It’s not that you don’t trust Baekhyun… Or Taeyeon for that matter. It’s just that your insecurity gets the better of you sometimes.

It also doesn’t help that your best friend, Jiyah, who works at SM provides you a blow by blow and very thorough details of when she sees Baekhyun and Taeyeon talk. It’s not very frequent that they interact, but as the months' progress, so does their seemingly friendly gazes and small talks.

At first, you ignored them, you ignored all of your best friend’s nagging that you should lead your boyfriend back to the right lane, that he and his ex-girlfriend shouldn’t be talking like that. Acting like they haven’t gone through a break-up before.

You ignored it, all the naggings of you Jiyah and the naggings of your heart because you trust Baekhyun. You also trust Taeyeon. You’ve met her more than once before and she seems nice and sweet. You’re even friends on all of her private SNS.

Slowly though, you started noticing that Baekhyun comes home all smiles. Well he’s always, always all smiles, but he’s particularly happier whenever you know he and Taeyeon interacts.

You ask about his day but he never mentions Taeyeon. He’s usually very detailed about his everyday stories because he loves talking a lot, but ever since their communication started, so does his lies.

“Baekhyun…”

You suddenly trail off, placing your chopsticks silently beside the bowl of jjajangmyeon you ordered because Baekhyun was craving it.

Baekhyun, who was sitting across from you, hums a tepid response as he wolfs down his noodles like he hasn’t eaten in 10 years. The crunch of the yellow pickled radish is playing along with the slick sound of the jjajangmyeon as he open-mouthedly chews.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

Immediately, Baekhyun chokes on his food after what you said to him. You waited for him to swallow the mouthful of food he was chewing as he keeps hitting his chest while coughing as if it will help him.

You didn’t move or try and help appease his discomfort. After months of enduring his repeated lies, you’re kind of glad he’s slowly choking right in front of you.

“N—No.”

The hesitation of his reply answers your question and that he is in fact lying. You gritted your teeth as you fist your hands closed, trying not to seethe.

“You’re lying…”

“I’m not!”

Baekhyun drops his chopsticks, making it fall on the floor as he stood up from his seat, the wooden chair scraping the floor of your apartment.

You inhaled and exhaled deeply as you close your eyes with stress, before replying back to him.

“Are you cheating on me, Baekhyun?”

You allege. His mouth drops on the floor, his eyes blown up and slightly shaking with… anger? You’re not sure because you’re angry yourself, you can’t even concentrate well.

“First of all… How dare you… Accuse me of things like that?”

Baekhyun fumes this time. His nose flares as he looks at you as if you did something wrong when in fact he was the one doing the bad things.

“How dare you say how dare me? You’re the cheater here!”

You seethed back, you stood up from your chair when he suddenly marches towards you.

“I know you’ve been talking with Taeyeon and I wouldn’t mind that but you’re… You’re—”

Your sentence was cut off when his hands grab your wrist. You still continue to back up around the dinner table and Baekhyun just follows you still grabbing you with a fire burning in his eyes.

“Where the is this coming from?”

Baekhyun curses. He never curses, at least not straight at you. You only ever hear him curse when you’re both in front of friends.

“It’s not important, Baek. But I know you’ve been lying to me...”

You intended to shout the last part, but your throat suddenly wanted to enclose as your emotions bubble up inside your chest, threatening to burst out. Your eyes are welling on the side and your face is getting flushed with anguish.

“I can’t take this anymore, Baekhyun. I can’t.”

His grip on your wrist tightens, it doesn’t hurt but it’s making you uncomfortable.

“Fine! Do you want to break up? Okay, let’s ing breakup!”

Baekhyun blows up all of a sudden and lets go of your wrist completely. The unexpected loss of his skin on yours made you cry more, your tears felt cold as it slides down your hot cheeks.

“I never said that…”

“Let’s just break up okay. Recently you keep asking me where I’ve been and it pisses me off when you know all I do is work. You don’t trust me.”

“It pisses you off? Well, that means you’re guilty!!!”

You scream through your tears, your throat hoarse from all the silent cries you’re suppressing.

“You know what, fine! Believe what you want. You’re so apprehensive that you’re blaming your insecurity on me when I have done nothing wrong!”

Baekhyun screams his response. He abruptly turns his back on you and walks his path to the door, grabbing and wearing his jacket, facemask, and hat along the way. With a loud bang, Baekhyun closes the door, leaving you a weeping mess in the middle of your kitchen floor.

~~~

You awoke to the sound of your door being banged loudly. You didn’t even know you fell asleep on your couch. The last thing you remembered was sitting there with all the lights off, just crying your life away. Your whole body, your head especially, is heavy with sleep and stress from your situation.

You didn’t intend to break up with Baekhyun, you only want to confront him about what you know. But he was the one who ended things. Clearly, he wants to avoid the issue and just want everything to be done with you both. He’s probably with Taeyeon right now, laughing at your misery.

The room was dark, the blinds on the only window in your apartment are closed. You look at the only source of light in the living room, the digital clock on your wall and the time reads 2:43 AM. You weren’t planning on standing up, but the banging on your door persisted. So with all the strength, you have left, you crawl your way out of the couch and lazily make your way to the door.

“I’m coming, I’m coming! Jezus Christmas.”

You sigh out the last phrase and didn’t bother looking at your door monitor to see who it was, it’s just your neighbor again, drunk, who will probably ask you for Kimchi or some other thing.

You indolently push down the door lever and open your door half-wide to reveal a very nervous-looking Jiyah and Taeyeon… Oh, the ever pretty and cool-looking Taeyeon.

Your face immediately soured up when you saw her. She rolls her eyes before speaking.

“Well, you look like .”

What the hell…

“Thanks?”

You replied sarcastically as you huff out your frustration. You try hard to stop yourself from slapping Taeyeon across the face. You’re close enough for her to say that, but right now she’s not your most favorite person ever.

“Wait here…”

She spoke again and suddenly stride her way down the corridor of your floor. You follow her every step and she disappeared on the left turn where the elevators were.

“I’m sorry…”

You heard your best friend whisper, you crane your neck back to her and see her hide her face in shame.

“What is happening?”

You heard a familiar whining. Baekhyun. What in the hell is actually happening right now?

“OWWW! THAT HURTS!”

“I don’t ing care, Baekhyun. Don’t be a pansy.”

You watch as Taeyeon drag Baekhyun in front of you by grabbing his ears. The moment they both stopped right by you, she let go of his ear and you see how red and irritated it was. Baekhyun scratched it halfheartedly while trying to avoid your gaze at all cost.

“First of all, Happy Birthday…”

Taeyeon trails off. Wait, . It is your birthday. You completely forgot about your own birthday because you were busy being anxious about Baekhyun and Taeyeon.

“Now Byun Baekhyun, apologize to your girlfriend.”

Taeyeon crosses her arms in front of her chest as she waits for Baekhyun to obey. He fidgets his hands on his sweater and you look at him in the eyes for the first time and you can see how red and tear streaked his appearance is.

“Okay since Baekhyun doesn’t want to talk, I have to explain…”

Taeyeon started and then stop abruptly to heave in a breath.

“He is not cheating on you… We were planning for months about your birthday party surprise. We didn’t tell Jiyah because I know she can slip it off from accidentally. So this Baekhyun character right here…”

She stopped again to nudge Baekhyun and he pouts cutely when she did.

“Called me to tell that he broke up with you. And I’m like what the hell, right on your birthday eve? He explained that you thought he’s cheating on you with me. The only person I know who will report such thing is Jiyah… Yes you, Jiyah.”

Taeyeon glares at Jiyah and she hides her face yet again, this time she’s standing behind you.

“I called Jiyah and demanded an explanation. So I told about the plans and now we’re here at 3 AM.”

Taeyeon sighs with a satisfied look on her face. It looks like she finally removed the fishbone that was stuck in .

“I—”

You were cut off suddenly.

“Babe, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I said those words. I’m sorry. I’m so afraid of going back here because you might not want to forgive me after I said those hurtful things to you. Please take me back, I love you so much.”

You watch Baekhyun drop down to his knees and clutch his arms around your thighs. You can feel his tears slowly trickling down your legs. Your heart immediately breaks seeing him so sad like this.

You push him softly and went down on your knees yourself, right beside him. You wrap your arms around him and his face immediately nuzzle your chest as you coo comforting words to him.

“It’s okay, baby. I’m sorry too for not trusting you. I love you.”

You push him again slightly to smile at him and wipe off his tears with your fingers.

“So what are we going to do now that your supposed surprise birthday party is spoiled?”

You heard Taeyeon clear after. You choke out a faint laugh and just close your eyes to savor the feeling of Baekhyun back in your arms again.