We all need balance in our lives, don't we? ;)

Haera

There are a few things in life that I have never thought that could happen—like witnessing Park Chanyeol’s eyes go wider than its usual size and watch his as pale as snow skin turn paler as he gapes at his best friend doing stupid things. He looks baffled and petrified. I almost told him how awed I was if the ambiance is not as serious as Do Kyungsoo is, dissimilar to what Byun Baekhyun is showing right now.

            The thing with Kyungsoo is, he doesn’t need to glare to scare off someone. All he has to do is stare blankly at them, then they’ll all shiver in fear when they meet his eyes. It’s sharp, dangerous, and dark. He looks like someone you won’t dare to cross. That’s normal to him for us who knows him very well. You can’t read his emotions through his eyes, because you have no idea if he’s angry for real or not. Baekhyun, on the other hand, as I know him, is an open book.

            Or so I thought.

            He usually shows his soft side, all smiley and kind. But, as I stare in his eyes right now, there’s no trace of the Baekhyun that I know. His eyes show no emotions, even when he’s smirking. He looks… evil. A complete stranger. Even Chanyeol looks like he’s standing beside someone he had never met.

            Maybe Baekhyun is still a stranger to me.

            Tongue-tied, I remained petrified as Kyungsoo and Baekhyun continue their silent war. Chanyeol is the first one, between us, who came back to his senses and has the guts to interrupt the two. He nudges Baekhyun as he desperately tries to get his attention. When he didn’t succeed, he grasped Baekhyun’s shirt and forcedly pulled the guy closer to him, making him break the eye contact with Kyungsoo.

            That’s my cue to walk to Kyungsoo and stand beside him.

            “What the are you doing?” I heard Chanyeol shout in a subdued voice to his best friend.

            Wearing a bored expression on his face, Baekhyun said, “I’m helping him man up, that’s what.” He rolled his eyes.

            “No one needs your ing help, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo roared, “so piss off.”

            Baekhyun raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying that you have no feelings for Haera, then?” he said with a crooked smile plastered on his face.

            “ off, Baek,” Chanyeol snapped. He just got ignored.

            I, on the other hand, am too scared to interfere. Afraid of Baekhyun. His calm, dark aura is somehow giving off a dangerous vibe to me right now. Good thing we’re the only ones left in the room.

            “Mind your own life, will you?” Kyungsoo scowled in a cold voice.

            “Can’t,” Baekhyun sang in a bubbly tone, making my eyebrows furrow with his duality. Then, he crossed his arms to his chest and smirked. “Aren’t you curious why I’ll stay away if you don’t like her, but stay if you like her? Because if I were you, I’ll find it really odd… or not. Maybe if it’s somebody else and not you, they’ll find it odd.” He tilted his head as his expression turns blank and dark again. “So, why don’t you?” he muttered in a low, dangerous tone.

            That made me turn to Kyungsoo and gave him a questioning look. I have no idea about what Baekhyun is saying right now, but when I saw Kyungsoo’s reaction—irritated—I know he knows.

            I shifted my eyes to Baekhyun. “What are you talking about?” I said in a small voice.

            He looked at me, wearing a sarcastic smile. “Why do you think he told you to stay away from me, but he never told me to stay away from you? Ah, isn’t that odd as well?” He cracks his neck with a crooked smile.

            How did he know about that? I haven’t told anyone about what happened yesterday, even Sehun has still no idea about it. Only Kyungsoo and I know.

            “That’s enough,” Kyungsoo growled in a stern voice, glaring sharply at Baekhyun.

            “Are you sure you’re protecting her? Because, frankly, that’s not how you protect someone who’s precious to you,” Baekhyun grimly said.

            “Baek…” Chanyeol peevishly nudged his best friend. But, Baekhyun ignored him again, and walks closer to me instead.

            He leans down to my eye level, and muttered, “they made you wear a blindfold, princess. I’ll remove it for you. Hang in there.” Then he smiled at me.

            I felt myself shiver as I look in his eyes right now. It’s not fear I’m feeling at the moment, it’s a strong urge to trust him, his words. Like, if I do that, I’ll be safer than anywhere else.

            A hand pulled me away from Baekhyun, then before I know it, I was hidden in Kyungsoo’s back, protecting me from Baekhyun.

            “Stop it, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo said, still holding my wrist. I took a peek from Kyungsoo’s back to see Baekhyun’s reaction.

            Baekhyun straightened up and arched an eyebrow at Kyungsoo. “Why? Scared? You shouldn’t be scared if you’re not hiding something from her… or are you?” he said, then turn to me with a blank stare, “I think there’s something he’s not telling you.” He shrugged.

             My eyebrows furrowed.

            “Just confess to her Kyungsoo, before I do it on your behalf. She will not like hearing it from me, I’m telling you.” Then, just like that, he started walking out of the room with Chanyeol confusedly following behind.

            Something is telling me to trust Kyungsoo, but Baekhyun’s words made me feel like I should trust no one, but him.

~*~

Sehun is weighing the mood between us three as we walk to the resto near the university to eat. He’s doing all the talking since we started walking. It’s normal for Kyungsoo to stay quiet when Sehun is being talkative, but not for me. Usually, I’ll argue or tell jokes with Sehun, but I stayed silent the whole time and gives no reaction nor listens to what Sehun is telling us.

            After Baekhyun left earlier, no one, between me and Kyungsoo, said a thing. When I received a message from Sehun, telling me about his location and that his class got cancelled, I walked ahead, not caring if Kyungsoo is walking behind me or not. But he did follow after me.

            Probably can’t take the uneasiness between us three, Sehun abruptly stopped walking. I stopped as well, confusedly turns back to Sehun. Kyungsoo took a while before he noticed that we’re no longer walking with him, and when he did, he blankly turns to Sehun.

            Sehun sighed. “I thought you two made up?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

            I nodded in response.

            I’m not really in the mood to tell Sehun what happened. I’m still confuse