Chapter 7:

*.☽.*

It was hard to get Baekhyun off my mind the whole day. It seemed as if he cast some sort of a spell over me.

I thought about him while I walked along with my broken bike to my uncle's shop. The truth was, I kept smiling and I had to stop doing it, or else people would start thinking that I had gone nuts.

In the afternoon, Aunt Sunny, Ji Hye and I went to the town center to buy things for the renovation of the flower shop. We bought some shabby chic-designed furniture that would suit the vintage-like aesthetic of the shop. 

When we finished buying the furniture and other things needed for the interior, Ji Hye and I went to the supermarket to buy groceries while Aunt Sunny went to check on the kitchenware section. 

I enjoyed shopping with them and I thought I could finally free my mind from Baekhyun but I was so wrong. Wrong because when we went to buy groceries, his photo was on the shopping cart, the one Ji Hye insisted on using. I couldn't hide my surprise, so I asked Ji Hye what was his picture doing there and she said it was a fan project for his birthday this year. 

Wow, his popularity's on another level. I thought.

"What are you going to do when you see him in person Ji Hye?" I asked my cousin while she took a picture of our shopping cart. 

"Hmmm...I think I would cry Eonnie." She answered without hesitation.

"Why would you cry?"

"Well, fans do that when they see their idols for the first time.” She paused as if trying to think of her next words. “Maybe I'll shout before I cry. Then I will hug him and tell him how much I like him. I will tell him that for me, his voice is the most beautiful in the world." She said, this time with a dreamy expression on her face.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" I didn't know why I had to ask that kind of question. 

Maybe it was because my transition wasn't that smooth that the look on Ji Hye's face changed. And I could tell that it was not a good expression at all.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Well, we don't know if he has a girlfriend. Maybe he does. Maybe he doesn’t. I don't know exactly." She responded shrugging. "Celebrities normally keep it a secret because they know a lot of fans will get angry."

"Really?"

She nodded. “But of course I want him to be happy Eonnie. I hope he will have someone who will love him in the future." She added. “I'm way too young for him, anyway."

I smiled at my cousin's unexpected maturity. I honestly expected her to throw a fit because of my question.

"Oh! Strawberries!" Ji Hye exclaimed as we reached the fruit section.

She ran towards the strawberry area and I tailed right behind her.

"It's Baekhyun's favorite fruit Eonnie!" She told me right after I stood next to her.

I paused and thought about what Baekhyun said about Strawberries up at the Hiking Place. 

"His favorite fruit?" I asked, blinking.

Ji Hye nodded eagerly. "He likes strawberries a lot. He even likes strawberry-flavored food and drinks too. Wait let me show you something Eonnie."

She unlocked her phone and another second later she was already showing me a video of Baekhyun in a particular show where he was happily picking the strawberries from the cake. My eyes widened when he put three strawberries inside his mouth at the same time causing his cheeks to look bigger. He looked so cute and happy while he tried to chew the strawberries.

"He loves strawberries that much?" I couldn’t believe he just did that.

"Yes Eonnie, he's so cute right?"

"Yeah," I answered absent-mindedly while I watched how his eyes lit up while eating. "Very."

"Can we buy some?"

"You want some?"

Ji Hye nodded.

"Okay." I agreed as I stopped the video or else I'd start smiling like crazy again.
 

*.☽.*

It was almost midnight. I was on my bed, staring at my phone. And yes, I felt like a fool because I was secretly hoping he'd send me a message again or something, which never happened until I grew sleepy and eventually dozed off.

In the morning, the first thing I checked was my phone. I saw four new messages but none of them were from Baekhyun. I sighed as I got off the bed and went straight to the bathroom.

I stood in front of a mirror right above the sink. I was pretty sure now that I made a fool of myself. What was I expecting? He's a celebrity. I was just a stranger he met in the mountains.

Hours passed, and I couldn't help but feel frustrated no matter how much I try to lift my mood. So, I made a great deal of effort to keep myself busy. Since we were supposed to redecorate the flower shop, I volunteered to help my aunt. I majored in Interior Design, this would be a perfect distraction.

Aunt Sunny also hired someone who would help us with all the heavy things. His name was Mr. Park. A family man who lived a few blocks from us.

The shop wasn’t that big, it didn’t take that long. And when we finished, we both felt so proud. It had the vintage aura that we wanted to achieve. 

“Wo,w Auntie! The shop looks new and very interesting.” I told her smiling.

“I know.” She replied smiling while she roams her attention to her freshly furnished shop. “Thanks, Hae Won. You’re really good at this.”

“Thanks, Auntie.”

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