertained and to socialize with his university friends… but he paused to really think because what if it happens?

“I don’t know… Kai might be there tomorrow, and my heart isn’t that ready to face him yet.” Baekhyun answered as he avoided looking at his friend, not wanting to witness the potential pity when he said that. He busied himself by looking at the familiar surroundings of the distant university halls that were only supported by faint lighting. They were currently on a sidewalk that had been constructed when the student center was done; they wanted it to be a separate location so that students could detach themselves from their classes. Flowers filled the air around them as trees provided them privacy and secrecy, even though their conversation wasn’t a serious one. It was a serene night as students walked past by them in directions to their dorms, “What do you think I should do?”

If Luhan noticed Baekhyun’s behavior, he ignored it and paused for a second to think of a solution for the latter. He then replied with a smile as his eyes seemed to mischievously twinkle in the moonlight, “Maybe you could hook up with someone tomorrow.”

“That’s legit the worst idea you could come up with,” Baekhyun said as rolled his eyes in annoyance, yanking away his arm from Luhan. He understood that the latter meant well and that he was joking, but he had been serious when he asked. Luhan could’ve given him an actual answer at least… “You know those relationships never work out.”

“Okay, okay. I was only joking. Sheesh.” Luhan said as he put his hands up as if to say chill, man. “But I did mean it when I said you should go tomorrow. You could meet someone new.”

Baekhyun remained silent for the rest of the walk, appearing to be deep in thought. Luhan didn’t bother to disturb the latter’s thinking process, opting to text Sehun instead.

When both males finally returned to Baekhyun’s dorm, Luhan needed to go. During the conversation with his boyfriend, he had been notified that Sehun had been left out of their apartment. Apparently in amidst of shopping and hanging out at someone else’s house, Sehun had lost his key to the apartment. Luhan only sighed as he shook his head at his boyfriend’s carelessness, “I’m sorry I couldn’t stay with you all night.”

Baekhyun smiled one of his signature smiles, grateful that Luhan took the time to be with him during the day until now. That was enough for him. “It’s okay, don’t worry. Go help Sehun out… I’m sure he’s beating himself up for it anyways.”

Then he paused as he hesitated over his next words. “I might go tomorrow, by the way.”

Luhan smiled widely as he embraced Baekhyun one more time before leaving him tonight. “That’s the Byun I know!” Luhan exclaimed cheerfully, making the latter regret less his decision and more optimistic about tomorrow. Then Luhan was gone.

Baekhyun jumped into his bed and hugged his pillow, close to his chest as he thought about the possibilities of encountering Kai at the party. He wondered how the latter was doing after had left the café earlier after he had exploded at him… Baekhyun shooed away those thoughts before he settled for thoughts of the party; he hoped that nothing happens tomorrow, that he was doing the right thing by attending to the party. He then closed his eyes for a few minutes, not expecting for Sleep to visit him during the night.

Fortunately for him, Sleep planned on visiting him.

 

 

---

A/N: Sorry I took a while updating this story. Took me a while on editing it, & I couldn't simply just update it whenever... since Hurricane María and university happened. It's been difficult trying to write as much as I used to. Luckily, these first chapters are hella long because I had a lot of time during my first year of university... ^^" hopefully I live up to that! How are the first two chapters so far? Please let me know if there are grammar mistakes! Thanks in advance :)