What a day!

Seungwan took a deep breath as she boarded the subway bus she took to back to the house when she didn't have the car with her. After seven years of crushing on him, she had finally met him formally.

She was in 8^th grade when she had lost her father. It was a terrible time for her and her family as they had moved back from Canada to Korea, a country she had only visited a couple of times before, and knew little about living in it, from her parents accounts of it. Several of the hotel chains that were under her father's name got claimed by other stakeholders as news of his sudden death spread through the business world. Her mother became the new head and tried to save what she could, but it hardly proved enough, with the lack of information and expertise Son Jae Eun had. They’d moved into an apartment that was so unlike the warm big house they’d shared when her father was alive and Sehun, her younger brother who was only five at that time, had become her responsibility as their mother got busy with work. It was a bleak time as she remembered it, and she’d had to age quickly, grow out of the chirpy bubbly princess she had once been. Her only goal then became studying, doing good in school, and helping her brother do the same. She hardly made any friends, until Soojung had finally filled that void an year later.

Do Kyungsoo had appeared in her life just like that, a mere senior at first. His family owned a business too and around a year from when they’d moved back, she had heard about his father’s death and without even realizing, she’d developed a soft spot for him.

She started coming to school earlier, to see him when he came through the school gate in the morning. Because then he would greet her while passing by, along with tens of other students that he met on his way. He probably didn't even remember greeting her, but him greeting her in the morning was one of the best parts of her day. From behind the thick glasses she had worn at that time, her eyes had conjured dreams of the boy who she didn’t even know the name of, and from then, going to that depressing school wasn’t just a miserable reminder of her circumstances anymore.

When her father died she hadn’t really cried for months. She was just too tired and hardly found time with the duties that had fallen on her 14-year-old self’s shoulders. As she was walking through the school ground at the back of their building one day, she had seen Kyungsoo there, crying, hidden behind one of the many trees in the school yard. She always came to this part of the school during lunch hour as it was peaceful, there was almost always no one there.

Surprised, she hadn’t made a sound and quietly observed him from afar, as she always did. She’d listened to and watched him sobbing, and it was such a sad sight that she hadn’t been able to stop the tears that started flowing from her own eyes, after being suppressed for so many months. She had cried her heart out along with him that day too. And even though Kyungsoo didn't even know her name then, he had made a permanent place in her heart that day.

Surprisingly, she never felt tempted to approach him or to talk to him. She was content to just see him from afar, smiling or laughing and simply that used to make her day. Maybe it was because she had lost all her drive and liveliness after her father's death. But mostly, she was too scared to become one of those girls who threw themselves at boys, no self-respect whatsoever. She wasn't sure of her feelings then, she had thought it was just a temporary obsession that she had and it would go away in a few days. Wouldn't she regret it later if she acted impulsively upon her feelings, feelings that may not last?

Also the group Kyungsoo was a part of in Middle School was like a clique of good looking, straight-out-of a-fairytale sort of guys. And many girls at school had hearts for them. Even though she never saw Kyungsoo being too frank or flirting with any girl like many of his other guy friends, she was still scared. Of being rejected and becoming one amongst many others who had their heart broken.

That year had passed just like that and Kyungsoo had graduated from middle school and gone to a different high school. At first she got very depressed with, his absence feeling like a hole in her being, like the time when her father had died. She found it difficult to go through days without seeing his smile or his laugh or simply his face. Once, in a fit of desperation she tried to find out which High School he was enrolled in so that she could go see him. She searched the internet and though she didn’t find him on any social networking site, she founds his friends. She felt like a stalker and it hurt her pride but she was missing him too much to let such thoughts get in the way. Dicovering that it was the same school where her cousin Taeyeon studied, she merrily contacted her and asked if she could visit.

It hadn’t been an experience she expected. She had gone to that High School only to see a heart-breaking (or heart-warming as it might appear to some others) scene of Kyungsoo confessing to a girl, holding roses in his hands and that too with a whole crowd of students shouting "Date him! Date him!" at the girl. She also discovered in those few minutes how red Kyungsoo could blush, and how he could smile at someone like his whole world only belonged to her. She had moved away from that scene, tears stinging her eyes and had left without even saying goodbye to her cousin, who was worried sick about her afterwards and had to placated with a made up excuse.

After that day, she again busied herself with work, whether it be at school or the house. Having Soojung by her side had helped too, who would later become one of her closest buddies. And she tried with all her might to forget that boy with the heart shaped lips and doe eyes.

But her resolve was shaken, when she and Soojung got into the university Taeyeon, and Seungwan’s other, paternal cousin, Yixing were studying at and she found Kyungsoo her senior there. And added to that, he and Yixing were now apparently thick as thieves, her cousin having become a part of their group. When she’d seen him for the first time there and his eyes had landed on her, she’d felt like a drought she’d been suffering from had finally ended. Like she’d never stopped feeling for him.

Come on, Seungwan, you’re not a teenager anymore! She’d regained control of herself soon enough, or atleast tried to. And it had worked for the most part. She’d often wondered what had become of his relationship with the girl she’d seen him confess to, and that thought had always given her a reality check. That time of her life was over, and though with her brother grown up and Taeyeon, Soojung and Yerim moving in with them, the responsibilities had lessened, she was still far too cool-headed to act rashly upon her feelings especially since her actions now would affect not just herself but her cousin too and his relationship with Kyungsoo. Though the guy would probably not have an objection, but still, things were bound to get awkward. It’s just a crush, she repeated to herself every time her heart fluttered upon seeing him, like she had back in middle school.

And it was. Until the universe decided to increase her misery and make her meet him. Something was about to change, she could tell and she hoped it would be her feelings.

_

 "Yah! Just go out with me to this double date one more time. I won't ask you again I swear!", Chanyeol pleaded with Kyungsoo as they walked back to their seats with food trays. They were at the bowling arena and after tiring themselves out playing, had now decided to eat.

"That's the tenth time you have promised me that in the last four months", Kyungsoo replied, unaffected by his friends constant nagging.

"And that's the tenth time you've refused!" Chanyeol retorted in exasperated voice. " Can't you go with me this once? Please?" Chanyeol feigned cuteness, with a big toothy grin on his face.

"You look like an idiot", Kyungsoo snapped, unaffected by Chanyeol's requests, as he took a bite of his pasta. The taller guy smacked his arm in response, changing to his normal self again, causing Kyungsoo to choke.

"Yah let me eat in peace!" He yelled back.

"Yeah, yeah, eat. Eating is probably the only interesting thing in your *mothae-solo life anyway", Chanyeol snapped at him and took a big bite from his burger.

(mothae-solo: forever alone)

"So you say", Kyungsoo replied complacently, taking another bite of his pasta. He was in no mood to start yet another defensive argument with Chanyeol about how and why he didn't need help in dating.

Maybe he wasn't born with a natural ability to charm the opposite like his younger brother Jongin (or Kai as he was called by his friends), but he still knew his way around girls. Or so he thought. He hadn't had that many serious relationships. Okay, maybe he had never had a serious relationship. But that was because he didn't have the time or space for another relationship in his life. He didn't want to complicate his already stressful life when he had more pressing matters to concern himself with.

Love can wait.

 The only time he had felt attracted enough to confess to a girl was in High School. He was immature and naïve and what he had thought of as being his one true love had just been a temporary crush, a fancy that had passed just as quickly. He had confessed to the girl, his senior, in front of almost half the school and she had felt obliged to accept it. And soon afterwards she had told him that she liked someone else. He had been hurt and broken hearted, but had realized over the years that it was just an obsession he had with the image of someone he didn't even know. Not to mention how much he regretted putting her on the spot like that in front on everyone. His confession should have been more private.

"Where did Chen go though?", Chanyeol asked looking around, realizing that their other friend had been missing since they ordered food.

"I think he saw someone he knew and ran off to talk", Kyungsoo answered. Chanyeol shrugged, busying himself with his hamburger.

"Hello kids! How are you?"

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo turned their heads on hearing the familiar voices, and saw Yixing and Junmyeon walking towards them, Jongdae trailing behind.

"Hello hyung! Long time no see", Chanyeol greeted and got up to high-five Yixing. Junmyeon held his hand up too, but Chanyeol sat down without high fiving the guy, and after he’d shown enough hurt at the younger’s indignance Junmyeon got around to choking him.

"Hyung leave me alone!" Chanyeol protested loudly, trying to rid his neck of Junmyeon's grasp.

"You need to learn respect your elders", The elder responded calmly to Chanyeol's loud banter, not letting go. “What elder – Aaahh!”

"So how's life for you?" Yixing asked, reverting his attention from Junmyeon and Chanyeol's loud bickering, to Kyungsoo as he sat beside him.

"I am good hyung, how are you? I haven't seen you around much at the Uni since classes started?", Kyungsoo inquired, passing his pasta plate to Yixing and gesturing for him to eat.

They had only met Yixing when they started University three years ago, but because of his good-naturedness and caring behavior he had made a place in their clan pretty quickly.

Yixing sighed. "You know, elections are just around the corner. Been busy with society stuff. Can't wait until somebody else takes the position of president" He admitted, taking a bite of the pasta that Kyungsoo had passed to him.

Kyungsoo chuckled. "That bad huh? I thought you loved the Media Society"

"I do but it's been way too long. It’s my last year and I have a thesis to prepare, I am hoping to join a less demanding society"

"Kyungsoo yah! Let's leave! This hyung overeacts way too much!", Chanyeol shouted, irritated with Junmyeon. He had managed to free himself of Junmyeon's grasp but they were still arguing. Upon Chanyeol's disrespectful remark about Junmyeon's reactions, he caught Chanyeol's ear and pulled it, giving way to louder protests from the victim.

"Pull it harder, hyung", Jongdae instructed Junmyeon with a mischievous grin as he took a bite from Chanyeol's burger.

"You just wait until I get my hands on you, Chen!", Chanyeol snarled at Jongdae, his head tilting as Junmyeon pulled his ear further. "Okay I admit my mistake! Sorry......please leave me...", Chanyeol reverted to pleas. Junmyeon then let go of his ear.

"Good boy", He remarked as he ruffled Chanyeol's hair, beaming at his victory.

_

Kyungsoo woke up with a start, to his phone ringing. He picked it up from his bedside table and attended the call without looking at the caller's ID.

"Hello?", he answered, voice raspy with sleep.

"D.O. yah! How are you?", came a familiar, excited male voice.

Baekhyun. Seriously. One of the few people who still called him by his alias 'D.O.'.

"Baekhyun, do you know what time it is here?", Kyungsoo complained, rubbing his sleep ridden eyes.

"Oh what-Right I am sorry! Its 3:00 PM here in New York. It must be quite early in Korea."

"3:45 AM to be exact"

"Yeah sorry about that. But D.O. I have awesome news! I am coming back to Korea!" Baekhyun announced cheerily.

"Really? Why?"

"What do you mean why? I've been planning it for months! Have you forgotten already?”

Kyungsoo raked his mind and it came back to him in bits. Apparently the guy wanted to do his masters in Jounalism from Korea, though Kyungsoo couldn’t understand why, considering the prospects were far better in the States. But since Baekhyun had always said he would return to be a journalist to his home country once his father retired, this was bound to happen sooner or later.

“All the paperwork’s done, I start at the Uni this Monday"

"That's great", Kyungsoo groaned, not a hint of gladness he was feeling at the news showing in his tone. "But why did you have to tell me this at such an awkward time?"

"Because I'll reach Korea tomorrow", Baekhyun replied and then added sheepishly, "And....I need you to pick me"

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A/N: Okay! So another chapter done! Brace yourself ladies, Baekhyun's coming ;)

Do comment your thoughts! Thanks alot for reading this!