"May I come in?", Kyungsoo asked teasingly, as he opened the door of the Music Studio and spotted Seungwan there.

Seungwan smiled, not looking back from her position at the piano "If I tell you not to, will you go?"

"Now, why would you do that to someone who's here to give you company?", Kyungsoo replied, walking up to her. He took a good look at her. It had only been a week but he had missed seeing and talking to her so much.

Seungwan looked at him warily. "You know, I do miss those times I used to be here all alone, singing in peace"

Kyungsoo feigned a hurt expression and Seungwan chuckled, gesturing for him to sit beside her. "So, how's life?"

"Never been better. I flanked my Human Resources assessment I think”

Seungwan raised an eyebrow in amusement. "You and flanked?"

"Happens to the best of us", Kyungsoo replied cheekily. "How about you?"

"It's been...fine I guess", Apart from the fact that she had missed him like hell, everything had been okay.

"Seung", Kyungsoo cleared his throat, preparing himself. "I need to tell you something"

Seungwan turned to him. "What?"

"It may or may not have slipped past my idiotic brother's tongue at the society meeting, that we are dating"

"What?", Seungwan's eyes widened. Tae's going to kill me....

"Yeah, sorry about that", Kyungsoo apologized awkwardly.

"I have tons of explaining to do....", Seungwan sighed in defeat. "What did you tell them?"

"Just that, it was on impulse. I know its lame but I couldn't come up with anything better. You should have seen how they were all staring at me!"

"It's okay. We would have had to tell them sooner or later", Seungwan tried to lessen his worry, but in truth she was quite anxious herself. "But can't we tell them the truth?"

"We could", Kyungsoo said thoughtfully. "Sehun, Jongin and the Arts Society were there too, otherwise I would have told them right there and then" Seungwan nodded, not sure whether that would’ve been the best course of action.

"Anyway, what were you singing?", Kyungsoo asked to get off the topic.

"Umm, I just got here actually. I was planning on singing 'One of these Nights'"

Kyungsoo smiled. "Sing it then"

Seungwan started slowly and soon enough Kyungsoo was completely immersed in her voice. She gestured for him to join in between and he did, their voices harmonizing beautifully. Once they finished, Kyungsoo turned to gaze at her.

"What?", Seungwan asked, disconcerted finding him staring at her like that.

"This is the song we are going to sing together at the Spring Fest next year", He stated matter-of-factly, surprising Seungwan.

"What? No, we're not"

"Why? Do you not like the song? We can choose another one if you like – “

Seungwan cut him off. "That is not what I meant. I meant that we are not going to sing it"

"And why not?" Kyungsoo folded his arms on his chest.

"Because...." Seungwan trailed off. "You sing so well and I-well-I will mess it all up"

"And why would you assume that? What happened years ago is history. Are you going to keep hiding, just because you failed once?"

"No I just-"

"Your father wouldn't be happy seeing you like this you know", Kyungsoo's words made Seungwan pause.

"Why are you bringing my father up in this?", Seungwan felt a pang somewhere inside. Kyungsoo knew he was touching on a sensitive topic, but it was the only way of making her understand what he wanted to.

"Because he's the reason you stopped performing. You think your confidence went away with him"

Seungwan turned to look at him sharply, her heart thudding painfully in her chest. He had managed to hit right on the spot. "H-how-?"

"It's not rocket science. I can tell what's going through your mind and it pains me", Kyungsoo said sincerely. "It pains me that you have been holding back for so long and your father wouldn't want to see you like this – “

She got up from her chair, looking away.

Kyungsoo sighed getting up beside her, his heart clenching seeing the tears she was not doing a good job of hiding. But it was a truth she needed to accept and make peace with.

Seungwan took deep breaths to calm herself. She knew that he was right, and that's what irritated her the most. It made her feel vulnerable like she hadn't felt in years.

"You can't keep living in a shell forever, Seung", Kyungsoo took a step to lessen the distance between them and put a hand on her shoulder. And that was the final nail in the coffin. She broke down, turning towards him fully and getting enveloped into his chest. She cried her heart out, like she had never done before, not even with Taeyeon. All the hurt she kept piled up inside her, from her father's death and all the hardships that came with it coming out in tears. She hadn't even realized she had kept it all in until that moment.

After she had sobbed enough, they had sat beside each other, sharing a comfortable silence. And Seungwan had realized, that she had never felt more at peace. And that it would make her very happy, if she could share silences like this with him for a long time.

_

Seungwan: Thankyou for today 🙂

No matter how much Seungwan thought about it, she came to the same conclusion: Kyungsoo was right. She had been fooling herself, hiding for so long. Her father most certainly wouldn't want that. True, she was going to have a hard time becoming confident again but it would all be worth it. Especially now that she had Kyungsoo by her side. She realized, that maybe all along she had only been waiting for this. For someone to come and make her see that it wasn't too far gone for her to be herself and do what she liked again.

Kyungsoo: I am so glad you were able to see reason.

Seungwan: Is that another way of saying I was an idiot before?

Kyungsoo: Err, it isn't. But if you say so....

Seungwan: Bad joke.

Kyungsoo: 😀

Kyungsoo: Did you talk to Taeyeon sunbae?

Seungwan: Yes....

She had been scared of running into Taeyeon once she got home but thankfully the said girl had been at the library at that time. By the time she had returned, Seungwan had been prepared and before Taeyeon could launch her accusations at her she had come clean about everything.

Taeyeon had already known it would have to have been something like this, but she was still very disappointed about the fake part. She felt like Seungwan and Kyungsoo were holding back way too much.

"Man up! Are you seriously going to keep up this 'fake' charade?", Taeyeon had snapped, after Seungwan had told her.

Seungwan had sighed. "What do you want me to do, Tae? Tell him that I have feelings for him and put him on the spot? He's already told me he doesn't want a serious relationship right now. We have barely just started being friends and it's going to destroy that too!"

"That's bull, Seungwan. I can say for sure he has feelings for you too. He's just not good at expressing them!" Taeyeon had argued.

"Can you say that for sure? Stop making assumptions", Seungwan simply countered leaving Taeyeon with nothing but exasperated sighs. For now, she would just have to let it go. I really wish these two weren't such idiots....

Kyungsoo: Was it bad?

Seungwan: Not really. I just told her everything truthfully.

Kyungsoo: That's good.

Kyungsoo decided he was going to tell his friends the truth too, but there was something else he needed to do first.

Kyungsoo: There is actually something I need to ask you Seung? It's a request. But the decision's up to you.

Seungwan: What is it?

Kyungsoo: I would have preferred to do this face to face....

Kyungsoo: We need a pianist for the Winter Dance. And while discussing about it, I suggested you cause you're so good at it!

Kyungsoo: And I was kind of hoping you would do it?

Seungwan: Yes. Okay.

Kyungsoo couldn't help beaming at her response.

Kyungsoo: That was quick 🙂

Seungwan: Let's just say it's my way of trying to get 'out of my shell'. As you put it.

Kyungsoo: That's great, Seung. Thanks a lot. You will have to practice a bit with Chanyeol and whoever the violinist and drummer will be, but I'm sure you'll do great.

_

Lay_sheep: Guys, do you think Unicorns exist?

Real-PCY: Woohoo Yixing hyung's back!

ChenChen: Welcome back!

Suhorang: No they don't, Xing.

Lay_sheep: But what if they do?

Suhorang: Oh God!

Lay_sheep: A friend of a cousin of mine came to ask for donation for his charity. He said he had actually found the carcass of one and needed money to carry out tests to prove it to the world.

Taeyeon_ss: Please don't tell me you actually fell for that?

Lay_sheep: But....he even showed me pictures of the remains he found, you guys!

Suhorang: *speechless*

ChenChen: LOL hyung. You're one of a kind.

Lay_sheep: How's the prep for the Winter Dance going btw? Need help?

Baeklight: It's going well hyung. We have finalized the people who are going to play as the band and the theme. We are working with the Arts Society to get all the décor done as well.

Baeklight: @Taeyeon_ss How is the ticket distribution going?

Baekhyun hadn't been able to meet Taeyeon much, despite the fact that this was a crucial time for them as society presidents to get the arrangements for the Winter Dance done, which now was only a couple of days away.

She was mostly in a hurry these days, and he barely got time to get over the warmth he was starting to feel every time he saw her, before she would run off. All their conversations were reduced to being on the phone, restricted to talking about the preparations.

Maybe I really am creeping her out...He had thought once but then brushed away the thought. Maybe she's just busy....

 He was just being civil, because that was the only way to amend their lost long friendship in his mind. What else was he supposed to do? Go back to being the teasing jerk? That wasn't going to help things at all.

Taeyeon_ss: Yes, it's mostly done. Chanyeol is handling the finances. Also, for the next two days, all the society members are required to stay back to help with the decorations in the hall.

Taeyeon was done. More with herself than Baekhyun. The weird sensation she felt at the pit of her stomach every time he smiled at her made her feel more perturbed than she had in years now, and despite spending a lot of time scolding herself she hadn't managed to get rid of it.

Secondarily, her work had increased at the library now that her foot was healed, and Hyuk had gone on a leave to visit his family. She didn't mind, considering how much she had lacked off the past couple of weeks because of her injury, and helped her get her mind off 'other things'. Society matters took up a lot of her time, but she loved organizing things to perfection, precisely the reason why she’d wanted to be the president.

Kyungsoo123: Can I be exempted? I am practicing with Seungwan shii tomorrow.

Real-PCY: You are not even playing in the band! Why don't I get exempted too since I have to practice with her?

Kyungsoo123: I am singing, dumbfreak.

Real-PCY: So are Chen and Yixing hyung, why don't they join you and Seungwan shii too tomorrow?

Kyungsoo123: They told us themselves that they had practiced enough already.

ChenChen: But we could still come tomorrow, maybe bring a pastor along and get things done with already 😉 how does that sound?

Xiu-BaoZi: What has the poor pastor done to deserve that, Jongdae?

Baeklight: You will be exempted, Yoda, once we have put your height to good use. You are our one and only ladder, don't you know that?

Baeklight: Until then, let Kyungsoo and Seungwan enjoy their date-I mean piano practice session.

Taeyeon smiled despite herself. She had been noticing a positive change in Seungwan since she had started 'fake' dating Kyungsoo and taken up the pianist position. She was happier, and more cheerful then Taeyeon had seen her be in a long time, and that made her feel more delighted than anything. Kyungsoo had always been a good guy in her eyes, but seeing the effect he had started having on Seungwan, she had started liking him more.

Taeyeon_ss: You are exempted, D.O. Is Min Hyuk doing well on the drums? And what song have you people decided?

Kyungsoo123: Minhyuk is doing well, he's hardworking. And we decided on 'All My Loving' by The Beatles.

Real-PCY: I work so hard on the guitar too but you have never praised me? What's this Min Hyuk got on you?

ChenChen: Uhm uhm, I think he gives him and Seungwan the much-needed privacy which practically goes to the gutter every time you appear in the Music Studio.

Real-PCY: Same goes for you and Yixing hyung! You people been practicing with them too....

Lay_sheep: Why do Kyungsoo and Seungwan need privacy?

Real-PCY: *dies*

Kyungsoo's face flared up and he mentally slapped himself for forgetting that they still hadn't officially told Yixing. One of his friends was most certainly going to die at his hands if this continued. He talked to Seungwan and they decided to tell him officially tomorrow, on Kyungsoo’s insistence, though Seungwan couldn’t see why it was so important. Yixing was a very understanding person and she knew he would have no objections.

_

Yixing insisted on taking them both for dinner in celebration, after they had both confessed to dating. Kyungsoo had been more nervous than he should’ve been, while Seungwan had had to comfort him and try not to roll her eyes at his apprehensions. She wasn’t being insensitive, it was just that Yixing was one of the most kind-hearted people she’d ever met and she couldn’t put her head around the fact that he would have any objections. And she’d turned out to be right, Yixing had very smilingly told them he more than approved and had managed to get Kyungsoo to relax, which was something Seungwan was thankful for. The last thing she wanted was for him to be uncomfortable or unnecessarily worked up about her family.

 It had been a long time since either of them had hung out with the elder one, and they enjoyed a lot, catching up on what had been happening in their lives. Yixing had a lot to say about his adventures in China and when he started on the part about contributing to a charity on Unicorn research, Seungwan cracked up bad. Her cousin-brother really could be too innocently dumb sometimes.

"You-actually-believed-that?", She barely managed to croak in between fits of laughter.

"Yah! He even showed me pictures! I'm not stupid!", Yixing claimed indignantly.

Seungwan wiped the few tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes, taking deep breaths and responded with a sarcastic thumbs up. She then excused herself to use the restroom.

"She looks nice laughing, huh?", Yixing asked.

"She does", Kyungsoo, still staring after her, responded without thinking and only realized later, turning red in embarrassment. "What I meant was-"

Yixing shook his head, looking amused. " No need to explain..." He gave Kyungsoo his best smile and then continued. "I trust you Kyungsoo, with all my heart and same goes for Seungwan. And I am infinitely glad to see you two happy together. Just don't ever hurt her, okay?"

Kyungsoo paused at the seriousness of Yixing's tone. He didn't think he was capable of hurting Seungwan, not when she had come to mean so much to him. If he could, he would protect her from all the hurt there was in the world.

"I won't, hyung", He promised with a sincere smile, to the man sitting in front of him and to himself.

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A/N: Hey peeps! How y'all doing? A cheesy chapter, but a much needed one I feel. 

WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE A FAMILY SINCE WE ARE ONE ;D I'M SOOOOOO HAPPY FOR CHEN!!

Thankyou for reading!