Baekhyun his lips nervously as he sits waiting for his best friend (and her parents) to show up. His father seems amused by how jittery and excited he seems to be and decides to poke fun at him.

“Anyone who sees you would think you’re about to meet your in-laws.”

Baekhyun gives him a weak glare. “I just haven’t met Uncle and Auntie in a while. I’m excited to see them,” he lies.

“Right,” his father rolls his eyes. “Because three weeks ago was light years away.”

His wife laughs and smacks his arm for disturbing Baekhyun like that while his son simply gives him a look before ignoring him completely. Trying to distract himself, he unfolds the serviette and places it on his lap. At that moment, the door to the private dining room is knocked on and opened. Baekhyun snaps his head up to stare at the door.

His best friend’s father enters first, already beaming and exclaiming a hello. The Byuns stand up to greet them. Baekhyun’s eyes are trained on the door though, his heart thudding painfully against his rib cage. An older woman enters behind, making that his best friend’s mother. He is still staring hopefully at the door as he hugs and greets her. The waitress closes the door then though, squashing all hopes of their daughter joining them.

“Oh, she threw a tantrum because we wouldn’t let her out with her friends tonight,” Uncle explains when Baekhyun’s father asks about his favourite (and only) goddaughter. “So we punished her to stay home.”

Auntie looks at Baekhyun apologetically. “She wanted to at least come along to see you but we really had to be strict with her. She’s getting really out of hand.” Baekhyun unknowingly lets out a sigh and a nod. He had been looking forward to seeing her. “You could come over and spend the night at our place,” Auntie suggests, feeling bad because she could see the disappointment in his eyes.

“No,” he sighs again, shaking his head. He knows better than to visit her when she’s probably upset about staying home. Besides, he has an obligation that would deter him from doing that. “I have to be onsite early with my dad tomorrow. Maybe another time.”

He smiles weakly at her when he receives an apologetic purse of her lips.

Baekhyun is standing next to his dad, listening and learning as his father discusses what kind of stones to use for the building. He is already thinking sandstone and silica cement since it would be a tall building; it warrants a heavy and sturdy foundation. Hearing his father propose using the same materials though, he purses his lips to keep himself from Yes!-ing out loud and even does a little dance in his head. He is doing so well at this. He really hates all the reading and excursions his father gives and brings him on, but he really has to admit that they are helping him a lot.

He has just shaken hands with the stone supplier when his father’s PA comes over and tells them that there is someone there to visit them. Already guessing that it is his mother, he asks his father what he forgot to work that day. His old man checks his pockets and shakes his head.

“I don’t know,” he mutters. “Must have forgotten to give me my goodbye kiss.”

Baekhyun snorts. His father chortles. The both of them follows the PA out of the bordered up area. As they step out, they take off their plastic white helmets. Baekhyun’s stomach lurches though, at the sight of a familiar girl standing awkwardly in front of a construction site, holding a blue and pink lunch bag. She is even in her usual clothes and light makeup. She smiles shyly and waves when she sees Baekhyun and his father.

What is she even doing here? Baekhyun wonders. He had not at all been expecting her. His father must have been surprised too.

“Ah, if it isn’t my favourite goddaughter!” His father exclaims, arms already stretched wide.

She giggles and steps forward to hug him back. “I’m your only goddaughter, Uncle,” she says with a playful eye roll.

“Yes, and you’re my favourite,” he grins at her as he parts from the hug.

She laughs, shaking her head. She glances at Baekhyun, who had been watching her the entire time, enjoying the sight of her smile. She shuffles forward. Baekhyun circles his arms around her and hugs her briefly but tightly.

“We missed you last night,” Baekhyun’s father tells her when they’ve hugged and said hellos.

“I know,” she sighs sadly. “My parents grounded me. I’m already 22!” Baekhyun’s father laughs heartily at her whine while Baekhyun can only crack a smile. She is so adorable.

“Well, you’re already 22 but you still throw tantrums.”

The girl’s face turns pink. Baekhyun thinks she looks awfully cute but he also wants to put her out of her misery. So he nods at the lunch bag in her hands.

“What’s that?”

She glances down at the bag, glad for the distraction. She looks up, beaming widely at him with her pearly whites and her twinkling eyes. Baekhyun didn’t think she could do him any dirtier but he always stands corrected. He feels entranced by her beauty.

“I made cookies last night because I was bored out of my mind at home,” she tells them, rolling her eyes. “My mother let me out today only because I told her I missed you guys.”

Baekhyun’s father raises a cheeky eyebrow. “Threw another tantrum?”

Her countenance turns scarlet red. “Sort of,” she mutters shamefully.

Baekhyun chuckles while his father laughs. “Come on, it’s really dusty here,” Baekhyun tells her, guiding her towards the shed where supervisors normally reside.

He tries to keep the contact only with the tips of his fingers on her back. The three of them make their way to the shed, going into the big boss’ room, which means it belongs to Baekhyun’s father. The older male sits on the chair behind the desk while the two best friends sit next to each other on the chairs on the opposite side. The girl sits at the edge of her seat and places the lunch bag on the desk, taking out an airtight container that contains chocolate chip cookies. In the meantime, Baekhyun’s father is curious about something.

“Where did your raccoon eyes go?”

Baekhyun feels like strangling his father. His old chap is a very cool man who likes to joke around only when it comes to things not related to work. Baekhyun got his sense of humour from his dad and he thinks his jokes are hilarious. He just wishes he knew the right things to say at the right time.

Baekhyun could clearly see the tip of the girl’s ear turning red. She mumbles in embarrassment, focusing really hard on opening the box of cookies, “Didn’t feel like putting on much makeup today.”

“Good on you,” his father continues, nodding proudly. “Because there’s enough dust here at the site to cake up your face.”

She laughs awkwardly with the older Byun who is laughing at his own joke while Baekhyun slumps against the back of his chair in defeat. It is a wonder that she hasn’t abandoned her godfather.

“I’ll get cups,” she quickly announces, standing. She has even brought cold milk to go with the cookies.

Baekhyun stands quickly, “I’ll get them.”

She gives him a grateful smile before sitting back down. He takes out three cups from the pantry easily, bringing them back to the office. The girl pours milk into two of them, giving them to Baekhyun and his father.

“Thanks,” Baekhyun smiles at her, reaching for a cookie to dip into his milk.

She sits and watches the father and son take their first bite of the cookie, the both of them in satisfaction. She breaks out into a wide smile.

“Mm, so good!” Baekhyun’s father exclaims, nodding his head. Baekhyun agrees with a hum as he continues to stuff his mouth with the cookie.

She giggles. “The whole box is yours,” she says shyly, pushing the filled container towards Baekhyun’s father.

“What about me?” Baekhyun jokes, his teeth still sticky with chocolate. He takes a swig of milk.

“You can share with Uncle—”

“Who said I would share?” Baekhyun’s father scoffs. When she looks at him, unsure of what to say now, he sighs and waves a hand at Baekhyun, knowing how much his son wants to be with his best friend. “Go and spend the day together. Maybe bake more cookies, or something.”

“But Mr. Go—”

His father cuts him off. “It’s nothing much. You’ve seen enough to know how to haggle with him.” Baekhyun nods. The older man turns to the girl, raising an eyebrow. “Unless you don’t want to be with Baekhyun. I’ll keep him here.”

Baekhyun swallows nervously and peeks at her, wondering what her response would be. If it had been three years ago, he wouldn’t have to fear what her answer would be. But now that she has changed, forgetting Baekhyun because she has her new friends, he really doesn’t know what is going on her mind.

“No, of course I’d love to spend time with Baekhyun!” she stutters, wide eyed at his father for even thinking she wouldn’t want to spend time with his son.

Baekhyun unknowingly lets out a relieved sigh. He doesn’t see his father sending him an amused glance. The old man nods his head then, giving them the permission to “leave him and his cookies alone”.

As the two of them evacuate the office, walking side-by-side, Baekhyun feels his heart racing already just at the thought of spending the rest of the day with her. His throat has closed up and breathing just feels so hard. He glances nervously to the side and notices his best friend pulling her lips to one side, a dimple showing, as she thinks of what they could do today.

But Baekhyun misreads that look to be a cringe. He swallows the subtle hurt arising from within. Of course she doesn’t feel the same way, he thinks. She probably feels like he has taken the entire day from her. They are such polar opposites now. It’s sad, really.

Baekhyun is a responsible man who spends his weekends at home, working. While she, on the other hand, spends hers partying and getting drunk. If she had gone to the same college as he did, maybe, just maybe, she might have stayed the same person that she was before. And maybe, just maybe, Baekhyun wouldn’t feel so out of place with her every time he sees her. And maybe, just maybe, he could tell her that he is in love with her and that—

“Wanna make cookies and watch a movie marathon?”

Baekhyun turns to the side a little jumpily, having been caught in the middle of his daydream. He sees the childlike hope in her eyes yet deep within them, he could see just what she is masking. Sadness. But he doesn’t comment on it. He doesn’t want to lose whatever that’s remaining of their friendship by prying.

“Sure,” Baekhyun bobs his shoulders. “Did you drive here?”

“No,” she murmurs, shaking her head with her head down.

There’s something very wrong with her and it is killing Baekhyun. She normally always acts like nothing can ever bother her. Baekhyun really wants to ask her about it, to give her a hug because she looks like she needs it. But he doesn’t. Because he has tried to get into her space once, and he found out the hard way that she didn’t like that anymore. And from then on, he never wanted to try again.

“Get in my car then,” Baekhyun tells her. “My place, or yours?”

“Yours,” she mutters as he unlocks the car. “Mum’s home.”

Baekhyun hums, not saying anything to that. The both of them sit in silence during the ride as Baekhyun drives back to his apartment. It is only when he is halfway there that he realises that he probably doesn’t have the ingredients for cookies. He tells her that while changing his route to the supermarket he always goes to — the same supermarket every other rich and privileged person in the area goes to.

“No!” she squeaks, sounding so frantic that Baekhyun almost slams his foot down on the brake.

He turns to her with a worried gaze. “Why not? Is something wrong?”

The girl swallows. She looks white. “M-My friends always hang out th-there…”

“At the supermarket?” Baekhyun asks incredulously, in hopes of making her feel better by teasing her.

She quirks a tiny smile, to Baekhyun’s relief. “No,” she sighs, rolling her eyes. “They hang out at the mall.” Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at her, wordlessly asking her to explain. “It’s just… One of them had a birthday party last night but Mum grounded me. So they’re all mad at me.”

Baekhyun frowns. “They’re mad at you because your mother grounded you?”

At her silence, he assumes that he is right. He bites on his bottom lip to stop himself from talking about her friends. He had tried to talk to her about them but it didn’t work and she had gotten mad at him. He doesn’t want that to happen again. But he also doesn’t want her to avoid a place because of her so-called friends. So he continues driving there despite her objections. When they’re parked, Baekhyun forces her out of the car. He guides her along with his hand on the small of her back.

She is fidgety as they walk towards the supermarket, her eyes flickering from person to person anxiously. Baekhyun feels his heart clenching seeing his best friend like this. How can she be so afraid of seeing her own friends? If they’re friends, what’s the worse that they could do to her? A bit of a cold shoulder, and that’s all, right?

Wrong.

The girl next to him gasps when she spots her group of friends walking towards the mall from the direction of the car park. One of them spots her and tells the others, causing everyone of them to turn to face Baekhyun and her. The girl seems to have shrunk at their narrowed gazes.

“If it isn’t the baby,” one of them scoffs as they come nearer.

“I thought you were grounded,” another one says, raising her eyebrow. She flickers her eyes over to Baekhyun, scanning him from head to toe. “Yet you can still go out on a date.” Her lips tilt into a seductive smirk. “A cute one too.”

“So you ditched my birthday party with the excuse of being grounded but you’re going out with some… guy the next day?” The one who looks the iest and also the scariest is glaring at the girl next to Baekhyun so hard that he can hear her whimpering.

He wonders how friends can ever treat another friend the way that they do. They never gave her the chance to explain herself and they were obviously scaring her into submission, like she is only a minion. It hurts Baekhyun’s heart greatly and yet it also angers him so much.

Not wanting things to go awry, Baekhyun drops his hand to hold hers tightly and, without a word, he starts tugging her towards the direction of supermarket. With dignified gasps and angry scoffs, the group of five girls stomp over to stand in front of Baekhyun and her, blocking their way. They’re glaring at the girl, like she had been the one who walked away.

“You… ,” the leader of the pack spits, stepping forth to stand in front of the girl.

Baekhyun sees her master hand winding back, ready to land her palm on her cheek. Reflexes as quick as his wits, Baekhyun pulls on his best friend’s hand, making her hide behind him while his other hand darts out to grab the leader’s wrist. She gasps in surprise.

“Lay a finger on her and your life will be living hell,” Baekhyun grits out in a scary undertone.

Like the touch of her skin is burning his hand, he lets go of her wrist with a disgusted scoff. Without another word, Baekhyun tugs on his best friend’s hand, leaving her friends stunned and angry. They’re not the only ones angry though. Baekhyun is livid. He still doesn’t let go of the girl’s hand and she doesn’t say anything about it. In fact, she is glad that she is being held so firmly by him because she is still shaking with fear.

Baekhyun yanks a basket out of the stack, his movement jerky and forceful. He tries to calm himself down when he asks her, “What do we need to make the cookies?”

Her voice is shaking when she timidly answers, “F-Flour… eggs, vanilla extract… chocolate chips…”

That is the last time they speak to each other in the supermarket. Baekhyun grabs everything they need in record time and pays for them, the entire time holding her hand until he has to get out his credit card. He carries all the bags and walks away quickly, leaving the girl behind to follow after him. They get to the car and though she offers to help him, Baekhyun grunts and pushes her hand away.

“Just get in the car,” he mutters monotonously.

She has never felt so alone. Because she has always thought that even if the world turns its back towards her, Baekhyun would always stay by her side.

Baekhyun dumps the grocery on the island counter and turns to return to his room, not even a word said to the girl. She swallows the hurt and tries to steady her shaky voice. Fiddling with the plastic bag, she musters up her courage.

“Baekhyun,” she calls softly, sounding so small that Baekhyun cannot just leave her. Not like that. So he stops but doesn’t turn around. “Thank you for sticking up for me,” she murmurs.

It makes Baekhyun even madder. He whips around to glare at her, making her jump in shock. “You wouldn’t even have needed me to stick up for you if they were really your friends,” he snaps.

Tears start to well up in her eyes as she stares at Baekhyun, looking so deadly mad at her. He has never been so angry at her before. She is scared.

Baekhyun blinks when he sees her eyes glistening with unshed tears that are quick to stream down her face. His heart clenches. He didn’t mean to make her cry. He sighs loudly, walking forward to reach her. Taking her hands away from the plastic bag, he pulls her toward his chest, embracing her tenderly despite his anger. She cries into his chest, her hand clenching on his shirt. Baekhyun tightens his arms around her body, a hand on the back of her head. He massages her scalp and shushes her gently with his lips close to her ear, calming her down from her whimpers and cries.

When she is just sniffling, Baekhyun pulls back a little and tilts her blotchy face up to face him. He stares at her tear stained cheeks and her glistening eyelashes. He cups the sides of her face and wipes her cheeks with a swipe of his thumbs. She sniffles again as a tear drops onto her cheek at his gentleness.

“Stop crying, kitten,” Baekhyun sighs, his heart hurting at the sight of her tear streaked cheeks.

She swallows. “I’m sorry that my friends were so rude,” she apologises.

“You still think of them as your friends?” he asks, suddenly cold again.

She panics, not saying anything as she simply stares at Baekhyun. He lets go of her and looks at her very seriously, his eyes burning with a sort of fire. He seems to have something to get off his chest but instead of saying it, he purses his lips and turns away, going to retreat to his room. Unable to take the tension though, the girl run forward to grab his shirt, bringing him to a stop.

“Say it,” she whispers, voice shaking. “Say whatever you want to say.”

“I don’t want to try to get into your space again,” he mutters. “I’ve learnt my lesson.”

“No, I’ll let you in this time,” she promises frantically, tugging on his shirt. “Please, Baekhyun…”

It takes him a long while before he turns around to look down at her. He sees the apology written in her eyes and the panic on her face. He sighs.

“I didn’t lose you as a best friend to people who don’t cherish you,” Baekhyun says softly, sincerely.

“You didn’t lose me as a best friend,” she whispers.

“It definitely felt like I did. Do you know how much you’ve changed? It’s like I don’t even recognise you anymore. You don’t look for me either.”

“You changed too,” she counters, pouting slightly. Baekhyun stares at her incredulously. She continues, “When you got into college, you never hung out with me anymore. You didn’t take care of me anymore. I had to look for my own friends. Friends who would protect me.”

“So you chose people, who scare everyone else into being their minions, to be your friends?” Baekhyun scoffs at a disbelief.

She drops her eyes. “I didn’t trust anyone else to protect me like you did. The only way I could protect myself in a new environment was to be with people of influence.”

“That’s wrong… so wrong.”

“I know,” she whispers, disappointed in herself too.

Baekhyun senses her self-loathing now, making him soften up towards her. He swallows all the other things he wanted to say about her and her change.

“Why are you still hanging out with them now that you’re out of college?” he asks.

“Because they’re the only one who aren’t busy with anything,” she mumbles, looking up at him. Her cheeks are a little pink when she murmurs, “You’re always busy with the company now…”

“If you want to hang out with me, I’d always make time for you,” he says gently even though his heart is thudding in his chest at the possibility of her wanting to go back to hanging out with him.

“But I feel terrible,” she mumbles, sighing. She fiddles with her fingers. “I know you must be upset with my change. And to suddenly go back to you just because—“

“That’s okay,” he says, hoping he doesn’t sound too eager.

Baekhyun would be over the moon to have her back with him. Not just for a night but forever. He reaches out to take her hand, pulling her to the couch. He sits her down before taking a seat next to her, still holding onto her hand. She looks at him with sparkling eyes that are filled with hope and curiosity. Baekhyun’s heart does a flip.

“Do you feel comfortable with me?” he asks her, his heart thumping with anticipation.

“I feel the most comfortable with you, Baekhyun.”

His lips quirk into a smile but he tries not to look too ecstatic about the revelation. “I want you to be comfortable. I want you to be yourself,” he says gently. “I know you’re not yourself when you’re wearing all that makeup and all that… revealing clothes. I know you’re still the same girl from before — the one sitting in front of me now.” She blushes promptly, her cheeks rosy. Baekhyun thinks she looks adorable. “If you’re comfortable with me, then stay with me. I don’t want you to be with people who don’t know you.”

She swallows. “But you’re so busy all the time,” she sighs. “You know how much attention I need,” she says quietly with her ears burning. She has always been a clingy person towards Baekhyun when she is herself.

He chuckles even though his stomach feels queasy at the thought of her returning to his side soon. “That’s okay,” he coos, her hair. “Ask your parents to let you stay with me and you can have as much attention you need from me.”

She stares at him with wide eyes, not saying anything. Baekhyun purses his lips. Has he gone too far? He shouldn’t have asked her to stay with him. She would think that he’s just—

“Really?” she breathes.

Baekhyun blinks his surprise away. Nodding quickly, he assures, “Yes, really.”

“You don’t hate me?”

“Why would I hate you?” I love you, Baekhyun had wanted to say too but he hadn’t.

She is blushing when she says quietly, “Because I thought you replaced me with new friends when you got to college. And you didn’t want to be friends with a me anymore.”

“Is that another reason why you changed?” Baekhyun asks, eyes narrowing on her. Her face reddens even more, letting him know that it indeed is. He sighs endearingly, letting her off for today. “No, I don’t hate you,” he promises her.

Despite the redness in her cheeks, she breaks out into a smile. One so beautifully dazzling that Baekhyun feels breathless and dazed at the sight of it. His heart must be running a million miles per hour.

“Thank you, Baekhyun,” she whispers.

I used to try to get into your space
Then I learned my lesson
'Cause you're the type who's in love with the chase
You need some rejection

 

Baekhyun couldn’t stand the change he was seeing in his best friend.

She was wearing makeup that she always said she didn’t like, she was wearing clothes that she always thought was uncomfortable, and she was forgetting Baekhyun like he was a soft toy she had when she was younger, only to abandon him now that she had grown up. It hurt him. It was like he no longer knew her, like he had lost her to time.

Sure, it might have been his fault that he had been busy with assignments and tests. But she must understand, mustn’t she? That it was college life that was taking up his time with her. He still tried to look for her whenever he was free. The first year in college was fine because his subjects weren’t so taxing. But second year onwards, he barely had time with her except the first few weeks of the semester when things weren’t so hectic yet.

On the last year of college though, when he was laiden with assignments, his best friend went into college away from him. She didn’t get good enough scores to enter the same college as him but that was fine because he promised her that he would still hang out with her. Yet this time, because he is so busy with school, he couldn’t be with her during her crucial first year.

When she looked for him that special night, when Baekhyun made love to his best friend, it had already been a few months into his last year in college. He realised too late that he loved her, that he should have been spending more time with her. By the time he managed to ask her out after she was done avoiding him, she had already changed. She was different and Baekhyun couldn’t recognise her. He felt uncomfortable with this new her.

“Who have you been hanging out with?” Baekhyun asked seriously with furrowed brows as he stared at her across the table, waiting for their food to come.

She looked away. She never looked at Baekhyun in the eyes now. “Friends from college,” came her vague answer.

“What friends? How are they like?” he fussed, worried for her. He didn’t want anything to happen to her.

“You’re not my dad, Baekhyun,” she snapped, for the first time looking at him now, except she was glaring. “Stop being so nosy.”

And she proceeded to ignore him for two months after that before she would let him make up to her.

From that time onwards, Baekhyun never pried anymore. He tried to get into her space which was a bad idea. Even when she was herself with him, when she was obviously ready to share things with him, he never asked her about anything unless she was the one who told him about it first.

Their friendship was broken and Baekhyun couldn’t help but think that it was because of him, pushing their fragile relationship closer and closer towards the edge of the tabletop before it fell off with a loud crack and many, many pieces to pick up.