Taeyeon and Baekhyun both spent their week in regrets. The former kept beating herself for going all soft for Baekhyun that day. Why had she let a golden opportunity of shaming Baekhyun and making him feel guilty, go like that? Also, for some reason her heart started beating fast every time she saw him, which although was rare because of the tests going on, but still happened at least once every day at the university. And he would always give her one of his perfect smiles, unnerving her further (what's his deal?).

Baekhyun felt remorseful for his pettiness, he hadn't even gifted her. Maybe if she had been her normal witchy self when he had gone to apologize and not...nice (like she used to be), he wouldn't have felt this way. A part of him strongly wanted to be friends with her again, and he decided he was going to try and be nice to her. To make amends, of course. It wasn't something too far gone, right?  Even if teasing her was indeed very entertaining, they needed to take their relationship to the next level of maturity. In a very platonic way of course, he kept telling himself.

What added to his guilt, was the incident with Suzy. He had tried to call her multiple times and sent her numerous apologetic texts but they had all come back unanswered. She evaded all of his attempts of talking to her in University, by either stomping away glaring at him or just completely ignoring him. She had every right to do so, so Baekhyun had decided to give her time to calm down.

Group: Media Society

Taeyeon_ss: So guys I hope you are all done with your monthlies? We need to start preparing for the Winter Dance, the date will be confirmed soon, it'll probably around Dec 15^th I think, so we only have two weeks to make all the arrangements.

ChenChen: Yoohooo!

Xiu-Baozi: I have one left. Humph 🙁

ChenChen: to be you hyung. Who asked you to do post-graduation anyway?

Real-PCY: @ChenChen you are reminded to stay out of this conversation as you are not a part of this society anymore. Thankyou 🙂

ChenChen: I may not be an executive member but I am very much so still a member and ex-head of Singing Club and that is not going to change! Deal with it!

Real-PCY: We have no need of a common muggle like you here.

Baeklight: Watching Harry Potter again, are we?

Xiu-BaoZi: Knowledge is power, Jongdae. How would you know?

ChenChen: Oh please! You're doing it for the money!

Real-PCY: And the girls. They dig the nerd professors type don't they?

ChenChen: Especially girls living in Europe, if you know what I mean 😉

Xiu-BaoZi: Dirty minds. Go drink Dettol or something.

Suhorang: And what do you know about girls anyway, Chanyeol?

Real-PCY: More than you ever would, hyung! How's Irene sunbae? Does she still literally take your breath away and make you choke?

ChenChen: Burn!

Suhorang: Hopeless.

ChenChen: Your life. We know, right!

Vousmevouz: And how is your's any different, Chen ssi? Luna still make you feel like you're on top of a mountain, about to jump off?

Xiu-BaoZi: LOL. I think she does, Soojung 😉

ChenChen: Yahh!

Baeklight: Stop discussing your personal lives here! This is a group for professional purposes....

Real-PCY: Suho hyung started it!

Real-PCY: Anyway, I just finished watching the Deathly Hollows, I wish your brother-in-law was here to watch it with me, Baek. He always makes it so much more fun.

Xiu-Baozi: Plz do announce the said mortal's honorable name to the world!

Baeklight: I don't have one you no good piece of –

Baekhyun wished his tall friend was there so that he could just strangle him right there and then. Sehun was a person that he seriously come to like (he had visited him again for a secret session of gaming, while Taeyeon was out for her job), and the fact that they kept hounding him with the brother-in-law jokes, irked him.

Suhorang: No cursing children!

Baeklight: - stale bread!

Real-PCY: Not yet 😉  

ChenChen: Where's Kyungsoo when we are discussing about his future family?

Baeklight: You people have a death wish, don't you?

Kyungsoo123: Somebody called me?

Real-PCY: *goes back to sleep*

Suhorang: We were just discussing ideas about the Winter Dance.

Kyungsoo123: Where's Yixing hyung?

Real-PCY: Like, in China.

Kyungsoo123: Thanks, Captain Obvious. I meant why he isn't in this conversation. Don't they have internet in China?

Taeyeon_ss: LOL, they do. I think….

Taeyeon_ss: He's been out on a mountain hiking trip since Tuesday. We'll update him once he returns this weekend.

 Suhorang: @Taeyeon_ss, have you talked to the President of Arts Society about decorations?

Taeyeon_ss: Yes, I have talked to Tiffany and Seulgi, I was thinking of having a joint meeting with the Arts Society tomorrow if you guys are free?

Baeklight: But you don't even have classes tomorrow, you'll just come for the meeting?

Real-PCY: *cough* Stalker!

Taeyeon_ss: Yes.

Xiu-BaoZi: Any time after 11 is good!

ChenChen: Done then!

Real-PCY: Who invited you?

_

"So any ideas about the theme? Something new and innovative", Taeyeon asked, eyeing the people sitting around the round table in the conference room. They had just gotten the menu for the Dance finalized, much to Jongin's disappointment. He had insisted on the keeping some of the chicken dishes in there, despite being reminded ever so often that this wasn't his High School's dance and he shouldn't interfere. He and Sehun had somehow found their way to the university together after their practice that Friday, Sehun because he had overheard Taeyeon yesterday saying something about a joint meeting with Arts Society, with someone called Irene being there (he had had a crush on the said noona since having met her a year ago while visiting his other noonas and Yixing at the uni) and Jongin because he had nothing better to do.

"How does pink sound?", Miyoung, the President of Arts Society, suggested excitedly and everyone groaned, even Suzy. She had been sitting there quietly, not participating much in the discussion and apparently doing a great job of ignoring Baekhyun, who sent apologetic smiles her way whenever her gaze fell on him accidently.

"Please Tiff! When will your obsession with pink end?", Taeyeon grumbled to her friend.

"What? Pink is such a lively and happy colour, it makes everything feel so-"

"But we had that sort of theme last year too, didn't we?", Junmyeon cut her off.

"How about black?", Kyungsoo suggested airily.

"It's not a funeral, Kyungsoo", Chanyeol reminded him with a pointed look.

After another thirty minutes of debate, it was clear to Taeyeon that the discussion was going nowhere. Whatever was suggested had either already been used or had some loopholes that were hard to go around. And for the first time since Yixing had left for China, Taeyeon found herself really missing her friend. He would have sorted everything out in the blink of an eye.

"How about Fire and Ice?", Came the soft voice of Irene, who hadn't spoken once since the meeting started. All gazes turned to her, particularly Sehun's who smiled giddily. "It's a popular concept. Red and White go well together"

"Not bad", Junmyeon was the first one to give his approval.

"Let's vote!", Baekhyun announced and they all raised their hands in favour of Irene's suggestion, including Jongin and Sehun, that went ignored. "Fire and Ice it is then!" Baekhyun announced.

"So moving on to the band, I have prepared a list of good ones. It’s up to you people to finalize", Taeyeon passed the notepad to Chanyeol, who was sitting next to her.

Chanyeol made a face as he scanned notes. "I don't think we need a band this time, I can play the guitar myself and we can choose someone for playing the piano, instead of wasting funds on this"

"Okay", Taeyeon shrugged. "We will need to hold auditions for the pianist then?"

"No, actually-", Kyungsoo cleared his throat. "How about Seungwan shii? She can play the piano really well!"

Chen wolf-whistled and Baekhyun and Chanyeol smirked, but a glare from Taeyeon was enough to shut them up. She didn't want the decorum of the meeting ruined considering they weren't the only society present there.

"I know that D.O. and it would be perfect if she does, but would she agree?" Taeyeon was well-aware of what a talented singer and pianist her cousin was, but she didn't want to put her on the spot like that and make her feel burdened considering her cousin had stage-fright. She had tried to make her come out of her shell multiple times, but she knew she couldn't just push her to do that all of a sudden. It wasn't fair.

"Leave that to Kyungsoo, sunbae. He will do an extremely good job of convincing her, believe me!", Chanyeol remarked teasingly, eliciting snickers from the rest of them.

"Yes. Especially now that they are dating", Jongin rolled his eyes, not realizing he had just dropped a bomb shell.

Oh great! Kyungsoo groaned inwardly, seeing the surprised looks on his friends faces as all gazes turned to him.

"You people are dating?!", Chanyeol exclaimed.

"You naughty child", Baekhyun smirked mischievously at him.

"When did this happen?", Taeyeon was confused. "Why didn't Wendy tell me?"

"Well we...", Kyungsoo's didn't know how to explain and his throat felt a little dry. Was he supposed to tell them that it was only fake to put a stop to their mother's constant match-making? But that wasn't a good idea considering Jongin and Sehun's presence there.

"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, really", He admitted, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "I asked her last week. She said yes. That's it"

"Really?", Taeyeon found it hard to believe that her cousin-sister would agree to date the love of her life on a whim, but she couldn't know for sure until she had talked to her.

"Yeah", Kyungsoo shrugged. He felt sorry that he was leaving all the explaining for Seungwan but for now it was the best he could come up with.

Baekhyun and the rest of them found his excuse lame too, not to mention disappointing. "So there were no confessions?" Chanyeol started, pulling a sullen face.

"No confetti and rose petals?", Baekhyun joined in, feigning a sad pout.

"No steamy make-out-Oww!" Chen was interrupted by a smack on the head from Junmyeon.

"Them dating is their own choice, let them live!", He chided his younger friends.

"Since when are you his lawyer?", Chen grumbled and Junmyeon ignored him.

"They wouldn't have had any of those anyway, Chen hyung. Seungwan noona is illiterate when it comes to dating", Sehun told them non-chalantly, earning a glare from Taeyeon.

"So is Kyungsoo hyung", Jongin added, shrugging.

Kyungsoo really would have smacked them each hard, had his mind not been too pre-occupied with how to break it to Seungwan that their dating news had become commonplace. They were only supposed to be pretend-dating in front of their mothers, not the whole world.

"I'll leave it to you then D.O.", Taeyeon interrupted with her announcement. "Let's get back to the topic"

 The meeting was adjourned a good 45 minutes later, once they were done discussing how they were going to go about the preparations and the work was divided.

"How's your foot?", Baekhyun walked up to Taeyeon, as they all got up to leave.

Taeyeon's swallowed hard, as she locked eyes with him, groaning inwardly. Why does he have to be so concerned about everything?

"It's much better", She squeaked not bothering to explain much, looking away as she gathered her things.

"Did you go to the doctor again?"

"Yes"

"What did he say?"

"He said it's fine" She could hear her heartbeat getting louder in his presence and she hated it. What is wrong with me? And the fact that he kept asking her questions wasn't helping.

"That's all?" Baekhyun was confused, at the jitteriness he could sense in her behavior and the way she was avoiding his gaze. Is she angry with me again?

"Yeah!", She quickly swung her bag over her shoulders and started walking out, refraining from looking at Baekhyun.

"Hey! Wait up!", Baekhyun quickly grabbed his bag from across the table and followed her.

Taeyeon breathed in exasperation. She wanted to snap at him to leave her alone, but she couldn't bring herself to. "I'm in a hurry, Baekhyun. See you later!", She picked up her pace, desperate to get away from him.

Baekhyun halted in his tracks, sighing seeing her walk away. He didn't want to keep her if there was something else she needed to urgently do.

"You're creeping her out, lover boy", Chanyeol remarked, walking up to Baekhyun outside the conference room. Jongdae and Minseok followed soon after.

"What?", Baekhyun scowled at him. "No, I'm not"

"Yes, you are. I know it's hard to control your, uhm, feelings but try and take it a little slow okay?", He teased, earning a smack from Baekhyun in response.

"Shut up, okay! When will you people stop with this nonsense? I'm just trying to be friendly and civil with her, isn't that what you people wanted me to do?"

"'Friendly and civil'? Is that what they are calling it these days?", Minseok chuckled, and Baekhyun heard them high-fiving, as they started to follow him.

"Well, I guess we should tell Yixing hyung that his plan has definitely worked and BaekYeon is now a thing", Chen whisper-yelled, making sure Baekhyun would hear it.

Baekhyun just shook his head. There was no use telling his friends to stop, he would just have to develop immunity to their idiotic comments like Kyungsoo had.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: How're you guys? Season's greetings! Did you guys like this chapter? The coming chapters are going to get....interesting, if you know what I mean ;)

Thankyou for reading!

P.S. Just btw, do you guys listen to the songs I recommend? I gotta up my music game.....