Baekhyun looked up at the five judgmental faces staring down at him and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I’ve already told you people a thousand times that what happened to Taeyeon yesterday wasn't because of me. It's been five years for God's sake, she's over it!"

He had been trying to convince his friends for the past God knew how many minutes since they’d arrived at the university, that Taeyeon’s panic attack or whatever happened to her yesterday wasn't the result of her seeing him. They hadn't told Yixing, much to Junmyeon's displeasure, considering his relationship with Taeyeon and his ignorance of the matter.

"And how do you know that? Did you talk to her?", Junmyeon inquired.

"No but-", he sighed. "I'll talk to her today and I'll prove you all wrong!"

 After he had rushed out of the auditorium yesterday, he hadn’t been able to find Taeyeon anywhere and had gotten lost himself, since he wasn't familiar with the geography of the vast campus. He had called Chanyeol for help, who was already looking for him but they had met Kyungsoo on the way who told them about meeting Seungwan and the fact that she was about to leave with Taeyeon for home. They had given up their search then.

"Not on our watch, you won't", Kyungsoo deadpanned as he sat down beside Baekhyun on the bench in front of the fountain.

"Why not?!", Baekhyun was unable to understand his friend's behavior.

"Because we don't want you die as yet, and that too at the hands of Kim Taeyeon!", Jongdae remarked and then chuckled. Baekhyun glared at him.

"Baekhyun-ah, you see she probably hasn't forgiven you for what happened in High School, so why don't you give her some time to adjust before you talk to her, hmm?", Minsoek tried to convince him softly, patting his shoulder.

"For the last time, hyung! What happened in High School wasn't my fault!", Baekhyun protested as he stood up in irritation. "And whose side are you people on exactly, mine or hers?"

“We’re still undecided”, Chanyeol said mockingly.

Baekhyun got up and started pacing, closing his eyes towards the sky and hoping for patience. He stopped for a moment, and opened his eyes at the same time as Taeyeon and Seungwan entered through the gates. Spotting them out of the corner of his eye, he turned to his friends.

"You people just wait and watch, I'll prove you all wrong!", he challenged before breaking into a run towards Taeyeon. Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were on their feet a beat later, shouting for their stupid friend to stop.

…..................................

"You okay?", Seungwan inquired, as they stepped into the courtyard in front of the Main Building. Taeyeon mumbled in response with a smile.

As soon as they turned towards the building, she noticed Baekhyun running towards her, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol on his tail. And here goes nothing.

………………………………

Baekhyun slowed down to a saunter as he neared Taeyeon, trying to catch his breath.

"Hello Taeyeon", he greeted her as they both stopped in the center of the ground outside the main building.

"Baekhyun", she addressed. Her eyes were cold and emotionless, and Baekhyun felt strangely unsettled by them. She had changed so much.

"Long time no see!", He commented enthusiastically but didn't get the same response in return.

"Of course, since you went to......New York was it?", Taeyeon asked in a flat tone.

"Yeah"

By this time, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had caught up with them. They greeted Taeyeon as they arrived, breathless.

"Will you people mind leaving me and Baekhyun alone for a minute?", Taeyeon interjected, leaving them all a little surprised including Baekhyun.

"Oh sure...sunbae", Chanyeol looked flustered but abided nevertheless.

"Sure......we'll leave", Seungwan chimed, and started to move in the same direction as Kyungsoo and Chanyeol after stealing a last meaningful glance at Taeyeon, who nodded in response. Seungwan sent a glare in Baekhyun's direction as well before leaving, which confused him. Are all girls in this University this scary?

"So how have you been?", Baekhyun asked cheerfully once his friends had left, though he knew they all must eavesdropping somewhere nearby.

"Fine", Taeyeon replied in the same flat tone. An awkward silence followed, carrying in it the heaviness of a thousand years.

"Taeyeon I'm sorry about-", Baekhyun decided to apologize but he was cut-off.

"Listen Baekhyun- “, Taeyeon started. “I don't know what your reasons are for coming to study here, and I couldn't care less, but let’s just stay out of each other’s way, shall we?"

Baekhyun was a bit taken back. The biting ice in her tone and her eyes was enough to make him want to hide somewhere.

And also to reach out and tell her he’d missed her….

 "Whatever happened in High School is in the past, and I have moved on. I hope you have too, so that we can live the rest of the academic year at this institution in peace.", She continued "It's my last year here, and after that we probably won't see each other for the rest of our lives"

Baekhyun nodded, trying to numb the strange ache in his chest that had risen upon her words. "Sure yeah, I moved on ages ago! Thank God we are on the same page on that!", he replied back in fake enthusiasm.

"So I guess I’ll – I’ll leave. See you around!", he stammered and then turned away quickly, his smile disappearing immediately. One more minute of that icy glare I swear......he thought as he briskly walked away.

But he had only walked a few steps when he spotted them, hiding behind the large foundation stone a few meters away from where he and Taeyeon were just talking. They pretended to be talking with each other as they saw him approach, few of them looking at the sky. These rascals....

He looked back to see Taeyeon, she had already started walking back to the building. He sighed looking at her, feeling a strange sense of longing as her silhouette got further away from him. But he shook it away and walked towards his friends to brag 'I told you so'.

_

Kyungsoo and Seungwan walked back in silence to BM block for their classes.

Well, this isn't awkward at all, Kyungsoo thought. He was confused ever since yesterday about where this was going. He couldn't deny the attraction he was developing for her but his mind told him to stop getting distracted by a girl and focus on his goals that he was so close to achieving.

They were both walking lost in their thoughts, and Kyungsoo didn't notice the short boulder that was in his way. He hit his knee against it.

"Oww!", he let a loud (manly) shriek as he recoiled holding his leg up, hopping on the other, as if he was playing chicken tag. He looked at Seungwan and saw she was suppressing laughter. They both broke into the light chuckles, the sound filling the air like that of trinkets.

"I am sorry for laughing like that. Are you hurt?", Seungwan apologized for her outburst after they both had laughed for about a minute.

"No I'm fine. You actually look really good laughing", he blurted out what was on his mind, still smiling at her. She looked up to meet his eyes when he said that, and Kyungsoo faltered.

"What I mean is......that-uh...your laugh is good. You should…laugh more...", he stuttered, embarrassed at having spoken out his mind like that. He normally chose his words very carefully, and thought them over at least twice before speaking.

"Thank you, for...saying that. You have a pretty good laugh yourself", she remarked, her cheeks coloring. Or maybe it was just his imagination.

"Thanks", he replied, rubbing his knee. They got quiet again for a minute, gathering their thoughts.

"So I guess......we should head to our classes now", he said, a part of him unhappy at the thought of parting. He felt like talking to her more but he brushed away the thought.

"Right. See you around", Seungwan said it first this time, smiling as she walked to his left towards the part of BM building where her lecture hall was. He smiled back and waved at her but admonished himself right after.

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A/N: Thankyou so much you all for subscribing!